My family rocks!

My sisters: Dana, me and Maria
(All photos by Maria)



Matt and I headed home to Long Island for the weekend for my parents' Annual Bocce Ball Tournament! My sister Maria and her husband John actually came home for the weekend from North Carolina to surprise everyone! I was actually the only one who knew about the secret but I kept my lips sealed!

Anyway, I had to log 12 miles on Saturday morning before the party and my whole family agreed to train with me! Am I lucky or what? We decided to divide it up into 3 legs of 4 miles each! I was up at 6:00am and my sister Maria took the first leg with me! From 6:20-7:00 we jogged 4 miles. The first 4 felt pretty good and we jogged through the local neighborhoods and then circled back to the house.

My younger sister, Dana, and my brother-in-law, John (Maria's hubby), took the 2nd leg and did the next 4 miles with me. I still felt pretty good and we jogged on an open road with a nice breeze. Did I mention that it rained the night before and was extremely humid - it felt like pea soup but did start to cool off a bit! We then circled back to the house and Dana stopped inside to use the restroom and promised to meet me back on the course while my dad took off with me on his bike. Now you may ask how did he bike slow enough to stay at my 10 mile/hour pace? He did so by cranking up the hardest and slowest gear - ha ha! Dana finally met up with us after a mile and we let my Dad take off on a few straight-aways but he always came back to us. So the 3 of us did the last 4 miles together, chatting all the way!

On the way back we saw my friend Angela's father who chuckled and said "You are the only family I know who runs together!" Yes we are dorks but I love us! I am so thankful to have the love and support that my family constantly offers. Whether it is running or help with a crisis, they are always there to help. I have such a close bond with everyone and can only thank my parents for raising us to be WHO WE ARE and to LOVE HOW WE LOVE.

Although my husband cannot run with me (due to a knee injury) I am so lucky to have him as well. He always pushes me and makes sure I get all my miles in every week. He will also get up and clean while I am out running. He will make me breakfast or a protein shake as soon as I get back. He will massage my sore legs when they hurt later at night. Ok no he doesn't do that but I do beg and plead! He is amazing though and I am so glad he is there to hold down the fort while I am out jogging 25 miles a week. I told him it only gets harder from here but he doesn't seem worried at all!

So after the run I stretched and then Dana and I jumped in the pool to cool off. Max does not like when people go swimming and gets really crazy. He runs circles around the pool and barks and growls the whole time. I wonder if he is worried we are going to drown? Either way, he HATES the water and will not come in but somehow he managed to fall in this time. Poor guy was scared out of his mind but Dana was there to rescue him and take him safely to shore. Thank god for her awesome lifeguarding skills that she learned at Splish Splash several years ago! I think she would have even performed CPR if she needed to because she just loves Max THAT MUCH. We all do - and I will admit I do have a doggy crush on him. (Is that even possible?)

The party got under way around 2:00pm and there was plenty to eat and drink, courtesy of my mom who does not believe in catering but instead slaved in the kitchen for 3 days prepping! She did hire someone to help cook and clean up and that was a huge help! The bocce ball tournament was a blast and I cannot believe that Maria and my Dad (the reigning champions) got their names picked out of a hat and were partners again! Not only that but they won AGAIN! My parents' friends are starting to have their suspicious and are calling it a "set-up". Maria and my dad did decide to forfeit their prizes to the runners-up which was very nice of them.

I almost forgot to mention that the whole point of the bocce tournament was to fundraise for a walk my dad is doing. He does a walk every year for ALS in honor of his brother, Ron. My dad collected donations an entree fees for the tournament and fundraised over $400! What a great day and all for a great cause. Go Dad!

Other than that, running has been good and I got my hunger under control. I added more protein to my diet which helped but think I just went through a phase last week and it's finally over!

This weekend I am off to Nashville and looking forward to another family run in a cool city! Goal is 13-14 miles! Woohoo!

Fundraising is going well - I am up to $2421.20! My goal is $5,000 and I am almost halfway there! Please show your support by donating to Fred's Team and Memorial-Sloan Kettering for cancer research at:

https://fredsteam.mskcc.org/fundraising/Controller?action=userHome&user_id=39924&event_id=128

Running Partners - 2nd leg: Dana and John



Dad and John



Matt and I



Max - still a little wet from his fall in the pool

Hungry Hungry Jenna (Marathon update)

Training has been going so well so far! A few minor aches and pains but nothing major. My biggest problem is that I am so unbelievable hungry! I have been running about 20-22 miles per week and just cannot get full no matter what I do! Somehow I have managed to gain a few pounds too and I find that so frustrating! Is my body holding onto calories so I can get through my long runs? Am I not eating enough calories? What is going on?


