The Celiathlete

April 5, 2018April 5, 2018

Rodes City Run 10K – Louisville, KY (March 24, 2018)

Me after finishing the windy and rainy Rodes City Run 10K – Louisville, KY

Race: Rodes City Run 10K

Place: Louisville, Kentucky

Date: March 24, 2018

Time: 46:43

I wish cold, wet weather would GO AWAY! I’m so done with it. I’m tired of all the layers. Of the whipping winds. Of the rain. All. The. Rain.

I’m done with it.

For real.

And, being that I signed up for the Rodes City Run 10K on a whim and was just coming off of the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon and a hard week of lots of treadmill training (including over 9 miles of speed work…on the tready…because weather has been wet and gross as of late), I wasn’t loving waking up the morning of the race and hearing the pouring rain and wind.

I believe the words, “I would rather run on the treadmill!” crossed my lips that morning.

I almost suggested not going…but I had friends who I was meeting up with and Cathy was going to tape up my friend Melissa’s Achilles due to some strain from the NYC half’s Central Park hills.

The Green Acres and Coco Caliente Vegan Sushi Rolls from Dragon King’s Daughter

That was the plan that we had come up with the night before. Melissa was kind enough to pick up my race packet when she went to get hers and her husband’s. Then, we met up with her and Paul at Dragon King’s Daughter for a sushi dinner that night and some relaxing and laughs and a NYC recap. It was amazing. And I’m finding that vegan sushi works really well for me before races. So, there is that.

I went to bed at my normal time and woke up with enough time to do all my physical therapy stretches and exercises and not feel rushed going out the door to the race. What I woke up to was dread…because I could tell that, once again, it was just going to be a cold race. And this time…wet on top of it too.

I ate a light breakfast and packed my Lärabar to eat 30 minutes prior to go-time. I’ve become very good about proper fueling before a race…even a 10K…because my races are starting to get a little better when I put fueling into proper practice.

Cathy had to leave the race sign behind, but threw on her rain jacket and we headed out the door into the cold…wet morning. And the drive into Louisville was…also cold and wet. And we ended up parking a good ways away from the start and the finish…which meant a bit of a hike. Originally we had hoped to meet up with Melissa and Paul at the parking garage where they parked, but it was across the highway and there just wasn’t enough time. We had to pay for our spot on this flat lot and head to the start. Melissa and Paul said they would head that way too. We walked through the staging area, letting them know we were hanging out near the port-a-potties (I mean…why hang anywhere else?). We ended up taking photos for some people, and I shivered a lot…but we didn’t see them. Cathy knew if she was going to get a spot at the start she needed to head that way…so we headed over to the corrals and she went to get a spot.

And no sooner had she left…I found Melissa and Paul. Melissa asked where Cathy was and I went to try to find her, but she had meandered up past the start line at this point. No good. I went back to let Melissa know…and discovered they had found Chris and Christy (who I met through them at Disney). They asked about the half marathon the weekend before, and I said it was fun and cold. Melissa’s Achilles was really bothering her, so she was hinting that she may just not start this time. Rest it. I gave her a hug and wished her luck, whatever she chose to do. The National Anthem was sung…and so I meandered a little further up in the corrals to prep for the start.

The wheelchair racers were sent off first…and then the rest of us.

Running in the rain…and wind…bib on my pants (I hate wearing pants in a race, and I never pin a bib to them…but I had on my new windbreaker!), hat on, no pigtails…no anklet (I forgot it at home)…no one recognized me, LOL!

I don’t remember too much about this race. I was focused on trying not to worry over the fact that I was wearing my very old shoes that I use as rain shoes in training…but since I’m down to just my regular race shoes that are hard to find because they have been updated 4 times since then…I didn’t want to ruin them in the rain…or the fact that I was freezing…or that I couldn’t do a few traditions because of the weather (my hair was braided and not in my signature pigtails for one thing…and all of that was slapped under a ball cap to keep the rain out of my eyes). But here’s what I do remember…

Mile 1 was totally into the wind. Every bit of it was met with strong resistance as all of us ran down West Broadway toward Grinstead. Total headwind. And then we get the hill climb there. And the wind is still howling. And at this time I’m really starting to question life decision, but am thankful in the wind for my NYC Half Marathon windbreaker that I am sporting. I was just glad to get up the hill…even though it slowed me down for Mile 2 to be my slowest mile of the entire race.

After that, there are some climbs, lots of wonky tilty roads, and the run around the outside of Cave Hill Cemetery. Once we got the wind break, thanks to the walls around the cemetery, I started to feel hot. Then I’d come around a corner and get hit by that wind and once again be grateful for throwing on the windbreaker. I usually hate running in jackets…but today…I was happy to have it…most of the time.

I remembered heading into Mile 3, I saw both of the wheelchair racers heading up too. They started to crest and come down and were shouting, very loudly, that they were coming up from behind…but people run with earbuds in races and don’t hear this…and the wheelchair racers were rightfully angry. BE AWARE!

I remembered Melissa talking about how much she hated the part of the race near Girl Scout Headquarters…so I thought of her as I ran past that. I basically kept my head down for most of this race because I was cold and wet and…that pretty much sums it up. I remember turning into the final Mile, back onto West Broadway…and there being a lot of debris from a car wreck being scattered across the road. It was a hazard and I did my best to avoid what I could…but that should have been swept up prior to the race. Imagine if a shard of glass met a running shoe. YIKES!! And with how minimal some shoes are, that could have definitely spelled disaster. As it was, my foot slipped on a piece of it that it just clipped. But thankfully I was balanced and was able to keep my footing.

At least the finish was with a tailwind, right? It made for a nice finish when all was said and done and I crossed the finish line, feeling pretty good about how I did under the conditions and on tired legs. In fact, it turned out I had a new Rodes City Run 10K PR. Not a 10K PR. Don’t get that confused. I need to shave about 3 minutes off my time to accomplish that and I don’t see that happening for awhile…if ever…at this point. This PR was race specific. Sort of like my Fast Freddie race PR was race specific and not distance specific. Both of which involved a dinner of sushi rolls the night before.

HMMMM…

Crossing the finish line, cold and soaked, of the Rodes City Run 10K…just happy to be done.

So…the official results of the Rodes City Run 10K are that I finished in 46:43. That put me almost exactly 2 minutes faster than my finish time last year. AND…it’s the fastest I have run the Rodes City Run 10K as well. So…there is that. But I still have a ways to go before I have a new 10K PR. 10K distance is hard for me. I never really know how hard to push and when. I was 219/2527 finishers overall. I was the 49/1358 for women finishers. And I was 12/206 in my age division. I’m really happy with this. I averaged a 7:32 pace for the race, which is impressive these days for me. I really wasn’t focused on running this fast, because I was in old, over-mileage shoes and I run slower on wet pavement for fear of slipping and getting hurt. And, after running a half marathon the Sunday before and then having to do all but 1 run on a treadmill in the week leading into it following the half marathon…I’ll take this. Sore and tired…and I dug deep without even realizing it.

For the record, I did ask Cathy if Melissa started the race and when she confirmed that she had…I knew there was no stopping her and she would finish. And she did.

Usually, there would be celebratory brunch at North End Cafe…but I wanted to go home and take a hot shower and try to get warm. So, Cathy ended up making toast and scrambled eggs for breakfast at home. Warming up, however, never really happened. And very little else aside from minor grocery shopping got done that day because I was just done with being out in the weather.

Such is life.

Good thing there was still Sunday.

