Rejoice! Rhythm Superfoods Are Crispy, Crunchy, Healthy

One of my goals for Peanut Butter Is My Boyfriend in 2016 was to “Become a Brand Ambassador.” I’m excited to say that I am officially a rhythm superfoodie.

I reached out to the folks at Rhythm Superfoods after a recent work trip because I just needed to get involved somehow. I always try to fly out of LaGuardia because they have an unparalleled healthy-snack selection. Every time I fly I sample some new nutritious noms – Somersaults (yummo), Big Slice Apples (not a fan), R Bars (PB&J!) -  but ever since I first picked up a bag of Rhythm Superfoods Kool Ranch Kale Chips, they’ve become a must-have for flights.

Please tell me I’m not the only one who craves something crunchy when they’re trying to eat healthy? It’s why dry cereal and granola don’t stand a chance in my apartment or at my desk.

Enter Rhythm Superfoods Kale Chips and Broccoli Bites. They are game changers. You can satisfy that craving for crispy carbs while still eating something that’s super healthy! I’m talking low calorie, low carb, high fiber good for you. There’s even protein and loads of vitamins! I promise, this isn’t a trick.

I have dutifully eaten my way through the free samples that Rhythm Superfoods generously provided me with and I’ve gotten to taste just about all of their offerings. Here’s the dealio:

1.       Kale Chips

These are Rhythm Superfood’s star product, in my humble opinion. What I love about them is how solidly chip-like they are. They pack a mean crunch. While there are plenty of crumbly bits at the bottom of the bag, there’s also a ton of larger pieces. I’m talking hunka-a-hunk-a-crunchy-kale. That’s because they use curly kale – the dressings and seasonings get in all those curly ridges and create MAGIC.

There are 7 different flavors and each one offers a POW of flavor without tasting overly salty or chemically. That’s probably because they hand-craft their dressings and seasonings using all natural ingredients – this ain’t no Dorito Cool Ranch.

Flavors range from “Original” to “Zesty Nacho” with a little bit of “Bombay Curry” and “Texas BBQ” thrown in there as well. There’s a flavor for every bud(dy) (taste bud, that is). Wow, what a terrible attempt at a food pun.

I’m dying to try the Honey Mustard flavor – I mean – everyone knows honey mustard is the world’s best condiment. Sorry, ketchup.

2.       Broccoli Bites

Kale chips are pretty run-of-the-mill these days, but when is the last time you thought to bake up some broccoli bites? You probably haven’t.

I will say, I didn’t love these like I loved the Kale Chips – they’re denser, harder to chew, and don’t have that same crispiness. I think I’ll stick to kale and sweet potatoes as my go-to veggie chips but it’s alright, you tried broccoli.

Like the kale chips, Rhythm Superfoods covers their broccoli in hand-crafted dressings for 3 different flavor options – “Garden Ranch,” “Zesty Nacho,” and “Asian Citrus.”

Again, these are PACKED with fiber and have a good amount of protein as well!

3.       Roasted Kale

If you’ve ever gotten those 99 cent roasted seaweed snack packs from Trader Joe’s, these won’t be that strange to you.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, let me explain.

Rhythm Superfoods’ Roasted Kale are long, flat, roasted kale “sheets” that are probably more like the product you end up with when you try making kale chips in your oven at home.

They’re alright, but they taste a lot more like you’re eating something very very green and I’m not sure I can see ever choosing this variety of kale over the Kale Chips they have so wonderfully created.

Though these are lower in calories than the Kale Chips and Broccoli Bites, they are missing the “superfoods” found in the hand-crafted dressings and are therefore lower in dietary fiber and protein.

There are 5 flavors of roasted kale. I sampled the Sea Salt and Smoky Bacon. I wasn’t a big fan of the smoky bacon – something about kale and smoky bacon just didn’t jibe with me – but the other flavors sound a lot more appealing (Sea Salt and Vinegar, Chili Lime and Roasted Garlic & Onion).

Beware when and where you eat these – I guarantee you’ll be covered with little green specks. Think Nature Valley Granola Bar: Kale Edition.

So let’s review the reasons Rhythm Superfoods should be added to your snacking repertoire -

1)      Hand-Crafted Dressings and Seasonings using all-natural ingredients like tahini and sunflower seeds

2)      Snacks are air crisped or roasted – not fried

3)      Each snack uses superfoods that are packed with magical powers – or, nutritional benefits

4)      Tons of interesting flavor options

Besides the fact that Rhythm Superfoods makes delicious, nutritious snacks that will feel like a treat – they are an all-around awesome company.

When I first visited their website, I was immediately impressed and kind of wanted to fly back to Austin to meet them in person.

They have the whole corporate social responsibility thing locked and loaded, let me tell you.

Rhythm Superfoods works with a number of kale farmers to ensure the highest quality of cruciferous greens are going into their product.

Also on their website, you can meet the folks behind this awesome company, and learn interesting facts about them like their favorite music and hobbies.

This is the kind of company that I love – they’ve got their own identifiable brand personality and everything they put out into the world – their website, their social media channels, their advertising, their community service initiatives – supports and back-ups their mission and product.

And want to talk about a killer mission statement?

At Rhythm Superfoods, we believe a positive mind, eating right, and staying active are the keys to healthy and happiness. Superfoods are our passion, and all-good snacking is our mission. We’re here to help you find your rhythm.

Boom.

Follow these guys on social media, check out their website and most importantly, try out their delicious products – you’ll be glad you did.

My pick? Kool Ranch Kale Chips. Get it.​ 

SWERVE Fitness Spin Review

It's another Workout Wednesday, where I give you the rundown on a different New York City fitness class.

But before we jump into things, I'd like to make an important announcement that I can't believe it has taken me so long to post - I am the proud owner of a brand spankin' new Bianchi road bike! I am just as excited as I am panicked about this latest development. 

I'm panicked about actually riding the bike. 
I'm panicked about clipping into the pedals. 
I'm panicked about being SO POOR. 
I'm panicked about how many things I need to buy other than the bike. 
I'm panicked about how little I know about bikes. 

So any and all advice is welcomed and needed! 

I'm signed up for this year's 5 Borough Bike Tour and looking into another long summer bike "race" (ha, ride, lets not get ahead of ourselves) but that goal of an Olympic Distance Triathlon is still intimidatingly unscheduled. 

I have yet to be on a bike ride on my bike and I've owned it for oh, I don't know, 5 weeks! Pedals, a helmet and gloves have all been ordered so - the time is approaching. I'll keep ya posted. 

Despite not being out on my bike - I have continued to go to spin classes. I had the chance to take a class at SWERVE and was really excited to try it out - mainly because they require you to clip into the pedals and I know it completely changes the feel of cycling. It's something I'm really going to need to adjust to after countless NYSC rides in my Nike Frees. 

THE STUDIO: 

SWERVE is located on 18th Street between 5th & 6th Avenues. When I walked in, running late as usual, I was given a pair of spin shoes  and told my bike number. After quickly changing, I walked downstairs to the actual spin studio and was helped with adjusting my bike and clipping in. The room was super dark, so clipping in was a challenge and the help was greatly appreciated. 

I was impressed with how many bikes SWERVE's studio has - at least 35. 

THE WORKOUT: 

SWERVE's "thing" is that each class is split into three teams which compete for first place. Your personal and team score is based on your RPMs, Watts and resistance. Each  bike has their own mini computer which lets you know all of this information and the team score is displayed on two screen in the front of the room. 

At first, I was a little iffy about the two screens in the front of the room - I was under the impression they would show the whole classes score. But nope - it just shows a general team score along with the person who is performing best for each particular team. 

I'm a big fan of numbers and data in my workout - so being able to hear that I should be within a certain range of rotations per minute was really helpful - it usually was right in time to the music as well. In the past, I've had trouble performing at the level that the instructor was expecting, but I found that the RPM and gear ranges that our instructor, Seth, suggested were a challenge, but doable. 

Knowing that I was riding as part of a team pushed me to give that little extra kick at the end of each interval. There were many intervals throughout the class - which is my favorite type of spin class. Seth was always encouraging and had some great things to say about both competing for your team and being there to improve yourself as an individual. He turned off the screen a few times so that we couldn't see who was in the lead and we had to just push ourselves without that visual to motivate us. 

The one thing I didn't love about the class was the song during which we picked up those little 2 pound weights and did so many pulses and straight arm holds that I felt like I was gunna die. I still don't understand how such tiny weights can kill so much. And I also am still not sold on why this is necessary in a spin class. But, at least there was no bike-squating or crunching while we were spinning. 

By the end of class, our team came up victorious! And I was absolutely DRIPPING in sweat. My face was bright red and I was shaky. The stretch was a little short for my liking, but in that short time I managed to completely slip and wipe out - cycling shoes are slippery people. 

AMENITIES: 

There are both men's and women's locker rooms as well as a big central room with more lockers. The women's locker room was fairly small though well stocked with products and a shower. On my way out, I looked around and one thing really stood out to me was the smoothie bar! You can even place an order before class and it will be waiting for you when you finish! 

I had a great time and really liked the competitive aspect of this class along with the numbers and data provided by the computers on each bike. At the end of class, they email you your statistics and you can see how you stacked up in the class. 

Like I knew going into it, riding with clip-in cycling shoes is a lot different and really gives you the ability to focus on that upward pull motion of your pedal stroke just as much as the push down. 

STAFF: 

So often, the quality of a spin class is dependent on the instructor. Seth was great - he was motivating and clear in his explanations what what we should be doing. 

SWERVE Instructor Kate Bailey was kind enough to answer some questions - enjoy! (*My comments are in italics). 

When was SWERVE created?

SWERVE Fitness first opened in Fall ’13. Founded by a trio of best friends and former Ivy League athletes, the studio inspires you to achieve your best workout by creating a community of people who inspire each other to continuously redefine their best.

What do you think is the appeal of a cycling class where participants ride for teams?

Well, let's be honest.  We all have a little bit of that competitive spirit in us.  I think when people hear "teams" that is what gets them into class! They want to win.  Who doesn't.  But once they leave they have gained so much more.  The team aspect at SWERVE encourages a sense of community and drive that, for me, makes me feel like I can conquer anything that comes my way!  And I think that is what keeps people coming back.  You gotta show up for your TEAM!!!

How did you get involved with SWERVE?

I took a class with a friend and the rest was history! I wasn't even looking to be an instructor, but after one class I just had to be a part of it.  That was about two years ago and now SWERVE has become my second home in NYC.  

What’s your favorite song to sweat to?

I have so many! But my favorite song to sweat to right now is, "Wait For It" from the new musical Hamilton on Broadway.  I know... I know... HAMILTON? I don't usually play showtunes in class, (although that is all I listen to outside of SWERVE) but the music of Hamilton is something everyone in NYC should hear.  Truly awesome and inspiring stuff.  (Who is going to have a Hamilton themed spin class? Anybody? Bueller? PLEASE!) 

Do you like peanut butter? What’s your favorite way to enjoy it?

I love peanut butter! Hmmmm... I have to say my favorite way to enjoy peanut butter is with Apple Slices or Celery Sticks.  It was my favorite snack as a kid, and still such a great go-to for me today.  

THE RUNDOWN: 

*Based on a scale of 1-10

The Studio - 6
It's clean and there's lots of lockers, but the locker room itself is very small for a studio where the class size is 30+ people. 

Sweat-Scale - 8
Spin classes always get me the sweatiest. I'm talking full on puddles underneath my bike by the end of class. 

Fun-Factor - 8
If you're like me, you'll love the little "gimmicks" that SWERVE offers - teams, competition, a chance to be "#1" and data that you can track from class to class to monitor improvements. 

Amenities - 7
Forgot hairspray? SWERVE's got ya covered. Need a smoothie waiting for you when you get out of class? Yup. Get on that.

One of each, plz.

Cost - $$$ (Single Classes are $34 but new riders can buy one get one free! OR sign up as a new member and receive 1 month of unlimited classes for $150!)
(<$20 = $, $20-$30 = $$ and $30+ = $$$) 

Class Review: Broadway Bodies' Broadway Cardio

I love trying new things. It’s one of my favorite qualities about myself (am I allowed to say that?) From a young age, I would eat anything put in front of me at least once. But I wasn’t always willing to put myself in situations that I knew would cause discomfort.

There aren’t many things that terrify me more than the awkwardness that ensues when I attempt to dance. To say I have “two left feet” is an understatement. Actual dancing skills aside (which I assure you are dismal) I am just completely, 100% uncomfortable and embarrassed when I dance. I feel insecure and self-conscious.  I don’t “dance like nobody’s watching” because I am sure that everyone is watching and everyone is thinking, “this is just like a car crash that I can’t turn my eyes away from.”

Step Classes, Zumba, Kickboxing – these are all fitness classes that have pushed me out of my comfort zone and left me feeling defeated and self-conscious because they rely on things that are way too closely related to choreography and dancing.

Suddenly, tons of friends were attending classes at “Broadway Bodies” to learn the dance to Justin Bieber’s “Sorry.” It looked like a ton of fun – but nothing I would ever be confident enough to attempt.

While doing research for my Valentine’s Day Fitness blog post, I stopped by the Broadway Bodies website where I immediately saw they were offering a class to learn the choreography to Spring Awakening’s “Mama Who Bore Me” in a class titled, “Broadway Cardio.”

Now, I’ve expressed my love for Broadway on the blog before but I don’t know that you understand the extent of it. For 5 or 6 years it was my passion, obsession, social life. And Spring Awakening was my favorite.

Somehow, that all came rushing back and I was clicking “send” on an email asking if I could take the class and write about it on Peanut Butter Is My Boyfriend. They said yes, and then I had to face the fact that I had indeed just signed up for a dance class.

Not a class at a gym with some steps resembling dancing. A full-on Broadway choreography dance class.

I was panicking. But I was also weirdly excited. I recruited two friends who always loved Spring Awakening and on a Tuesday night I checked my dignity at the door and entered Broadway Bodies.

That's the Spring Awakening cast after the productions' final performance - 7 years ago!!

THE STUDIO:

Our class was held at Pearl Studios – where each and every day, real Broadway stars show up for auditions and rehearsals. This was not your typical gym class, which was very obvious when we walked down the hallway and saw people who were clearly real-life, serious dancers.

We signed in, and entered the studio. In total, there were about 20 of us, which was a bit of a squeeze.

THE WORKOUT:

To start, Broadway Cardio classes do about a half hour of some easier, cardio-centric routines to Broadway classics. I actually worked up a sweat and my heart was pumping – but the most shocking thing of all was that somewhere between a Hamilton song and “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray, I had realized there was a huge cheesy grin on my face. Despite the missteps and extreme concentration required to remain semi-on beat, I was truly dancing around the room as if I were alone in my apartment blasting some showtunes (a very common occurrence). Every time a new step was introduced I would send a panicked look across the room to Carolyn or Roseanna, we would crack up, and just keep moving our feet.

Our instructor, Natalie, was so sweet and put the whole room at ease.

After the cardio wrapped-up it was time to learn the dance to Mama Who Bore Me. After learning our “first 8 count” (I learned so much new lingo…) I was feelin’ pretty confident. But that didn’t last long. I found that whenever we were instructed to do something with both our arms and our legs, I was a lost cause. It was like asking an infant to rub their stomach and pat their head.

But again, I had fun.

Once we got through the whole song, the room split into two groups so we had a little more room to get our groove on. I sprinted to the side that Carolyn and Roseanna were on which the instructor good-naturedly pointed out and laughed at.

It was a total disaster but I rocked those stomps and angel wings as best as I could and soaked up the experience.

At the end of class we were dripping with sweat – though that was due more to a stuffy hot room than my intense dancing.

We spoke with Natalie who was SO awesome – it was no surprise to her that it was our first class, none of us were dancers, and she just kept commending us for trying, for smiling and for never quitting.

So while I know I was uncomfortably terrible at this class, it was so so nice not being terribly uncomfortable. Broadway Bodies welcomed us with open arms and gave us a unique, fun experience. While I doubt I’ll be returning for another class anytime soon, they do offer BYOB Birthday Parties which definitely intrigue me…

I never in a million years thought I would smile through a class like that – never once feeling frustrated or embarrassed. (Okay, I was a little embarrassed, but not in a sad/terrified way).

The program director of Broadway Bodies, Rebecca Bradford, was kind enough to answer some questions for me.  I can’t thank them enough for this experience!

How did you get involved with Broadway Bodies? 

I had just moved to New York and am an actress/singer/dancer who was working in the food industry (so typical haha). I was desperately looking for a way out of the restaurant when I stumbled upon a Playbill.com listing from Broadway Bodies and they were looking for new cardio instructors. It sounds right up my alley and I am so happy that it worked out. From there, I took on the position of program administrator and, in addition, teach Bieber Fever classes. I just love this company and how much happiness it brings to people. 

What's your advice to fans of fitness who may be scared to venture into the world of dance?

Dance, in my opinion, is the best way of expressing yourself. I would say don't be afraid to try new things. We are ALWAYS thrilled to have newcomers at Broadway Bodies. We really try to create a shame-free environment to encourage people to take risks and try new things. We truly do not care if you nail the choreography or completely trip over your feet. Dance is all about having fun, letting go and living. 

What's your favorite song to sweat to? 

