Hey hey hey!
It’s raining in NYC — and it’s supposed to rain all week. So get ready for lots of “Oh my gosh, can you believe it’s still raining?” conversations in the elevator. People love talking about the weather.
But there’s plenty of other stuff to talk about today. In case you’re behind, allow me to fill you in on what’s been happening in Ali On The Run land:
- On Friday, I was excited about the latest batch of Run For The Rabbit commercials that have been airing. You can watch them online, of course, but that’s not nearly as fun as seeing them on TV — which I did, last night, thanks to the schedule I was given as to exactly when they’d be airing. Hehe. I was pumped that “my” commercial came on the Food Network during “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”
- I finally got my Frequently Asked Questions page up and running. Check it out, and if you have anything else you’re dying to know, email me at aliontherunblog@gmail.com. That’s easy, huh?
- On Saturday, I ran the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K in Central Park. I came out of the race with a new 10K PR, but I was left questioning whether it was truly a successful race or not based on the fact that I blatantly ignored my coach’s very specific race day advice. Oops. (He forgave me, by the way.) I also saw Bridesmaids, which is the funniest movie I’ve seen in a while.
- Sunday was filled with a rainy run, a sweaty spin class and puppy watching on the Upper East Side. I also did laundry which, you know, is super exciting. Plus, I registered for the Army 10 Miler in October, which I can’t wait to run. I’ve never run a 10 mile race before — which means I’m already set for a PR.
- I wrote a new blog post on my Run For The Rabbit page about learning to listen to my coach. So in case you’re not on blog overload already, enjoy that.
After a pretty busy weekend I was shocked that I woke up before my alarm this morning. It was set for 6:30 since Coach Cane has today as a running rest day (I get to cross train later though, thank God).
In fact, there are lots of running rest days this week since I’m racing the Brooklyn Half Marathon on Saturday.
I guess that’s fine — because did you hear that it’s supposed to rain all week?
Hehe.
So like I said, I woke up early this morning. At 6 am my body was like, “Hey Ali, why aren’t we running today? Let’s do stuff!”
Fine.
I did some ab things. I did some push-ups. (I crapped out after 25 because I got bored.) I stretched for about .2 seconds.
Then I figured I’d just get ready for work.
So here I am, at the office before 8 am for no good reason.
And it’s raining.
Bad weather doesn’t mean a bad outfit, and today I put together a little something that I actually like.
Excuse the dress — she doesn’t photograph well.
Oh wait, that’s not the dress. It’s my sad little iPhone camera.
Anyway, I love this dress, and because it’s nice and windy outside, most of NYC got a lovely showing of my underwear this morning. You’re welcome, New York. Have a great day. Love, me and my thighs and butt cheeks.
Also, it has a little cutout in the back, which isn’t necessarily work appropriate, but it’s great for a summer day:
I’m not sure how thrilled the CEO of my company would be to see my open-back dress (which, by the way, is designed to perfectly show off my sports bra chafing scars), so blazer to the rescue.
Today will consist of blasting through my To Do list at work, followed by a Chisel and potential Spinning class at the gym. The evening will be topped off with some drinks with lady friends at a bar that’s on my block. Bonus points for the convenience factor on that one.
SOMETHING I NEED TO KNOW: I’m trying to be better and more consistent about packing lunch for work instead of buying lunch. Turns out, buying lunch daily in midtown Manhattan gets pretty expensive. What are your lunch staples? If you say salad, I will ignore you. I don’t eat salad, so that response will not be helpful. Responses like “brownies” and “hummus sandwiches” are more my style. Thank you for your help.
Also, tell me the best part of your weekend. Did you run a race? Did you pet a puppy? Did you sleep from Friday until Sunday? I like knowing these things. They bring us closer, don’t you think?
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One of my go-to lunches is this: microwave a potato at home while you are getting ready in the morning. Use the potato setting or do like 3 minutes on high, and don’t forget to pierce it so the steam escapes 😉 Once done, cut it up and pile salsa, black beans, cheese, plain yogurt, spinach….whatever you like on it, and throw it in a microwave safe container to heat up later. When you heat it up at work, just use the reheat setting, since it’s already cooked, to warm it up.
i know you love hummus.. a really good snack or something you could bring to work is some hummus along with persian cucumbers ! they are smaller than normal cucumbers.. i buy mine from trader joes and it’s one of my favorite snacks.
i’m not a salads person too, but some salads actually are pretty practical for work, such as pasta salads and bean salads.. Quiet filling and can be made the night before and no cooking required.. Also nut butter sandwitches are always quick, ymmmy, and healthy.. Egg salad and Tuna sanwitches too..
