Geneva Half Marathon Training–Week 3

I can’t believe that my PR race, the Geneva Half Marathon, is just 47 days away! Life isn’t going to slow down at all these next few week as we have more friends coming to visit, vacations planned, plenty of work meetings and long days but I’m excited to have a goal to focus my energy on during the second half of March and April. It has taken me a while to realize it but after a long day nothing makes me feel better than either a power yoga class or a run. Even that glass of wine or comfortable couch taste and feel better once I’ve detoxed some of the negative vibes via a sweat session – either solo or with company.

 

I’ve been finding a lot of inspiration from Katy and Caitlin, two ladies who have balanced motherhood and crazy schedules while training and running strong PR races. I’ve dusted off my 10 pound dumb bells, bought a 10 class pass to a Geneva yoga studio, reunited with my foam roller, and reviewed the plan Gia has in place while keeping in mine that PR will require more than running alone.

But more than anything else, I’m looking forward to spending time running along the lake with gorgeous views like tonight’s sunset.

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Last week I traveled to NYC for work while also making time to catch up with as many friends as possible. There were late night laughter dates over one too many glasses of wine, margaritas and guacamole enjoyed in the West Village, mad dashes uptown for out of the way dinner dates, and 8 hours of sleep enjoyed each night from the comfort of my hotel. Before leaving on this trip I promised both Bo and my parents that I wouldn’t compromise my health. A trip to NYC can be stressful due to the travel and burning the candle at both ends. Instead of coming back exhausted or sick I made sure to treat my body well while there including plenty of green juices, sleep and just plain giving myself a break. Before arriving in NYC my email chain with friends included 6 different workouts I wanted to squeeze in a four day period.

This week’s training recap shows my best attempt at maintaining balance while still logging some miles and enjoying a few of my favorite NYC workouts!

Monday: A 4 mile run along the East River after work. This run wasn’t spectacular. I didn’t make it out of the office before the sun set so I didn’t get to soak in any much needed sunshine. But it was strong, efficient, mind clearing and just what I needed before dashing uptown to meet a friend for dinner.

Tuesday: A perfect workout day, I kicked off the morning with a wonderful Soul Cycle class and ended the day with a 4 mile run through Central Park with my fabulous co-workers.

Wednesday: I finally had the opportunity to try I.Am.You Yoga studio in NYC with the lovely Jen and Meghann who joined me for the Well+Good class. The class was one of the hardest yoga classes I’ve ever taken and I was sweating after the first sequence thanks to the fast flow and strong poses. The instructor, Lauren, was 100% funky but totally in touch with the students, adjusting us throughout the entire class and pushing us further into poses. The music was loud, the yoga was hard and I walked out feeling loose, limber and relaxed. In case Theodora, who got locked out of the event due to a faulty elevator, ever doubted that we saved her a spot, you can see the empty spot two spaces to my left in the below picture.

Thursday: Rest day!

Friday: Bo and I caught up after a week apart over a 2.5 mile shakeout run through the cobblestone streets of Old Geneva as soon as I landed Friday afternoon. It was the perfect way to shakeout my legs after 14 hours of travel!

Saturday: What do you do when you have guests arriving at the airport bright and early but have a run to complete before they arrive and a house to clean? You spend an hour cleaning the house and then run TO the airport to meet them! We had no idea that the 6.5 mile run would include hills that never ended! The good news is that it was an AWESOME training run and I felt really strong the entire time!

Sunday: We spent the day skiing at Le Tour in Chamonix and by the end of the day I think I conquered almost every single run on the mountain! We skied from 9am when the lifts open until 3:00 when nothing sounded better than one of the lounge chairs and a beer under the shining sun. It was 60 degrees by the end of the day and the final few runs felt like “hot skiing” done in a warm, humid room thanks to my jacket and pants.

Your turn: I’m in the department for some new workout gear just in time for the warmer temperature. Any favorite items that you’re loving right now?

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NYC: Favorite Manhattan Eats

For people visiting and even living in New York City the restaurant scene can be intimidating as hell. There are restaurants around every single corner boasting different ratings and rankings some of which one has never heard of before, especially if you’re visiting from another country. Even though Bo and I called New York City home for five years, we weren’t even able to conquer NY Magazine’s annual best of restaurant list each year.

However, during our five years in the city we did fall in love with a few restaurants which became our go-to spots when friends or family were in town. So now, when we’re back in the city, we can be found enjoying one of these spots. This list is for anyone in the city looking to take in some of the awesome food culture NYC has to offer – enjoy the burgers, cupcakes, and brunches!