Ah, right now I am OBSESSED with "Hands to Myself" by Selena Gomez. I'm also one of Taylor Swift's biggest fan, so basically anything from the 1989 album. 

Can you give me some history on the creation and mission of Broadway Bodies? 

Around 9 years by two amazing men, entrepreneur Jeff Vilensky and choreographer and director, Stephen Brotebeck. It began with Broadway Cardio and grew into a pop culture phenomenon in New York. The idea began when Jeff was watching a Broadway show and wanted to do what the performers were doing on stage. He thought to himself that he wasn't a dancer, but there was still a way to do what they were doing on stage. Broadway Bodies is a shame-free, inclusive dance community that teaches original and custom choreography to the music of movies, musicals, and music videos. Our only goal is that our participants have fun and unleash their inner superstars.

Do you like peanut butter? What's your favorite way to enjoy it? 

I love peanut butter. How can you not?? My favorite is to slice up a Honeycrisp apple and spread peanut butter on each slice, but like a super unhealthy amount of peanut butter. 

The Rundown

*Based on a scale of 1-10

The Studio - 5

This isn’t your typical fitness studio – it was a room in a building which was incredibly stuffy and hot. Everyone just piled their bags up in the back of the room.  That being said – it’s a legit Broadway studio – as we were leaving we apparently passed the winner of last season’s So You Think You Can Dance. I joked that I just danced in the same building as Idina Menzel but…actually…that’s where she goes for auditions and rehearsals just like everyone else.

Class Size - Small

Though the class had no more than 20 people, it was a tight squeeze which made any arm motions a little difficult.

Sweat-Scale - 5

I was pleasantly surprised that the first portion of class had my heart rate going. But, overall, it isn’t a very physically demanding class. However, my sweat scale was about an 8 just because the room was so hot.  

Fun-Factor - 8

This is where Broadway Bodies shines – this is a unique, fun experience that makes for a great story and some laughs. Whether you’re a great dancer or an awful one, this class is no doubt fun.

Amenities - 4

Since our class wasn’t at the Broadway Bodies Dance Studio – I can’t speak for their amenities. But be sure to do some research about where your class or workshop will be held – I wouldn’t recommend going to a class offered at Pearl Studios before work because there really isn’t anywhere to shower/change/etc.

Cost - $

(<$20 = $, $20-$30 = $$ and $30+ = $$$) 

5 Nashville Restaurants Outstanding for Vegetarians

My job once again provided me the opportunity to visit a U.S. city that's a top vacation destination - Nashville, Tennessee. 

Though I didn't have time to do all the touristy things - one thing I did make time for was seeking out some healthy eats. 

It's so exciting to me every time I realize that New York City isn't the only place where it's easy to find fresh, farm-to-table restaurants or establishments that focus on vegetarian and vegan fare. 

I can definitely say with confidence that the South isn't all about fried chicken and ribs. I present you with 5 Healthy Nashville Restaurants Great for Vegetarians.

Avo 

My first night in Nashville I sucked up my post-flight sleepiness and got in a quick 10-minute cab ride to Avo - discreetly located in a large storage container next to a Crossfit gym within Nashville's One C1TY mindful living development. There's a beach volleyball court just outside the doors.

Avo is the cutest little place – bright a clean inside with plants on the walls, fun light fixtures, and adorable succulents on the tables that are perfect for Instagramming with your beautiful meal avo is completely plant-based and every menu item is gluten free. Not only that, Avo uses no oven, gas, fryer or range stoves. Everything you eat at Avo is made with a blender, dehydrator, food processor and a good old knife.

 Their menu is packed with options - from a build your own salad section to "lasagna," "falafel" and raw Pad Thai. 

We split the raw taco appetizer - lettuce wraps filled with mushrooms and other fresh veggies.

I ordered the Pumpkin Curry Noodles as my entree. It was made with spiralized zucchini and kelp noodles and topped with a delicious, fresh pumpkin curry sauce and cashews. The sauce wasn't too much pumpkin or too much curry - it was light and delicious and refreshing if you're a fan of those flavors! I also loved the coconut shavings and cashews on top. 

I also ordered organic kombucha - loved it!  

For dessert, I got a slice of their dairy-free banana cheesecake. It still blows my mind that you can make "cheese" out of cashews and crust out of dates and walnuts. So good - and full of nutrient-dense ingredients. 

The portions were huge and filling despite the fact that it was a completely plant-based dinner. 

AVO 

Locale 3 C1TY Ave. Nashville, TN 37209
(615) 329-2377
Monday - Saturday 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. 
Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 
www.eatavo.com

The Wild Cow Cafe

Another day, I was browsing through delivery food options trying to find something healthy when I came across The Wild Cow Cafe, a vegetarian cafe that also serves vegan and gluten-free options. 

There are a ton of different choices - salads, tacos, grain bowls and sandwiches. What I loved was how easy they made it to customize your meal. 

I ended up choosing the Veggie Quinoa Bowl - it came with roasted veggies (squash, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, etc.) served over quinoa and topped with garlic aioli. To customize, my friend and I added sauteed garlicky kale, grilled tofu and portabella mushroom. We got the garlic aioli on the side and balsamic vinaigrette as well. 

They were delivered still piping hot, with all our additions and dressings on the side. Everything was delicious and the serving size was huge. The only thing I was a little iffy on was the garlicky kale. The taste was a little overpowering, and it turned the consistency of the whole meal crunchy from all of the crushed garlic. 

Later in the week, we ordered from Wild Cow again and they must have been really busy because the delivery wasn't as seamless - my friend's salad came with cheese even though she ordered it without, and my dressing didn't come on the side like I requested. 

That being said - everything still tasted good. I ordered the Pistachio & Pear salad - spinach and lettuce in a Goddess Tahini dressing that was heavenly. I have yet to master making my own tahini-based dressings and was beginning to doubt whether or not I liked it - but I loved the one from Wild Cow. 

The salad was topped with quinoa, roasted beets, pears, pistachios and grilled tofu. I think I liked this even better than my Veggie Quinoa Bowl! Again, the serving size was HUGE and I couldn't finish it despite my best efforts. 

The Wild Cow Cafe 

1896 Eastland Avenue
Nashville, TN 37206
(615) 262-2717
Closed on Tuesdays
Sunday-Thursday (excluding Tuesday) 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. 
Friday & Saturday: 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. pm
www.thewildcow.com

Daily Juice Cafe

Our last morning in Nashville we walked a few blocks from the hotel for a delicious ACAI BOWL. 

The Daily Juice makes smoothies, juices and bowls and though there was a long wait, the staff were super accommodating to our requests and let us more or less customize our own bowls.

I ordered the Aloha Bowl - blended berry, mango, banana, coconut milk and pineapple without the usually included coconut oil. The toppings included banana, granola, raw local honey and goji berries but I subbed the goji for hemp hearts. 

Whenever I eat an acai bowl, I'm shocked at  how filling it is! I was a very happy camper. 

The Daily Juice 

700 Old Hickory Blvd. Suite 203 
Brentwood, TN 37027 
(615) 678-8364
Tuesday - Thursday: and Monday - 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. 
Friday: 7:00 a.m - 5:00 p.m. 
Saturday: 8:00 a.m .- 5:00 p.m. 
Sunday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 
Daily Juice Menu

Rolf & Daughters

Though this meal wasn't exactly on the same "healthy" level as the previously mentioned spots - I needed to include it in my round-up of Nashville because it was some of the best pasta I've had in ages. There are plenty of veggie friendly options (though we sampled our fair share of meat!) 

Rolf & Daughters is in Nashville's "German Town" and had a number of delicious-sounding appetizers. We sampled the broccoli (kale, currant, caper, anchovy and breadcrumbs) which was a very unique combination of flavors. We also had the sweet potato, testa, cashew and arugula - which I ordered without knowing what testa was. When the dish arrived, I thought it might be the wrong thing. But nope, it was thinly sliced sweet potato topped testa - head cheese. 

No, head cheese isn't cheese. It's actually meat made from pigs' heads. Uh. Glad I only found this out AFTER eat it. I cannot lie though - it tasted pretty good! I didn't LOVE it. But I didn't eat and it think, "ew gross what is this gelatinous pig head that they put on top of my sweet potato?!" 

As an entree, we went with the house specialty - handmade garganelii verde (similar to penne) with a heritage pork ragout and sarvecchio (a type of parmesan). The ragu was incredibley tender, and the fact that it was made of pork made it an instant hit with my taste buds. 

I couldn't stop raving about it the rest of the week! Not to mention the restaurant was incredibly cute and trendy inside - despite my lack of photos. Here, have a picture of downtown Nashville at night instead!

Rolf & Daughters 

700 Taylor Street
(615) 866-9897
Monday - Sunday: 5:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. 
http://www.rolfanddaughters.com/ 

Kayne Prime Steakhouse

I am not a big steakhouse person. Don't get me wrong - I love a good piece of filet mignon, and loooove baked potatoes, but going to a steakhouse is almost never my first choice. 

Yet I found myself at one in Nashville that may have changed my mind - Kayne Prime Steakhouse features a daily "Green Plate Special" that is constantly offering diners new vegetarian dishes with creativity and care. 

On the night I visited, the Green Plate Special featured a basket or potatoes and quinoa along with a spaghetti squash dish.

Both were delicious, but the real star of my meal was the salad that I started with - the farrow salad topped with apples, butternut squash, pistachio, arugula and a sorghum vinaigrette. 

Recently I've been obsessed with arugula, and whatever dressing was used on this salad was DELISH. Apparently, sorghum is a southern thing - and I was feelin' it (it's a sweetener!) 

I liked it so much that my first night back, I whipped up my own version! Except I switched the grain to green ration to make it a little more salad-y. 

I'd also like to give a shout out to Kayne Prime's popovers - which came out warm and tasted amazing with butter. I recently discovered that I have the necessary pan for popover baking -that might have to happen one of these days! 

Kayne Prime Steakhouse

103 McGavock Street
Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 259-0050
Sunday - Thursday: 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. 
Friday - Saturday: 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. 
http://www.mstreetnashville.com/kayne-prime/

Thanks for the chow, Nashville! 

Fitness Class Review: The P.E. Club

I’ve been great about getting myself to the gym despite the cold, despite work trips, and despite my lack of anything major to train for. There is no marathon on my horizon and my next half marathon isn't until May. Yet I've still been showing up. 

But once I get to the gym, I haven’t been great about doing much. I leave feeling like I more or less wasted 50 minutes.

As they say - when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Walking into the gym with no idea of what I want to accomplish has resulted in, well, not accomplishing much. Shocker, right?

So I thought it was time to have someone else kick my butt – since I certainly haven’t been kickin’ my own. A group fitness class was just what I needed. Preferably one that was slightly intimidating. I like a challenge.

After perusing a multitude of NYC boutique fitness studios, I found one that piqued my interest with its use of kettle bells and TRX. Not to mention they’re conveniently located for an early morning workout – my favorite kind!

The spot? The P.E. Club.

The Studio

This personal training and small-group fitness class located on the Upper East Side offers a number of different class options – but to get an overall feel for the studio I decided to sign up for TRX Xtreme Total Body. The class is described on their website as a 50-minute class full of high-intensity, low-impact cardio.

High-intensity and low-impact?  I was already sold.

Rebecca and I showed up 10 minutes prior to class starting and got a quick look around the studio, which also specializes in personal training. The space is absolutely immaculate – by far the cleanest studio I’ve ever stepped foot in.

We hung up our jackets and met Morgana, the instructor for our 7 a.m. class. She asked if either of had any injuries, and I mentioned my shins had been acting up so any jumping would probably bother me.

Low-impact, Lauren, duh. She assured me there would be no jumping before telling us to pick out a kettlebell (15-30 pounds) and dumbbell (8-10 pounds).

The Class

Class Size: 

I was shocked when I realized just how small this “small-group fitness class” would be. There were only 8 of us, which made a huge difference in the attention Morgana was able to give to each students’ form. Throughout the class, she walked through the room giving pointers and also adjusted our TRX straps when necessary so that the class ran as smooth as Skippy. 

The Workout:

The way the class was formatted, we did a ton of different exercises to hit each body part. Since we had to cover the “total body,” each exercise lasted approximately 30 seconds. I liked that this kept things moving and interesting, but it was also difficult as it was my first time doing a number of these exercises and :30 didn’t seem like enough time to get my form down right.

That being said, some of the exercises, especially the core-focused ones, burned so much that :30 was the absolute max I could last! Ouch!

Again, there were a bunch of moves that were new to me, especially the moves using the TRX straps. I love learning new things that I can incorporate into my own gym-sessions!

We also used the kettle bell and I appreciated Morgana prompting me to go up in weight in the nicest way possible – but she was totally right – I wasn’t challenging myself enough and I was glad for the push! That’s the thing about a room with only 8 girls – there is no hiding!

The Amenities

After class, I showered in one of The P.E. Club’s two showers and was amazing again by the cleanliness. They had so many wonderful products – I wish I could get ready for work there every day! Not to mention the free tea station where I got a refreshing cup of cucumber mint tea.

Rebecca and I checked in with each other the day after class and both agreed that our arms were mighty sore!

I’m hoping to go back for a Lower Body class or for one of their Kettle Bell circuit-based classes for a chance to get a little more cardio.

I must admit, The PE Club didn't have anything super unique or "fun" about it, but if you’re looking for a place that challenges you, teaches you new exercises, and gives you a lot of personal attention during class – The P.E. Club is a great studio – though it doesn’t come cheap. Drop-in classes are $38, though first time guests receive a second class free. They also offer a ton of different membership and class package options that can save you money.

Co-owner Nedra explained to me that while your first class will be an introduction to the TRX straps, each class after that will leave you feeling more confident and better able to challenge yourself once you get the ~movez~ down.

Q&A With Co-Owner Nedra!

Everyone at The P.E. Club was so helpful, and the co-owner Nedra was kind enough to answer a few questions for me too! Her story is inspiring - she is pursuing her passion and proving that you too can be a #girlboss! Here’s what she had to say.

How did you get involved in the fitness community?

When I was 16 my dad got me to go workout with him in the gym. It was "our time" where he taught me how important it was to be a strong woman inside and out. I always loved working out and though it wasn't my primary job until I moved to NY. I was approached by Equinox to become a trainer and decided to leave my desk job to pursue my passion. The rest is a story of love, perseverance, failure, family, friendship and determination. I have never looked back, never been more happy and have never worked so hard!! 

What was your reason for starting The PE Club? What was the hardest part?  

After years of training on the UES and running around from gym to gym, Alex and I started The P.E. Club. We wanted to bring simplicity back to fitness, make it about the client, make it intimate and most importantly make it fun. We put all our savings on the line and worked day and night to create a unique space for clients to feel comfortable in. Running a small business is no easy task. The hardest part was learning and changing your mindset from being just a trainer to now being an owner and having responsibly over others. Time management and delegation skills became highly important to develop. 

What are the benefits of TRX and Kettlebell training vs. the standard dumbbells and cardio routines?

Kettlebells with TRX are the perfect marriage of strength straining, cardio and balance training in one. Kettlebells are intimidating to most people, but when used properly, they deliver strength while allowing for a cardio component at the same time. A traditional swing works your entire lower body, posture and is an amazing ab workout! When you use TRX you are constantly putting your body into unstable positions so your core is firing the whole time. Not to mention you are able to do movements in their full range of motion (ex. push ups which most people can't do properly on their own) and work each side of the body individually. While traditional strength training and cardio is great, it isn't always the most efficient time wise. Our classes were designed to feature an unstable piece of equipment (TRX) that increases strength, flexibility and balance along with other modalities. So your body is constantly guessing, re-configuring and adapting which ultimately creates change in the body. 

What’s your favorite song to sweat to?

Eyes by Kaskade...an oldie but a goodie. 

Do you like peanut butter? What’s your favorite way to enjoy it?

Omg crunchy peanut butter on anything...a spoon, in a protein shake, and in peanut butter cups!

The Rundown

*Based on a scale of 1-10

The Studio - 8
Everyone was extremely nice and helpful. The studio was immaculate, spacious and had tons of equipment for its personal training customers. 

Class Size - Small
There were only 8 girls in my class, meaning lots of personalized attention from the instructor - but nowhere to hide! 

Sweat-Scale - 7
This class definitely elevated my heart-rate (hello, squat to shoulder press) but wasn't overwhelming. I wasn't a puddle of sweat afterwards, but felt like I had gotten a decent workout in for sure! 

Fun-Factor - 6
There's no live DJ or social-media component to these classes - which may or may not appeal to you. It's a straight-forward total body conditioning class that will help you become comfortable using TRX and kettle bells - two great pieces of equipment to shake up your stale routine.

Amenities - 9
Simply superb. 

Cost - $$$ 
(<$20 = $, $20-$30 = $$ and $30+ = $$$) 

I attended class at The PE Club for free in exchange for writing this review. All opinions are my own. 

9 NYC Fitness Studios With Valentine's Day Specials!

Some people love Valentine's Day. Some people hate Valentine's Day. Some people couldn't care less about Valentine's Day.

Some people spend the day with a loved one. Some people spend it with friends. Some people spend it with their cats.

Maybe you’re looking to do something steamy with your BF, fun & sexy with your BFF, or something sassy to celebrate the single life. 

No matter what your fitness goals are on Valentine's Day, there’s something out there for you at these  9 New York City boutique fitness studios offering a variety of promotions and special classes.

