It’s hard to start writing these Hood to Coast recaps, since I feel like once I blog about it, the whole experience will actually be over. (This is why I still haven’t seen the final Harry Potter movie or read the last two Hunger Games books, all the while refusing to throw out old running sneakers and chocolate bar wrappers from Ghana.) Also, It’s pretty impossible to record all the tiny details and explain the energy: the miles, excitement, exhaustion, and bliss. However, I can highlight the good stuff and show you pretty pictures as I try my best to explain how Hood to Coast was hardly about the running, yet changed me as a runner. I swear sometime down the (blog) road that’ll make sense. 

But first, Seattle.

A bunch of us arrived late Tuesday night, so we had the whole morning on Wednesday to explore the city before going to a Mariner’s game with Nuun. Of course, we decided to go for a run. Now…something I failed to mention on here was I’ve been injured; I’ve never really been hurt before, and now for the first time in my life with Hood to Coast and my first marathon coming up, I woke up one morning and could barely walk. Looong story short, I have peroneal tendonitis, and was wrapped up, drugged up, and told I was done training if I wanted to actually run the relay. Going to Hood to Coast and not running a step three weeks prior? Sorta stressful. 

By some miracle, that run on Wednesday felt good, and I experienced only a little pain! Susan, Jocelyn, Steph, Lauren, and I went for a nice four miles along the waterfront and ended down by the famous Pike Place Fish Market with Caroline before heading back up to the stadium for the game. There, we met more runners and Nuun staff, and happily enjoyed some delicious IPA’s while “watching” the game. (I cheered whenever Casey and Mason did.) By the time the night was over, I was jet-lagged, full of beer and whiskey, in a social overhaul haze, and was both so incredibly excited and exhausted. I slept like a champ.

The next morning, we headed to Green Lake Park in Seattle, where we ran a nice five miles (still almost pain free) while stopping in to visit Oiselle HQ! Oiselle is an awesome women’s running apparel company, and they generously showed us around the office, told us the history of the company, and even gave us shirts with their tagline “Go Fast, Take Chances.” Later in the day, we headed over to Nuun’s HQ, where we gawked at ALL THE NUUN TUBES while opening up our swag bags (many thank you’s to come) until we went on a scavenger hunt around the city. After walking around and taking ridiculous pictures, giving homeless people Nuun tattoos, and catching/kissing fresh fish (don’t worry about it), we went back to HQ to eat dinner, decorate the vans, and promptly pass out. 

More to come on the actual relay soon!  

and PS… ever since I was younger I felt like I should live in Seattle. This is now confirmed. Who’s coming with me?

 Just like the rest of us, I’m in this post-relay haze thanks to an emotional and physical stimulus I’ve never quite experienced before. (And a red eye that kept me in the Dallas airport for way too long, but that’s neither here nor there.) There are a ton of things I’ve learned, stories to share, and special moments to highlight, but first off (and most importantly!) I want to thank everyone at Nuun for making this an absolutely incredible experience. From the moment we stepped off the plane, everyone at Nuun went out of their way to make us runners feel welcomed and at home.

From the Mariner’s game (I watched between beers, I swear), way too many Starbucks and bathroom breaks, an infinite amount of trial mix (but not M&M’s, got all those), driving (and dealing!) with all us girls, to supporting and encouraging us — making us all feel like a part of the family — I think I can speak for everyone that Nuun went above and beyond to make Hood to Coast truly something special.

So before you hear all about the 2 am runs, road-killing dudes in sparkle skirts, and where cashews actually come from, (in addition to 80 billion other things that happened when you run 200 miles from Mt. Hood to Seaside, Oregon), here’s a tremendous THANK YOU to everyone at NUUN! (and please adopt me when I move out to the PNW, thanks)

It’s time. I can’t believe I leave this evening for Seattle to meet the awesome team behind Nuun and all the other ladies running Hood to Coast! I am beyond STOKED. For a recap, check out these other posts on all things Nuun and Hood to Coast:

My application
Runners announced!
AfterNuun NoonDelight Team
Greatist feature

I’ll probably go radio-silent for the next week or so on here, but I’ll definitely be tweeting n instagramming my little heart out, so follow along if you wish.

Now…time to go to the west coast best coast!

I’ve been thinking a lot about my role as “Outreach Director” at Greatist, a title that slowly evolved from what was initially a part-time staff writing position. With no formal background in marketing or PR,  I was told (well, guided!) to make friends with other influencers in the health & lifestyle sphere and spread our message. Easy enough, right?

What’s awesome about the startup world is there’s a lot of room for experimentation and growth. Mistakes are fine — heck, even encouraged — as long as the same mistake isn’t made twice. (Thank god for that?) So as my involvement in outreach has grown over the past 11 months, I think I finally figured out a thing or two about PR (at least, how Greatist has decided to do it) which I like to think of as RR instead: Real Relations.

