Joe to Joe 2013, Saturday January 26th at 9 a.m.

Last year we ran through almost all of the Joes to inaugurate the Upper East Side store. Since then Joe has added the Pro Shop as well, so this year's Joe to Joe Run will include all eight stores, and yet the route should be a little shorter, at 8.8 miles. Magic!

We'll meet at 9 a.m. at Waverly, run to 13th Street, then to the Pro Shop, then to 23rd Street, and from there head north and east to Grand Central, Lexington Avenue, through Central Park to Columbus Avenue, and end up at Columbia (because you still haven't been there, right? You should! It's beautiful!). The route should look something like this: http://goo.gl/maps/akMTH but feel free to make suggestions to make it more runner-friendly.

The object of the game is to check in at each store. The way the event was originally conceived, you were supposed to down a shot of espresso at each store, but with this many stops, that seems a little over the top, even if the espresso is the best in town. We'll all finish up at Columbia for coffee drinks and, perhaps, fabulous prizes (no promises on the fabulous prizes, but if anyone has something to offer as prizes, speak up!).

More details as they become clearer, but in the meantime. mark the date for a morning of running and coffee. Because that's what we do, right?

Alternative Marathons and Post-Sandy Support

Although I agreed with the decision not to hold the Marathon this year, I was momentarily sad that the streets of New York would be without the slap, slap, slap of thousands of running feet! Many of my friends had trained for the event and I was going to watch like every year!

However, many of the Team Joe runners found ways to run but also to help the victims of Sandy.

There was the Run Anyway in Central Park; about 2000 people came with stuff to donate for Sandy victims.  It was Caitlin's first marathon ever, and she did 4 laps of CP, which is actually harder than the Marathon trail. Below: Caitlin in green.

Betsy and Tom from Team Joe gathered goods for Staten Island, met at Joe Waverly at 9, and ran the goods TO SI, delivered it door to door, and then ran back. 18 miles in total.

Above, Betsy and friends.

They also took some photos of the astounding devastation.

Quick Update

Sorry I've been remiss in blogging about running...but I haven't been running in 3+ months. Yes, I was the fearless 39 weeks pregnant runner strangers gawped at on the Team Joe runs, but ironically it was only after the birth of Isadora that my body gave out. No worries, just a herniated disc from having a C-section. I don't want to go on and on, trying to move on.

The point to this is, I'm almost back, Baby! A few more weeks of PT and finding some ab muscles and you will see me running down the west side highway again!

Meanwhile, if you are interested in real Team Joe updates, find our facebook page. Team Joe Coffee. Lots going on there in terms of weekend runs, early morning runs, Marathon training groups, social hours, etc.

Cheers!

Gabby

New Art Show at "Upstate" Joe

Upstate is how we refer to our Upper West Side location among ourselves. New York photographer Sophie Harris has put together a wonderful, fresh, and energetic show in time for the Spring season!

Her photos are for sale through the artist at http://sophieaphotography.com/.

Fresh New Art At Joe "Upstate" (Upper West Side)

Come check out the new photography exhibit by Sophie Harris at Joe Upper West! The energy and color are remarkable. Sophie's art is for sale through her website. http://sophieaphotography.com/

Perfect Running Weather!

I'm inspired to run every day, though 3 times a week is all I've been able to manage in my current state. I know these last few months of blog entries have been boring, and I wish I had more interesting news to report, but I don't. I promise to beg my running associates to do some writing..

In the meantime, I'll tell you what it's like to be running at 37+ weeks..

Great!! The only issue I am having is my poor, tiny paws feel the immense weight gain after about 10 minutes and need a short break before I can resume.

I am desperate not to give birth early because of work stuff at Joe, so yesterday, I asked my Dr. if running would possible start labor, and he said no! Phew! My dream is to be running the day before I go into labor at 40 weeks. Except I hear that in these last couple of weeks the hips start to loosen. I felt that happen today, and almost went down just standing!

Anyway, I will be out there Saturday for what could be the last Team Joe run..come run with me one last time!

Untitled...

I thought after all those posts about running pregnant, it would be fun to see what that actually looks like. We actually had already finished the Team Joe run for the day, so these are a little staged..plus, my friend shown, Kristine, is actually an elite athlete. No way in hell I could actually keep up with her.

NYC Is My Backyard!

Betsy Chairman is a fast runner, a great storyteller; truly one of my personal favorite Team Joe "members" and now close friends. Betsy is a NYC public school teacher and also a writer. I can imagine how beloved she must be to her students. I wish my teachers had all been like her. I would have fallen under her spell of warmth, humor and inspiration to learn.

Lucky for your kids, if you have kids, Betsy and another NYC PS teacher have begun, last year, an educational and fun Summer day camp open to all kids 5-11.

http://mommypoppins.com/newyorkcitykids/nyc-summer-day-camps-new-2012-kids

In the above link, to Mommy Poppins blog for NYC moms, Betsy's program,

NYC Is My Backyard is considered one of the 10 best NYC Summer camps for kids.