Exceed Physical Culture

Type of Class: 50-Minute total body classes that incorporate HIIT, kettle bells and TRX training. 
Locations: Upper East Side (1477 3rd Ave.) and Tribeca (97 Reade St.) 
Phone: Upper East Side (212) 481-5300 and Tribeca (212) 406-3600.
The Valentine's Day Dealio: Buy a class at Exceed Physical Culture on Sunday, February 14 and you can bring a loved one for free! That's two classes for the price of one! (Single classes cost $32). 

Studio AKT

Type of Classes: Studio AKT offers a variety of dance based cardio classes as well as 4Play – a circuit training interval class.
Locations: NoMad (1182 Broadway, 2nd Floor) and Upper East Side (244 East 84th Street, 4th Floor)
Phone: NoMad (646) 918-7359 and Upper East Side (212) 858-0305
The Valentine’s Day Dealio: AKT will be offering a Valentine’s Day themed-class at each of their locations on Sunday morning – bring a partner, or be paired up, for a class full of partner-based exercises!

Revolve

Type of Classes: Spin studio offering a variety of classes from “Real Ride” to “Rip Ride”
Location: Union Square (52 E 13th St)
Phone: (646) 756-5114
The Valentine’s Day Dealio: Currently, Revolve is offering a special on memberships – if you and a friend or loved one sign up together, you’ll get two year memberships for the price of 1! So instead of paying $260 a month, you each pay $130. Memberships include unlimited classes, 2 free guest passes per month and free shoe rentals.

Broadway Bodies

Types of Classes: Broadway Bodies brings pop-culture and Broadway choreography to the masses with cardio/dance based classes to learn the moves to songs like “Sorry” by Justin Bieber and “Mama Who Bore Me” from the Broadway musical Spring Awakening.
Location: Chelsea Studios (151 West 26th Street (off 7th Ave), 6th Floor
Phone: (347) 926-3952
The Valentine’s Day Dealio: They’re offering a workshop that’s…ready for this? BYOB! Get the party started with this Galentine’s Day Girl Power Dance Party. Click here for more information.

Pure Yoga East

Type of Classes: Yoga (Vinyasa, Barre, Hot Vinyasa, Power Yoga and more)
Location: Upper East Side (203 E. 86th St at 3rd Ave)
Phone: (212) 360-1888
Valentine’s Day Dealio: Pure Yoga is offering a restorative workshop on the Saturday (February 13) before Valentine’s Day from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. for those looking for a calming way to treat themselves. The workshop, led by Mary Aranas, will feature restorative yoga poses on deluxe propping guided by scent, music and imagery. Each guest will receive aromatherapy gifts. The workshop costs $55 for non-members and $95 if you sign up with a significant other or friend! 

305 Fitness

Type of Classes: Typically, 305 Fitness specializes in cardio dance classes
Location: 18 West 8th Street
Valentine’s Day Dealio: Yoga 4 Better Sex – do I have your attention? Shira Atkins will hots 60 minute hot yoga class on Saturday, Fbeurary 13 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. and 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Each yoga session will be followed by a 30 minute workshop with sex therapist Rachel Hoffmann and after that – it’s time for wine and chocolate!  Couples can buy tickets for $85 (and feel free to bring a friend as well!)

Cyc and Peloton Cycle

Type of Classes: Spin classes based heavily on MUSIC
Locations: Peloton (140 West 23rd Street), Cyc Astor Place (4 Astor Place) and Cyc Hell’s Kitchen (700 8th Avenue)
Valentine’s Day Dealio: At these music driven spin-studios, you’re always sure to find a great themed ride. For Valentine’s Day, choose between a Love Song themed ride at Cyc and a V-Day Rider’s Choice at Peloton. New guests can get a $20 ride at Peloton, and you and your BFF or BF can hang out in their cute lounge after, sipping on coffee or coconut water!

Yoga Vida

Type of Classes: Yoga
Locations: 666 Broadway and 99 University
Valentine’s Day Dealio:  Yoga Vida’s 99 University Studio will over a Restorative & Couple’s Yoga workshop with Clare Ryan on Sunday, February 14 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. The workshop will focus on restorative poses for couples that increase intimacy and sensual touch. The workshop costs just $50 per couple. 

Brooklyn Boulders

Types of Classes: Rock Climbing
Location: 575 Degraw St. (Corner of 3rd Ave. and Degraw St.)
Valentine’s Day Dealio: Brooklyn Boulders claims to have the “chilliest” Valentine’s Day event around! Bring a friend, bring a lover – from 6 pm – Midnight you can climb for $22 per person. There will be live music, chocolate, wine, and it-takes-two climbing routes! 

So no matter how you feel about Hallmark's Holiday - make this year's Valentine's Day a sweaty one!

YOUR TURN
What are your valentines day plans? 
Love it or hate it?

5 Recipes for a Sweet World Nutella Day

The worst thing I ever did was print a calendar of National Food Holidays. Why was it a mistake? Because now on any given morning I may wake up and say, “Ah! It’s National Cook a Sweet Potato Day, National Margarita Day AND National Cherry Pie Day – and then I proceed to try and fit all three of those things into my Friday diet. It’s not too long before I’m justifying Fry-days because… #alliteration.

This morning, I’m going to do the same thing to you by informing you that today is WORLD Nutella Day. That’s right, Nutella doesn’t get just a national holiday – the whole world celebrates this Italian chocolatey hazelnut spread on February 5. And this year, Nutella is 52 years old.

I know you don’t want to miss out on the party, so I’ve rounded up 5 Nutella recipes that you can make fairly quickly and with minimal ingredients – because ain’t nobody got time to wait before devouring that most sacred of spreads.

And remember, it’s a holiday that only happens once a year, so enjoy it!

1)      3-Ingredient Nutella Croissants

Gimme Some Oven has created some beautiful Nutella pastries using just 3 simple ingredients. In 40 minutes you could be enjoying flaky croissants filled with gooey Nutella.

2)      Peanut Butter Nutella Pie with Crispy Bacon & Crushed Golden Grahams

This recipe by Climbing Grier Mountain requires some commitment in the way of time and ingredients, but the combination of Peanut Butter, Nutella and Bacon is like the holy trinity.

3)      4-Ingredient Ove-Baked Nutella S’Mores

Oh lawdy this recipe by The Blissful Balance had me drooling when I first saw it. I’ve been known to add a dollop of Nutella or PB to my graham cracker when making S’Mores in the summer, but with this oven-baked Nutellas s’mores recipe I can enjoy them all year long!

4)      Banana Nutella Egg Rolls

I’m a sucker for banana focused desserts and the fact that this one by Little B Cooks includes Nutella AND is Asian-cuisine-inspired really gets me excited. Plus, the ingredients are soo simple! 

5)      Banana Bread Nutella Muffins

You can always count on Chocolate Covered Katie to come up with a delicious Nutella-centric recipe. These use pretty simple baking ingredients and are sure to fill your kitchen with a dreamy smell! 

If you’ve read these recipes and are thinking, “I don’t have time to bake today!” that’s totally OK. Why? Because Nutella is one of those things that is wonderful all by itself. So grab your vehicle of choice and get that Nutella in your tummy. Pretzels or a spoon will do just fine. Hell, use your finger – no one’s judging.

Did You Know:
The original Nutella made by Ferrero was a solid block? It wasn’t until 1951 that they started producing “Supercrema” which is the creamy version we all know and love. It was renamed Nutella in 1963.

According to Ferrero – each jar of Nutella contains around 50 hazelnuts.

YOUR TURN: 
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE NUTELLA TREAT?

Restaurant Week in NYC - Park Avenue Winter

One of the best times of the year is Restaurant Week in NYC.

Every year, I feel like this “week” gets long and longer. This year, Winter Restaurant Week isn’t 7 days, it’s 18 DAYS.

I’ve written about how to take advantage of Restaurant Week before, but let’s recap. 

Here are 4 questions to ask yourself before booking a table for Restaurant Week – in New York City or any of the other cities that have created their own version of the culinary celebration.​ 

Are they actually offering signature dishes from their typical menus? Or are they offering lame dishes made “special” for restaurant week? If there’s a dish you’ve been dying to try at a place, but it’s not offered on the restaurant week menu- save the trip, and splurge on that special entrée you’ve been eyeing.

If this is a restaurant you can typically afford anyway, don’t go during restaurant week.  Keep in mind that you’re getting three courses – if you would normally go and be fine ordering an entrée and calling it a night, you can probably take the trip at another time.

If the restaurant offers a prix fixe year-round, don’t go during Restaurant week. 

When you factor in tax + tip, a Restaurant Week dinner is $50. If the appetizer you want is a $5 supplementary charge and your entrée an extra $10, you’re not really getting a deal anymore. 

I take this really seriously, clearly. This Restaurant Week, it wasn’t hard to make my pick – I made a dinner reservation at Park Avenue Winter. This place has been on my radar for quite some time due to its unique concept. Each season, the restaurant changes its menu and décor – so it’s really 4 restaurants in one! Park Avenue Winter, Park Avenue Spring, Park Avenue Summer and Park Avenue Fall (all you have to do is callllll). 

This was a great deal because every dish on the Restaurant Week menu is part of their normal menu. What cost $50 for Restaurant Week would normally cost around $75.

The sign of a great menu is when I have anxiety about choosing. (Disclaimer: This food photography is downright dreadful!)

The meal started with two little bite-size radishes topped with a dollop of truffle butter. I didn’t hear the “truffle” butter part of the explanation and immediately made a wretched face when I tasted it – still not on-board the truffle-train, sorry.

The bread was warm and delicious, served with soft butter and sea salt.

Luckily, Peter obliged my craziness and compromised by ordering one of the appetizers I really wanted to try instead of his first choice. What a gem!

Appetizers

Kabocha Squash Toast with Sheep’s Milk Ricotta, Burnt Honey, Pancetta.

This was a great mix of flavors, though somewhat muted. It could have used something a little sweeter to give it that extra pop on your taste buds.

Park Avenue Winter Scallop Sandwich

This was quite exquisite – thinly sliced, pan-seared scallops sat atop a piece of toast with jalapenos on top. The flavors were very complex – though slightly greasy, causing the toast to become soggy. The scallops were tender and sweet and the fried capers added the perfect amount of salt to the dish. 

Entrees

Peter ordered the Mushroom Ribbon ‘Lasagna’ with rapini (a green) and 3 cheeses. This was certainly cheesy!

I ordered the Mediterranean Branzino with Spaghetti Squash ‘Caponata.’ There was a huge portion of fish which was flaky, mild and delicious. The spaghetti squash tasted great, but I could have used a little more of it! 

Dessert

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Served with caramelized bananas and Bourbon pecan ice cream. Shockingly, this wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet and was quite delicious!

Winter White Sundae

Served with popcorn ice cream, coconut and white mocha sauce. This wasn’t as strange as it sounds – though the ice cream didn’t have much of a flavor in my opinion.

Though I could have done without the desserts – they were included so obviously I finished every bite :) 

The best part of Park Avenue Winter is the massive space and the beautiful décor. Everything, including the snowball-eque glasses, radiated the feeling of “Winter.” It could also have been the fact that Blizzard Jonas had passed through NYC just the day before…

Park Avenue Winter (Spring/Summer/Fall) is definitely a restaurant to go to if you want to feel ~fancy~ for a night.

Here are some other Restaurant Week meals I’ve enjoyed!
- Maya

- David Burke Fishtail

And for more of my tips, click here. 

Want some more fun facts about Restaurant Week? Thrillist has got the deets. 

YOUR TURN
Where have you gone for Restaurant Week?! Any recommendations? 

7 Blogging Goals for 2016

Hi there. 

I haven't blogged in awhile, though I promise, I'm taking Peanut Butter Is My Boyfriend to the next level in the coming months. 

There's a lot of different things I'd like to get better at in regards to the blogosphere and perhaps if I write them down and put them out there, I'll be held a little more accountable. Maybe. No promises. 

Food Photography

The number one way to draw people into your blog is with pictures of food that makes them drool. Come on, you know it's true! 

I've been trying to take the time to practice my food photog skills but I'm trying to read as much as I can on the subject as well. There are some phenomenal bloggers out there who have written extremely detailed posts about their tips for capturing that 'grammable, Pinnable, postable pic. 

There's much more that goes into a food picture than pointing and shooting your iPhone at it. Natural lighting, backdrops, DSLR cameras, "food props" - these are all things that I'm having a great time learning about. It's a little overwhelming, especially when there are so many talented ladies out there, but I'm inspired and slowly but surely I'm trying to improve the quality of the images here on Peanut Butter Is My Boyfriend. 

This was my photography session with some Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Bites using a recipe from Gimme Some Oven. Her recipes are a new favorite of mine!

If you want to learn more on the topic, I recommend checking out this post by Nicolesy on Food Props and Styling Resources and this post by Laura at A Beautiful Plate about using cheap, everyday items as backgrounds for food photographs. 

Becoming Part of the Healthy Living Blog Community

Since Kaitlin added me to the Bloggers Gonna Blog community on Facebook, I have learned a TON about the huge network of Healthy Living Bloggers out there. These women are so inspiring, so intelligent, so motivating and so damn bad-ass. Not to mention they are successful. 

One goal of mine is to become more involved with the community aspect of blogging - leaving comments on others' blogs, taking part in meet-ups and link-ups and contests and exchanges. There is so much that I can learn from these ladies - and I am so grateful to have Georgie and Christina leading the charge on this amazing community. 

Creating Catchy Graphics

Though I'm not a big fan of Pinterest, I know that it's a HUGE way to draw traffic to my blog. And the way you get noticed on Pinterest is with clickable graphics. This involves not only good photography, but good design. 

Learning to use programs like Canva and PicMonkey while trying to figure out the ins and outs of Pinterest is another major goal for the coming months. 

I'm straight up terrified of Pinterest but, we'll see if I can make the plunge! 

These were granola cups that I made from Chocolate Covered Katie's recipe - they were perfect for a potluck brunch!

Become a Brand Ambassador

There are tons of brands out there whose products I love and who I think my readers would love too. I hope to team up with some brands this year - to not only get some free goodies, but to share these awesome brands' products and stories with readers!

There are some healthy food companies out there with wonderful messages, business practices and stories and to have the opportunity to interview some of the folks behind these companies would be so interesting and rewarding for me. 

Make Some Ca$h Through Advertising 

You may have noticed some sidebar and banner advertisements going up on Peanut Butter Is My Boyfriend. So far, I've made a few cents. Literally, cents. But I'm learning the whole business side of blogging slowly but surely and while it's certainly not an easy task, I hope to one day make Peanut Butter Is My Boyfriend somewhat profitable. 

Post More 

Sounds so cliche, but it's true. I'd love to come up with a schedule and pump out more content. 

What types of posts are your favorite to read? 

GET TO KNOW YOU ALLLLLL - MY BEAUTIFUL READERS

Seriously. My biggest goal is to connect with the people who read this. I hate looking at my "metrics" and not having a clue who is behind them. So come out of hiding anonymous readers! 

Leave a comment. What's your name? Where are you from? Do you know me in real life? What's your favorite food? Did you watch Making a Murderer?

LETS BE FRIENDS.

Any and all feedback is always appreciated - thanks for sticking around :) 

Travel Tips to Make Flying Less Stressful

I’m not the world’s most well-traveled twenty-something, but thanks to work I have had the opportunity to travel to many U.S. cities in the last two years.

While I used to be a huge baby about flying, I’ve come a long way – taking somewhere around 40 flights since October 2013. I’m here to tell you that flying, traveling and trip planning don’t have to be super stressful. Sure, you need to put some thought and work into it – but you’re off to explore a new place! Leave the anxiety behind with these tips I’ve learned.

PLANNING STAGES

1) Finding Flights

For me, the number one website for researching flights is KAYAK.com. I’m a wizard at navigating the site, if I do say so myself. 

You can pick everything - travel dates, time of day you prefer to fly, nonstop, airline, etc. And the best part is once the results populate, you can further whittle down your choices by listing them in order based on price, total travel time, earliest arrival to latest arrival, earliest departure to latest departure, etc. 

They also have a great feature called KAYAK Explore which I just discovered through a sponsored Buzzfeed post and fully intend to take advantage of the next time I have some vacation days to burn (…I can dream of that day…) 

KAYAK Explore allows you to find the perfect trip based on things like price (most important, sadly), type of weather, and type of activities you are looking for! Are you looking to hit the slopes or the pool this winter? KAYAK Explore will help you figure out how you can get where you want to go for the best deal. And then, they’ll tell you whether you should book now, or wait for prices to go down.

I swear I don’t work for KAYAK, I just think they’re a really great website.

2) Trip Planning and Organization

Another great planning tool I’ve discovered is the app and website Trello – which has revolutionized the way I keep myself organized.

Think of it as a “Get Shit Done” Pinterest. It’s made up of boards which you create different lists for. Each list contains different cards with descriptions, links, pictures, checklists – I’m pretty awful at explaining it, but I’ve already found tons of uses for it. One of those uses is vacation planning!

On my “Austin” Board I created the following lists:

To Do Before Trip
Breakfasts and Brunches
Restaurants – Lunch/Dinner
Happy Hours!
Music/Bars
Food Trailers
Desserts

Each of these lists is made up of different cards that can be opened up for additional information.