The way I interact with people at work is similar to other relationships I keep outside of office walls, and perhaps it’s because Greatist is more “life” than “work.” Regardless, if you want to connect with someone and share something you’re passionate about, the big “secret” is to simply be genuine. Which leads me to these points:

Do your research.
Don’t just reach out to people for the sake of reaching out. Really dig deep to find out who you want to connect with, and why it’s beneficial for both parties.

Personalize each email.
People get pitched a lot. And just like a cover letter that’s reused and recycled, recipients can tell the difference between copy-pitches and emails that are personalized. Take time to make sure the person you’re writing to knows you genuinely want to reach them. Which comes to the next point…

Explain why it’s relevant.
Why them? Why are you writing the email, and where is the overlap? Sure, we’d love for Justin Bieber to tweet our content, but it’d be pretty challenging to explain why a teen pop star should collaborate with a health & fitness resource. (Well, I could figure it out, but I’m also sure J. Bieb doesn’t have time for my emails…punk.)

Ask how you can help out.
It’s not all about you. Be sure to mention your willingness to help out in any way as well — it’s a two-way street!

Don’t be afraid to ask for help, too.
Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and just say it: HELLLLP! People who help you out are more likely to continue lending a hand; it’s empowering for them, and humbling for you.

Be clear about what you want.
It took me a while to nail this down, but be specific regarding what you need, or else you’re not worth their time. Do you want a link exchange, a partnership, a tweet, a phone call, a press-release, advice? Don’t dance around the subject. Ask for what you want, and they’ll tell you whether they’re down. 

Be a real person.
To sum it all up, just be yourself. If other people still choose to ignore you after bein’ all real, well..fuck em. But don’t say that… (:

I just returned from the Healthy Living Summit, and my oh my did it exceed my (already really high) expectations! I was looking forward to reppin Greatist with Derek while meeting bloggers and listening to some interesting presentations and panels, yet I was blown away by the amount of inspiration I felt, the really awesome stories I heard, and the amazing people we met.

To kick off the summit, Derek spoke briefly about the history of Greatist, and what it takes to build a successful healthy living blog. One of the key points he made was to create a vision for your blog, stick to it, and make sure to communicate it. You need to ask, “Why did I create this site?” The answer can be as broad as providing top-notch, relatable content on all things health, fitness, and happiness (a la Greatist), or more specific: a place to describe challenges and solutions for living a gluten-free life, what it takes to train for a marathon, or (hopefully) a mess of running ramblings, love-hate attitudes towards new york city, travel diaries, and sombre poetry (this?).

And as I met people over the weekend, I loved asking what tempted them to start their blog and what vision they were communicating. I was humbled by people’s stories: hearing what they were passionate about and what prompted them to start writing. Everyone had a unique story to tell, and when I’d excitedly head back to my hotel room at night to not-so-creepily stalk these blogs from new friends, I could totally hear their vision through each post. Really wonderful stuff!

Moreover, Healthy Living Summit really reinforced how proud I am of Greatist and how lucky I feel to be along for the ride. Reading emails and comments from people saying your site inspires them is one thing — but hearing it in person is a whole other experience. And as I sat crunched up on the long bus ride home, I was reminded of our team’s core values, which is what allows us to communicate our vision: Inspiring the world to make healthier choices. Here they are!

Obsess over quality.
Greatist is different: We believe people deserve a brand and a business that’s truly on their side. And we know the only way to achieve this is by never compromising the quality of our content, products, message, and anything we put our name on. We don’t compromise those standards — the world deserves better.

Expect greatness.
At Greatist, we expect greatness from each other. We recognize the only way an organization can grow and improve is through creativity, dedication, innovation, and hard work. Our motto: Just F***ing Do It. We push ourselves to be the best and we motivate others to do the same.

Trust each other.
At Greatist, we’re all on the same team. That’s why we’re transparent, open, and honest about everything we do. We over-communicate and always give each other the benefit of the doubt. We’re all learning, and we’re all pushing toward the same ultimate goal: making better choices easier for everyone.

Laugh a lot.
Greatist is fun. We value being goofy, spontaneous, and silly. Sometimes we sing aloud. Sometimes in foreign accents. If you’re here, you’re still a kid at heart and believe nothing is crazy: If we want to make an impact on the world, we can.

Be a greatist.
We live the life we champion, because Greatist isn’t just a job — it’s a lifestyle. We work to become more fit, healthy, and happy in a relatable and fun way. And, just like our readers, we struggle with challenges along the way. It isn’t easy for us either, but we try our best to make one better choice at a time.

LAST THING: This weekend’s highlight was definitely (and finally!) meeting the community team behind DailyFeats. Sara, Shannon, and Monique are probably the coolest people in the world, and I’m forever grateful for the friendship and fun they provided. The cocktail party would not have been nearly as fun if vodka and a photo booth didn’t make a presence. (Luckily, both did.)

