from floor eighteen

more photography: portraits

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20:01:47 -0400

in massive efforts of procrastination, i share some portraits of my friends. i’m starting to experiment with portraiture for photography class. poonam and tamu are gorgeous and so photogenic.

PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS! First assignment

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:50:39 -0500

Blog, I’m back! The exciting news is that I’m taking a photography class! I had my first class last Friday and my second one tonight. Last week’s homework was kind of challenging in that we had to work around fixed shutter speeds without a tripod. This probably would have went better if I could leave school at different times of the day to get shots that better corresponded with the setting limit, but experiments called. Our other stipulation was that we had to shoot on street corners. This was really challenging because of the street traffic and limited subject matter. To get around this, I shot mostly in the morning for my faster shutter speed shots. We also had to shoot in black and white, and since my D70 doesn’t do this automatically, I had to convert my pictures in iPhoto. It was tempting to edit, but we can’t do that either.

So, here are my favorite shots! I’ve named them, like a true artist (insert smile) and I have written down my settings for each. I have a really professional-looking moleskin hardcover black notebook :)

Met from the South: 1/15 Shutter, f/29.0 Aperture, ISO 200

Guggenheim Street Corner: 1/4 Shutter, f/22.0, ISO 200

Park Avenue: 1/4 Shutter, f/29, ISO 200

Bloomies 1:1/2 Shutter, f/18.0, ISO 1600

Bloomies 2: 2.5 Shutter, f/14.0, ISO 1600

Also, we have to bring in 2 “personal” photos. These are mine from this week.

UES Side Street

Max Mara and Me

Break-up Spotting: Reality versus your Insecurity

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:28:27 -0500

Break-up Spotting: Reality versus your Insecurity:

this is brilliant and i would like to repost in light of my mega depression weekend that i’ve thankfully snapped out of :)

year's end

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:50:02 -0500

I can’t even begin to believe that this year is almost over. Christmas is around the corner and I’m departing for South America quicker than I could even say the continent name. Somehow reality smacked into me while I was avoiding my new experiment today and instead, researching malaria and yellow fever vaccines. A year’s end brings in thoughtful reflection on the past year, a year that I sure as heck would never go back to in a million years. Maybe we need those - bad years, that is - to cherish the best ones. Maybe the bad ones, even more than the best ones, teach us to count our blessings, because in reality, it could have been a thousand times worse. Whatever the reason, and my mom would reply with a “don’t wish your life away” cry, I’m happy to say goodbye to 2011. I can say that I’ve learned, I definitely have grown, encased in a thicker skin and scarred from many memories that I wish I could forget. I sometimes think of what leaves a scar on my heart. My heart was broken this year, three times; three scars, each painful in their own ways, from three relationships, each in their own category. I’m not one to delve into my personal life or to really share it, unless a good cry/rant is necessary. The emotional rollercoaster of this year has most certainly been enough to make me want a fresh start. And so it is - New Year - a fresh start. In hoping that a trip to a new place will revive my spirit and start a new chapter, I want to propose two New Years resolutions that, in theory, are chronic, lifelong goals to strive to reach.

1. Be happy with your life in the moment. Realize its preciousness and understand that it’s a gift that can be snatched from you at any second.

2. Be healthy. Eat healthy, live healthily, do what you love without apologizing. Nourish your soul with meditation, good food, movement, and cherished love.

As I listen to “Holiday Classics” on AOL Radio and stare at my unlit and not-yet-ornamented fake Christmas Tree, I look so forward to the brand new beginning this year brings. I’m excited. I’m excited for the new adventures and wish I will not be as scared for them as I usually am. I hope this new year brings with it a lot more peace than the last. Every days with a certain peace and this I hope to not relinquish.

and we're back...

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:34:45 -0400

after my first half marathon and going quite over my fundraising goal for blood cancer (THANK YOU to all those who donated, thank you card coming soon, i swear) and a second one in staten island done as well, which was quite stupid. i don’t think it counts if you check out at mile 3 of 13. anyways, i did it with friends, got a tshirt, and was a passenger on the staten island ferry for the first time. i owe this blog pictures and somewhat of a recap, but will start off with the more exciting - I’M GOING TO VENEZUELA! WOO! Dec 29 - Jan 15! Too excited. It’ll be quite adventurous, as our plans include hiking in the jungle to Angel Falls, visiting many beach towns (rough life), and many day trips. WOO!

