Three weeks to go

Monday I started the week off at Bar Method. Surprisingly I wasn't very sore from my race but I was sore from Saturday's class! My abs killed!!

Tuesday I planned to join Team CATS at Fleet Feet Encino to celebrate a fundraising milestone however I had some time to kill beforehand so I decided to pay for class at Bar Method Encino even though I have a package for the Hermosa location. It was so worth it!! I got to take class from the owner, Katelin, who is hilarious and makes the class pass so quickly. After class I headed over to Fleet Feet where we ran 6 miles including 4 hill repeats. It sprinkled lightly on the run, just enough to cool us down. When we got back we celebrated passing $40,000 in donation for the Center for Assault Treatment Services!

Wednesday I went to iRun MB for their weekly fun run. It was sponsored by CLIF which wasn't that exciting at first until I learned that they just launched Clif Kit's Organic bars which are dairy free! They have very few ingredients and they are organic. After a 5k through the streets of Manhattan Beach I got to try the cashew flavor which was pretty tasty.

Thursday I was back at Bar Method for a third time this week! I love being able to see improvements in my flexibility with each class. Such a great cross training for running.

Friday and Saturday were rest days since I went to visit my friend in Vegas. I wasn't completely inactive, we went for a hike Saturday before going out. I had never been to Red Rocks before but it was gorgeous!

It wasn't a wild trip but I stayed out pretty late Saturday and my eating schedule was off on Sunday so when I finally got home and embarked on my scheduled 15 miler I knew it wasn't going to be good. It was very cold, windy, and dark and I didn't feel my best. I ran from home to The Strand and as I got onto The Strand, which usually has tons of people working out, I realized that the Oscars were on and I wondered if that accounted for the very empty sidewalk. Since I didn't have my usual distractions, I busied myself by counting all the TVs showing the Oscars. I counted 18 over 4 miles. I also counted a total of 6 other runners (usually way too many to count) and most of those were in the first few miles so by the time I got to the end of The Strand, I was very lonely and bored. It also was really creepy so I decided to cut the run short after about 7.5 miles. It was very disappointing this close to the marathon to have such an awful run but I'm trying to chalk it up to lack of sleep and fuel.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend the CATS benefit concert but I hear it was a great success! We also have now reached the total that was raised last year. Since there's still three weeks left until the marathon, we have a great shot at reaching the ultimate goal of $50,000! Please consider helping us reach that goal but clicking Donate Now in the upper right corner of this page.

A LOVE-ly week

Monday I convinced Sarah to join me for class at Bar Method. I can barely remember my very first barre class which was at Pure Barre in Brentwood, but she definitely hung in there better than I did!

Tuesday I took a rest day but Wednesday I joined Sarah for a 3 mile run. She lives a mile from the beach so we ran down and along the boardwalk for a little. It was right at sunset which made for a gorgeous run filled with lots of girl talk! I also signed up for my first race of 2014 on Wednesday: New Year's Race! It was so much fun this year that I knew I wanted to do it again and with my legacy discount I got a really good deal.

Thursday was Valentine's Day so I took another rest day to celebrate with my loved one. Friday I went to Bar Method again and briefly considered going for a run, however the weather was so nice I spent the day reading on the beach instead.

Saturday I was back at Bar Method (three times this week!), then a little more beach time before heading to Pasadena for the expo. While there I signed up for next year's Rock 'n' Roll Pasadena Half Marathon. I also checked out their international locations... maybe one day!

Sunday was the race. I did this one last year which was the inaugural year and it was a lot of fun. Last year I ran 7 miles the day before since I was scheduled to run 20 miles that weekend. It was my second half marathon but it was nearly a year after my first so I had a goal to finish under 2:15. I missed that goal by about 2 minutes and haven't been able to come close since then. But today I was running alone and purposely ran my 20 miles last weekend so I wouldn't have any mileage the day before the race so I thought I had a pretty good shot at cracking that 2:15 goal. It meant maintaining a pace under 10:18/mile which is on the faster side for me but I was motivated by last week's speed on the 20-miler.

