Bits and Pieces: New Hair, NYC Half Presents & Core Foods Review

Lots of random things to share today!

I'm Blonde(r)!
Yesterday I decided I was sick of having dishwater brown/blonde hair, since I haven't colored my hair in two years, so I headed to a nearby salon for highlights. I'm typically very careful with who I let touch my hair because it's a lot thicker than it looks and I've had some disastrous haircuts and colors.

But I threw caution to the wind yesterday (seriously, it was really windy) and made an appointment at a salon near me, Blondi's, that had a 20% student discount. Highlights were $80 with the discount and a glaze to better blend things in was $35, for a grand total of $115. If you know NYC prices, you know that's a pretty good deal! A blowout wasn't included, but I just blow dried my hair myself before leaving. I think my stylist, Randy, did a great job and I'm pretty happy with it!

I then wore a pink headband, pink top, purple sports bra, and blue shoes to my workout that afternoon. Yep, full-on Barbie in honor of the blonde hair.

I mainly wanted to color my hair because I have so many photo-filled events coming up. In addition to races, I have Barristers Ball (AKA "law school prom"), graduation, and traveling with my parents for four days after graduation.

Core Foods Review
I received a sample of Core Foods in the mail through my role as a Sweat Pink Ambassador. I was excited because a healthy meal to-go means more time to sleep in the morning! These are definitely a meal since they range from 350-400 calories (the package says one of these plus a glass of water is the equivalent of a bowl of oatmeal).

However, I was dismayed by the taste. While they tasted ok at first, the aftertaste was really unpleasant. I sent one with Sourabh for him to try and he didn't want to finish it. I will admit, we're both a bit picky, and I have gotten over unpleasant tastes in the past for performance foods before a run. But since this is supposed to be more like a meal, I was disappointed.

The ingredients are great, however. Seven ingredients each that are organic and gluten-free for those who need that. There are also amino acids and lots of plant fiber in each one.

I love the idea of these, but I just wasn't sold on the taste. However, if you don't mind that when looking for performance foods, this might be something to check out!


NYC Half Presents

I got a few lovely presents in honor of my PR at the NYC Half that I wanted to share. I got them a while ago, but my phone died last Wednesday and I was phone-less for a week, so I couldn't take pictures of the necklace until now!

Sourabh got me this necklace after I mentioned how much I loved the quote on it. It's a custom engraved necklace from Erica Sara Designs that says "Above all, be the heroine of your own life," a Nora Ephron quote. I absolutely love the necklace and wore it through a tough strength-training workout just fine yesterday. (FYI: I'll be working at the ESD booth on Saturday, April 13, during the MORE/Fitness Half Marathon Expo. If you're in town, drop by and say hi!)

I got this gift before the Half -- a big box of nuun from my parents! It's great to have a stockpile of this stuff. I'll never be lacking in electrolytes ;)

And finally, these gorgeous flowers were a gift from my trainer, Amanda. They lasted a really long time and were absolutely beautiful. They made my apartment look like spring, even if it doesn't feel like spring outside!!

Have you received any special gifts after running a race?