4 Days and 4 Runs in NYC

If you follow me on Instagram you likely noticed I was in NYC last weekend. We enjoyed a long weekend back in the city, although in my opinion it wasn't long enough. A lot of ground was covered, a lot of sights seen and delicious food enjoyed, but I wished we had just a little more time to see more friends.

When people plan visits to NYC, I imagine they focus on Broadway shows, food, shopping, and checking out the well-known tourist hot spots. And while that is true to an extent for us too, the first thing I start planning is where we're going to run!

NYC is where I fell in love with running, so I'm thrilled to share with you the four runs we did over four days this past weekend.

Financial District Friday - 3.25 miles

We stayed at the Aloft Hotel Downtown just steps away from City Hall Park. This is a bit north of our old apartment so we know the area well and while it's probably not the first place you'll think of to go for a run in NYC, it's great, nonetheless.

Heading out at 8am meant we had to contend with rush hour, but this run goes along the water which drastically reduces the amount of street crossing and busy sidewalks.

Where to go: Start at Fulton Street and South Street (South Street Seaport) and run on the path along the water, taking it around the south end of the island, in front of the Staten Island Ferry terminal, through Battery Park (stop here to take a photo of the Statue of Liberty), up along the esplanade in Battery Park City (photo ops at the South and North Coves) then instead of heading up along the West Side Highway, head back down south and wind your way back to City Hall Park.

Where to eat: We enjoyed some good vegan eats (including delicious smoothies) at Terri but if you're looking for something a little different, Open Kitchen is a great new edition to the neighborhood with two locations in FiDi.

I mapped this out for you on MapMyRun, find it here.

Saturday in the Park - 4 miles
A trip to NYC isn't complete without a run in Central Park. I met up with two of my best running friends - who you've seen here many times - Grace and April, for this one. While running is a fantastic way to catch up with good friends and enjoy the scenery, I have to admit that I was so caught up in our conversations I hardly took time to take in the beauty around us. You can pretty much count on a lot of other runners in the park, but that's part of what makes it Central Park!

Where to go: There are countless routes in Central Park, this one however started at Columbus Circle. We headed counter-clockwise along the park drive then jumped on the path around the reservoir and headed back down to Columbus Circle along the bridle path. A bit of road, a bit of gravel path.

Where to eat: The Smith or Le Pain Quotidien on the Upper West Side near Lincoln Center.

SoHo Sunday - 6 miles
I love running through SoHo on Sunday mornings when the neighborhood is still quiet and just starting to wake up. The only place you'll see a crowd is the line outside Dominique Ansel Bakery waiting for cronuts. The trick here is avoiding tripping on the cobblestone streets or getting too distracted by the beautiful designer clothing in the showroom windows.

Where to go: We left City Hall Park, made our way up Lafayette before switching over to Broadway and criss-crossing our way around SoHo (between West Broadway and Centre Street) before heading west to Hudson St, down through Tribeca and finishing near the World Trade Center. As an alternative, take Greenwich St south.

Where to eat: Head back to Terri, Open Kitchen, Le Pain Quotidien, Pret, or head to the Whole Foods in Tribeca.

Find our (approximate) route here.

Monday Highway Run - 5 miles
Our last morning run and we had a specific place for breakfast in mind, so we stayed downtown yet again. This run, by far, is the easiest to follow. Running along the Hudson River is a nice change from city streets, but I much prefer the sections that aren't right along the road - especially during morning rush hour! Another great thing about this path is that there are very few interruptions due to vehicle traffic, although you do need to watch out for cyclists, other runners, and people out for a casual stroll.

Where to go: Starting back in City Hall Park we cut over to the West Side Highway along Chambers Street, headed north along the path, turned around just past Chelsea Piers and wrapped it up at the north end of Battery Park City (Chambers Street).

Where to eat: Zucker's for a classic NYC bagel, cream cheese and lox. Plus Colombe coffee.

Do you live in NYC or have you visited the city? Add to my list, what are your favorite runs? * Thanksgiving is next week! Do your traditions include a Turkey Trot?

