Ocean-Inspired Manicures

If you've read my blog this week, you know I am super psyched for my trip to the ocean, just a few days away!

Last night me and one of my best girl friends went to get our nails done. I saw Essie's Turquoise and Caicos, and had to have it. It's so beachy - makes me think of ocean waves, coral and sea foam. My pictures came out blurry, but I did Essie's Turquoise and Caicos  on their website:

And here is my blurry picture: 

It's actually more blue than it looks in the picture. It almost reminds me of Tiffany's blue with a hint of sea foam green.

I definitely recommend this color. 

Has anyone found any great nail colors lately?

Countdown to Vacation

At this time next week, I will be on vacation. Tim and I are going to the beach. This means sunsets on the ocean, frozen yogurt, shopping on the boardwalk, bbqs, and lots of napping on the beach.

What's your favorite vacation destination?

Graphic Summer

I went shopping at Urban Outfitters yesterday and decided I'm into graphic tees. I know. It's cliche. Whatever though.

I never liked graphic tees before because they weren't usually low cut or flirty. I found some great looks at Urban.

I ended up buying this Jimi Hendrix t-shirt.

I also LOVED this Little Red Riding Hood shirt.

Source: Alice Rutherford (view)

I actually found the illustrator's blog. Check out her post about the shirt. I asked her if she was selling the print. Fingers crossed.

In other news, I ran 9 miles today and it felt awesome! Apparently running on cloudy/rainy days is the way to go.

Running Through It

Source: FriendshipQuotes (view)

Does anyone else play two sports?

I've been training for a half marathon, and now that the weather is nice, I have been playing tennis. My body hurts. Literally the whole thing. Legs, knees, arms, back, everything. Last year I was running regularly and playing tennis, and it wasn't a problem. I think it's the whole half marathon thing.

I'm to the point in my training where I'm running 5 miles on the regular runs, and 8, 9, 10 on the long runs. It's getting a little rough.

Even though it's hard, I'm still sticking to the training program by running in the morning and playing tennis at night. I'm sure I'll get used to it after a few weeks.

I like this Charlie Brown picture. It really captures the feelings of an intense workout.

Wine Tour

We went on a wine tour in the Finger Lakes this weekend. The Finger Lakes are a row of lakes in upstate NY. There are tons of wineries on Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake. We went to Cayuga Lake.

Source: LakehouseNY (view)

We took a huge limo, and brought snacks and drinks. It was about an hour drive to the wineries.

Here's Tim and me at one of the wineries:

Most of the wineries are right on Cayuga Lake. Unfortunately it was a little cloudy.

I bought a bottle of wine from Goose Watch, which is a really popular winery. I got their Lemberger wine, which is similar to a pinot noir. It has a peppery and berry taste.

Source: Vinquire (view)

I hope everyone else had a great weekend, too!

Runner's high... and low

I've always been lucky to be a person who gets a "runner's high." It's a very real thing. Basically running releases endorphins that change your mood, causing a "high." Read all about it in this New York Times article.

Source: Times Union (view)

While I've always experienced a runner's high, I've never experienced a runner's low... until now.

I think it started when I ran 8 on Sunday. It was a tough run in 80 degree heat. For the first time, I started walking at the end of the run. I walked for the last stretch, came home, drank water, and then finished up on the treadmill.

Ever since Sunday, every run has been a struggle. I've felt tired, lacked motivation, and my legs feel heavy when I run.

When I was preparing this blog post this morning, I Googled "tired runner" and discovered this article on runner's low. Here are the signs of a runner's low:

• Decreased Physical Performance –  yes
• Heavy Legs – yes
• Increased Resting Heart Rate – no
• Increased Susceptibility to Illness – no
• Chronic Muscle Soreness or Fatigue –no
• Slower Recovery – no
• Increased Perceived Exertion – yes
• Loss of Enthusiasm for Running – yes
• Change in Sleep Pattern – no
• Loss of Appetite –yes

So, I'm not sure if this will turn out to be a real runner's low, but it sure feels like it right now!

Has anyone else ever experienced this?

Well, I'm off to run 5 this morning. Wish me luck :-)