Since it worked so well last week, I decided to try my tactic again of ignoring my watch and just listening to my body. I paid close attention to my breath which did not feel labored so I continued on at a pace I was sure was too fast to start a race, given all conventional wisdom of starting slow. I started in a corral with the 2:45 pacer and as I passed him I thought maybe I could catch up to the 2:15 pacer and then I'd know I would hit my goal. I soon passed the 2:30 pacer so I knew 2:15 was next. I was feeling good and around mile 6 I allowed myself to glance at my watch (just to be sure I wasn't going too slow) and it showed a 9:45 average pace! I was excited to see that my pace was way under the target and I still felt good. I ate my Pure Fit bar shortly after that which was difficult to do while running but I was determined to run the entire race. The bar was so delicious I couldn't even believe it! If you see them in stores, get the almond flavor.... might as well be eating cookies or cake or something. So good!!

I wore my Camelbak which I never thought I'd do in a race since there are water stations, but I really wanted to shave any time I possibly could and drinking from a cup meant walking. Plus I was able to put the Hammer Fizz tab in my water and forego the Gatorade that was offered on the course. I ran along and finally saw the 2:15 pacer! I ran by with ease and was determined to keep them behind me. I briefly considered that I might finish under 2 hours but thought that was ridiculous so I pushed it out of my mind. What I did keep in mind was God as I said many prayers, for myself and for any runner I saw that seemed to be struggling.

Around mile 11 I glanced down at my watch to be sure my pace wasn't slipping and instead of my pace I saw the time staring back at me!! I kinda screamed but no one around me seemed to notice. I couldn't believe my watch had stopped tracking me! This had never happened before. I started it back up again just so I would at least know my pace but I no longer had any way to approximate my chip time until after crossing the finish line. I struggled through the last few miles refusing to walk and finally saw the clock as I crossed the finish line which read 2:12:xx! I knew I had beat my goal of 2:15 but now the question was by how much. Since I started later than the elite runners up in the first corral my chip time (which starts when I cross the mat as opposed to when the race starts) would be faster. I ran into a coworker as I collected my medal and Jamba Juice sample and we talked for a while. Then I made my way over to the engraving tent where my hopes had been crushed last year. I made them double check three times before finally agreeing to pay the $20 to have my time engraved on my medal. I could not believe my time was....

My pace was a FULL minute faster than I needed! I don't normally even try to run sub-10:00/mile when I'm monitoring my pace because I'm afraid I won't be able to maintain it but this has really opened my eyes that I have been short changing myself. As I waited for my medal to be engraved I got to see Deena Kastor announced as the female winner of the race! Her time was an unbelievable 1:12:56!! I didn't feel too bad about my own time though considering she holds American record in the half-marathon and she won the bronze medal in the women's marathon at the 2004 Olympics.

I had a fairly successful week fundraising thanks to my parents. My dad was kind enough to make yet another donation and my mom submitted the paperwork to have her donation matched. We have less than a month til the marathon and I would really like to at least pass my $3,000 total from last year, so if you haven't been able to donate yet now is your chance. Please click the Donate Now button at the top right of the page.

One run was all I needed

Monday I got back to the barre. I have to say that Mili is my favorite instructor. She pushes me and accepts no excuses (a little scary sometimes) and is absolutely determined to find modifications for me. Thanks to her I finally got my legs up during flat back. It only took a mini mat under my thighs and two straps looped around the barre but I did it!

Tuesday I started feeling a little sick so I took a rest day. I also checked out Ragnar Relay's website to see when the deadline to sign up for SoCal was because I got a code at the expo for the Redondo Beach Super Bowl 10k. Turns out that was the last day to register before the price increase! I had to act fast so I put out an APB on Facebook and before I knew it I had half a team committed. That night I registered our team and started sending out invitations to join the team.

Wednesday I felt even worse so I ended up going home early from work and taking another rest day. I was getting pretty nervous about the 20 miler scheduled for Saturday. Especially when I wasn't much better on Thursday. I momentarily debated forcing myself out for at least 2 miles but the moment passed and I accepted that my only run this week would be my long run.

Saturday I started my run off with Lauren and Neal who were kind enough to run the first 7.5 miles with me even though they were tapering for Bandit 30k. They are both faster than me and I did my best to resist the urge to speed up out of guilt but still felt I was going too fast. Once we parted ways I figured I would be able to relax and slow down but I looked down at my pace and it was even faster than I had been running with them! It didn't feel bad so I decided to experiment (yes, on a 20 mile run!) and not look at my watch anymore. I ran at a slightly less than comfortable pace and tried not to worry about whether I could maintain it. I ate at my usual spots, mile 7 and mile 14, and I drank my Hammer Fizz laced water as needed (which was less often than usual). The miles ticked by and I passed the spot where I had to pull over on my last 20 miler and still felt good. My same ankle started to threaten some pain around mile 15 but I said a quick prayer and it settled down. Once I was back on the more densely populated Strand I started looking for potential running partners to carry me through the last few miles. Although I was giving it my best I was still getting passed up constantly so I played the typical runner mind game and told myself they were only running single digits. I finally set eyes on someone that appeared to be around my pace. As I neared though, I decided I didn't want to slow down in favor of company, so I kept going. It was tough and boring, but I did it and finished nearly a half hour faster than last time!

