First Stop, Tampa!

On Sunday May 31 I set out for my first real "life on the road" work trip. 

For the most part, I really like travelling for work, and I know I'm incredibly lucky that I get to do it. 17 days was a long time though, I will say! And eating at really nice restaurants for breakfast lunch and dinner sounds really awesome, and it is, until you feel gross. 

"Just choose something healthy on the menu and don't eat too much!" you may be thinking. That's what I thought every morning when I woke up too.  Trust me, it's not as easy as it sounds. 

I guess now is a good time to mention that I couldn't really run at this point (and spoiler alert: I still can't). My IT band was killing me ever since the Brooklyn Half and I knew I needed to take it easy if I was going to start training for the Suffolk County Marathon in July (spoiler alert: That's definitely not happening anymore). I am however proud to say I exercised almost every day that we were on the road - whether it was abs and arms, the elliptical, or going for a 2 mile jog (maybe I shouldn't be proud of that but we were right on a pretty river trail!) 

DAY ONE - May 31
JFK --> Tampa
First things first, of course, was lunch. I started out healthy - ordering this delicious summer salad with spinach, strawberries, blueberries, grilled chicken, etc. 

Oh yeah, and a side of sweet potatoes with a maple syrup dipping sauce. 

The hotel in Tampa was right on the water and I had a balcony! There was a running path all the way from our hotel to the Amalie Arena (about 3 miles there and back). 

After we unpacked we headed to Target to stock up on snacks for the crew trailers. Oh dear, so many snacks. Please, take a look at what would be my temptations for almost 3 weeks. Constantly there. Peanut Butter.  Nutella. Reese's. Poptarts.  Gummy vitamins? 

(Biggest temptation? FROSTED ANIMAL CRACKERS)

At one point, one of my coworkers put a sign listing how many calories were in each type of chocolate in the candy bowl. Yikes. Wish I could say it stopped me... 

When we were done with that, we dropped it all off at the arena to our trailers (yes, we work out of trailers - glamorous~!) It was HOT and HUMID like WHOAH. 

Then, we headed back to the hotel to work on our laptops for a little while and watched this thunderstorm roll in. Working for a little while turned into working for a lot and realizing crap it's 9 p.m. we should eat dinner.  So we headed down the hotel lobby restaurant and grabbed something quick. 

I ordered this salad with grilled salmon, sliced apple, celery and avocado ranch dressing.

DAY TWO - June 1
Work day in the trailers. 

Look what they delivered at lunch time! Dear lord. 

Dinner Monday night was at a tapas restaurant in the hoppin' Tampa neighborhood of Ybor City.  Columbia Restaurant is Florida's oldest restaurant. We walked in and were blown away by how large it was! 

We ate lots and lots of tapas and drank lots and lots of sangria and THEN we all ordered entrees. 

I ordered the Pompano en Papillot - Boneless fillet of Pompano with seafood stuffing of shrimp, crabmeat, artichoke, butter and white wine, wrapped in parchment paper and baked. Served with yellow rice.

I also needed a side salad BECAUSE it's famous and they prepare it table-side. 

USA Today named it "One of the 10 Great Places to Make a Meal out of a Salad." That spoke to me. Because a salad CAN BE A MEAL. 

When this salad came out, it made me really nostalgic, because it was served in the same dish that my favorite salad of all-time is served in.  It's from an Italian restaurant near my house on Long Island and I love it because it comes with cheese and salami and a delicious BEAN SALAD. I'm sorry, I need to cool it on the caps. 

(This is really not a pretty picture, I apologize) 

DAY THREE - June 2
Another work day at the arena. 

Dinner was perhaps the most over the top dinner I've ever experienced. Like their website says, it truly was a "unique culinary experience." 

To start, when we boarded the free shuttle van at the hotel to go to dinner, the bell-hop informed one of my coworkers that he wouldn't be allowed in wearing shorts, and should change into pants - unless he wanted to go to Bern's "pants room" to rent a pair. 

When we walked in, we were blown away by how massive the restaurant was and how fancy it was inside - in an old fashioned kind of way. 

Next, we sat down and were informed that after dinner, there is a separate "dessert room" - the waiter asked if we would like to make a reservation for the dessert room after our meal - to which will all emphatically answered yes. 

The menu was ridiculously extensive. You could tell this place was a legit steakhouse because of the way they listed their steaks - by thickness and weight and categorized by each cut. They even had an entire chart for you to figure out how you like your steak cooked! 

But this place didn't just have steak - they had EVERYTHING. 

And guess what each entree comes served with? I don't think you're ready for this. I really don't think you. We had to check with the waiter to make sure we were reading it correctly. 
French Onion Soup
Salad
Baked Potato
Onion Rings
Vegetable Tasting 

Mind. Blown.

That all seemed incredibly overwhelming to me - plus I knew there was a DESSERT ROOM to follow. 

So after PLENTY of shared appetizers, I ordered a Bern's Steakhouse Cobb Salad and a Lobster Surf Roll.

Perhaps my favorite part was the side I insisted on ordering for the table - CARROT FRIES! Be still my heart. 

The Cobb Salad was delicious as well and loaded with lots of different things - crispy onion straws as you can see, asparagus, eggs, AVOCADO, mushrooms, tomatoes, black olives, onion, and their homemade dressing.  

The Lobster Surf Roll wasn't my favorite thing ever, but it was very different, which I could appreciate. It was served with Coconut lime ponzu and mango tobiko.

Once we were sufficiently full - it was time to head to the Harry Waugh dessert room. Bern's is like a maze - one our way to the dessert room, we passed the ginormous kitchen (which you can go on a tour of if you want your meal to last 5 hours instead of the 4 it took us!) 

We were led to our own little cask enclosed booth/room. Casks are wood that have something to do with where they store alcohol or something...I could research it, but there's a lot of catching up to do and if you really care you can Google it yo'self! 

The point is, we were in our own cozy little room where we noticed there was a phone with buttons that let us control what type of music played in the room. 

Then the waitress informed us that if we picked up the phone, Kenny the house piano player would take requests and we could have it play into the room. Well, of course everyone wanted to make a request after that. It kept us quite entertained. Thanks Kenny! 

Looking back, I wish I had ordered the Macadamia Nut Sundae, or "The Best Sundae in the world." Because I tried a bite of my coworkers, and let me tell you, it really was the best. 

I ordered the Banana Cheese Pie but I must say, I prefer my dad's made with instant pudding mix. 

A bunch of us also split the Brown Sugar which came with 3 different desserts ~moderation~. The Chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake, cookies & cream ice cream sandwich, and warm brown sugar blondie. 

Mhm. 

Yeah. 

DAY FOUR - June 3
Game Day! 

Look at how cute the catering desserts were in Tampa! 

And look at the concoctions I make myself to try to not eat chocolate... 

(Banana + Peanut Butter + Raisins + Coconut Flax Granola)

DAY FIVE - June 4
When we got back to the hotel after a day of work, we were greeted by this beautiful sunset! 

(I love Long Island sunsets more than anything, but I gotta say - this one was a winner!) 

Eventually, we headed out to dinner at a restaurant I had found online that looked right up my alley. Farm to table. With a wall in the restaurant that grows kale! It was called Boca and it was definitely my favorite meal. 

For a drink, I got something delicious with tequila (at least I think, it's usually a safe bet that that's what I ordered!)  

For appetizers, we all split:
Yellow Fin Tuna Tartare
Brie & Apple Flatbread
Sweet Potato Gnocchi 

Dear Sweet Potato Gnocchi,
You came served with earthy Oyster mushrooms, fresh butternut squash, crisp broccolini and rich sage cream and micro parmesan.  You changed my life.
Love,
Lauren

(SOFTY PILLOWY BALLS OF SWEET POTATO) 

For dinner, I really wanted the House Kale Salad with pear and sunflower seeds, but they were out of Kale so I just told them to make a tasty salad and THEY SUCCEEDED. 

I also took a picture of other people's meals because they were so bright and pretty. 

(The were the special of the night. Holy cow.) 

(Yellow fin tuna with kimchi fried rice, coconut broth, baby bok choy and a sweet soy reduction) 

Want to guess if we ordered dessert?

We did. 

We got the BEET CAKE which was like carrot cake but made with beets! It was pretty tasty, except for the beet puree on the side that looked like sweet raspberry sauce but actually just tasted like dirt. I like beets, and I get offended when people say they taste like dirt, but the sauce really did taste like dirt so OKAY FINE maybe sometimes beets taste a little earthy. 

We also got the seasonal fruit cobbler which was SO SWEET. For normal humans it probably would have been too much, but for someone with a sweet tooth like mine, it was delicious. 

So do you want to hear a funny story?

My mom recently visited family in Florida and while she was there, she texted me from brunch and said, "Lauren, I'm at this really cute place with lots of vegetables and lettuce growing on the wall and also huge Bloody Mary's. You would love it her!" My mom knows me really well. Because turns out, it was the same restaurant! Too funny. 

(You're right Mom, I like plants growing on walls! And fresh ingredients! And brightly colored food! And restaurants that are vintage chic and in old gas stations!) 

To be continued...

MAY: Finally Starting to Recap

Well, it's been a crazy few months and to say that I slacked on blogging would be the biggest understatement ever.

The longer I pushed off writing, the more overwhelming the thought of catching up became. I considered just jumping in and starting with something more recent, but there are so many things I've done the past two months that I wanted to post about. So - here I am, writing what will most likely be the world's longest recap post.

When we got home from the Pittsburgh Marathon, it was my (and Melissa's) birthday week. Lucky for us, May 6 fell on a Wednesday this year - which meant starting my birthday with a November Project workout! It just so happens that I share a birthday with Melissa, Ali AND Kaitlin. Crazy!

(Birthday girls pretty in pink!)

That night Peter took me out for dinner at Toloache so we could try the guac trio and GRASSHOPPER TACOS! I was so excited to be adventurous and try the tacos and Peter was totally in (I think the fact that it was my birthday may have had something to do with it...) but unfortunately, these were a huge let down. I don't know why I was convinced a corn tortilla literally just stuffed full of crispy (incredibly salty) grasshoppers would be GOOD. Chapulines - no bueno. 

(SUCH A SPORT I LOVE HIM)

Luckily, the margaritas were strong and the guacamole was wonderful - I loved getting to sample the three different varieties. 1) Tradicional: Avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, serrano 2) Frutas: Avocado, pomegranate, Vidalia onion, mango, apple, habanero, Thai basil 3) Rojo: Avocado, tomato, red onion, chipotle, queso fresco. I was most excited for the Frutas, but my favorite ended up being the plain old Tradicional!

That weekend Melissa and I had a wonderful birthday brunch at Calle Ocho - a reservation I made months in advance to ensure we would have a celebration that included 2 hours of unlimited sangria with the purchase of a brunch entree (between $18 and $26). Yep, you read that correctly. The place was HUGE, the waiter was pretty attentive, and they let us stay for FOUR HOURS. 

The only thing better than the sangria was being surrounded by so many of my amazing friends. And maybe the basket of pastries that came out before our meals (shout out the the cheese filled dough balls which we asked for more of and then brought home in my purse. True story).  

From what I can recall, the food was prettty good too.

(My Long Island lovers)

(Ropa Vieja Hash, Fried Egg, Avocado, Crispy Sweet Potatoes)

(Wild Mushroom Paella, Guatemalan Green Bean Salad, Sweet Pea Vinaigrette)

That night, we went out to The Delancey, but there are no pictures, and that is probably for the best. 

The next morning, Peter and I laid in bed and couldn't figure out what the heck to eat. We decided on Le Pain Quotidien, which is literally outside of my apartment. I had never been, because while everything sounds like something I would love, it's a little on the pricey side. Peter got the avocado toast and I got the spring pea frittata - big fan! It all looked so pretty, the space is open and airy, and we ordered the bread basket that comes with Nutella and delicious jams. Mmm. 

The following Monday I got to take a free class for my "Birthday Month" at Uplift Studios - an all female fitness studio with classes and personal training. 

I took an Uplifting Strength class with Kat that was KILLER. Cardio and lots of weights. I was impressed and especially loved the variety and use of a timer/clock for each exercise. The studio that classes are held in are very small, and I felt a little cramped the whole time, but there are only around 10 participants in each class. 

(Tiny, but sufficient and loved the clock!)

What really blew me away were the locker rooms at Uplift - no need to bring your own lock, you'll get a key to a specific locker. Each lock has a cute little message on it, "You are BEAUTIFUL," "You are ENERGETIC," etc.

The locker room is full of everything you could ever need to get yourself dolled up after class - tons of hair products, blow dryers, straighteners, bobby pins, hair ties, q-tips, body spray, deodorant, razors. Not to mention the color scheme is GREEN - my favorite. 

The front desk was also really nice with some trail mix samples. The personal training space wasn't huge, but then again, there was only one person using it at a time! Uplift also offers a HIIT and "Sculpt Fusion" class. Uplift is located on West 24th Street and single classes are $34. 

Wednesday, May 13 I got to work at a Rangers playoff game at MSG, recording some GoPro footage. Even though I'm not a Rangers fan, there is really nothing like playoff hockey! The Rangers got the win that night, which was good from a content standpoint! 

Next up that weekend was the Brooklyn Half Marathon, which you can read about here. I got a PR and some major IT Band pain. And lots of beer. 

The day after the Brooklyn Half I was up bright and EARLY (which means something, coming from me) to head to Connecticut and watch my little baby yoyo sisterface graduate from college. College graduations are boring, but luckily Sacred Heart kept everything pre-name reading short and sweet. 

My mom and I never thought we would get out of the parking garage afterwards, but after about 20 minutes of not moving, we were able to get to the ferry. In typical Wolman fashion, we had a bottle of champagne to pop in the Bridgeport Ferry parking lot and then went directly to Danford's in Port Jefferson for a delicious meal and more celebratory drinks. 

(Port Jeff, you're so pretty!)

We all split some clams on the half shell and the pita trio for appetizers (Shrimp & Lobster Salad, Hummus, Avocado Sriracha). 

For an entree, I went with the Grilled Sword Fish which came with Quinoa, Tabouli and Bacon Onion Jam. 

My Dad got this beauty of an entree - Sea Scallops with Spatzle, Peas, Carrot, and Truffle Brown Butter. Why do restaurants insist on ruining things with truffle? Or more importantly, why do I not appreciate truffle like the rest of the world?! 

On May 20 Melissa took me to see Finding Neverland for my birthday! Beforehand, we found a place on Restaurant Row in Hell's Kitchen that has $5 sangria that is BOMB. Peter and I have been back since then and tried a few of the tapas and they were really good! Pro tip: order the stuffed mushrooms.

Oh right, the name of the place is Sangria 46. It's on 46th St., go figure. 

Finding Neverland was really great - they kept the "flying" to a tasteful minimum and a lot of the songs were really catchy! Plus, it's a really sweet story. 

(Thank you for such an amazing birthday present Melissa!!)

Friday of that weekend was the moment I had been waiting for - my post marathon and half-marathon massage!! I had a gift card and was able to get an hour long deep tissue massage, which was heavenly. It felt great, but part of me wished it was a little more intense - I didn't feel like any of my knots and kinks had really been worked out. 

Afterwards, I lounged around the hot tub area and read a little in my big comfy robe. 

Memorial Day weekend Peter and I were picked up by his parents to head to Pennsylvania for his great aunts 90th birthday party. It was really nice getting to meet more of his family. The party was at a really cute restaurant where they fed us SO MUCH FOOD it was unreal. Then we went back to the house for even more dessert. We also met this little guy (girl) Sophie - HOW CUTE AND TINY?! 

