It's New York City Marathon Week!!!

Marathon week is finally here and even though I had to drop out this year, I'm still crazy excited. I'm busy making my signs, making bib # lists so I can track all my friends, checking in on folks to see how they're feeling, and getting ready to cheer my butt off on Sunday.

I'm also really excited to have been selected as a New York Road Runner Social Media Reporter for the week. I just got back from their offices where a group of us were debriefed on how we can partner with NYRR to provide race week and day coverage and tips via twitter, facebook, blogs and all the other social media platforms available. I have to give them credit, it's a great idea and I'm really excited to be a part of it. On race day, we'll be wearing these cute shirts to if you see us, stop by, say hi & tell us how your race day is going.

To kick off the week, I took a stroll through Central Park to check out how race day preparations are coming along. I love walking through the park as the race approaches; folks were out in their ING Marathon gear, I saw lots of international runners already visiting and touring the city, and took some pictures of the marathon signs decorating Central Park West.

It's going to be an incredible few days leading up to Sunday.... stay tuned for daily posts and pictures! In the meantime, here's my slideshow from last year's race to get you psyched.

Monday Mantra

Pumpkin Sage Mac n Cheese

I love fall. I love the cool and crisp air, the colors on the trees, hanging on the couch with hot apple cider or a good glass of wine, warms stews and soups, knowing that Thanksgiving is on it's way, running in the cold. I love all of it.

LOVE Pumpkin spotted in Chelsea, NYC

The heat came on in my apartment last week, the down vest came out of storage, and I was in the mood for warm and cozy comfort food. Mac n Cheese = the perfect warm and cozy comfort food, right? Inspired by a meal my good friend Abbe once fed me, I found myself in my kitchen coming up with this recipe, Pumpkin Sage Mac n Cheese. And OMG, was it good. I made mine gluten free by using gluten free pasta and breadcrumbs so feel free to modify to suit your needs. Here's recipe cause I like you and since it's going to be cold out this weekend, you'll need something warm to fill you up.

Pumpkin Sage Mac n Cheese
Serves 4
8 oz Pasta, whichever shape makes you happy
1 cup Canned Pumpkin
1/4 cup Milk (I used Almond Milk because it's what I had)
2 cups Shredded Cheese (I used a combo of Asiago, Mozzarella, and Parmesan. Cheddar or Goat Cheese would also be fantastic)
5 large Sage leaves, cut into chiffonade
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs

Cook your pasta according to the package directions, but remove from the water about 2 minutes before it's done, until not quite al dente.
Preheat oven to 400 F.
In the meantime, in a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, milk, shredded cheese and sage leaves. Season with salt and pepper. When the pasta is cooked, toss into the pumpkin and cheese mixture and mix well.
Spoon the pasta into a small casserole dish and cover with the breadcrumbs. Place in your preheated oven and bake approximately 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the breadcrumbs are toasted and browned.

Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!

What a Week!

I'm having another one of those weeks where I keep thinking to myself, "Holy Sh*t! How am I this blessed?" No seriously, I can't stop smiling. It's only Thursday and this week has been incredible. I can't imagine it getting any better although I won't complain if it does. Last night, I think I might have actually repeated "Best 24 hours" ever to G a gazillion times.

It all began with the LivePerson Aspire 2011 Event I participated in Tuesday night. Held at a very cool loft like space in Chelsea, Tuesday Aspire 2011 was a three day conference at which LivePerson's global customers gathered to meet, network, hear incredible speakers and learn from one another. I was present at Tuesday night's "Evening of Discover, Enrichment and Connection" to teach jewelry making and it was a blast! Along with a mixologist, sushi chefs, cigar rollers, and several other experts, I had a chance to mingle, chat and teach this incredible group of people while a band played in the background. The energy in the room was incredible and I found it sort of awesome that 75% of my students were men wanting to make necklaces for their girlfriends, wives and daughters. So much fun!

My table, my awesome apprentice Seth setting up, food shots & folks making their own bling!

Even more awesome than the event itself is the fact that I learned that Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul and Mary, would be attending and playing at the conference the next day! Hi, my name is Erica Sara and I LOVE Peter, Paul, and Mary. I grew up on their music, loved watching their PBS concerts every year, and Lemon Tree is one of my all time favorite songs. I hinted at how much I'd love to attend and was told to show up at noon the next day for the performance. Um, YAY!!!!