April 1, 2018April 1, 2018

2018 United Airlines NYC Half Marathon – New York, NY (March 18, 2018)

124 — Me after finishing the 2018 United Airlines NYC Half Marathon – New York, NYC

Race: United Airlines NYC Half Marathon

Place: New York, NY

Date: March 18, 2018

Time: 1:41:29

I love running NYC. I loved running the full marathon in 2014 and then the half in 2016. And, by some luck of the NYRR lottery draw, I got the chance to run the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon again this year.

Two things though:

New course…starting in Brooklyn and finishing in Central Park (which meant a whole LOT of hills on your tired legs for the last 4 miles)
I had two friends (Paul & Melissa) coming along for the run as well…which was exciting because Melissa had barely spent sufficient time in NYC and Paul never had been there before!

I was so excited. Friends…fun…and NYC!

We had plenty of time to plan this trip as the lottery draw happens early. So over many bowls of pho and lots of text messages and dinner/game night evenings at each other’s homes…we purchased airplane tickets and Cathy had her mom take care of the room…because she has a time share vacation club thing there. Unfortunately…the race was on St. Patrick’s Day weekend this year which meant…EVENT WEEKEND…on top of everyone coming in for the half marathon itself. So, instead of staying at the nice Manhattan Club that we had come to love in NYC…we were booted over to the Shoreham through the travel agency that is used. Cathy called numerous times to ensure that we would have two beds because we were a party of 4, not 2…and was told when the reservation transferred over…it would be taken care of.

Guess what. The room transferred…and Cathy checked and it was listed with one bed. One bed. Four people. She called the travel agency and they were very unhelpful and it was a task and a half to even get the agent on the phone or to call back.

NOT IMPRESSED!

Cathy then tried calling the hotel directly. They were sold out of rooms and fully booked and couldn’t change the reservation either. In fact, the travel agent never changed the request to four people. So…we were kinda stuck. Through e-mails, Cathy asked if we could bring an airbed and was told no extra bedding could be brought in…BUT…if they had any, they could provide a roll-away.

Insert me being overly stressed out about this turn of events. I hate being stressed out over shit that shouldn’t be an issue in the first place but now it is. These are the things I focus on and, when it happens prior to the trip, it’s all I focus on.

That and the shift in weather that went from lows in the 40s and highs in the high 50s…to COLD AS SHIT! Seriously. The weather shifted with some nor’easters that decided that New York needed some snow and ice and cold wind and all that. MEH. I don’t like running in the cold at all. And now…I would be. This also meant running a half marathon in layers, which is something else that I despise doing. Cathy had to pack my luggage because I needed to stretch and roll and try to be in a better place with all of this.

Friday afternoon, Cathy and I left work early and were picked up at our apartment by Paul. We were chauffeured over to his and Melissa’s house where Melissa’s mom was waiting with her van to take us all to the airport. We packed our luggage and carry-on into the vehicle and got ready to get underway. After (briefly) getting locked into the van, we set out to the airport, where Cathy and I were checking our baggage (Melissa and Paul were carrying on) and got our seating assignments taken care of. This was perfect because we were all clumped together. Cathy and I were behind them on our flights out of Louisville and then out of Atlanta.

Let’s pause for a moment to talk about Atlanta. We were delayed going out of Louisville and now our connection was going to be very tight. VERY TIGHT. In fact, when we landed, supposedly passengers were supposed to let those with a tight connection off first (which would have benefited us since we were seated pretty much in the back of the plane. I literally could look out my window and see only the engine. No joke. I had no view.

Of course, everyone had a tight flight to catch so everyone (tight connection or not) disembarked as usual. We decided to have Paul run ahead and see if he could catch the gate agent for our flight and have them hold the plane for us as we all made our way that way. He is very good at sprinting with a suitcase. I am not good at running with a backpack on. And Melissa was in winter boots and Cathy is not a runner. One train ride and an elevator climb later, and we managed to be near the back of the line for boarding. But we got on the plane and were NYC bound.

Baggage claim was easy at La Guardia and Cathy put in the call to the car service we always use in NYC to take us to the hotel. The van arrived to pick us up and we loaded in, somewhere near midnight or 1 am…and made our way to Manhattan and the Shoreham.

I was holding out hope that our hotel mishap was being taken care of, but when Cathy checked us in, the guy behind the desk didn’t even bat an eyelash at the fact that they were giving us a 1 bed, 141 sq food room…to four people. Nope. He passed us the keys and played it off like it was nothing.

Guess what. It’s something. The room was SO small that after we rearranged it to hopefully fit a roll-away in, which Cathy had to call down to the desk to have brought up, and had the guy who brought it up look around and go, “I have NO idea where we can put this” (NO SHIT, SHERLOCK!), we ended up pushing the actual bed all the way across the room to rest against the window. The roll-away was set up right next to that, and then, we sort of put a bench and chair together and made an extra bit of bed.

086 — A view of the Suede Tomb the four of us squeezed into for 4 days in NYC. Cathy is against the wall…the frosty glass is the bathroom, which took up a over 1/4 of the space. That’s the door right behind Paul.

Paul took the bench/chair and Melissa was on the cot. Paul was, actually, halfway onto the cot too. It was a mess. And it was crowded. And it was uncomfortable. But we made it work. And we were never really falling over each other when we were in the room. No waiting on the bathroom…we just sort of worked it out without even saying anything.

Welcome, friends…to the Suede Tomb. Thankfully, we packed our days and nights in NYC and the room would basically just be used for sleeping. It was close to 2 am and we were setting our phones for a morning wake-up to get up, get breakfast, and head to the race expo. It wasn’t going to be a night for lots of sleep, but at least we could get some.

The following morning meant showers (which we managed without ever hogging the bathroom too much or too long) and then we were off to breakfast at the local Fresh & Co after grabbing coffee at our favorite coffee shop in all of NYC…Tisserie. We all got the Nutella Mocha and snagged whatever sounded good for breakfast. I got a gluten-free bagel that had delicious avocado in it and some other stuff. It was delicious…and I wanted it again on our last day there…but that didn’t work out as we hit Fresh & Co as they switched to lunch that day. MEH.

But I digress…

It was race expo time. And I love me some race expo experiences. New York never disappoints. The United Airlines NYC Half Marathon Expo is held at the Metropolitan Pavilion, and is easy to spot with all the race flags standing outside. You feel so welcome and get all the excitement upon entering. For this race in particular, they assign bib numbers on demand, which means you don’t get assigned your bib number until you get there. And it’s random. You do know what wave you are in and what corral though…the rest of it just depends on where you stand in line to get a bib.

I was Wave 1 and Corral E and my bib number ended up being 1956. They stuck on the sticker to my Wave 1 yellow-green bib (Wave 2 was a blue) for my corral (E) and sent me on my way to get my t-shirts and get any photos taken that I wanted in front of the race backdrops. The race shirts were running smaller than I expected, but mine seemed to just fit, so I kept it. Melissa and Paul got their numbers and shirts as well and we went to get photos taken before hitting up the rest of the expo…which was basically shopping.

Thankfully…I bought my swag ahead of time because they always run out of my sizes. Cathy got me a finisher’s shirt. The only thing I really wanted was the best winter hat to ever exist, but they sold out of that quick. Probably because it was soul-crushingly cold that weekend and everyone wanted hats. Melissa had snagged one prior to the race online. As in…the last one. It wasn’t meant to be. I was bummed, but I have plenty of hats as it is. We took photos with our names on the wall…snagged some free United Airlines buffs that were being handed out…and got on our way to explore some of NYC before heading to dinner that night.

Pre-Race Gluten Free Marinra Pizza from Don Antonio’s (as always) in NYC! Also Vegan!

