7 Links

There’s lots to be shared today so I’m getting right down to business…

(If you wear a denim shirt, you can say things like “let’s get down to business.” I just decided that.)

My workday flew by yesterday. That happens when you’re busy. I left the office at 5 for some gym action. Coach Cane suggested “optional cross training,” and “optional” to me means “one class or two?”

Answer: two.

I took Chisel (tons of upper body and ab stuff — I felt the burn for sure) and Spinning (I hardly touched my resistance — whatever). Nothing special, but some sweat dripping down my face (and into my eyes, and onto my shirt, and onto the floor, and onto fellow subway passengers…) always feels nice.

I ate stuffed shells for dinner. Thank you, Mom, for sending me back to NYC with enough delicious, cheesy pasta to get me through the week. I’ll be eating it for lunch today as well.

Then I went to Fairway.

Finally.

And it was gloooorious!

Fairway is a real grocery store — not like the teeny tiny ones that are all over this city — and a location just opened on the Upper East Side, just blocks from my apartment. The produce is fresh, the selections plentiful and the prices totally reasonable.

Care to take a little tour of Fairway with me? Come along!

Thank you, Fairway people, for arranging everything so nicely. I was so pleased. And I told more than one Fairway employee that “I LOVE IT HERE!” They were not amused.

(Don’t worry — I bought that apple.)

I stocked up on trail mix supplies, a giant tub of hummus, lots of produce and a few treats and cashed out well under $40. Not bad. There were also no lines. Score!

This morning I ran.

Obviously.

Coach Cane had me on hills today: two counterclockwise loops of the Harlem Hills in Central Park. Despite some pain in the back of my knee (I’m trying not to think about it), I did pretty well.

The weather was perfect today — overcast and cool.

Coach Cane wanted me doing the first loop at my marathon goal pace and the second loop at my half marathon goal pace. I nailed the first one no problem but didn’t quite hit my half goal pace the second time around. Next time!

I still broke a solid sweat, felt strong on the hills and am looking forward to more hill training so I don’t die on race day. As we all know, hills are my downfall.

I covered 6.5 miles total and now my day can begin.

So, for my next trick I’ll jump on the 7 Links bandwagon. I’m pretty sure I’m the last one. Tina nominated me (Or tagged me? What’s the lingo here? I’m so uncool.) and I’m game for playing along.

The rules, in case you’re unfamiliar:

1) Blogger is nominated to take part.

2) Blogger publishes his/her 7 links on his/her blog – 1 link for each category.

3) Blogger nominates up to 5 more bloggers to take part.

4) These bloggers publish their 7 links and nominate another 5 more bloggers.

Here we go!

Most Beautiful Post: 26. On May 6, 2011, I turned 26 years old, and I shared 26 life lessons I’ve gathered over the years. I loved sharing my little tips for living a happier life with all of you. I re-read this post recently and found myself nodding along to everything I had written — and I loved all of the advice people shared in the comments. Timeless advice!

Most Popular Post: A New Beginning. You all love a good breakup story, don’t you? After a somewhat traumatizing (at the time) breakup, my whole world was shaken. I went from being in a completely stable place to feeling like everything had been turned upside down. I didn’t share all of this on my blog for a long time. I knew I was too emotional in the midst of everything and wanted to wait until I could better reflect on the situation. So finally, almost two months after the breakup, I sat down in my new apartment and shared my story.

The comments I got on this post were the best ones I’ve ever received. People were so supportive, so understanding and just so kind. I cried at almost every single one. Writing this post was very therapeutic. I was finally in a good place again after several weeks of crying my eyes out (ugh) and I’m so glad I waited to write about it instead of pouring my heart out right away.

Most Controversial Post: Um, do I seem like a controversial person? What are people going to debate here… Whether or not my outfit works? I clearly don’t write about things that are too deep or heavy, but one post where I really enjoyed the discussion was Ali At The Doctor.

I was frustrated that I was dealing with a Crohn’s flare-up and my doctor’s response was to “stop running.” Clearly not the answer or solution I was looking for. You all made me feel better about the fact that quitting running isn’t necessary. Crohn’s Disease be damned!

Post Whose Success Surprised You: Frustration and the Thankful Things Thursday series.

I wrote “Frustration” in the midst of my latest Crohn’s flare. I was so angry and annoyed that I got sick in the heat of marathon training. I try to stay as positive as possible in life and, of course, on my blog. But I got to a point where I was fed up and needed to use Ali On The Run as an outlet for venting. I received more emails after writing this post than ever before. So many people shared their stories with me and my heart broke for people who have found themselves in a similar situation. Health problems suck.

The “Thankful Things Thursdays” started around Thanksgiving when I decided that we should be more grateful more often. So each Thursday I focus on the things in life I’m appreciative of, whether it’s something huge, like having the ability to run, or something tiny, like getting a new highlighter. I can’t believe how many people stop by each week to share their own thankful thoughts, and I’m humbled by how many of you have continued this little tradition on your own blogs. Keep it up!

Post That Didn’t Get Enough Attention: I’m an attention whore, and all of my posts get “enough” attention, honestly. Whether one person is reading or thousands of people are reading, I’m just happy I have a place to share my rambling. Thanks for stopping by, San Diego. (Anchorman? Anyone?)

Most Proud Posts: I’m Running For The Rabbit, National Half Marathon Recap and Happy National Running Day.

I still kind of can’t believe that I got picked as a finalist in JackRabbit’s “Run For The Rabbit” competition. I had known that I was going to be a part of the program for a few weeks before I was able to tell anyone — I had to sign a contract saying I’d keep my mouth shut! — and I was so happy on the day of the New York Running Show when I finally got to share the news! And now here I am: training for the Hamptons Marathon with Coach Cane and raising money for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. I’m proud, honored and wicked excited.

As for the National Half Marathon… Wow. I still can’t believe that race happened. Something came over me and I ran as fast as I could. I PR’d and finished those 13.1 miles in 1:44:48. I’m so proud of that time and loved every minute of that race.

Yup. Ran that race in legwarmers. BOOM.

And I loved my National Running Day post. It was fun to reflect back on how I got started as a runner — “runner” being a title I still have a hard time applying to myself. I always  hated running. Hated doing it, hated the idea of it…and yet now I’m dying to run 26.2 miles. People always say “I’m not a runner” or “running is boring,” but I promise that if you give it a chance, you might become obsessed, too.

Most Helpful Post: Am I a helpful person? I don’t necessarily think so. Not here at least. When I wrote “The Day I Finally Felt Like A Runner” I got a lot of comments from people who also had a hard time identifying themselves as “real runners.” So maybe that was helpful?

So there’s some reading material to get you through the day. I love blogging and I love getting to chat with so many people every day. Thank you all for reading!