Checking in With NYC Marathoner Grace Kim

The first Sunday of November is one of my favorite days of the year; it’s the day more than 50,000 people take to the streets after months (and sometimes years) of hard work, dedication, and dreaming, to run 26.2 miles through the most amazing city on earth. My first experience with the NYC Marathon was my first fall living in New York. I could tell it was going to be a big deal but didn’t totally understand until I walked two blocks from my apartment on the Upper East Side to 1st Ave and found the sidewalks crushed with people drinking and cheering for the runners passing by. It’s impossible to look at those runners and not see the emotion and sheer will pushing them forward each step to the finish line in Central Park. Finishing the NYC Marathon in 2009 will always be one of the things I’m most proud of.

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Many of my Oiselle teammates will be running on Sunday, including – get ready for this – Gabrielle Amara, Susan Empey, Paulette Ference, Dori Gray, Catherine Haggarty, Jessica Holt, Lisa Janssen, Farron McIntee, Prianka Nandy, and the one and only Kara Goucher! Check out this post on Oiselle’s blog about all the birds racing!

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Sunday morning I’ll be tracking my good friend, Grace (bib #: 51842), who is a constant source of inspiration and support for me. You’ve seen her on this blog more than a few times over the years, but did you know that the woman behind Lean Girls Club was chosen by Asics to run the TCS New York City Marathon as part of their Editors Challenge? They made an excellent choice! I was lucky enough to run six miles in Central Park with Grace when we were out in New York and she recently took time to answer some questions for me about running, training for her third NYC Marathon, and advice for first-timers.

Lisa: How long have you been running? Why do you run? Grace: I've been running for about eight years. I never thought I would "be" a runner, and according to doctors I'm not built for running. But I love it and do it anyway. I love running because it's changed my life and given me new life. I've lost a lot of weight through running, made new friends through running (the run community is like no other), and have even traveled to new places because of running. Running is my ME time - it's the time I get to invest back in myself when the other 23 hours of the day are spent doing things for other people.

Why are you running NYCM this year - for the third time? It's my hometown race. I love that MY city and MY people come out and celebrate runners. It's an amazing race which NYRR and the City do an amazing job of hosting. The energy in the city is explosive and I like being a part of it, whether running or volunteering.

You're running for Asics; can you tell us a bit about this? I am so honored to be a part of the Asics blogger team. Asics, who is a sponsor of the NYCM, invited me and five other runners to run with their blogger team. They've been incredibly supportive by giving me this opportunity to run the race by not only providing amazing gear but also giving us access to Coach Andrew Kastor. This is the closest to the pro-team I will ever get! It's amazing to me that less than 10 years ago I couldn't run a mile, and now I'm running with Asics. I told you running has changed my life!

What are your goals for Sunday? My goal is to run my best race, not cry at any point (I seem to cry at every marathon), and come out injury free. Oh, and to have fun!

Tell us about your training a bit, when did you start? I'd been running 10-13 miles on the weekends this summer and really ramped up my training in August.

What has your weekly training schedule been like? T/R – tempo runs, W/F - speed work, Saturday - fun run, Sunday - long run, M - rest (distance and intensity varies each week).

Photo Credit: Lean Girls Club

What was your longest run preparing for this marathon? 22 miles…in the rain.

What has gone well and what have you had to focus on? Recovery each week has gone really well. On the flip side, I've had to focus on being adaptable in harsh conditions. I ran more times in the cold and rain this training period, which wasn't ideal, but because I made myself focus on those runs in particular I feel extremely prepared.

How do you prepare for long runs and how do you recover? I truly believe a good low-key Saturday, sleep, good fuel, and an ice bath + foam rolling really helped me recover quickly. A beer during the ice bath helped too ;)

What type of cross training do you do? Spin, yoga, light weights. I have to admit that I'd like to (need to) do more in the future.

How do you stay motivated? Following other runners on Instagram motivates me. I see how much fun insta-runners are having, how many miles they're running, what they're struggling with, and it makes me want to get out there. Again, the run community is so amazing and so supportive!