Getting in the Ragnar Spirit!

Finding beauty in the LA DWP

Finally finished!

Motivational watch

Longest run... with this watch

Sunday I got to stand on the other side of the course demarkation and instead cheered for my mom and aunt as they walked in the Live Ultimate 5k in Santa Monica. It was so fun cheering them on and seeing them get excited about beating their time next race!

Fundraising has still been slow going. But other than our dynamo kid Jordyn, it seems like the other top fundraisers have stalled out too. Maybe we tapped everyone out too early? Well, if not and you haven't had the chance to donate yet, please do! The Center for Assault Treatment Services does amazing work for victims of sexual abuse and assault and unfortunately we are reminding of their necessity far too often just by flipping on the news. Any amount is greatly appreciated, please click the Donate Now button on the top right or talk to me about donating in person!

6 weeks to go

Monday I met up with Sarah for a short run on a cold night. We started from her new place in El Segundo and just ran around the neighborhood which was surprisingly hilly.

Tuesday I went to Bar Method and really tried to push myself because I've been eating a lot of junk lately. We did two planks and I stayed up the whole time for both! Apparently I pushed really hard because I was super sore Wednesday.

Wednesday I met up with Sarah at iRun MB and we went with the 5 mile route again. We did a much better job keeping up and it didn't hurt that the group hung back a bit after a few big hills to let us catch up. They were raffling off Yurbuds but we didn't win.

Thursday I finally took the plunge and signed up for Lululemon's Sea Wheeze half marathon in Vancouver! I have a few friends running it too and I'm really excited. This will be the furthest I've ever traveled to run. It's a whole extravaganza too with yoga and other events.

That eventing I went to Bar Method and halfway through class noticed a girl convulsing while we were in a seated "round back" position. The instructor went over to her and it became clear that she needed help so I ran out of class and had the desk girl call 911. She was on the phone with them for what seemed like forever and the girl had become unresponsive so I ran outside to try to flag down a police officer since they usually patrol the pier. I didn't see any cops, however there was a meter reader driving by so I grabbed her and she radioed someone to get help. By the time we got back inside the girl had woken up but was super freaked out. Soon after the fire department arrived and took control. The Bar Method staff called the girl's mom who said she has epilepsy and to just assure her that she is okay because she is really scared when she wakes up.

I had no idea what epilepsy entails! It was extremely scary but the girl was okay and I think the Bar Method staff handled it really well. The girl hadn't included the information in her file when she signed up so initially they thought she might be diabetic. So really, take those forms seriously when you sign up for stuff and they ask for medical history!

Friday I took a rest day so I could wake up early Saturday to run 15 miles on the trails with the Fleet Feet Encino training group. We did this route last year but my pace was a full minute faster this time around despite the longer distance. I still had to walk a lot on the uphills but I felt great the whole time and didn't feel tired after. In fact, I volunteered after at the expo for the Redondo Beach Super Bowl 10k for Blue Zones Project. It was so much fun talking to locals about the project which is attempting to make the Beach Cities a Blue Zone by making changes in the community that make it easier to eat right, workout, and engage with neighbors. A Blue Zone is a term to describe areas where people live, on average, to over 100 years and live happier and healthier lives.

Sunday was race day. I was really excited about this 10k because I was running it with my friend Petra and it also happened to be in my city. Mike joined us too as well as our friends Jason and Juliana! We had originally talked about dressing as M&Ms since Petra's friend had the costumes but at the last minute we decided to wear the jerseys for their ultimate frisbee team which are green and stand out pretty well. The race was really fun and had some great costumes. My favorite was the team dressed as salmon who literally turned around mid-race and ran "upstream." There was also a team dressed all in neon who had a guy on a bike following them handing out beers. When we caught up to them they gave Mike a beer!

As far as fundraising goes, we've got a big event coming up! On February 23rd three female cover bands will be performing in Santa Monica with all cover charges being donated to CATS! Click HERE for details or HERE to make a donation.

