Track Attack- My Fastest Mile

While I was home last weekend, I decided that since I'm not currently doing any super long runs, I would focus a little bit on speed.

I went to the track to see how fast I could run a mile- something that I've never really tried before, running just one mile really fast! I was curious about how it was going to go.

I did a 1.5 mile warm up and took off.

First lap? Wayy too fast. I immediately regretted it and suffered for the remaining .75 miles.

I ended up finishing in 6:28:26. No idea if that's good or not, but it's something to work on.

I finished up by doing a slow, easy 1.5 miles.

And then, made my mom take some pictures of me sprinting past her ;)

My shins have really been bothering me again, and for once I'm actually completely taking off from running for awhile and letting my body do the recovery it needs to do in order to start training again in January.

I'm really wondering if the shin issues are a result of this track workout. Has anyone else experienced that? Since I was running so fast, I feel like I was putting a lot more impact on my legs and it's also a surface I'm not used to running on. Hmm.

Guess What I Did?

So, last week I did something that I would like to share with the blogosphere.

I registered for my second marathon!

As soon as I crossed the finish line of my first marathon I knew it wouldn’t be my last. And why wait an entire year to train for another fall marathon? I immediately started researching spring marathons. I was pretty much convinced I would run the Long Island Marathon, despite everyone’s warnings of an incredibly boring course./

(Once definitely wasn't enough!)

But then my friend Erin came to me with an intriguing proposition. Run the Pittsburgh Marathon. There were a few things that gave me some hesitation.

1) Yes I wanted to run a spring marathon, but training through the cold winter months was (and still is) extremely daunting.2) Pittsburgh is not exactly in New York City’s backyard.3) Apparently Pittsburg is nicknamed “The City of Bridges.” Bridges = hills. And the elevation chart for this marathon is a LOT hillier than Wineglass.

(Guess which one is Pittsburgh...)

But in the end, here’s why I clicked that “Register” button and made a commitment to train for 4+ chilly months:

1) I am going to have the most fun training group EVER to get me to lace up my sneakers when it’s the last thing I want to do. A ton of November Project friends have dropped #verbals to run Pittsburgh which is going to make it SO MUCH EASIER.

(SUCH A GREAT CREW!)

2) Erin is running her first marathon, and I SO want to be there for it!

       3) We already have a place to stay that’s close to the start.

       4) Did I mention that I’m so excited for the group I’m training with ? We are going to have so much FUN- wild and crazy Friday nights spent in someone’s apartment as we relax and watch movies because we have long runs in the morning. Brunching after our long runs. Talking during our long runs.

      5) Road tripping to Pittsburgh together!

      6) Getting to see a new city!

      7) Friends from NY Running Co. are also running the Pittsburgh Marathon! Dave and Mack are both super awesome and are going to be able to teach me so much and give me such great advice throughout this training process.

       8) It’s a bigger marathon than Wineglass, and after seeing the NYC Marathon, I’m excited for more cheering/spectators/pizazz. It will be interesting to see which I like better!

      9) I am still scared of the hills, but I have decided that next FALL is when I will try to BQ at either Wineglass or another fast course. Pittsburgh is just to get another marathon under my belt for the experience and to make me a smarter racer and trainer. 

         10) I heard the medal is pretty sweet

      I’m using the next month or so to put on some weight, lift some weights, relax and enjoy life- the holidays, parties, drinks, all of that awesome stuff. Then, in January, it’s back to business.

  Right now, I won’t lie, it’s daunting, scary, and I’m feeling a little lazy. But hopefully by January I’m ready to go- I’ll have stuffed myself silly with holiday treats and done my fair share of lounging around by that point!

(Lots of this in my future)

I also want to give a huge shout out to my friend Kaitlin who ran her first half marathon when Andrew and I ran the Wineglass Marathon. Guess what she did? She just signed up for the Pittsburgh Marathon! BOOM! You’re awesome.

You know who hasn’t signed up? Andrew. He’s in denial that he’s running it. But he is. And Pete, you’re running the half. Just accept it. 

Let's do this Pittsburgh!

Transformation Tuesday: Why I'm Over My Abs

On this “Transformation Tuesday” let’s talk about the transformative power of strength training.

“We thought you just ran lots of miles,” you’re probably thinking.

 Well, that’s true. For the past half a year, running has been my main focus. But now that I have some time before I need to start upping my mileage again in preparation for the Pittsburgh Marathon, I’m trying to get back into weights.

Yes it can be a little intimidating at first to step away from the treadmill and the elliptical and the safety of other girls like you, looking cute in your Nike and Lululemon.

But let’s be real. You dream of one day being that badass chick doing all sorts of exercises with the free weights with the guys.  (Or maybe you dream of being the badass girl all alone in your own corner of the gym because you’ve been that girl at the free weights with the guys, and they’re just obnoxious for the most part).

Well, I’m here to tell you that you absolutely should go for it.

There’s no excuse. You don’t know where to start? How to do the exercises? I’m pretty sure there are approximately 129308 ways to fix that. Google. Youtube. Pinterest. DailyBurn. BodyBuilding.com. There are literally infinite resources for you to find different exercises and study up on the proper form before you test them out yourself. More times than I can count I’ve printed out workouts, pictures, instructions and brought them to the gym with me. I’ve also watched YouTube videos with no shame.

Start simple, with a few basic moves. Get comfortable. The best part is that once you move to the weight area of the gym- you’re going to see people doing some crazy shit. And then you’re going to go home and try to Google it with weird terms like “crunchy side step weighted leg lift thing” and then say a prayer that Mr. Google somehow figures out what exercise the Hulk at your gym was doing. And then you’re going to research it. And then YOU’RE gunna do it.

Everyone in the fitness world says that cardio bunnies are doing it wrong. Sure, you can lose weight from doing a ton of cardio. I certainly lost weight when every weekend for 4 months consisted of running 15+ miles.

I was never sold on the idea that weight training was just as, if not more, effective in toning your body than cardio until my attention to weight training became almost non-existent. And now, I MISS MY MUSCLES :(

(I even used to have baby biceps when I wasn't flexing!)

At the gym a few days ago, I was doing ab exercises and was asked, “How often do you work on your abs? Your body is amazing.” 1) I thanked that person for the compliment and 2) Said sorry to disappoint you, but I barely ever focus strictly on abs at the gym.

Here’s me 6 months ago when I was doing a pretty good mix of weights and cardio. At this point, I was only dedicating 1 day a week to an ab-based workout. The rest of that came from all the core stabilization necessary to use free weights for shoulder, back, bicep, tricep, leg, and chest exercises.

I read about it all the time, and rolled my eyes. But looking back, it is so completely true.

So while most people use transformation Tuesday to show their progress- I guess I’m kind of doing the opposite. I have totally lost this strength, those obliques, that 2-pack. Those biceps. The triceps I worked so hard for. Gone. Poof. So sad. But I’m excited to get back into the gym to be reunited with dumb bells and kettlebells and squat racks in the hopes of getting toned back up. Looking at these pictures is rough because I know how much hard work I put into getting into that kind of shape, and part of me, of course, wishes I still looked like that.

But at the same time, RIP to that body. I could get it back. But I don’t think I want to. Now, or ever again.

Because that body meant saying “no” way too much.

No to delicious food, no to happy hour with friends, no to drunken nights as a single twenty-something in NYC, no to a coworkers birthday cake.

I was obsessed with never missing a workout. I was obsessed with seeing that definition when I looked in the mirror. Clearly, as demonstrated here, I was obsessed with taking selfies to track my progress (embarrassing…)

And for what? I don’t walk around in a sports bra my whole life. I don’t compete in fitness competitions. Quite frankly, it’s a waste of time and energy for me to look like this. It made me cranky and not fun. I like froyo. I like beer.

(#MERICA)

I also really like lifting weights and doing squats and learning new exercises and running and taking spin classes.

So I’m going to do all of the above. And what happens in terms of body transformation, happens. I am so over the days where my mood every morning was determined by whether or not I could see my abs. 

/transformationtuesdayrant. 

The Most Perfect Acai Bowl

About a year ago, I had the pleasure of making my first, real-life friend from LA.

She was completely opposite of all those Orange-County stereotypes that make NYers swear that we’re the better (best) city in the country. 

Despite growing up on opposite coasts, we had a ton in common. 

(Like, we were both total badasses)

One day, Emily was craving something from back home and asked if I knew of a place to find it in NYC.

New York City has everything- I was sure I could find her a place to buy whatever it was she was looking for.

So what was she looking for, you ask?

An acai bowl.

I had never heard of it, and she was shocked. She explained what it was to me, and I was quickly appalled that I’d never had one.

Next step in this acai saga was Googling where the heck I could find one in NYC. This was probably in December of 2013. I was right, of course, and she COULD find one in NYC- but there were shockingly few places serving something called an acai bowl at that time.

Essentially, Juicy Lucy Juice Bar and Juice Generation.

Fast forward to now, and acai bowls or similar “smoothie bowls” are being served in nearly every juice bar and health food chain you can find. Liquiteria, Jamba Juice and Organic Avenue all have their own versions, just to name a few.

Q: So what is an acai bowl?
A: An acai bowl is a healthy, sweet, delicious, amazing, perfect meal or snack or dessert. See how versatile it is? The writers on Huffington Post knew what they were talkin’ about when they described acai bowls as, “the prettiest, most colorful breakfast optionaround. In short, breakfast porn,” “parfaits on tropical, chilled steroids,” and “what breakfast dreams are made of.”