So, for example, on my “To Do Before Trip” list I created the following cards:

Checked Bag
Carry-On Bag

Within the “Carry-On Bag” card I created two checklists –

Comfort (containing the items pillow & compression socks)
Snacks

I can check these items off as I pack, and Trello will mark them as done.

You can also set deadlines for yourself and view everything on a calendar.

Another great thing about Trello is that you can allow others to have access to your boards and lists to collaborate on the planning!

Here are some screenshots of various parts of my Austin Vacation planning board on Trello.

AIRPORT MUST HAVES

There are a few things that you must remember before heading to the airport. Those things are:

1)      Boarding Pass

I find that printing my boarding pass ahead of time or even waiting until I get to the airport to check-in and print my boarding pass gives me more peace of mind than relying on a texted or emailed or other form of mobile boarding pass.

The check-in process will vary depending on the airline you’re flying – for example, you’ll definitely want to check-in prior to arrival at the airport if you’re flying Southwest, because that’s how you’re assigned a boarding zone/seat. For flights where you have already been assigned a seat, it’s not as important.

2)     ID or Passport 

If you’re travelling internationally, you better have that passport! Otherwise, a state-issued driver’s license or ID will suffice. Though New Yorkers – we may soon have to pay for an updated license that’s fit for flying! 

AIRPORT TIPS

1) Checked Baggage and Carry-Ons

Traveling for work, I have the luxury of not really caring too much about checked-baggage fees. But when I’m traveling for pleasure – you better believe I’m trying my hardest not to pay anything extra!

Depending on the length of your trip, try your best to pack in a carry-on compliant sized bag (which, annoyingly, varies based on the airline). To be safe – 22 x 14 x 9. Also keep in mind that you can take advantage of your “personal item” as well – this can be a fairly large backpack or duffel that can fit in the space underneath the seat in front of you. That + a carry-on in the overhead bin may be plenty of room for your trip!

If you’re traveling with friends, significant others or family, you could also split the cost of one checked bag, plus some carry-on’s. Do some maneuvering and t-shirt rolling to spend as little as possible on baggage fees.

And whatever you do – don’t let that checked bag weigh over 50 pounds! Then, you’re really screwed.

My biggest qualm about not checking a bag is the “no liquids more than 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters” rule. My liquid foundation and BB creams aren’t cheap – and I’ve heard stories about women’s entire make-up bags being trashed. So keep that in mind if you’re trying to fit everything into a carry-on! Same goes for expensive hair products, face-washes, etc.

1a) Gate Checking

Another thing I’ve learned is that if you get to your gate and they are offering you to gate check your bag – DO IT! This means that you don’t have to deal with lifting that super heavy rolling suitcase that you’ve managed to stuff EVERYTHING IN over your head into a minute little spot that you’ve managed to find 20 rows away from where you’re actually sitting. It means they will take it for you and it will be waiting for you right outside the door when you get off the plane. It’s the best.

2) Security

Yes, security lines suck – but I have come up with a few ways to make them less awful.

• Once you enter the line and show your boarding pass/ID you can put it away. You’re not going to need it again once your get to the scanners and you don’t want it out and about as your juggle your bags and sneakers and scarves etc. etc.
• You’re going to have to take your shoes off. Know this going into it – and don’t wear a pair of lace-up-your-entire-calf Spartan sandals. 
• If you’re traveling with a laptop, it goes in its OWN BIN. Nothing else in with it. Nada. Just the laptop. Not the laptop and it’s case. Just. The. Laptop.
• Take everything out of your pockets and if you’re wearing a big baggy sweatshirt or jacket they will have you take it off.
• Your 20 Alex and Ani bangle bracelets and watch can stay on your wrist.
• Your backpack doesn’t need to go in a plastic bin.
• Wait until you send your belongings off the conveyor belt and into the scanner before stepping into the X-Ray machine.
• Don’t freak out if they ask you to step aside for a pat down or to swipe your hands.

3) Snacks

Airport food is super hit or miss, not to mention overpriced, so I like to travel with snacks. A homemade sandwich in a Ziploc bag, prepackaged bags of chips, fruits, veggies – all totally fine.

Sadly, it took about 5 confiscated Greek yogurts for me to remember that they won’t make it through security.

And sorry, you’re going to have to buy the $5 water bottle – no liquids allowed. Although you can travel with an empty reusable water bottle and fill 'er up at a water fountain once you get to your gate. 

A few other things worth mentioning –

• Neck pillows are amazing.
• Shockingly, most airports actually have pretty great signage that will help you get where you need to go if you just stay calm and look around.
• Dress in layers because the plane will likely be sweltering at some point in your journey and freezing at another.
• Turn off the air nozzle when you get to your seat. You know that guy sitting 4 rows back who is coughing up a lung? That air nozzle is basically blowing his germs right into your face.
• Along those lines – I SWEAR by Emergen-C and Airborne. Take it a week before you fly and during your trip to keep your immune system happy.
• Chew gum during takeoffs and landings if your ears bother you with the change in air pressure.
• If you’re flying Delta – always ask for the cookies. If you ask for two, they’ll oblige.
• SkyMall never gets old.

Full Disclosure: I'm still a cranky traveler. 

That’s all I’ve got for now :)

Your turn:
Any tips for me?
What’s your favorite airport to travel out of and why?
Do you like flying or hate it? 

10K and 10 Miler Race Recaps

My favorite weekends are the ones that involve races and brunch. Lucky for me, that's been the general formula for my past two weekends.

On January 9 there was an early wake-up and a pre-race breakfast of plain Fage 0% Greek yogurt. I'm still experimenting with the pre-race fuel that works best for me and this seemed to work pretty well - my stomach still bothered me a little bit mid and post-race, but not as bad as usual. 

We jogged over to the starting line and got there right on time. Not a lot of standing around waiting which is always nice. Despite the fact that it was January - I was racing in shorts! By the end of the race, my legs were slightly numb, but overall I was a good temperature with my buff and gloves.

The Joe Kleinerman 10K was a full loop of Central Park meaning we had the joy of running up "Harlem Hill" early on. Around the top of the hill, I found a girl who seemed to be running around the same pace as me and decided to pace myself off of her. She also happened to be wearing a "Rise" t-shirt - a running group in NYC that has a friendly rivalry with November Project. Stayed on her heels helped me stay steady through the first 4 miles. Once we made it to Columbus Circle and the east side of the park I passed her and picked up the pace a little bit.

My splits were:

7:28
7:41
7:15
7:26
7:41
7:17

Negative splitting is NOT my specialty - and with a hilly course I have an even bigger problem pacing myself.  Overall, I was happy with the result, though it was nowhere near my 10K PR. I placed 34 in my age group but the best part was feeling like I was back in my running groove by waking up on Saturday, running in Central Park, and eating a delicious breakfast.

Peter and I cooked eggs with veggies along with avocado toast and fresh pineapple. Yummo!

This Saturday Peter and I had ANOTHER race - and this one was one we fought tooth and nail to get into! Ok, we didn't really fight for a spot but we DID have to set multiple alarms and go through some stressful webpage refreshing to get into this super popular race on Long Island.

We left Friday night for Long Island and myself and our friend Emma stayed at Peter's parents house. We fueled with some homemade ziti before passing out pretty early.

Pre-race fuel on Saturday morning was a whole wheat mini bagel with peanut butter and sliced banana. Again, not a perfect stomach, but much more bearable than some other races.

The weather held up pretty well and we didn't get the downpours we had anticipated - but it was windy and brisk and it did drizzle on us quite a bit during the race.

The 10 Mile Run to the Bluepoint Brewery is put on by the Greater Long Island Running Club (GLIRC) and the Sayville Running Company. It's such a well-organized race (minus the clusterfuck that was the registration process) and this was my second year running it.

Pre-Race
There was a sufficient number of porta-potties and there were lots of wonderfully warm heat lamps in the tents. Bib pick-up/t-shirt pick-up was smooth as was bag drop off. Though the start was a little delayed, there was really nothing to complain about. We semi-joked about the fact that the shirts were cotton, but since lounging in it the rest of the day, I can handle the cotton since it's super soft and comfy. And the logo was pretty sweet.

The Race
I love this course. Love love love. It's through a very residential area and is as flat as you could hope for. My favorite part is that there are lots of turns - usually that would bother me, but the way this is set up, each time you turn you have a chance t settle into a new straightaway. I felt that each street we ran down was a fresh start, a new road to tackle, and I was able to take the race step by step instead of getting too ahead of myself.

There were porta-potties on the course as well as water stations and though there weren't very many people out cheering, the ones that were there were enthusiastic and friendly. The course was never over crowded but you were always surrounded by other runners to keep you pushing.

The gray rainy skies detracted from the water-front views, but I still knew it was there!

I was hoping to run around an 8:00 pace and with Peter's steady pacing (I don't get why I'm so incapable of running a steady pace) we finished in 1:18:39 for a 7:57 pace. And cheers to negative splitting!

Kind of tempted to buy this one...

Post-Race

This is why this race is so popular - free Bluepoint Brewery beer for a solid 2+ hours after the race with an unbelievable spread of post-race eats. Did I mention a phenomenal cover bad?

The free beer isn't just "here, we have this one light beer on tap that you can have in a little plastic cup." It's - "Here, we have a wide variety of delicious craft beer on tap and in 16 oz. cans." The food isn't, "here have a bagel and a banana" its, "Here are some heroes and coffee cake and donuts and BAKED ZITI!"

The bag check area had a changing room where runners could get out of their wet clothes and bundle up which was nice.

We had a ton of fun and stayed until noon before heading back to the city.

I finished 4 minutes faster than last years race which was exciting! (2015 I ran the same race in 1:22:06).

8 Perfect Gym Bags for Working Women

Is it just me, or is it impossible to go to work and the gym without looking like a bag lady for the entire day? Honestly – I’ve got my breakfast and lunch to pack, my gym clothes, my toiletry bag, my work clothes…it’s a little insane and probably giving me scoliosis.

Lately, I’ve been trying to look and act the part of a twenty-something working professional in Manhattan. That means I’ve ditched the Limited Too camisoles that somehow still fit me (barely), I’ve finally thrown out the flats I bought at Kohl’s a million years ago, and I’ve said goodbye to the cotton t-shirts to make room for my new and improved workout wardrobe of dry-fit gear.

2016 is the year I finally learn that buying things just because they’re cheap and a short term fix isn’t smart. Instead, I’m looking to invest in “perfect” purchases that will stand the test of time, even if that means shelling out a few more bucks.

My most recent quest is to find that all-purpose, classy, functional as fuck bag that can transition me seamlessly from apartment to gym to work to happy hour. I'm tired of looking like the bag lady with 3 different mismatched reusable bags and my college backpack.

It’s a tall order and so far I haven’t found the perfect fit. But my research has turned up some pretty stellar options that I thought I’d share with you, in case you’re in the market for your next Mary Poppin’s bag too.

Before we get into the bags – let’s talk about the 4 factors that are most important to me.

Size

I’m a petite person and a giant duffel bag that I could curl up inside of just isn’t going to work when I’m walking to and from the subway and schlepping up multiple sets of stairs. Not to mention cramming on the cross-town bus during rush hour. That being said, I’m often trying to fit two outfits, two pairs of shoes, a book, 2 meals and toiletries in this bad boy – so I do need a good amount of space. And there-in lies the first conundrum to my mission.

Style

As of now, I mainly use a Northface Backpack as my commuter bag – not exactly professional – especially considering the blue/teal/green flannel pattern. Backpacks are so convenient and much more comfortable than shoulder bags that make you walk lopsided and fall off your shoulder whenever you wear a big winter coat. I’m definitely open to a backpack if I found the right one – but it isn’t the perfect solution. It is inherently less professional looking than most other options and in the summer, the back sweat it produces isn’t the most pleasant thing in the world.

Style-wise I’m looking for a bag that can pass as a work bag which means it’s a neutral color. As much as I love colors and patterns, I’m trying to reel it in with this purchase.

Organization

This is one of the most important factors for me. I don’t want a bag that’s just one big compartment. I thrive on little pockets for my jewelry, a side slot for my water bottle and – key here – SOME PLACE TO PUT MY SWEATY CLOTHES AND SNEAKERS that’s not going to stink up my work clothes.

I’m no yogi – so straps for a yoga mat aren’t one of my requirements.

I am however dedicated to blogging more this year – which means the idea of a padded laptop sleeve appeals to me, though it isn’t a make or break feature.

A hard bottom so that the bag maintains some form and makes it easier to find things would be clutch as well.

Price

As I said – I’m willing to spend a good amount on this purchase with the intention of using it as my everyday bag for a good long while. But anything over $200 is realistically out of my price-range considering I do have less-than-ideal options that I could make work. I want a gym bag that's affordable - after all, it's still going to be holding my sweaty clothes, dirty sneakers and there might be some lunch spillage every once in awhile!

So I’ve done all the hard work for ya – the scrolling through Amazon and Kickstarter and Lulu and a million other sites.  I even asked my friends from the Bloggers Gonna Blog Community, who had some great suggestions. Finding a bag that's perfect for the gym and the office is harder than I thought.

What have I found?

Unfortunately, I’ve found that my perfect bag probably doesn’t exist. But there are some great options and maybe one of them will be perfect for you. So without further ado...

Po Campo Midway Weekender

What I Love:

• Separate Shoe Compartment!
• Lots of little sections inside
• Keeps its shape
• Cross body or over the shoulder straps
• Fits laptops up to 15”
• Yoga/Jacket Strap
• Semi-water proof

What I Don’t Love:

• I’m just not crazy about the look of this one. Totally a personal preference – there’s a bunch of different color options but none of them excite me.

Price:

• $95 and free returns. Available online here or on Amazon here.

Herschel Supply Co. Novel Weekender

What I Love:

• Separate Shoe Compartment!
• Keeps its shape
• Cross body or over the shoulder straps

What I Don’t Love:

• One big compartment on the inside makes organization difficult
• No laptop sleeve
• A little too big
• Just looks like your standard duffel bag

Price:

• $80. Available here.

You could also check out the Herschel Supply Co. Outfitter Luggage - this is a duffel bag that has BACKPACK straps as well. It's also large and looks like a duffel, but it's got a shoe compartment. They're $140 and can be purchased here.

Herschel Supply Co. Heritage Plus Backpack

What I Love:

• No surprise here, this one made the list because of the separate shoe compartment!
• The convenience of a backpack
• Simple style makes it look more professional than my patterned North Face
• Laptop sleeve
• Lots of compartments

What I Don’t Love:

• I just don’t know that backpack screams “professional”

Price

• $75. From what I can gather, they’re no longer available via the Herschel website – but I found some on Amazon.

Moop Shop “The Porter”

What I Love:

• The look – I’m not 100% sold on the canvas material, but from the pictures, it looks like a beautiful bag!
• Compartments and key chain
• The site specifically points out that it fits the following: 3 books, 17” laptop, sneakers, water bottle – sounds perfect!

What I Don’t Love:

• No separate compartment for my sweaty things

Price:

• $137. You can order online here.

Gaiam Everything Fits Gym Bag

Recommended by: Katie

What I Love:

• Sweaty things compartment with ventilation!
• Lots of separate pockets
• Water bottle pocket
• Option to carry a yoga mat
• Seems to be the right size
• Keeps its shape
• Fair price

What I Don’t Love:

• This one, like many of the others with all the right features, doesn’t scream “sophisticated work bag” to me – it screams, “Gym Bag!”

Price:

• $60. Available here.

*"Don't buy the teal Lauren - professional, professional -"

Om The Day Bag by Lululemon

Recommended by: Carmy

What I Love:

• The description is exactly what I’m looking for – “This structured gym bag takes you from workout to work and then out for dinner – hands free and with plenty of room to spare.” Yes, please.
• The shape and style of this bag makes it super "fetch" despite being a gym bag
• It comes with a removable laundry bag AND interior wet/dry pocket
• It has a zipper pocked for a laptop  

What I Don't Love:

Actually there's not much I don't like about this bag - it might be the winner - and my first ever purchase from Lulu (cue the gasps!)

Price:
$128 and available here.

Fivesse Home-Gym-Work Bag

Recommended by: Priya

What I Love:

• Again – this back describes exactly what I need – to go seamlessly from home, to the gym, to work.
• Tons of compartments – there really is a spot for everything!
• Stays upright
• Shoe compartment AND laundry bag

What I Don’t Love:

• Overall, I could deal with the look of this bag, though I’m not a huge fan of the colors. I wish they had some more options. It’s a little strange to me how one side looks like a gym back and the other like a work bag. I think they took the whole “use for the gym and for work” idea a little too far. Plus, the solid colored bag is sold out – and I’m trying to avoid too much pattern.

Price:

• Currently on-sale for $40 – I’m hoping this means an updated version is on the way! You can buy it here.

Lo & Sons The O.G. Overnight Bag

Recommended by: Lauren

What I Love:

• There's a shoe compartment, which if you haven't realized by now, was one of my main search requirements
• It could easily transition to a work bag
• There's a laptop sleeve
• There's a second size option (The OMG is a slightly smaller model with the same great features)
• As someone who travels for work, the fact that this easily attaches to your suitcase is that little extra sumthin' sumthin'

What I Don't Love:

• That price tag hurts.

Price:

• $295 and available for purchase here.

