Where to get my MBA?

2017 started off a much higher note!

I thought about attending Columbia for my undergraduate degree but cost and location were prohibitive so I decided to a state school closer to home, a decision that I could not have made me happier.  I met some amazing women, I was close enough to home when my grandmother passed away freshman year and my wonderful parents footing the bill allowed me the opportunity to be financially stable. My lack of student loans allowed me the luxury of moving to NYC in 2007 to live in a classic 200 square foot walk up studio on the Upper East Side.

My career in television became my passion in high school during a video production class and I fell deeper in love during college. I loved that every day was different, technology constantly changed and I knew I would never just sit at a desk all day doing the same thing every day. Television has evolved greatly over the past decade as has my position. I transitioned to dealing with various forms of media as well as long term projects instead of live news.

Last year I helmed a major transformation, learning more about the business side of media and piquing my interest in additional schooling. I started researching MBA programs but knew I did not want to quit my job, I was pleasantly surprised and pleased to learn I was actually qualified for an executive program at most schools. To get full return on my MBA investment I only looked at brick and mortar programs because I felt my learning style and networking would be better served in person.

Deciding which MBA program works for you is a very personal one but I will go into my big decision factors:

1) Class schedule. It was extremely important to me to not step back from my career so I needed something that allowed for class immersion outside work hours. This made an executive program extremely attractive.

2) Well known university. I wanted an established program with proven success and one of the biggest draws of an MBA is the relationship building and alumni network which lead me straight to Columbia.

3) Cost. MBA programs are extremely expensive and you must make sure that the returns are worth the investment.  Columbia goes out of their way to ensure the success of their executive MBA students.

4) Entrance Requirements. Some programs require the GMAT which requires months of studying and can be a daunting process.  I was intrigued by the Executive Assessment requirement which involved a much shorter test that was billed as more intuitive.  I still studied since it had been so long since I'd taken a standardized test but the length of studying was definitely shorter and the test itself did seem more user friendly.

5) Proximity. I wanted a school in NYC to make fitting school into my life less challenging than commuting to another city every weekend or even every other weekend.

I was thrilled to accept admission to the Columbia class of 2019 and I'm just counting down until orientation in April!

NYC MARATHON Tips and Tricks

The NYC Marathon was definitely an amazing experience, I have never in any of my races had so many people cheering. The energy in the city is definitely electric!

Start Village Recommendations
1) take the bus from midtown, it is the most orderly and warm option
2) Bring food, eat your normal breakfast but bring more food you may be in the start village for 3 hours; save your pre race nutrition for the normal 45 minute window before the start
3) Wear clothes you can donate to good will
4) find somewhere to sit that is blocked by the wind and bring plastic to sit on

I was a bit disappointed to find that my wave had to run on the bottom level of the Verrazano bridge but it was still an amazing view. I really think that this race, much like Big Sur should be run for the experience not for a speedy time. If you have people cheering find out what side of the road they will be on and the approx mile number or you will never see them!

First 10 mile recommendations
1) Wear your name on your shirt, people are always looking for names to yell
2) High 5 the little kids along the side
3) Enjoy the bands, singers, and choirs in Brooklyn
4) Watch out for the pot holes and uneven roads
5) The cups are very slippery, watch your footing through aid stations

I felt fabulous the first 10 miles, although when I saw coach around mile 8 she said I wasn't hydrated enough so I tried to drink more water after. Frankly the porta potty lines were so LONG I was trying to avoid having to pee.  **if you can make it to the porta potties under the Queensboro Bridge there was no wait at all! Highly recommend**

Second 10 mile recommendations
1) It gets a bit boring in Queens but you are there for a short time
2) The Queensboro Bridge is quite a hill but don't fall out here, walk if you need to
3) The energy off the bridge is amazing and will give you life but remember you have a ways to go still!
4) the back half of this marathon is deceptively hilly
5) If you have specific nutrition you can arrange for someone to have it waiting for you

I had a lot of trouble with nutrition, energy and pains the back half.  It was really my own fault as I hadn't run much since the Ironman and it would seem my energy stores were not up to where they should be in my muscles. My stomach started growling about 10 miles in even though I had followed my normal nutrition plan to a T.

Last 6.2
1) Bronx has some fabulous music to get you grooving
2) Once back into Manhattan, 5th ave is just a steady up hill for almost an entire mile
3) SALT!!  The weather this year threw a lot of people, I was handing out my base salts left and right
4) Getting in to the Park is decieving, as you leave the park and go back in for the finish
5) There is a small hill towards the finish, save your energy!

Thankfully I saw my friend Shawna around mile 20 when I was hurting and a bit frustrated realizing I wasn't going to make my time goal.  I literally jumped on her, luckily she is strong :)  She ran with me for a little while in her regular clothes/boots even though she had her own marathon coming up in a couple weeks!

I think the best part of the race is having lived here so I had memories in each borough not to mention knowing so many people along the course both cheering and running.  If you can get in and pay the crazy fee this race is definitely worth doing once although I'm not sure I will run it again.

New York City Marathon

I can't say it is a dream come true to run the New York City marathon this coming Sunday because frankly even once I decided to run a marathon I still had no desire to do NYC. While training for my first marathon in 2013 I ran through Central Park and happened to go right by where the finish line was being set up.  I was completely overcome with emotions I had never felt before and decided that perhaps I did in fact want to run NYC. There was something about seeing the finish line set up on the same road I had run countless times before that made me feel the urge to cross the line.

Getting into the NYCM is no ease feat, in fact one might surmise it is actually easier to just run a marathon than qualify for NYC. As an inhabitant of this fair city I had the ability to join the New York Road Runners, run 9 races, volunteer once and get guaranteed entry into the marathon.  I will admit this is perhaps easier than applying for a lottery and being denied, however running 9 races while juggling triathlons and a broken foot proved very challenging. I do wish they would update their policy that if you register and pay for a race but have a doctors note it counts towards your 9 races, instead they give no leeway which resulted in my wearing a walking boot to the start of a half marathon, walking the half marathon and then putting my walking boot back on.

This race is one of the big iconic marathons and while I was really excited to qualify it fell into the backseat compared to my Ironman goals this year so my training has been slackerish at best. I mean I ran a marathon about 4 weeks ago after swimming and biking so surely I can manage a marathon this coming weekend.  It certainly won't be a personal best but I can enjoy the experience of running in New York City streets and bridges, taking in all the scenery of my home turf and I know the crowds will be excellent. I'm really just in it for the experience but in reality isn't that why every marathoner runs except the pros.

I can't help feeling a little annoyed at the amount of waiting that shall commence before hand in Staten Island as my wave doesn't get started until 10:40 but my bus leaves midtown at 7am.  Plenty of time for a swim and bike before hand but I can't seem to find the course maps ;-)