She peed a lot. Not on me, luckily.

Then we went and saw Peter's brother and wife's new house - I fell in love with their stove, because it's super vintage chic and MINT GREEN. 

Then, Karl and Sarah drove us to Philly for a weekend at Peter's friends apartment. Holy cow are apartments in Philly different than apartments in NYC. 

Sunday we woke up and went for brunch at Gaslight. Some of us played mixologist and combined the Bloody Maria (tequila!) with the Smoked Bloody Mary for a Smoke Bloody  Maria. Yum. 

Peter's chicken and waffles were so photogenic! Actually, everyone's food looked amazing. I went with the Reuben Benedict and of course,..Peter and I split some cornbread. 

Next, we went to a pop-up beer garden which is my favorite thing to do - outdoor day drinking, and tons of different drink options. They also had jenga and some other games. And look who we ran into! 

(Hiiiii Sam!) 

Next it was time for some rooftop beers and relaxation - the sunset was beautiful, we listened to music, and I discovered how amazing Hell or High Watermelon beer is! 

('Merica!) 

When we eventually started getting hungry, we bounced back and forth between different types of food before settling on, shocker, Mexican! Peter's most favorite Mexican to be exact - Mad Mex. Their margaritas are HUGE but apparently only lethal when you get them frozen. I opted for on the rocks, but it was still delicious.  

But the best part? HOLY GUACAMOLE! They had a special guacamole that had chipotle and raisins and walnuts and omg I'm drooling thinking about it. It was different than any other guac we'd ever had and we LOVED IT. 

(This picture does NOT do it justice)

Think we were done? Nope. Next we met up with some people at a bar whose name I can't remember. Something about some animal. I think the Happy Rooster maybe? 

Then we went to Morgan's Pier - where seemingly every 20-something in Philly was hanging out. There were tequila shots ordered. And poured in beers. Which was probably a good indicator of how we would wake up feeling the next morning. 

This was the weekend I began snapchatting Peter as a giant coffee head.  Because he drinks so much coffee, eventually he's going to turn into a mug of it. This reminds me of the Gushers commercials. 

(Cute, babe)

We got lunch at Monk's Cafe when we finally woke up on Monday (burgers, 'Merica), and then stopped at Scoop DeVille - the amazing soft-serve ice cream place I discovered when I was in Philly for the Draft last summer. You can mix in whatever you want from the most overwhelming large list of toppings I've ever seen. It's pretty great. 

Then, it was time to head to the bus, ew. We made great time, and I slept most of the way home. 

Our next big activity was just 2 days later - I got us student rush tickets to go see Les Mis! Again, we stopped at Sangria 46 pre-show. 

Les Mis is by far my most favorite show EVER. And the fact that Ramin Karimloo was starring as Jean Valjean made it even more exciting. We were in the second row, but far stage right. It didn't take away too much of our view though. Ugh. Les Mis. Such a classic. 

2 days after THAT we got to go see Ed Sheeran in Queens! HOLY AMAZEBALLS. We both loved it (and the venue was awesome!) 

Saturday May 30 was my last day in NYC before my crazy work travel started, so naturally, it included lots of time spent with Peter eating Mexican food and drinking margaritas :) We discovered that Mole has some pretty damn good nachos. 

Well there you have it- May. 

On May 31st I set out on what would be a 17 day work trip - followed by another 6 day work trip. 

That's up next!

The Longest Recap In The History of the World; AKA TL;DR

Whoah. A LOT has happened since I last blogged - my b! 

Life just seems to be going a mile a minute lately. My 25th birthday is right around the corner and I wish there was a pause button I could hit just for like a week between the Pittsburgh Marathon and my birthday. I'm not ready! I feel like post-marathon I need a few days to lock myself in a room with a leather-bound journal and some fancy pens while I reflect on a quarter-century of life and figure out, "What next?" There's so many things I want to do, so many self-improvements I want to make, and I need some serious organization if there's any hope of making those things happen. 

I just found a video on BuzzFeed that perfectly explains the feeling I've been all too familiar with lately - how does life seem to go faster and faster the older we get? The Dictionary Of Obscure Sorrows made this video that really hit me hard. Watch it until the end. The last line felt like a punch. 

Maybe this recap will give you a little taste of why my head is spinning!

The last thing I blogged about was the awesome class I took at SLT.

That Friday, I ran down to Tompkins Square Park for a November Project workout - but really, I ran there so I could get the post-workout Tompkins Square french toast bagel with birthday cake cream cheese. Again, it was stellar. 

We had a half day that Friday, so around 2 p.m. I was able to head home to Long Island for the Easter Weekend. It was my first time being home since Christmas! Which is a crazy long time for me. Of course I went straight from the train station to the Yacht Club to meet my dad for a few drinks (they now have UFO on tap - winning!)

My dad did not disappoint with dinner that night - scallops, shrimp, cod, mussels, clams and crab legs. Casual for the Wolman house. (PS - you can search #MitchsMeals on Instagram to see some of my dad's amazing cooking!) 

Saturday morning I went for my scheduled long run - 14 miles that felt really shitty, but were actually pretty damn fast! I was very happy with the 7:58 pace.

That night for dinner he cooked the most delicious lamb on a bed of couscous with asparagus and pine nuts. And all weekend I took full advantage of the tub of mint chocolate chip ice cream in the freezer. 

I also went digging through some old photo albums to collect #tbt content, naturally. There were some winners. I was totally a normal child...

Sunday morning I went to Easter mass by myself since my mom was working and my sister is going to hell anyway ;) I kid, I kid. But really, she wouldn't wake up for church. The sermon was kind of strange, with the priest going on and on about how important women are. It was nice to hear and all but, kinda weird. 

Easter is one of my favorite holidays because my family started doing BRUNCH since my sister and I always had to travel back to school Sunday afternoon. We get a giant bagel hero with bacon egg and cheese and my aunt makes hash browns and then there's locks with onions and capers and my grandma buys 2347892 danishes. This year, she also made PEANUT BUTTER FILLED CUPCAKES with PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING. It's like she knows me or something. 

It was so nice to spend time with my family - it felt like it had been forever and I was really missing them.  

(MY LITTLE COUSINS ARE TALLER THAN ME HELP!)

(Thank God for spring weather!)

Monday it was back to work, and after work, a closing shift at NY Running Co. Tuesday we had a clinic with Nike at the store, and I got a sweeeet pair of Nike Frees! I can't run in them, but I've been wearing them for all of my strength workouts and I have this weird thing that I can't get over the fact that I'm wearing all black sneakers. Does anyone else have this issue?! Whenever I see my feet I'm freaking out. So strange, I know, I know. 

Wednesday I took a half day because MODGE & PODGE CAME TO VISIT ME :) I am so lucky that spending a day with my parents is so exciting to me. They really are two of my best friends. 

(Biffles)

I left work and we went downtown to the 9-11 memorial and museum. While it wasn't as sad as I expected it to be (although it was certainly moving at parts!) it was a really amazing museum and I learned so much. I had read online that it would take around 2 hours to get through it, but we could have spend muchhh longer looking around. Unfortunately, we had to rush through the second half so we could get back to the hotel to change for dinner. 

We had a drink at the Hilton bar (the cosmos there are my mom's favorite) and then went back downtown to meet Peter for our reservation at GATO! I have been trying to get a reservation here since it opened, and it never worked out, so I was beyond excited. There will certainly be a review to come, but spoiler alert, we met Bobby Flay! 

(I <3 this picture)

After dinner we went to Sweetwater Social where I had the most vile cocktail in the history of the world , but we played foosball and Peter and I beat my mom and dad so it turned out OK. Oh, and the waiter swapped out my drink for a much more delicious one. 

(Disgusting drink. Do not order. Tequila/spicy/something. Such a disappointment) 

(Things got heated at the Foosball table!)

(Muchhh better!)

It was such a fun day/night and as usual I was sad to say goodbye in the morning :( 

The next night was "Suite Night" for work - we got to eat and drink in the NHL suite for the last Ranger's game of the season which was great! 

That Friday I had a big decision to make. Ok, nothing life altering. But I had to do my longest training run, the 22 miler, that weekend.  I was feeling a little meh and thought I would push it off until Sunday. There was a big November Project gathering on Friday and Peter had a race Sunday morning, so it seemed like the best option was going out Friday, giving myself the extra day of rest, waking up early Sunday and doing my long run then. 

So we went out Friday night, had a great time (Dunkin Donuts gave us lots of free donuts!) and woke up casually on Saturday morning. 

Me being me, I couldn't spend all Saturday with the 22 miler looming over me. Plus Peter was going into work anyway. So, I laced up my sneakers, said a little prayer, and set off to run 22 miles without a real route or plan. Very unlike me. 

I had worked up this training run in my head  A LOT. For me, either this run went well and I would feel confident going into Pittsburgh, or it would be awful, I would shed some tears, and the drive to Pittsburgh would = me being a complete mental mess. 

I'm happy to say that 9 bridges, one stop at Dunkin Donuts, a chugged water bottle, and 3 boroughs later - I finished my 22 miler with an 8:16 pace and felt SO SO GOOD. The subway trip back from Brooklyn wasn't the most fun thing in the world- but I was so happy to have done it (and to still have Sunday to relax!) 

By relax on Sunday I mean wake up, go to Central Park, cheer for Peter and everyone else running the race, and go to BRUNCH. 

(Cheer squad!)

(Speedy!)

(Cheeeeesin'!)

(Brunch at Bocado - very tasty, a little overpriced, and beware: they don't serve the complimentary cocktail until after 12 p.m.) 

After brunch I went to yoga and after yoga we went to the park because it was BEAUTIFUL out! I colored, did some yoga, and PLAYED LACROSSE. Yes, I broke out the lacrosse sticks for the first time in ages and it was lots of fun. I miss it! I need to find a league. Anyone know where a 20-something can lax in NYC? Drop the deets in the comments. (OR FIELD HOCKEY!)

After the park we went to 16 Handles for the 'yo and then Peter and I got some $4 margs from Blockheads because SPRING! 

Monday was work & more work at the store. Tuesday was free cone day - or, free cup day?

And Tuesday night was a date with Alex from Burke's Bites :) For the start of the playoffs and the start of the first round series of the Islanders vs. Capitals, she cooked me a DELICIOUS dinner that you can read all about on her blog! Let's just say it involved incredible puns which I give Alex full credit for. Thousand ISLANDERS Salmon with CAP-rese Salad, rice and asparagus. Mmm. 

I'd also just like to note that I have been going to yoga A LOT recently. Like 3 - 4 times a week. This is very very strange for me to say and even stranger is the fact that I've been learning to love it. It's a process, and I'm definitely no yogi yet, but I do think it's been helping me a TON if only because it's an hour dedicated to stretching that I normally wouldn't be doing. That, plus the fact that I'm trying to foam roll for 30 minutes every day during my lunch break. The personal trainer at the gym finally introduced himself to me after commenting on my business-casual clothes while foam rolling every day for the past 3 weeks. I must look so strange. 

(This cute instructor at Union Square gave us each an inspiring quote before the start of class!) 

Wednesday was November Project, and whenever I go to 5:30 with Peter I find myself running harder than I intend. Yay motivation! And yay beautiful sunrises. 

Wednesday night after work I met the girls for an ab deck at NYSC and then Peter and I went to get Brazilian food at Zebu right near my old apartment. It was really yummy. I liked that it seemed simple and healthy (OK, maybe not the fried balls of chicken and cream cheese) but it's definitely something that takes getting used to- there's not sauce and dip and all that jazz. It's just the food you order. Which was refreshing. Maybe I'll write a real review. Maybe not. But here are some pictures! 

(Chicken Pastel and Caipirinhas!) 

(Sausage with black beans, collard greens, rice, bacon & egg - little bit of everything!) 

(Guava Cheesecake!)

Friday I got to leave work early for a team-bonding adventure to Escape the Room! Chances are you've heard of people who have done this - and I highly suggest it! It was so much more legit than I had thought it would be. Apparently only 25% of people manage to escape, and I can see why! We came close, but didn't make it out of the room. We did the "Theater" game. I would love to go back and try a different one, although I think I would only do it if I did it with enough people to fill the entire room with people that I knew. 

I love that they have everyone take a picture afterwards and upload it to their Facebook page so you can download it for free - they could totally charge people $15 for it in some dumb souvenir frame. 

(Womp Womp! Losers but still smiling!)

From there I went to Penn Station to meet Peter and begin our journey to Boston for the weekend to visit Peter's friend Anthony! We went to Long Island, stopped at Peter's house for dinner (more Brazilian food, mmm) and hit the road. I sang a lot of show tunes and he somehow didn't kick me out of the car. We also got ice cream and I remembered how amazing McDonald's soft serve is. We made good time and got to Anthony's apartment around 11:30. 

The apartment is in a beautiful old house in Cambridge that I fell in love with. Wantttttt. 

Saturday morning was sunny and warm and we walked for a delicious brunch - the omelettes at Brookline Lunch were HUGE and served with hash browns FULL of fresh, amazing veggies. I was in heaven. And the toast came with homemade apple cinnamon jam that was essentially pie filling. 

We were pleasantly surprised when we got to the Sam Adams brewery and only had to wait 30 minutes for a free tour! The tour was short and sweet so that we could get to the important part - the beer tasting! The tasting room was FREEZING but the beer was great and we left a little tipsy! 

Next stop was the Harpoon brewery! We opted out of the tour and went straight to the beer garden where I got a flight of the different UFO beers -  my favorites! Oh did I mention the beer garden had GIANT SOFT PRETZELS WITH DIPPING SAUCES!? Like, a cinnamon sugar pretzel with PEANUT BUTTER DIPPING SAUCE. 

But I digress. 

We spent the next few hours walking around and seeing the sights. 

We walked to the Marathon finish line and stopped at a restaurant around there for dinner.  The city was pretty packed, so we waiting awhile for our table at Back  Bay Social Club. I ordered the lobster roll which was better than expected on the lobster front. It definitely had a good amount of lobster, and the lobster actually tasted like lobster! The calamari appetizer came out my favorite way too - with peppers, mmm. We also got a Baked Alaska for dessert that legit looked like the poop emoji. Overall, the food wasn't spectacular but it was definitely tasty and I was happy to get my seafood fix (and eat lots of french fries). Their margarita was solid too! 

We had every intention of going back out to a bar that night, but after stopping home to walk the dog and sitting down on the couch, it got later and later and we were still sitting, until we gave up on motivating ourselves to go back out. 

We woke up Sunday morning (ok, very late morning) and went for a pretty 4 mile run along the Charles. We got a quick breakfast and headed to the Boston Marathon Expo - there were a lot of cool things, tons of free samples, and I got 5 of my Clif espresso energy gels. The quest for a BQ is on! 

We drove back late Sunday afternoon, stayed on Long Island for the night, and commuted in on the LIRR Monday morning. 

Last week was a little less chaotic.  Tuesday I had an incredible opportunity to work at the Islanders playoff game. It was so exciting to hear the Coliseum so loud, to see the players and fans alike so pumped up. It wasn't the outcome that we hoped for, but it was an amazing night none the less and such a good feeling to be able to point to something productive that I did. 

Thursday was "Take Your Kids to Work Day" and my office organizes a really great day for the kids and even though I don't have kids, I was able to invite my little cousins to come in! I took them out for lunch and was so terrified of losing them in Rockefeller Center - I don't know how parents do it! I hope they had a good day, they've probably followed hockey and the Islanders more closely than me this season! 