Peter played Puff the Magic Dragon, If I Had a Hammer, and a new song which is the theme for his organization Operation Respect. Peter's message was a beautiful one, about respecting one another and the world in which we live, and deserves it's own post so more on that in the very near future. I sat just a few feet away from him and even had the opportunity to meet him (he kissed my hand!) after the show (Thanks Jeremy!!!).

Peter brought along these guitars which he painted and offered everyone a chance to win one of them. His contest inspired me and so I'll be holding a similar one soon so stay tuned...

This week, I also had a chance to workout with former couture runway model, Claire Moore, at the new Athleta store on the UWS. The workout, organized by Zeel, kicked my tush and I had a chance to make some new friends. You can read all about it on Zeel's blog!

Working out with Claire & the Gang

My workout was followed by a cup of coffee with my favorite nutritionist, Market Melissa, some more running around for work, and then a quiet evening at home with my favorite guy watching Pearl Jam Twenty.

So yes, I'm walking around with a smile on my face and feeling truly lucky to live the life I've created. Up next is a fantastic weekend including watching fireworks from a friend's roof, working on my New York City Marathon signs, engraving Race Bling, and volunteering at the New York Road Runner Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff 5 Miler!

How was your week? Anything exciting on your agenda this weekend? I love hearing from you so leave a note and fill me in on what's putting a smile on your face these days!

Sparkly Soul Giveaway Winner & Discount!

I'm so excited to announce the winner of the Sparkly Soul giveaway! I assigned #'s for each entry, in order of entry, and used Random.org to select the winning number. Drum roll please....

Congratulations Kim Knuff!

Please shoot me an email at erica@ericasaradesigns.com so we can get you your fabulous new headbands! 

Sparkly Soul was also kind enough to offer a discount code for my buddies! Use the code ERICA for a 15% discount at www.SparklySoul.com, valid until 10/25 11:59 p.m. EST.

Monday Mantra

Sparkly Soul Giveaway!

In case you don't know me, here are some facts about me:
1. I love running, yoga, pilates, working out... I love to exercise
2. I have very long hair
3. I hate when that long hair gets in my eyes, especially when I'm working out
4. I have a small head
5. I like bling

Ok, maybe they aren't the most interesting facts about me, but they are true and they're important to me. They're also the reason I'm so excited to have discovered Sparkly Soul headbands. An incredible marathoner & triathlete who just happens to be my neighbor and friend, started this company with her sister and designed these fabulous no slip & fashionable headbands and now I'm hooked!  360°of non-slip sparkle, one size fits all, two widths to choose from, and a gazillion colors. LOVE! I've been wearing my black and my green headbands on my runs and to the gym and have gotten tons of compliments on them. And they don't slip at all, not even on my small head! Next on my shopping list? The purple.

rocking my Black Sparkly Soul headband during a run in Central Park

Look at all the sparkle & bling! Pretty sure I NEED the purple next!

 Want to check them out? Lucky for you, I've got an "in" with the owner ;) Here's your chance to win 2 headbands, one of each width in the color of your choice. To enter the giveaway there are 2 requirements:

• Become a follower of this blog and leave a comment letting me know you did so
• "Like" Sparkly Soul's facebook page and follow them on twitter. Then leave a comment here letting me know you did

For additional entries

• Follow me on twitter & leave a comment letting me know you did
• Tweet, facebook, blog or whatever you want to do to spread the word and let me know you did

You have until 10/23 at 11:59 pm to enter. Good luck!

Fifth Avenue Mile Race Recap

Is it probably too late to write a race recap for a race that took place almost a month ago? Probably. Am I ok with that? Totally. I wasn't going to write this recap because so much time has passed by and I figured, why bother. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it deserves to be posted. Not only because it was my first race back after injury, but also because I kicked ass and learned some lessons doing so.

I first aspired to run this race during the AHA 3 Mile Run back in May, when I finally broke the 9 minute mile barrier for a race and realized just how fast I could possibly run. At points during those 3 miles, I glanced at my garmin and saw 8:10's and even a sub 8 pace and I was psyched. Then injury struck and I had to re-assess my running plans and goals for the season. With PT, patience, and lots of hard work, I gradually improved enough to make it to the start line of my first race in months. On September 24th,  the plan was to meet up with Jess and Melissa, both of whom were also nursing injuries and making their comebacks, and to take it easy. While everyone else was out there running to race their fastest mile, we were hoping to just run our strongest and safest. My physical therapist suggested I aim for a 9:30 mile and that's exactly what I intended to do that day.