Here’s what it’s made up of:
-An acai puree/smoothie base that can contain different fruits and milks
-Topped with a layer of granola or nuts, or both 
-Topped with fruits for a burst of color, calcium, natural sugar and vitamins
Optional:
-Drizzled with honey
-Sprinkled with toasted coconut
-Enhanced with a dollop of peanut butter

Q: Why the heck am I just hearing about these now?
A: Acai bowls first gained popularity in Hawaii and, apparently, have been popular on the West Coast for a while now! Thankfully, they’re finally making their way to menus in this fine city!

Q: What is acai anyway? 
A: These berries are being touted as a “superfood” due to their high levels of antioxidants which can help lower cholesterol and do a bunch of other important things like fight out free radicals in your body or something- I really don’t know, and I’m too lazy right now to do the research- but acai berries are apparently good for you and they taste delicious too and that’s not too common so let’s just agree with the scientists on this one, k?

Acai berries may be a good source of antioxidants, fiber and heart-healthy fats.

Q: Ok, I think I’m probably pronouncing it wrong. How the heck do you say acai?
A: Ah-sigh-ee

Now that we got that out of the way, want to hear about the acai bowls I’ve tried? Of course you do.

After that initial Google search for Acai Bowls in NYC- Emily and I kept meaning to get to  Juice Generation to try one and see if it measured up to what she was used to eating in California.

I’m grateful that due to the fact that it was winter and freezing cold, we never ended up getting an acai bowl in the city, and my first experience with one was sharing it with Emily while watching the sunset on Venice Beach during my first ever trip to California. It was everything I had dreamed it would be!!

(Best work trip EVER)

We got it from a little stand along the beach, not because we were hungry, but because, “OMG ACAI BOWLS WHILE THE SUN IS SETTING AT VENICE BEACH!” That is reason enough. Hunger is unnecessary in instances like those.

It was perfect. The smoothie was super thick and delicious and there was peanut butter, granola, bananas and shredded coconut. If I could marry a moment in time, it might be this one:

It was a long time until I was ready to try an acai bowl back here in New York. In fact, I didn’t have another acai bowl for 8 more months!

Then, one night in September, I was looking for some healthy fuel after a long run and went with a friend to Juice Generation, to finally see how their version measured up. Juice Generation has tons of locations throughout NYC and they offer 5 different varieties of acai bowls that range in calories from 390-520.

Of course, the PB Acai bowl packs on the most calories at 520. Rude. All of them sounded so good though and after some back and forth I ordered an Aloha Bowl. The Aloha bowl has acai (obviously), banana, pineapple, bee pollen, almond milk and hemp granola. And I added some almond butter to it, because I’m a suck for nut butter.

(Juice Generation Aloha Acai Bowl + Almond Butter)

While the scenery and company weren’t the same as my first acai bowl, I must say that this was absolutely just as delicious as the one I ate on Venice Beach. The base smoothie was different- at Juice Generation it was more a smoothie and in California it was a lot more solid/frozen. I don’t have a huge preference either way, as long as the flavors are good. And the flavors from my Aloha Acai bowl at Juice Generation were bangin’. Not only did it taste amazing, it was totally filling and satisfying. Two thumbs up!

(I approve!)

The next time I had an acai bowl was from Jamba Juice- they’ve recently added an entire section to their menu called “Energy Bowls.” They’re offering Acai Bowls, Fruit & Yogurt Bowls and Simply Greek Yogurt Bowls.

My friend and I had a coupon for a half priced acai bowl, so we ventured there during our lunch break one day. Jamba Juice offers 3different acai bowls in 3 sizes- 12 oz., 16 oz. and 24 oz. The three options range in calories (for the 16 oz.) from 390-530, almost spot on with Juice Generation.

Our acai bowls came topped with granola, banana and shredded coconut.  They took FOREVER for the worker at Jamba Juice to make. We actually had to laugh it was so ridiculous the amount of time they spent arranging every slice of banana- I guess because we went when they were brand new and the guy had never made one before. They tasted great, although the smoothie was the most liquidy of the 3 I’ve tried, which I didn’t love.

(They put a lot of effort into this presentation...like 20 minutes worth!)

One thing to note about ordering acai bowls in NYC vs. California- the size/price comparison. The acai bowl we had in California was a freaking bucket and probably only cost us $5. At Jamba Juice, energy bowls cost at least $6, and at Juice Generation a 16 fluid ounce acai bowl is going to cost you around $8-$10 bucks. Rough.

Anyone have suggestions for delicious acai bowls in NYC? You know, now that it’s the perfect season for freezing cold smoothies?

The Search for the Perfect Donut Continues: Doughtnut Plant

As I’ve mentioned on here once or twice, I’m a big fan of fillings. Why eat a regular cupcake when you can have one that’s stuffed with more deliciousness? That (along with the warm, crispy, dough) is why Flex Donuts by far outranked both Dough and DoughLoco in my donut search.

But when I took a trip to Doughnut Plant, I knew that Flex Donuts would be meeting their toughest competition yet. You see, Doughnut Plant is known for their filled donuts, and there was one in particular on the menu that I was just dying to try.

Located on 23^rd Street between 7^th & 8^th avenues, Doughnut Plant is adorably decorated. They make a bunch of different types of donuts, so if variety is important to you, you’re sure to like this place.

(Doughnut pillows, guaranteed to give you SWEET dreams- ba dum ahhhh)

Here are the different donut stylings up for offer at the Doughtnut Plant:

1) Yeast donuts- on their website, these are described as light, airy, fluffy yeast-raised doughnuts, with a slight chew. Flavors include: Vanilla Bean, Valrhona Chocolate and seasonal flavors like Roasted Chestnut and Cranberry Relish.

2) Cake doughnuts- “Leavened with baking powder, our cake doughnuts have a texture somewhere near the intersection of a classic birthday cake and a buttery pound cake.” Flavors include: Tres Leches, Carrot Cake, Cinnamon Sugar, Wild Blueberry, Blackout Cake, Coffee Cake, seasonal flavors and more.

Stop right there. Even with just those two options, I’m having an inner struggle. Both of these sound so tempting…what’s a girl to do?!

On the one hand, I had already tried the Tres Leches cakedonut at my potluck brunch and fallen in love. But light, airy and fluffy sounded most similar to those heavenly Flex Donut balls I had almost wept over!

But wait. There are more options.

3) Filled doughnuts. Oh yeahhh.

3a) Their “original filled doughnuts” take a yeast donut and make it a square so that you’re guaranteed to have filling in every bite. That’s the kind of creativity and dedication I like to see! Square filled donuts include Peanut Butter and Blackberry Jam (hello, dying), Peanut Butter and Banana Cream, Vanilla Bean and Blackberry Jam, and Coconut Cream.

3b) Their other filled donuts are cake donuts- the blackout is a chocolate cake doughnut filled with chocolate pudding, dipped in chocolate glaze and sprinkled with chocolate cake crumbs. Say hello, chocolate coma. 

The tres leches cake donut is described as, “the sweet taste of the authentic “three milks” cake, delivered in our round cake doughnut. They should actually just use the word “crack” to describe it.

And last but not least, the carrot cake doughnut, packed with carrots, raisins, walnuts and spices and filled with a cream cheese filling.

4) If four types of donuts weren’t enough for you (cake, cake filled, yeast and yeast filled)there is yet another type- Doughseeds.

Sounds cute right? They are. “Mini, round filled doughnuts.” I was immediately reminiscing about Flex Donuts…

The doughseed flavors rotate and include: Rose, Hazlenut Chocolate, Matcha Green Tea, Peanut Butter & Blackberry Jam, Pistachio, Strawberry & Cream, Wild Blueberry & Cream and their most well-known donut- the Crème Brulee Doughseed.

So- let’s get down to the reviewing. What have I tried from Doughnut Plant?

-The tres leches filled cake donut. As I mentioned before, this donut was brought as part of a potluck brunch that I organized with friends from work. One bite into this donut and my donut obsession was born. 

(Serious about donuts...)

I can’t describe the flavor of “tres leches” to you except to say that it is amazingly sweet and creamy and heavenly. The cake donut was dense and buttery and biting through the glaze added a wonderful texture and consistency to the soft, inner dough.

(There she is <3)

I really don’t know how I resisted another tres leches donut on my solo trip to Doughnut Plant. But I was on a mission to try their most popular doughnut.

-The crème brulee doughseed. Like I said, I was hoping these doughseeds would be similar to the incredible filled doughnut balls from Flex Donuts. But sadly, the outer dough was not up to par- it was kind of crusty and pathetic, in fact- although the crème brulee filling was a sweet pudding like consistency that somewhat made up for the disappointment, though not entirely.

-My friend had requested that I pick one up for her and all she said to me was “make it choclatey.” Well then, Blackout Filled Cake Doughnut it is! I took a bite, and basically all I got out of it was WHOAH CHOCOLATE. Alright, but not much more than cacao craziness.

-I also got a peanut butter and jam filled donut and all you need to know is that I don’t remember much about it. That’s probably the worst thing I could say about something. To be a baked good containing peanut butter and jam and literally leave no impression in my mind is a sad, sad predicament to be in. Sorry, little doughnut.

(Left: Creme Brulee Doughseed and Right: PB & Jam filled doughnut)

Some closing thoughts:
-I hate switching between doughnut and donut interchangeable but it just happens so DEAL WITH IT, I’M SORRY!
-I loved the tres leches donut here SO MUCH and I’m so sad that the others didn’t live up to my expectations.
-Next time, I need to try a yeast filled donut, I think.
-Don’t come here if you’re looking for a cheap snack- I left here SHOCKED at how much I had spent on 2 donuts and essentially a munchkin sized donut ball. The donuts are around $3.50 each and the doughseeds aren’t any cheaper!