It was also my aunts birthday and her and my uncle were nice enough to take Peter and I out for dinner at China Grill that night. As usual, it was amazingly delicious. They have a great happy hour deal that I plan on checking out after work one of these days - $7 drinks and appetizers. I've tried their drinks and a few of their appetizers and let me tell you - $7 is a steal! They have a nice outdoor patio area too, so try to go on a nice night! 

Friday we had a special guest at November Project - Andrew Ference from the Edmonton Oilers! It was a fun workout, maybe because Peter was my #BUDDDDYYYY and had me cracking up during hoistees. 

Friday night Peter and I went to Harlem for a night at a legit speakeasy! It's a really tiny, intimate jazz club that's BYOB! I don't fully appreciate jazz music, and I didn't love that you couldn't talk at all, but for $20 it was an experience that I'm glad to have had! 

Saturday morning I woke up for my last "long" run - 7 miles in Central Park which is BEAUTIFUL thanks to all of the blooming flowers! 

I got dressed and headed out for a brunch of EPIC proportions for Jess's birthday. Brunch was on Bleecker Street at a place called Carroll Place. If the group is 10 or more people, you get to pick out a family-style menu. For $35 we got 2 hours of endless drinks (you could choose from Pineapple Screwdrivers, Rose Sangria, Mango Bellinis and Blood Marys!) and all the food you could ever want. For he group of 11 of us, we got 3-4 plates of each dish! 

To start, a fresh salad with golden beets, tomatoes and ricotta. 

Next, meatballs! 

Then, thin crust Margherita pizza! 

Next - french toast and baked truffle eggs with creamy polenta and mushroom (I don't like truffle, but I loved this!) 

Dessert? Nutella calzone. It was incredible. And the atmosphere was great - it was a seriously cute, chic place. And the company was the best part :) 

Sunday I ran the Run as One 4 Miler in the park before free yoga at Lulu Lemon. So much yoga these days! 

I took all afternoon to organize myself and GULP started packing for PITTSBURGH! 

I ended the weekend with Oatmeal Sunday! Rebecca, Kayla and Melissa came over and we all had different toppings for an oatmeal potluck. It was so yummmmmy. I love potlucks, and this one was super easy and cheap! 

Friday afternoon I'll be leaving for Pittsburgh to hopefully complete my second marathon. I can't believe how quickly it arrived and I'm excited but a littler concerned because honestly, the biggest thing I feel when I think about Sunday is "Ugh, I don't feel like running 26.2 miles." Is that a normal thought to be having?! HELP! 

Full Disclosure: This has not been proofread. 

20 Miles of Smiles

Life has just been speeding along and I am a little concerned that tomorrow is APRIL already. Where is time going? 

For the past two weeks I attempted to be gluten and dairy free - it was going really well for awhile. I think the reason I felt better wasn't necessarily because my body doesn't like gluten or dairy (in moderate amounts) but because I was taking the time to really think about what I was eating - lots of quinoa, veggies and chicken - all real food instead of processed and packaged things. 

(What my dinner looked like most nights!)

But then Peter and I FINALLY found the Speculoos Cookie Core Ben & Jerry's flavor. 

(DELICIOUS! However, I don't think I would say it's my favorite B&J's.)

And then I was out for happy hour (sorry, but Bud Light is more budget-friendly than cider, wine or cocktails) and needless to say I quickly fell off the wagon. I would like to try again to make it an entire month and I'm definitely going to try to be good the 2 weeks prior to the Pittsburgh Marathon! My key finding was that Soy yogurt is vile and is in no way an appropriate replacement for Greek yogurt. Instead, I started making lots of chia seed pudding - big fan! 

(Chia seed pudding is an acceptable yogurt substitute as long as it's CHOCOLATE)

Let's see. Last weekend I had a 12 mile run that seemed like it was never going to end. I was not a happy camper and it was pretty torturous if we're being honest. But, it got done.  

That afternoon, Allison came into the city and we met up with her parents for suchhhh an awesome night - dinner at PJ Clarke's followed by The King and I at Lincoln Center! 

(Dinner was delicious, I had a chopped shrimp salad that had chickpeas and lots of other yummy things. The dressed was light and not drowning the salad.)

(This was my first time seeing a show at Lincoln Center - It's so beautiful!)

(The show was GREAT. I didn't know what to expect going into it, and I didn't know any of the music (except "Getting to Know You") but Kelli O'Hara was PHENOMENAL. Seriously, she opens her mouth and makes it seem absolutely effortless.  The plot reminded me of The Sound of Music, the cast was great, and it was very classic Broadway.) 

After the show, Allison and I sat and chatted over a glass of wine at ABV on Lex and 97th - it's super cute inside, the bartender was really nice and let us try like 4 different wines each, it was quiet so we could actually talk, and although it cost more than I would usually try to spend, the prices really are average and totally do-able especially if you're just going out for one drink! I definitely want to go back to check out the food one night. 

We slept in, something I hadn't done in far too long, and got ready for brunch (I mean, Sunday morning, what else would we do?) Did you know that Bareburger has a brunch menu now? Well, it does, and you should seriously get on that. My love of Bareburger was newly ignited with my Farmstead Burger. I need it again. Nowwww. 

(Farmstead = Sweet Potato & Wild Rice burger with cauliflower hummus (!!!), tomatoes and baby kale wrapped in a collard green)

Next we headed downtown to check out the Macy's Flower Show - my mom always tells me to go and I usually roll my eyes but I guess I'm getting old because I suggested it and actually enjoyed it. 

(Basically anything where I can just wander around taking pictures is something I'm going to enjoy!)

It was finally feeling a little springy outside so we walked from Herald Square to Grand Central, stopping for a few pictures of the ever-lovely Empire State Building. Truly never gets old. 

(This is the view from near my desk at work!)

I've been trying to be consistent with Monday morning Bodypump classes at NYSC so that was my Monday morning. I found someone to cover for me at the running store and went straight home and into my bed where I proceeded to listen to showtunes while coloring in an adult coloring book for approximately 2.5 hours. That's not an exaggeration and I have no regrets. 

Tuesday morning I was up early for 5 miles in the park because after work Peter and I got on a train to head to Long Island for his first ISLANDERS GAME at Nassau Coliseum. I'm getting seriously emotional about them not being there next season. Of course, since I was there, the Isles lost, but it was still great, as usual, to be there. 

(Two of my favorite things! Well Peter's not a thing, he's a person, but you get it.)

We went from my comfort zone of the Coliseum to way way wayy out of my comfort zone at a country night at a bar nearby - line dancing and me, as I suspected, are not exactly a match made in heaven. I probably learned one of the steps correctly. But what I DIDN'T expect was for me to find myself thinking that I want to learn! Everyone looked like they were having so much fun, plus I don't like being bad at things, so I may just have to give it another try. 

Wednesday we woke up super early to get a 6 a.m. train back to the city and I went to NYSC for a back workout before work. Back day = favorite day. One day I'll be able to do an unassisted pull-up...

Thursday I finally got to check-out Mile High Run Club - you can read my review here! 

Friday happy hour and Quinnpiac hockey game watch resulted in a few more drinks than I had planned on, but nothing to derail my plans for my 20 miler! Ahhhhhhh. 

(QU lost BIG TIME but the bar had lots of fun pom poms and beads and thunder sticks. We managed to destroy all of these things - woops.)

Saturday morning I ran the 2 miles to Nike's store on 57th and then had a couple minute break while we waited for them to get their group run started.  Then it was out for a 16 mile route down the west side, around lower Manhattan, over and back over the Manhattan Bridge, and back up to the store. Once we got back to the store, I still had 2 to go, which I finished still feeling mahvelous. 

I've run with Nike Run Club one other time (which you can read about here) and while I was grateful to have company for the 16 miles, I definitely felt like I was cheating because we stopped and started so much (running through Chinatown, really?) The water breaks and snacks to refuel are really clutch, And having a pacer was what kept me feeling so strong and confident the entire run - I wasn't wasting energy changing my tempo the entire time. But I reallllly don't like stopping. 

Peter, Kaitlin, Tiffanie and Taylor all made the 20 miles so much more bearable. And I felt surprisingly strong the entire time. I kept being seriously confused as to why everything felt so good. When I finished at 20 miles, I definitely could have kept going, which made me feel confident and also a little nervous! It's really not that far away now, and already thoughts of PRing are starting to slip back into my head. 

(My boyfriend REALLY LOVES RUNNING WITH ME can't you tell?)

Another plus to running with Nike? PICTURES! My favorite! And I love how some of these turned out. 

After my 20 miles I had no time to rest. It was time to shower, pack and head to Connecticut for my wonderful college rommate's birthday party! I was really nervous I would be too tired and cranky and sore to have a good time, and I was worried about bringing the mood down (and I think I was really out of it the beginning of the night - sorry guys!) but when you're surrounded by your best friends and the best music, you can't help but have an amazing night. 

(LOVE THESE CREATURES)

(QU + Allison who may as well have gone there at this point!)

And that's just what happened - the bar played one song after the other that elicited singing at the top of our lungs and somehow I was able to Cotton Eye Joe till the cows came home (my legs on Sunday though, different story). 

(Iiiiiii wanna dance with somebodyyyyyy, Iiii wanna feel the heeattttt with someboddyyy)

All that's really left besides some shorter-long runs (oxymoron?) is the 22 miler on April 11th and then it's time to run a marathon! WHAT. Cannot believe it. 

(A little Cheno love)

San Francisco in 24 Hours

I'm incredibly lucky that I have gotten to see so many new cities since I started my job a year and a half ago.  

If you couldn't tell, I like pictures A LOT. So I think that's the best way to some up where I've gotten to journey. 

(Detroit. Not the most exciting city in the world, but The Big House is seriously incredible!)

(Los Angeles. This was my first trip to the West Coast and it was AWESOME. This night at Venice Beach was picture perfect!)

(Chicago. It was SO cold that I barely got to be outside the entire trip, but I DID get my photo op with the bean and I DID have the best meal of my life at Girl and the Goat.)

(Vegas. I had been here before, but a long time ago. Vegas is, Vegas. It's not my favorite - but it's warm and I like warmth.) 

(Philadelphia. Kind of weird that I had never been here before, and I really wasn't expecting much, but I absolutely fell in love with this city. I'm usually a snob when it comes to New York and no city ever comparing, and while I stand by that fact, Philly was a place I could see myself enjoying for awhile. Such a bummer that I didn't know about NP while I was here - I'm sure it would have made me like the city even more!)

(DC. Definitely not a first for being here but I love history, I love how walk-able it is, there's some pretty delicious food, but WHY ARE THE SUBWAYS SO ANNOYING?) 

(Columbus, Ohio. Random? Perhaps. But the people here were literally the nicest people I've ever met. Everyone was so great!) 

(Santa Clara/San Jose. I was expecting to like it here more than I did, but I was also sick for a majority of the trip so it's probably not fair for me to judge. Their donut game is ON POINT though, that's for sure.)

Travelling for work, in general, is an amazing perk. Especially for someone like me, who really hasn't gotten to see a lot of the country! 

Sometimes, I get caught up in the constant grumbles of my co-workers who have been doing this for years and years. They're married or have kids or have just been doing this for so long that they're over it. In the height of our travel season, it is easy to feel not-so-great. You're tired, you're constantly surrounded by a lot of different personalities, you're eating like crap no matter how hard you try to tell yourself "this trip I'm going to be healthy, this trip I'm not going to drink, this trip I'm NOT going to eat the arena cookies..." 

(Trying to stay active...)

And it's true that by the end of a couple of events you are run-down and tired of hotel rooms that leave you waking up with a cold every morning, and you're tired of delayed flights and airports with no Wifi and of course there's all the weekend plans that you have to forego.  But at the end of the day, look at all that I've gotten to do! I ran up the Rocky Steps and I got my picture with the Bean. I went to a Bulls game, I got to eat at incredible restaurants, I ran a 5K with coworkers, I've visited November Project workouts, not to mention going to the actual events that we're there to put on - which I still find myself tearing up over sometimes. 

So the moral of the story, as I sit here thinking of missing Mother's Day and Father's Day and my mom's birthday, and my sister's birthday, and a slew of NYRR races that I'd like to run this summer, I need to remind myself more often how lucky I am. 

My recent trip to San Jose is the perfect reminder of why I should have zero complaints. I was able to extend my trip by a day so that I could finally see San Francisco! And although we were only there for 24 hours, the trip was pretty damn near perfect - we got to do and see so many things in a small amount of time! So here's my guide to seeing San Francisco in 24 hours: 

1) Rent a car. Yes, I would have liked to walk around and maybe take the trolley, but since we were on a time crunch, having a car was what made all of this possible.  Not to mention our incredible luck in finding street parking throughout the day everywhere we went! Someone was looking out for us. 

2) Golden Gate Bridge. I wish I could tell you the name of the viewing area we went to, because it was great, but alas, I don't know. We started up near the parking lot in a grassy field with this view: 

Then there was a walk down a path/steps (lots of people out running) which we stopped on for a different view (OK the view wasn't that different but we just really like taking lots of pictures) 

The path finished down here with this view:

3) The Painted Ladies. I grew up watching Full House so I naturally went here and proceeded to play the theme song while prancing around taking pictures like a giant tourist. It was well worth it. The Painted Ladies were kind of a let down, they weren't even the prettiest of the painted houses we saw. But the park was nice and there were so many people out relaxing. Probably because you have to walk completely uphill to reach the park. Everyone was ready for a nap in the grass by the time they got there (I'm dramatic, and I really hate hills). 

4) Brunch. We found a cute place called Squat & Gobble and enjoyed some OUTDOOR EATING. 

5) Castro. Unintentionally, we realized we were in the Castro neighborhood and strolled around for a little bit. Some hysterical signs and lively places. This is probably where I would hang out if I lived in San Fran, if we're being honest. Very Village-esque.

6) I had read about a place called Philz Coffee with a MINT MOJITO iced coffee. It sounds like a weird combination, but it was so refreshing! 

7) Union Square. As soon as we got here, it's like I was back in NYC.  The whole area around Union Square is like Manhattan. I kept pointing out streets with the same names and all of the stores were what you would find along 5th Avenue. 

8) China Town. What I would expect from a China Town - very similar to New York. Tons of typical tourist souvenir shops which I managed to go into and not leave with some ridiculous thing that I didn't need. I did take pictures with the greatest monkey statue though.  And turtle.  And lion.  Sorry.

9) Lombard Street. We were scared the line to drive down Lombard Street was going to be really long, but it wasn't at all! It was bizarre but the houses along it are so pretty and the view from the top was awesome too. How do the people who live there own cars? Crazy. 

10) We were going to attempt to go to a speakeasy I had read about, but then I saw the sky starting to change colors and realized we were getting close to sunset. I have a serious obsession with sunsets, and the last time I was in California Emily and I were at Venice Beach for one of my favorites EVER (from the picture above) so I thought we should catch one in San Francisco together. We drove down to the Marina and walked out to the pier for a pretty sunset and dipped our toes in the water. 

11) Ghirardelli. Yes, I did the touristy thing and bought a bunch.The selfie stick was almost left behind on this stop- PHEW CLOSE CALL!!

12) Fisherman's Wharf. Yes a very touristy place, but I still wanted to see it, and while dinner wasn't the best thing I've ever had, we did have some yummy sourdough garlic bread! We were shocked at how early everything closed though! 