Each week explores a different neighborhood of New York, empowering the children to own their city, to learn it's culture and history, and at the end of the week, each child creates his or her own book about the experience.

For more information, click on the sites above, or come to the next Team Joe run and get it from Betsy herself!

NYC Is My Backyard is a unique program for children in grades K-5, designed to improve their writing skills while honoring their adventurous spirits. Join us as we learn and play in the best backyard and classroom there is, New York City!

Birth Prep Class

This past weekend, we had 10 fun-filled hours of everything that could go wrong in childbirth, why not to do an epidural and bodily-fluids 101. Great class. I was a bit stunned. Still not ready to go there, though I sure hope I will be in T minus 7 weeks. I will be using my marathon mantras to get through. Those include good old standards like "one more step, one more step", and "I can do this". If you have any other inspiring ones, please comment below.

I realized very quickly in the class that Anthony and I have done more reading and baby prep classes than, well, pretty much anyone we have ever met. If only I was so keen on studying in High School! We have taken a baby cpr class, a baby sleep class, now a 10 hour prep class.

Besides this, we have read 3 books on sleep, 3 books on daily and weekly pregnancy changes, Bringing Up Bebe, a book about how kids are brought up in France, and have all of our What to Expect the First Year, No Cry Discipline Solution, countless magazines, etc. I really shouldn't even admit all this.

From what I have heard, as soon as the baby is born, one forgets pretty much everything and goes into emergency mode. As long as it's filed away somewhere, I am hoping it will be retrieveable in the long run.

Speaking of running, of course, my first question to the midwife at the Birth Prep class was, when can I start running again after birth. For me, as with probably all of you, being a runner is more than about exercize. It's a part of us as needing certain friends and family around, having a bedtime routine...Luckily I am still able to enjoy my mind-clearing jogs at this stage.

With all the extra weight, I am surely feeling it in my feet when I run. Poor little things. To thank them for their extra hard work, I have ordered new Asics! It's the least I can do.

Please comment with some of your inspiring mantras for long runs, cuz that's what giving birth really is all about. Stamina, mind over matter, and gatorade.

32 weeks. Still running.

I swear I am not doing it just to show off. Well, maybe part of me is pretty proud of myself, but the other half just wants to not have to "get back in shape" after Baby Cheongstein is born. If I run till the bitter end, I'll already be in shape! Except for the abs, of course.

Am I insane? Obsessed? Selfish? I don't think so. Running is still keeping my mood up, not allowing me to gain more weight than is healthy, and Baby TBA seems to find it soothing! Plus my husband Anthony and I have a tradition of running together. We met running, we travel with Asics, and have already been eyeing the running strollers for the 6 month mark!

My belly is getting pretty large..kind of looks like the Human Torpedo. How does it not bounce around? It helps to be doing gentle ab work. I got these exercizes from a PT, and they have helped keep me from back pain, but also I can still feel my abs. The abs keep my baby from bouncing around. As best of all, hopefully the muscles will remember their purpose soon after birth.

Exercize 1: Sit in a firm chair with good straight posture. Breathe in fully, letting belly extend and relax. As you breathe out, pull your belly not quite fully in toward your spine. If 1 is relaxed belly and 6 is fully pulled in, go to 5 on an exhale, then hold it there for 30 seconds, breathing, but not relaxing the belly.

Exercize 2: Sit in a firm chair with good straight posture. Breathe in fully, letting belly extend and relax. As you breathe out, pull your belly not quite fully in toward your spine. If 1 is relaxed belly and 6 is fully pulled in, go to 5 on an exhale, then to 3 on an inhale. Counting out loud helps you remember to breathe..you will do 100, or work up to 100, 3 times a day!

Before I started doing these simple exercizes, I have terrible back pain, but now I never do. I highly recommend theses!

Anyway, that's my update. 7 1/2 weeks to go.

Today's Run

29 weeks. Looking large, but feeling good!

Ran for 48 minutes with my employee/friend Charrow. It was cold but beautiful outside.

Definitely running Saturday AM with Team Joe from Waverly at 10 AM if anyone wants to join. Who's out there reading this anyway? If you have never run with Team Joe, come on by! We are the least intimidating, friendliest team in the world.

Free coffee after the run!

Running for Two

This woman with child has a one-track mind. Runnning, not chocolate.

Yes, I am very lucky to be able to have gotten to 7 months and to still be able to run. I am taking it day by day, and this could end at any moment. I know that the most important thing I do is to have a healthy baby, not to be Paula Radcliffe, my personal running hero.