I woke up race morning and realized I was a bit confused: how much prep is actually needed for a one mile race. Carb loading? Warm up? So many questions... I ate a light breakfast, drank a cup of coffee, and hit the bathroom 3 times. Um, 3 times??? For a one mile race? Why can't my intestines be that effective for the longer ones?!? Some other thoughts that went through my head:

• Am I ready for this?
• What if my hamstring or hip starts hurting during the race? What if I know I shoud stop but can't bring myself to make the right decision?
• Why are all of my sports bras too small?
• What if I'm so out of shape and everyone blows me away?

I did my best to ignore those voices in my head, and headed out for my first race back. I met up with Melissa, we crossed Central Park and found Jess. We cheered on some friends, headed to the start line and it hit me: I was nervous as hell. I'm not sure I've ever been that nervous for a race before. It was a bit crazy. My mouth got dry and I felt butterflies in my stomach. My nerves were eased for a few seconds when I saw Kai's, aka Idiot Runner, tall head poking out above the crowds, called his name and got a big hello & cheer from him. But that only calmed me down for a brief moment and then the nerves came back. Thinking back about that moment, I think I was more nervous about not knowing how to handle the race than about finishing it. I knew I could run a mile but didn't know at what point or pace, running the mile might do me harm and send me back into injury land. I felt like I had something to prove to myself, but at at the same time heard Glenn's and my best friend Michelle's voices reminding me to take it slow and easy, not to let my ego take control, to remember that the goal is to stay healthy so I can run for the rest of my life.

When the race finally began, Melissa was the only one of us wearing a Garmin and if I remember correctly, it first showed a pace right on plan of about 9:30-9:40 ish. It felt easy and comfortable and I was relieved. But then Melissa called out that her Garmin caught up with the satellite and we were actually running an 8:10. An 8:10?!? I didn't know what to do. It felt good but I knew I was supposed to slow down, so I told the ladies we needed to chill a bit. But when we did, my hammie felt weird, as if I was putting on the breaks and I worried that by slowing down I was risking injury. In all, my brain was a confused mess so I listened to my body and just ran, and ran, and ran. Running down 5th Avenue was pretty cool, passing the stoplights but no traffic. And since it's a straight path, running with the finish line in site the entire time was a pretty cool feeling. My legs continued to feel great and then with just over a quarter of a mile left to go, I saw my friend Katie, waved and heard her cheer for me. It gave me that extra boost I needed to just go and finish strong.

I completed the race with an 8:12 minute mile and was both ecstatic that I could run that fast after coming back, but disappointed in myself for not following the directions I knew I should. And then of course, I wondered how fast I might've run had I been healthy and actually been able to push it. That damn ego getting in the way and egging me on again! Melissa, Jess and I made our way to pick up baggage, bumped into our friends Sharon and Robin and then headed up 5th Ave to cheer on some of the other age groups. I bumped into Katie and thanked her for cheering, met some of her runner friends, and then headed to the gym to finish my workout with 30 minutes on the elliptical and some core work.

Giant (only slightly goofy) smiles on Katie & I!

The Recovering Crew: Me, Jess & Melissa, post race & glowing (aka sweaty)

When I woke up the next day, I was relieved that I still felt good and pain-free; my hammie and hip were okay and I was grateful. Still, I learned a lot that weekend about who I am as a runner, how my running brain works, and what I need to work on both physically and mentally. My next race is the Race to Deliver on November 20th and I'll be thinking a lot about those lessons during the next few weeks.

Monday Mantra

Stylin with Lady Foot Locker

As a self employed business owner who works from home, I tend to spend most of my hours in comfortable casual wear or workout clothes. Instead of investing in a professional wardrobe, I spend most of my clothing budget on running capris, yoga pants, sports tops with build in bras, and athletic jackets. So when I was invited to a Lady Foot Locker Event hosted by Glam Media to check out their new workout gear, I cleared my calendar and accepted right away!

The event began with a Core Fusion exercise class that I could not attend so I showed up at noon, ready to mingle with my fellow bloggers and see what Lady Foot Locker had in store for us. I checked in and was handed a bag of swag- a full workout outfit including capris, a sports bra, tank, a jacket, headbands and sneakers! The ladies who had taken the class earlier wore their gear so I got a sneak preview of what it would look like on and couldn't wait to get home to try everything out.