CATS Comedy Night and Carlsbad Half Marathon

Monday we had amazing weather so I spent the day at the beach which didn't leave any time for working out. Tuesday was another rest day but finally Wednesday I was back at it with a trip to iRun MB for their first weekly run club. We had the option to run a 5k or 5 miles and Sarah and Mike agreed that we should do 5 miles. Unfortunately it became quickly apparent that we would not be running with the group as their pace was significantly faster than ours. Luckily I brought the directions along which we followed until we got sick of winding through the (gorgeous) Manhattan Beach neighborhoods and cut back to the store. It was probably about 4.5 miles for us. When we got back everyone else had already drawn tickets for the raffle of a pair of Newton shoes and 3 tickets remained for us. They had already called the number and knew that one of the 3 was a winner... and it was Sarah! Kinda boosted our spirits after being left in the dust. I will say they were very apologetic when they realized we had been left behind and I plan to go back next week.

Thursday I decided to go for a double workout to make up for my slow start to the week. I started off at Bar Method and thanks to the tips I got last week my hip flexor cooperated enough to get me through the class. I still feel I have a loooooong way to go considering the pregnant lady was getting lower than me but I was just glad I wasn't in excruciating pain... at least not from my hip anyways. After class I seriously debated going home but I thought about the quote I always see that goes something like "Going for a run is something I never regret." With that in mind I figured I'd just run to the end of The Strand and back without looking at my watch (of course I still set it though). I ran at a challenging but comfortable pace and without knowing exactly how far I'd be running. It was kind of liberating and I ended up running my fastest 10k!

Friday I didn't have time to squeeze in a workout but I did have time to go to the CATS Comedy Night featuring a hilarious comedian named Eric Schwartz! If you have a chance watch at least one of his videos, he is soooooo funny and very musically talented! He and his friends put on a great show and we raised nearly $800 in donations. I worked the door collecting money and also selling raffle tickets to win a pair of shoes donated by the awesome Trey Barnes of Fleet Feet Encino. I also got two donations on my Crowdrise page!

Saturday was awesome. You may recall that I was scheduled to run 20 miles this day but due to the Carlsbad Half Marathon the next day I ran it a week early and was treated to gorgeous weather. Well thank God for that because Saturday was rainy and miserable! I think one miserable rain run is enough for a training season so I'm soooo glad I got to spend the morning at Bar Method instead.

When I got home I packed up and headed down to Carlsbad to meet up with my cousin for the expo. It was really fun helping her prepare for her first half marathon! The expo was actually quite big and I found a new vegan nutrition bar to test out... they were so delicious I bought a whole box! I also got to try the ice cream from Sub Zero (oops, not vegan) which I had seen on Shark Tank a few weeks ago. It was good but just tasted like regular ice cream.

Sunday was race day! I don't normally travel for races (with the exception of Ragnar) so it was a little stressful having to get ready in unfamiliar territory, but I was so grateful to Carmen's in-laws for letting us stay over and avoid a 2 hour drive pre-race. We hit a lot of traffic trying to park but got out of the car with about 20 minutes to spare. This would have been plenty of time except for the super long lines at the port-a-potties. We could hear the first wave start while we were in line but thanks to the wave starts we had no trouble making it into the last corral which started about 15 minutes behind the first.

The in-laws, Carmen's husband and kids, and my dad all came out to cheer us on. We even saw her husband's cousin at the Lululemon station at mile 4. 

The course was so pretty, even though it was overcast. We were really lucky because it rained right up until we got out of the car and then was just nice and cool. Perfect running weather! Also the signs the spectators held up were hilarious! The one below is just one of my favorites but there were so many that had us cracking up.

My cousin did an amazing job! We finished in 2:39:20 and felt great. I was a wreck after my first half marathon but you wouldn't even know Carmen ran, she looked great the rest of the day. I'm so proud of her and can't wait to run more races together... including LA marathon 2014!

Speaking of LA marathon, it's a month and a half away! I'm really hoping I can at least break $3,000 in donations for the Center for Assault Treatment Services. My goal was $4,000 but it's been slow going and I've been so busy it's been hard to put in the time I wanted to. I'm so thankful to everyone who has donated though. CATS does amazing work and unfortunately their services are a necessity for many. Any amount is appreciated! DONATE HERE

Two Months til the Marathon

Monday I met up with my awesome friend Sarah for a 3 mile run. Sarah's not just any friend, she's my LA Marathon 2012 partner! She's been gone for a few months and it was so good to have her back and run together. She has an amazing way of talking while running so much that you don't even realize how many miles have passed. Love running with her!! Monday was also the start of Lululemon's run-a-thon so when my GPS watch wouldn't acquire satellites I resorted to the old MapMyRun app so my miles would count.