13) Mitchell's. Of course my research into San Francisco included extensive reading up on the best ICE CREAM. Mitchell's was the closest one I had read about to Fisherman's Wharf so we headed there after dinner. Mitchell's made my list because they have really interesting flavors like purple yam, avocado and halo halo, which is a combination of all different weird tropical fruits. I ended up getting a scoop of the halo halo and I wish I could describe it to you, but I can't really. It's not fruity, despite being filled with pieces of fruits. You should try it if you ever see it on a menu. I also got a scoop of mint chocolate chip because it's always my favorite. 

14) November Project. This was one of the main reasons I wanted to stay the extra day in San Francisco- so I could check out the San Fran tribe's workout on Friday morning. Unfortunately, my legs were on pretty strict rest, but I jog/walked and did the workout to a STUNNING sunrise, free from any fog! Everyone was friendly and badass and I don't understand how they run those hills. Crazy, all of ya. 

15) Mrs. Doubtfire House. Photo op! 

16) Last stop was back to Fisherman's Wharf to go to the Boudin Bakery. I never realized I even liked sourdough until I was in San Francisco. The breakfast at Boudin's was a great price - I went with the Belgian waffle with berries but the bread bowls with scrambled eggs probably would have been the better choice. If I'm every back, I would definitely like to take a tour of the bakery and maybe even make my own little bread creature (yes, that's a thing that you can do!)

See - told you we got to do a ton! 

If I were to go back, I would definitely plan on more food-related activities. Brunch filled us up so much the first day that I couldn't eat my way through San Fran like I would have liked ;) I would also loooove to do the tour of Alcatraz! 

So there ya have it. Whenever I'm being a grump about travelling please just direct me to this post, tell me to chug my Emergen-C to avoid airborne germs before my next flight, and send me on my way! 

Food, Fitness, Friends - The Usual.

I've been really consistent with my blogging, wouldn't you say?

Since my pretty wonderful 25K out on Long Island, I've been pretty busy.

First off, it was Restaurant Week in NYC.  Ok, so Restaurant "Week" is now like 3 weeks twice a year, but I still try to take advantage of it! We decided to go to Maya - a Richard Sandoval Mexican restaurant on the Upper East Side. Review to come, but let's just say I was a fan and thoroughly photographed (and Instagrammed) the meal. 

(Chipotle Salmon entree from Maya)

To burn off those tasty, tasty tostadas, it was up and out super early Thursday morning for an EPIC Hybrid Training class at 6:30 a.m. Our friend has been teaching there and sadly is moving to Philadelphia, so we wanted to get in one more killer workout while we still could! I HIGHLY recommend checking out EPIC if you like getting SUPER SWEATY and going non-stop! You will feel so bad-ass by the end of the class, and you'll probably learn a few new exercises to incorporate into your routine. I struggled through Turkish Getups for a good 10 minutes before I (kind of) got the hang of it. 

(Get it, the HANG of it?)

Friday we ran to the November Project workout in Times Square. Waking up early definitely has its advantages, when you can take over the one area in NYC that's usually crowded beyond belief and workout! 

(I have a new top NYC moment - kick lining and singing New York, New York in the middle of Times Square. Photo Credit: Chris Mosier)

Of course, my all time favorite breakfast followed the workout. I still need to dedicate a post to the energy wrap...After NP I ran a few more miles on the treadmill at NYSC.

Friday just continued to be amazing when we had our first DIP NIGHT. Basically, a potluck where everyone brings a different dip. 

I was so excited to be able to host dip night in my new apartment :) With room for all the dip, and all of us! Dip night featured:

-Biscoff Cookie Dough Dip with apple slices
Recipe Here!
It took me some time to appreciate this, but eventually I came to think it was pretty tasty. Don't let the chickpeas scare you!

-Roasted Sweet Potatoes and a Curry Mustard dipping sauce

-Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip with tortilla chips

-Spinach and Artichoke Dip with carrots and celery

-2 Black Bean Dips with pita chips

-Guacamole with tortilla chips

-Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips with Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip 

-Brie/Apple Crumble/Walnut Bake 

-S'mores Dip! 

And of course, this was all accompanied by fresh MARGARITAS courtesy of Jaime! I've truly found my people. 

(She even salted the rims!!)

Despite a serious food coma, a bunch of us were able to rally and head to Central Park in the morning for some mileage. I did 11 and felt...

AMAZING. 

I bet you thought I was going to have some complaint about every muscle that was bothering me.  But nope. I busted out 11 miles at an 8:00 pace. 

I was able to be lazy for a little bit before it was off for an amazingly fun afternoon/night to say goodbye to our friend Leanne. A ton of November Project friends got together for a scavenger hunt throughout the city that ended at Brother Jimmy's for a looooot of drinking. 

(Ate an Oyster at the oyster bar in Grand Central!)

(Quick hockey break) 

(We all have the same birthday!)

(We'll miss you Leanne!!!!)

Sunday I slept in later than usual, finalllllly. But instead of laying around and doing nothing, we decided to take advantage of the relatively warm weather and headed to Brooklyn (whoah, who am I? I never go to Brooklyn - unless it's for food).  First stop was an attempt to get brunch at Buttermilk Channel in Carroll Gardens.  They basically laughed and said there was no way we would get seated before they closed. So we wandered and came across a place that looked good and decided to give it a try. Ok, I'll admit, what really sold me was the drink special on the chalkboard - Mint Tequila Hot Chocolate. Uhm, yes. It didn't disappoint. 

The food was good too, and the fire-place smelled delicious. (Buschenschank if anyone is curious - we both had the Cobble  Hill Cristo which was a poached egg, hollandaise, speck, lingonberries and melted Gruyere on battered brioche. It was the perfect blend of sweet and savory!) 

After brunch we headed on to the transit museum, which I highly recommend! The price is fair ($7) and it was really interesting. I actually learned a ton. And seeing the old subway cars was pretty cool.  

It was such a pretty day out and made me so excited for SPRING. 

(Is it time for Smorgasburg yet?!)

I did speedwork in the park on the following Tuesday in only ONE LAYER - a small miracle.  Of course, the speed work resulted in 0 more miles being run that week until Saturday's long run. My shins and intervals just do not get along.  We ran 10x400 meter intervals which I did at around 1:40-1:30. 

This is my new attempt at foam rolling. These knots are no joke. 

Tuesday night I went to the Coliseum for the Rangers/Islanders game which BUMMER they lost. But it was nice getting to be there - it was my first Isles/Rangers game at the Coliseum! And likely my last. All the feels. 

Hmm, what else.  We went to get a real German dinner on Saturday night. I ordered the Jagershnitzel and besides being a baby cow, it was delicious. Crispy, buttery spaetzle is incredibly yummy as it clogs your arteries. 

(Not the more photogenic of dishes)

Saturday's forecast called for rain rain rain. But I had no choice, 18 miles were happening one way or the other. I would never have been able to do it without Peter getting me up and out and into the rain. We met up with Brian, who luckily knew his way around the bridges way better than me.  For the first half of the run I felt pretty good, then I had my usual "crap, I'm halfway done and now I have to do that all over again and I'm tired and it hurts" moment - luckily that's about when we picked up Kaitlin and I was able to suck it up and catch up with her while trying to keep up with a pair of fresh legs (meanwhile, Brian's legs never tire). I guess I was going a lot faster than I thought, because at the end, my 18 mile pace was 8:30.  There were a few parts in the park where Brian and Kaitlin had to give me a few peppy words because I was fading. 

Can we just briefly mention how DRENCHED we all were? I'm talking 5 pound pony-tail. Also, a car drove past me at some point and it was like a scene from a movie, hugeeee splash all over me. But it didn't even matter because I couldn't have gotten any wetter than I already was. 

I felt so relieved that I finished that run and felt OK doing it. Especially after an only 4 mile week. 

Normally, I would sleep the rest of the day away after a run like that. But instead, I showered, packed, ate and got on a train to go to Nassau Coliseum to see my parents, sister, grandparents, aunt, uncle, cousins, and best friend for our last Islanders game together :( I can't believe it. 

We all had rooms at the Marriott with a view of the Coliseum from our windows and enough food and beer (and sangria) to feed a small army. It was amazing. Minus the Islanders losing (but we're all used to that...) 

In other news, I've been doing weights a lot more since most days my legs don't feel run-ready. Operation do an unassisted pull-up is in full-effect and I started going back to Body Pump at NYSC.

Took a trip back to my most favorite margarita place - Bamboleos - for St. Patrick's Day! $20 pitchers with free chips and guac from 4-7. Go, people! 

So now that I'm relatively caught up - I'll likely fall ridiculously behind again. Sorry about it. 

Oh...WHO HAS READ UNBROKEN? Can we please discuss? 

Pittsburgh on Pause

Let us recap the week in running and exercise, shall we? Even though I'm pretty sure the title of the post provides enough foreshadowing to tell you how things turned out...

As I said in my last post, Monday morning I woke myself up at 5:45, looked out the window, and said “Snow hasn’t started yet, no excuses, get your butt to the park.”

I got dressed, put on my sneakers, looked out the window and…the snow had started. But at that point there was no turning back, and I headed to the park for 6 miles that were faster than I’ve been typically running these days- 8:25 pace in the empty, snowy park and my week was off to a very positive start.

Tuesday was another early morning, but it wasn’t very difficult to get up and out because interval day is my favorite day and I knew I was meeting Melissa to do a few miles as a warm up! We did 3 miles followed by 2.5 miles of 400 meter intervals and a .5 mile cool down back home for a total of 6.

(Interval crew) 

It was cold, it was snowy, and when I got back to my apartment, there was no heat or hot water. Thank god for NYSC memberships.

Wednesday morning I returned to November Project after way too long off. I even got up and out for the 5:30 a.m. group so I could make it to physical therapy at 7:30! 

(So early, but so great)

My new apartment is almost 1.5 miles away from Gracie Mansion, and the workout was about 3 miles plus burpees, lunges and pushups! 5 miles total on Wednesday!

(NP_NYC)

Thursday was a day off from running but I did a shoulder and back circuit at the gym:
10 TRX rows
10 front plate raises (10 lbs)
10 ball slams (14 lb ball)
10 later side plate raises (5 lbs)
x4

Then,  15 minutes of rowing.

Friday was another day off from running – 

(Sometimes, seeing this is wonderful!)

Kayla, Melissa and I continued with my new favorite tradition – Friday decks & froyo! We met after work for 2 decks at NYSC. A KILLER arm deck (renegade rows, tricep extensions, lateral raises, pushups, and Kayla’s Chaturanga death move for the jokers. It took a while, so we made a quick ab deck to finish up with- penguins, lower ab circles, weighted Russian twists, and toes to sky.  

Next was the best part of deck & froyo Fridays- the froyo. $4 fill ups, thank you 16 Handles! Who cares that it was the coldest day of the year!?

(Mine's the one with extra graham cracker crumbs, frosted animal crackers and rainbow cookies)

Saturday was Valentine’s Day and it was the perfect morning. We woke up and headed to the park – I finished 12 miles relatively pain free and when I got back, an amazzzzing brunch was being cooked for me :)

Bacon.
Cinnamon Buns.
An omelet with spinach, mushrooms, peppers & cheese.
Hot chocolate with whipped cream and raspberry chocolate sauce.

Why do I spell omelet wrong every time. My brain just wants it to be omelette.

(Lucky girl!)

We got ready and got on a train to Connecticut for happy hour and endless appetizers at TGI Fridays. Approximately 40 mozzarella sticks later, it was time for some hockey! It was so nice being back at Quinnipiac. Watching hockey with some of my favorite people. And seeing BOOMER of course.

(Favorite people)

(Favorite bobcat)

(Just like the good old days!)

We spent the rest of the night drinking and eventually made it to Eli’s which was weird because it was emptier than I’ve ever seen it! Second trip to Hamden in a row where I’ve been forced to leave the women’s room by the bartender because I was busy girl talkin’ with friends. Woops.

Sunday we slept in and got RAY & MIKES SANDWICHES aka heart attack in sandwich form. Cheesesteak with a buffalo chicken cutlet. Because that’s necessary.

("The Irresistible") 

Then, time for more hockey- we had an entire suite to ourselves at the Bridgeport Sound Tigers game! Sadly, my parents and sister couldn’t make it, but we made the best of it.

(We may or may not have watched an entire period on the TV screen because we didn't want to leave the couch) 

Monday was President’s Day so we had an extra day of weekend-ness. I had every intention of running 6 miles. Instead, the cold made it impossible to run outside- my fingers and toes were immediately numb despite all my layers. So we went to the gym and I figured I could at least do a few miles on the treadmill.

Wrong.

Shins. Were. Awful.

I was crushed. My foot has been feeling almost 100%. I took 3 days off from running last week. My runs had been going great. I was finally back in the groove of waking up early in the mornings for my workouts.

The frustration and disappointment translated to me crying in the middle of New York Sports Club. Not my proudest moment.

Naturally, I dealt with it by brunching with my lovely ladies.

Potluck brunches are the best! You get lots of different food. The drinks are bottomless for AS LONG AS YOU WANT. You can take your shoes off and sit on couches.

Our menu consisted of:
The most delicious mini banana muffins that Kayla made. And healthy too! Probably not when you eat like 5 of them like I did, but whatever. 

S’more cookies that were killer. “If we eat them all now, we don’t have to worry about eating them later.”
Bruschetta, classic.
Avocado toast on Ezekiel bread <3
Greek yogurt with coconut flax granola (shout out to Nature's Promise, my favorite granola ever!)
Fruit salad
FRITATTA

And lots and lots of sangria. 

And maybe some cucumber vodka. Organic, of course.

Tuesday, I was supposed to run, but a delayed flight and landing in California later than scheduled meant I didn’t have time to make it to the gym.

I woke up this morning SO EXCITED to run in SHORTS and be WARM. My hotel is right near the Guadalupe River Trail, and I woke up nice and early with plenty of time to get in a wonderfully glorious 6-8 mile run.

If only.

Instead, I limped along for 2 miles before finally telling myself that this has to end.

I have to stop blatantly disregarding the warning signs that my body are giving me.

I have to stop knowing what I need to do to get better, and refusing to do it.

Thank you, to the November Project friend who Facebook messaged me and said, “I just honestly don't want to see a talented runner sidelined because of this mental side of training and need to keep up.”

Thank you to Kayla who probably doesn’t realize how much she has helped me- by watching her overall positivity despite not being able to run for so long – by seeing her persistently  stay active with decks and yoga – by being so unwavering in doing what it takes to make it to her end goal, to run happy and healthy again.

Thank you to Nina, whose tough love protestations of “GIVE IT A REST, IDIOT” have finally broken through my stubbornness.

Thank you to Peter for not pretending he didn’t know the weirdo breaking down in the middle of New York Sports Club and for hugging me instead.

Elliptical, rowing, biking, swimming, weights and decks it is for me for the time being.

I’m still fairly confident I can make Pittsburgh happen, but if I keep doing what I’m doing, there’s no way I’ll be making it to that starting line, let alone the finish. 

:(

Frustrated, But Back

It’s been an almost solid 2 months since I last blogged, which is really kind of crazy when I think about all the things that have happened since my last post in December.

Of course I’ve been running, working out, and eating delicious, healthy foods. I made my own stuffed acorn squash, and found a new neighborhood Chinese takeout place with a special “health & diet” section!

(Homemade!)

(Tried Sweetgreen for the first time in DC too!) 