YOUR TURN -

What is your go-to for an everyday bag?
Do you use one bag for the gym AND work?
What features are most important to your when choosing a gym bag?

A Look Back at 2015

This year I finally took the plunge and paid cash moneyz for a blog with my own URL. Peanut Butter Is My Boyfriend now looks jazzier and I'm hoping to step up my blogging game in 2016.

From content to graphics to food photography, I want to learn, experiment and grow and I cannot do that without feedback and support from YOU readers. 

What type of posts do you like best? Which do you skip? Anything new you'd like to see? 

I've learned a ton reading blogs like In It 4 The Long Run and The Nectar Collective and I'm ready to learn even more in the new year. 

But before 2016 is here let's do a recap of 2015. It was a jam packed year and I LOVED it. 

January

I started 2015 on the road in D.C. for a work event - with a new department that welcomed me with open arms. I learned so much from them and had a great year. 

New Year's Day dawned bright and early and Tina and I visited the NP_DC tribe for a KILLER PR day - running those Lincoln Memorial steps was no joke, but seeing the first sunrise of the year was awesome. 

I ran the Bluepoint Brewery 10-miler on Long Island to officially kick-off Pittsburgh Marathon training. Looking back, I can't believe I was crazy enough to train all winter long. At the time, I was super motivated, driven and determined. Peter was my rock all winter - making sure I got up on those chilly mornings for long runs and being lame on Friday nights with me. Not to mention chauffeuring me to the 10-miler on a freeeeezing cold Saturday morning. 

I went on a work trip to Ohio where I walked around all week in a boot thanks to tendinitis. Then, I took the boot off to walk/run a 5K with coworkers.

To finish the trip, I  took an 8-hour bus ride home from Ohio when all of our flights were cancelled and arrived in an NYC preparing for a blizzard. It wasn't as bad as predicted, but it made for a very slippery couple of runs in Central Park. 

February 

The beginning of February was stressful as I stubbornly moved apartments by walking all of my things from my old place to the new place. when all was said and down, I loved my new apartment but vowed that next time I move, I will spend the money on professionals! 

I enjoyed 2 reunions with my college roommates in February - one in NYC and one on Valentine's day for a hockey game at Quinnipiac. 

Then it was off on yet another work trip - this time in Santa Clara California. The low point was being super sick in the hotel room one day but the high point was extending my trip to go on a mini 24-hour vacation in San Francisco with my soul-sister Emily and her boyfriend! Her mom even bought us flower headbands so I could sing, "If you're going to San Francisco be sure to wear flowers in your hairrrrr" the entire time. 

February Posts: 
Frustrated, But Back

A Muddled Training and Injury Update

Pittsburgh on Pause

Your Guide for Eating Mexican on The UES

Japanese Tapas in California - On The Floor

March 

Marathon training wasn't going so great, but then I had a wonderful (freezing) 25K race on Long Island with Peter. We both somehow won awards and the 8:20 pace revived my hopes of a speedy marathon pace. 

March was also the month when a big group of my favorite people got together for one last HOORAH at Nassau Coliseum for the Islanders last season on Long Island before moving to Barclays Center. 

I also attended my last ever Islanders game as a fan in March when I brought Peter to his first ever game at the old barn. 

We celebrated Nicole's birthday in Stamford and I was proud of how well I could hang after running a long run that morning! 

March Blog Posts: 

The Run I've Been Waiting For

So I Sampled 2 Dozen Psycho Donuts

Food, Fitness, Friends - The Usual

San Francisco in 24 Hours

Row Row Row Your ERG - ROW HOUSE REVIEW

The Wrap That Won My Heart

Restaurant Review: MAYA

Not So Fly Mile High Run Club Review

20 Miles of Smiles

April 

The miles kept increasing and the so did the temperature, thankfully. 

After months of trying, I finally got a reservation at Bobby Flay's new NYC restaurant - Gato. We ate lots of delicious food and the best part was GETTING A PICTURE WITH BOBBY FLAY who was cooking in the kitchen that night. 

Peter and I took a trip to Boston the weekend before the marathon and visited the Sam Adams AND Harpoon Breweries. We celebrated Jess's birthday with an amazing brunch and my little cousins came to work with me one day! 

April Blog Posts: 

SLT Review: Strengthen Lengthen Tone (Shit, Legs Tired) 

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

Restaurant Review: GATO

May 

The highlight of May was my second marathon! I ran a PR in the Pittsburgh Marathon despite completely burning out after a too-fast first half. Spending the weekend in the burgh with Melissa, Peter and ERIN (who came home from New Zealand) was amazinggggg. 

Melissa and I celebrated our birthday the following weekend with a boozy brunch at Calle Ocho which was a ton of fun. 

The Brooklyn Half was later in May and I ran a PR thanks to Peter pushing me - we crossed the finish line in the rain and spent the rest of the day celebrating when the sun came back out. Unfortunately, this was the start of my month-long IT band struggles. 

I also saw my little sister GRADUATE COLLEGE. So crazy. 

May wrapped up with a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend in Philadelphia. I met more of Peter's family and his best friend and we ate and drank and enjoyed the sunshine on a roof. I also met Mad Mex. 

May Blog Post: 

Am I Ready to Beat the Burgh?

Pittsburgh Marathon Part 1

122 Days Until Marathon #3 - EEEK

Brooklyn Half Race Recap

MAY: Finally Starting to Recap

June 

June took me on the road for work for a loooong time but before I left I saw Les Mis AND Ed Sheeran with Peter. Both were fantabulous. 

My work travel took me to Tampa Bay and Chicago where I ate a ton of amazing food and most importantly got to visit with my two aunts and spend a really meaningful night with my Gran. 

Another highlight was reconnecting with Staci and having Peter join me on my final stop of June, Las Vegas! 

June Blog Posts: 

First Stop, Tampa!

Chi-Town

Back to Tampa, Back to Chicago

Guac Off: Lemon vs. Lime

VIVA LAS VEGAS

July 

I celebrated the birth of my dearest friend Allison with a trip to the vineyards of Connecticut and also stopped by the Meow Parlour in NYC! 

Fourth of July was an amazing weekend in Montauk with my favorite group of ladies (AND my hip cool parents who actually got me into the PACKED OUT Sloppy Tuna. They're so much cooler than me!) 

The Cheers Becky Ladies continued an amazingly exciting summer with a long weekend road trip to Cape Cod which was absolute perfection. We cooked delicious food, enjoyed the beach and sun and had some fun floating in the pond. 

The end of July brought some good times spent in NYC for the first time in awhile. Brooklyn Brewery, happy hours, brunches, Kayla's birthday celebration and a BBQ at Peter's house on Long Island, a concert at BB Kings and a comedy show wrapped up a busy busy summer month. 

July Blog Posts: 

Through the 4th

Family & Friends & The Cape

BAEgels on the Beach

I Got My Headstand! Cooked A Lot! Saw GORILLAS.

Busy Week

August 

A fake wedding and an amazing family vacation were the highlights of August. 

August Blog Posts: 

Books! Read Them!

Wolman's In The Hamptons

One Of Those Weeks (And A Wedding)

Rolling For Roots Hummus

Six Sunday Links

September 

I started September with one last "Long Island Summer Weekend" which was incredible - I got to show Peter all my favorite things about home and my parents worked their butts off to ensure that I did everything on my list. It was the best weekend ever! 

We celebrated Peter's birthday in September with one of the best meals I've ever had!

September is also when I returned to running. I had a long streak of Friday "long" runs to NP workouts and the excitement of summer faded into the routine of the fall. I started working at the running store again 2 days a week as I tried to save money to buy a road bike. 

September Blog Posts: 

Running Is A Roller Coaster

Summer Weekends Wind Down

Sushi For Days

Finally All Caught Up!

The Most Perfect Weekend Ever

The Running Update!

Toronto, Eh?

Review: Blue Apron!

Restaurant Review: Two Hands

Restaurant Review: Marc Forgione

Happy Birthday Peter! Hanging Onto Summer

Resetting for Fall

Five Friday Faves

Six Sunday Links

Weekly Mileage 22!

A-Z Survey

Are You "That" Girl?

October 

More routine. The weeks blended together and not a ton happened, but after a jam packed summer, the predictable days were welcomed. 

I took a long weekend trip to celebrate my grandma's birthday which made me really really really happy. 

I ran an eventful race on Halloween which was exciting! 

October Blog Posts: 

Small Talk

Friday Funk

Six Sunday Links

Happy Hockey Season! A Few Words.

Six Sunday Links on Monday

What's Next On My Fitness Journey

Six Sunday Links; Swagger & Sass

Restaurant Review: Bluestone Lane

November

November started with the NYC Marathon which I spectated and celebrated but didn't run (2017?). 

Again, more of me being pretty low-key and in the zone with my routine. Mondays - swimming lessons, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the running store. 

A little bit of a rut with my fitness life -  not exactly sure of my goals, not exactly sure what my body was feelin' in terms of mileage. 

The best part of November was my first college football game at Penn State! Meeting Peter's friends, exploring Penn State and tailgating for the Penn State v. Michigan game was such an amazing experience.

Thanksgiving on Long Island was amazing and delicious. 

November Blog Posts: 

Essena O'Neill Quits Social Media - It's Not "Real Life"

Race Recap: Haunted Island 10K and a Cheating Accusation

Six Sunday Links November 8 - Avocados, Running & Singing

#SquashGoals - Your Guide to Winter Squash

Accepting the Social Media Comparison Trap

Six Sunday Links and a Trip to Long Island

Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispies Treats

Do You Have An 'Unhealthy' Relationship With Food?

Six Sunday Links After Billy Joel at MSG and Penn State v. Michigan Football Game

10 "Useless" Things I'm Grateful For

A Weekend to Remember

Turkey Trot Race Recap: I Hated Every Second

December 

December's highlight was definitely our trip to Austin, Texas. It was everything I hoped it would be and more!

Christmas was Christmassy and amazing but not long enough as I left the following morning for a work trip to Boston where I will ring in 2016! 

So there we have it. 

December Blog Posts: 

10 Things I've Realized While Learning to Swim as an Adult

8 Things That Got Me In The Holiday Spirit

Race Recap: 5K In Austin, Texas

The Definitive Guide for Your Trip to Austin, Texas

I'm not much of a resolution girl, but I do have a few goals for 2016. 

• As I mentioned, taking my blog more seriously is a definite priority of mine. 
• Cutting down on my "stuff" - cleaning out my closets, throwing things out, and investing in quality over quantity as I go into the second half of my twenties. 
• Running-wise I hope to run marathon #3 and to Boston Qualify. I've almost completely ruled out a spring marathon (though I still have 2 more weeks to ponder it) and I think over the winter I'd like to continue focusing on fewer but faster races before a fall marathon (Chicago? Long Island? New Jersey?) 
• I hope to purchase a bike, continue to practice swimming and to compete in my first triathlon in 2016!

Cheers! 

The Definitive Guide for Your Trip to Austin, Texas

So you've heard that Austin is a pretty cool city - lots of young professionals, lots of outdoor activities and lots of bars and nightlife on 6th Street. You think it might be a cool place to take a trip.

Well I'm here to tell you that you should. And I'm also going to tell you the things that you should do while you're visiting Because yes, there's more to do than drinking your face off on 6th Street. Although you'll definitely want to check that out as well. 

In early December, Peter and my friend Melissa joined me on a 5 day getaway to Austin, Texas and like the Type A individual that I am, I did a ton of research, planning and itinerary building. I tried to be flexible, take into account the interests of 3 different people and to leave time for the inevitable suggestions from locals that we would have to find the time to fit in. 

You'll have to ask Peter and Melissa how I did. But when our time was up and it was time to head home, I felt we had seen a ton of the city - but also could have spent even more time exploring! 

So what are the things you need do for the complete Austin experience? Here we go. 

1) Bar Hop on 6th Street 

Let's just get right down to it. 6th Street is to Austin what Bourbon Street is to New Orleans. It's the Vegas Strip of Austin. It's bars, clubs, late night pizza, and more bars. 

Before I left, I read a Thrillist article ranking the bars on 6th Street according to which sucked the most. Not exactly a gleaming review of what we were in for. A lot of people consider 6th Street a bunch of terrible, fratty bars frequented by college kids and dudes having Bachelor Parties so I wanted to find the hidden gems. I mean, the nickname for 6th Street is "Dirty Sixth," after all. 

But I'm happy to report that we spent 3 nights happily bar hopping 6th Street and enjoyed our time.  The best part? Austin is the Live Music Capital of the WORLD - so everywhere you go - you'll be listening to extremely talented, live performers.

Maggie Mae's 

Our first night, we stopped in a bar called Maggie Mae's that I had read about in my research. If you're from a city or town where space is limited - Austin bars will blow your mind with their vastness. Maggie Mae's had 3 levels with at least 5 different bars. There was a DJ, a live band, a rooftop, dancing, big screen TVs - it was craziness. 

The one con was being told we couldn't use the bathroom when they closed at 2 a.m. and we were headed out. But it's OK because like typical New Yorkers, we ignored the rules and walked into the bathroom. 

Pete's Dueling Piano Bar

Although I'm pretty sure this is a place no true Austinite frequents, Pete's Dueling Piano Bar is a hell of a good time for tourists.  Two talented pianists taking requests and encouraging the audience to sing along - I didn't stop singing for 3 hours. 

The cocktails are a little pricey, but if you go on a weeknight you'll avoid the cover charge.

Easy Tiger

We made our trip to Easy Tiger on a Wednesday afternoon, so it was pretty dead, but it's a cool German place with a huge beer selection, bakery, sausages, ping pong and outdoor seating (pretty common in Austin). 

Chupacabra Restaurant & Cantina 

This was a late night stop for tacos before heading home - the tacos are massive and they have a margarita flavor on tap. 

The Chuggin' Monkey

WIth a name like that, are you surprised we stopped by for a drink? OK, we actually stopped in because Peter liked the sound of the band. And they ended up being great - it's like he has an ear for music or something...

Other than that, it was a pretty standard bar. Though apparently, owned by The Bachelor's Brad Womack. 

Iron Cactus

Peter had a craving for a frozen margarita (let's be real, this isn't so much a craving as an eternal longing) and we ended up at Iron Cactus after plenty of Yelping. Though we were saddened by their lack of nachos (they only had crab fritter nachos) their margaritas were pricey for Austin but worth it for deliciousness. Melissa and I got ours on the rocks but Peter's frozen mango marg was the real winner. 

2) Bike Ride Everywhere 

We were incredibly lucky that our AirBnB provided beautiful bikes for us to use during our stay. Without them, we would have racked up far more Uber rides. 

If you're taking a trip to Austin, I highly suggest renting bikes for a day or two to get to places around town that are just a little too far to walk between.  

Lady Bird Lake Ann and Roy Butler Hike & Bike Trail

There is an incredible 10-mile path around Austin that you can bike, walk or run for gorgeous views and fresh air. Every day we explored a different part of this trail - bringing us (and our bikes) on rocky terrain to a beautiful waterfall, over pedestrian bridges, and on a paved boardwalk with great views of the city. 

We probably could have been more strategic in our explorations had we realized how many different points of interest this one path connected. As a runner, this 10 mile path was like a dream. Can I train for my next marathon while living in Austin, please? Check out this map to come up with a game plan.

3) Explore Zilker Park 

Zilker Park is the Central Park of Austin - if we want to go with a comparison to NYC. But really, it's much more woodsy with a lot more open space than Central Park. 

There's a ton to do in Zilker Park, and we only did a fraction of it. 

• Umlauf Sculpture Park

($5 Admission and Closed on Mondays)

• Barton Springs Pool

This place was gorgeous and when the sun came out, we wished we had been brave enough to bring our bathing suits. The man-made pool is fed by underground springs - maintaining a year-round water temperature of 68-70 degrees. It's around 900 feet long and only closed on Thursday's from 9 am - 7 pm for the intense maintenance that needs to be performed. From November - March admittance is free and it's open from 5 am - 10 pm throughout the year. Entrance fees during the spring and summer months are around $8 for non-residents.

There are also places around the park to rent canoes and kayaks, picnic areas, a little mini train ride, hiking trails and the botanical gardens. 

In the Winter, there's the "Trail of Lights" which I would have loved to check out, but we never made it. 

4) Check Out Local Farmer's Markets

Almost every day of the week you can find a farmers market in Austin. We had so much fun riding our bikes to one on Saturday morning and perusing the booths while filling up on free samples. You can even get BREAKFAST TACOS. 

I was obsessed with the kegs of kombucha and I ended up buying zero souvenirs but left perfectly happy with my reusable glass jar. 

Buddha's Brew Kombucha was heavenly!

Check out all the local farmer's markets here. 

5) Visit Texas' Flagship Whole Foods Store

If you're anything like me - grocery shopping is the best day of the week (minus the part where you see your total on the cash register). 

Perusing produce and shopping for spices is more enjoyable than trying on jeans or bathing suits, that's for damn sure! 

Was the flagship Austin Whole Foods Market on my Austin itinerary? You better believe it. I was like a kid in a candy store going from free sample to free sample to free sample. They had a smoothie/acai bowl station, a taco bar, salad bar, bakery, oatmeal station - everything you could ever want. And did I mention 25 cent giant cookies? 

We stopped twice during our stay. 

6) Eat. A Lot. 