Do you have any pre-race rituals that you'll follow Saturday & Sunday morning? Saturday - spaghetti bolognese + lay out my clothes + foam roll. Sunday - foam roll + cinnamon raisin bagel + banana + a quick prayer cuz I need it!

Do you have any mantras to help you through? "Pain is temporary, pride is forever." "Change and reward are on the other side of discomfort." "My heart may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart… - Psalm 73:26"

What advice would you give to someone running the New York City Marathon for the first time? Have fun. Trust the process and the work you've put in. Run strong. Blast Empire State of Mind.

How will you celebrate? I'll be attending the Lululemon Post--Marathon After Party and then I'll have a big glass (or two) of champagne with my Asics Teammates.

 

Photo Credit: Lean Girls Club

Is there anything else you want to share? There are too many people in this world who will tell you that you can't do something, don't let yourself be one of them. Dream big!

Before she lines up at Fort Wadsworth, you can find Grace with Asics at the Marathon Expo on Thursday at 10am EST, a #TeamAsics Tweetup Saturday at 9am at the NYC Public Library (5th and 42nd St) and the Marathon Lounge at 10am EST.

What characteristics mentioned in the Asics “We Are Marathoners” infographic do you associate with? * What is the best spectator sign you’ve seen along a race course? * Who will you be cheering for on Sunday?

Check out Lean Girls Club, and follow Grace on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!

NYC is for Runners

You may have noticed a few photos in my Instagram feed from New York City last week. Woody and I were there on vacation. To say it was odd being a visitor in NYC, the city I called home for more than nine years, would be an understatement. As much as it had changed, it had stayed the same. While Woody has been back several times for work, this was my first trip back since we moved to Denver last year.

Cashing in some hard-earned Starwood points, we stayed at the Four Points by Sheraton in Chelsea – 25th St and 7th Ave. – while not the most luxurious of accommodations it is in a fantastic location as we could walk or run just about anywhere we wanted to go – and that’s what was important! Downtown, not a problem. Uptown, easy. West Village, right down the street. Kips Bay, a nice crosstown walk. Of course, we love walking and the miles tick by much quicker when you’re walking along busy Manhattan streets than they do in many parts of Denver, but even for those few times we took the subway we had easy access to every line.

I’ve always been one of those people who loved to walk in the city. And I look up. Which is a rare thing among New Yorkers, but I am in love with the architecture and always have been. And have you ever wondered what it’s like to live, or work, in those beautiful buildings? I’m not ashamed to admit that I love walking around at night and catching a glimpse into townhomes, apartments or offices, you can’t help but wonder about its story. Not much different than people watching – another favorite hobby in the city.

Each morning but one (we were out way too late the night before) started with a run. One of the many great things about the city is the endless running opportunities. Sure, you might be dodging parents with double-wide strollers (why are these allowed in the city?), dogs, or tourists walking 4 across, but you can run for miles without crossing the same intersection more than once and see a lot of the city along the way.

Our first run was down the West Side Highway to the north cove in Battery Park City and back up to our hotel. Number 2 was one loop of Central Park with Grace, who went on to run another 10 miles in the park for her 16 mile long run ahead of the NYC Marathon. Our third was Woody’s least favorite as I insisted on running down 5th Ave, through Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village, SoHo, and Tribeca during rush hour on our way to Battery Park, and up through Battery Park City to have breakfast at our favorite bagel place (Zucker’s in Tribeca if you’re wondering!). And our last morning was another jaunt down the West Side Highway (I had to make it up to Woody), with a turnaround at Chambers Street and back up, finishing at Hu Kitchen for breakfast. If we hadn’t slept in the first morning, and I had my druthers, we would have made another trip back up to Central Park. All in all though, we covered 25 miles in 4 days – a lot of miles for me.

I also had the opportunity to take a spinning class with Grace. Another favorite thing – the endless array of events to try something new, to explore what you’re passionate about. BFX Chelsea has been open for several months now, and offers a variety of classes including spinning, barre, yoga and pilates, performance training, martial arts, and combinations of those. Our spinning class with Juan was successful in getting my heart pumping and a good sweat going. The bikes didn’t require clip-in shoes, which in advance of the class I thought would be odd, but it actually worked out well and I’m glad the specific shoes weren’t required, since I don’t have a pair! This does make the class more accessible. Interestingly, we learned from Juan that BFX Studio, which is opening two more locations in the coming months – one in FiDi, the other in Boston – is owned by Town Sports International, which also owns the New York Sports Club chain. You won’t find a mention of TSI on the BFX website however.