But I’ve also been traveling, drinking, and eating things like candied bacon and pumpkin doughnut bread pudding with bourbon ice cream. I also spent an entire day in bed, and only got up to go to a bar for football, beer and nachos.

(This dessert was unreal and one night we ordered 3 of them...)

I wish I could say the healthy lifestyle choices and green juices were outweighing the not-so-healthy choices, but in reality, last Friday I covered a 7-11 Boston Cream Donut in Nutella.  So there’s that. There’s also definitely some extra lbs thanks to my choices…

There’s also the fact that I’m in the process of moving, I was traveling for the majority of January, and have another trip coming up in February. Oh right, and that marathon training thing is happening (kind of, but more on that later). Excuses, excuses, I know.

(I really shouldn't complain about traveling when I get to see things like THIS!)

But I recently received an email that someone had commented on the blog, and that comment gave me the kick in my pants that I needed to get back into this blog. This commenter was a self-described new runner and food lover and they asked me to please start blogging again, because they had just discovered my blog. How could I not? So thank you, commenter, for letting me know that someone out there wanted to read what I have to say about two of my favorite things- fitness & food :)  

To be honest, nowadays running hasn’t given me that feeling of being on top of the world that it used it. In fact, most days at the end of a run I just want to scream and cry in frustration. Something that used to be effortless and enjoyable has become something that is painful and stressful as I try to train for a marathon that my body doesn’t seem to want to run. I’ll get into the specifics of my plagued body parts in a separate post, but needless to say, it’s been disheartening.

(Only 2 weeks into marathon training and I ended up HERE. Ugh)

Luckily, I am surrounded by positive people who make me smile and who share my love of not only exercise, but life. My running buddies have become so much more. They’re there waiting for me at Engineer’s Gate for a 5 mile run after a blizzard, they’re there waiting for me at Engineer’s Gate at 6:30 a.m. for some pre-work intervals, they’re there to walk 6 miles uphill with my mattress, bookshelves, and entire wardrobe, they’re there when I really need a freaking drink at the end of the week, and they’re there when I really need a mimosa Saturday morning at brunch.

(We like running)

(AND we like unlimited sangria and tacos!)

Having people like that makes it easier to handle life’s frustrations and stresses. And makes it easier to handle how, on some days, I am so dang ready I am to throw the towel in on this marathon.   

But like JackRabbit’s Instagram account reminded me this morning, “It’s rare when everything lines up and you feel invincible during your run. That happened to us today- and we want you to chase that feeling too.” And that’s what keeps me going. Because I have to believe that one of these days, everything’s going to click and I’m going to have a great run. Runs like that don’t happen every day, but I’ve had my share of them and I can still remember each and every one. It’s worth every single painful, difficult, shitty step for the feeling of one effortless, happy run.

(This was after my first 16 miler when I felt on top of the world - exhausted, but on top of the world. RAWR)

Here’s to hoping it happens soon. I could really use it! 

5 Reasons This Week Rocked

This week was a pretty great week. Here are some reasons why:

1) Halloween this year was so amazing- I got to see so many of my friends that I haven’t seen in SO LONG and reuniting so many QU bobcats warmed my heart!

(I don't think my apartment is meant to hold this many people, but we made it work!)

Also, my costume was the world's most comfortable thing. As I looked at the girls in heels and minimal clothing, freezing, I smiled in my hoodie and converse. Ok so I was lacking in the pants department. Whatever. We were adorable and comfortable. 

(Alvin and the Chipmunks!) 

2) On Sunday, I got to run a few blocks on 1^st Avenue with my marathon training partner, Tiffanie, as she ran in the NYC Marathon. 

I was feeling like death that day. I was supposed to be volunteering and I’m ashamed to admit, I quit. I couldn’t take the cold, and I was more exhausted than I had ever felt in my entire life.

(I feel ya, Arnold) 

It took everything I had to crawl out of my bed when my tracking app told me that Tiffanie was close. But I am so glad I did!

As I saw her coming up 1^st Avenue in her yellow shorts I couldn’t help myself. I couldn’t simply stand there and wave.

(In my brain: "I know her, I know her! That's Tiffanie, my amazing, perfect, incredible marathon training partner! I know those are her most favorite shorts because I have run with her in them so many times! She is the best!  We run in this very spot together all the time! I can't just stand here, let me in!")

I jumped into the street and started running with her, despite being in Uggs and 7 million layers of sweatshirts and jackets. She was absolutely killing it- and went on to BQ with an incredible time. She truly is my inspiration, in so many ways- not just running!

(I look ridiculous but then again, mid-running selfies are hard and I have yet to master them!)

When I realized how easy it was to just jump into the marathon, I stuck around and waited for my friend Nina to come by and did the same thing with her! It was awesome. Nina was powering through some cramping but, as is typical of November Project people, smiling and staying positive!

(Cramps ain't got nothin' on this girl!) 

(How come the ladies running marathons look better in these pictures than me?!) 

I’ve said a million times to countless people that I have no desire to run the NYC Marathon because it’s too much of an ordeal and a hassle.

HA, who was I kidding? My city, my streets. Being out there on First Avenue (which, hi, I didn’t even realize I basically live ON the marathon route), it was just energy energy energy- non-stop. Bands, music, posters, cheering, happiness, emotion. Just absolutely incredible. And now I know that I NEED to be a part of that one day. No questions.

3) My roommate Luciano and my friend Edgar from New York Running Co. both made me SUPER HAPPY by coming out to their first November Project workout on Wednesday morning. They dropped a #verbal and they stood by their word!

(Everyone knows that breaking a #verbal is even more of a no-no than breaking a pinky promise! You can break a finger. You can't break a #verbal. Or something like that?)

(At work on Tuesday, Edgar champed up with a #verbal so I gave him a sticky note with strict instructions to be at Gracie Mansion at 6:28 a.m. Recruiting papers, where you at?) 

The first words I heard Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. were “I fucking hate you,” but as I left the apartment for work after PR day, Luciano thanked me for inviting him, so I forgive him for his not so kind morning greeting!

(I also forgive him because he's awesome, and has this shirt...)

Luciano killed PR day with a time of 15:56! And Edgar, my Meatball Shop loving counterpart, was McAwesome as usual.

(He doesn't really hate me!)

(YAY Edgar with his NY Running Co. and NP-crazed co-workers)

Thanks again both of you! You were a part of history! On Wednesday, November Project reached its goal of 3014 members before the end of 2014. On Wednesday, November 5 the tribe was 3,934 members strong across 16 cities! The New York tribe had its most attended workout with, wait for it, 172 members! Thanks to people like Edgar and Luciano who are motivated to get up, get out and get sweaty!

(We did it guys! We got a standing O from Oprah! See what I did there? Standing O? Oprah? Gahhhd I'm good.)

4) I got to meet MEB! I don’t know why, but I can’t just write his name Meb. It is MEB. All caps is necessary whenever the topic is MEB!

(MEB MEB MEB!! Kiss those streets! You own those streets!)

He came to do a Q&A and meet and greet at the store and I totally got swept up in the MEB craze. I’ll admit I didn’t know a ton about him prior to Tuesday night, just that he was a super awesome crazy fast marathoner. But after hearing him speak, coming to terms with just how awesome his 2014 Boston Marathon win was, I totally have a new role model.

Since Sunday, he has made tons of appearances, yet he was completely present and tuned in during his time at NY Running Co. He was friendly, a great speaker, and funny as hell. He was scheduled to wrap up at 8:30 and he stayed until 9:30 so that he could get to signing and taking pictures with every single person.

I’ve been going on and on about how I want to qualify for the Boston Marathon eventually, but I’ll admit that my reasons were purely speed-based, not because I had any strong desire to run the Boston Marathon. Well, that changed when Meb referred to the Boston Marathon as the Olympics of mainstream marathons. “You have to earn it,” he said. Now, I want to BQ not only to achieve that specific pace goal, but to be able to run in the Olympics of mainstream marathons.

MEB signed my picture "Run to Win." I love that. I love MEB.
 

(I'm pretty sure MEB LOVES ME TOO!)

5) I went to a JackRabbit Union Square run on Thursday night and ran 6.5 miles with the crew that started it all for me. We took selfies. We met an awesome couple who were visiting New York from Milan and had run in the marathon on Sunday. Awesome couple was awesome. I gave them some vegan restaurant suggestions. You know how I do. Food food food. Restaurants restaurants restaurants. Running running running. 

When I run in the city at night, it can still take my breath away every single time. I can't believe that when I got out for a run, I'm passing sights that people literally spend their whole lives dreaming of visiting. 

Review: 

-November Project continues to bring so much happiness to my life.
-Running in general continues to enrich my life. (I feel like the use of "enrich" on this blog feels out of sync with my normal writing style but it's just really the word to explain what running does for me!)
-I’ve decided that I need to run both the Boston Marathon and the NYC Marathon. How cliché of me. 

NP Sunday Funday

Sunday Funday is one of my favorite things. And lucky for me, NPers agree. 

Half the time I was running the Bronx 10-Miler on Sunday, I was contemplating what I was going to order at brunch with November Project friends after the race. 

(But first, we #EarnedBrunch)

When I got back to the UES after the race, I took a solo trip to Dough Loco to continue my hunt for the most amazing donut in Manhattan (more on that later). After picking up a Maple Miso monstrosity, I headed to my apartment for a shower before meeting up with everyone at Uptown Lounge & Restaurant for a good old boozy brunch- something that it has been far too long since I’ve participated in.

Not only is Uptown conveniently located 3 blocks and an avenue away from my apartment, but they have a GREAT deal. (Although you do need to walk the infamous 2^nd Avenue to 3^rd Avenue mountain to get there!) For $15.95 you get a breakfast entrée and 2 drinks (you can choose between a mimosa, Bloody Mary, Bud Light or Yeungling). There are so many entrée choices- including some quality shiz. I mean, Salmon Benedict? Salmon scrambled eggs? Banana stuffed French toast? 

There were no complaints about the food, or the drink. Service was eh but we were a large group at noon on a Sunday, so no one was expecting perfection.

(We are still unsure why our waitress took such a crooked picture. But instead of editing it, I am embracing it)

After brunch, we headed to East End Tavern for some beers and football. Next stop? My rooftop, after pit stops for beer and tequila, of course. 

My fabulous roommate made popcorn, the sun was shining, we alcohol was flowing, Kings was played and most importantly, Never Have I Ever was played. 

(Good lookin' bunch, don't you agree?)

Honey pretzel twists, guacamole chips, queso, hint of lime Tostitos, pretzels, Ranch dip and salsa were a sufficient dinner. 

(This is proper marathon nutrition, right?)

Somehow, it was suddenly 9 p.m. and we all had work in the morning.

(I'm pretty sure we all Instagrammed Sunday night's rooftop sunset- STUNNING!)

It was such a fun day/night and awesome getting to know people from November Project. 

Even more awesome? These people are my neighbors. So let the good times roll!

The Most Wonderful Weekend

Sunday was one of those nights where I could curl up with my polka dot blanket and think, “Damn. Life is good.”

And that’s exactly what I did, in my apartment that is starting to feel more and more like home (I’ve lived here 8 months, it’s about damn time!)

I drank this sparkling flavored water that’s white grape flavored and it’s weirdly delicious. Except I think normal people would find it gross and artificial tasting and probably say something like, “Oh my God that’s disgusting it tastes like medicine!” I think the reason I like it, is because I used to ask my mom if I could have the grape Dimetapp cough medicine as juice in the morning. So this water is like a liter of Dimetapp-flavored nostalgia in a bottle. To answer your question, yes that is the proper spelling of Dimetapp and yes, I needed to Google it. The fact that to “Google” something is pretty much a legitimate verb in the English language is fascinating to me.

I have a million things that I should blog about that are long overdue- restaurants I want to review that I ate in months ago.  But instead, I feel like reliving this weekend and putting it down into words so ya know what? That’s what I’m going to do. I’ll catch up on the other stuff eventually, right? Yeah…

The end of last week/last weekend/the beginning of this week were absolute craziness with work.  By Friday I was SO excited to come home and clean my apartment and absolutely NOT go out. It was one of those cleaning sessions where I started and got really into it- like going through every single tank top and putting them in color order. I was doing all of this to prepare for my parents coming to spend the night Saturday, and to fool them into thinking I have my shit together (just kidding, Mom and Dad, my shit really is together!) but the problem was- I started at 6 at night and all of a sudden realized, “My apartment looks like a bomb went off because I have taken every inch of it apart and now it’s already 9 p.m. and it somehow all needs to get put back. Oh, and I still need to clean the floors and dust. And I’m waking up at 6 a.m. to run 14 miles before my parents get here in the morning. Crap.” Somehow I pulled the cleaning off and sat down to eat dinner at around 10 with my roommate and his boyfriend.  It was nice sitting and chatting (despite the fly that had Elephantitis that was flying around) but I needed to get to bed.

Tiffanie and I had signed up for our first time at a Nike+ NYC Live run. Conveniently, this weekend the run started at their UES store. I’m going to write a whole entry on the Nike run experience (like I said…eventually, right?) so for now I’ll just say that I ran 14 miles- sweet! 

(Hello, random bike!) 

I got back to my apartment, showered, let my parents in, helped them up with a few things, and then set out to meet my professor and friend from graduate school for brunch.  Except that I wasn’t brunching- since I was going to do lunch with my parents afterwards. 

I interrupt this blog post to bitch about the subway on the weekends. SO AWFUL. After waiting 15 minutes for a 6 train, it decides it’s going to go straight from 42nd Street to 14th Street. “We’re sorry for any inconvenience.” Inconvenience? You are literally skipping 4 stops. On the local train. What even? Ok, bitching over. 

When I finally got there, it was so nice to sit outside at Sarabeth’s and catch up with them. The graduate program in Corporate Communications at Baruch was seriously an amazing experience. I owe so much of where and who I am today to the short year and a half I was apart of it.


Next, it was off to meet my parents at Chelsea Market because as is par for the course whenever my parents grace NYC with their presence, it was raining. By now, it was after 2 o’clock and I had only eaten half a banana and a Gu and run 14 miles. We immediately walked to the Los Tacos No. 1 line and ordered two carne asada corn tacos with guacamole and demolished them. For some reason, they weren’t as delicious as I remembered them being (some of the pieces of meat were a little big and tough/chewy for me), but were still damn tasty, especially given my hunger levels.

(Los Taco No. 1 x 2)

We started walking around and hitting up all the possible free samples. My dad was in awe of the seafood market, and I was again obsessed with sampling all the different balsamic vinegars. After we did a lap, it was time to decide what we were going to eat. Winner? Num Pang. We decided to split two sandwiches, which I’ll feature, you guessed it, eventually. All you need to know is they are delicious Cambodian sandwiches on baguettes and we ate every last bite.

(Guess what's on this? You'll find out when I review Num Pang ~someday. Hope you can sleep at night.)

We decided that 3 p.m. was an acceptable time to start drinking, and my mom and I were both dying to check out the Standard Biergarten. Determined not to let the rain spoil the day, we headed over to the Meatpacking District. It never stops being crazy to me- how put together and rich and well-dressed everyone over there is. The Biergarten was packed despite the rain and SO LOUD because everything echoes in there. It looked like a Quinnipiac Greek Life reunion. Perfect preppy guys and girls in their twenties with way too much of their parent's money to blow, drunk at 3 p.m. It was kind of great. I will definitely be going back with my friends- despite the fact that my cocktail cost (my parents) $14 and you have to stand on a line to buy beer and food tickets and then stand on a line at the bar. But there’s ping pong and more impressively, FOOSEBALL!