A quick note about Doughnut Plant that gives it serious points from me:
The ingredients they use are all natural, often times organic and made fresh daily. The menu has seasonal specials that are usually reallllly tempting. And all of those fillings? They make them from scratch. Doughnut Plant doughnuts have zero trans-fat, eggs, preservatives, artificial flavors or artificial colors. I don’t know about you, but I like that.

Bottom Line: The tres leches cake donut from Doughnut Plant made me fall in love with donuts. All kidding aside, it did make me reconsider donuts as an incredible dessert and sent me on my mission to try all different NYC donuts. It was really, seriously great. 

So Doughnut Plant gets my vote for the best cakey donut I’ve tried to date.

Flex Donuts still takes the prize for filled donut, hands down.

Light, airy, fluffy donut? Hit up Dough. 

My Spud was Kind of a Dud. Restaurant Review: Potatopia

Do you like Chipotle? Do you like potatoes? Do you like toppings? If you answered yes to one or more of those questions, read on. If you answered no to one or more of those questions…who are you?

(Any excuse for DRad to be on my blog.)

Fast casual restaurants are becoming more and more common, especially in metropolises throughout the country. (I just really wanted to use the word metropolis…)

Chains like Chipotle and Chop’t have found success because they’re quick, yet claim to offer customers with fresh, natural ingredients unlike those found at true “fast food” establishments.

 I won’t lie- sometimes, fast casual restaurants can overwhelm me. There are too many options. The menus are complicated. Am I building my dish as I go? Am I choosing from a pre-determined menu? Are you going to charge me $2 extra for each vegetable that I ask for? WHY IS THE GUAC EXTRA? There are people behind you in line who are clearly regulars, using terminology from secret menus that you one day hope to decode, and the workers are staring you down impatiently, judging you for calling that salsa “tomatoes.”

But despite my fast-casual social anxiety, I recently visited Potatopia- where you can customize your very own bowl of POTATOES.

I’m part Irish and therefore I LOVE potatoes! I remember over a year ago, when I was still living in the West Village, and I saw the Potatopia storefront pop up on 6th Avenue. I immediately texted my momma (that’s where my Irish comes from) and let her know that NYC was yet again proving to be the best city in the world, with a restaurant dedicated to potatoes. It’s a little ridiculous that it took me THIS long to get there- considering they have now expanded to two locations and have a third on the way.

(Seen on my walk to Potato-land)

What got me to finally check it out? Well, of course I follow them on Instagram, and they had an amazing special during the month of September (National Potato Month- who knew?) where a meal (sans protein) plus a drink was $4 after 4p.m.! They had a similar special for the Halloweek- $5 meals before 5 p.m.!

Let me break this down for y’all so you don’t get anxiety when you visit Potatopia.

Step Number 1: Choose your potato. 

Potatoes are amazing in many different forms, so this first step may cause a little bit of a struggle. I mean, you could go basic baked potato or get a little crazy with a smashed potato. Not mashed, smashed. There’s a difference, and if you don’t know it, you’re about 15 years behind the potato trends people! Get with it! Smashed potatoes, according Peter Hoffman in this New York Times article, means ''Basically, you give the potato a good kick inthe pants and send it to the plate.” Lumps, skin and all.

Feeling healthy? Go for the baked sweet potato, which they will make for you with or without olive oil, salt and pepper.

Prefer your potatoes fried? (Don’t we all?) They’ve got you covered there as well- skin chips, curly fries, shoe string fries, sweet potato crinkle and TATOR TOTS! Go big or go home with the au gratin potatoes- because cream, cheese and butter make everything better!

(Potato Porn- NSFW)

Depending on what Build-Your-Own Potato option you choose, your meal will cost $5.75-$6.95 to start.

Step Number 2: Choose your protein, if that floats your boat.
Want to get fancy and add some substance to that potato of yours? The answer should probably be yes. There are normal protein choices like chicken, steak, and bacon to add to your potato- but you could also choose shrimp, lox, vegan chili or a fried egg.

Careful on this step- each protein costs extra, and depending on which you choose, you could be paying between $1.00 (for the egg) and $3.50 (for the steak). 

Step Number 3: Toppings Time!
The best part about the toppings is that you can pick as many as you want and they’re all FREE! So go ahead, load up that spud bowl with your choice of cilantro, arugula, jalapenos, red onion, zucchini, black olives, corn, mushrooms, scallions, broccoli, garlic, parsley and sweet peppers. Or just say you want a little bit of everything…

Step Number 4: Cheese <3
Cheese. If you skimp on this part, I envy your self-restraint and also question your humanity. You can choose up to two cheeses, and after that, they charge you extra. While I think the menu would be enhanced with a goat cheese option- you’re still sure to find a fromage that tickles your fancy, whether it be asiago, parmesan, cheddar, swiss, pepperjack or mozzarella.

Step Number 5: And to top it all off… SAWCE
Only one sauce is included so choose wisely…

By that I mean just choose one. They all make my mouth water! Ranch Aioli, Chipotle Ketchup, BBQ, Chili Pepper Aioli, Melted Cheddar, Chipotle, Garlic Aioli, Sour Cream, Truffle Aioli, Ketchup, Savory Bacon Aioli, Parmo Aioli, Roasted Pepper Aioli…

Step Number 6: DIG IN

I loaded my sweet potato with veggies, some parmesan and a fried egg with some of the roasted pepper aioli on the side.

Overall, this wasn’t phenomenal, yet I was still a fan, in the end. Let me explain.  The potato was cooked fine, but then the toppings are added and they are raw, which I didn’t like. Cold toppings on a hot potato. Raw broccoli? Meh. Once I got it home and heated it on my own, it was improved. The sauce was so yum.

I would love to see more vegetable options and the ability to have my vegetables cooked along with the potato. Some roasted carrots and cauliflower on top of that sweet potato would be a game-changer.

At the end of the day, choosing to do Potatopia the healthy way was probably my downfall. I would have been better off making a homemade sweet potato with my own toppings (uhm HI, this dish that I made was amazing!) and choosing the fries and cheese and bacon while visiting Potatopia.

(My loaded sweet potato > Potatopia's?)

Still, having a place where you can load a healthy carb up with vegetables and protein is a step in the right direction, and when they offer deals like $4 meals after 4 p.m. and $5 meals before 5 p.m., it’s worth it if you’re in a rush and need to grab something.

Plus, it photographs really well.  

(Everything looks fancier with a fried egg on top!)

I’ve been back for a return visit, which says something!

If my wonderful breakdown of the ordering process isn’t enough to calm your fast-casual social-anxiety- the folks at Potatopia have come up with a few signature meals of their own, so you can just walk up to the counter and say, “I’ll have the Lower East Sider please,” and they will present you with a beautiful bowl of tator tots, scallions, salt, lox, cilantro and sour cream.

The best thing about Potatopia is that you can either make it a healthy meal, or do a complete 360 and make it a carb-heavy, cheese-laden belly bomber.

As you wish, my friends. 

A Lecture + Restaurant Review: Al Horno Lean Mexican Kitchen

For the most part, I bring my own breakfasts and lunches into the office. I work smack dab in the middle of Times Square and Rockefeller Center- so you could say that the food options in these parts tend to be a bit overpriced.

(If you don't agree that Aladdin is the best Disney movie, and that Aladdin is the hottest cartoon character...bye.)

Look at it this way. An egg sandwich + a coffee for breakfast probably sets you back at least $6. A standard sandwich or salad for lunch at a Metro Café type joint goes for around $8- without a soda or a bag of chips or any other extras. Bye bye $15. Do that 5 days a week- bye bye $75. That’s $300 a month on breakfasts and lunches. No thanks.

At the beginning of each week, I buy myself 5 Greek yogurts (Key Foods always has one brand per week that’s on sale for $1), 5 bananas (4 for a dollar from my neighborhood fruit stand man outside of the subway station) and a box of granola (free, if I’ve recently visited my Grandma, or $5 for a box of Kashi Go Lean Crunch that lasts me 7 days). Total cost? Around $12. 5 fruit and yogurt parfait breakfasts #BOOM. 3ish days a week I’ll get a $1 McCafe coffee instead of making it in the office (Don’t judge…the stuff is actually pretty good!) So instead of spending $30 a week on breakfast and coffee, I spend around $12. Instead of $120 a month- $48.

Math is fun, no? $1,440 is the price you could pay to buy breakfast and coffee every weekday morning (yeah, we’re not even getting into your weekend spend habits here…). Me? I’ll spend around $576.

Lunch, obviously, is even more expensive- both to buy ingredients for if you’re making your own, or to purchase out somewhere. It’s also harder to plan something quick and easy to bring in from home, and therefore, from time to time, I do find myself looking for some healthier grab and go options in the midtown area.

While browsing LivingSocial, which I’m guilty of doing more than is probably normal, I came across a deal for a place called “Al Horno LeanMexican Kitchen.” Lean? Mexican? And in midtown? That was definitely happening.

For $6, I received a $12 gift card to Al Horno Lean Mexican Kitchen. After a crazyyy 11-day work week, I decided to treat myself and walked over to 417 West 47^th Street (between 9^th & 10^th Avenues) for some delicious, healthy, Mexican lunch. At least, that’s what I was hoping was in store for me!

(The walk over was so pretty!)

I had perused the menu plenty before I went, always wanting to be prepared! The best part about it, is that it is so customizable. Any of their burritos and vegetarian burritos can be made into a salad or rice bowl- hold the tortilla! Brown rice can be substituted for quinoa!