Ughh, this weather in NYC sucks right now:( Your dress is totally adorable though! Nothing like a cute outfit to combat the terrible weather;)
I am SO with you about the annoying weather chitchat. I swear, one day I am just going to move to Southern California to see what kind of elevator small talk the Angelenos make (can’t talk about 72 degrees and sunny everyday, right?).
I did pet a puppy this weekend! That is the nice thing about having a little furball of your own — they are ALWAYS ready for some pets. She’s my very first dog, so she gets really spoiled.
Lunch — I make a lot of stir-frys. I chop up whatever veggies I have (peppers, onions, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, etc) and toss them in a skillet with a little olive oil. Add some protein (chicken, tofu, etc), and let cook for about 20 minutes. You don’t have to do anything except poke it with a spoon every so often. I make a big batch and eat all week — re-heats in the microwave SO well. Sometimes I throw it over some pasta or brown rice (I love those instant Trader Joe’s brown rice bowls!).
This weekend I ran with in the Girls on the Run 5K in my area. I coached this season and I am SO proud of my girls!!! 🙂
As for lunches, I usually eat open faced hummus and tuna sandwiches, crunchy veggies with hummus and nut butters, or veggie wraps. 🙂
Leftovers!!! Make 2-4 servings of food the night before and bring it to work for lunch!!
So amazed how much you workout. I’m insanely jealous and wish I was more like you!! I had to work 12 hours today and I couldn;t get to the gym. : ( Hope your spin and chisel were great : )
The best part of my weekend was spending time with family & friends. I love weekends when I get a chance to do both– eat dinner and hang out with rents as well as movies/girl time with my best friend, and then going out at night with a group of friends! 🙂 Happy Monday!
I usually just make too much than I can actually eat for dinner, then bring leftovers and heat them up at work. As long as you’ve got a microwave, you’re golden 🙂
Thank you for asking about lunch ideas! I’ve just started a new job and I’ve been perusing the Internet for ideas. Keeping that in mind, I don’t have too many ideas. I’ve kept it simple, thus far: PB+banana sandwiches, fruit, etc.
The best part of my weekend was seeing my dog, Riley. She had been sick the last time I saw her (on Thursday), but by Sunday, she was back to her rambunctious self! 🙂
I know when I haven’t been to the grocery store in about 3 weeks because that’s when I end up buying lunch from the cafeteria and being forced to eat greasy grill food or the dreaded salad. Otherwise I end up bringing last night’s leftovers like turkey chili with pita or some kind of panini/sandwich (turkey, mozzarella, tomato, basil)… although I’m more a fan of panini’s or wraps than straight sandwiches.
I ran my first half marathon yesterday!!
Congratulations!!
I will gladly take the rain over here. Texas is like dying. And omg I love your dress so dang much. Gorgeous!
What about just sandwiches? I get the… I forget what it’s called. Not regular bread, it’s wheat but it’s thin and shaped like a circle. And then load it up with whatever floats your boat. 3 minutes, done. 🙂
On Sunday I volunteered for my first ever race instead of running one…and it was cold. And on top of it being cold, it was rainy. And on top of it being cold and rainy, it was windy. Cold + rain + wind + standing and not moving = misery. I may or may not have hightailed it out of there 3 hours earlier than what I had volunteered for…
Don’t judge me! I have a half ‘thon this coming weekend and I couldn’t risk getting sick! You would have done the same…maybe??…
Happy Monday!
I’ve been following you for a while now, and I just have to say that I totally heart your blog. You seem so down to earth – the voice in your writing is so good!
On to lunch details: I’m a teacher, so that means I have 25 minutes to eat lunch, use the bathroom, check my email, have an adult conversation, make phone calls, and actually digest food.
