This was a beautiful weekend. Sunny, not a cloud in the sky and very hot. It was a great weekend to be at the beach or poolside sipping some drink that has an umbrella sticking out of the top.  It was not a perfect weekend to run a 5k. I love running and I haven’t done a 5k in quite some time (years I believe). The Tops and Roswell Park Team Cure Challenge seemed like the perfect race for me to get back into the swing of 5ks. The race was nice and early in the morning, so I would still have time to go home, shower and get ready for the wedding I was attending in Dansville. The course itself was simple, not many hills and a quick, suburban loop. Most importantly it was for an amazing cause. Registration fees went to Roswell Park cancer research. On paper, this race was perfect!

8am Saturday morning, my race partner has to pick up furniture for her new apartment, so I’ll be going solo. Not ideal but no biggie. It is already 75 degrees outside. I prefer to lie around when its hot, not go running. Again, no big deal. The cloudless sky makes 75 degrees feel like 85, and there is almost no shade on the course. Kind of a big deal.

All that being said, the race was really fun and when I made it back to the glorious AC in my car, I felt accomplished and overall very good. Hundreds of people showed up for the race and gave it their all. I was the 127th person to cross the finish line with a time of 29:33. I placed fourth in my age group, which is the highest I’ve ever placed in a race, so I guess it wasn’t all that bad.

If you ran the race, you can check out your scores right here.  I have a few pictures of the race and a before and after of yours truly. ENJOY!

‘Til next time, with a significantly lower resting heart rate,

-Allie

The hot, hot sun was out!

some cool sponsors

Ready to go!

Ready to die!

I last waxed poetic about Fall’s many many wonderful elements, one of which I sited as Fall Fashion!

I arrived at the office on Monday, fresh from my stint at the Erie County Fair, to find two tickets to a fashion show at the Clothes Bar waiting for me at my desk. It was if the powers that be knew I had had my fill of fried food and livestock and was in need of a glass of wine and surplus jumpers.

I did a little happy dance, called a friend and started planning my tres chic ensemble.

The show was a ton of fun to watch, and from the look of it, even more fun to be in. The models seemed to have a blast strutting their stuff on the catwalk.

I fell completely in love with a purple dress adorned with zippers and a grey sweater that was paired with leggings. I was also a big fan of their tan leather jackets and floral blouses.

I snapped a few pictures of my favorite looks which you can check out below. If you want more info on the clothes bar or the collections they have there, their website, http://www.clothesbaronline.com/catalog/

‘Til next time, with style,

-Allie

LOVE the grey sweater and leggings!

My favorite dress at the show.

I love the bohemian feel to this.

Everyone looked great!

As the adage says, all good things must come to an end. With the end of the Erie County Fair comes the inevitable end of summer. The rain is coming back, there is a high temperature today of a ghastly 68 degrees, and I had to dig around my apartment for a sweater this morning.

While it is easy to get caught up in the sadness that inevitably follows the end of Summer, it is nice to remember the fun things about Fall!

Number One: FALL FASHION! The encyclopedia-sized September issue of Vogue ushers in the beginning of Fall Fashion madness. Suede boots, tweed jackets and cozy sweaters can be pulled out of boxes now that the thought of adding an extra layer doesn’t make one immediately feel faint.

Number Two: Apples. Picking them, Eating them. Baking with them. Having them fall on the hood of my car and dent it. Apple Cider. Apple Crisp. Apples, Apples Apples!

Number Three: Back to School! I am no longer in school, but I can’t help feeling the excitement. September reminds me of new backpacks and pencils and class schedules and first weeks back and parties with friends you haven’t seen in months. I may go out and get a back to school outfit just for the heck of it.

Number Four: The Bills Make Me Want to SHOUT! I will be at the home opener, and many games after that. There is nothing better than the hope that comes along with a new season.

Number Five: Sundays. This goes along with number four. Sundays in the Fall mean several things to me: Sunny days with cool breezes, alone time while everyone is watching football (I love going to games, but seeing them on TV just doesn’t do it for me), reading a good book, taking walks around the city or hikes in the country. Fall Sundays are my happy place.

Number Five: RUNNING! Fall is my favorite time to run outdoors. The cool air is invigorating and it is much easier to motivate yourself to run when there is no risk of heat stroke.

Number Six: Television. All the shows took a nice long break for the summer, which I appreciate. It can be difficult to decide whether I should enjoy a night outdoors and the summer air, or watch a new episode of my favorite show (thank god for DVR!). This year old favorites return and new series begin. There are a bunch of new shows starting right here on the CW, including my newest guilty pleasure Hellcats (cheerleading and Ashley Tisdale, yes please!)

These are just a few of the things I look forward to in the Fall. Please comment and let me know what you look forward to and check out a related video at the Allie on the Go page.

‘Til next time, with Autumnal love,

-Allie