There are an overwhelming number of options- and a lot of them are really similar, which gets confusing. There are also build your own burrito and salad options, “plate” options, tacos, soups, quesadillas, tortas, smoothies, shakes AND a juice bar. Yeah, I told you it was slightly overwhelming.

In the end, I decided to go with the Baked Falafel burrito bowl with quinoa instead of brown rice and served over greens. I know, mixing up my Mediterranean and Mexican themes- but I’m a sucker for falafel. In addition to the falafel, quinoa and kale, this came served with avocado, black beans, roasted corn pico and a chipotle sauce.

Was this dish healthy? I think so. Was it delicious? Not so much. It was extremely bland- and I can 100% vouch for the fact that these two things are not related. Healthy food does NOT have to be bland- a fact that is proved by many of the other restaurants I’ve reviewed on this blog.

Unfortunately, Al Horno Lean Mexican Kitchen just didn’t deliver. The falafel was dry and crumbly and none of the vegetables had any flavor. Not even the chipotle sauce could do much to help this sad little plate.

I was so disappointed- usually something with so many of my favorite things (avocado! Falafel! Black beans! Quinoa! Kale!) would have been a guaranteed grand-slam. But nope. I won’t be making a trip back to Al Horno, especially when there are so many places still left to try.

Yo Yo Yo Lemme Talk About Yogurt

Let’s talk about yogurt.

Yes, yogurt.

Ask my parents, and they’ll tell you that I have always loved yogurt. They never had to force me to eat this healthy food - I grew up downing Breyer's fruit on the bottom cups like nobodies business. None of that Trix shit for me! (Although I did get treated to YoCrunch every so often...chocolate in my yogurt?! Yas.)

(This is making me oddly nostalgic...)

 And now, yogurt is the official snack of New York! I kid you not, people! 

All joking aside- the yogurt industry has exploded in the past few years, and it’s a seriously fascinating study in food trends. You can spend hours reading articles on the internet devoted to yogurt. But since most people aren’t as strange as me, and don’t necessarily care to use their free time reading about a dairy product, I’ve gathered some interesting information for you. You can thank me later. With yogurt treats, preferably. (Fage is my preference, FYI).

1) Think you can go to the store, pick up a container of yogurt, and pat yourself on the back for eating healthy? Think again. So much of the yogurt on store shelves today are LOADED with artificial flavors and TONS of sugar. If you’re eating yogurt that’s named “Raspberry Cheesecake” and thinking that it’s all-natural and good for you, think again. 

There are tons of articles online that compile some of the “healthiest” yogurts on the market, but at the end of the day, I say keep it simple! Much like oatmeal, yogurt is extremely versatile and you can make it delicious without buying containers that come with their own sugary “fruit” mix-ins.

Buy plain yogurt. “EW” you’re probably thinking. I know, I used to be the same way. But when you add cinnamon, honey, raisins, strawberries, and other fresh fruit- you can transform plain “meh” tasting yogurt into deliciousness!

(Perhaps not the most convincing pictures...it's yummy I promise! And yes, I put PB in my yogurt. Are you really surprised?)

2) There are still a ton of options when it comes to plain yogurt, and it’s still important to know what to look for on labels. Keep in mind that 0% fat yogurt will be lower in calories than other options, but the fat found is yogurt shouldn’t be feared!

When looking at labels, remember that yogurt has naturally occurring sugars in it already- so you can subtract those from the total grams of sugar listed. Really looking to cut down on sugar? Buy Greek yogurt.

3) The hype about Greek yogurt isn’t nonsense. Greek yogurt is strained to remove liquid whey, lactose and sugar- which is why it’s so thick. For the same amount of calories, Greek yogurt can have up to double the protein and half the sugarcontent as regular yogurt! Cray.

4) Think I was exaggerating when I said the yogurt industry has exploded in the past few years? According to this article, since 2010, 671 new yogurt products have come out in stores.

(Go yogurt, go yogurt!)

5) Plain Greek yogurt can be used in so many different ways. I mean, just take a look at this handy little chart Chobani has created!

I use plain Greek yogurt as mayo when I’m making tuna fish, as sour cream on top of a potato, as dessert if I freeze it, etc.

6) Speaking of Chobani- did you know they have an entire restaurant dedicated to yogurt?! Oh yes. And it is absolutely one of my favorite places in the city. Everything I’ve tried there has been so delicious. It will most certainly get its own blog entry at some point, but for now, I’ll just mention that they make creations like yogurt with avocado, mango and blue tortilla chips. Drooling yet? 

7) Froyo is like an entirely different beast all together, but it has the word yogurt in it, and I just feel like mentioning that it is quite possibly my favorite thing. And it seems like the rest of the country agrees!

(I would like to publicly state that I have yet to cross this line in my froyo obsession!) 

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. 

How Not to Race

Well, I can officially check “run a 5 miler on 3 hours of sleep” off my bucket list. Oh wait, that was never on my bucket list. And yet that’s exactly what I did two Sundays ago. It was probably one of the most jam-packed weekends I’ve ever had. I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

As I mentioned, I’ve been working at NY Running Co. quite a lot, in addition to my real job. Hi, let me just voluntarily and semi-unnecessarily work 60 hour weeks. Because why not?

So two Fridays ago, I was once again closing at the store. I got home around 10:30, made my dinner and crawled into bed because at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning my alarm was going off and I was headed to Carl Schurz Park to do some volunteer mulching of the Mayor’s lawn with November Project! 

(But first, let me take a selfie on my walk over to Gracie Mansion...)

3 hours of manual labor is no joke people! I had been feeling guilty about not waking up earlier to get a run in before volunteering, but by the end, I felt pretty confident that I had earned my brunch! 

(The women in charge MAY have complimented my technique multiple times. I mean, I'm just saying...)

It was a beautifulllll day out, and once we were done turning over the ground and spreading the mulch, we headed to Supply House for some brunchin’!

(Such a beautiful morning to give back to the community!)

I ordered the Huevos Rancheros and LOOK AT IT! So delicious. Like. Ridiculously good. Plus a Bloody Mary, obviously. The tribe is all about hydration. 

Your first brunch cocktail is included in the price of your entrée, too! Some of the brunch cocktails not included sounded so delicious that I was almost persuaded to spend the extra money- I mean, a Ruby Red Mimosa? It’s like they created this morning beverage for me- Grapefruit, champagne and St. Germaine!

After brunch it was off to work the 4 p.m. – closing shift at the store.

As soon as we closed, I changed into my Great Gatsby costume and it was off to the most epic Halloween party I’ve ever seen! Laura took me and when we got to the building, I casually found out that Justin Timberlake lives in the penthouse. They had ordered 16000 balloons to fill the first floor of the apartment, which was so. gorgeous. They had a full-service open bar and a PHOTO BOOTH!

(I mean, maybe I'm a little bit of a camera whore) 

 I was in heaven.  People had great costumes. And did I mention they ordered beef, chicken and cheese arepas? This was my first time eating an arepa (ok, first, second, and third time eating arepas…since I ate one of each…) but it certainly will not be the last. They were incredible. We were having such a great time at the party that oops, I finally crawled into bed after 4 a.m.

(Such a fabulous night- THANK YOU LAURA!)

I think it’s more accurate to call what I did that night “napping” instead of “sleeping” because my alarm went off at 7 a.m. (yeah, hi, that’s three hours MAX) and I laced up my sneakers and ran to packet pick-up for the Poland Spring Marathon Kick- Off 5 Miler in Central Park. Yeah, I ran to the race.

(Hi, Central Park.)

Clearly, I had no intentions of this being a particularly enjoyable or successful run- after all, I was functioning on 3 hours of sleep and had tequila, arepas and pumpkin pie shots still sloshing around my stomach. But as I normally do, I got competitive towards the end, pushed myself a little harder than I had planned, and ended up finishing with a time of 38:41 for a pace of 7:45 mile/min. Not bad, not bad.

(This is what we call a forced smile...)

I crossed the finish line, grabbed an apple and a water bottle and started my run to NY Running Co. for shoe training 9 – 11. Thankfully, there was coffee there. Which I drank a LOT of. And Mary brought peanut butter, which I smothered my apple in. For a while, I was riding a caffeine and race high, learning about shoes, learning about insoles, lovin’ life.

(Never underestimate the power of caffeine and peanut butter)

Next up was Marathon Volunteer Training in the park at 12:15. I also ran to that. But as soon as I got in that tent, I was crashing. I stuck around for the station manager portion of training, but there was no way I was lasting until 3:30.

I ran home from training too. Why? Because it’s faster than walking. And faster meant I would be in my bed faster.

I ate lunch and somehow managed some cleaning and preparing for the week ahead before collapsing into bed for some America’s Next Top Model marathonning.

Now that my recap is done, can we rewind to the fact that on three hours of hung over sleep I raced a 7:45 pace and placed 15^th in my age group out of 207? I might just need to step up my speed work, tempo work and hill work game and take this running stuff a little more seriously! 

(See the girl behind me? She's smiling because she probably slept more than three hours the night before. Also, she probably wasn't emitting alcohol from her pores. But guess what? I'm in front of her ;)

Peloton Cycle a Major Win!