Tuesday we planned to meet up again for a run but first I went to Bar Method. It's weird, I totally expect to have a bad run every once in a while but I actually had my first bad Bar Method class! For some reason it seemed like every exercise was either irritating my hip flexor, knees, or shoulders. I just couldn't seem to keep up and left feeling like I didn't get a very good workout. I'm hoping it's just like running and my next class will be awesome! And since I ran 4.5 miles with Sarah after I wasn't too concerned about not getting a good workout in.

I took Wednesday off but Thursday I went to Bar Method. Class was pretty rough since my hip flexor was hurting more than ever. The one thing I love about Bar Method above all other barre classes is the instructors really understand body mechanics so mine was able to give me modifications that helped me finish class. I didn't feel completely awful though, I managed to do all 50 of my push ups on my toes.

Friday was another rest day. Except I didn't rest. Last year I would have made sure I ate super healthy, no drinking, and in bed extra early to be ready for a 20 mile run. But I didn't do any of that and didn't even drink enough water which I'm usually super diligent about. Part of it had to do with the fact that technically this should have been a recovery week so if I "only" ran 15 it wouldn't be a problem. The schedule calls for 20 miles next week but I'm doing a half marathon so it was either get the 20 in this week or the week after next.

I figured I'd shoot for 20 on Saturday and see how far I could get. I was really lucky that my friend Kasia was willing to join me AND willing to run at my much slower pace. Unfortunately she is tapering for the Surf City Marathon so she only had 8 miles to run which meant only 4 miles together. She did an amazing job slowing down for me yet the miles flew by thanks to our conversations. Once we said goodbye I tried my best to stay slow but it was really tough. Thankfully the path didn't have as much sand this week so it was easier to run. I ran well into Marina Del Rey and it was an amazing warm day.

I decided to fuel every 7 miles and was able to keep running while eating my Vega gel. At mile 14 I walked a bit so I could eat my Hammer bar. When I started running again my left ankle felt awful. I had to walk again but even that was painful so I stopped and took my shoes off since they felt too tight. I did some stretches, prayed, laced up, and started walking again. Very quickly I tried to run again and felt great! I got to mile 17 before I started dragging again. I decided to look for someone to potentially pace me as a distraction. At mile 18 a guy passed me just barely and then slowed to my pace. I caught up and asked him how far he was running. He explained his route which worked with mine so I continued to run with him and make conversation. I had no idea how much it would help to have "fresh legs." The mile flew by but at that point he said he was going to walk so I was on my own again. It was downright hot by this point and I just wanted to be done so I increased my pace and my last mile ended up being my fastest!

It was such a beautiful day I wanted to take pictures constantly but also felt it was important to take as few breaks as possible so I only took a few. Around mile 9 I heard a splat and saw a seagull up ahead so I figured he pooped. Then I saw him eating the supposed poop and realized he had dropped a clam and was eating the contents! I was so impressed I stopped to take a picture of the evidence.

At this point I was also running along Ballona Creek and got to see the college crew teams practicing. I ran all the way to Admiralty Way before turning around which was actually 10.15 miles. Last week I had to run off The Strand to get my full 18 so I wanted to make sure I'd finish on The Strand this week. The beach was packed, it looked like a summer day and really hard to believe it's January! 

I finished a bit too fast considering Peachy had recommended running at a 12:30 pace to avoid injury. My target pace to finish the marathon under 5 hours is 11:25 which means shaving more than 30 seconds per mile off my pace from last year. I definitely feel a lot better than my training runs last year so I think I've got a good shot.

Sunday I drove out to Lululemon in Calabasas and turned in 28 miles which means $140 for SOS Mentor. Their mission is to educate, motivate, and empower underserved Los Angeles youth to make healthy eating choices, live an active lifestyle, and become health advocates in their communities. Definitely something I can get behind and all I had to do was drive a little out of my way. On the way back home I stopped at Black Dog Yoga for a restorative yoga class. It was extremely different from any yoga class I've ever taken. No downward facing dog, we didn't even stand up! We used bolsters, blocks, and a blanket and held poses for 5-10 minutes. I nearly fell asleep multiple times. So sure, it wasn't much of a workout but it was pretty nice to spend 90 minutes without a phone, tv, or computer and just focusing on breathing.