Austin is known for it's tacos, migas (a breakfast dish) and BBQ. I personally make it a mission to discover insane donuts wherever I travel. Therefore, these were the main culinary missions while in Austin. I'd say we succeeded - with some Bloody Mary's, late night nachos and pancakes and killer brunches making their way in our bellies along with the previously mentioned Austin-staples. 

Here's how the chow went down.

Tacos

We had a tally in our trailer to see how many tacos we would consume in 5 days - answer? 24. That's a solid sampling of tacos. 

View fullsize

Torchy's Tacos 

Torchy's is a chain that has 12 Austin locations and when we arrived on Saturday afternoon the line was out the door. It moved quickly and we were soon chowing down on our first 8 tacos of the trip. 

We unanimously decided that "The Independent" was the best taco of the bunch. Ordered on a corn tortilla instead of flour (because, duh) The Independent consisted of deep fried portobello mushroom strips with refried black beans, roasted corn, escabeche carrots, queso fresco, cilanto and avocado - drizzled with ancho aioli.

Among the group we also tried the Monk Special (a breakfast taco with eggs, bacon, green chiles and cheese), The Democrat (shredded beef barbacoa topped with fresh avocado, queso fresco, cilantro, onions and a wedge of lime with tomatillo salsa), and a few others that I can't quite remember. 

The place even served mimosas and Bloody Mary's for $4! 

Taco Deli 

Taco Deli was another joint I had heard great things about that has multiple locations in Austin - 5 to be exact! 

We headed to the Spyglass location after trekking/hiking/biking through Zilker Park to reach it. Then, Melissa and I did a deck of cards workout to really get our appetites going. 

I wish I could tell you what everyone ordered but I can't remember anything except the delicious "Papadulce" vegetarian taco that I devoured. Loaded with roasted sweet potatoes, grilled corn, roasted peppers, caramelized onions, toasted pepitas and chipotle camote sauce - this was my favorite taco of the trip! 

Taco Deli's tacos are on the smaller side but they pack a powerful punch of flavor AND smaller tacos means you'll just have to try more of them! 

Chupacabra Cantina Y Taqueria 

We stopped at Chupacabra after our last night out on 6th Street and ordered far too many tacos. These tacos were by far the largest we ate and overflowing with ingredients. 

I know we ordered the Hippy Taco (refried black beans, rajas, avocado, cotija cheese, jacama slaw and habanero sour cream) and the Honey Jalapeno Fried Chicken (hand-breaded chicken tender, honey jalapeno sauce, jack cheese, bacon, jalapenos and chipotle mayo) along with one of the pork-centered tacos. 

This place knew their clientele and created some absurd flavor combinations that sounded appealing at the time but were maybe just a little bit over the top. We chowed down regardless. 

Bomb Tacos 

Bomb Tacos was a food trailer parked in the back of Bar 96 on Rainey Street. Peter and Melissa both ordered tacos and neither were impressed. Sad tacos :( 

Doughnuts / Donuts 

Which spelling of doughnuts do you prefer? I donut care because either way they are delicious. 

For the past year or so I've been obsessed with trying different doughnuts. It seems that every city in America has "the" doughnut spot you need to check out. I'm still dreaming of the day I make a cross-country trip for the sole purpose of checking out America's best doughnuts. In the meantime, New York has enough to keep me full of sugary breakfast pastries. 

So naturally, while I was in Austin I added two doughnut joints to the itinerary.

Gordough's Doughnuts

This place was ridiculous! There are a bunch of different outposts, but we visited the Gordough's Public House location in downtown Austin. The doughnut trailer is attached to a bar/restaurant and this particular spot serves not just donuts but doughnut MEALS - sandwiches between doughnuts and burgers with doughnut buns...even salads served with a hot garlic doughnut. I kid you not. 

We were there for dessert though and decided to sample 3 sweet doughnuts. We didn't realize what we were getting ourselves into by opting for 3 doughnuts - these things were massive. 

Each came out as a deep-friend dough mass topped with tons of toppings. The donut itself wasn't my favorite - it tasted more like a funnel cake than anything else, but the presentation, novelty and toppings made up for it. 

So what did we order? A good mix, I think. 

Ring O' Fire (Chipotle Infused Brownie Batter, Chocolate Icing, Brownie Bites, Salted Butter Caramel Sauce and Cayenne Candied Pecans) 

The Freebird (Cheesecake Filling, Cream Cheese Icing, Graham Cracker Crumbles, Fresh Strawberries and Blackberries) 

Granny's Pie (Cream Cheese Icing, Caramel Pecans, Bananas and Graham Crackers) 

*Side Note: We weren't away when we left for Austin that we would be seeing pecans on EVERY menu. Apparently, Texas is a HUGE exporter of pecans. Who knew? 

Voodoo Doughnuts

Peter, the Oregonian grad student, has told me how popular and delicious Voodoo Doughnuts are in Portland. Well, lucky for us - Voodoo Doughnuts just recently opened up a location in Austin. 

 They're closed from the time they sell out on Sunday until Wednesdays at 7 a.m., so we made our visit on Wednesday morning before we left Austin and had a ton of doughnuts to choose from. 

In fact, Voodoo, a cash only chain, makes over 50 different doughnuts! 

We sampled a respectable 5 during our pre-bike ride visit and always my biggest dilemma was the internal debate between a yeast doughnut or a cake doughnut. Luckily, the cake doughnuts were moist enough that I didn't regret the decision to sample one!

Chocolate Ring Doughnut - Raised yeast doughnut with chocolate frosting.

Dirty Snowballs Doughnut - Chocolate cake doughnut with marshmallow topping, dipped in coconut and a dollop of peanut butter in the middle. 

Old Dirty Bastard Doughnut - Raised yeast doughnut with chocolate frosting, Oreo's and peanut butter.

Bacon Maple Bar Doughnut - Peter told us this was their signature doughnut - Raised yeast doughnut with maple frosting and bacon on top. 

Voodoo Doll Doughnut - Seemed like a must order considering the name of the chain! Plus, it looked so cute! Raised yeast doughnut filled with raspberry jelly and topped with chocolate frosting and a pretzel stake. 

Voodoo Doughnuts gets a thumbs up from me - tons of flavor options, pretty to photograph, lots of FILLINGS (my favorite) and super sweet (sorry teeth). 

Barbecue 

The place to go for BBQ in Austin is Franklin Barbecue - where tourists and locals alike line up for hours in the mornings just waiting for the place to open. Apparently, it's a bonding experience - people bring coolers and essentially tailgate while they wait. 

With so many other things on my itinerary, we didn't ever find a chance to commit to the hours long wait at Franklin's. 

The other well-known barbecue place in Austin is The Salt Lick - a little bit of a drive from the downtown area. Since we didn't have a car, that wasn't a great option for us either. 

After some research and some inquiries with locals we settled on getting our 'cue on at: 

Iron Works BBQ

The ambiance at Iron Works was spot on - a counter to order at, picnic tables with red plaid tablecloths, no frills, metal trays, Styrofoam cups. 

The menu was exactly what you'd expect and want when ordering barbecue - pulled pork, ribs and brisket with sides like coleslaw, potato salad and mac and cheese. 

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal in the old iron workshop (now a historical site!) 

Brunch

Brunch is a way of life. Brunch brings people together. Brunch is sacred. In Austin, like in life, my most enjoyed meals took place between the hours of 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Prime breakfast and brunchin' time that is. 

Bouldin Creek Cafe 

Despite being a vegetarian cafe, Bouldin Creek got thumbs up from all three of us meat-eaters (though Melissa and I love our veggie-centric dishes!) 

Before I discuss the food - can we discuss how ADORABLE and artsy this place is? I couldn't stop looking around at all the cool decor. I loved the vibe of Bouldin Creek. 

I started off with some hot chocolate because my new-found obsession is really real. It was so filling, but so worth it. 

Peter and I immediately spotted the cornbread on the menu and got an order for the three of us to split as an appetizer. It wasn't just any cornbread - it was grilled blueberry cornbread. And it was phenomenal. 

My meal of choice was the tamale breakfast served with two eggs, two sweet potato pecan tamales, warm tortillas and homemade salsa. The filling in the tamales weren't as delicious as I was hoping considering they contained two delicious ingredients, but wrapped up in a tortilla with egg and salsa, I still enjoyed. 

Melissa ordered the Zucchini Migas and gave it good reviews while Peter got an omelette. 

South Congress Cafe 

All week I was excited for brunch at South Congress Cafe. Lucky for us, we didn't need a reservation since it was a random weekday morning, but I imagine this place is packed on Saturdays and Sundays. 

Throughout my research I had read about a breakfast dish called "migas" that I "had to" try. 

Migas is essentially a scrambled egg dish with veggies, cheese and the special ingredients - fried tortilla strips. South Congress Cafe is known for having one of the best migas in town and I also discovered another important accolade...

South Congress Cafe's Bloody Mary was voted one of the best in the country by the Huffington Post! 

When we arrived we were told we could save 20% by sitting at the bar. Our server/bartender was super friendly and awesome. We were shocked to find that the Bloody Mary isn't even on the menu - I guess when you're known for having one of the best Bloody Mary's in America you don't really need to advertise. 

Even Melissa, not usually a Bloody Mary fan, ordered one. And let me tell ya - that Bloody was DAMN good. None of this bacon, bourbon, shrimp nonsense. Just a straight up delicious Bloody Mary with great seasoning, a wonderful kick, a simple stalk of lettuce and a happy little olive. 

I ordered my migas "Enchilada" style - with the spicy ranchero sauce on the side. They were delicious and made with eggs, corn tortillas, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, three cheese blend and served with refried black beans and a smoked gouda potato pancake. 

Stellar meal and stellar lighting in the restaurant ;) 

Coffee

When you're biking and moving non-stop with 8 - 9 am wake-ups, you need to stay caffeinated. 

Ok, actually, the reason we stopped at so many coffee places is because Peter is a straight up caffeine addict. So I was sure to scope out the best cups of Joe around town so he could always get his fix - and spare Melissa and I the caffeine crash. 

Cenote

Peter took a trip to Cenote alone while Melissa and I waited in line for a table one afternoon and said it was "super adorbs." Okay, he definitely didn't use those words but he did say it was a trendy little shop with a good cup of coffee. It's built in an old church in one of the oldest buildings in the neighborhood which automatically makes it so fetch. 

Caffe Medici

There were a few Caffe Medici's that we passed around town and this received the coveted "Best Coffee of the Trip" award from the coffee connoisseur himself. They had his favorite brand of espresso machine I think. Yes, he has a favorite espresso machine. So European. A quick look at their website reveals that Cafee Medici uses Cuvee espresso in 3 group La Marzocco FB 80's.

Jo's 

There are three Jo's outposts in Austin and they not only serve coffee but food and alcohol including wine in a can! We sat out at the downtown location one night watching people walk by and also took a trip to their South Congress location for a picture with their famous "I Love You So Much" wall. 

They're famous for their iced turbos -  cream, chocolate, espresso, coffee and hazlenut. We didn't sample one, but it sure sounds tasty! 

Picnic

Picnic is a paleo food truck that is perched on a little hill with picnic tables and cacti. What brought us their wasn't their paleo food, but their BULLETPROOF COFFEE. 

Have you heard of this new trend? Coffee + Grassfed Butter + MCT Oil. Some people claim that this cup of healthy fats to start your morning can help curve cravings and promote weight loss. 

I was not a fan of the taste, but Peter enjoyed it!

Other

I swear, I didn't have each and every meal pre-planned! We stumbled across two other wonderful places. 

Hopdoddy Burger Bar

Right near our AirBnb was a super popular Shake Shack-esque burger joint called Hopdoddy Burger Bar with lines out the door. One night we stopped in for a late dinner and dayum, one of the best burgers I've ever had - though nothing will ever compare with my dad's homemade hamburgers on the grill. 

I ordered a monstrosity of a burger called the Terlingua. Angust beef burger loaded with chile con carne, tillamood cheddar, corn fritos and "sassy sauce." I was clearly feeling the "Everything Is Bigger In Texas" motto that night. 

Magnolia Cafe  

When you've been out drinking on 6th Street and realize there's a 24 Hour Diner on your Air BnB's street - you definitely stop by and you definitely order a large platter of "super deluxe" chicken nachos (against Peter's pleas of, "WE ONLY NEED A SMALL." Overruled by the two girls) and a plate full of blueberry pancakes (EXPLODING with blueberries). 

Both of these were mind mindbogglingly good - and I'm pretty sure it wasn't just because of the alcohol we had consumed! Two thumbs up Magnolia Cafe. 

Botticelli's 

Melissa found this AWESOME spot for happy hour. Botticelli's looked like a tiny little restaurant from the outside, but there was a HUGE outdoor seating area with heat lamps (the first time I was warm that entire day). We plopped ourselves right under one and enjoyed their all day Monday happy hour specials ($5 cocktails!) as well as two orders of their famous STUFFED BREAD. It was killer. 

7.) Go Country Dancing at the Broken Spoke (Or Just Watch)

By far one of the best experiences of the trip was our visit to The Broken Spoke. This place opened in 1964 and the people who frequent it are true Austinites.  

We felt extremely out of place, and weren't exactly welcomed with open arms, but it was worth it for a look at a true Texas Honky Tonk Dance Hall. 

Wednesday - Saturday from 8:30 - 9:30 p.m. they give two-step and swing lessons. Unfortunately, we missed them. But we grabbed a beer at the bar (after paying our $12 cover) and sat down at a picnic table where we spent a long time people watching the rotating partners two-stepping across the huge wooden dance floor. 

The bathroom stalls didn't have doors - they had American flag curtains that brushed your knees as you sat. 

People got up to go dance and just left their iPhones sitting unattended on their tables. 

A live band played country music that not even Peter recognized one word of. 

By the end of the night I finally convinced Peter to twirl me around a few times and while I looked like a fool, he looked handsome and we had a good laugh! 

This is definitely a must on your trip! 

8.) Take a Walk Around the UT Austin Campus 

Did you know the Longhorns' color has a specific name? That browny-orange color (that I personally find hideous) is referred to as "Burnt Orange." 

We spent a little while on our first afternoon riding our bikes around campus - stopping by Caffe Medici and Torchy's Tacos before discovering Moojo - a place that makes cheap and amazingly delicious cookie ice cream sandwiches! 

But there is more to do at UT than eat. We stopped at the Harry Ransom Center to see the first photograph (spoiler alert: it's really terrible and we almost couldn't see it and thought it had been stolen) and one of the original Gutenberg Bibles.  Unfortunately, we visited while they were getting ready for their next exhibition, but usually they have more on-site. 

The Longhorns' stadium was closed but we got to peak through a gate. 

There were pretty buildings, statues, fountains, etc. along our walk and an art museum that we were too uncultured to visit. 

9.) Take Pictures with Graffiti 

What we were not too uncultured to do was appreciate the various murals painted on buildings across the city. I loved these, and there were a bunch of famous ones we never even made it to. Each mural has an interesting history and story to go along with it!

Graffiti Castle 

This place is an Instagrammer's dream. It's essentially an unfinished housing foundation that local artists can paint giant murals on. While it's called Graffiti Castle, it's official name is the HOPE Outdoor Gallery. Unfortunately, tourists tend to walk up to the wall with their spray paint bottles to write "Lauren Was X" or cover up real artwork with spray painted hearts - but there are still sections of the walls that have some impressive images painted on them. 

We even got to see one artist in action - it was amazing! 

Wear sneakers - it's no joke climbing the different levels of Graffiti Castle. And go around dusk to see the sunset from the top! 

I Love You So Much Wall

A classic, located on the side of Jo's coffee shop on South Congress (1300 S Congress Ave). We had a full out photo shoot at this one! 

Hi, How Are You?

We spotted this one while we were near the UT campus and I forced everyone to pull the bikes over for a photo op. Little did I know, it's one of the famous murals in Austin. Later that day we even saw t-shirts depicting it! The Hi, How Are You frog mural is on the building currently occupied by Thai Spice (3600 N Capital of Texas Hwy #110). 

You Make My Heart Sing

This ones on the side of Threadgill's (301 W Riverside Dr.).

The two we missed but I would have loved a picture with were the "Greetings From Austin" mural (1720 S. First Street) and the "You're My Butter Half" mural (2000 E. MLK Jr. Blvd.)

10.) Sunday Funday on Rainey Street 

Is there anything better than a good Sunday Funday? 

Yes. 

Sunday Funday after a race! 

Peter and I ran a half marathon and 5K respectively and once we showered we headed to Rainey Street to begin the festivities. Rainey Street is a fairly new popular neighborhood in Austin where homes have been converted into bars and restaurants - giving them an awesome vibe. 

Brunch at Banger's Sausage and Beer Garden 

We waited a solid 40 minutes to get in to Banger's Sausage and Beer Garden, but once we did, it was totally worth it. A huge open backyard with beer hall styled seating on picnic tables and a live jazz band. A HUGE beer list. And a drool-worthy brunch menu. 

We learned very quickly that bars and restaurants welcome dogs with open arms and Banger's even had a little mini dog park in the back! 

I ordered the beet and goat cheese "sausage" with yellow beets, red beets, walnuts and goat cheese. I didn't love it, but I probably should have picked something different anyway. 

What I did love was the atmosphere, the music and the company. 