Therefore, I like to bring a smattering of foods with me that I can eat throughout the afternoon if need be: bars (Luna protein, Clif, Larabars, etc…) along with a piece of fruit or fruit salad (sorry, I said salad), and maybe cheese and crackers or pita and hummus.
omg salad!! heh 😉 I struggle with this, too, actually, but I just try to grab a protein, carb and fat from my kitchen and piece it together as my lunch – like…greek yogurt, tomatoes, and avocado or something.
I’m a big fan of bringing leftovers for lunches. I’m not a big fan of sandwiches, although I did bring a peanut butter sandwich today just for ease. I try to make enough food at dinner the night before to have lunch the next day.
Such a cute outfit! It’s definitely time for me to snazz up my work wardrobe. Those kids always get their grubby paws on me, though!
I bring my lunch to work everyday because we only have about 20 minutes to eat. I usually bring leftovers, but when I don’t I throw together a classic PB&J, a mashup of brown rice, black beans, and salsa, or some Greek yogurt, cereal, and fruit. Clearly, my lunches could use some snazzing up, too!
Haha, so true…the weather makes up a big part of our conversations…maybe because it is so opinion-neutral or something?
Best part of my weekend was relaxing yesterday by watching netflix shows 🙂
Very cute dress today! I actually almost never buy a lunch, as it just doesn’t seem like a good use of money. So here are a few things I love:
1. http://counselormusings.blogspot.com/2011/02/tasty-new-recipe-healthy-too.html
2. Sandwiches! lots and lots of them! I love putting chicken salad or egg salad on bread. or cold cuts with lots of fresh veggies. Or hummus and veggies. all delicious.
3. Always yogurt and a fruit. Sometimes an extra dessert if I feel like it.
4. Leftovers from dinner the night before
5. Leftovers from dinner out (on the random occasion that I DO go out)
6. Pasta.
7. Cans of food. A definite staple in my life.
I’m all about doing mass cooking on the weekends, and then just heating stuff up in the office.
A) love the dress
B) this weekend – i moved! and ran 12 miles with my husband rollerblading by my side:)
C) i make a really purposeful choice to always bring my lunch and bring something different everyday some ideas
-paninis with grilled peppers, onions, mozzerralla and pesto
-turkey and avocado with argula and onions, pretzels and jazz apple (yum jazz apples)
-pb and j with ritz crackers grapes and carrots
-ww wrap or spinach wrap with argula, goat cheese and hummus and an apple and wheat thins
-egg salad on a kaiser roll, banana and honey wheat pretzels
-chicken soup and crackers, apple and carrots
-pesto pasta with mozzerralla balls and sauted veggies
-eggplant parm
-fig and goat cheese pizza with argula and balsamic dressing
-sushi (of course!)
-tuna on ww toast. animal crackers and pb. granny smith apple
-waffles and butter. banana. and cottage cheese
i LOve thinking up new meals and having something new. so is this enough? i am happy to go on and on, tell me to shut up..
I love this dress! You have the cutest clothes…can I go shopping in your closet please?!
Love the back of your dress! So cute. I didn’t realize you were getting ready to run the Brooklyn half – very exciting!
My lunches usually consist of leftovers of the simple things I make (like pizza, or chicken mixed with couscous and veggies and some sauce/spice), or a sandwich + carrots sticks and fruit. I’m pretty boring, but it works for me!
Hope you have a good Monday!
I’m a big proponent of bringing lunch to work! One of my favorites is a Caprese Sandwich! Mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil on French bread? Delicious! I usually use cherry or grape tomatoes because they’re easier to slice than regular tomatoes and I mix them with olive oil and basil and throw them on French bread with some balsamic drizzled over it!
I usually bring leftovers to work for lunch (today was cold soba noodles w/ peanut sauce, sweet potatoes, cabbage, and tofu) and some fruit for dessert – it’s as easy to cook multiple portions as it is to cook just one when you’re making dinner. I rely on food blogs and magazines (Gourmet RIP; now I’d recommend Saveur or Food and Wine) for cooking inspiration.
My boss and I keep a loaf of bread and PB&J at our desks and make sandwiches 4/5 days of the week. We swap off buying the supplies so it’s really nice. We also normally have “fruit time” in the late afternoon when we eat our apples or oranges.
I went to DC after Saturday’s 10K, which was tons of fun! We saw “Bridesmaids” and I really enjoyed it.