As with every pre-race meal in NYC…it was pizza night, and of course we went to Don Antonio’s is my go-to place for both gluten-free and vegan pizza. They have a regular menu and a gluten-free menu and take very good care to keep everything safe for you to eat. Melissa and I split the Senza Glutine Marinara Pizza. Melissa also snagged a couple of gluten-free appetizers to share. Cathy and Paul split a regular pizza and each got one of their signature dough puffs to eat. The food was plentiful and we were definitely full and ready to hike back to the hotel to get everything ready for the following morning. And, yes, we managed to do this and schedule alarms so that we could all function and get what we needed done in the morning.

We look like we’re going to a slumber party…but really we’re heading to Brooklyn

With the first alarm early in the morning, I was up and at them first to put on my winter tights, an undershirt, my fleece lined tech-top I love wearing due to the collar…and then brushed my teeth and went to step out of the bathroom for the next person to do what they needed to do. While Melissa, Paul, and Cathy took their turns in the bathroom, I did up my hair, put on my socks and compression sleeves, put on my winged anklet, got my Dunkin Donuts winter hat (the one I got from the 2014 NYC Marathon) on my head, snagged my gloves, and opted to give the buff we got for free at the expo a chance. I had nothing really to eat in the room, but I brought a Larabar to the start line to eat in the corrals prior to the race. That went into my fuel belt to stay close to my body to keep it from getting rock hard in the cold. We headed out the door to get to the train station and take the subway to Brooklyn. We had to wait in the station for awhile, and when the train did arrive, it was already packed. We managed to squeak our way in…and with each additional stop…every car just kept getting fuller. And despite the driver announcing that the train was full and to wait for the train behind us…we kept having people push their way into our car. Now I was suffocating and dying, especially when the air conditioning would cut off.

But we made it to the Prospect Park stop and disembarked and began to make our way to the starting area, where we would have to go through security. This was where we had to split from Cathy. She was going to get back on a train and go to Mile 3 (just after the runners come over the Manhattan Bridge) to hopefully catch me there.

At the start line…we had very little time to hang around and talk. After getting through security, I needed to drink my pre-workout drink and eat my Larabar so I wasn’t running a half marathon on an empty tank. I ate my Larabar while Melissa and Paul fueled up as well…and then I needed to get into my corral in Wave 1. They were in Wave 2, and apparently had to hunker down in the cold shade and try not to freeze for over an hour. YUCK!

As for me…I started drinking my water and making my way up to Corral E. There were going to be quite a few starts, so I was NOT shedding my toss-away clothes (yep…I hit Goodwill the day before and picked up clothes to shed since it was going to be freezing at the start line) until I absolutely had to.

The National Anthem was sung…and the wheelchairs and elites were sent off. It took a long while for me to get up close enough to shed clothing, but I finally did. And soon, it was my corral’s turn to get ready to go. As we were standing in the cold wind, the woman behind me pointed to one of the free United Airlines buffs that was shed by runners before us and said, “Not going to lie…I’m tempted to pick that up.” I told her I wouldn’t judge. HA! But soon, we were sent off…and it was time to run through the streets of Brooklyn.

The first 2 miles are spent running the streets of Brooklyn. And then, the first climb happens as you start up the Manhattan Bridge. I know that the bridges in NYC are beasts, but this actually slowed me down more than I would have liked. But, as this was being treated as a training run, I wasn’t really focusing on my pace. This would turn out to be a very good thing as the race continued. Crossing the bridge was great. You could see the Statue of Liberty from there…and it was clear and beautiful and COLD that morning. I put my head down and came down the other side of the bridge, feeling like a rockstar for sure.

Me coming off the Manhattan Bridge and heading toward the 5K mark of the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon

Cathy was near the turn before heading into the 5K and I waved and smiled as I ran through and began to take in the miles before Times Square. Times Square was such a highlight for me in 2016 when I ran the old course. This course was definitely tougher, as when we started in Central Park…we got the hills out of the way early. Now…now they were at the end. So these were the flat miles in between. Miles 3-7 are downhill to flat and I loved them. It just felt good to run, and have the spectators that were out braving the cold yell motivation to you. I was crossing a bridge near the 10K mark when I spotted Lottie (aka: runningonveggies) doing her thing. I wanted to shout-out to her, but I wasn’t sure she’d hear me and I am…nobody…and she’s like…super amazing. She looked strong.

Coming into Central Park, I knew there was a chance that Cathy wouldn’t make it to see me there. It all depends on the trains. Apparently she got out of the subway about 45 seconds before I was supposed to hit Times Square based on the tracker. She at first decided she wasn’t going to make it, but then changed her mind and did the “Sixth Avenue Sprint” to Times Square, where she did actually catch me and I could hear her shouting and waving at me from the other side of the barricades. Just the uplift I needed at that point, because we were heading up toward Central Park, which meant some minor rollers until hitting the park just before Mile 9. For a few moments in Times Squre, however, I was running next to former NYC Marathon race director Mary Wittenberg, which was super cool. She was getting a lot of shout-outs from volunteers and NYRR…but I turned my attention back to the entrance to Central Park. Here come the hills.

Running through Times Square during the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon

This is also where my watch got WAY off on the mileage and pace due to the buildings in Manhattan…and the rest of the race was just guess work at this point.

My friend Michael told me he would be at Mile 10 near Cat Hill in Central Park with his friends cheering on runners. So I had that to look forward to. And, sure enough, as I was making the ugly climb up Cat Hill…I heard him shout my name, I turned and managed to wave before continuing to die a little on that hill. Somewhere around Mile 11, a woman decided she would cross the road with her dog while texting on her phone right in front of me and a few other runners. She got yelled at by quite a few people who she disrupted. I mean…come on!

There seemed like more uphills than downhills for that last 5K…and my watch was beeping with the distance about .9 miles off of what it was supposed to be. I’m not lying. I was pretty much a mile ahead of myself via my GPS…which was not making me happy, despite not being one who glances at my watch during the race. I don’t like to put any pressure on myself, but now I was questioning if my GPS was off or the course was long. There was no way to really know. The GPS was off (thanks Times Square and Manhattan)…so when I took that downhill toward the finish line…I crossed with 14.02 miles on my watch and crazy fast splits showing me running a mile in under 6 minutes. HA!! I wish!! So, that was the disappointing part if I had to pick one. Because I love reviewing my actual splits to see what I need to work on after a race. It was fun though…and, despite never being warm during the entire run…I was elated to be done. And super surprised with my time.

128 — Me sitting in Tisserie, post-race, just trying to get warm

After finishing and getting my race medal and a mylar blanket, we were loaded down with snacks and sent hiking out of the park. This walk takes a good 30 minutes to accomplish. I made friends with a nice lady named Wendy and we talked until she had to veer off to bag check to get her stuff. I finally could see the statue marking Columbus Circle, which was where runners were exiting and were spectators were told would be the best spot to reunite with their runners. I spotted Cathy immediately and she came over to give me a hug. I desperately needed coffee, and she had suffered through McDonald’s coffee and wanted good coffee…so we made our way to Tisserie (which was on the race course) and each got a drink. I got a Café Au Lait with Almond Milk and it was one of the best things I had ever drank. I needed that to start to warm myself up. But after checking the app to check in on Melissa and Paul (they were Wave 2 and started about an hour after me) we saw they were coming up to the area we were drinking our coffee. So, we stepped outside and found a spot on the rail to watch for them.

Melissa and Paul running toward Central Park!

At one point, a guy from Norway ran over to me and took a picture with me. Random. But amusing. And then…we saw them coming. Cathy and I shouted to them about how they were killing it, and while Melissa didn’t believe me…she was running NYC. How cool is that?!