Next, we hopped in a cab and headed back to my neck of the woods. I thought my dad would appreciate the beer list, so I brought them to Pony Bar. I ordered a margarita that came in a draft glass- heavy on the sour mix and made with OJ. Not ok. Probably the first (and hopefully only) time I refused to finish a margarita.

(EW)

Much to my dad’s dismay, I had us walk from Pony Bar back to my apartment. We took some time unpacking and organizing all my fall clothes and my dad made my mom and I one of our favorite cocktails- St. Germain, gin and grapefruit juice. Yum! I felt like I was back in college, getting dressed and doing my make-up while drinking and listening to music. Except I was with my parents! It was kind of cool to realize we could do that together.

Before we knew it, it was time for our 9:30 reservation at Flex Mussels. Full review to come- but all I have to say is DONUTS.

After dinner, we tried to rally and go out for one last drink, but I just wasn’t feeling it. So instead, we went back to my apartment and I put on the Final Broadway Performance of RENT and we all got comfy and before I knew, I was asleep on the floor and my mom was yelling at me to go to bed. It was a weird experience having my parents stay over at my place for the first time- we were saying that now it officially feels like I live there, and not with them on Long Island. I’m a big girl now!

Now for Sunday- which I’m happy to say was one of the most productive days I’ve had in a loooong time!

I woke up to the sound of my mom stirring downstairs and texted her to make herself some coffee and that I would be down by 9 for a walk to the East River. She had been dying to see where I go for November Project and get all my amazing sunrise pictures! I made myself a cup of delicious homemade coffee (I must say, better than my usual McCafe) and although we certainly didn't catch the sunrise, my mom enjoyed the view of the water and it's was a brisk but beautiful morning for a walk. 

(Don't go away summer!!!!)

When we got back to my apartment, my dad had followed his orders and was ready to go for breakfast. I took them to Effy's Cafe, a place where I have been twice now for coffee and blogging. Finally, I was able to order some of their delicious sounding food. I'm a sucker for Greek/Mediterranean food- so a ton of their options were appealing to me. I finally settled on the Shakshuka! "The shakwhatta?" you ask. 2 poached eggs with a tomato stew on top, served with Greek salad, hummus and pita. 

Look at the presentation! Phenomenal. Everything at this place seems super fresh, looks amazing, and tastes great too. Did I mention the prices are totallllllly reasonable? They are. They have two locations, and I think you should check them out! 

I was being a baby and dreading my run due to the colder temperature. I know, I know. It was perfect running weather. Well what is perfect for most people, is slightly chilly for me. 

I laced up my shoes and headed down to load up the car with my parents- I knew if I didn't just get it over with while I was outside with them, it wouldn't get done. My legs/feet/ankles were feeling a little funky after Saturday's long run and I was sleepy. And did I mention it was cold(ish)? 

(I need this jacket, right? Wrong.)

With big hugs, I sent my parents off and told my mom to send me a To Do List for the day. Then, I headed to the park. 6 miles- CHECK. (Ok, so maybe it WAS perfect running weather and maybe I WAS completely over dressed...) Live and learn, live and learn. 

While I was out in the park, my momma sent me my to do list for the day and when I got back to my apartment it was time to get crackin'! Luckily, the fresh air and endorphins had given me a little oomph. First thing I did was put nail polish on one of my keys so I can tell the key to the building apart from the key to my apartment- FINALLY. Then, I hand washed 3 shirts and hung them up to dry. Cool. Took my recyclables out. Awesome, save that environment. Walked down the street to the farmers market where they were giving out free samples of delicious carrot noodles with sauteed kale and red onions. And there were free samples of baked goods. 

My purchases were proof that fall is here! An apple, peach, some corn on the cob and a cup of apple cider. YUM! 

Next it was off to the 92Y Street Fair that ran all along Lexington Avenue from 96th Street to 81st! I walked the whole thing, and wanted to buy EVERYTHING! Like this tank top with a monkey. How great? 

Highlight of the street fair? The kettle corn samples, obviously. I mean, half the people huddled around those tupperware have absolutely zero intention of buying a bag of kettle corn. After all, you can totally fill up by asking for a sample of each flavor- which I shamelessly did. Uhm, caramel popcorn smothered in cheddar? Died. 

The number of free samples I had was a little insane. Sadly, there was no option to sample the fried ice cream- but I did stand there creepily and watch how they made it for like 5 solid minutes. 

After sampling the Mamma Chia squeeze bags- I bought 4 for $5, one of each flavor.  They took my picture, but it hasn't popped up on social media yet what a shame. It must have been too good or something. 

(You can find some interesting shit at street fairs...)

I also got 4 books for $1! And my FAVORITE Essie color, Bikini so Teeny for $5 instead of the usual $8.50! Score! And then the fateful moment- just about to be on my way home when BAM! 

DOUGH. 

Not, not a fried dough stand. I had passed a million of those already. Dough, the bakery from Bed Stuy had a stand set up on 82nd Street. And after my amazing donuts at Flex Mussels the night before, I was craving more donutty deliciousness. I couldn't say no- I had heard way too much about these donuts. After a quick perusal of the internet to try to figure out what they were best known for, and being saddened to see that their oft-praised dulce de leche donut was already sold out- I went completely rogue and chose a Cafe au Lait donut. 

IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT! I was so not expecting this donut to live up to the ones at Flex Mussels. And while it wasn't AS incredible, because it wasn't filled (I'm a sucker for anything stuffed) it was still incredibly delicious (although somewhat greasy).  The icing had the perfect subtle coffee taste and the donut was light and airy becasue Dough specializes in yeast donuts. I threw it in the toaster oven for a few minutes to get it warm again which was a good call on my part if I do say so myself. 

On my way back from the street fair I stopped at the store to pick up a lasagna tray to place my NEW PALM TREE in so that when I water it the water doesn't leak everywhere.  The palm tree used to be at my grandma's house, so it means a lot and I will be doing my best to have a green thumb and keep it alive!!

(I think I might need to name it. Thoughts?)

I dropped my purchases off at my apartment and gave Mr. Palm Tree some water (Mr. Palm Tree just isn't cutting it for me, I need something better). 

(Me in a nutshell)

Then I walked right back out the door to the gym, where I suffered through an hour of yoga. Yoga and I will never be friends. At least, I can't see it happening.  I've given it a fair number of chances to reel me in and it just doesn't. I am not a fan. And it hurts. So that was an unenjoyable hour, unfortunately. 

(Pretending yoga is something I do...)

No- I still wasn't done being productive! On the way home, I stopped and got a manicure with my new Essie polish and took some pretty pictures of the sunset on my way back. 

(Damn NYC, not bad)

Dinner was delicious leftover Thai mussels with kale, carrots, asparagus, mushrooms and race thrown in the broth for good measure. 

Sunday, I must say, I rocked you. Hard. 

22 Miles, 4 Margaritas, An Iced Latte and PB Choco Fondue

Work has been pretty stressful, and last weekend I took a much-needed trip home to Long Island for the long weekend. This has been the least summery summer of my entire life- I've been to the beach once, on my kayaks a big fat 0 times, and on my boat a big fat 0 times too. There were no trips to the ocean, no trips to Fire Island, no trips to Block Island, and only a handful of days spent tanning at the pool. Thank God for my family vacation in Rhode Island or I may not even know that summer happened at all! Needless to say, I was determined to make Labor Day Weekend, what most people consider the end of summer, count. 

That being said, there was also major work to be done. The weekends before Labor Day I was away in Virginia for work. This weekend, I will again be working. My marathon is now a month away. Hence, last weekend I had a major long-run planned.  My longest training run of marathon prep. Some people called me crazy for wanting to do a long-run over 18 miles. But I knew that mentally, I needed to reach at least 20 before I could walk up to that starting line at know that I have what it takes to finish 26.2 miles. 

I was dreading this run all week long. I wanted to go home and relax, eat, drink, and lounge on the beach. But before I could do that, I'd have to run 20-22 solitary miles around my boring (and might I add, HILLY) suburban neighborhood. 

I put out a plea on Facebook - somebody, anybody join me for part of this run! My uncle, who is training for a 100 mile bike ride, was unfortunately using Saturday as his rest day before a grueling 80 miler on Sunday.  My ex cross-country star BFF said she needed "sleep" or something. My half-marathon partner had a cross-fit competition scheduled. And no one was brave enough to be like, "Hey, I don't really know you but who cares, let's run!" 

A friend from JackRabbit was running the mile race in Farmingdale Saturday morning, and said he would try to meet up with me, but unfortunately, it didn't end up working out.  That left my Aunt Dawn, and we planned on meeting up around 7:50 so she could join me for a half hour of my run. 

I arrived home Friday night with all intentions of eating well, not drinking, and getting to bed early. Well I certainly ate deliciously. I certainly failed at not drinking. And I successfully got a pretty good nights sleep.

My parents and grandparents took me out to dinner and an amazing restaurant in our neighborhood- Blond. I started with a martini because it had St. Germain in it, so it was like a necessity, right? Right. The Elderflower Martini was strong (I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to vodka) but delicious.

My family knows me oh so well, and gave me the honors of picking out the three appetizers that we would split.  First choice, easy, was the garlic roasted shrimp with naan bread and chick pea hummus.  

Second, my dad's recommendation, was the yellow fin tuna tar-tar with sesame soy ginger vinaigrette, crispy wontons and wasabi aioli.  LOVED the way this was served! 

Last but not least was the crab cake with jicama slaw, avocado puree and spicy aioli.  It's been awhile since I had crab cakes, and these were delicious. Plus- jicama and avocado. Sold. 

I was having SERIOUS issues deciding what to order. I went back and forth a million times. I ended up ordering the special, which was fresh, local striped bass served over a shrimp risotto. Blond is known for their risotto, and it's always delicious. But sometimes I wish EVERY entree didn't come with it- because it's certainly not the most low-cal side. 

My grandpa's Veal Scaloppini with potatoes, green beans and mushrooms was pretty delectable and I did my fair share of picking at it. My dad went for the seafood pasta with a saffron cream sauce, my grandma had the shrimp with risotto, and my mom ordered the duck entree which came with SWEET POTATOES that I continually stole off her plate. 

Somewhere along the way I switched to red wine and boldly announced to my parents, "You're out to eat with Nanny and me...you KNOW we are ordering dessert." 

And that was how we ended up with an order of crispy banana spring rolls (killer) and a HUGE pot of chocolate peanut butter fondue complete with strawberries, bananas, rice krispie treats and marshmallows for dipping (even more killer). A recent discovery is the amazing combination of peanut butter and rice krispie treats. You're welcome. 

I rolled out of the restaurant, went to bed, and before I knew it my alarm was ringing- signaling that it was time to do the damn thing and run 20 miles. 

I put on my November Project tank and my new pair of running shorts and ate half a banana.  I buckled my stupid Nathan Trail Mix water bottle belt, filled my two newly purchased water bottles, placed them in their holsters, and was out the door.

(All the essentials!)

I started running and almost immediately realized that these belt was NOT going to happen. The water sloshing around in the water bottles was loud. It was heavy. The belt kept riding up. It was pretty much the most uncomfortable and aggravating thing in the world. A complete waste of money as I hope to never put it on my body again in this lifetime (that sounds extremely dramatic, but it was truly that awful).  About 3 miles in, I was able to ditch the water bottles on my grandparents front lawn but unfortunately the belt had to stay with me for my phone and Gu...it wasn't so awful once the water bottles were gone! 

I ran 4 miles before meeting up with my aunt in her neighborhood.  We ran a slow 2 miles together, about 25 minutes and it was a great way to get me in the mindset of, "This is not a race, just get the miles and don't worry about speed!" My aunts neighborhood was SUPER hilly so it was good we were going slow or I would have been shot for the rest of the run! It was really a great break in the run to be able to chat with someone and go a little slower (when I run by myself I have a tendency to be a little too speedy). 

From my aunts it was another 4 miles back to around where I started, putting me halfway there at 10 and feeling GREAT.  The entire time I just kept thinking, "Can this please just miraculously turn into the Wineglass Marathon and I can just run my race right now??" I drank half a water bottle my aunt gave me, and I am ashamed to admit that that's all I drank the entire 22 miles.  Woops. 

At mile 13 I ate my Gu (Double Espresso, baby!) and kept on truckin'.  There is really not a ton to write about this run. Part of me feels like there's no way it really could have been around 20 miles because I felt so good the whole time. Of course, there were moments of ouch, this is uncomfortable, and oooof I'm getting bored- but not once did I need to put music on and not once did, "I'm not going to finish 20 miles" cross my mind (although I DID think I might have to walk up the hill on one road- I kept going though!) 

My mom called around mile 20 (I had decided I felt good enough to go to 22) and said she was going to walk towards me.  I had been going back and forth on stopping at 20 or 22, but knowing that my mom would be meeting up with me soon gave me the extra motivation to make it those extra 2 miles.  I was even able to run one of my fastest splits for the last mile!

I had done it! And it wasn't awful! I know that I can do this marathon, but I am still very nervous. Everything clicked on Saturday. And I may not be that lucky on October 5. 

MapMyRun is what I used to track my run- so I am not 100% confident that it really was 22 miles, but I figure I at LEAST did 20.  According to the app, my pace was 8:37, which I was pretty damn happy with (especially considering I took it slower while I was with my aunt!)

I got back to my house and showered, not able to eat anything yet. But once I got out of the shower I was ravenous and made myself a giant bowl of oats. Then it was off to the beach to relax! Unfortunately, it wasn't the sunniest of days, and I actually had to keep putting my long sleeve shirt on and off when the sun went behind the clouds. But it was nice just to be in the sand (sadly I didn't make it into the water). 

When we gave up on sunning ourselves, I went over to my aunts house to borrow her foam roller and magic stick to stretch out. Then, it was HAPPY HOUR TIME :) My parents and friend went down to the yacht club where I had a well-deserved margarita and Corona. 

Then, it was back to the house for a home-cooked meal from my dad. It was an essential summer meal, and I was STARVED. He made corn on the cob, fresh tomato salad and juicy, tender, bacon-wrapped filet mignon.  I am so spoiled! My mom and I also neeeeeeded a baked potato, so we split one that was leftover in the house. 

I was gung-ho all day about going out and partying Saturday night.  Meanwhile, but 8 I was in my pajamas on the couch and the only thing I was craving was froyo- screw dancing and beer. Around 10 I drove to Red Mango and got myself a disgustingly toppings-filled cup of peanut butter froyo and picked up some for my dad too (his first froyo experience!) 

Sunday dawned and I woke up expecting to be hurting all over. Shockingly, nothing felt too terrible. I called the gym to see if my favorite boot camp class was still happening, but it was cancelled for the holiday weekend so instead I did a half hour deck of cards workout instead. 

Then, my parents and I headed out to the outlets for some shoppin'.  Instead of the fall clothes I had set out to find, I left the extremely crowded Tanger Outlets with a pair of workout capris (complete with pocket) and a new sports bra.  Oh, my life. 

I had been dying to go to a vineyard while I was home, but the weather wasn't great and the traffic was going to be awful so instead, we decided to do a late lunch at a place I have been DYING to go to every since seeing healthy looking salad pictures on Instagram.  True story. Added bonus? Farm Country Kitchen is a) along the Peconic River and b) BYOB so we brought a bottle of wine and kind of pretended to be at a vineyard while enjoying an amazingly fresh and delicious lunch that I will write up in a separate review.  The weather turned out being fabulous while we were there, too! 