Pro Tip: They are famous for their "Manmosa" - a 1 liter glass of champagne with a splash of orange or cranberry juice. 

Sangria and Jazz at Icenhauer's

I had read that Icenhauer's was the place to be on a Sunday on Rainey Street and it did not disappoint. The size of these sangria glasses was unreal! And only $8. Again, we were able to be outside, though the inside was awesome as well and we enjoyed the company of  a bunch of adorable puppies. 

Bar 96

Another hopping spot to be on a Sunday is Bar 96. Another big open area in the back (with the Bomb Taco truck) and the real reason we went - the string game! 

We met a girl who was pretty damn good at it - and she tried to help us work on our technique. I was a pretty worthless student at that point in the day, but it was still fun! 

And more puppies. 

11.) Visit a Brewery or Distillery 

There are two breweries that are easy to get to in the downtown area but if you have a car, there are a number of other options for breweries and distilleries (big names like Deep Eddy and Tito's!) 

Hops and Grain 

The Hops and Grain tap room is open 7 days a week from 8 am - 10 pm. Tours are given on Thursday and Fridays at 5 pm and Saturdays at 1, 3 and 5 - they are FREE and last around 45 minutes (all according to their website since we weren't able to make it for a tour!) 

Zilker Brewing

At Zilker we actually sat down and did some sampling - I was a fan of a few of them but I can't remember anything specific. The place was empty on a Sunday night but the bartender was nice to us after our marathon Sunday Funday when I'm sure he just wanted us to shut up and go home. Zilker Brewing is open Wednesday - Thursday from 4 pm - 10 pm, Friday from 2 pm - 12 am, Saturday from noon - 12 am and Sunday from noon to 8 pm. 

12.) Take a Touristy Picture at the State Capitol Building

It's not that exciting, but it is a pretty impressive building - it's 308 feet tall, making it taller than the capitol building in D.C. and the 6th tallest capitol building in the U.S. (Louisiana's is the tallest). 

So there you have - 12 activities to make your trip to Austin EPIC. 

But I'm not done yet. 

There's a few things to consider before you hit the ground running. 

Lodging

For SURE check out Airbnb. There were TONS of options, although I'm biased and think we picked the absolute sickest, illest, dopest Airbnb in Austin. Heck, maybe in Texas. Maybe even in America. 

The three of us stayed in an amazing airstream trailer - how much more Austin can you get? 

The space was perfect for 3 people and when we arrived it was twinkling with lights and SO welcoming. Our host, Miles, has set up a bunch of trailers in a little compound tucked away behind an apartment complex. There are tables, hammocks, and an amazing little outdoor TV room with seating, a stereo, games and oh did I mention 2 KEGS of beer? 

You can also use All The Rooms to find alternatives to hotel rooms!

Transportation 

Uber in Austin was so simple and by the end of the trip, all of our rides total came to less than $50 each. That's less than $150 total. #Math

The bikes helped a TON but having a rental car for at least a day would have enabled us to go to places like Mount Bonnell (to climb to the highest point in Austin) or The Salt Lick for barbecue. 

A lot of people also suggested we try to drive the 45-60 minutes to check out the San Antonio River Walk. 

You'll definitely want bikes, Ubers or a rental car as things aren't super close together and from what we gathered the public bus system wasn't all that popular. 

AUSTIN, WE LOVE YOU 

Race Recap: 5K In Austin, Texas

While I’m in the process of writing up my big, wonderful guide to vacationing in Austin, Texas – since I’m a pro now – I thought I would at least recap the race I ran while I was in the Lone Star State.

For months I planned on running the Decker Half Challenge with Peter – a half marathon known for its extremely hilly terrain. 13.1 miles and the plan was an 8:00 – 8:15 pace. But as the date drew closer, I knew that my legs just didn’t have a half marathon in them.

So I made the call to skip the half and instead, signed up for the Brown Santa 5K starting 15 minutes later at the same location. I hadn’t raced a 5K in a while and was excited to see what would happen.

Unlike the Turkey Trot I ran on Thanksgiving, I was prepared for the hills this time around – though not as prepared as I should have been. I didn’t look at an elevation chart. I didn’t know if the hills would be in the first half or the second half. I just knew there would be hills and I would need to be mentally prepared to see an upward sloping road.  And to not freak out. To not throw in the towel. To just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

We woke up and took an Uber to the race location – the Travis County Expo Center. We watched a beautiful sunrise and were able to hang out in a heated building before the start of the race. The men’s bathroom line was 10X longer than the women’s. There wasn’t a bag check, people just kept their stuff chilling in the expo center. It was not like races I’m used to running.

I gave Peter a good luck hug and as he went to the start of the half with around 900 other runners, I set out for a few laps of the parking lot for a 2 mile warm up (first mile at 8:44 pace and second mile at 8:15 pace). That’s right – I made sure Melissa and Peter forced me to get in a long warm-up.

By the time I finished, there was limited time to take off my layers and get to the start line so I just ditched my pants in the grass – they were there when I finished.

The Brown Santa 5K only had 105 runners and I was able to get a spot right on the start line. The weather was beautiful and the course started off fairly flat while I found a comfortable rhythm.

Or rather, I found a pace that was comfortable for a mile. Not exactly a pace that was sustainable for 3.1 miles.

The course was an out and back and by the time we hit the turn-around I knew I was the first female. A few other runners gave me some cheers as I passed them, and one of the guys in front of me kept walking and would immediately run again as soon as I drew near. That’s when I promised myself I would beat him.

I knew I had gone out too fast and needed to just keep moving. I knew these were pretty legit hills. I knew it was the hardest I had run in a long time. I thought the finish line would never come but I also knew I was moving fast, I was the first female, I had a boy who didn’t want a girl to beat him a few feet ahead of me, and that I would have the rest of the day to relax – I’m happy to report that I gave that finish everything I had and I honestly thought I was going to puke the second I crossed the finish line. 

As I approached the finish line I could hear the MC saying things like, “And here we have our first female! You can see her pony tail bobbing in the distance – she’s hanging in there. Actually, she’s not just hanging in, she’s finishing strong!”

I somehow found a kick that I didn’t think I had in me when he announced my name and that I was from New York. REPRESENT.

I crossed the finish line and immediately saw Melissa standing there which was the icing on top.

The sprinkles were the trophy and $40 gift card to race sponsor Rogue Running - a running store/crossfit box/yoga studio/community space. I got this amazing Oiselle scarf that I didn't take off the rest of the trip. 

I ended up finishing in 22.13.8 according to my watch which recorded 3.2 miles for a 6:57 pace. The official results on the Brown Santa 5K page say I finished in 21.08.9. Who knows? All I know is my goal is 21:00 or less so I still have some work to do – but this was a huge confidence boost that on the right day with the right course (aka: less hills) I can make that happen. I was the 5th overall finisher and the first female – out of all 105 runners hehe.

Wanna talk about negative splits? Yeah me neither… Mile 1: 6:45 Mile 2: 7:04 Mile 3: 7:11. Nailed it.

While Melissa and I waited for Peter to finish his race, we did one of Chris Mosier’s famous deck of cards workouts in the expo center. In the middle of clamshells and donkey kicks, my phone started ringing and Peter’s name came up on the screen.

I panicked. I thought he was injured or feeling terrible or quitting. But nope, he was asking me how my race went. Can I get a giant AW?

Awwwwwwww.

When I told him I was the first female finisher his response was, “were you the only female finisher?” HA.HA. babe!

Peter was running his race to win the “Call Your Shot” contest – he had predicted his pace and was doing everything he could to hit it perfectly. He had me tracking him and reporting back to him and when Melissa and I got outside to cheer him on at the finish line I jumped in to run a few feet with him – he nailed it and won a free pair of New Balance sneakers!

So what did we learn? Peter is basically a professional pacer and I am the worst. And next year, the Decker Challenge will include rules to ensure that out of towners don’t win $150 worth of running gear.

The expo after the race was MAGNIFICENT. There were tons of vendors that were extremely chatty and friendly. We got avocado shaped stress balls and free samples of my favorite iced coffee – High Brew!

Did I mention the FREE BEER from a local brewery that we later found out was over 7% alcohol? LOL. We left feeling prettttty smiley.

Austin Runner’s Club and Rogue Running put on a GREAT race that was super well organized. The race photos were FREE and soo gorgeous!

I have a feeling we might find ourselves back there one day…

PS: If you ever see Philosophizer beer by Adelbert’s – buy it buy it buy it because it’s deeee-licious. 

8 Things That Got Me In The Holiday Spirit

While the entire east coast complains about their inability to “get into the Christmas spirit” due to abnormally warm temperatures and lack of snow – I have felt plenty festive these past few days and as an added bonus, I haven’t been freezing cold or trudging through black slush on the NYC sidewalks.

So here are 8 things that made me hum, “it’s Christmas time in the city” even though I wasn’t bundled up in 20 layers.

1)      Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree & 5th Avenue

This was the start of the festive feels for me. Peter and I decided to dedicate one Sunday afternoon to doing some touristy things around town. We met at Bryant Park and after scoping out a grand total of one holiday shop, decided we needed food before we got too hangry around the masses of slow-moving sidewalk-blocking travelers.

We headed west to Hell’s Kitchen and found an adorable Thai restaurant. OBAO had tons of lanterns hanging from the ceiling which made me happy even though my first time trying pho was a little underwhelming. I think I’ll stick to ramen.

Next up was Rockefeller Center – bum bum bum. We took a cheesy selfie with the tree even though it was broad daylight and spent a few minutes watching the ice skaters. This is probably the first and last time we’ll view the tree in t-shirts.

We spent the next hour or so walking 5th Avenue to see the stores extravagant lights, windows and decorations. Again, broad daylight, but still nice!

My favorite was this new snowflake hanging in the street outside of Tiffany’s! At least I think it’s new – I don’t remember ever seeing it before!

2)      Gingerbread Houses

This is the first time in recent memory that I made a gingerbread house but I think it’s a tradition I would like to continue for-ev-er. Peter and I picked up a kit and devoted a full 2 hours to decorating it while watching Elf.

Peter was a frosting MASTER and I got relegated to sticking on the candies since I couldn’t be bothered to be so painstaking in my frosting duties. I also did a great job eating the candies, taking fingerfuls of frosting and decorating the gingerbread man, snow woman and Christmas tree that went outside of our gingerbread house.

Can I just remind everyone who has yet to watch Elf this year to DO IT. Truly incredible how quotable it is!

And while you watch Elf and make a gingerbread house, you MUST drink hot chocolate. I mean, duh.

3)      Decorations

There are a few decorations around NYC that signal the holidays for me. They go up, and I know Christmas is coming. Those big red balls and giant lights on 6th Avenue, the tree outside of Radio City Music Hall and the gorgeous lights at the Columbus Circle Shops.

And last but not least, the holiday decorations in reception at work.

4)      Holiday Parties

This year, I went to a Holiday Happy Hour with my new department at work, a Holiday Happy Hour with old coworkers AND the official office Holiday Party. I also went to Peter’s post-Holiday Party-party. Phew.

But by far the best Holiday Party I attended was the Annual Fehling Adult Christmas Party that my aunt and uncle throw at their house on Long Island. Peter came for his second time and my aunt and uncle were here from South Carolina – I was thrilled. It’s a pajama party, there’s a shotski and the variety of desserts is unreal (though my all-time favorites are the Christmas Crack and Peanut Butter Balls).

5)      Waiting For 15 Minutes For A Parking Space At the Mall

True story – it didn’t feel like Christmas until we spent a day walking around an insanely crowded mall after waiting 15 minutes in the parking lot stalking shoppers back to their cars. 

6) Gift Giving and Shopping

I did a lot of my Christmas shopping online this year, but there were 2 days where I was running around the city, dripping in sweat, standing in lines, carrying 7 different bags and riding the subway with a giant tube of wrapping paper sticking out of my bag. It was miserable but also SO EXCITING. More than getting Christmas gifts, I absolutely love giving Christmas presents. And even though I’m awful at it, I love wrapping presents.

So I bought a bunch of super lame stocking stuffers so I could individually wrap each thing for Peter while sitting on my living room floor listening to Christmas music.

7)      Christmas Carols

I have two absolute favorite Christmas songs – and no, one of them is not Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” – although I DO love belting that one any time it comes on in a bar. Or in the car. Or at a November Project workout.

However, my two favorite Christmas songs are – Little Drummer Boy by Josh Groban (who is PS OMG making his Broadway debut next year) and Do You Hear What I Hear by Carrie Underwood. I am also not opposed to any Christmas song sung by Idina Menzel.

8)      Cookie Exchange

I hosted my first ever cookie exchange this year and I hope to make it an annual tradition because – who doesn’t love holiday cookies?

I got really into it, printing and cutting and gluing recipe cards and awards and place mats. I bought tons of ingredients. I bought green frosting and peppermint kisses to decorate with. But none of that changed the fact that I’m just not a baker.

I thoroughly failed at following the recipes. I mixed up the baking soda and the baking powder and I used a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon. I improvised as if I knew the first thing about what I was doing. My cookies were most definitely not the best.

But we had a wonderful variety and some festive almond milk egg nog to wash it all down. We all took home the following in cute little holiday boxes:

S’Mores Cookies
Peppermint Sugar Cookies
Grain-free Peanut Butter Chocolate Truffles (made with a secret ingredient – chickpeas!)
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Funfetti Cookies with Vanilla Icing
Tate’s

Yumm-o.

Now I’m home on Long Island, sitting on my couch looking at the brand new FAKE Christmas tree that my parents bought. I’m a little sad about the switch to synthetic boughs with zero pine-scent, but I will admit that the 8 different lights and spinning functions are kind of cool.

With a 74 degree forecast for Christmas Eve, my dad and I are considering an unofficial Polar Bear Plunge into the Long Island Sound. We’ll see who chickens out first…

Merry merry!

10 Things I've Realized While Learning To Swim As An Adult

For the past 8 weeks, I've had the opportunity to take JackRabbit Sports' Efficient Technique Swim Level I course in a sketchy pool on the Lower East Side. 

The signs at Seahorse Fitness say things like, "No Spitting" and "No Holding Breathe" in English and Chinese with some of the most entertaining illustrations I've ever seen. 

The 25-yard pool is always awkwardly warm and smells slightly of fish. According to their website, the water temperature is kept between 85 and 90 degrees. Perfect for swimming laps...(uhm, no). 

The locker room is a place you wouldn't want to be alone and after a shower at Seahorse Fitness, you'll feel dirtier than when you came in. 

That being said - I have learned a TON in the 8 hours spent in the pool thanks to the course instructor, Maria Mason Frazetta. 

Many of the people in my class have taken multiple swim classes with Maria, have trained with her for triathlons, etc. She's the real deal!

Each week she's provided us with a recap of the workout so that we are now equipped with clear-cut workouts to bring to a pool. She has provided resources and videos and answered a million of our questions. 

Since I started trying to get into this whole swimming thing over the summer, I like to think I've improved vastly. That being said, I've still only managed to swim a full mile one time and I still don't exactly look forward to jumping in the pool. 

I still feel like a fish out of water. Except, in the water. Becoming Michael Phelps is no easy task. And here are some things I've learned from my many (short) laps in NYC pools. 

1. No matter what the temperature of the pool is, I am a baby and will shiver a little bit when I hop in.

2. Constantly having Swimmer's Ear as a child has scarred me for life. The second I feel a drip of water enter my ear canal, all bets are off and I panic. At least half of my time in the pool is spent adjusting and readjusting my swim cap and trying to mold my ear plugs to fit perfectly into my ear. The second I start swimming, they usually get messed up and I have to stop and readjust all over again. 

3. I never realized that most people breathe out through their mouths. I'm a nose breather, which is all well and good until you have some phlegm or are feeling stuffed up. Then, it can get messy. I've grown accustomed to some snotty swims. Cute, right?

4.  After swimming, I tend to feel incredibly bloated and have a stomach ache. I've done some Googling on it, and it seems to be a problem some other people experience as well. I think it may have to do with my panicked gulps for air! Either way, it doesn't feel great and even results in lots of burping while I'm swimming. 

5. Also not great is the sleepy feeling in my eyes for an hour or so after swimming thanks to the chlorine. 

6. I'm also typically starved after swimming, though research has made me realize that I'm not, in fact, burning as many calories as if I were to run or bike or lift. So sadly, I can't yet eat as many calories as Michael Phelps does on a daily basis. 

7. The bathing suit dryer at New York Sports Club is a lifesaver. 

8. I obviously shower after swimming, but that does nothing to remove the scent of chlorine from my skin which seems to linger for at least 24 hours. 

9. There is SO MUCH to think about while you swim. I'm trying so hard to be aware of my body while doing laps and focusing on form but sometimes it gets frustrating and I just want to go back to my old ways - it seemed to be easier, faster and less mentally challenging to windmill my arms back and forth. 

10. There is no cute way to take off a soaking wet bathing suit. You must shimmy and contort your body and there is really no way to be modest in the locker room.  That, combined with the bloat, goggle marks and snot makes me simply irresistible. 

I'm a long way away from triathlon ready, but that's the ultimate goal so I will continue to practice practice practice. Just keep swimming as Dory would say! 

Photo Credit: My talented Aunt D!