Ok so here is the skinny: I eat a lot of small meals throughout the day, along with plenty of water and a cup of green tea but I am still starving! I even added in an extra snack! What is a girl to do!? I believe I may need more protein to help fill me up but I hate leftovers so it is hard to bring something meat-related to work for lunch. I would love to buy my lunch every day but it is very pricey to eat in NYC...as least $10 bucks a day! So instead I head down to A&P or Trader Joe's and stock up on all my favorite foods and snacks.


Here is a sample of what I eat every day during training. Note that I usually do not eat carbs and limit dairy but will rotate in some pretzels, bread or pasta here and there.

JENNA'S DAILY DIET

Breakfast: Banana and some almonds

Snack: Zone Bar or Luna Bar

Snack: Carrots

Lunch: Salad or shrimp stir fry

Snack: Peach or apple

Snack: Tortilla Chips and Salsa (not every day) or granola bar or pretzels

Dinner: Chicken or Steak and a veggie

Snack: Sugarfree fudge-pop or a piece of fruit


Like I said I do swap things here and there and LOVE chocolate so will slip that in, but overall I try to eat healthy. I will treat myself to dessert on the weekends and love dining out so I will indulge but hey, you only live once! I love to cook Italian and will often make Eggplant Parmesan, Eggplant Rollatini, Chicken Francese, Manicotti, or Chicken Parmesan on Sundays.


Anyway I am not sure what I should change in my diet? Less sugar and less fruit? More protein? I guess I have some reading to do! Does anyone have any advice for me? Helllppppp!

Antigua & Marathon Update

Wow! I cannot believe that Matt and I have been married a year already! I guess this saying applies to us, "Time flies when you are having fun!"

We have had an action packed first year of marriage! We were married on June 21, 2008 at Giorgio's at Foxhill in Baiting Hollow, NY. It was such a gorgeous day and we were so grateful to have all of our close family and friends with us (many that had flew in from Arizona, California, Utah, Michigan, and the list goes on). I still cannot believe what a perfect day we had but more importantly how lucky I was to have found Matt. After the wedding, we honeymooned at Sandals in St. Lucia and had such a great experience that we booked another trip right then and there for our 1 year anniversary! They offered us such a great package that we just couldn't say no! We decided to go to Antigua because we have heard wonderful things about the the island and the beaches are supposed to be gorgeous (which they were)!

Upon arrival into Antigua we were faced with nightmarish lines to get through immigration and customs, however once we arrived at the resort we were greeted with cold towels and champagne! We were then escorted to our cottage-type room in the gardens which turned out to be adorable. The grounds there are immaculate and there are tons of little paths and cottages spread out all over the place. There are a few main buildings, and some with ocean views, but we were extremely happy with our cozy little room! We took a short walk out to the beach and were amazed as our feet touched the softest sand we've ever felt and our eyes met the views of crystal clear aquamarine colored water! We got there late so we took a quick dip in the ocean and then nestled into some chairs to watch the sunset and it was beautiful. The entire trip was just so relaxing, without a care in the world and no where to be, it was just what we needed. We did not turn on our cell phones or check email at all! We pretty much lounged every day on the beach or by the pool, went on a boat tour one day and even attended a wedding!

On our first night we were there we went to a teppanyaki/hibachi style restaurant where we sat with 3 other couples. We ended up becoming very friendly with all of them and hung out with them every night! Camille and Tim were there to get married on site and invited us to their private ceremony which was so nice (pictures to follow). We were so honored to go and so glad we met such nice people!

Every night there was some form of entertainment or a band and even some crazy contests (we participated in 2 of them)! The boat tour we went on was very intimate and showed us around some of the smaller islands, took us snorkeling, hiking and even through a cave! I only have great things to say about this resort and the island and I think my pictures will show you some of the natural beauty we encountered.

AS FOR MARATHON TRAINING...

We worked out 4 days while we were in Antigua (well if you include swimming/snorkeling and a game of tennis, we were physically active every day!) I usually take off from the gym when I go on vacation but could not afford to do that with the marathon a near 4 months away. I had to get a 7 mile run in along with a few other short runs. Not to mention the resort was all-inclusive and I was packing in some major food, I decided it was in my best interest to get to the gym. I did all my running on the treadmill which wasn't as bad as I thought! I was even late for breakfast on our actually anniversary due to my run taking so long - sorry Matt! He understands and like I said he is very supportive of all my running and training.