Overall it was a pretty good week on the running front, however fundraising seems to have stalled for the moment. I have managed to remain in the top spot having raised over $2,073 and our team is closing in on $30,000 however my goal is $4,000 and our team goal is $50,000. We are hoping for a big boost on Friday the 25th at CATS Comedy Night. If you can't make it but still want to donate please click Donate Now in the top right or just click HERE.

18 miles all by myself

Monday I started the week off at Bar Method. A difficult class as always. I can't believe they have Level 2 classes that are even harder!

Tuesday I went to Body Dynamix to get my hip flexor worked on. It's just the right one that really bothers me. Dr. Eddie used this crazy jackhammer type instrument to loosen up my muscles or something. I swear he explains it much more technically than I do, I just have a very short memory. He also showed me some stretches for my hip flexors. He thinks it might be from driving which would explain it only being my right hip flexor that hurts.

After that I went to Fleet Feet to join Team CATS for their training run. We ran about 5 miles in the VERY STEEP hills and finished it off with hill sprints! It was very humbling to see that despite the hill training I have incorporated, I've got a looooong way to go. Back at the store we wrapped things up with 5 minutes of ab work.

Wednesday I got to do something a little different. I heard that a restaurant near my Bar Method studio was hosting a Top Chef style Mayor's Cook-Off and attendance was free. It was also a Blue Zones Project event so I wanted to support it. In order to attend you had to make a Blue Zone pledge which could be anything from quitting smoking to attending a faith-based service regularly. The event was so much fun! The mayor from each of the Beach Cities (Manhattan, Hermosa, and Redondo) was paired up with a well-known chef from a restaurant in that city. Each team had to create a plant-based cold dish (apparently the cold part was more to do with city laws) and the winner would be selected by a panel of judges. Unfortunately I couldn't stay the whole time in order to make it to Bar Method for class but I was glad to hear that my city, Redondo Beach, won the overall challenge for most people taking the pledge. Manhattan Beach won the cook-off.

Thursday I took a rest day and with 18 miles looming I decided it was best to rest Friday too. So that brings us to Saturday. Well, let's backtrack a moment. All week I had been hearing reports of freezing temps for the weekend. Not just "freezing" but literally below 32 degrees. I decided to allow myself to start my run at 8:00 a.m. instead of the usual 7:00 a.m. in hopes that it would be slightly warmer. This was also the reason that when my alarm failed and I didn't get out of bed til 8 I wasn't too concerned. Boy was I in for a shock when I finally got out of my car to run and realized I didn't even need gloves, let alone the jacket I had brought just in case.

Because of my tardiness I missed my chance to run with a partner so I faced 18 miles all alone. This was also due to the fact that I chose to run on The Strand rather than the Venice/Santa Monica Boardwalk. Thankfully the change of scenery helped pass the miles quickly. It was also packed with people which kept me entertained. I'm not kidding, every volleyball court was taken and I had to run around people constantly! You would think it was a summer day if not for the slight chill in the air. There was even a surf competition going on due to the King Tides. I didn't take many pictures because I wanted to keep up the momentum but I allowed myself to take a couple at the halfway point and again at the half marathon point when I walked to eat a Hammer nutrition bar. That was also where I saw the hang glider crossing and hang gliders poised for take off. Looks like fun!

Sunday I wasn't as sore as I thought I would be. I did some laundry and realized I have some very bright workout clothes. Fun clothes definitely makes working out more fun! While I was cleaning up I put my New Year's Race medal on the rack Mike made me for Christmas. Later in the day I met up with Lauren and Kasia at Black Dog Yoga. Lauren invited me to join them but warned me the class was intermediate. I am no yogi but I really wanted some girl time so I went anyways. The class was really tough but I hung in there for the entire 90 minutes (my first ever yoga class that long). After we rewarded ourselves with a delicious dinner at veSTATION which included fresh coconut water!

Although I didn't receive any donations this week, I've been helping team CATS prepare for our Comedy Night! Eric Schwartz aka Smooth-E is hosting an awesome night to help us raise money so I created a Facebook invitation and Evite to get things organized. If you are in the area please join us! Don't forget to call the bar to make reservations.