It’s been a Spin-o-Rama over here at PeanutButterIsMyBoyfriend! I know I’ve been writing a lot of posts about spinning, er, “indoor cycling,” but here’s one more for ya- recently, I took a class at Peloton Cycle and absolutely fell in love. While some people go gaga for SoulCycle and others are head over heels for Flywheel- I am [insert cliché here] about Peloton Cycle.
When Peloton first came to NYC, I snagged 3 free ride credits. After far too long, I finally put my first one to use and got my butt to their beautiful studio on 7th Avenue between 26th & 27th streets.
Peloton’s studio is white and airy and spotless. First, you walk through their boutique with lots of pretty workout gear that I’m assuming is overpriced. Standard. Next, you get to the check-in desk and get a pair of cycling shoes and a water bottle. Not necessarily standard. A lot of studios charge extra for shoe rentals, despite having bikes that require you to clip in! The fact that Peloton’s shoes are included in the class fee, along with a water bottle, is definitely to be applauded. 

You then walk through their lounge area which is just the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. It’s got the perfect vibe, with couches, chairs and tables to relax at before or after your class.  They have a counter that sells Jack’s Stir Brew coffee, cold-press juices and tons of different healthy snacks.

Next stop? The locker rooms. Again, so white and clean! And the lockers are all electronic so you don’t even need to bring your own lock with you. The locker rooms have a bunch of different creams and q-tips and other things that you would probably never need but they’re their- just in case.
And finally, the actual studio where you’re going to get your sweat on! It’s similar to many cycling studios with an awesome lighting system and all that jazz. As soon as I walked in, someone was there to help me set up my bike.
What makes Peloton unique are their bikes. They sell them, to have in your home. And if I were a much wealthier individual, I would totally buy one. Peloton STREAMS THEIR CLASSES LIVE to people who own their bikes. You could be in your living room in Idaho but feel like you’re in the Big Apple taking a class. Each bike also comes with a monitor that lets you log-in and track your ride- including resistance percentage, cadence and calories burned.

My favorite part? The leaderboard. I can’t help it. I’m super competitive. And you better believe I’m going to bust my ass if there’s a chance for me to move up that leaderboard! At the end you can also share your workout via Facebook. Heck yes, social media.
Peloton offers 4 different classes: 

Pure Peloton- The Peloton ride at its core. Perfectly balanced. Our signature ride, there for you whenever you crave a solid, sweaty, energizing Peloton ride. Expect to climb up hill, race downhill, work in and out of the saddle, strengthen and tone with weights, and get the most out of every minute.

Peloton Endurance: 60 minutes or more. Challenging hills. Dig deep and challenge yourself to a full 60 minutes or more of Peloton goodness. With a focus on metrics and a healthy dose of resistance, this class is guaranteed to make you push yourself to your limits—and enjoy the ride.

Peloton Power- High-energy. Speed + strength. Life begins out of the saddle. And that’s where you’ll spend the majority of this class. Speed is the name of the game with this fast-paced, heart-pumping workout—perfectly complemented with a side of strength and toning work. Intermediate to advanced.

Pelotone- Heavy on weights and resistance. Sculpt and tone while you ride. Complete your Peloton experience with a class dedicated entirely to sculpting your body into its best shape. Be prepared for weights and upper body movements, all carefully designed to strengthen and tone your entire body and leave you ready to conquer anything that comes your way. 

I took a Peloton Power class with instructor Jon Miller and it was pretty good! We did one song using hand weights, some pushups, and a lot of running out of the saddle (my favorite).

I’m in shape- but a lot of the time the cadence and resistance levels he was giving us to maintain were a little out of my league. It was frustrating to have to take it down a notch from what he was suggesting, but also made me want to push harder and continue going back for more classes to see if I could improve. He was motivational- calling me out a few times for sitting front and center- and also using some usernames from the leaderboard to cheer people on. He also continually gave verbal nods to the individuals riding along at home! 

(Seriously such a cute studio- this is part of the lounge!)

The leaderboard and competitive nature of this studio was definitely why I loved it so much- combined with the great value (taking into account the going rate of spin classes in NYC) and beautiful amenities. 

After each class, you get a free coffee or tea and piece of fruit from the lounge, too! I sat down with my apple, tea and free “pipcorn” sample and was perfectly content and BEYOND happy that I still have 2 free ride credits at Peloton! 

(Free snacks after class? Heck yes.)

Get your butt over there and into a saddle!

Update: Exciting news! Peloton is offering 40% off 5 ride packs! Use the code fb40 at checkout! $84 instead of $140! 

Spinning vs. Indoor Cycling

A topic that’s been interesting to me lately is the question of whether or not there’s a difference between Spinning classes and “indoor cycling” classes like Flywheel and SoulCycle.

As someone who has taken both- it seems obvious to me that there is, in fact, a difference.
However, after Googling around quite a bit, I wasn’t able to find much literature on the topic apart from the differences between indoor cycling and outdoor cycling.

The one article I found was actually a blog post, written by Pumps and Iron, and made perfect sense to me. I thought I would share it so that you could have the same “AHA, totally” moment that I did.

Aside from the fact that “Spinning” is a trademarked name, here’s how I like to break it down after reading Pumps and Iron’s blog post. 

Spinning: 
-“Traditional” 
-Meant to imitate an outdoor biking experience
-Focus on heart rate, training zones, etc. 
-Different types of rides, similar to training for a road bike race- strength rides, recovery rides, endurance rides, etc. 

“Indoor Cycling:”
-These are the boutique classes you pay $30 a pop for at places like Flywheel and SoulCycle 
-Every ride is designed to get you drenched in sweat- no recovery rides or focus on staying in target training zones here 
-Non-traditional moves like crunches, squats and pushups done on the bike 
-Sometimes feature sections using light hand-weights  

Of course, everyone has their preference. There’s a lot of debate out there as to whether or not these “indoor cycling” classes can be harmful with all of their crazy moves. But then again, they’re fun and total calorie-blasters.

What’s your opinion? Do you prefer Spin classes, or trendy “dance in the saddle” cycling classes? 

Restaurant Review: Quintessence

I’m so far behind in restaurant reviews that it’s almost not fair for me to do write ups since I ate it all so long ago. But I have a pretty good memory- and I also have plenty of pictures to remind my taste buds about my meals.  A few weekends ago, I used an awesome Groupon to go to Quintessence in the East Village.

Quintessence specializes in raw food- and while I’ve eaten my fair share of vegan and vegetarian meals- raw was something new to me! In addition, Quintessence is organic, vegan and gluten free!

I sat down at the little bar stools along the window with a trendy glass bottle of tap water and a beautiful sunflower, complete with buzzing bee. The waitress handed me my menu and to my surprise, it was a tablet! You could go through the menu reading descriptions and looking atpictures! Each menu item also listed all of the ingredients. It was a little slow to load, so I eventually asked for a print menu as well, but it was pretty cool and I loved being able to see the pictures, especially since eating raw was new and I wasn’t completely sure what to expect.

(So cute)

For my appetizer I decided to order the Chipotle Pate roll, described on their menu as, “amazing sweet, smoky, hot citrus dip takes this wrap south of the border for a deep flavor explosion. Cooled down with cucumber, bell pepper, avocado, and romaine lettuce, all wrapped in raw nori for a perfect balance of heat, intense flavor, and cooling juiciness.”

(Menu picture of the Chipotle Pate roll)

This was a little disappointing to me- it was pretty much just seaweed stuffed with the dip- which was very flavorful but also very spicy. My mouth was burning, nose was running, and all I was tasting was “ouch that’s hot” in my mouth. I hoped my entrée would be better.

(Mine! Accurate menu picture is appreciated!)

After some back and forth the winner wassssss: Portobello Steak Burger with Chipotle Cheese Sauce. I guess I didn’t put two and two together that the chipotle pate and the chipotle cheese sauce were the same thing- oops! Luckily, this sandwich was heaps better than the nori roll- the chipotle sauce didn’t overwhelm the other flavors. The Portobello was marinated in a delicious sauce and was definitely juicy- the onions were probably my favorite part.

(Menu picture)

The choice of “sprouted kamut bread,” “coconut squash bread,” or “grain-free veggie bread” was a tough one for me as I hadn’t tried any of those options before. I asked my waitress, and she steered me towards the sprouted kamut bread. It was…interesting. Definitely not the consistency of regular bread- it was like a very thick chewy sponge, but it was kind of cool, and tasted fine!

(Mine!)

The good thing about Quintessence is not everything they serve is raw. My Groupon was for a good amount of money, so I decided to get two more dishes to bring home for dinner the next two nights. Both of these weren’t raw dishes, and I ended up liking them a lot more.

The first was the Bibimbap! The menu describes it as, “Inspired by a popular rice dish in Korean cuisine, this version has all the flavors expected from Bibimbap, and is completely vegan. A large bowl is filled with shitake mushrooms, spinach, mung bean sprouts, zucchini, dried fofu cubes, and carrots served on a bed of slow-cooked sprouted quinoa seasoned with our spicy homemade Korean red chili pepper sauce (aka Gochujang).”

(Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of mine for comparison!) 

This tasted fresh, healthy and delicious.  Nothing mind blowing, but a solid meal of veggies and grain that I added my own avocado to. The best part was by far the Gochujang sauce, which I used every single ounce of. So full of flavor that I didn’t even mind the heat.

According to the website, this sauce is made of Birch Xylitol, Korean Chili, Miso, Salt, Vinegar, Sesame Oil, Garlic, and Onion. First, I need to figure out what Birch Xylitol is and then, I need to make me some of this sauce.

The second dish I brought home was one of the “small plates,” the Miso Veggie Stew! This was “A scrumptious vegetable stew... kabocha squash, burdock root, daikon radish, yellow squash, kale, carrots, and red bell pepper, seasoned with brown rice miso."

(Menu photo)

And indeed it was scrumptious! As you can see in the pictures, it wasn’t really a stew- not much liquid or broth to speak of! This was hearty and filling with the squash, roots, kale and brown rice! And only $5!