We got back from Antigua on Friday and the very next day I had to get up and do a 9 mile run with my friends and running team in Hoboken. I thought I was totally ready for this but I was not. It was in the high 70's or maybe even 80's and I tend to overheat when it's that hot. I think I was tired and the heat just got the best of me and I had to stop and walk at least 4 times. But hey I made it through and logged the miles and that is all that matters.

Since then I have done a 10 mile run and some short runs and 2 speed workouts on the treadmill. I have been feeling good during my runs but have been exhausted at night. I have can hardly keep my eyes open to watch our TV shows and find myself ready for be at 11pm (whereas I usually go to bed at 12am). I think I am going to alter our bed time but it is hard because by the time I get home from work, run or go to the gym, make dinner, shower, etc, it is 10:00! I have worked out twice in the morning and may try and do that a few times a week so I have time to do things at night and hang out with Matt.

Ok enough blabbering here, I will leave you with one last comment - I HAVE RAISED $2,181.20 SO FAR! WOOHOO! I had a couple of really generous coworkers/friends donate money and get me more than 2/3 way through with my fundraising! My goal is $3,000 but I may even aim for $5,000! Thank you to everyone who has supported me so far!

Our beach

Our cottage

Hell's Gate - we went climbed this rock formation and went snorkeling here!

Matt on our boat tour

View from Bird Island (I have to thank Matt for this shot, he spotted it!)

Us at the top of Bird Island

Long Island - a private island off Antigua

Long Island

Sunset from our 1st night

Another sunset

Not much of a sunset this night but loved the sky!

The grounds

Some of the other cottages

The main pool

Happiest day of my life - 6/21/08!

Amy and Allen - Married in Antigua!

I was recently on vacation in Antigua for my 1 year wedding anniversary when I met Amy and Allen on the beach! It was my first night there and Matt and I were lounging in some chairs and enjoying the sunset when we noticed a newlywed couple taking some photos! I had planned on just watching the sunset and not shooting at all but decided at the last minute to run back to the room for my camera. I got back just in time to get the sun going down and that is when I started chatting with Amy and Allen. They are from Atlanta and got married the day prior but didn't get any sunset photos. They had a friend taking some cool photos for them with a P&S camera and I jumped in and took a few myself! The sun was already down but the sky was still boasting some great colors and I am pretty happy with the shots!

Thank you Amy and Allen and good luck to you!

This is the beautiful sunset we saw that night!

Susan - Maternity

I met up with some friends recently at a BBQ and promised Susan I would snap some maternity pictures of her! I would have arranged a more formal shoot but she lives down in Delaware and we haven't been able to visit them since January! Anyway, we snuck away from the party for about 10-15 minutes and I took as many shots as I could! Susan is 7 months pregnant and expecting a baby girl in July and she looks amazing! She is so beautiful and her skin was radiating with a nice pregnant glow!

The photos we took have a bit of an urban feel to them but I like how they turned out. It had just rained and the lighting seemed to be right.

Good luck Susan and Adam and I cannot wait to meet little Abigail!

Week 1 - Marathon Training

(I took this picture at a track near my house in Weehawken, NJ)

I am happy to say I am off to a great start with both my marathon training and fundraising! I logged 20.5 miles this week! Woo-hoo! Easy! Piece of cake so far! Let me back track a bit and fill out in on my week so far!

Last Wednesday (6/10) I attended a meeting for Fred's Team at the Sloan-Kettering Lab Research building on the upper east side in NYC. I was excited to learn more about the organization and to meet some fellow runners! The event went really well and they had a few speakers plus a nice spread of cocktail-type food! The first speaker was from the Board of the Aubrey Fund, which raises money for Pediatric Cancer Research and was followed by speakers from our big sponsors, Coca-Cola and Powerade. I met two first-time marathoners, Tina and Lori, who are both very sweet and eager to run the race! We chit-chatted for awhile about training programs and have been emailing back and forth about other things such as what to eat, cross-training, etc! I am hoping to attend one of the Fred's Team organized runs in Central Park and meet up with my new running friends! Overall it was a great event and I felt myself tearing up during the speeches and during the slide show. The Director of the Fred's Team told us that they bring the hospital patients out on 1st Avenue during the run to slap high fives with all the runners! It just feels so good to do this and to raise money at the same time!