There were so many fantastic things about our trip, besides just the running! Reconnecting with amazing friends over drinks, taking a break in Bryant Park, savoring lunch on the Highline, chatting with the doorman at our old building, seeing how downtown has come into its own, looking out over Central Park from the rooftop of the Met, laughing so hard I cried at Upright Citizens Brigade, and enjoying every meal, cup of coffee and piece of chocolate along the way.  

Until next time, NYC.

Sound Off: How many pairs of running shoes do you own? What’s your favorite brand & model?

Only A Few Days Left As a New Yorker

It’s been so long and a lot has happened since I last wrote that I had to go back and see what the post was about! Oakley Mini 10K. Yep, that was a good day!

Since then, most of my life has been occupied by packing, working, sleeping, packing, seeing friends, working out and wrapping up other loose ends before we leave. At this point, Saturday morning, our apartment is mostly packed into boxes with only some kitchen stuff and clothes left to go. We started the process a couple weeks ago so we would be able to enjoy our last few days and wouldn’t be up till the wee hours of the morning stuffing things anywhere they’d fit (we did that last time we moved and it wasn’t fun). Woody turned in our cable boxes yesterday so we have no cable or internet at this point, which means I’m in our building’s lounge leeching off the free WiFi.

Thursday was my last day at work, which was both exciting and sad. While I’m ready to do something new with my career, I’ve made some great friends and will miss them quite a bit. When things are comfortable, I tend to fall into a routine and for the most part, know what to expect, so in a way, it’s pretty easy. Moving to Denver and starting a new job (oh yeah, I have a job!) is a bit scary because there are so many unknowns. The firm I’m joining has some innovative ideas when it comes to corporate culture which I’m looking forward to. this should be interesting.

If you follow me on Instagram, you likely saw some of my pictures yesterday from my tour of Manhattan. After going to the gym and packing a few boxes, I had a few errands to run. It was a beautiful day and I ended up walking a few miles trying to soak up the city. Let’s see, I hit SoHo (dropped off a bag of donations to the Housing Works Bookstore), the Upper East Side, Central Park, the Upper West Side, and Midtown before heading back to FiDi. One thing I will miss about this city is how walkable it is. My typical commute the past few years would let me walk to/from Grand Central to my office, which would be somewhere between 1.5 and 2 miles round trip and walking along Park Avenue was actually very calming and a great way to start or end the day. Before that though, I would walk from the Upper East Side through Central Park to work. That was beautiful. One night last week though, I ended up walking down to Union Square before picking up the subway, which was well over 2 miles but felt like nothing. I never knew how much I loved to walk until I moved here and started spending my weekends walking around the city exploring. It is the best way to get to know a new place, or even a place you’ve lived in for years! I really hope that by living in Denver, we’ll be able to walk most places we need to go.

I’m meeting up with Grace and April in a bit for one more fitness class before I go, and just possibly some Sangria and guacamole. I have promised myself I won’t get too emotional. I know I’ll see these amazing women again, and hopefully not too long from now. I do wish though, that I could pack them up and bring them with me. Okay, I know that sounds weird but you get what I mean!

Last night after he got home from work, Woody said to me: “I have some bad news. Tonight it really sunk in that we’re moving and it made me sad.” This coming from the guy who never gets sad. I know he had a lot of reservations about moving out here when he did – leaving is friends, job and house. In a way it makes me happy that he ended up enjoying this so much that it makes him a little sad to leave, but it’s pretty hard to say goodbye and leave what we’ve built here. We are fortunate though that this is our choice. We decided to leave NYC and move to Denver and we are excited about what’s to come. I know we have a lot of adventures ahead of us and we’ll always have great memories from our time here and friends to visit. We may be leaving NYC, but we will never be done with this city. It will always be a special place for us.