Every Saturday when I show up for the Team Joe run, invariably people ask me, "you're not still running, are you?" Well, heck yeah, I am! The more I read about exercize and pregnancy, more I find out that it's great for the baby as well as for me, will supposedly make giving birth easier, and most importantly, hopefully shows people that pregnant is not a sickness or a weakness.

I do still want your subway seat though...and maybe an extra cookie.

Rave Run!

This Sunday, January 8th, 9AM, we will run rave through the streets of NYC, from Joe to Joe (to Joe to Joe to Joe to Joe), so 6 in total, in case you got lost after counting to 3.

Starting at Chelsea Joe, we'll run to Waverly, up to 13th street, all the way up to Grand Central, up and across the park to Upper West Side, and then back across the the new store on Lexington and 74/75 for bagels, coffee and mimosas! It's 9 miles in total, but you could always stop at GCT with me and meet up at Joe Lex, or just run straight up to Lex.

All are welcome. I will, myself, be running at least till the GCT store.

Speaking of, I am still running. Now am almost 6 1/2 months pregnant. It can be done. I may get some funny looks, but I will go as long as I can. The baby (TBA) seems to enjoy the circus-arts in my belly.

Any of you out there knocked up and jogging or have in the past??

Cheers. I hope to see a few of you Sunday!

David Graham Photography Show at Chelsea

These are a few of David's vibrant photos. The colors are radiant and the subjest matters very interesting. I love the juxtapositions among his work. Come to Chelsea Joe and see them in person. They are for sale, framed or unframed through the artist. As always, Joe does not take a commission; we are just honored to have great local art.

www.davidgrahamlocations.com

Knocked up...and still running..well, jog-waddling..

In case you missed the Facebook announcement last week, I, president of Team Joe (what a laugh! Nobody voted me in!) am now going to be brining up the rear in the team Joe jogs..for a while.

Although I don't feel or look all that pregnant yet, I sure feel it when I try to lift both feet off the ground at the same time. My pace has plummeted from a 9 munite mile to about an 11+ minute mile and I am still huffing a little bit. Does this bother me at all? Nah...just so long as I am still running.

Tried biking today at the gym: Level 3 instead of the usual Level 9 was tough!

If anyone has any insight, empathy or bad advice, please comment!

Team Joe Dekalb Market Sundays

We just opened a new "store", more like a pop-up for a few years, in Downtown Brooklyn. The concept is a Market, called Dekalb Market. During the week, it provides some services that are lacking, like coffee, lunch places and fun shops. It has lots of shaded picnic tables, a DJ, an organic farm, a beer garden, and on weekends, also plenty of Flea Market stalls.

The "stores" are within repurposed shipping containers, outfitted by each business owner to reflect his/her style.

Joe's container sits sext to the entrance by the subway entrance off Willoughby. We'll be open for coffee business 7 days a week. Monday-Friday at 8AM and weekends at 9AM, serving the same delicious treats at the other 6 shops.

The important thing to note about Dekalb is that because of the proximity of the market to my apartment in Brooklyn Heights, we will be moving our Sunday runs from the Columbus Avenue store to Brooklyn! Yay!

Still 9:30 AM, 10 AM in the Fall. Drinks are still free, but please tip.

The route is a straight shot down Flatbush to Prospect Park, around and back..6.5 miles. It's uphill there, but thankfully what goes up must come down on the way back.

I hope to see some new faces there this and every Sunday!

Running New Routes

I know I sound like a member of a cult with all the repetition about how much I love living in Brooklyn, but I love living in Brooklyn!! Everyone should live here.

That being said, it took me a while to get into a rhythm with finding new running routes. Running an living in the city, it was always the same routes. For 10 years I lived on the UWS and ran Central Park every day. Then I lived in mid-town and also ran Central Park, but from Columbus Circle, which actually made it seem a little different.

Then I was living in Chelsea and SoHo pre-marriage. I started running on the west side highway. Seeing the Hudson River and the statue of liberty took my breath away and rarely got dull, though the winter winds were fierce.

When I moved to Brooklyn, I didn't think the running would be so great. There was no park nearby, just the BQE and Red Hook. We were 2 miles from Prospect Park.

The first Summer in Brooklyn, I would run to Fairway/Ikea in Red Hook and back. That was 4 miles of really interesting, industrial road. If you have never been out to Fairway, it sits on the very end of the road on the edge of the water. Old train cars sleep forever behind the old warehouse that is now Fairway. It's really cool.

Slowly, my husband and I began trying out other routes. We ran to the brooklyn Bridge, over and back, also about 4 miles with the most spectacular views. Other times we would run to and around Prospect Park and back, almost 8 miles. Now on Saturdays we often run over the Brooklyn Bridge to Waverly place for the Team Joe runs that we tack on for a 9 1/2 miler.