Then on Thursday I ran the JPMorgan Corporate Challenge 5K race in Central Park with Team Bank of America. I really did not enjoy the race but it was for a good cause, "Teaming up for a Greener Tomorrow", so I guess that is all the matters. I just felt there were so many people (they said 8,000 people were there but it felt like 20,000) and many people were walking as opposed to running so it was quite crowded. I don't even know what my final time was but I know it was slow as it took forever to weave around people.

Then I ran 6.5 miles on Saturday with my friend Andrea from the Hoboken Elysianette Running Society Team. This was my first long run in 3 weeks! I took off due to shin splints and it was definitely worth it because they feel better now! Andrea has run a few marathons before and I appointed her as my coach and running mentor! She has given me a lot of good tips so far! On Sunday I ran again and decided to run to our gym (4 miles) and meet Matt there for some weight lifting. I run to the gym at least once a week...its a good way to log miles! My only problem is I usually don't like to run two days in a row but my training schedule calls for it so I am following it to a tee! Wednesday I jogged the 6 mile loop in Central Park with Aunt Theresa and Thursday I did 4 miles with my friend Lia who I also met through the Hoboken Elysianette team! I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to all my running partners so far! You are all my saving grace!

I also started fundraising and sent out my first email yesterday and have already raised $270! Thank you to everyone who has donated so far! Only $2730 left to raise! Also I cannot believe the overwhelming amounts of people who have responded to my email with similar stories of losing someone to cancer or to knowing a survivor. I will keep everyone anonymous but I have heard "I lost my grandmother to pancreatic cancer," "My aunt in being treated at Sloan-Kettering for Leukemia and just received a bone marrow transplant," and "My uncle is being treated for Prostate Cancer at Sloan-Kettering." I also have a friend who had a rare form of skin cancer removed last year and she responded and also donated which was so sweet! Of course I will be thinking of her on race day. I just cannot believe how many people cancer affects. I can only hope and pray for a cure one day.

Jenna runs the marathon

I have been officially accepted to run in the NYC Marathon as a charity runner!!! Woohoo! Some of you may not know this but I set a personal goal for myself to run a full marathon this year and was praying and hoping to get into the NYC Marathon. I didn’t want to be too picky because I know marathon entries are competitive but I really was hoping to do one of the bigger marathons with a lot of spectators. Last year I applied to the lottery for the NYC Marathon as well as 2 charities but was not accepted so this year I decided to try again.

On June 2nd I found out that I was not accepted through the lottery and I was pretty bummed out. The race has space for 40,000 runners but it isn't easy to get one of these spots! I still knew I had a chance to get a charity spot but it’s very competitive and I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I decided to go on with my normal business and not think about it. This past Saturday, Matt and I went up to Penn State College to volunteer at their Summer Special Olympic Games. After the day was through we reflected how awesome it was to help out the athletes and see the smiles on their faces as they received their medals. As we got into the car to drive back I checked by blackberry and low and behold I had an email saying I had been accepted as a charity runner for Fred’s Team! I really felt that God had rewarded me that day with three amazing opportunities: 1) to volunteer at the Special Olympics 2) to be a charity runner and 3) to fulfill my dream of running a full marathon! As a charity runner I will be raising money towards cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in NYC! I am beyond ecstatic to run this race and to raise money for such a good cause.

I will be running the race in memory of my Grandmother, Connie Tramondo, who I lost 11 years ago to Cholangiocarcinoma. Cholangiocarcinoma is the rarest form of liver cancer and affects less than 10% of people diagnosed with liver cancer. Later on, I will talk more about my grandmother and her treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. She had a very positive experience there and I would like write a separate post about it.

Now back to my running story! I have always been an athlete but have never been a runner. I played soccer for my entire life and dabbled in volleyball, lacrosse and even track. When I ran track I was a sprinter but never really enjoyed our work-outs or training sessions. I just wanted to do the races and liked the whole social aspect of it. Even in soccer, I disliked the long training runs we had to do and despised playing mid-field due to all the running involved! However after high school and college I had to find a way to stay in shape and so I joined a gym and took up jogging. I lifted weights, did the elliptical and jogged a few times a week on the treadmill (2-3 miles maximum).