Okay, now I’ve rambled so long and have to leave to meet Grace and April. I hope to post again before we go and if we’re lucky and get hotel rooms with WiFi along the way, I’ll be posting about our roadtrip adventure. Follow me on Instagram for updates from the road. I’m sure you’ll love seeing me drive a 16ft. Penske truck. That should be interesting….

How are you spending your weekend?

Oakley Mini 10K (a.k.a My Last Race as a New Yorker)

Trying to live life and also get ready for a life-changing move takes a lot of work and balance. I’m not sure how I’m doing really, but trying to keep it all together and get everything done.

Saturday was my last race as a New Yorker. I became a runner here in New York, so it’s kind of a strange feeling. I truly hope that this isn’t my last race in New York though! The Mini 10K is one of my very favorite NYRR races each year. All women. A different course. Great camaraderie. Men lining the 6.2 miles cheering the women who are giving it their all. The history – it was first run in 1972. It’s just a really great race.

Friday was absolutely miserable – Tropical Storm Andrea made it’s way through the area and soaking the city. I was nervous about what the weather would be like Saturday morning and hit refresh on weather.com about a million times Friday. Thankfully the morning turned out to be dry with even some peaks of sun and a lot of humidity (okay, not so thankful for that).

I met up with some of my Oiselle teammates in Columbus Circle before the race for a picture – it’s good we were wearing the same singlet, definitely made it easier to find each other in the sea of women!

^{Amanda, Abby, and me}

Grace and I found each other – we had promised to start the race together, although I was determined to run the whole race with her. I wanted to cross the finish line with my running partner-in-crime. If it wasn’t for Grace, I’m not sure I would have kept running as I have and really found a love for it. Running with her after work are some of my favorite memories of living in NYC.

The start was packed, like usual, but all women. More than 5,500 of us! It was probably a pretty interesting scene for people who weren’t aware of what was going on. We also joked how every single man in the city who wants to find a girl who is healthy and active should have been there!

The Mini 10K is part of the NYRR pro series, so toeing the line along with local elites were pro runners including Mamitu Daska (who won in 31:47), Stephanie Rothstein Bruce, and Desiree Davila.

The first few miles are run up Central Park West, in front of some of the most expensive real estate in the city. I’m sure the people living in those apartments were thrilled to wake up to us running by! Pretty quick after the start we realized how humid it was. Pretty cool but really sticky. We had the whole road so it wasn’t too crowded at first, but tightened up quite a bit once we turned into the park. The hills didn’t start till we made it into the park, and not long after we were starting up the Harlem Hills. I haven’t spent any time up there for many, many months, but they are ingrained in my memory so I knew a bit of what to expect. We pushed up the hill and it was pretty quiet. Seems to go on forever and I was a bit worried about the wet roadway. Once we got to the top, I congratulated Grace and the other runners, but it was for me too. I made it to the top and was feeling pretty good!

We continued on for several miles, taking a beautiful tour of the park. I wish I could have captured the beautiful bright green of the leaves in the trees, fresh off the rain. The sum came out every once in a while but for the most part it was a little cloudy, which was perfectly fine with me. The crowds really picked up as we came down Cat Hill (thank god we didn’t have to climb that one!) and a lot of local teams were out cheering on their teammates. It was just what was needed to get through the last few miles.

Grace and I stayed together pretty much the whole race, which I thought was impressive considering we took advantage of a couple water stops! We came around the south end of the park and knew we were almost to the finish. The thing I don’t like about finishing at Tavern on the Green – for the marathon or any weekly race – is the fact that you have to finish with a pretty decent uphill, which is not really the best way to finish a race if you ask me!

I heard my name as we entered the finish chute and Abby was off to the side cheering for us! It was great to see a teammate there and helping us to the finish.

We crossed the finish line together and it was awesome! I couldn’t have asked for a better last race. We got our medals and flowers and headed to grab some much needed water before meeting up with the birds again for one more picture. This time Robin joined us! I just love being a part of the Oiselle team and can’t wait to meet the women out in Colorado.