I’ve told some people about my “South American Bootcamp Diet” or the XtinaMak Plan. This is in preparation for my Venezuela trip to basically look good in a bathing suit and to initiate a change in my eating/workout habits. More to come :)

almost to taper

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 07:58:23 -0400

and boy, am i excited. tapering means giving legs a break by running less until the big day, which is so soon approaching i’m getting butterflies. since my 10-miler, i have been trouble-shooting my shoe issue, broke down and bought a foam roller, and ran 11 miles hungover. i figure if i could do 11 with wanting to puke the entire time, 13 when i’m healthy, happy, and digestively sound will be alright. i want one more long run (11-12 miles) in before i start to taper. this saturday, the TEAM is running over the GW bridge. running from my apartment to the bridge will be around 7-8 miles. i hope to do this myself, meet the TEAM for the bridge run, and then i should be all set. it’s been raining worse than it did during the hurricane, so i hope the weather clears.

official countdown until race day (EEP!): 16 days!!!

great strength training workout with Linds at the Columbus Circle Equinox!

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 21:59:05 -0400

great strength training workout with Linds at the Columbus Circle Equinox!

my next two half-marathons (after my first LLS race)...

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:56:31 -0400

are

STATEN ISLAND (October 9th)

and

DISNEY PRINCESS (Feb 26, 2012)

a few weeks ago when coming out of a good long run, i blogged about certain after-effects of a good long run, which is essentially runner’s high. it gives you that “i can do anything” feeling while your legs are in utter pain and you look like you jumped into and out of a pool. these are my two next half-marathons! i think i’m on the cusp of saying that running has changed my life, but more on this later :)

cute kappa-eaque thank you cards :)

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:49:45 -0400

cute kappa-eaque thank you cards :)

i’ve been terrible at blogging about my life outside of...

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:37:11 -0400

i’ve been terrible at blogging about my life outside of running, and should probably be better about uploading photos to picassa as a way to share. in june, i went back to detroit (first time in a year and a half!) to visit my best friend. we relived our youth through a backstreet boys / new kids on the block concert, ate at our favorite places in detroit (greektown, taco bell, and erma’s frozen custard), and had a relaxing weekend sitting on the deck and hanging out with lucky, the pup.

antoniettecosta: My collaboration with soon to be legend,...

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:26:52 -0400

antoniettecosta:

My collaboration with soon to be legend, cellist beat-boxer Kevin Olusola. He was able to bring a whole new depth of emotion to the song.

two weekends ago, i had the chance to visit one of my good...

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:24:00 -0400

two weekends ago, i had the chance to visit one of my good friends who lives in chicago. we ate (a lot), toured, reminisced, and laughed (a whole lot). here are some of my pictures from the weekend.

lately

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:15:01 -0400

last week, my body decided to fall apart. well, two parts did - my left calf and consequently left foot plus my right knee. if you remember my sheer and utter jubilation from my first double digit run…yeah, that wore off when i tried to do a hill workout last tuesday and things started breaking down. my right knee was self-diagnosed as runner’s knee, which i spent an entire week hobbling around lab with an bag of ice saran-wrapped to my knee. my left calf muscle was apparently so tight that my entire left foot fell asleep and felt like lead on to run. the “cure” for this was foam rolling and calf stretches. both injuries seemed to substantially subside by this past sunday’s battle of brooklyn 10-miler which was finished somewhat painfully. the three of us who ran all were running through some injury in 90 degree humid heat.

in other news, i am back at equinox, having finished my one-month unlimited at physique 57 and was a zombie in jump rope class. it feels good to be doing more athletic exercises, which i think will really help with my running and with avoiding extra injury. during my 10-miler, my left foot almost fell asleep. i’m not sure if it’s still because of my calf or breaking in my new shoes, etc., but must continue to pinpoint. i am so anti night running (ie running anytime after noon for me) that i may do tonight’s practice runs tomorrow morning. running 5 miles after this chinese takeout i consumed does not sound promising.

until next time, enjoy photos from the brooklyn 10-miler, which are so terribly deceiving. we look radiant and not “like we’re going to die,” as i had described my in-race disposition.

lab: free ice and tools to elevate.