Hah, I just posted about the lunch thing recently, too. Was getting SO BORED with my usual options for lunch. I got creative today and since I’m eating it RIGHT now I thought I’d mention – I got a bagel thin, smeared it with laughing cow cheese (herb flavor) and put sliced tomato and spinach with some smoked salmon in there. Voila – delish and healthy lunch with lots of protein! I have some fruit cut-up on the side. YUM.
Bringing lunch is one of the best things I decided to do. The first year in NYC I ate all my meals out. But once the bf and I start packing lunch, I all of sudden had all this extra cash. I do eat a lot of salads. BUT a sandwich I’m really feeling lately is a good seedy bread with hummus, avocado slices, bean sprouts, and feta cheese.
I also ran a race on Saturday, a 5k for skin cancer, and went and saw Bridesmaids after – Funny!
Sandwiches are boring. Unless they are freshly made and covered with tomatoes and sprouts and cheese and other deliciousness. But for bring-to-work lunches? Not so much. My fave is generally leftovers – stir-fry, pasta, curry, – or a salad made with leftovers. I know, you dont want salads. But I like to take a basic salad (lettuce/spinach, tomato, cukes, sprouts) and add my leftover veggies and stir fry from the night before, and maybe some chickpeas or a dollop of hummus, and feta cheese. Delish!
peanut butter and banana sandwich! cheap, easy, and delicious 🙂
I ran my longest run to date 8 miles! Plus saw Bridesmaids and laughed the entire time. For lunch big fan of black bean tacos…whole wheat tortillas, Goya black bean soup and Mexican cheese. Quick microwaving and a filling hot lunch.
This weekend I drove to Michigan to see my family!
Go to packed lunch: veggie sandwich with hummus plus an apple and luna bar on the side. Yumm
This weekend I graduated from college and found a new apartment!-Success!!
I pack my lunch alot and sometimes I’ll just back leftovers from dinner the night before, but sometimes I pack frozen veggies and a veggie burger and some wheat thins or crackers of that sort. I’ve found that if I pack frozen veggies and then stick my lunch bag in the fridge at work, then they are less frozen and cook faster so I’m not wasting my lunch time waiting for my lunch to cook
Exciting! Congratulations on graduating and on the new place!
my workplace is in a food wasteland so i bring my lunch every day, without fail. otherwise i’ll starve. i’m sorry to tell you that i usually eat salad – but they are fun, i swear! i start with lettuce and a few other standard vegetables (cucumbers, celery, and scallions) but then i always put it fun things, like corn, hard-boiled egg white, avocado, feta cheese, and leftover roast chicken or shrimp. or i just will eat leftovers. that happens more in the winter when i make a big pot of chili or soup. and none of these things involve complicated recipes since i hate ending up with a whole jar of a random ingredient because i needed 2 teaspoons for a recipe. i feel like a cooking lesson could be in order!
Ooh, I love the dress!!
I keep a small pantry stock in my desk and the freezer at work. In my drawer I have easy mac (TJ’s, so its healthy….), tuna, peanut butter, crackers, soups, popcorn and oatmeal. In the freezer I keep sandwich thins, frozen blueberries, and some TJ’s frozen meals. I still eat out sometimes, but I never HAVE to eat out.
So the winner of the Pittsburgh marathon was sponsered by Run for The Rabbit and I thought of you!
I bring leftovers from dinner most days for work lunches. Or tuna… it has to be protein based, I can’t subsist on salads either!
Army 10 Miler is an amazing race!!! Not only is 10 miles a great racing distance, but this is honestly the most inspiring race you will ever run. Getting yourself to the finish line is so much easier when the guy in front of you is running on two prosthetic legs. Watch out for the “hill” around mile 9 (it’s actually the bridge that crosses back over to Virginia out of DC)…you keep thinking it’s over, and it keeps going. This was the first longer distance race I did 3 years ago, and it’s awesome. (Though instead of a medal, you get a little coin type thing.) I’m not running this year but I’ll be volunteering at the expo the day before!
ohhh I love that dress! Love how you professionalized it with the blazer. Lookin sharp 😉
Best part of my weekend? Brunch with my brother, who lives in DC! I actually DID pet a puppy. I was in JackRabbit buying new running shoes and this guy had a couple of pugs. So I played with them while I waited to get someone to help me with the shoes.