I just now came across this other blog that's just abour running in Brooklyn. I guess I am not alone in my romance with the greatest of Boroughs!

http://brooklynruns.blogspot.com/

Hey -if anyone ever wants a tour of Brooklyn in their Asics/Sauconys/Brooks, I can take you on a great one!

Facebook killed the Blogspot Star.

So sad. I am such a fair-weather friend. When I needed to start a blog, Blogger was there for me. Now I am always posting on Facebook. I need to spend some time here. Relationships take work.

Sadly, not much is going on in my running blogosphere. I got new shoes. They're Asics 7 Wide. Apparently my feet are expanding.

The west side highway continues to be worked on, which is nice.

The water fountain at Christopher Street has a weak pressure. Almost had to lick the spout.

Team Joe has the sexiest women around. Where are all the single men for them?

Christopher Stephens will be on Jeopardy July 11. He's super smart. And he runs a lot.

These are my thoughts about running these days. I will work on it. Maybe if I do Tuesday's crossword, my brain will start simmering with new thought.

I'll keep you posted.

Find Team Joe on Facebook

Be sure to check out the new and improved Facebook group. Go to http://www.facebook.com/groups/teamjoecoffee and click the "Ask to Join Group" button on the upper right to join!

The "old" Facebook group is being phased out, so please join the new group for the latest updates. Unfortunately, Facebook doesn't offer a way to automatically convert the old group to the new group. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Running, Coffee and Jeopardy!

A few weeks ago I headed out to California to appear on a game show. But that's not the important part of the story.

I was scheduled to tape the show on a Tuesday, and rather than flying out the day before and risk that my flight would get delayed, cancelled, or otherwise messed with by winter weather, I opted to build in an extra day. Who wouldn't want to spend an extra day in Los Angeles, right? Early on in the planning of the trip, I also decided that I wasn't going to rent a car. While LA without wheels might seem like heresy, of at least a bad idea, I saw it as a challenge. Also, I find driving in LA to be far more stressful than driving in other parts of the country, and the last thing I wanted the day before appearing on national TV was more stress. I e-mailed some locals about renting a bike, but the logistics didn't seem too favorable, as there was nowhere near the hotel (where I happily asked for the "Jeopardy contestant rate, please") for me to rent a bike.

I also e-mailed Caitlin, a fellow Team Joe runner who spends a good deal of time in California each spring. I asked her for any suggestions for running routes, and she enthusiastically recommended I run in Santa Monica. A few Google Map searches later, I had found the surprisingly comprehensive bus routes that would take me from my hotel in Culver City to the start of her running route.

Having packed my running gear (as well as some flashcards about the US States and Presidents - gotta get that last-minute studying in), I left cold, rainy, dismal late-winter New York for LAX, where I was disappointed to learn that the weather was to be unseasonably chilly. Turns out that the weather forecasters were wrong. I woke up on Monday morning to blue skies, a slight breeze, and temperatures in the low sixties. I put on my running shoes, hopped on the Culver City bus, transferred to the Santa Monica bus ($1.40 with transfer - a bargain!), and soon I was at the shore.

I walked along the manicured space that is Palisades Park to San Vicente and started my run, admiring the real estate as it moved from multi-million dollar apartments to multi-multi-million dollar homes. Caitlin had suggested I run the four miles to the Peet's Coffee in Brentwood, where I might spot the likes of Reese Witherspoon and whomever she was dating at the time. While Reese was nowhere to be seen, I took my latte outside. At the next table, a Brit was telling his table-mate about "some horrible Harrison Ford project". Pronouncing it "PRO-ject" rather than "PRAH-ject" made the moment perfect. The latte was fine, but not up to Joe standards, of course. Observe the lack of latte art:

I started back towards the shore, spotting actor James Frain (True Blood! The Tudors!) eating lunch outside the Whole Foods, not as exciting a celebrity spotting as Reese, but good enough. As I picked up my pace, I realized the best part of this experience was not just the exercise or the scenery or even the weather. It was the luxurious feeling of going running in the middle of a work day. I was not the only runner out there, and I did wonder what these other folks were doing not behind a desk. Actors between auditions? Housewives, desperate or otherwise? Don't these folks have jobs to go to? All the same, I couldn't think of a better way to spend my free time. I got back to the beach, crossed over the highway and made my way to Venice and Marina del Rey to catch the 183 bus to Culver City, where I could not have been more relaxed and ready to do battle the next day.

As for the game show, I can't say much, as I had to sign something that said Sony Pictures Entertainment retained the right to have their legal department crush me like a small bug if I revealed anything. I think I'm safe in saying that yes, they had (adequate) coffee (and pastries!) in the green room and that there was one category of clues that would be of particular interest to the readership of this blog. For more than that, you'll have to tune in on Monday July 11 (on Channel 7 at 7pm, if you're in New York).

And, finally, one last gratuitous palm tree shot. Because LA really does look like this sometimes.