Turkey Trot Race Recap: I Hated Every Second

Usually, when I run a race, I go with a friend or know a bunch of other people who will be running it. There are people there to take pictures with beforehand and to rehash the course with after we cross the finish line. So it was a little strange on Thanksgiving morning when I woke up and got ready to drive myself to a Turkey Trot where I would know no one.

I think the best way to write this post is as a stream of consciousness since that’s basically how I experienced the race with no one to talk to!

Wake Up:

Why is my bed at home so much harder to get up out of than my bed in the city? Even after 10 hours of sleep?

Get Dressed:

It’s definitely warm enough today for shorts but I’m going to go with long sleeves and bring lots of layers for the ride over and waiting around. I seem to have an excessive amount of things – arm warmers, a t-shirt just in case, headband, buff, two different pairs of gloves, spibelt, sweatpants, jacket…sheesh.

Breakfast:

First things first, get this coffee doing its job. Now, to eat…oatmeal? Yogurt? Cereal? No - toast with peanut butter and half a banana with a drizzle of honey. Yes. And a handful of dry Special K for good measure.

Stretching:

I should really be stretching. I’ll do pigeon for 30 seconds on each side. There. All loosey goosey and ready to go, right hips?

Getting There:

This is so awesome, the race starts at 8:50 and I can leave my house at 8! Oh wow, are all these cars half a mile away parked on the curb for the race? I better take this first spot that I see and hope the packet pick-up isn’t too far away!

Hm, which layers do I keep on? Do I bring my bag? Do they have a bag check? They must have a bag check, right? Are all these people walking around bringing bags? I’m just going to bring my bag.

Jog jog jog, I have no idea where packet pickup is but I’m just going to follow these other runner-looking people and hope they have more of an idea of where they’re going than I do. It’s a really beautiful fall morning out.

Ah, an elementary school gym. Got my packet. Got my shirt. It’s very orange. Very.

“Do you have a bag check?”

“Err…no, sorry.”

Okay, jog jog jog back to the car. I have time? Right? I’ll just scope out where the start is on my way. Nice, a line of chalk on the ground. Very legit. Okay I’m halfway to my car but just realized I have absolutely nothing resembling a bib or tracking device of any kind…is this right? Do I need to go back to the gym? Okay, just drop your stuff off and get ready, THEN go back to the gym Lauren.

Shorts, Craft top, Spibelt, Buff.

Jog back to the gym.

“Do I need a bib?”

“No.”

Pre-Race Preparation:

Okay, great. Starting line. Let’s do this. Let’s hold this street sign and swing my legs back and forth. Ah, that feels good.

Oh, those people over there just mentioned a hill. I have no idea what to expect from this course except that it’s going to be 5 miles.

There’s a lot of kids here who clearly run in college.

Goal Setting: 

I just ran a 10K at a 7:18 pace so I should aim for my 5 mile pace to be less than that. Although my 5 mile PR is a 7:45 pace so either way, PR baby!

Okay people are getting ready to go. Countdown with zero megaphone, so small town.

The Race:

Ayyy here we go! Nice and slow Lauren. Don’t chase after these people. You’ll get them later.

The sun is shining, it’s glorious, so many people went out way faster than me but I need to get myself situated.

1 mile. Splendid. 7:11 pace. Okay, that would be fabulous to keep, but as usual my second mile will probably be slower since I go out too damn fast. Oh, shit, that must be the hill up ahead.

That sucked. But hey, now we’re going downhill, weeeeee! Glorious! I love fall running!

How do I always end up alone? There’s never anyone near me.

I’m going to make it my goal to beat this girl in front of me eventually. But for now I will bide my time.

Oh my god there’s a mountain we are about to run up. What the hell?

Ouch. Ouch.

Second mile, as I suspected, 7:26. Alright Lauren. You have 1 more mile to be semi-comfortable and then the last two you gotta kick it up.

Wait really another hill? Seriously? Ok, ok stop bitching, you’re good at hills. You got this.

That had to be the last hill right?

This is a pretty neighborhood.

3rd mile – 7:14. Okay, now drop that a little for the last 2 miles and you’re good to go.

Oh look my dentist’s office! So funny!

Not funny. ANOTHER giant hill! No. I don’t want to do this anymore.

How many more hills can there be?

Oh, would you look at that. Another hill.

This sucks.

Lauren you’re letting your mind get in the way. Just run up it.

No this really isn’t fun this course is ridiculous.

Lauren you’re not a quitter. Open up your stride you’re practically walk up this hill.

I want to walk. I’m not going to beat a 7:18 pace and I’m not even going to pass this girl in front of me and this is the stupidest course ever.

Everyone else is slowing down too. Do it. Go.

4th mile 7:52.

Well shit. Alright it’s one more mile just finish and get this over with.

You passed that girl and now there are two more in front of you. Do you think you can beat either of them?

Yes.

Just kidding, here’s 5 more hills that I have to climb before I get to the finish line. Really? I’m never running this race again.

You shouldn’t say that Lauren – you should say, “I’m going to come back prepared and kick this race’s ass next year!”

Mmm nope, no interest in ever running this again.

Final kick to the finish anddddd done.

Results:

My watch never reached 5 miles – but my 4.93 mile PR is a 36:48:00 or 7:27/mile.

They handed me a green piece of paper with number 36 on it which I filled out with my name, age and hometown – THAT’S how they figured out the results.

I ended up coming in as the 7th female overall and 2nd in my age group – it was a super tiny local race, but it was still nice after being so miserable for those 37 minutes.

Really. My mental game was so not strong for this race, probably because I had ZERO warning for the hills I was going to face.

It DID make me finally listen to my body – which hasn’t been feeling 100%, hasn’t been digging long runs, and definitely wasn’t feeling hills – and I decided I wouldn’t run the half marathon next weekend while I’m in Austin.

Afterwards, I went up to the girl who had finished right in front of me and said thanks – I would have walked if she hadn’t been up ahead pushing me.

Closing Thoughts:

I just did some research using my Garmin and the 10K that I ran on Halloween on Randall's Island had an elevation gain of 18 feet over the course of 6 miles.

The Shoreham Turkey Trot’s elevation gain? 281 over 5 miles.

That put things into perspective, and I’m pretty proud of my race when all is said and done.

Gobble gobble. Hills for breakfast.

A Weekend to Remember

This was supposed to go live last Wednesday - it did not. Here you go!

Thursday through Sunday of last week were 4 days of straight up, “someone pinch me is this my life?” perfection. What made them so special was the person by my side for 96 hours straight and the fact that when it came time to say goodbye on Monday morning, I happily would have spent another 96 with him.

THURSDAY

Thursday night was rainy and cold but that didn’t stop Melissa and I from standing on the sidewalk for 5 minutes waiting to capture a video of the most epic billboard – a runner that flashes between saying “I Hate Running” and “I Love Running.” Truth in advertising.

After wandering around for a while, we got a table at one of the 123190 Irish pubs around Penn Station where you can get a cheap drink and awful food. John Sullivan’s fit this mold perfectly. $6 pinot and a grilled salmon burger fresh out the freezer section of Costco. Melissa, Peter and I had a few drinks, caught up and then Peter and I walked over to MSG for BILLY JOEL!

The incredible thing about Billy Joel is that he’s now played 23 concerts at Madison Square Garden and people are still flocking to see him. Plus, he could legitimately play 23 different concerts because his library of music is so vast.

Highlights

• Every second.

Ok, for real, some of my favorite moments were:

• Billy dedicated “The Entertainer” to Donald Trump
• Showing off my talent of singing every word to “We Didn’t Start the Fire”
• RIVER OF DREAMS
• Peter somehow recognizing the intro to the intro to the intro of “New York State of Mind” 
• Being able to record a video of the line, “And the microphone smells like a beer” to send to my dad
• Going to the bathroom and thinking, “Holy shit, that’s THE Billy Joel singing that I hear through the door as I pee right now!!”
• Peter spinning and swinging me around the suite during “Only the Good Die Young.” I felt like I was in a movie with my handsome man as we sang and laughed and spun and then he gave me a dip to close out the night.

If you are a Billy Joel fan, I can’t say enough about his concert. The rest of the weekend I think Peter and I brought it up to everyone at least 10 times. “Did you know we saw Billy Joel on Thursday?” Everyone probably wanted to smack us but it really was even better than I could have hoped it would be.

Thursday night we got back to Peter’s parent’s house around 1 a.m. and immediately fell into bed.

Friday

6 a.m. wake-up and a quick stop at the bagel store before hitting the road. We hit some traffic early on, but then it was smooth sailing (minus the multiple stops to fuel Peter’s caffeine addiction and to accommodate my pea-sized bladder).

I had a sudden craving for hot chocolate and on Peter's next Dunkin Donuts stop I got myself a cup. It really hit the spot. Although now I need to try their new salted caramel, mint and s’mores flavors. You know, for comparison’s sake.

We made good time and made it to State College in Happy Valley (for a while I thought these were two made up names…) around 11:30 a.m. Edit: Happy Valley IS a made up name We couldn’t get into the house until around 2 so I looked at Peter and said, “Nap in the car time?” “Lunch time?”

“I thought we could go for a run around campus,” Peter said.

This is why I love him even though later that night he would tell me I looked like a little boy in my flannel shirt.

So I got the sleepy thoughts out of my head and we parked the car and stepped out into the brisk Pennsylvania afternoon. It was so great going for a run around the campus with Peter reminiscing and pointing things out to me. It was hilly, but I felt surprisingly good and was also running naked (aka no GPS watch, duh). The sun was shining despite the cold and we ran 5 miles at around an 8:30 pace. After sitting in the car for 6 hours, it felt great and woke me up much more than a nap would have.

Immediately following our run we went to The Berkey Creamery! It’s right on the campus and part of their food sciences college and it was my first visit to this Penn State institution. We split a cup of chocolate chip cookie dough and drove around campus taking some pictures, climbing some steel sculptures, ya know.

Next was my first ever shopping trip to WEGMANS! I had extremely high hopes and as we walked in I was greeted by a Gala Apple Cider free sample. I bought some Nature’s Path granola, not because I needed it, but because the cost was like 50% of the price in NYC.

Things I was impressed with at Wegmans:
-Bakery Section (I’m lookin’ at you, free sample of cranberry bread topped with brie)
-Beer section
-BUILD YOUR OWN TRAIL MIX BAR
-Grind your own CHOCOLATE peanut butter

If I had to pick three foods I eat almost every day, it would be peanut butter, bananas and baby carrots. 

I wouldn’t say I am a Wegmans addict, but it was definitely fun getting to go to one!

Finally it was time to check out or home for the weekend – and dayum we were living in style! For the past two years Peter and his friends have rented this gorgeous house a quick drive from campus and it was awesome!

We showered and took a “quick nap.” Peter told me to set an alarm but I said I didn’t need one…next thing we knew it was 5 p.m.

A trip to Mad Mex for the infamous GOBBLERITO was in order.

What the Heck Is In A Gobblerito?
-Turkey
-Mashed Potatoes
-Corn
-Stuffing
-Black Beans
-Topped with gravy
-Side of cranberry sauce

When this burrito arrived it resembled a small child. We ate every last bite and each drank a frozen margarita that probably contains more calories than one should consume in a day. Mango for me and Pumpkin Spice (yes, a pumpkin spice margarita) for Peter.

We left Mad Mex and walked around some shops for a little bit. I was tempted to buy ALL THE THINGS because Nike and UnderArmour make Penn State’s apparel but I had to keep reminding myself, “She doesn’t even go here!”

Wannabe Nittany Lion!

When we got back to the house, almost everyone had arrived and we had a few beers while I got introduced to the gang and went to bed early.

SATURDAY

Our alarms went off throughout the house a 5:30 a.m.

This was no joke people.

Tailgating at Penn State is SERIOUS business.

We drank coffee, we packed the 3 trucks, we stopped at Dunkin for 2 dozen donuts, and drove to the tailgating fields.

I was unprepared for just how many people tailgate here. Fields upon fields of cars. I will never forget the following image:

We pulled into our spot and I looked at the pick-up truck in front of us. As the car was pulling into its spray painted space, 6 guys were leaping out of the flat bed and doors, whipping things out left and right and before I could blink a canopy was going up.

I laughed and said it looked like a hummer had just rolled into battle. Then I got out of the car and saw that the exact same thing was going on with our group.

No joke within 5 minutes -  4 coolers were lined up, 2 tables were filled with food, a grill was warming up, corn hole was out, the speakers were on, the lawn chairs were set up. It was a spectacular demonstration.

It was also 7:15 a.m.

We all started with a glorious warm rum cider accompanied by donuts, bagels with cream cheese and lox, breakfast burritos with bacon and hash browns, and homemade pumpkin chocolate chip bread toasted on the grill.

The next 5 hours passed so ridiculously fast I can’t even fathom it.

I learned what the stump game is and was pleasantly surprised by how clean the portapotties were. I was cold, but not frozen. I ate everything in sight. I whipped out these amazing 50 cent football hats I found at Good Will.

We made a lot of "Hey Arnold!" references. 

And then it was time to go into Beaver Stadium for the Penn State/Michigan game.

It was a white out game and inside the stadium looked soo awesome. The sun was shining on us the whole time and although Penn State lost, it was a good game and I got to experience a touch down!

Apparently it’s a tradition at Penn State that for each point, the guys in the student section toss a girl up into the air. So when Penn State got a touchdown, Peter hoisted me up.

Other Random Things:

• The women’s bathroom line was like 10X shorter than the men’s.
• There were snipers on the roof.

Instead of sitting in traffic for a million years after the game, we headed back to our “camp” and tailgated for another 2 hours. Peter was grill master, cooking up 32 cheeseburgers.

When we eventually got home, 15 of us spent the night dozing in and out of naps, eating pizza, and eventually, falling asleep before 11 p.m.

SUNDAY

We woke up fairly early after a full night’s sleep and I quickly abandoned my, “Maybe I’ll got for a run…” idea in favor of being a lazy Sunday bum.

We cleaned up the house, packed the car, and waved goodbye.

Breakfast was at Peter’s all-time favorite, the Waffle Shop. We had stopped here on our way home from the Pittsburgh Marathon so I knew it was great, but I wasn’t prepared for the HUGE line winding its way around the front of the restaurant.

It went quickly, and we feasted on French toast and the “Nest Egg” – potatoes covered with veggies, cheddar cheese and a friend egg.

Then we walked around town a little bit, checked out some stores, and made one last stop at The Creamery. We each got our own this time – since we had successfully expanded our stomachs throughout the weekend. I picked the Peanut Butter Marshmallow and OMG it was so sweet and creamy and amazing.

The trip home went super quickly – we made wonderful time AND saw the most amazing sunset as we drove through the city.

We decided to stay the night at Peter’s family’s house and enjoyed a nice dinner with them (and delicious, fudgy brownies) before an early bed time.

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT a wonderful 4 days.

It was so nice getting to meet Peter’s friends and hearing all his memories from his time at Penn State. It’s such a beautiful campus and I loved walking around! And this is how big my smile has been every time I think about it. 

10 "Useless" Things I'm Grateful For

I read an article this week called “Choose To Be Grateful. It Will Make You Happier” and I really loved its message.

A lot of times, gratefulness and thankfulness aren’t our overarching emotions. We are tired, stressed, disappointed. There are some people whose jobs are overwhelming, whose family problems or money struggles seem insurmountable much of the time. But maybe it’s these people who can benefit the most from the ability to take a second to cultivate gratitude – to find something to be positive about, to smile about.

Of course, it’s Thanksgiving tomorrow, so the world is all mushy and gushy and grateful and thankful. And I’m all about that kind of stuff. But the article challenges us to also be grateful for “useless” things.

I am beyond grateful that so many important parts of my life are well and good –my family, my friends, my job, my apartment, my health. But what about those tiny things that I don’t appreciate on a daily basis?

10 "Useless" Things I'm Grateful For

1)      Sunsets that turn the sky pink and purple and red and change by the second. You take a picture of the sky and when you look back up from your phone, it’s already completely different. 

2)      A perfect, green lawn. A quad at a college that’s rumored to be spray painted because it’s so flawlessly green.

3)      The warm, melty, sugary, sweetness on your tongue when you take a sip of hot chocolate after drinking coffee – the contrast makes me wonder why I don’t drink hot chocolate every day.

4)      When you laugh so hard your stomach hurts, when you smile so big your cheeks hurt and your eyes go all squinty.

5)      A warm shower after a cold yet sweaty run.

6)      Songs that transport you back to a different time and make memories so vivid. When I hear “Starships” I will always go back to Senior Week at Quinnipiac. When I hear “What A Wonderful World” I will be dancing with my dad. Scratchy beard against my cheek.

7)      The feeling when everything on a run clicks – you’re going fast but it feels like you’re floating.

8)      Walking into your childhood home and feeling like you never left, no matter how long it’s been.

9)      A book that you seriously can’t put down. The characters are real and you need to know what happens.

10)  Perfect, bright lighting that makes your plate of food look like a work of art.

In “Choose to Be Grateful” the author does mention that there may be a downside to all of this “feeling thankful” – it makes you crave sugar. Which I guess would explain the large quantity of vanilla almond granola I just consumed.

Anyway – next time you’re feeling less than thankful  - that’s the time to realize all the amazing things we have to smile about.   

I hope you all enjoy your Thanksgiving, eat a ton of delicious food, and most importantly – make an epic leftover sandwich.