As they headed toward the park, Cathy and I hightailed it back to the hotel so I could shower and change and head back out to meet up with them after the race. We got to Columbus Circle as they were nearing the finish line. And when they crossed, I let them know, via text, that we were waiting for them there. Their phone was almost dead, but Melissa was able to fire a response back. We waited until we spotted them and flagged them down. The hills had definitely taken their toll on Melissa’s Achilles, so we got her settled for a moment to rest and rant all she needed. Paul dug food out of the snack pack for the two of them. Once they had rested, we took them back to the hotel to shower and chill before we went out to our celebratory dinner at Red Rooster that night.

THAT. WAS. FUN. And the food was amazing.

Celebrating finishing the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon at Red Rooster Harlem

The new NYC course is definitely much harder than the old one…but I ended up running this one 2 minutes faster. So…I count that as a win. A course PR and a race PR. WOOT!

So…the official results of the 2018 United Airlines NYC Half Marathon was that I finished with an official time of 1:41:29…and that was closer to the 13.1 than the 14.02 my watch showed. I swear. I was 2773/21,995 finishers this year. I was 557/11,075 female finishers. And I was 86/1847 finishers in my age division. I couldn’t be happier with these results considering how much stress I went into NYC with and how cold weather affects my body. I had a blast and would love to do this again.

Or at least get a cute winter hat.

The remaining days in NYC were spent exploring and eating. And the best of the best was going up to the top of the Empire State Building at night, freezing, and taking pictures and just living life.

And that’s what this was all about. Fun, friends…and finish lines.

On top of the world (aka: The Empire State Building) with friends…last night of such a fun adventure!

March 2, 2018

Product Review: Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Cinnamon Sugar Bagels

Product: Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Cinnamon Sugar Bagels – $11/pack; $3/bagel

Last one. This is the final flavor that Annie May’s Sweet Cafe has put out in bagels. Four very amazing flavors. And the last one down the pipe…was one of my favorites…

Cinnamon Sugar!

First of all…you give me anything cinnamon and I’m going to be in love with it. Pure, real cinnamon is one of God’s little gifts to everyone…sweet and a little spicy. It’s perfect. Add sugar to the mix and throw it on top of something edible…and you’ve won me over for life.

Cinnamon Rolls…Soft Pretzels…Cinnamon Rolls…Snickerdoodles…Cinnamon Rolls…(can you tell my favorite cinnamon treat?)…and now…

BAGELS!!

bagels07
So…in the weeks leading up to this…the culmination of all things Allergen Free Bagel-y…I have reviewed Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Everything, Onion, and Plain Bagels. All of which have been amazing. But for the record…the Everything ones are off the chain!!

To kick this blog off…let me say that the Cinnamon Sugar flavor is my second favorite that Annie May’s offers. For real!

For one thing…hello…it has two of my favorite words in the name…CINNAMON and SUGAR! So, while bagels are normally viewed as a savory treat…there are sweet variations on them as well. This is the only sweet option currently offered by Annie May’s…but she hits it out of the ballpark.

I may have mentioned a few times before that I grew up in the great land of New York.

newyork

New Yorkers LOVE their bagels. It’s…like the state’s native food. Or something. It’s close enough to being the state’s native food. Let’s roll with it, okay? So, I grew up on bagels. You can probably call me an expert on bagels. Professor Bagel.

bagels08
Alright…enough fun with the gifs…time to get serious about some serious eats.

Annie May’s Cinnamon Sugar Bagel is the epitome of the sweet bagel. Honestly. Back when her soft pretzels first hit on Wednesdays, the Cinnamon Sugar was my jam. I love a good sugar rush as much as the next person. But, the key here is balance and Annie May’s definitely strikes it with just the right amount of cinnamon sugar topping off these new bakery offerings.

LOVE. LOVE is what goes into these. Simple. True. Passionate. Love of all things that the gluten-free community SHOULD have in their life…and not simply from a big corporation in the local freezer section of another big chain store.

I mean…these are kept frozen since no preservatives and all that…but…they are nothing like the big box stuff you can pretty much buy anywhere now. I know for a fact that Annie May puts a lot of hard work into any new product she is thinking about offering. I also know, because I’ve done this a few times, that bagels are a pain the ass to make. So, the fact that she has added these to her bakery menu has me dancing with joy. My freezer will never be without. I will purchase one of each whenever I am running low. Mark my words.

And if that isn’t a good enough testament to how good these are…let me specifically focus on the Cinnamon Sugar flavor so it gets it’s moment to shine.

I went a bit off the script with these bagels today. Usually, plain cream cheese with my own smattering of cinnamon sugar on top would have happened. But…I didn’t want to pay for really good vegan cream cheese (that stuff is expensive)…but I did have a little bit of my Boar’s Head Dark Chocolate Hummus left in the container…so I chose that for my topping this time. My roommate’s version was topped with Earth Balance Soy Free Buttery Spread and then some Crofters Organic Strawberry Spread. Both options worked beautifully with the bagel at hand.

This bagel is everything. Toasty on the outside. Chewy on the inside. Sweet to the taste. Yet still gives that whole bagel vibe…so it’s not just a confused doughnut. It’s basically cinnamon toast taken to the next level. Because…cinnamon toast is one of the best things to eat in the history of ever. And these…these are just like biting into that. Topped off however you like, these make a delicious addition to any breakfast table. Mine toasted up beautifully and I LOVED the dessert hummus smothered on top. It brought an extra added kick of goodness to an already perfect bite. Cinnamon…sugar…chocolate. I see nothing wrong with this picture.

Have you been intrigued yet following these blogs on these bagels? Have I mentioned that all four varieties are FREE of the TOP 9 FOOD ALLERGIES??!! How about that? Don’t you want to try them for yourself?

Trust me. You really need to.

Remember, if you aren’t lucky enough to live in Louisville, Kentucky (like I am…because this bakery has been with me for ALL of my Celiac journey…we’ve grown together), have no fear…Annie May’s Sweet Cafe does ship…and yes…they are shipping the bagels.

Follow this link!! And be sure to check out all the other stuff they offer as well!

But, I highly encourage you…get the bagels!

As I stated before, they do offer them at the bakery as well…and if you don’t want to buy a pack of four…you can buy them individually there and get them topped with Earth Balance, jam (raspberry or strawberry), or plain cream cheese. I think they are currently offering them in-house on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So, you may want to call ahead and make sure they have them. But…you can just go and hope for the best. If nothing else, you’ll walk out of there with something tasty.

Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Cinnamon Sugar Bagel topped with Boar’s Head Dark Chocolate Hummus

February 23, 2018March 2, 2018

Product Review: Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Plain Bagels

Product: Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Plain Bagels – $11/pack; $3/bagel

The ultimate test of anything…is to test the standard. In the case of bagels…PLAIN. It doesn’t get any easier or normal than the every day, run-of-the-mill plain bagel. And, as one of the four flavors that Annie May’s Sweet Cafe now offers…Plain is, as it should be, one of them.

I have previously blogged about the Everything Bagels and the Onion Bagels. So, if you missed those…check them out.

Bagels, to this former New Yorker…are the ultimate food. Breakfast…lunch…dinner. I could eat them all day. First of all…MMMM…CARBS. Second of all, for the most part, they are pretty versatile. You can eat them with Earth Balance, or Cream Cheese, make them into a sandwich…or a pizza…

bagels06
That’s the great thing about bagels. ESPECIALLY…Plain Bagels. It’s like staring down a blank canvas. You can go sweet or savory with it…and that’s why they are magical. And wonderful.