Welcome from my new apartment! Ali and I finally moved in, and I can safely say this place pretty much feels like home.

I 

I recently realized that I haven’t lived in one house/apartment/dorm for more than a year EVER in my life, minus the house I grew up in. That means I have moved in and out of a room at least once each year since I graduated high school. Woah. With that in mind, I’ve never put much effort into making a place I lived in feel like “home,” since I never knew how long I’d be sticking around and didn’t feel like putting the time and effort into making it super nice.

But now, I’m trying really hard to make this my “home,” regardless if we stay here one year or fifty. (But I hope not fifty?) Even little things like buying a nice(r) bath mat, an area rug, and maybe even a bed frame, are small purchases that are a big deal; they make this place feel less temporary. (Besides, it’s so fun stepping out of the shower onto a plushy bath mat, who knew?) I’m also in love with all the exposed brick, and am sleeping so much better thanks to a newly acquired AC. I feel like I’m cheating. 

I’m also slowly falling in love with the new ‘hood. While I do miss being steps away from the track, my brother’s, and Calexico, I feel like South Williamsburg has more character (read: less hipsters). I live in a Puerto Rican neighborhood where people say “hola” with huge smiles, where there are block parties and Latino music blasting on the weekends, and where bodegas have slightly cheaper seltzer. I take the JMZ to Manhattan, (PZ L-TRAIN) and get to ride over the Williamsburg bridge (while sitting!) rather than be tumbled underground stuffed between people who always made me feel super unfashionable (jerks).

And to REALLY kick things off, we hosted an apartment warming party. A bunch of our friends came over, and everyone seemed to have a grand time. Unfortunately, I drank way too much whiskey and…. well, payed for it later

I wish I remembered this series of pictures; thanks for capturing the moments, Danielle.

My approaching marathon date has been subtly haunting me in my sleep. I still have a little over two months to train, but I want to feel strong while I run, or else I fear I will hate marathons till the end of time.

Luckily, my dear friend Laura created a marathon plan for me (rightfully titled “Last Minute Plan”) that calls for running only three days a week, which is perfect! Since I signed up for the race, I didn’t want to give up strength training and yoga, yet I alssoo didn’t want to burn out by trying to fit in all these activities while running a crazy amount of miles per week.

Here is what the plan looks like:  

“Day 1” is supposed to be some sort of speed work, “Day 2” hill work, and the third day is strictly endurance-training. The remaining four days should be one day of recovery cardio (not necessarily running), two days of strength, and one day of rest. I may skip the other day of cardio and replace it with yoga or added rest — we’ll see! 

My first week was pretty successful; I did three 1-mile repeats on the track (avg pace 6:40, wanted to vom after), my “hill work” day ended up just being six faster miles (7:30’s), and then my long run was 13.1 miles in 1:54, avg 8:46 pace, which took me all around greenpoint, williamsburg, and parts of manhattan. 

So that’s the plan. If I run a 3:10 marathon (kidding, major) I will thank this wonderful plan. But mainly, I want to debunk that you need to be running crazy amounts of miles a week in order to prepare for crushing 26.2!

On Sunday, Ali and I spent a part of the day packing up. I think the amount of time it actually took is a testimony to how much we own: not a lot. Throughout the years I’ve donated a lot of stuff, gave some away, and thrown the rest out. And as I stuffed jackets in bags, pots in boxes, and sneakers and sandals in bins, I got to thinking about the certain possessions that follow me around for every move I make. These are the things I pretty much need to have with me in order to feel like I’m “home.” 

The first is my lamp. It’s from the Adirondacks. I hate hate hate bad lighting and most apartments come with nothing but blaring light. So I usually just keep this one on and use natural light to keep my room well lit.  

Next up is the map of the United States. Nicole and I used it to get us around when we were traveling (no iPhones or gps the whole time!) and then when we came back, we drew out our exact route and noted everywhere we camped. It reminds me that the states are still SO large and there’s still so much to see.

That crazy colored tapestry is actually a blanket made from fabric scraps in Ghana. I’ve used it as a rug, bed cover, and now a wall decoration. It might make its next debut on my bed again, we’ll see!

Yes, my calendar is of cats doing yoga. Every year for xmas I get a “random” calendar, and this year downward-dog cats made it under the tree. It’s probably best thing I own….and July’s pic definitely takes the cake.

Books. I’ve probably read at least half of every book in that pile (minus Infinite Jest, love-hate). My collection rotates quite regularly as I take books from my old room and collect new ones along the way. Books are so comforting.

And finally, we have that bear. I got the lil’ guy in New Mexico, and he is supposed to bring me strength and protection. Win win.