When I moved to Las Vegas in 2005, I was struck with the marathon bug. My friend and co-worker, Ron, was a marathoner and swayed me to think I could be too. I still wasn’t convinced I could run more than 3 miles but decided to give it a go. The real motivation kicked in when Ron showed me all his glorious medals he’d received for running marathons all over the country! I was awestruck by these medals and decided I wanted one too! (Mind you I still have this odd obsession for medals.) It was mid-July in Vegas when I started training and temperature was anywhere between 105-110 so it was very rough. I made it to 5 miles and was so proud but then I lost my first toe nail. (Actually I had lost toe nails before in soccer so this wasn’t a huge deal). The bigger problem was I picked up a second job and really couldn’t find the time to train anymore. I was bummed out but kept in the back of my head that I wanted to run a marathon one day.

Fast forward to 2008, I am back in the New York area and preparing for my wedding. I am doing my normal work out routine and rotating some running in here and there. Then I find out that my younger sister, Dana, started training for a half marathon! I was so proud of her and talked to her every week about her training and how far she was running. I felt the marathon bug creeping in again and decided to up my running and add on some miles. She competed in her marathon and did very well and I said to myself “I am doing one too!” I went online and found a half marathon going on in Boston the same time we were going to be visiting there in May, but I didn’t sign up for it right away. I kept plugging away, 4 miles, 5, miles, 7 miles, 10 miles and yes I made up my own schedule because I didn’t have much time to train. Once I made it to 10 miles I knew I could do it and signed up for the race. The very next weekend I landed in Boston and ran the race! I cannot begin to explain what it felt like but it was a very emotional experience and such an accomplishment. I ran through the city and along the river and felt euphoric the entire time! I even cried when I started and again at the finish, overall it was just an amazing experience. I couldn’t wait to run my next race!

Now here I am 1 year later and I have run in 7 races!!! 3 half marathons, a 10 mile race, a 15K, a 10K and a 5 mile race.

Do you think I got the running bug? I am addicted! It is very rewarding but it hasn’t been easy. It takes many many many hours to train. The most training I have done is about 20-25 miles a week. These are hours I could be spending with my husband or cooking or cleaning or doing stuff around the house. I am so thankful he is so understanding and supportive of my running. Whenever I am tired and am thinking about skipping a run, he pushes me to still go. He comes to all my races and is always there to meet me at the finish line with a big hug and kiss. He is truly heaven sent.

Then there are the injuries…the nagging pain in my lower back which is always there, the pulled hamstring, the injured achilles tendon, shin splints, blisters, more lost toe nails and the list goes on but I still push through and continue to run. When you run, you have to expect you are going to get injured and you just work through it because you cannot wait until that next race! I am currently resting my shins for the last 3 weeks but am ready to get geared up again!

I am off to start my new adventure to train for a full marathon – 26.2 miles! I am very excited and will keep you posted on my training progress!

May 2008
Boston's Run to Remember - Half Marathon 2:12:28



September 2008
Hampton's Half Marathon: 2:06:30
Charity Runner for Friend's of Karen - raised $750 for children who are terminally ill with cancer


May 2009
Long Island Half Marathon: 2:00:12



My sister Dana and I at the finish. Her time was 1:48 - she is FAST!

Angela and Jay's Wedding

One of my best friends in the whole world was married on May 16, 2009! For those of you that don't know Angela, she is such a fun person with a ton of energy! She is very eccentric, loves to sing, wear vibrant clothes and can light up any party! That being said, I knew this wasn't going to be a drab wedding in any way, shape or form!

Some of the highlights were her Mia Solano gown which was a fitted trumpet style dress with a beaded bodice and short layers of satin and lace. She also wore a marabou feather in her hair, teal shoes and the bridesmaids wore vintage inspired gowns by Jim Hjelm in all different colors (teal, kiwi, raspberry, mango, and violet frost). Her husband Jay, who she has been with for 10 years, has a love for hats. He wore a white suit, accompanied by a black top hat and made a handsome groom.

The ceremony and reception were held at East Wind Estates in Wading River, NY and it was an extravagant event! She decided to have her reception in the Veranda Room which isn't normally used for wedding but she chose it because she loved the modern feel. She had centerpieces made of branches, orchids and crystals and a DJ and live percussionist to get the party going! Overall it was an amazing wedding and I am so excited I got to be in her bridal party and take pictures at the event. Her wedding photographer, Jayd Gardina, is very talented and was sweet enough to give me some shooting tips and pointers! I had a blast that day and am so happy for Angela and Jay! CONGRATS!

A special thanks to the talented Christine and Erica at Head Rush Salon who did our hair and make-up! Thanks for making us all look fabulous!

I had to throw in a picture of my glam hair style!

These next two shots were set up by Jayd Gardina

Best Friends Forever