When we got home, my mom and I curled up on the couch and I FINALLY got to watch Frozen! It wasn't AS amazing as everyone made it out to be, but I certainly enjoyed it! That damn little snowman made the movie, hands down. 

No one else was hungry for dinner, and I wasn't really either, but I made myself a big delicious salad with leftovers anyway. Because 22 miles? 

Then it was over to Nanny and Poppy's with my aunts and uncles for a get together and drinks. I ended up drinking 3 margaritas and was feelin' good. 

Monday morning I woke up, ran 8 miles, tanned on my deck, and met my friend for coffee at another place I had been wanting to check out- Crazy Beans.  They just opened their second location in Stony Brook (their original restaurant is in Miller Place, and is the one we went to).  They have INCREDIBLE iced and hot latte flavors like Peanut Butter and Jelly and Salted Caramel.  I wanted mine to be semi-healthy so I opted for mixing two of their sugar-free flavor options- Dark Chocolate and Raspberry and using almond milk.  

It came served in a mason jar and was DELICIOUS.  

The place is soo cute too- with little knick-knacks in every corner and this cute little monkey on the bar.  The food menu sounded out of this world, and I'll definitely be back for lunch and a full review one day! My friend swears by the gouda, apple honey mustard grilled cheese and though I haven't tried it yet- how could something with those ingredients be anything but incredible? 

After that it was time to head back to the city, with coconut chia granola, lox, bibb lettuce, goat cheese, blue cheese and beets courtesy of my grandma! 

(Already enjoying lox from Nanny!)

It was a lovely weekend- and I hope you enjoyed being filled in on every little detail. 

Nutmeg State (Connecticut, Duh)

Why yes, I did have a wonderful Friday/Saturday in Connecticut two weekends ago, before my Fitness Friends Sunday, thanks for asking!

I had been a really bad friend to my Connecticut peeps, and it was time to suck-it up and hop on Metro North for a ridiculous fare and get my butt to the Nutmeg State.

It was a summer Friday, so after sprinting through Grand Central, I made a 2:30 train and Melissa picked me up in Milford. We had some time to kill, so naturally, we hit the mall. 

Shockingly, we were able to control ourselves and didn’t end up buying anything unnecessary.  Because really, as much as I can try to justify it, any article of clothing I buy at this point in time is unnecessary. My exploding closets and drawers are proof of that.

Next it was off to our old stomping grounds, Hamden, to pick up some of that oh so classy champagne to make it a true celebration of our reunion. $5 Andre. Poppin’.

We arrived at Allison’s apartment and I leaped into her arms. Then I made myself food. Typical. We got ready, chatted, Melissa “erased my face” aka did my make-up just like the good old Quinnipiac days, and we headed over to Town Walk to Nicole’s apartment where we popped the champagne and drank some delicious beer (obsessed with UFO grapefruit and raspberry… and Redd’s). Then it was off to New Hay Hay.

Of course, I graduate college and New Haven gets an awesome tequila bar named Geronimo’s, with a menu containing 12 different margaritas! I was so pumped to try it out. I perused the menu before even getting to Connecticut, obviously, and I definitely need to go back for their quinoa stuffed pepper at some point…

My friends are L0SAHS (yeah, you heard me guys) and ordered two pitchers of the strawberry basil margarita, when there were so many better options on the menu! The strawberry basil was verrrrry sweet and fruity- delicious, but reminded me of a daiquiri, not a margarita.  

Throughout the night I was able to try two others. First was the Santa Fe (1800 silver tequila, triple sec, pineapple and cranberry juices and fresh lime). This one was super smoky tasting, which no one else liked, but I did because it was something different.  I also tried another one- all I know is it had jalapeno in it and was spicy and it was delicious. I’m not a fan of spicy things, but jalapeno and tequila just go so well together.

The vibe of this place was awesome. It wasn’t too crowded (maybe because colleges weren’t back in session yet) and the crowd was fun but not crazy and annoying. The spiral staircase was a little tricky after 3 or so margaritas, but it kept things interesting.

No night out in New Haven would have been complete with some drunk food- pizza, to be exact.  We walked across the street to BAR where my dreams came true and I accomplished a bucket-list item…their mashed potato pizza! First of all, can we talk about the fact that a slice of their pizza is actually like 3 slices of pizza? SO GIANT we were in heaven. 

(Ok, so I'm not the world's best drunk food photographer...don't hate)

The pizza there is super thin crust. 

Complaints- b

ecause the crust is so thin, and loaded with mashed potatoes, cheese and bacon it got a little soggy. That being said, I liked that these toppings were paired with a thin crust because I didn’t feel AS guilty while eating it. I didn’t appreciate the fact that they absolutely burned the shitttt out of the crust though. The crust is the best part! And it was virtually inedible because they burnt it so badly. 

To a group of 20-somethings who had been drinking all night, this stuff hit the spot. But overall, I think the execution could have been better (and maybe it is done better, when the pizza-makers know they aren’t feeding groups of 20-somethings who have been drinking all night!) I’m still a fan in general of the idea of mashed potatoes on bread with cheese and bacon. How can you not be?  It’s like the best of Ireland, Italy and ‘Merica all in one.

The cab ride home made me so angry, because cabs in Connecticut charge ridiculous amounts of money. I’m still grumpy about it.

Somehow, I woke myself up the next morning for my scheduled long run. My plan said 16, but I was hurting and I had told myself that if I could bust out 12 miles after a night of drinking, I would be proud of myself. My shins had been bothering me, and I was mentally preparing myself to have to stop early. It's harder for me to cut myself a break than it is to push through pain. But after running on shin splints for months and winding up with a stress fracture and on crutches for a month, I know that I need to be smarter. SO I set off on the Farmington Canal trail not really knowing what to expect.

(My friend's apartment is literally right on this trail! So convenient!)

At the start, I felt great. I wasn’t hurting as much as I had anticipated, and I started thinking ok, 12 is definitely doable, and I shouldn’t completely rule-out doing 16. I kept running, knowing that no matter how many miles out I made it, I had to still make it back. After a stop at a deli to use their bathroom, I had to really push myself to make it to the end of the trail at the 7 mile mark. I turned around, intent on making it to 16 at this point. I got back to my starting point at 14 miles and planned to do a mile in the other direction and then back to my friend’s apartment. Miles 1-14 had been pretty good. Sure there were stretches where I questioned if 16 miles were going to happen, but for the most part I was cruising along- the weather was absolutely perfect, I never needed my music, the trail was flat for the most part, and I was thinkin’ thoughts and trying to enjoy. But those last 2 miles- 100% mentally and physically exhausting. Every joint in my body was aching and I knew I was basically crawling along at a snail’s pace. But I finished. And after being prepared for a disappointing 12 miles- being able to finish 16 felt great. Except then I started thinking about the fact that on October 5, I’ll be expected to feel like I did after those 16 miles…and then run 10 more.

That thought is a lot to handle. And so I’ve kind of been pushing it to the back of my head.

I got back to Nicole’s around 11 and quickly showered and went with her to pick up a bagel from Breuggers. I was tempted- but being from Long Island and NYC, I know better than to trust chain bagels ;) I knew I would be disappointed. So I just stuck with getting a McCafe and eating the oatmeal I had packed for myself when we got back to Nicole’s.

Allison came over and we headed out to Nicole’s apartment complex pool. HOORAY! Sun! Something I have NOT had enough of this summer. It was lovely laying out and talking. And then Jon joined us! And he had gotten a new phone! No more BlackBerry. Crazy.

Nicole and Allison did their ice bucket challenge, Melissa came back from her MBA orientation (congrats!) and we grilled up some eggplant and hot dogs and I did my nails before being dropped off at the train station to head back to the city.

I definitely can’t let it go that long without seeing those 4 again! Thank you for a great mini vacation, friends! You’re the best!

Summer is Gov Ball, Yankee Stadium & BBQ

So I obviously run and eat and workout. But sometimes I do other things. I mean, after all, I do live in the greatest city in the world and there is no lack of new experiences to be had. 

Over a month ago now (I'm really behind on this whole blogging thing), I had a fabulous reunion weekend with my friend Morgan, who goes to med school in Kansas City. A friend from work had been given two VIP passes to this year’s Governor’s Ball that he let Morgan and I use on the first night of the festival. 

I'm not really a huge music festival kinda gal, but it was such a fun night! After work we went back to my apartment, had some drinks, and walked over the footbridge to Randall’s Island. It was so strange seeing it all set up with stages and people everywhere, since I’m used to running around it early in the morning and only seeing little kids playing soccer…not full of half-naked intoxicated and high 20-somethings. 

(Thank you, stranger, for capturing this great action shot!)

We headed over to one of the stages where my friend knew the band playing and it was awesome because we could go in the separate VIP area that was less packed and closer to the stage. We also had our own bathroom trailers and bars which was clutch. Without that, I probably would have been miserable. As it was, by the end of the night I just kept saying, “How do people live here for 3 days essentially?” My head was pounding and I definitely had a second-hand high. 

(Hooray for VIP!)

We drank some stackable wine and a Redd’s (mmm), wandered, chatted with drunk 18 year olds, caught Outkast, and stumbled into Fairway at 11:50 right before it closed to grab some dinner. 

(I like my beer to taste like apples)

(We shook it like a Polaroid picture) 

It was a really fun night, especially because Morgan and I hadn’t hung out in so long! I would have liked to try some of the food trucks there, because they have an impressive list, but maybe next year. 

(Tacos make everything better)

We woke up the next morning and I forced Morgan on the group run…proud to say she made it the 11 miles to Yankee Stadium and back!

Next, we ambitiously got our butts to Brooklyn for Smorgasburg. I’ve been trying to try something new every time, except then I went and couldn’t say no to Chickpea and Olive. That beet slider is just too damn delicious to deny. So to make myself feel at least a little better, I didn’t get the same slider- I went with the Polka this time! And again, it was heavenly. 

Seriously, you all need to eat one of these beet patties, I don’t care if you’re not a vegetarian! Don’t wanna hear it. Of course, my friend and I finished our day with, what else, a Goodwich from The Good Batch. World’s best ice cream sandwich. Bar none. And I’ve had some phenomenal ice cream sandwiches!

At this point, Morgan was questioning how I normally run a long run Saturday morning and then have a day full of activities- she was ready for a nap and I was bringing her to a barbeque, sorry Morgan!

My friend from college had a bunch of friends over for a barbeque at his sister’s apartment in the Upper West Side and when I got there, I was so excited because LOOK! SHE HAS A LITTLE BACKYARD! GRASS! 

(Grass angels > Snow angels)

I was so excited. It was great seeing everyone, playing beer pong in the middle of the city, barbequing…it was just fabulous. Such a fun weekend! 

(That's truly the sight of summer!)

Catch-Up

Let’s chat. I don’t really have anything specific to talk about, but I haven’t posted in a few days so I’ll ramble and getchya caught up on my oh so exciting life!

My birthday! Was great. I spun in the morning, I ate at Little Beet for lunch, and then, my friends and I celebrated seis de mayo! Mexican food and tequila are two of my favorite things, so this was perfect. 

(Everything I need in life) 

I went to the bar that makes my all-time favorite margarita (Bamboleo’s on Bleecker- go!), ate guac, caught up with friends, and then went to Esperanto in the East Village for Taco Tuesday! $12 for 3 tacos and a drink! Can’t beat that! Speaking of things that can’t be beaten…me, at beer pong that night.

(Thank you friends!!) 

WINNER! I actually won something! I guess the edible flower that Dig Inn posted on their Instagram (arugula, bam!) and I won a free lunch! Soo exciting since I absolutely love them!

Wedding?! The first of my friends from high school is officially married! Craziness! I had SUCH a fun time, she looked absolutely amazing, and everything was perfect- I wouldn’t expect anything less from Gabby! 

(How beautiful is she?!)

(How well do we match?!) 

(How great is this view?!)

I impressed my entire table with my ability to clean my plate. Cocktail hour, salad, entrée, dessert tasting plate, wedding cake, ice cream bar, and candy goody bags. Not to mention the open bar. Heaven.

(Are you surprised I took a picture of the menu? Because you shouldn't be. I ordered the sea bass! Mmmm)

(I LOOOOVED this salad! The lettuce was WRAPPED IN A CUCUMBER SLICE. There was cheese IN MY GRILLED PEAR! There were CASHEWS!)

Longest Run! My furthest distance has gone up once again! 15 miles on Saturday morning! Over the Williamsburg Bridge, through Brooklyn, into Queens and back to Manhattan.  It was a GREAT run despite the blisters I now have.

1^st “Party” at my apartment happened on Saturday night and it was really nice catching up with people I haven’t gotten to hang out with in a long time! Also found my new go-to bar in the area. Also ate a lot of chips and salsa!

Sunday I decided “3 hours of sleep is fine.” Woke up, got my butt to Long Island and surprised my momma.  It was a gorgeous day! After some errands I got to tan on my deck with this beautiful homemade salad:

(Little bit of everythang- spinach, kale, zuchinni, carrots, raisins, strawberries, peppers, beets, feta and balsamic!) 

After falling asleep for a little I did some circuit training in my backyard and went for a walk to my grandparent’s house with my mom. 

(Me and momma's sneakers have the same color scheme!) 

(My grandparent's backyard is soo pretty!)

Then, my dad made us my favorite cocktail (grapefruit juice + gin + St. Germain) shrimp cocktail and an incredible dinner of lamb chops and cous cous with walnuts and asparagus! 

Then we went to my aunt’s house for my little cousin’s birthday and I ate 2 giant pieces of ice cream cake because I just can’t get enough sugar…ever.

Sweet Spring Saturday

After my out-of-this-world, amazing, spectacular, super, wonderful, incredible, bomb-diggity run on Saturday morning I was ready for some SUNSHINE! Hallelujah to warmth and sun – two things that instantaneously make me a little happier. I got to do 3 things that I would like to share with ya:

1) Union Square Farmer’s Market

For me, farmer’s markets generally entail wandering around until I have found every possible stand giving out free samples, and then leaving empty handed because there are too many options and I’m overwhelmed and full at that point.

Saturday was no different. Although I did decide that next weekend, I’m buying sunchokes and experimenting with them.

2) Vegan Shop-Up

I ventured to Brooklyn for the Vegan Shop-Up which was pretty awesome! They had TONS of vendors, and again, I wandered, trying a bunch of samples and not making any decisions on actually buying things. 

Beyond Sushi was there, and I came THIS close to buying a roll, but I need to hold out until I can get to the restaurant and thoroughly enjoy it. I took pictures though, of course, because it’s all so freaking pretty!

(Sushi, artwork- same difference)

I also tried really tasty chocolate covered rice cakes!

Yeahdawg had a stand set up there, and I almost bought their vegan dog with all the toppings, but then I was like “You’re right near Smorgasburg, why don’t you go get something on your Smorg list?!” And Barry’s Tempeh was sold out which made me sad.  So I hoped back on the L and: 

3) Smorgasburg

Again- samples before any type of decision was made.  But at this point I was beyond starving so I needed to actually eat something instead of nibbling on samples.

(Smorg is BAAAAAACK)

I went with the Ethiopian BunnaCafé.  I asked the woman working what her three favorites were and said gimme that!