So while we’ll be moving to yet another apartment, these things will continue to follow me. And in case anyone is out in the Williamsburg area tomorrow evening, stay off the streets. I’ll be driving a very large truck. 

The next morning at the crack of dawn, we woke again, yet this time we weren’t up to see more sunrises or boil water for breakfast. It was chilly, but there was no time for a fire either. We had to break down camp and head out; we had a long drive ahead of us.

As we drove home, and pretty much throughout the whole small trip, I thought a lot. Nicole and I both agreed it was the most relaxed we’ve been in a long time — over a year possibly — and with a clear head and clean air, I wrote down some reflections of both the trip and…LIFE. Some are serious, others not so much. Shall we?

Trail mix changes serving size in the woods. Normally, a serving size of trail mix is a ¼ cup, or something ridiculously depressing. But once you’re on or near a “trail,” I say it changes. Nic and I went through three bags of trail mix, (or 38 servings) in four days, yet if we ate it for breakfast and lunch, or if our days were extended because we woke up at 5am instead of 10am, then dude, it’s legit. (Yet, pro tip: As awesome as the mixes with chocolate are, the chips will melt. And end up everywhere. Just a warning.)

It really is about the company you keep. It’s easy to get caught up in the nyc hype, doing things for the sake of doing them. This has got to stop! I’m really going to focus on spending time with the people I want to spend time with, rather than doing “city” things just because they seem sort of cool.

You can learn a little about somebody by their campground. Looking at someone else’s campsite is like peeking into their home — no windows or doors obstructing your view. Some were camping pro’s, having multiple tents, tarps, cooking grills, a DOG, a ton of food, and so on. Other’s were pretty minimal like us; I saw a young couple pitch a long, tubular tent that was close to the ground, and all that was on their table was a box of kashi cookies and a brita. I judged accordingly.

I’m innately more stressed in the city. I didn’t really realize until I really left, but the city just breeds anxiety. I don’t know if this is the case for most people, but I think the environment really has an effect on me, something I have to try harder to combat as I spend (at least) another year here.

Nothing beats the sounds and smells of a fire. Every night, it lulled me to sleep. I have refused to wash most of my clothes because they still smell like smoke.

For a road trip, always make sure you have enough music (and adequate ways to play it). We left New York with a fully charged iPod, the Pandora app downloaded, and absolutely no way to play music in the car. For the first part of the trip, we did the ol’ put-your-iphone-in-a-cup-to-amplify-sound trick, along with browsing through the (mostly shitty) radio stations. It didn’t take too long to find a bunch of my dad’s burned cd’s (circa 1999?) named “Jim’s Greatest Hits Vol 1…2, 3, so on and so forth, but they were weird (sorry dad!). THEN, luckily, we found Fleet Foxes’ Helplessness Blues. We listened to the album to our heart’s content. Nine times. We also listened to a senior citizen financial Q&A radio show for an hour on the way home. Learned a lot about 401 K’s.

Most things actually aren’t a big deal. A crowded subway, a late assignment, a lame bar with shitty drink specials…..it doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t.

Measure how hard a hike is by who’s coming down. Nicole and I were a little unsure of how hard some of the hikes were (especially when they called for climbing up rocks with metal rungs…hold on tight?). But if you see children heading out of the trailhead, then you know you’re good to go. 

You can (and should) take time to get away. I really felt like I went on a juice cleanse (without the juice…). Going away for four shorts days allowed me to think clearer than I have in a while, sort out my priorities, and feel appreciative of so, so many things.

And that’s all I got. Hope you enjoyed these little recaps! Love, Laura and Nic ps) The final two videos are of the drive home…in delirium mode for sure. 

Our last full day was a great one. After a good night’s rest and a wonderful morning laying in our tent listening to the other campers in the surrounding sites begin to rise, we got up, had breakfast, and then got ready for another hike. My boyfriend (surprise?) came down to spend the afternoon with us; he recently moved out of nyc for good (not convenient) but just so happened to be a town over from Acadia visiting his HS friends for the week (very convenient). The three of us hiked up Beech Mountain, then came down and spent a few hours at Echo Lake. (While at the lake, we made sure to connect with our inner-high school selves. We purchased alcohol and poured it into water bottles, and enjoyed while hanging in the water. Twisted-tea never tasted so good.)

After sobering up and getting enough sun, we headed to Bar Harbor for some quality lobster rolls and blueberry beer. Then we meandered through town and went driving through other parts of the park, passing the College of the Atlantic, a university steps from Acadia. (Why did I not know about this senior year?) We hard-chilled by some more rocks (video 1), enjoyed the sunset, and then headed back to Seawall for the final time. We said goodbye to Tom (bye Tom) and made a final fire (video 2!). We started loading some stuff in the car, and for the last time crawled into our sleeping bags and fell asleep to the sound of the crackling fire.