Game. Set. Match. And a Blister.

I had the good intentions of doing a "long" run today (long is not that long these days). But, sleeping in until noon (amazing) coupled with 90+ degrees and the fact that I ran 7.5 HILLY miles the day before put a damper on my motivation.

I felt like I needed to move around though as I ate a ton of cookie dough:And my brain tends to think like this:

So, I asked the little bro (Harrison) if he would hit with me after he was done with his "real" tennis for the day. Tennis is sort of a family affair in our household, minus my sister who wants nothing to do with the sport. I started playing around age 14, played in college, and hope to dominate the mom leagues some day. My brother plays competitively, too, and is now 17 looking at his college options. I taught him everything he knows (Ok, not really, but I like to think I did) and drove him around TWO WHOLE SUMMERS when I was in college to fabulous tennis destinations like like Columbus, GA and Little Rock, AK. Little H kindly took it easy on big sis, probably because he was tired from his 1.5hrs of tennis beforehand.

I love running these days, especially because it fits in pretty well with my lifestyle, meaning it is the most efficient, no fuss exercise I can get in with my busy schedule. But, today made me really I miss tennis a lot and running probably won't be able to fill the void of not playing tennis (for now).

Tennis is, for me, a bit more expressive of a sport than running. From the clothes to yelling after a point (which I am prone to being guilty of), I feel like I can make tennis my own, give it my own style. Maybe I just haven't gotten to that point in my running yet.

There's something also about just going and hitting the crap out of the ball along with screaming and yelling that is just so satisfying. At least it is for me...

Here are some pics AND a video of me and little H's hit. Of course, I'm posting a video where I didn't miss and my brother did. To his credit, he took the pace off a bit for me (much appreciated, little H).

[Video is proof you can move you feet and bend you knees minimally when playing tennis is you want to!]

Down side to not playing much over the past 3 years....BLISTER.
And how do the Smith kids refuel after hitting on a 90 degree day? Picky Bars, of course! (Harrison will actually eat them, which is proof that anyone would like them).

So, I'm putting that long run off until tomorrow and, if all goes as planned, may try to work in about 10 miles tomorrow once I get back to NYC. "Try" is a key word here though. Motivation to actually do that tomorrow much appreciated (if anyone actually reads this). You better believe I'm taking some of that cookie cake back to NYC with me so maybe THAT can be my motivation to get out the door tomorrow...

(PS: thanks again, little H! You're the best brother a big sis could ask for)

(PPS: Steve, if you read this, I'm prepping for women's interclub.)

Picky Bars

So, the only people who read this blog (all 5 of you) probably already know about my love affair with Picky Bars and I probably gave you one. (Ok, maybe not you Amelia, but I will give you one when I see you next!). I eat 2 per day when I'm running and, lately, I run just so I can eat one in the afternoon (sad, but true). Hey, whatever gets you out the door, right? Right.

Although if you're reading this I've probably already espoused to you about why I love them, I will outline my top reasons why I love Picky Bars here, in case you've forgotten.

Top 10 Reasons Why I Like Picky Bars.

1. Made by nice people (who are also incredible athletes): Seriously, Jesse, Lauren, and Steph (and Ben, employee #1) are good-natured people who happen to be both incredible entrepreneurs in addition to being incredible professional athletes. Freaking over-acheivers.

2. Seriously taste good: Imagine a PB and J with some chocolate thrown in. What's not to like?The almond one is also a bit squisher and reminiscent in texture to cookie dough to me. How can you beat healthy cookie dough?

3. I can recognize what’s in them: Ok, I am guilty of drinking diet coke (fake sugar and chemicals), but I try to eat stuff that looks like actual food rather than something ending in -ol or -ose (eg: sorbitol, dextrose). Picky Bars fit the bill on this one.

4. Perfect size (both in calories and in portability): They're like 200 calories. If I'm not super hungry, I eat half. They're little guys, so I can keep them in my white coat, my scrub pockets, my purse...anywhere.

5. Ability to throw one down quickly: This is key on my current rotation, surgery, where you don't know when and where you may get to eat next. I haven't timed myself, but I think I can throw one down in about 10 sec.

6. Holds you over: Picky Bars have gotten me through some LONG days in the hospital. 8 hour surgeries. 14 hour days. I know they're made for the athletic type, but they also work for us nerdy, med student type.

7. Chocolate Chips: Makes them seem a little dessert-ish. I eat around all the chocolate chips first and save those for last.

8. Its a Conversation Piece: Most people I know haven't seen them, so they ask me about them. So, bring them to your next party for a little conversation maker (ok, maybe not, but you will probably get asked about them).

9. Allergy Friendly: I don't have any food allergies myself (knock on wood), but I imagine its nice for people who have food allergies to have something they can safely eat without worrying that they will get a bout of raging diarrhea or need to use their epi pen (although please still carry around your epi pen if you have a nut allergy).

10. I Like The Reason They Started Making Them: Legend has it that Steph and Lauren started making them for Jesse when they were both injured and needed another outlet. I admire their ability to keep their lives balanced, something I don't do so hot with all the time. I'd say their strategy paid off if you look at their results from the past year.

So, there you go. I highly suggest you order some here: pickybars.com . I order the pro pack, obviously.

A bonus reason: Picky Bars has such a hold on me that when they tweeted they had a new flavor to try if you were one of the next 12 orderers, I immediately jumped on it like a lion to its prey. The only other time I've felt that strong of a desire to buy something was 2007 when I was at the Coach Legacy Boutique and they told me there were only 30 of this certain handbag in the world. If you know me and my shopping habits, you know putting something on my all-time powerful shopping experiences list is a big deal.