And, when you get one of the NEW Plain Bagels at Annie May’s Sweet Cafe…you are also getting one that is Top 9 Allergen Free. How about that?! So before any further discussion…let me reiterate one little thing…

Annie May’s bagels are not pre-cut. Never fear…this is nothing that a good serrated knife can’t fix. Slicing a bagel isn’t hard. Make sure, if you’re starting from frozen, thaw the bagels out and then slice through them. As a pro bagel slicer…start where the bagel is a little bit thinner and slice through that end first. It makes for a much cleaner and even cut. Pro tip!

Now…let’s dig in…

bagels05
The plain bagel is the simplest of pleasures when it comes to the bagel. You can’t go wrong with it. But it has to be made well. That’s the one caveat I have. Call me a bagel snob if you must…but a bagel must not just look like a bagel…but taste like a bagel. And if you can’t do a simple plain bagel…well…just stop trying to make them.

Annie May is fantastic when it comes to the products she serves because if she doesn’t like it or if she isn’t happy with it…it’s not going in the bakery case or freezer or up on the Web site for order. Talk about good quality control. As a consumer, I appreciate that as it means I am guaranteed a tried and true product. YAY!

I eat breakfast at work…because it keeps me from snacking so much if I have a later breakfast. Seriously, I used to have 3 snacks a day…so shifting meals worked for me. I have to take a few precautionary measures to ensure I still eat safely…but I’ve manged so far. My office has a toaster oven in the kitchen and I bring my own aluminum foil to use since I avoid the communal toaster completely, because…well…cross-contamination.

giphy
As was true with the Everything Bagel and the Onion Bagel…the Plain Bagel toasted up to a golden perfection. I could tell as I pulled the foil that cradled these little babies from the toaster oven that they weren’t going to disappoint. The outside toasted up to get a little crispy…and the surface got that gorgeous golden color and crispy…but it still had the fluffy, chewy middle, which is definitely what makes a bagel so…incredible. It’s not just bread…it’s so much more than bread.

As a traditionalist, I schmeared this bagel with the new Kite Hill Jalapeno Cream Cheese. I love Kite Hill because it has a whipped texture, but packs amazing traditional flavor. It is almond milk based, so if nuts, specifically almonds, are a problem…try other options on the market. Thankfully, we live in a time where the market is inundated with dairy-free products so there are numerous options to fit your dietary needs. And…if dairy isn’t an issue for you or if you aren’t vegan…well…grab yourself some of that Philadelphia Cream Cheese and go to town. But…it’s Kite Hill in my home. Because YUMMY!

So now that we’re properly dressed…let’s take a bite, shall we?

Sometimes bagels can just feel heavy. These are perfect. Just the right amount of bread to get you to that right level of fullness. These toasted up beautifully. If you have had the chance to taste and partake of Annie May’s dinner rolls, sandwich buns or soft pretzels…these are very reminiscent of those. And Annie May’s Sweet Cafe, to this day, has my heart when it comes to gluten free (and vegan) breads! The same is holding true with their new bagels. Plain bagels…they are simple…but delightful and perfect to fit whatever you’re feeling when it comes to breakfast. OR…make it a sandwich. If you’re not a vegan, put an egg in between it with some greens. Or…top it with marinara and vegan mozzarella cheese shreds. Bagel pizzas really are life.

Plain bagels can satisfy any desire or crave…and these are no exception. I probably ate mine way too fast…but I was enamored with it. I was dreaming up other ways to eat them…rather than the standard way. Why not? I do my best thinking when I’m eating delicious food! If you haven’t gotten yourself around to purchasing these bagels…get on it. Now.

And, remember, if you aren’t lucky enough to live in Louisville, Kentucky (like I am…because this bakery has been with me for ALL of my Celiac journey…we’ve grown together), have no fear…Annie May’s Sweet Cafe does ship…and yes…they are shipping the bagels.

Follow this link!! And be sure to check out all the other stuff they offer as well!

But, I highly encourage you…get the bagels!

Stay tuned…because next week…I will delve into their sweeter version of their bagels…the Cinnamon Sugar. But…today…it’s all about plain. But there is nothing ordinary about these. They are definitely extraordinary.

Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Plain Bagels schmeared with Kite Hill Jalapeno Cream Cheese

February 16, 2018

Product Review: Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Onion Bagels

Product: Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Onion Bagels – $11/pack; $3/bagel

Remember last week when I shared that Annie May’s Sweet Cafe is now making bagels? You know…bagels that are Top 9 Allergen Free? Remember? You should, because I did an extensive review of one of the four flavors that they offer – the Everything Bagel.

I’ve mentioned numerous times that I grew up in New York, so the bagel was a breakfast staple in my home. And when I was diagnosed with Celiac…it took forever to find a bagel that actually felt like a bagel to me. It’s been a long journey. And while some have exceeded the bar, others have fallen short.

Well, those didn’t last long in my freezer, so today I prepped the Onion Bagel for a try.

For those of you who haven’t tried one yet or didn’t make note…Annie May’s bagels are not pre-cut. Never fear…this is nothing that a good serrated knife can’t fix. Slicing a bagel isn’t hard. Make sure, if you’re starting from frozen, thaw the bagels out and then slice through them. As a pro bagel slicer…start where the bagel is a little bit thinner and slice through that end first. It makes for a much cleaner and even cut. Pro tip!

Now…let’s dig in…

bagel02
I used to hate onion. Hate it. Until I was a teenager and I realized that the bite actually brought great flavor to thing. Guess my pallet turned on around the age of 13. But after that, my life was filled with onion. Onions aren’t for everyone…but I am a believer in the power of the onion.

And the power of the bagel.

Especially an onion bagel!

So, per the usual routine…this morning I sliced the bagel I thawed in half and brought it to work with me. I bring my own aluminum foil and use the toaster oven (not the toaster) to avoid cross-contamination. So…these toast in the toaster oven in the kitchen. It also makes the office smell really good anytime I toast up bagels in there. Especially flavored bagels. Mmmm. (No joke…I just had three people walk into the kitchen while I was waiting for them to finish and commented on how good they smelled and warned me not to turn my back!)

Once toasted…cream cheese had to happen. A proper bagel has a healthy schmear of cream cheese or Earth Balance (or butter if you aren’t dairy-free).

bagel01
Actually, Scully, it was VEGAN cream cheese. I really like Kite Hill because it has SUCh good flavor and is almost whipped in texture. Love a light (get it) and airy texture to my cream cheese. Not traditional, I know…but when you can’t do dairy…you do vegan cream cheese. Kite Hill is by far the best, but it is made from almond milk…so if you can’t do almonds…you must find a different path. But there are lots of options out there these days!

I happen to have (and love) the new Kite Hill Jalapeno Cream Cheese. It’s delightful.

Okay now. Settle in. Take a deep breath. Savor the aroma….and then take a bite.

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LOTS of flavor! The onion is there, but it won’t overpower the bagel itself. It’s got just enough punch to let you know that it’s there, but not enough to make you reach for the breath mint afterwards. I loved how well these bagels toasted up…browning up on the outside and on the sliced part…but remaining soft and chewy in the center. It made it the perfect vehicle for the cream cheese. Sometime bagels fall apart when you go to schmear them. Not these. Let me tell you, I also love the way the onion is incorporated, because it didn’t burn in the toaster oven and become bitter. It toasted and became sweet and savory all at once. Simply delicious. Down to the last bite.

Follow this link!! And be sure to check out all the other stuff they offer as well!

But, I highly encourage you…get the bagels!

Onion bagels…you’re my jam. Or my cream cheese. Or my breakfast.