(Not the prettiest picture of my meal...)

The other dishes I got were much more expensive- the Bibimbap was $14, the Portobello Burger was $15 and the nori roll was $7- this Miso Veggie Stew was one of my favorites, $5, and plenty filling. For $15, I felt that the Portobello Burger should have come with some sort of side dish!

I’m not sure I’m sold on raw eating- the nori rolls were disappointing and the kamut bread was a little strange…but dishes of healthy grains with lots of veggies and delicious, all natural sauces like the Gochujang sauce- that I can get behind!

Afternoons in the East Village trying new foods are always enjoyable :)

It's Totes McOATS National Oatmeal Day!

Happy National Oatmeal Day one and all!

Yes, I am dedicating an entire blog post to oatmeal- hands down one of my favorite and most oft-eaten foods. 

I truly eat oatmeal almost every day- either as breakfast or lunch. “Oatmeal isn’t lunch!” you may be thinking. But when you do oatmeal like I do oatmeal, it’s super filling and satisfying. 

First of all, let me just say that you should not be buying packets of instant oatmeal. Just stop.

Buy yourself a big container of whole grain quick-cooking oats and some ziplock bags and BOOM- all-natural, sugar-free, instant oatmeal.

It takes a whopping 10 minutes to make your breakfasts for the whole week. You can make a different flavor palette for every day, or keep it simple and make 5 of the same zip lock bags. I generally do something like this:
½ cup oats
Cinnamon
1 tablespoon of powdered PB2 peanut butter
Almonds (or walnuts)
Raisins
½ of a banana

But the great thing about oatmeal is how versatile it is- there are literally endless possibilities of flavor combinations that you can create with plain oats!  If I have blueberries or strawberries, I love adding those! Now that it’s fall, some pumpkin puree can be a nice touch! Chocolate chips? Sure. I literally throw anything and everything into my oatmeal. Which is why I consider it a lunch sometimes!

My creations are tame though, compared to one of my favorite little eateries in NYC. What other city has a restaurant devoted entirely to oatmeal? Greek yogurt? Potatoes?! I love New York City.

Everyone should go check out Oatmeals  (120 West Third Street between MacDougal & Sixth Avenue) and prepare to get a headache from trying to make a choice from the menu. Besides fairly standard options like blueberry maple walnut and brown sugar cinnamon raisin, Oatmeals creates savory bowls that will blow you away. Oatmeal with Goat cheese, bacon, dates, sliced almonds, maple syrup? How about Croque Monsieur oatmeal with diced ham, shaved gruyere cheese, nutmegsea salt & cracked black pepper? I kid you not, these are some of the chef designed bowls at Oatmeals.

Not to mention sweet options that sound more like desserts – a S’mores oatmeal bowl with dark chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate syrup drizzle.

You can also create your own bowl, if you really feel like giving yourself a headache- they have over 80 toppings! The best part is you can customize any bowl to be made with water, skim milk, almond milk, whole milk, soy milk, coconut milk,  heavy cream or half & half.  

The sizes are adorable and Goldie Locks and the Three Bears themed- Baby Bear (8 oz), Mama Bear (12 oz) and Papa Bear (16 oz). But a pro-tip: ask for your oatmeal to be served “Crazy Uncle” style! It comes in a different type of bowl so that it’s much easier to mix all of the toppings in!

Somehow, I’ve only made one trip to Oatmeals. I know, I know- completely unacceptable. But there are just so many places on my to-do list that I try not to become a repeat visitor at most places. But when I visited Oatmeals, I ordered the Fig & Gorgonzola oatmeal with balsamic vinegar drizzle. I’m not afraid of mixing my oatmeal with some interesting ingredients! It was an amazing flavor combination.

The creator of Oatmeals has a great blog, if you want to get some more ideas! 

I think it’s great how popular oatmeal has become within the “clean eating” and “healthy living” worlds. With crazes like overnight oats (which I was totally onboard with for a couple of months- religiously making them before bed every night) swirling around social media, it’s so easy to get new ideas for oatmeal recipes. Seriously, just Google overnight oats and I promise you will be overwhelmed with results.

Oatmeal is a way of life for some people. Yes, I realize how ridiculous that just sounded. But have you been on Tumblr recently? Have you seen the effort people but into their oatmeal? It’s kind of mind blowing how pretty a bowl of oatmeal can be (maybe I’m just really weird…)

Meanwhile, here’s what a bowl of my oatmeal typically looks like…it could use some artistic flare.

So if you’re looking for a heart healthy, low calories, high fiber, good-for-you carb meal or snack- oatmeal is one of my most trusted options.

HAPPY NATIONAL OATMEAL DAY! 

(Oatmeal puns >>)

Snoozin' for a Bruisin' - How to #JustWakeUp

I suppose I’m lucky- For the most part, I’m a morning person. My alarm goes off, I have a bummed out moment or two when I wish I could continue cuddling with my pillow pet, and then I get up and start my day. I’m not a crazy peppy morning person or anything, but I’m also not super cranky.

As a general rule, I always prefer working out in the morning. People who live for their 9 p.m. gym sessions baffle me a little, but to each their own. It’s a total personal preference, but for me, starting off the day with a healthy dose of endorphins helps me feel more energized and keeps me from thinking about or dreading an end of the day workout when all I want to do is cook dinner and crawl into bed.

While training for the marathon, I often got my runs done before work- setting alarms for ungodly hours like 4:45 a.m.  I’ve never regretted a sweaty morning.  Plus, it makes breakfast that much better (even though breakfast is already the best meal of the day, obviously).

So what’s the point of this post? Basically, to tell you that I’m awesome and motivated and have no prob waking up for exercise while the rest of you sleep, suckers.

HA just kidding.

I’ve been seriously struggling since the marathon to get my booty up and out. At first I told myself I deserved the rest- but now I continually find myself hitting snooze and eventually saying, “Eh, I’ll do it later.” This is very unlike me and I have a few guesses as to why it’s happening.

1) My body actually does need some rest after training for and running a marathon.

(Someone needs to shut me up!)

2) The seasons are changing and its dark outside in the mornings. I don’t like the dark. And I really don’t like the cold. But seriously- it’s harder to get up when it’s dark and your body still thinks it should be enjoying your bed.

(Changing seasons = pretty runs but chilly weather, which I do not like!)

3) Not having a schedule or goals now that the marathon is over is proving difficult to handle. I was so determined to run my first marathon that when I set an alarm for 5:00 a.m. to run 8 miles, it wasn’t really a choice. It was just a fact. I was getting up and doing it because that was how I was going to reach my goal. Also, Tiffanie was usually out there waiting fr me.

4) I’m trying to take a step back. Yes, exercise makes me happy. Yes my health is a priority. But I’m trying to embrace a new attitude for winter. Where I indulge in life a little more than I have been for the past year. I’m trying to convince myself that abs are overrated. And froyo is most definitely not. It’s like the sign I just saw outside of DTUT- “Bikini season is over. Get whipped cream.” So bring on the winter layer of warmth. Maybe 4 days of exercise a week instead of 7 won’t kill me. We’ll see.

(This is what $10 of froyo looks like. I have serious self-control problems at the toppings bar...)

That being said- I am still trying to find some tips and tricks for getting back to my normal morning workout self!

I’ve found a few things that work for me.

1) It may seem silly, but label your alarm so that when you go to turn it off (or hit snooze) in the morning, you have a motivational message staring you in the face! Along the same lines- screw alarms that are peaceful waterfalls or mellow piano music. Is that really going to make you want to lace up your sneakers for a spin class? Where’s your Stronger Better Faster?

2) Accountability in the form of friends. When Tiffanie and I planned to meet on our street corner for a run- I knew I could count on her to be there and she knew she could count on me. For some reason- we usually treat the people we care about better than we treat ourselves. I’m far more likely to let myself down by staying in bed that to let a friend down.  Fitness friends are super dependable! Jessica had told me she would bring “Gone Girl” to the next November Project workout for me, but when I woke up Wednesday morning to lots of rain- I figured I would have to wait a few more days. Wrong. True to her word, Jessica showed up with “Gone Girl” – wrapped in 3 plastic bags. #Weatherproof! 

Similarly- I had NOT wanted to go out in the rain for that workout. I am a hugeee baby when it comes to rain. And cold rain? Whyy? But I had baked cookies and posted on Facebook that I would bring them. I couldn’t be THAT person that didn’t show up with the cookies promised oh so publicly on social media! And so, I went. So Tip #3 is: Bake the night before your workout. Ok, not really- but find some way to hold yourself accountable – even if it means doing it for other people instead of yourself.

(Oh yeah, cookies yeah!)

3) Sleep in your workout clothes! Really, this makes so much sense. They’re comfy and this way you have one less excuse in the morning. Again, I hate the cold, so the thought of taking my PJs off to change into workout clothes can make me mentally shiver. But if I’m already dressed – no problem! Roll outta bed and go!

       4) Along the same lines, be prepared. You don’t want to feel overwhelmed by the thought of packing things first thing in the morning. If I plan on going to the gym before work- I have my work outfit, makeup, toiletries, gym lock, etc. all packed and ready to go. All I have to do in the morning is get out of bed, put my sneakers on, brush my teeth, grab my bag and head out the door!