Some post-race smiles

And that’s it. My last race as a New Yorker. I am so lucky and grateful to have found my love for running while living here and I can’t wait to come back and run again!

Later in the day…

It seems a lot of things on our ‘to-do’ list before we move revolves around food. I’m not sure how that happened but two things on our list for this weekend was the Union Square Farmer’s Market and the Big Apple BBQ. All sorts of deliciousness.

How did you spend your weekend? Do you have a favorite race?

Hot Weather Running

It seems Mother Nature decided once Memorial Day hit it was time for summer to hit NYC. We had a legitimate heat wave this past week with several days over 90 degrees. One day actually hit a high of 97. Whew! That is hot.

Perfectly placed on Thursday, smack in the middle of the heat wave, I had a race to run. I’ve wanted to run the American Heart Association Wall Street Run for a few years now but for one reason or another it didn’t work out. As it’s in our neighborhood and we’re moving later this month, I made it a point to do this race. It was so hot but I was determined to do it.

There were a ton of people at the start, many walkers mixed in with the runners, which was an auspicious start. This race also brings out a lot of corporate teams. While great, it also means there are a lot of people who don’t run often trying to look hard core in front of their colleagues. It was hot at the start, with stale air hanging around the crowds and heat radiating from the streets, but thankfully the sun was going down and the tall buildings and narrow streets mean that there’s a lot of shade.

The race goes through the mostly narrow and winding streets of lower Manhattan. It’s a great 3-mile tour of my part of the city, but it’s also a bit of a challenge due to the tight space. I got annoyed pretty quickly by the runners who jumped on the sidewalk trying to ‘get past the crowds’ but were shaving distance off their race at the same time. Especially when it came to cutting big corners. Definitely not cool to cheat.

I thought I took it slow, and I definitely did compared to some others, but the heat was still getting to me around mile 2. There was one water station along the route, and it was a little before mile 2 – I think – but there could have easily been another and it would have been much appreciated!

The finish line was along the Hudson River in Battery Park City just below the North Cove, where the finish line festivities were taking place. I run this promenade often but I swear, it has never seemed so long as it did that night! The finish line was a little smaller than usual and I kept straining to see it ahead of me but there were just people and trees and water. No finish line. I was SO beyond thrilled when I saw it.

It took a while to reach the water, apples and pretzels, then I walked around a bit trying to catch some of the breeze to cool down and found a guy to take my picture. I was pretty thrilled I made it to the finish line in that heat without walking, especially after I saw a few people being helped down to the curb. A race on one of our first really hot days. Fun times! Glad that’s over!

Then Saturday was the big #WeRUNNYC fun run sponsored by Oiselle, Nuun and Pickybars! It was another REALLY hot day, already 80 degrees by 8am. There was a great turnout for the run, sampling and raffle, especially given the heat and was fun to see so many Oiselle birds!

Two groups went out – 4 miles and 8 miles – I really have no idea how the 8 milers did it. Just finishing our run, which turned out to be a little over 5 miles, was pretty tough. The running path along the East River has little shade making it quite hot. It was great to see so many people coming together for a run and enjoying the camaraderie. Meggie and Joceyln did an amazing job organizing the event!

Even though we were sweating like mad, Grace, April, Steve (April’s husband), Woody and I went out for brunch at a cute place in Chelsea, Tipsy Parsons. I highly recommend it. It was a hot, but super fun morning and I’m so glad Grace, April and Steve joined us! Great times with friends!

 

Is it getting hot where you live? What are your tips for successful hot weather running?

We’re Moving to Denver

There’s a reason I haven’t been blogging much lately, or tweeting, or posting on Facebook. The thing is, Woody and I have made a pretty big, life changing decision. After nine years in the best city in the world, we’re packing up and heading west to Denver.

As amazing as this city is and as lucky as we are to call it our home, we’re ready for a change of pace and some fresh air. After visiting family in Denver a few times we decided it was a good fit for us and the lifestyle we’re looking for. Don’t get me wrong, I am sad and nervous and anxious, but I’m also excited about what’s ahead of us.