I struggle with the same thing you do as far as lunch goes. I put myself on this little Budget Diet (which means eating healthy cheap) and it is HARD. One of my go-tos if I forget to pack lunch is Subway. Get a footlong! It’s more cost-effective :-). And it’s cheaper than all of those other NYC places!
Pugs + JackRabbit? That sounds like my dream.
When I was working I almost alway packed lunch. I would either make sandwiches or when I made dinner (since cooking for one is a lil hard anyway) I would just make extra. That had the benefit of making dinner preparations easier and making my wallet happier. I also liked to munch all day (I drove an ambulance and worked 12 hr shifts). I tried to get snacks that would be healthier like fruit and hummus and cheese.
you should cook at night for dinner….and bring leftovers (frugal)!!
I also like planning to eat out at least 1 day a week, otherwise I don’t get out of the office except to commute – not good.
I eat a lot of Chinese food for lunch. Not so healthy, but I try to get some vegetables in there. Cheap, and it can last two days.
I slept a lot this weekend, and we went to the top of the Empire State Building and hung with the tourists.
Ok, so a couple of things. First, I LOVE that dress. Please tell me where you got it! Second, I DID run a race this weekend – my first 5k ever with a time of 33:28!! I was more than happy, I may have cried at the end, no big. And third – my lunch staples include: turkey on fiber wraps, carrots and hummus, yogurt, maybe a hot chocolate and/or some chocolate covered almonds. Or tuna. Or salad.. just kidding.
xo – Marie
Chocolate & Wine
Thank you! The dress is from TopShop. And CONGRATULATIONS on your 5K! That is fantastic!
I’ve fallen off the “bring your own lunch to work” wagon (sad for both my wallet and waistline….), but when I was in that great habbit, I used to keep a box of frozen veggie burgers in the office freezer and bring one of those sandwhich thins. Microwave the burger, warm the thin in the toaster for a quick sec, and you have a yummy, quick lunch!
This idea is genius. I love it! Thanks for sharing.
I bring lunch every day. I get most of the stuff ready at the beginning of the week.. well.. Sunday.. so it isn’t too much of a hassle. I bring lots of food because I am always snacking..
My staples include an apple, a big bag of baby carrots, whole wheat triscuits.. and some sort of sandwich (for me it is usually turkey and mustard or hummus)..
I also usually throw in a yogurt or cottage cheese.
I always, always brought my lunch in NYC. I always shopped at Trader Joe’s (the one in Chelsea, because it was close to work and right by the train I needed to get home). They have lots of easy frozen lunch options! My favorites included the “reduced guilt” mac and cheese, spinach lasagna, chicken burritos and veggie pad thai. They also have a delicious brownie mix that only calls for yogurt. 😉
LOL!
I eat sandwiches. All. The. Time. Just basic deli sandwiches, butter, greens, meat, and whatever other veggies I happen to have on hand. I’m also a big fan of soba (buckwheat) noodles, chilled with chickpeas, chicken, carrots, etc. I top it off with a spicy asian dressing from Trader Joe’s. Pretty tasty.
I ran a 5k yesterday. It’s pretty cold here in Chicago, plus 20 mph winds and I had to leap over puddles such as the ones in your photo above. I still had a good time and I liked that I ran in not so ideal conditions. I’m trying run outside more even if it’s a little rainy or cold. I did pet a puppy, very briefly in a bar. 🙂
I bring my lunch to work most days. Yesterday, I cooked up huge amounts of brown rice, quinoa, and beans and veggies to bring to work throughout the week. One of my staples is hummus wraps – really good! I also bring greek yogurt, bananas, and apples+almond butter for snacks.
The best part of my weekend was definitely the weather, and grilling pizza.
ADORABLE dress! Where is it from??
It isn’t so much that people love talking about the weather as it is a way to easily make small talk. Small talk is so stressful, so having something like the weather to latch on to eases that stress because it gives everyone something to say.
“At 6 am my body was like, ‘Hey Ali, why aren’t we running today? Let’s do stuff!'” — Our bodies are VERY different.
I always bring my lunch. Sometimes I go through phases where I bring a hummus and avocado or hummus and tomato sandwich, but I usually stick to my staple of almond butter or peanut butter and jelly or banana.
Thank you! The dress is from Topshop.