       5) This one’s very specific to me- but maybe it can help someone else out there! Typically, I sleep on top of a loft. When I anticipate a difficult wake up, I’ll sleep on the futon down below- just another way of eliminating an extra excuse to stay in bed in the a.m. My loft ladder is no joke people! It takes a lot of energy getting down from there…

I’m sure there are some other things I could come up with, like drink a lot of water before bed so you have to go the bathroom early in the morning anyway? One that I know would work but I never actually do is don’t bring your cell phone to bed! Set your alarm and put it across the room so you have to get up and turn it off.

Does anyone else have any tips?

At the end of the day – know your body. Some days, you can tell you’re just being a boob and you need to suck it up and get the hell out from under the covers (no matter how damn comfy they are). But other days, at least for me, I can tell that I legitimately could benefit from the extra z’s. If my schedule allows for a later in the day workout, every once in a while it’s OK to hit the pillow for a little extra rest. As long as you haven’t dropped a #verbal and as long as no one’s waiting for you (or your baked goods)!

Retail Tales: My New Job

I think I might be a little crazy. I have somehow found myself with a part-time job in addition to my full-time 9-to-5. How does one accidentally start working 20 extra hours a week, you ask? A friend from November Project posted on our Facebook group that the running store she works for was looking for a few people to help out during the busy time before the NYC Marathon. I thought it was a volunteer type thing- help out at some events, get some store credit, no big deal. One of the managers asked me to come in to speak with him, and I didn’t think twice- they can’t have someone helping out that they haven’t met- what if I was a complete weirdo? I go in and I’m presented with W-9 forms. Uhm, OK- probably just procedural if they’re going to be paying me in any way. The following week I’m in the store for “training” and I’m being given a free shirt to wear, being told I now have a 50% discount on anything in the store, and oh yeah, I’m scheduled to work Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights. Righttttt.

I’m equal parts loving and hating this addition to my life.

I’ve never worked in retail before so this is all really new to me, which makes it interesting and challenging. I’ve always assumed I would be an awful salesperson, but when I’m selling products that I am familiar with, love, and have some knowledge on, I’ve discovered that I’m actually not that bad at it!

Here are some things I have learned on the job.

Did you know that companies have spiff sales? This means that a sales associate can earn cash just for selling an item from a certain brand! Sell two sports bras and it's like you worked an extra hour that night! It’s kind of awesome. But also kind of makes me wary as a shopper! 

(Another fun fact, spiff comes from SPIF- Sales Performance Incentive Fund).

I love being surrounded by all the newest running apparel and products. For someone who can talk about running for hours, I definitely feel at home on the sales floor amongst the gels and hydration packs and foam rollers. That sounds weird. I am one with the foot rubz. King of the Kinvaras. Sneaker joke. OK. Moving on. 

(Me, one with the mannequins. Om!)

Not to mention that when I’m working the women’s section, I’m constantly browsing the racks for what I need to buy for myself. I’m justifying my eventual purchases by telling myself that new fall and winter running clothes will inspire me to run through the winter and successfully train for a possible spring marathon. Right? Right…(more on that inner struggle later).

(Do I buy this Under Armor ColdGear shirt?! Or is it too Halloweeny? It's got thumb holes and a zippered pocket in the back! I need opinions!)

(Brooks Run Happy tech shirt? Yeah, think I need that.)

Selling sneakers is hard though. People ask me a lot of questions and I have very few answers for them…this weekend after training I’m hoping to be a little more knowledgeable! But learning how to do a gait analysis is pretty awesome!

Not everything about retail is fun. Making sure every rack is organized by style, color and size is time consuming and when a costumer goes by and ruins all your hard work it’s slightly infuriating.

Some people are rude, like the man who told me to “go get him this and that.” No thank-yous, no pleases. 

It can be super awkward when you start asking someone how they’re doing, or what brings them into the store and all they give you is a blank stare or start talking in a different language. I’m not a fan of socially awkward situations, so this has taken some getting used to.

Some people are plain crazy, like the first woman I helped buy a pair of sneakers. She backed
up into a shoe sizer and freaked out. Like needed to sit down for 5 minutes before she could “continue the shoe buying process.” She needed a pair of shoes that were easy to clean. I’m pretty sure she had everything from OCD to social anxiety to hypochondria. Lucky me. Hey, I sold her a pair of sneakers! (And socks.)

(Did you know this has a name? It's a Brannock Device. Boom!)

SO MANY PEOPLE DECIDE TO COME INTO THE STORE 5 MINUTES BEFORE IT CLOSES! We are smiling and being helpful, but we really really don’t like you.

I’m used to a desk job, and standing and walking around the store for hours is more brutal than I ever imagined it would be. Luckily, I get to wear sneakers and comfortable clothes, otherwise, I think I would cry. But that’s another huge perk- my “uniform” is what I wish I could wear 24/7. And the best part? I can try on and wear whatever shoes I want around the store during my shift!

(Not saying I match impeccably but...I match impeccably) 

Picking out outfits for mannequins is fun, but dressing them is really difficult. Using folding boards is also more difficult than anticipated.

A 15 minute break is really, really short.

People ask awkward questions like, “Do you think I’m a Large or an Extra-Large?” Uhm, how do you say extra-large without sounding offensive?

Overall, it’s been a great new experience.  But working 20 hours in addition to my full time job is taking its toll.  I work the closing shift. The store closes at 9, and depending on what needs to be done and what manager is on duty, that often means leaving around or sometimes after 10 p.m. Getting home at 10:30. Cooking dinner. Eating dinner at 11 p.m. (because that’s a normal Manhattan dinner time, yes?) And then attempting to get to bed and up to work out before work most mornings. 

I love the people I work with. I love the connection to running. I love the extra cash. And I realllllly love the 50% off discount.

But I think I need to speak up and have my hours scaled back if I’m going to stay on the team at the store. Woof! 

I've Got the Spins

As a junior in college, I remember when our fitness center got a spinning studio. I was confused, and had never heard of spin before. Sure, I had fooled around on the archaic stationary bike in my grandparent’s basement as a child, but as far as legitimate exercise was concerned, I was convinced that biking in a gym was boring, and couldn’t possibly be a real workout.

One day, Quinnipiac had a health fair and was offering spin classes, so my friend and I decided why not? Let’s try it. I really don’t remember much from that first class, except that my heart rate was elevated and I was dripping in sweat and I was persuaded that, alright, maybe that was a workout after all.

It was a long time until I tried spinning again. Probably over a year later, during one of my many free trials at gyms throughout NYC when I was a poor graduate student. I mainly took classes during my month-long NYSC membership (which you, too, can enjoy once a year!) 

Then, when my shin splints started getting really bad, I had to seriously cut back on my running.  But of course, I wouldn’t let myself give up all exercise.  So while home one weekend, I sucked it up and paid $15 to go to a spin class at a gym nearby.  It was dark, there were black lights, the music was loud and poppy and fun, and the calories that my Polar heart rate monitor watch said I burned was seriously awesome. I was no longer just a casual spin-class taker when the opportunity presented itself. I was hooked.

(My favorite spin studio- on Long Island!)

When you first start taking spin classes, you feel awkward. At least, I know I did.  You think everyone else knows what they’re doing, makes it look easy, and holy hell, how are they not wincing with severe butt pain?! But stick with it, because eventually you’ll learn how to set your bike, what the different positions mean, what the heck the instructor means when they say to get ready for jumps and climbs, and no, your butt won’t hurt that badly forever!

There are so many things I love about spinning. I’m not going to lie, I love the fact that it burns A LOT of calories. But there’s so much more to it. It’s never boring (if you have a good instructor.) Throughout one class you’ll do interval training, strength training, hills, jumps and depending on the type of studio you’re at, even some arm and ab work!

The music is loud and pumps you up and when your instructor has a playlist that you like, and you lock your pedal strokes in with the rhythm, you feel. so. awesome.

I also like that there is such a HUGE variety of different types of spin studios and instructors.  What works for one person may not work for everyone, so it’s definitely important to try all different types of classes with all different types of instructors before you give up on spinning! Maybe one day you’re in the mood for a class with John from SoulCycle because you leave a sweaty beast and he plays rap and techno during class while kicking your ass with 10 minute climbs and intervals.  But then the next day you wake up and need some California Dreamin’ hills with Harriet the Hippy instructor who has you closing your eyes and “becoming one with the bike.”

(I am totally content with basic NYSC spin classes!)

I’ve tested out my fair share of spin classes (you can read about my first SoulCycle experience here) and they each have something unique- so shop around until you find the place that feels like the right fit for you!

Oh, and check out this funny Buzzfeed about people who spin ;) 

DIY: Runner Edition

Confession time…

I judged people who spent money on arm warmers. I thought it was ridiculous when I saw runners wearing a t-shirt and then arm sleeves. "Why can’t you just wear a long sleeve shirt?" I thought to myself.

But like most instances where you judge others, there’s an explanation that can make you feel like a real jerk for being so critical. Eventually, people explained that arm sleeves are great for races because you’re usually cold at the start, but then warm up as the run progresses- arm sleeves are an easy way to go from long sleeves to short sleeves without actually having to wear two layers.

Except then my next thought was, so you just throw the arm sleeves away when you warm up? That seems like a waste of money. Carry them? That seems like a pain.

For my marathon, everyone had told me I should wear shorts, short sleeves or a tank and, you guessed it, arm sleeves.  But I wasn’t willing to spend $20-$40 on something I was literally going to throw away after using for a few hours. Then, I had a genius idea. Ok, maybe it wasn’t my idea, I think I must have read it on a blog many moons ago and it kind of sat in my back of my brain until Saturday night, but either way…DIY Arm Sleeves.

I took a pair of old knee high socks, cut off the feet and VOILA! 

(They even ended up matching my outfit perfectly, which I swear was unplanned!)