In no particular order, here are a few of our favorite spots which are perfect for just about any occasion, unless otherwise noted. Depending on the time of year, always ask if you can enjoy outdoor seating to enjoy more people watching and scenery.

The Meatball Shop –  My favorite dish is their Everything in the Kitchen Sink with the family jewels added on the side!

Agave – Delicious margaritas, killer veggie fajitas, and some of our favorite guacamole.

Big Gay Ice Cream -  American Globs for the win. 

La Esquina – Drool worthy Mexican street corn and fish tacos.

New Wonjo – Delicious Korean BBQ

Prune – Chef Gabrielle Hamilton’s James Beard award winning casual, delicious restaurant in the West Village.

Gramercy Tavern – One of the best dining experiences in the city with casual, beautiful environment and amazing service.

Shake Shack – Head to the Madison Square Park location for a Shack Burger, fries and shake! 

Aqua Grill – I can’t go their without ordering their seafood plateau.

Pure Food and Wine – Their Hen of the Woods tacos, tamales, Philly rolls, and classic sundae are no miss menu items!

15 East – Incredible but expensive sushi.

Bubby’s – They offer something for every person’s brunch taste but their Bloody Mary helped put them on the map.

Maialino – Danny Meyer’s trattoria located in Gramercy Park Hotel has creative house, made pastas on their dinner menu but the brunch menu is actually our favorite.

Murray’s Bagels – Everyone in NYC has their favorite bagel place but this is ours. After a long run there is nothing better than a toasted everything bagel with chive cream cheese!

Two Little Red Hens – An off the beaten path bakery located in Yorkville (86th Street) their cupcakes and whoopie pies answered all my cravings.

Luke’s Lobster – A lobster shack in the heart of Manhattan, it’s worth paying $20 for the lobster roll, chips, beer and a pickle.

Minetta Tavern – The burger.

Momofuku – If you can’t get into the original,  Ssam Bar and Milk Bar are both experiences of their own. How can you beat the Milk Bar compost cookies, crack pie, birthday cake truffles and cereal milk ice cream?

ABC Kitchen – Located in the gorgeous and lust worthy ABC Carpet, their roasted kabocha squash toast and fried organic chicken are two of my favorite menu items.

The Spotted Pig – Once again, this restaurant is known to have one of NYC’s best burgers but it is a great place to spot celebs or enjoy a drink after work.

Casa Mono – Spanish tapas restaurant located in Gramercy whose menu reminds me of my study abroad days in Cadiz, Spain.

Your Turn: Tell me, what did I miss?

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Spartan Race Giveaway

Happy Thursday! I’m heading back to Geneva at midnight tonight which means I’m trying to cram as much as possible in to the next 4 hours before heading to the airport. While my hotel bed was wonderful and I’ve loved seeing all my friends and co-workers in New York City, I’m ready to get home.

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Before getting into the fun part of today’s post I want to give you guys a heads up and a chance for input! I am working on a few New York City tourist posts including where to eat, visit, drink, and sweat if you’re in New York City. Is there anywhere you’d want me to include or any NYC tourist questions you want me to answer?

So now, on to the fun part!

While living in the states I ran more than 50 races along the East Coast! Since moving, I’ve really enjoyed starting to discover London and Geneva via races such as the Hampton Court Half Marathon.

Therefore when Spartan Race reached out to me about giving away a bib to a lucky reader I was ecstatic!

On a mission to get people active and excited, the Spartan Race series sends participants to the woods and trails in order to conquer obstacles. The race series is launching races in new cities this year including Charlotte, Atlanta and Miami while also hosting races in more than 20 other US cities.

I’ve always thought that the most fun way to conquer a Spartan Race would be with a group of friends especially as we could motivate each other over the obstacles such as the wall climb or rope climb. Vanessa Runs has a great review of her Spartan Race experience along with a description of each obstacle! There are even Spartan workouts and training groups in certain cities where you can train with others or test your hand at some of the obstacles in advance!

If you want to sign up you can use the following link to access a discount code for 15% off any Spartan Race OR you can enter the giveaway and cross all your fingers and toes.

Want to win a free entry to any Spartan Race?

To enter, leave a comment letting me know why you want to run the Spartan Race!

The giveaway enters at midnight on Monday, March 17th so I hope you have the luck of the Irish on your side!

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