We’re road tripping out there the last week of June so we have a lot to do in the next few weeks. I know some of you probably read this blog to get a little taste of NYC, but I hope you’ll stick with me as we go on this next big adventure! I promise, I have high expectations for Denver and am pretty confident that we’ll be keeping ourselves quite busy out there.

Have you ever moved cross country? Any great moving tips to share? If you know Denver and have suggestions on what to do, where to eat, where to run, please share!

[A HUGE thanks to my absolutely amazing friend Grace, who you’ve seen here on this blog many times, who also created the image above. Besides being an all-around awesome person, passionate fitness fiend, fantastic blogger and creative party planner & host, she’s also becoming a Photoshop pro. You can contact here HERE.]

Our Seven Hour Walk Through Manhattan

After a week of absolutely gross weather – wind, rain, cold, humidity – the sun finally came out Sunday morning. It was a beautiful sight for sure!

I started the day with a fantastic run through Soho and Tribeca, a route I’ve never taken. Eight o’clock Sunday morning of a holiday weekend means there is no one out on the streets so it’s perfect time for a run. If only I had taken my phone with me to capture the beauty of it.

With such a fantastic day I convinced Woody, pretty easily, that we couldn’t stay inside so we headed to Chelsea for a visit to the Highline Park. Of course, it was packed with tourists but it was beautiful and great to see how the trees and plants have really grown. It’s a really awesome little treasure that should not be missed. (Just don’t expect to walk to quickly through it) Of course, we stopped by Chelsea Market to see what’s new and there were actually a number of new food vendors that look great!

Our trip to the Highline Park turned into a 7 hour walk through lower Manhattan. One thing I love about this city is how one neighborhood just melts into another and then another and you can find cute streets, interesting shops and randomness everywhere along the way.

From the Highline we walked through the West Village and stumbled on the coolest hat shop, Goorin Bros. where Woody found a new hat.

 

Our walk took us further into us further through the village with stops for tea at McNulty’s and peanut butter at Peanut Butter & Co. and some nourishment from Sugar and Plumm.

Along the way we saw these guys singing on the street.

We eventually made our way to Soho and stopped at Hampton Chutney Co. for dinner – dosas and orange ginger iced tea. Delish.

After dinner we ended up walking home, another mile or so. It’s amazing how much you can walk in this city. I’m so thankful for this city and the fact that you can leave your apartment with one place in mind and end up walking for hours and hours and discover incredible things. I’m also thankful for this long weekend and to finally get a day of beautiful weather so we can enjoy it!

How are you spending your holiday weekend?

Rowing with Brooklyn Crew

Yesterday, I got together with my fellow cohorts in fitness fun to try something new. We headed to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which for me meant taking the East River Ferry to avoid an hour long subway ride and met up at Brooklyn Crew, just a block from the East River.

Brooklyn Crew is a new fitness studio concept, with the sole focus on indoor rowing. The studio opened just two weeks ago and is owned by two friends, Josh and Robert, who are quite enthusiastic about rowing and the great workout it can offer. We chatted with them for a few minutes before class as they gave us some tips and explained how it’s an exceptional low-impact cross training workout for runners.

The space is small but efficient, featuring an open and bright lobby and a studio with eight ergs (rowing machines). We took our spots – aside from Grace, April and myself, there were two guys in the class – and started to get used to the movement as our instructor, Collin, who had ridden to the studio on his bike after running 10 miles, started explaining how to use the machine. While I’ve been on an erg (I had no idea that’s what the machine was called!) I knew I needed instruction on how to actually use it and what good posture is!

The machines they use at Brooklyn Crew are different from those at my gym. Instead of having your feed in a fixed position and pushing the seat back, both the feet and butt move on these ergs, although once I figured out how it actually worked, I realized the legs do most the work and the but doesn’t actually move much. Turns out these machines mimic real movement in a boat than what’s at the gym.

The class was about 50 minutes long and we were moving about 49 minutes of that! Three keys that Collin kept hammering into us were:

• You’re basically doing a squat; you MUST pick up your heels as your knees are pulling in
• Pull your feet in close so your shins are vertical to the floor
• Look athletic!