I wore them until about mile 23 of my marathon and am SO glad I had them. I took them off at mile 23, tossed them in a garbage can, and didn’t have any cares about wasted money. 

Next time, I may try cutting them to include thumb holes, because at the beginning of the race when I was freezing, I would have loved to have a little coverage on my hands!

Restaurant Review: Flex Muscles. I Mean Mussels.

While my parents were in town a couple weekends ago we went to dinner at a place on the UES called “Flex Mussels.” I have been dying to try it. Ever since I moved to Yorkville, multiple people have mentioned it as one of their go-to neighborhood restaurants. I love seafood, plus I had heard they make amazing donuts. My hopes were pretty high for a place whose name is a fitness and food related play on words.

I guess I didn’t realize just how popular a place Flex Mussels is, because when I called to make a reservation, the first available one was for 9:30 that night (granted, it was a Saturday). When we got there, we realized we easily could have just sat at the bar and walked in whenever. We were led to a table in the back of the restaurant. The atmosphere was nice- clean, uncluttered, with lots of beach pictures. But the chairs were hard and metal and it was cold in there!

The service was fine, and I give our waiter credit for listening to my parents and I argue about which seasonal vegetable to order (“But I just ate so much asparagus!” “Mushrooms are bad for my gout.” “I love spinach!” “Spinach is so boring!”) When our food came out, he magically had a plate of asparagus and mushrooms- thanks for trying to make everyone happy, Mr. Waiter!

Obviously, the main attraction of this restaurant is its mussels. But the rest of the menu looked delicious too, and so we decided to choose two mussels and a non-mussel entrée. First to come out was the bread, which I was highly anticipating. Everyone knows that the best part of eating a pot of mussels is when you take a hunk of bread and dip it in all the leftover broth. Come on, you know that, right? Sadly, this bread wasn’t anything to write home about. I wasn’t a big fan, maybe due to the sourdough-y taste of it - heavy on the sour.

My choice of mussel pot were the Thai mussels- served in a curry coconut broth with lemongrass, coriander, lime, garlic and ginger. I love Thai and curry tasting things- so I thought this was pretty delicious. However, it wasn’t the “WOW” I was looking for and was incredibly salty. 

(Unfortunately, Flex didn't have great food photography lighting!)

I’m also a lazy eater- I like my meal to be easy. In order to have a mussel that tasted Thai, I needed to pick it out with my fork, transfer it to my spoon, and use the spoon to scoop up some of the broth. And after a while, it didn’t seem worth it.

Dad’s choice had a little more “oomph” to it- a pot of mussels “Cleopatra,” topped with lump crab meat, saffron, fennel, cream and basil (super light, right?) This was PACKED with crab meat, so A+ on not being stingy. 

I definitely recommend ordering a pot that comes with something in addition to the mussels – like the Mediterranean that comes with shrimp or the Mexican that comes with chorizo and calamari.  Now that I look back at the menu, I’m not really sure what I was thinking with the Thai. Oh well, live and learn!

We went back and forth on a couple of options for the non-mussel meal before settling on the crab cakes served with jicama slaw and sesame Dijon. These may have been my favorite part of the meal- well really, the jicama slaw was my favorite part of the meal. With the Dijon sauce a close second. The crab cakes weregood though- and again, not skimpy on the crab meat.

As I mentioned before, we also got a side of asparagus and mushrooms. They were asparagus and mushrooms. Dad insisted on the truffle fries and I wrongly assumed that my distaste for truffle-flavored things would stop me from eating a ton of fries. That assumption was wrong. That being said- I still do not like the taste of truffle. But pro tip: when you dip things in enough aioli- you can drown out the taste.

The best part of Flex Mussels was hands down the dessert. I am on a new donut RAMPAGE. Like, donuts are >>> all right now. And these donuts are at the top of the list. Seriously. I am on the hunt for something to beat Flex Donuts (more to come on how the search is going) but I’m not quite sure they’re beatable.

First of all, I am a sucker for things that are filled. I don’t like cupcakes, but I liked Crumbs cupcakes because they were bursting with ooey gooey deliciousness inside. If I’m getting a donut, 9 times out of 10 I’m choosing a jelly or Boston Crème. So Flex Donuts are just my speed- deep fried balls of dough stuffed with magical fillings.

“We need to try 6 of them. Not only 4. I can’t pick only 4 flavors.” I told my parents. My parents aren’t dessert people, but they too fell in love after one bite of these crispy, light, airy, doughy donuts. I will say that they are greasy. You are not going to feel great about yourself after eating 6 of these. But your taste buds are going to be happier than they’ve been in…possibly ever.

(SO SO SO GOOD!)

Cinnamon Sugar, PB&J, Fluffernutter, Salted Caramel, S’more and my mom’s choice- Wild Blueberry.  We tried them one at a time, savoring every incredible bite. They were warm, and you could dunk them into vanilla bean dipping sauce that was actually just melted down vanilla bean ice cream- which explains why it was so creamy (my guess is they use Haagen-Dazs- that was some quality vanilla bean ice cream!) I honestly don’t know which was best- I might have to go with the Salted Caramel, although Fluffernutter was up there.

I happily rolled out of Flex Mussels- slightly disappointed in the mussels, but newly addicted to donuts. Beware, your life will be changed by Flex Donuts.

Flex Mussels has two locations – 154 West 13^th Street and 174 East 82^nd Street. You should also check out their Happy Hour – when you can get certain pots of mussels and a side of fries for $15. They also offer special prices on clam strips, oysters, fish tacos, oyster sliders and $5 fries. Wine and beer are $5-$7.

Packing for a Marathon 101

I am by no means a racing expert. I rarely find races worth the anxiety or entry fees. 

However, I have run quite a few races this year and can tell you that it’s absolutely a good idea to do your race-day packing the night before. If you’re anything like me, it’s hard enough falling asleep the night before a race without the added stress of having to think about what you need to pack in the morning.

But the real reason you’re going to want to lay everything out the night before, is to get an awesome picture to Instagram, to let all of your followers know you’re a total badass with a race in the morning, and yes, you will be flawlessly color-coordinated.

(Instagram Exhibit A) 

(Instagram Exhibit B)

Running races in New York City, packing is usually fairly easy. But for my first marathon, I would be travelling 5 hours upstate to Corning, NY. Shockingly, packing went pretty well so I thought I would share my list with you, in case you’ve got a destination race coming up. Also, so I can look back at this and repeat it next time around!

Running Gear 

-First and foremost SNEAKERS. Both of my parents asked me multiple times, “You’ve got your sneakers right?” So much faith in me. Although in High School I did show up to my math final without a calculator. D’oh.

-Compression. I knew I would be running in my CEP compression socks, so those were definitely coming, but I also threw in my 2XU calf sleeves as back-up.

-3 different race-day outfit options. I swear, this wasn’t completely excessive! One outfit featured my Nike Pro shorts if I decided I wanted to go the spandex route. Another featured my Old Navy split shorts with undies inside. And the third was Old Navy capris, in case I decided it was cold enough to run in capris instead of shorts. Obviously each of these bottoms required a different matching top and sports bra.

-Fall marathons mean cold starts. I had prepared by going to Goodwill and buying myself an $8 running jacket that I could start the race with and throw away without caring too much when I warmed up.

-Arm warmers. When people looked at the weather forecast for the day of my race and told me what they thought I should wear, pretty much everyone said arm warmers. Uhm, what? I have been brainwashed into buying a lot of running gear that’s probably not 100% necessary, but arm warmers were something that I refused to get behind. Until I ran a marathon in homemade arm warmers and realized they’re genius.

-Headband that I didn’t end up wearing because it didn’t match my outfit (#Vanity)

-I had decided that I would be leaving my cell phone with my grandparents the morning of the race so that I didn’t need a belt, but I am indecisive, and didn’t trust myself not to want it at the last minute, so I threw my belt in just in case. Happy to say I stuck with my gut and didn’t end up running with the belt.

-The Nike GPS watch that David lent me was bigger than my arm, but so clutch. I am so glad I had it! I definitely can’t imagine having run the marathon without it (ugh, is this the beginning of me cracking on buying a damn watch too?)

-Nutrition is something that I still have yet to master, but I threw in some of my trusted Quest bars, Chia Squeezes and GUs to have with me.

-Agua? I also fail at hydration but I have some water bottles that are supposed to go in one of the Nathan TrailMix belts so I threw one of those in just in case I decided to be spontaneous Sunday morning and hold the water bottle to avoid stopping at water stations. I never really considered this, but I had the water bottle with me so I’m listing it here.

-Heatsheet! I had sniped one of these after the Brooklyn Half to save for later and I am SO glad I did. This sucker saved my life while we waited an hour and a half before the race Sunday morning.

-The stick. Because my calves are jerks.

-Trigger point foam roller. Because who doesn’t love a little pre-race torture?

-Icy hot that felt oh so good  Sunday night.

-The typical toiletries that you would bring on any trip (+ Extra Ibuprofen!)

-Camera and charger!

-Normal people outfits (I forced myself to dress in real clothes when we went out to dinners except that I totally wanted to stay in workout gear the entire weekend. Ultimate comfort.)

-Car ride reading materials courtesy of Claudia- “Bone Health for the Endurance Athlete.” Except that I just ended up sleeping the majority of the car ride. I am a damn good napper.

There you have it! I had to take the LIRR and subway with all of this stuff, so I did a pretty good job keeping it minimal but making sure I had everything I needed.

And most importantly, I got a great Instagram shot.

(The money shot, right there!)

Is there anything you think I was missing that you always pack for a race?