(Bunna Cafe's Smorg menu)

Basically, it’s 3 sides served with injera- which, according to the always reliable Wikipedia, is “sourdough-risen flatbread with a unique, slightly spongy texture. Traditionally made out of teff flour, it is a national dish in Ethiopia and Eritrea.” Sounds about right! It was totally the weirdest, most unattractive texture.  It came with 2 injera, but about 3 spoonfuls of filling for $6. It was a rip off.  But, whatever. 

(Spongy texture? Check.)

I got my injera with yater kik alicha (yellow split peas cooked with red onion, ginger, garlic, herbs and turmeric), misir wot (red lentils cooked with a spicy berbere sauce) and shiro (ground chickpeas simmered with garlic, ginger and herbs).  I think the shiro was my favorite! All the fillings were a great combo of spices and herbs, but the injera was weird, not flavorful, and cold. 

I wrapped up my day with a crazy insane walk from 14th street and 1^st Avenue up to 92^nd street- because it was sunny and I didn’t want to get on a subway or in a bus!

By the time I got home dinner was definitely necessary, so I made myself a delicious personal pizza using a Joseph’s flax pita (if you haven’t tried Joseph’s you seriously need to like, yesterday.  Get with it people! 60 calories for the most amazing, moist, tasty pita EVER).

I topped my little pie with some tomato sauce, spinach, roasted baby eggplant and asparagus, some goat cheese, balsamic vinegar and pecans! Yeah, pretty impressive, I know.

I then proceeded to fall asleep by 10 p.m. on Saturday night, because apparently sometime in the last few months I have gone from a party animal to a farmer’s market goin’ runner freak.  And I’m totally loving it. (Ok, to be fair I definitely went to a tailgate on Friday night with an open bar and rum punch- balance, people!)

Happiest Run

Let’s talk about how my run on Saturday morning was probably the happiest I have been in a very, very long time. I’ve talked to people who have cried happy tears during races before, and I honestly came close to having my first run-cry, although I held it together. 

I didn’t run for a week.  It was rough. After the Scotland Run last weekend, my body was muy muy unhappy with me.  “Why did you run that fast, up and down hills?” the giant, painful knots in my calves kept asking me with every step.  No joke. My shins were in pain while I was walking and I was having serious flashbacks to my stress fracture, crutches, boot nightmare from earlier this year.  So I (shockingly) tried listening to my body and not pushing it.  Which is something that I’m very bad at. So for 6 days I didn’t run.  I took one spin class, and did 20 minutes on the elliptical, but that was pretty much the extent of my cardio for 6 days.

And then, Friday night was a really emotionally not fun night.

So when I woke up Saturday morning, I wanted a good run.  But the worst thing ever is when you want and need a good run, and you get yourself all excited for an awesome run, and then it ends up kicking your butt and sucking.

Part of me was expecting that.

LUCKILY, I was beyond pleasantly surprised Saturday. The sun was shining. I was wearing shorts and a tank top.  There were tons of people out for the group run.  I’m starting to feel like I fit in with this group.  My legs felt like they were rested (gee Lauren, maybe rest CAN be a good thing) as we ran the now familiar 10-mile Randall’s Island run from the UES Jack Rabbit store.  I felt like I was running so easy, yet I was somehow leading the group the entire time? I seriously felt like I was on Cloud 9. I didn’t listen to music for a second.

And when we got back to the store, I had multiple people come up to me as if I was some legit runner, asking me questions and complimenting me and telling me I looked great out there today.  

What?! 

I honestly didn’t know what to say.  “Wow, you really run.” “You must run a LOT.” “You must have run in high school right?” (HA, that’s a funny joke). “Thanks for leading today” the leader said as I left…I honestly was dumbfounded.  I mean, I kept insisting to everyone that I am NOT by ANY means an incredible runner.  Today I just felt amazing, I had been off for 6 days, usually my entire body hurt…I had every comeback for the compliments (and thank yous as well).  But I’m not going to lie, when I walked home from the store, I was kind of floating.

I still don’t think I’m an amazing runner by any means- but I AM a runner.  Running makes me happy. Running is when I get some of my best thinking done.  A good run can make or break my day.  Running is like therapy for me.  And now, apparently, running is something I’m actually good at, thanks to sticking with it even through the runs that are painful and long and slow.  

And you know what? I would take 2387492 of those not so great runs for every one that was like todays. 

Oh my god, I might cry. I need to stop.

RUN HAPPY PEOPLE. 

Weekend of Theater, Food & Running!

Weekends are great, although it’s always a bummer when they’re rainy.  I think rain should only be allowed on the week days, when I’m trapped on the 14th floor of an office building anyway!

When the clock struck 5 on Friday it was off to a nearby bar to watch the Quinnipiac Men’s Ice Hockey team play Providence in the NCAA Tournament.  Unfortunately, it was a total disappointment and the team lost 4-0. LAME! Not only did they lose horribly, but I’m pretty sure I looked like a total weirdo as I ate vegetables from a Tupperware in the middle of the bar…oops!

But the night turned around when a friend and I went to see Heathers at New World Stages.  I’m lucky enough to get to review shows foroffoffonline.com, so I got to go for free to this incredibly entertaining musical adaptation of the cult-classic film.You can read my review here.

By the time the show ended and I got back to my apartment it was 10:30 at night and I was STARVED! I made myself an egg white/spinach/feta omelet in a flax pita and baked myself a Quest bar for dessert before heading to bed in preparation for a busy Saturday!

When my alarm went off at 8 on Saturday it was time for a RUN! Not just any run- unbeknownst to me, this run would end up being my LONGEST RUN EVER! It was so exciting (to me, at least) that I’m going to dedicate an entire post to it, which you can read here

But long story short, I ran 14 miles! And by the time I got back to the store, my parents were parked outside my apartment, waiting for me to help them move even more stuff into it…meaning I had to run back to meet them and immediately start making trips up my 5 flights of stairs (69 stairs, yes I counted).  

(Whoah, did I really just do that?)

The next couple of hours were spent unpacking, organizing, building furniture, and almost having a complete breakdown about how disastrous my apartment looked.  I hadn’t showered after 14 miles, I had only eaten a handful of carrots and hummus, and my NYC apartment’s floors seemed unbearably slanted.  A shower and a trip to the hardware store and it was finally time for a late lunch. Nothing puts me in a better mood than food! I was so excited to bring my parents to a place that immediately made me think of them when I had first heard of it- Flex Mussels.  But after walking 10 blocks in the cold rain and arriving at their doorstep at 3:30…we were informed that they didn’t open until 5. Womp womp! It was one of those days where finding out I couldn’t get a bowl of mussels was almost enough to send me into tears.  But I held it together and made the executive decision that we would head back to my apartment and go to the Indian restaurant across the street- because it’s called the Drunken Munkey which is the most amazing name ever, especially to someone who is OBSESSED with monkeys.

(One of the most exciting days of my life was meeting Mindy the monkey!) 

I stuffed myself silly with Indian food (which I of course justified by repeating to myself, “You ran 14 miles this morning!”) You can read my review of Drunken Munkey in the Restaurant Review section of my homepage!

(Yummy Indian food!) 

We went back to the apartment and finished the projects I had left for my mom and dad- fun stuff like picture hanging and extension cord running, etc. and then my parents headed out. 

All I wanted to do was head to my bed.  But friends were in town, so instead I found myself drinking a vodka/lemonade concoction in a cab, a vodka and diet coke at the Pony Bar, a Red Stagg and diet coke at Mercury Bar (delicious), and a “make her something chocolatey and dessert-like with lots of alcohol.”

(The "something choclately and dessert-like with lots of alcohol," a Mercury Bar specialty)

For me, alcohol means eating everything in sight.  So when I returned to my friend’s apartment, I demolished his bag of BBQ pretzels and a huge helping of guacamole and then I may have broken into the freezer for a spoonful (or 10) of Oreo Blast ice cream. I sucked it up and cabbed it home instead of taking the subway because I HATE RAIN and because I couldn’t wait a minute longer to fall into my bed.

(Rain sucks! But friends who hail cabs for you while you wait under an awning are great!) 

Sunday mornin’ rain was fallin’ (I hope you sang along). I woke up, read some Divergent, fell back asleep until 10:30 (UNHEARD OF for me!) and then made myself some delicious oatmeal and macadamia nut coffee before beginning my marathon cleaning session.  By the end of it, my apartment was BEAUTIFUL and organized and finally felt like home!

(Home sweet home!) 

I headed out for a 5 mile run through Central Park (I may have gotten a little bit turned around and thought I was exiting on the West Side but was in fact on the East Side) came home, showered, read more, and then it was time to use my new Panini press to make me a Panini! YES!

I loaded my flax pita with hummus, spinach, tomato, peppers, tuna fish, balsamic roasted eggplant and feta cheese, squuueeeezed it in the magical press and VOILA, beautiful, delicious Panini!

(Look at those grill lines!) 

I was asleep by 10 Sunday night! And a day reading and lounging around was seriously just what the doctor ordered!

(Totally into Divergent right now!) 

My early bed time and relaxing Sunday left me feeling GREAT Monday morning. After work I even got to go to a spin class in a perfectly matching workout outfit.

(I love when I match!) 

And then I made myself another wonderful dinner- Quest pasta! I’m going to eventually write a post on this kind of pasta, so stay tuned…but in the meantime, LOOK! Pasta dinner with eggplant, pepper, cauliflower, tomato sauce, and blue cheese GUILT FREE.

(Drooling?) 

Let’s just keep going through the week shall we? Woke up bright and early Tuesday morning for back and bis at the gym and I have hockey tonight! Best part of the day? Definitely the 2 boxes of Quest bars that were delivered!! I finally got the variety pack- so you can be sure I’ll be posting about all the new flavors I’m about to try! 

Slightly sad how excited this makes me. 

Good Weekend with Good Friends: NCAA Women's Frozen Four

So we know I wasn’t healthy on Friday- but what about the rest of my weekend? It was a great one in lots of ways! I woke up Saturday morning with a slight food hangover, but that didn’t stop me from walking out of my apartment at 8:30 a.m. with an orange in hand and heading to JackRabbit Sports for a morning group run (more to come on JackRabbit at a later date!) While I tried to mentally prepare myself for a 10 mile run along the east river, we sampled some protein bars and energy chews from PowerBar.  Then it was time to hit the streets.

It wasn’t a good run for me.  I was tired physically and fighting myself every step of the way mentally.  But luckily a few nice conversations mid-way broke up the torture and by the end of the run I was pushing myself harder and going faster.  Map My Run hated me and didn’t restart after a pause halfway through the run, so my pace will remain a mystery, which is probably for the best considering how sluggish I was feeling.

When we got back to the store PowerBar was kind enough to raffle off 3 gift bags fullllll of treats (gels, chews, bars and water bottles, oh my!) but sadly I didn’t win.  I still snagged some samples though :) Their cookie dough bar was DELICIOUS but I liked the consistency of their new flavor, Peanut Butter and Jelly, much better since it was softer and easier to chew.  The rep said that they’re looking to switch most of their flavors over to that consistency.  I also tried the strawberry banana chew which was just like a tasty fruit snack (although a lot of people’s complaint was that it was way too hard to chew while they were running). 

I walked home, showered, and immediately needed fooooood! I made some egg whites with mushrooms, tomato, Brussels sprouts and feta cheese (also known as, these were the things I needed to clear out of my fridge before I left for the rest of the weekend).

Then I headed out with my duffel bag to meet a friend for coffee (thank you Two Little Red Hens, for having almond milk!) Next stop, Grand Central Station to catch a train to my old college stomping grounds, Hamden CT!

It was so wonderful seeing my old roommate and it was like no time had passed.  In fact, one of the first things I did upon entering her apartment was say, “Don’t mind me- I need to get out of these jeans…” and immediately threw sweats on.  Typical. We snacked on some cantaloupe while catching up and deciding what to do for dinner.  This was quite the dilemma because usually, it wouldn’t even be a discussion.  I would head to Ray & Mike’s Deli for a greasy, fattening sub and a bag of munchies mix with a can of Arnold Palmer.  Unfortunately, the fact that I gave up meat for Lent prevented me from eating chipotle pulled chicken with bacon and cheddar or pulled pork with bacon mac and cheese (you’re drooling now, aren’t you?) We finally settled on Panera, where the woman taking our order’s had some interesting things to say (“You know you’re really pretty? Did you hear what I said, how is your day? Did you go to the Olympics?). I ordered the black bean soup and the Mediterranean shrimp couscous salad. 

The salad was one of those salads that changed my life. I was obsessed and I really wish I had just ordered that and skipped the soup.  The soup was fine (although it looked like toxic sludge) but the salad was just oh so amazing and I wanted more more more. 

Next on the agenda was a March Madness party.  My friend is so domesticated- look what she made! (We have both come so far from the days of not knowing the first thing about anything kitchen related). 

At the party I was able to stick to (mostly) black bean and corn salsa with tortilla chips (and maybe a few bites of chocolate chip cheesecake).  I may or may not have won 9 games of beer pong in a row while drinking only water with Pink Lemonade Dasani Drops.  Because I’m that good.

Since I had run 10 miles that morning, I’m really not surprised that by the end of the night, it was time for a 1 a.m. snack of an apple and good old PB <3

My friends couch was absurdly comfortable and I slept like a baby until my alarm went off at 9:30 and it was time for a run.  Again, awful. Painfully slow and not at all enjoyable.  It was cold, I was alone, and the path was straight, flat and b-o-r-i-n-g.  But I made it 4 miles. And then I stopped at a local deli for SNICKERDOODLE COFFEE! Yum.

Again, my roommate outdid herself by cooking us all brunch, the most sacred of all meals! Oatmeal (I may or may not have brought my own bag of oatmeal mixed with pecans, raisins, PB2 and cinnamon), cantaloupe, scrambled eggs, chocolate chip pancakes, and turkey sausage (which I sadly couldn’t enjoy). 

(I LOVE BREAKFAST FOODS)

The rest of the day was spent at the Women’s NCAA Frozen Four final game between Minnesota and Clarkson held at the beautiful TD Bank Arena at Quinnipiac!

It was an AWESOME game, with Clarkson clinching the upset and the championship 5-4.

We were seated right near the Clarkson pep band and I would just like to thank them for playing Aladdin and “If I Only Had a Brain” from the Wizard of Oz after a bad call by the refs.

Thumbs up!

(Congratulations, Clarkson!)

Also thumbs up? Meghan Duggan the captain of the Women’s USA Olympic hockey team sitting 2 rows behind me! I recognized her before anyone else did, and wanted to ask for a picture, but not while she was watching the game.

Then came intermission and she was SWARMED.

It was awesome to see little girls who play hockey so excited to see her and have their jersey’s signed.

At the end of the game I was able to get a picture.

It makes me really upset that these female hockey players don’t get more recognition.

They are incredibly talented and amazing athletes and some of the most exciting hockey games I’ve seen were women’s games (like the 2010 ECAC Quarterfinal game between Quinnipiac and Rensselaer that is the second longest game in college hockey history and went into 5 overtimes!)

(Me with Meghan Duggan, so cool!)

I passed out pretty much immediately on my train ride home. When I got back, I made myself dinner (black bean soup and more egg whites with mushrooms, feta and tomato) and dessert (a cookies and cream quest bar) and crawled into bed.

Such a happy weekend!

Monday was tricep and chest day at the gym, which I struggled through before going on a 3.5 mile run around Central Park. Got my food shopping done for the week (although I’m sure I’ll stop at least 20 times between now and Friday to buy even more food) made dinner and even took out the trash.  Take that, Monday!