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:19:20 -0400

lab: free ice and tools to elevate.

nothing new on race day

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:06:00 -0400

the purpose of training for a race is, obviously, to build distance, running the mileage necessary to carry your through on race day by building up those running muscles. a huge part of training, unknown to me when i started, is actually experimenting with the routine that works for you. let me explain.

first, nutrition is important. i’m a bit of a hypocrite writing this today, as all i’ve eaten is chicago’s finest garrett’s caramel + chedder corn and pizza from seminar, but what you eat well before your long run has continued influence during your run. for a while, i was eating greek yogurt with honey before my long runs. BIG. MISTAKE. this much protein, although good for you normally, is painful (literally painful) to digest during a long run and gives one consistent side stitches. so, thank you powerbar, for saving my life.

the day before your run, you are supposed to carbo-load; that is, eat meals rich in complex carbs. YES! I can and will do this happily and usually look forward to friday pasta dinner, a treat i try extremely hard to normally avoid. i didn’t do this the day before my 10-miler, and boy, did i suffer. i had a difficult time during the run just because of my overall lack of energy, despite every other part of me feeling fine.

during my run, i gu. Yes, GU in the running world is as much as a verb as it is the name of a high-carb energy gel you consume during your long runs.

next on my mind: clothing and gear. my love for shopping unfortunately does not stop at dresses and shoes and has matriculated into running gear. but i will justify this by saying it’s imperative to have the right clothing so you don’t chafe (from experience, it really hurts) and that sweat is removed as efficiently from skin contact as possible. i usually wear compression-like shorts and non-cotton tops and socks. i also bought a new garmin forerunner watch (see previous post/picture) which helps me track my miles and routes, and keeps me on pace.

our coaches tell us always “nothing new on race day.” thus, we should develop a prime eating routine and run in our clothing throughout training to ensure we avoid extra nuances on the big day.

this blog has the purpose of logging progress so i can share how i’m doing with training. i hope this post is helpful to the friends i know just starting out with running.

Proof of 10 miles!

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 09:59:09 -0400

Proof of 10 miles!

new watch, new record

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 09:44:59 -0400

hello readers!

i hope you had a great weekend. i was in chicago visiting college friends, a trip loaded with many laughs, much reminiscing, and amazing brunch food. since my summer life consists of running, running, and more running, i’ve been neglectful in updating about my summer activities and trips. thus, i promise you many pictures.

back again to running world, i am excited to announce that i have a new garmin forerunner watch, that is much more accurate than the imapmyrun application and doesn’t require my phone to be strapped to my arm.

i used it on a 5-mile run last wednesday and on my friday morning 10 MILE RUN (!!!!!!!!!!). i haven’t even had a chance to sync it with my computer to show you the route, but will include a picture of evidence of this distance. i’m so excited to be able to run 10 miles and will be racing the Battle of Brooklyn 10-miler on Sunday morning!

last week's miles

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:57:00 -0400

last week, i was one grumpy person, which is rare for me. my runs, however, were strong, and i’ve come to realize that my body and brain are depending on this type of endurance activity to function at high efficiency. as soon as i ran solo last thursday, my attitude and effectiveness immediately were boosted.

on august saturdays in the city, park avenue is closed from 72nd street all the way down to the tip of manhattan and is essentially turned into a playground. this is called “summer streets” and the entire route was run (twice) by the TNT team. I ran 9 miles (note: the application is lying) with alexis, my michigan running buddy in my mentor group. i couldn’t have done it without her; we pushed eachother and got through our longest run to date.

this week: hill practice and my 10-miler! i will be bragging intensely (for me) once i reach double digits. i also have a new garmin watch that is a more accurate distance tracker. can’t wait to try it out tuesday.

happy monday!

xtina

<a href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/44517272” _mce_href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/44517272”>iMapMyRUN: Aug 4, 2011 7:07 AM</a><br/> <a href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/?location=New York, NY” _mce_href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/?location=New York, NY”>Find more Runs in New York, NY</a>

<a href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/44808452” _mce_href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/44808452”>iMapMyRUN: Aug 6, 2011 9:05 AM</a><br/> <a href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/?location=New York, NY” _mce_href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/?location=New York, NY”>Find more Runs in New York, NY</a>

8 miler and more races!

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:59:25 -0400

it’s amazing what “having a good run” inspires you to do. in my case, it contributed to a highly positive attitude that is extending into this week, and my signing up for 2 more half marathons (staten island in october and disney princess in february) and a 10-mile race in brooklyn! i think i have yet to reach the point when i look into the mirror and tell myself i’m nuts. hopefully, that time will never come. until then, i’m still signed up and plan on running all of these events!

<a href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/43767802” _mce_href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/43767802”>iMapMyRUN: Jul 30, 2011 8:37 AM</a><br/> <a href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/?location=New York, NY” _mce_href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/?location=New York, NY”>Find more Runs in New York, NY</a>

gone running

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 06:38:04 -0400

8 miler this morning!