Annie May’s Sweet Cafe continues to make my gluten-free world a happier and more local place!

Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Onion Bagels schmeared with Kite Hill Jalapeno Cream Cheese

February 11, 2018

Restaurant Review: Pho Ba Luu – Louisville, KY

Restaurant: Pho Ba Luu – Louisville, Kentucky

Brace yourselves, friends…

I’m finally getting back to restaurant reviews. I have been so busy as of late that I’ve been skipping these important reviews both locally and when I travel. And that is stopping…as of now.

I made a promise to be better about updating my blog, and, by God, I’m going to stick to it.

So…I have the pleasure of being friends with some amazing people who just happen to be foodies! And…they seem to be as excited about trying different places around town as I am. And that…means LOTS of fun trying out new places with good people who aren’t afraid to be honest and outgoing.

Being a foodie is fun.

While I have my favorite places here in Louisville, some great new places have moved in and opened up. And one of those places is Pho Ba Luu, in Butchertown. Pho Ba Luu, as my can probably guess, serves Saigon Street Food. Think the obvious pho…in addition to rice bowls, banh mi sandwiches, as well as rice bowls.

As I tend to do when I am going to new restaurants, I contacted them to find out if I, being a Celiac and vegetarian, could eat anything there. Jessica Mach e-mailed me back and let me know exactly what was safe for me. All the pho bowls, by the way, are gluten free. Just don’t get the hoisin sauce. The spring rolls are also safe…and they offer gluten-free soy sauce as well. The staff was INCREDIBLY knowledgeable too after we visited and placed our order. So…bit shout-out for those, who like me, have food allergies and intolerances and need a little extra care at restaurants.

So…four foodies drove into Butchertown specifically for some Vietnamese food. And, let me tell you, there were some high standards to be met. Paul is actually part Vietnamese and his wife, Melissa and he actually have had street food in Vietnam. They actually ordered first. Paul got the Chicken Pho ($10) and Chicken Spring Rolls ($5) for his dinner. Melissa ordered the Chicken Pho ($10…because it doesn’t change…LOL!) and the Shrimp Spring Rolls ($5). They each also ordered the Iced Vietnamese Coffee ($5), which I want to try next time because it looked AMAZING! It’s happening.

Cathy (that’s the roomie, in case you are new to the blog or have forgotten during my hiatus on reviews) decided to go all meaty and gluten-y since she doesn’t get that at home. She ordered the Beef Pho ($11) with the Seafood & Pork Crispy Rolls ($6). I may get asked…maybe not…but in case…the Seafood & Pork Crispy Rolls were crispy rolls stuffed with shrimp, pork, crabmeat, onion and vegetables and is served with a fish sauce. So that’s for all of you non-vegetarian/vegan gluten eaters out there! She’s got your back!

As for me…I ordered the Vegetarian Pho ($10) with the Vegetarian Spring Rolls ($5). The spring rolls are normally served with a Plum Sauce, but as I noted gluten-free at the order, they brought me gluten free soy sauce instead.

Let me say this…the four of us are already discussing going back next Friday to celebrate Tet (the Vietnamese New Year) this coming week. Not. Even. Joking.

Because when it comes to good food…I don’t make those kinds of jokes.

So…here’s the run-down from what I was devouring last night. I’ll start with the spring rolls. The Vegetarian Spring Rolls are basic fried tofu with sauteed vegetables and glass noodles wrapped in rice paper. They looked fantastic. They tasted phenomenal. The gluten-free soy sauce was the perfect touch. I love spring rolls as it is…these were some of the best I have had. And that’s no exaggeration. They are simple…but they bring the flavor and the textures just all worked.

But, of course , the star of the Vietnamese Food scene last night…was the Pho!! First of all…the bowls are pretty big and we all had another meal’s worth left over after dining last night. No joke. Hey…it meant we had lunch today. So…be aware that there is a LOT of volume in these bowls. The Vegetarian Pho has sauteed tofu and vegetables in a vegetable broth. You get a little baggie of all the add-in goodies…like bean sprouts, jalapenos, and the like. I poured them all in. I added a good helping of Sriracha. And once I was done with my Spring Rolls…in went the remaining gluten-free soy sauce.

FLAVOR!! That’s all I can say. The broth had amazing flavor as it was. The tofu and vegeatlbes…they brought extra goodness to the party. The carrots still had some crisp to them. The tofu was savory and soft and just…done to perfection. The add-ins brought a little more spice…a little more texture…a little more yumminess to an already yummy situation. I was in love and I managed to not splash myself with anything as I ate the noodles with chopsticks and slurped up that broth with the spoon.

This gluten-free vegetarian loved every bit of the meal last night. And I think my partners in street food would agree. Cathy loved the Beef Pho and her Crispy Spring Rolls. While she does like spring rolls, she LOVED the crispy rolls. I think she will never NOT get those. The beef finished up cooking in the hot broth when it was delivered to the table and after she sorted out the jalapenos to both Paul and I from her bag of goodies…she was all in. And loving in!

Pho Ba Luu Chicken Pho and Shrimp Spring Rolls

And my Chicken Pho eaters…they were quite content with their bowls too. They seriously raved about the flavor and I believe they even said it came very close to the street food they had in Vietnam. So…there it is. OH…and Melissa highly recommends the Iced Vietnamese Coffee. She got two of them last night if that tells you anything!! The Chicken Spring Rolls & Shrimp Spring Rolls disappeared as quickly as my Vegetarian ones.

Any way you slice it…we loved everything we ate here.

Pho sho!

Yeah…I went there. I can’t help myself sometimes!!

So…anytime I get to eat a big bowl of pho without having any reaction to it because everyone who works there made sure my food was safe and perfect…gets many return visits from me. I can’t wait to go back.

And…for the record…they have a Gluten Free Apple Pie ($6)…that we were all too full to try…but we may have to get it next time and split it among us. Because…dessert is very important to me.

Special shout-out again to Jessica Mach for answering my e-mails when I inquired and helping me navigate the menu without any trouble at all.

If you are in the Louisville area or are coming to Louisville, Kentucky, and love or want to try Vietnamese food…I can’t speak highly enough of Pho Ba Luu. People with food allergies…welcome…and taken care of. I call that winning!

See you next week!

sailormooneats

February 9, 2018February 9, 2018

Product Review: Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Everything Bagels

Product: Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Everything Bagels – $11/pack; $3/bagel

Today…February 9, 2018…is National Bagel Day. I didn’t know this until JUST NOW (thanks Instagram)!

Grab your serrated knives, lovelies!! And your toasters. And your topping to schmear on liberally because…NEWS FLASH:

*ANNIE MAY’S SWEET CAFE IS NOW OFFERING BAGELS!*

That makes this displaced New York girl want to do a happy dance! Like…do a good old fashioned subway terminal happy dance. As any New Yorker is wont to do every now and again. Especially on a good day.

nychappydance Just like that. OH YEAH!

Annie May’s Sweet Cafe announced this last Saturday on their Instagram, noting that bagels will be offered at the bakery on Tuesdays and Thursdays…or for preorder. And since I knew I’d be there Wednesday, I put in an order for a pack of each flavor! Because…as I am a New York girl through-and-through…if bagels were happening at my local Gluten Free Bakery…then they were just going to happen to end up in my fridge…in my toaster oven…and in my belly!

foodislife On Wednesday, the winter weather was a no-show, so I happily skipped into the bakery to pick up my Soft Pretzel Wednesday order (this is a real thing, friends!)…grab some macarons (because…reasons)…and pick up my bagel order. I was handed the bagels first off…and I may or may not have bounced them in my arms like a newborn baby.