I loved that last one in particular. It can be easy to lose concentration and let your posture fade. But if you look athletic, your posture and your movements will improve!

Going into the class I thought it was going to be a really tough 50 minutes, and that I’d have trouble walking out of the studio. Unfortunately, that’s not how it turned out. Given that most of us were first timers, Collin may have gone a little light on us. Alternatively, because most of my cardio workouts are pretty high intensity I might just be used to more action. While we were moving the whole class, a lot of it was at, what I thought was, a pretty slow pace. And I found it tough to keep the form at that pace. We did some interval work but I definitely think we could have done a lot more of that.

All that said, if the classes were a little less expensive and didn’t require a ferry ride or hour long trip on the subway, I’d go back and give it another try! I definitely thought it was fun, the instructor had a great attitude and is obviously experienced in crew and indoor rowing.

After class we headed to brunch. Of course. And enjoyed a few Birthday sangrias! I love these ladies!

Have you tried indoor rowing or crew? What’s been the highlight of your weekend? Favorite brunch beverage: sangria or mimosa?

The Challenge Staring Me Down

I’m heading out of town for the weekend. Leaving my husband at home to go play in the North with my family. My nephew is turning 5 so it’s time to celebrate! As excited as I am to see my family – and I have to say, seeing my nephew and niece will be the biggest treat about it – I am also a bit nervous.

The last month or so I’ve been really focused on my goal to shed a few pounds and while they’re coming off slowly it is working and I’m afraid that stepping far outside the comfort zone and routine I’ve created is going to set me back. Thankfully the hotel my parents and I are staying at has a small gym, so I will run both Sunday and Monday (traveling early Saturday morning – maybe a few laps of the terminal?), probably chase the little munchkins around a bit and do my very best to indulge only a little.

My mantra for the weekend:

This Sunday is the NYC Half Marathon. It’s a great race that starts in Central Park and finishes here in my neighborhood downtown. I’ve only run it once, a few years ago when it was still in August; it was fun to run and a great one to cheer for. I’m definitely disappointed I won’t be here to support all the runners and for what is bound to be an awesome Oiselle Team meet-up. Good luck to all the Oiselle birds who’ll be out there running: Allison, Jocelyn, Katie, Meggie and Stephanie!

My exciting news? I’ve registered for two more races this Spring so I now have three on the calendar!

• Sunday, May 12: Japan Run in Central Park (4M)
• Thursday, May 30: AHA Wall Street Run (3)
• Saturday, June 8: Oakley Mini 10K

What are your plans for the weekend? * How do you like to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day – corned beef, green beer or a shamrock shuffle? * How do you stay on track with your health & fitness goals while you travel?

All Good Things

After quite a snow storm in the city during Friday morning’s commute, today it is absolutely gorgeous and, dare I say, almost spring-like! With the warmer weather, it was the perfect day to use the Groupon’s I purchased back in December – scoops from Blue Marble Ice Cream. The outpost here in Tribeca is located in All Good Things, a craft food market that opened on Franklin Street last Fall. This was our first time checking out the market and it reminded me of Melrose Market in Seattle which we visited back in 2011. Both markets are fantastic, offering a unique opportunity to buy food from small local businesses that focus on quality.

All Good Things features eight purveyors and a small restaurant with a few seats at the bar and a handful of tables by the back window, in an open and bright space. Shoppers can find an array of goods from Polux Fleuriste (beautiful flowers), Blue Bottle Coffee (amazing drip coffee and cookies), Orwasher’s Bread (a NYC institution), Dickson’s Farmstand (no reason to brave the crowds at Chelsea Market anymore), Cavaniola’s Gourmet Cheese Shop (mouth watering artisan cheese from Sag Harbor), All Good Things Fish & Produce (that says it all), Blue Marble Ice Cream (organic small-batch deliciousness from Brooklyn), and Nunu Chocolates (insanely amazing dark chocolate salted caramels).

We’ll definitely be back again to enjoy more of the vendors! Hope you’re able to make it down to Tribeca to check out All Good Things!

What’s one thing you’re looking forward to about spring?