Fellow bloggers working it in their new gear courtesy of Lady Foot Locker. Photo via @OnGlamFashion

The rest of the event was spent in the Gansevoort Park Avenue, overlooking Park Avenue South, with cocktails, passed appetizers, and a delicious sushi bar. But my favorite part of the room were the sneakers. When did I become that girl? Haha! The minute I walked into the room, the colorful sneakers caught my eyes and I felt like a kid in a candy store. I cannot wait to try some of these guys out for Spring training. Now I won't just be the girl in the running skirt, I'll be the girl in the running skirt wearing crazy bright sneakers.

I think I NEED these!!! Spring style from Asics

More colorful kicks from Adidas

Hanging with Jocelyn, Jillian, Jenny & Jess . Smart, beautiful & inspiring women!

It was a great event, I walked away with new friends, and another shopping destination for my active wardrobe. I'm loving my new Asics Gel cross trainers, and the Actra 1/2 Zip Evapor jacket has become my grab and go jacket when I running to errands to grab a cup of coffee. And while the built in sports bra in the Actra Space Dye Racer Back Tank isn't enough to hold my girls in place during a run, it's perfect for a core session, a pilates or yoga class, or just a day around the "office".

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Lady Foot Locker via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Lady Foot Locker.

Race Bling Giveaway Winner

Ok peeps, the time has finally come to announce the winner of the Race Bling Giveaway! First, thanks so much for entering and sharing your stories. They were awesome and inspiring and you all rock! Since not everyone left a separate comment for each entry, but I wanted each of everyone's entries to count, I printed little pieces of paper for each even if a comment wasn't left for it, and put them in a hat. Yes, I spent time doing this because I'm insane. And the winner is....

ROBIN!!!

Congrats Robin, looks like all the entries paid off after all!


I seriously wish I could give one of these away each week but well, you know that's not possible. But as a continued congratulations to all you athletes out there, here's a code for 15% off all Race Bling (expires Monday, October 31st at 11:59 pm)

RACEBLING15

NY Times Follow Up: Feeling Fierce in a Skirt

photo courtesy of New York Times, taken by Erin Baiano

In case you haven't seen all the tweets, the facebook posts,  the dailymile post or received an email from me, I'm in the NY Times Thursday Style Section. The article,  Running Skirts Go Girly: More Frills and Frounces for Running Skirts is about, well you probably guessed by now, running skirts. More specifically, it's about who wears them, why and what kinds of styles are available. I won't go into more detail since you can click on the link above and read it for yourself. But since the quote they used from me was about chicking men, and I definitely have more to say, I'll just follow up with a few more thoughts.

When I first started running, I thought running skirts were funny. Why wear a skirt to run? It seemed almost silly to me. But then, during a Half Marathon/training run in Philly last year before my marathon, this girl showed up in a hot pink skirt, showing off her crazy strong legs and she kicked ass. She looked healthy, happy and totally fierce. And suddenly I was interested in running skirts. I began to noticed them more and more on female runners and thought, "hey, why not?"

Runner looking incredible in a running skirt at the 2010 New York City Marathon

So I bought one, rocked it at last year's Philly Marathon, and felt pretty awesome. That's not to say I don't feel just as awesome when I wear my running shorts, my tights or a great pair of running capris. It's just that I realized, who cares what the hell you wear to run as long as you feel good in it and you're out there running? The fact of the matter is, the most important thing a woman wears is her confidence, in anything she does, whether it's running, working, being a wife, a mother, a daughter, a friend, in just living and being.

What you wear to run doesn't determine who you are or how great of a runner you are or can be. So I say, rock whatever you want to rock and feel fierce doing it. Want to wear a string bikini and legwarmers to run? If it makes you feel awesome, then so be it. Be proud of who you are, what you want to wear, and own your style. Who cares what people think? Judgement is a waste of energy and only brings negativity into the world.

So yeah, if the NY Times had included more of my interview, it would've gone something like that ;) On another note, I had an awesome time doing the photo shoot. A major shout out to the incredible photographer Erin Baiano who was sweet, made me feel so comfortable, and thought I was 19. I could kiss her for that alone! It was actually fun sprinting back and forth in Central Park for 40 minutes and by the end of the shoot I was tired and sweaty but had a blast.

So, after that little rant, have I changed your mind about running skirts? What do you wear to run? Would love to hear your thoughts so leave some ink and let me know!