These things happen.

I’m not ashamed.

SOMEHOW…I managed to hold off breaking into the bagels until Friday. So I went TWO days without touching them. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. But this morning…

gameon GAME ON!!

I thawed out two of the Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Everything Bagels (because I’m nice and share with my roomie…and she may have bought them for me too…so there is that…)

cash Anyway…I thawed out the bagels and then got out my serrated knife to easily slice them in half. I could tell how good these were going to be simply by slicing into them. I mean, undo the plastic and get a whiff of that garlic from the everything spices and it’s heaven. And that’s before things even get toasty!

I tossed mine in the oven (I don’t actually own a toaster) for about 12 minutes and they came out PERFECT. Lightly toasted so that the outside got just enough crisp on it and then the middle was still soft and chewy and perfect.

Yep…these are perfect.

Also…the kitchen smelled AMAZING as these were toasting. Hello delicious, flavorful, aromatic topping! I was more than ready to dive right in…but being a proper bagel lover…no bagel is complete without a schmear of something good. Traditionally…cream cheese. I have a stash of different varieties in my fridge. Today…I used the last of the Daiya Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese and my roomie got the last of the Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese. The toasty bagels came out looking all golden and amazing and each half got a healthy schmear of the vegan cream cheese goodness.

Time to dig in!

Sometimes bagels can be dense and immense and heavy. Especially gluten free ones. Either that or they are packed with fillers that make them…not even a bagel anymore, in my opinion (most store-bought ones are this way). Annie May is a perfectionist and she doesn’t add something to her bakery menu unless it meets her quality standards.

These surpassed standards. I loved that these bagels were filling without being too much. I love that these bagels are made with real ingredients. I love that these bagels are light and have that perfect crust and that chewy inside (even after slicing and toasting). And the real stand-out for the Everything flavor of the bagels…is that Everything Topping. THAT…was a flavor powerhouse. To me…no other gluten free (or regular back when I could eat them) Everything Bagel has come close to this level of flavor. And I was dancing in my chair out of pure joy with every bite. I savored it, rather than inhale it. I wanted to take my time…chew…savor…enjoy. They were a standard bagel size…they were everything I want in a bagel…but without the blandness that you can find in bagels. Bread is amazing. Bagels are better.

And these bagels…are my new favorite things in life.

And if you aren’t lucky enough to live in Louisville, Kentucky (like I am…because this bakery has been with me for ALL of my Celiac journey…we’ve grown together), have no fear…Annie May’s Sweet Cafe does ship…and yes…they are shipping the bagels.

Follow this link!! And be sure to check out all the other stuff they offer as well!

But definitely go for the bagels!

As I stated above, they do offer them at the bakery as well…and if you don’t want to buy a pack of four (I understand you the least)…you can buy them individually there and get them topped with Earth Balance, jam (raspberry or strawberry), or plain cream cheese.

And your life will come full circle and be complete. And you will live happily ever after.

If you get nothing else from this post…understand that YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!! Local peeps…get on over there. These bagels are free of the top 9 allergens, they are vegan, they are super yummy…they are round with a hole in the middle.

I’m already planning on restocking my freezer and I haven’t even polished off one pack yet!

27628806_10100363612596341_1115282760586637241_o — Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Everything Bagels topped with Daiya Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese are like a warm hug!

January 25, 2018

UPDATE – Product Review: Nox Gear Tracer 360 Visibility Vest

Product: Nox Gear Tracer 360 Visibility Vest

Price: $69.99+/-

Remember last week when I blogged about my faulty Nox Gear Tracer 360 Visibility Vest? If not…you can backtrack to my blog about it here. At the end of the blog, I mentioned that I had contacted the company and was waiting to hear back from them regarding their product and the way mine fell apart after only 6 wears. Let me tell you how this all played out…

FIRST OF ALL…let me tell you how very impressed I am with the customer service I received from Nox Gear. Honestly. The vest fell apart on me on a Saturday morning. I contacted them and wrote my blog up Saturday evening. On Sunday evening, Daren from Customer Service wrote me back and apologized for the vest falling apart on me, inquired as to if it snagged on something, and asked if he could see photos. BEFORE I even sent a reply, his message also said that they would be sending me a replacement vest immediately and he was already working on getting that set up.

I got the message Monday morning and replied, sending photos of where the vest fell apart, and thanking him for his quick response and for sending a replacement. He replied back within MINUTES of me sending the response with the photos. He explained that it looked like a failure in the stitching, and apologized again, stating that the replacement should work out perfectly for me.

Then…I was sent the confirmation that my replacement had been shipped. That quickly. BOOM. Done.

Two days later, the replacement vest arrives. I open up the box and inspect the vest and it looks great. I am pretty excited because I have a short run planned for the following morning, and this came just in the nick of time. I had been using my old one still, simply safety pinning it together where the vest came apart. OH…that was another thing…

Daren told me to keep my old vest to use as a backup. Yep. No sending it back. No need to return it. Simply restitch where it came apart, or have someone I know who can sew fix it for me. Done. He even said that I could keep it to use as a backup. I mean…how many companies do that?

Am I impressed? YEP!! I wore my new vest out this morning and it worked great. I felt visible and safe and still love how light weight it is.

But this story does NOT end there…

This morning, I also received an e-mail from one of the creators of Nox Gear, Tom Walters, to also apologize for the belt stitch coming undone after only 6 wears. He emphasized how unacceptable that was and how it angered him to know of the fault in their product. He emphasized that Nox Gear stands behind quality of their products and hopes that they can prove it to me!

Me after my morning run in my replacement Nox Gear Tracer 360 Visibility Vest

Point proven. This has been the BEST customer service interaction I have ever had. They definitely stand behind their NO WORRIES GUARANTEE and were quick to respond to me and the problem I had with the vest and take action to correct the issue. Not only that, one of the creators also reached out to apologize and make sure that I felt that I was taken care of and was happy with the service I received. Not very many companies do that anymore and I am beyond impressed with the steps Nox Gear has taken to make sure my satisfaction with their product was at the forefront as they worked on getting the problem resolved.

Thank you Daren, Tom, and Nox Gear, for proving to me that your company is one that I don’t regret investing in. I’m excited to wear my new vest out on my morning runs. You not only help keep me safe, you made sure that I was happy with your product in the end.

And right now…I’m over the moon! Thanks…for lighting my way.

January 22, 2018

Practicing Patience

patience Good morning, friends!!

Anyone else out there have a problem with patience? Especially when it comes to being patient with yourself?

STORY. OF. MY. LIFE.

And…its my impatience (I totally blame being a go-getter New Yorker) that often leads me to setbacks that don’t move me forward and only end up dragging me down and feeling defeated.

I’m trying to break the mold this time around. And…trust me…this isn’t easy. Not at all. As I mentioned before, I recently participated in The Dopey Challenge at Disney World. Over 4 days, I ran 4 races…each of which got longer in length (5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon), and I actually did really well on the races, given that I was bouncing into the parks every day and not resting up the legs. Honestly…I’m so super proud of my performance. This being the 2nd time I’ve participated in The Dopey Challenge and having improved on all the times of the races I actually raced (10K, Half, Full), I felt amazing (mentally) but tired and sore (physically) following the actual events. I went into the weekend with a sinus cold and came out of it with the Disney flu. I took a lot of days to recover…from sickness and the races. I knew, following Dopey, that I would need to let my body recover well. I still probably would have gone back to it sooner had my body not been drained from sickness. This past week, I decided to give easing back into it a try.

And I started on Wednesday with an hour long spin class…that totally kicked my ass. I was done within the first 20 minutes…my power, energy and speed all really dropping down. Our spin bikes light up to tell what zone you are in and I didn’t even care that I was in the white and blue instead of yellow and red like the rest of the class. I had to listen to my body. And while I valued the movement, I wasn’t going to push myself to try to hit a level my body wasn’t ready to reach yet.

Call that growth, because I do believe the me of the past would have felt the need to press on and keep up with the rest of the class. But I’ve also had a recurring stream of injuries to deal with the past 3 years. After building up and failing over and over again…you do actually gain wisdom. There is no shame in listening to your body and backing off intensity as you see fit. I put this body through a lot physically both with the races and then trying to fight off illness…it’s no wonder my body isn’t feeling as strong as it used to be.

Have I lost some fitness…you better believe I have. Some mornings, it is a struggle to just simply get through my PT exercises. And for as much as I have stressed their importance to me coming back stronger, the past 3 weeks have seen little to none of the stretches and exercises I was prescribed. And I didn’t feel guilty about it. My body needed the sleep and the time on the couch more than it needed the movement.

But, like any active person, my body does crave movement. I like moving my body. I just needed to give myself the time to get to where it could handle some. Nothing big. No long miles or hard runs. No pushing the limits on the spin bike. Just gentle movement.

This past weekend, with the weather warming up and the snow and ice melting away, I took advantage with my first run since Dopey. And, while I was out there for 30 minutes, believe it or not…only 8 minutes of it was actually spent running. I took my time to warm up with 5 minutes of walking…then did 4 x 2 minutes running/3 minutes walking…then a 5 minute cool down. And it felt hard…and amazing all at once. And that was how I needed to take it. I’m not ashamed that I only ran 8 minutes. I’m damn proud of those 8 minutes and what my body managed to do in that time. I took Sunday off completely and didn’t feel bad about it.

Today, it was close to 60 degrees this morning. So, I decided I would pull on a pair of SHORTS and take advantage by doing a short run. I decided to just run…easy…and deliberately…keeping the heart rate down…but do it without the walk breaks. It was the struggle bus. My body is still recovering, but I managed to do 20 minutes and keep the heart rate in Zones 1 and 2. I count that as a win. I went to spin afterwards, and that’s when my body let me know it was too much for the day. The first half of class I felt strong and almost normal, but my energy levels crashed soon after that…so I turned down the resistance, sat down when I needed, and just let my body do what it needed.

I’m not mad. I’m recovering. And I will still take complete rest days and lift lighter weights when strength training…and keep the intensity down. The me of the past would have taken this as failure…but I feel so empowered that I can trust my body, my mind, and myself to practice patience and self-love and trust that I will grow from this. Constant forward progression. Tired of taking steps back. It’s all a matter of changing the mindset. And I still struggle…but I know, in the end, this will make me a better, faster, stronger athlete. patience2

AND…as another form of self-care and self-love, let me also emphasize that just because I am not working out doesn’t mean I’m not fueling my body. My body went through a lot and proper nutrition is key. I am not just eating fruit and low calorie foods just because I’m not working out. WRONG. I have actually changed a lot of what I eat to give me more nutrients and better sources of vitamins and fuel to help this body maintain fitness and strength through all of it. Starving your body only starves yourself of further potential and forward progress.

Patience is not an easy thing to practice. It’s something that can gnaw at you and really make you question yourself. Learning how to be patient with my body and myself has been one of the hardest things I have set out to do…and while it’s still a constant work in progress…I can see where my mindset has changed so that I am kinder to myself and…more willing to give myself the time I need to get to where I feel I want to be.

Patience, grasshoppers.

It’s worth it!

January 20, 2018

Product Review: Nox Gear Tracer 360 Visibility Vest

Product: Nox Gear Tracer 360 Visibility Vest

Price: $69.99+/-

You know…I have failed as a blogger in doing product reviews…food…or otherwise…as of late. And I apologize for that. And, sadly, it has taken a product I was pretty stoked about literally falling apart after only SIX wearings to bring me back around to writing these. But now the feature is back…so I’ll keep at it with other products.

For awhile now, my running friends and coach have been urging me to purchase a Nox Gear Tracer 360 Visibility Vest because, as we all know, about 90% of my runs are done outside…in the dark. While I always wear reflective gear, they hyped up the light and visibility that this vest gives any runner in the dark.

When it went on sale around Christmas time…I bit the bullet. I needed it, at the time, for a costume I was working on for Disney (which I ended up scrapping due to how cold the weather was going to be), and justified the purchase with the amount of use I’d get out of it as a runner in the dark.

When it arrived, I immediately opened the box and pulled it out to at least try it on. I was surprised how light weight it was, but it was a good fit on me. I would be testing it out for the first time the following morning on a run and I couldn’t wait. My biggest concern was that the tubes that came down to the hips would bounce up and bother me. I hoped I was wrong.

That morning, I got dressed to go for my run before the sun was even dreaming up coming up. I slipped the Nox Gear Tracer 360 on and clipped it around my body. Perfect fit. It wasn’t too tight. I turned it on, letting it flash various fun colors and I turned on my Instagram and did an Instagram Story about it. I was super stoked. But I still had to try it on a run.

Guess what. All of my fears were put to rest on that run. The tubing didn’t bother me at all. My hands never snagged on it and nothing bounced or chafed or bothered me. I was ready to drink the Kool-Aid. Every morning I wore it out…I would just rave about it on my Instagram afterwards. But…the holidays rolled around and I was visiting family in Alabama…where I run when it’s light out. After that…I came down with a cold and took time off from my training. I was tapering anyway. And then…the Dopey Challenge. I had trashed my plan to dress as Tron (which was one of the reasons I bought the Nox Gear Tracer 360), due to freezing temperatures and the costume not really having time to be refined to where I was happy with it. The vest stayed behind to await my return. Unfortunately, Disney flu came home with me and 2 weeks later…I’m finally ready to go out for more walking than running…but something. Finally.

That was this morning. And that was when it all went wrong.

Today was my sixth (6th) time wearing the Nox Gear Tracer 360 Visibility Vest. I went and counted in my Instagram. Don’t judge me.

Six wears…and on my final 2 minute run interval this morning…the vest suddenly falls down my shoulders. I thought, perhaps, the clip at the middle came undone and paused my Garmin to fix it.

WRONG! The reflective strap that wraps around the middle had completely come apart. Not even on a seam. It was like it just tore down the center…with nothing that could have caused that to happen. I was NOT happy. Believe me, these vests are not cheap. And when you pay $70 for a reflective vest…you kind of hope for a better quality product. I mean, I spent less on my simple yellow reflective vest with blinkie light clip-ons and that’s lasted me for 4 years. This survived only six runs. Six short (not even long) runs.

To say I’m disappointed is an understatement. I’m actually a little angry. I was so excited and hyped over this piece of running gear and it was like this big let-down in a big way. I actually had to hold the tubing together in front for the rest of my run so I could still be visible, but finish off my run this morning.

I have every intention of contacting Nox Gear regarding this. I am willing to exchange it for a new one, believing that, perhaps, this was just a bad batch or whatever. I love the concept behind this vest, but I need it to last because 4 out of 5 of my runs every week are done in the dark. The kind of visibility that this gave me was impressive. The vest being so light weight was a bonus. I’m picky about things I wear when I run, and this was something I expected to hate…but didn’t.

And I don’t hate it now…I just hate that it was so poorly constructed. As of right now, I can’t honestly recommend this product. It all hinges on how Nox Gear handles this when I contact them regarding my dissatisfaction with their product.

Stay tuned…