Things That Make Me Go :)

Time for another "Things That Make Me Go :)" post, also known as "oops! I've been a bad blogger and here's a list of all the posts I meant to write over the last 2 weeks" post ;)

But seriously, I realized the other day that even on my crappiest day, I'm one really lucky gal. As NYCM approaches, I have those moments of intense sadness because I remember that I won't be running my dream race this year. Stupid injury! But I've learned when the sadness starts creeping in, I have so much for which to be grateful. Here's the list I made to remind myself of that this week.

1. I'm racing again! 
On September 24th, I ran the Fifth Avenue Mile and I kicked ass if I do say so myself! My time was 8:12, not bad for someone just coming back from an injury. I know it's way late but stay tuned for my official race recap which I wasn't going to write but just decided to. Cause it deserves a recap, don't you think? 

Post race glow with my running mates Jess & Melissa!

2. Me? In the New York Times?
I'm going to be in tomorrow's New York Times!!! A huge thanks to Lauren from Foodtrainers for passing on my name to the journalist who interviewed me about running skirts. It was fun to chat with a real writer and I thought, ok, that was fun. But then on Friday I received a phone call asking if I'd be willing to be shot for the story. My answer was literally "Are you kidding? Of course!" I met with the photographer for an hour long photo shoot Sunday in Central Park and it was so much fun. She took some portraits of me modeling my Lululemon Speed running skirt, then some shots of me stretching, and finally I sprinted back and forth for almost 40 minutes so she could get one perfect shot of me running. By the end I was exhausted and drenched but smiling- who knew modeling was such hard work. Now let's just pray I don't look like a total dork in tomorrow's newspaper, k?

3. Race Bling for my Hair
I think you all know I'm a sucker for race bling. There's nothing wrong with a woman looking fierce when she's out there running, right? Well, I recently discovered Sparkly Soul headbands and I LOVE them! It turns out my neighbor and her sister started this great company that sells glitter covered headbands that don't slip, don't give me a headache, and look fabulous! I've been rocking the black and green ones but I'm thinking about adding some colors to my running wardrobe soon. Because a girl can never have too much bling, right?

So many fabulous colors!

Sporting my black Sparkly Soul headband during yesterday's run in Central Park.

4. Race Bling Giveaway!
In case you missed it, which I just don't get cause I haven't stopped tweeting about it, I'm running a giveaway for custom engraved race bling and it ends tonight! If you raced last weekend, enter to win it. Sort of my way of saying congrats for being so awesome. And even if you didn't race last weekend, take a peak at some of the comments/memories those who entered left because they are pretty awesome.

 So many more things making me smile but I should probably get back to work. Trunk shows to book, necklaces to engrave & emails to write! Hope you have plenty to :) about too... would love to know what they are so leave a comment and please share!

Monday Mantra

Race Bling Giveaway!

Today was a truly amazing day! It was like almost everyone I knew was racing, or knew someone who was, and the world was one major runner/swimmer/cyclist love fest. Chicago, Staten Island, Denver, Portland, Long Beach, the list goes on... Marathons, Halves, Ironmans (hmm.. Ironmen?) everywhere. Friends became marathoners, some PRd and many learned some tough lessons. But no matter what the case, it was incredible to be part of this crazy awesome community.

I've been planning this Race Bling giveaway for a while. The idea just popped in my head one day: do a race bling giveaway for Chicago, New York and Boston. Why those three? Just seems like I know so many people doing them and wanted a way to say "congrats" to all those folks. But as this weekend drew closer, it occurred to me that everyone who raced a race this weekend deserves a "congrats", right? So, instead of a giveaway for just the Chicago, New York and Boston runners, I'm going to do a giveaway after each of these marathons but it's open to anyone who ran, okay?

So, here goes. I'm giving away this race bling: an engraved 1/2" 26.2 or 13.1 charm necklace with the name of the race on the front and your choice of engraving on the back. You can include the race date, your finishing time, your name, your monogram, a quote or a word that means something to you.. the sky is the limit! To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me which race you ran this past weekend, and if you'd like, what your finishing time was. Or maybe a memory from the race. You must at least name the race. This is the only mandatory part of the entry.

For additional entries, you can:
1. Become a follower of this blog and leave a comment letting me know you did so.
2. Sign up for the Erica Sara Designs newsletter (here) and leave a comment letting me know you did so.
3. Tweet about this giveaway, including a link to it, and leave a comment letting me know you did so
4. "Like" Erica Sara Designs on facebook (here)

So many ways to enter! You have until Wednesday 11:59 to enter and winner will be announced Thursday morning. And of course, congrats to everyone who raced this weekend. You are all truly an inspiration and I'm proud to be a part of your world!

Monday Mantra