The Final Countdown to the NYCM

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend thus far!

Yesterday I spent the morning working from home before enjoying the afternoon off. I spent the afternoon exploring the New York City Marathon Expo with Theodora and then wandering through the Upper West Side on my way to Jack Rabbit Sports. IMG_5234 (478x640)

The expo wasn’t too crowded when we arrived which meant we didn’t have to wait in a single line!  IMG_5235 (640x478) IMG_5237 (640x478) IMG_5238 (640x478) IMG_5239 (478x640)We were squealing with delight when we finally held our bibs in our hands. Even though I ran this marathon last year I still feel like a kid on Christmas. I’ve trained harder this year than I did last year, I’m 10 pounds lighter, and I feel more prepared this time around. Deep down, I’m really hoping all these factors are able to help me run a 4:50 marathon tomorrow. Gulp, there it is. I said it. I will start crying if I’m able to PR by 15 minutes. But, even if I don’t I know that I’ve done the best that I’ve trained to the best of my ability!

Theodora and I spent an hour at the expo meandering through the booths, sampling new products and talking to vendors.

IMG_5241 (478x640) IMG_5243 (640x478) IMG_5244 (640x478) IMG_5245 (640x478) IMG_5246 (640x478) IMG_5247 (640x478) Unlike last year, I only spent $20 this year on Nuun since they were having an amazing $5 special and giving out free water bottles with any purchase!

After the expo I walked forty blocks to the Upper West Side Jack Rabbit store. I was lucky enough to receive an invitation to use their lockers on marathon day. This will be a perfect meeting spot post marathon and I’ll easily be able to change into warm clothes and grab a hot chocolate before Bo and I head back downtown!  IMG_5254 (640x478)IMG_5253 (640x478)

The rest of the evening was spent with my two aunts who are in town for a girls weekend of theatre, shopping, museums, and fun. Over the past year my dad’s siblings have grown quite close as they have had to deal with two family deaths. Bo and I had a wonderful evening catching up and laughing with them over a wonderful meal at Gramercy Tavern.

IMG_5259 (640x478) IMG_5262 (640x478) IMG_5265 (640x478) IMG_5267 (640x478)IMG_5271 (640x478)After almost nine hours sleep, I woke up feeling refreshed and pumped this morning!

I’m not sure if it was our new Nespresso machine’s coffee that gave me all this energy or just the weekend’s excitement but I’m pretty much bursting at the seams with glee!

IMG_5273 (640x478) After a quick breakfast I threw on my gear and went out for a 2.5 mile shakeout run along 1st Avenue and through Gramercy Park. My legs and body felt alive as I kept a 9:50 pace and enjoyed the cool air.

IMG_5275 (640x480)My gear is organized for tomorrow and now I’m heading out to catch up with runner friends at the Daily Mile Brunch the gorgeous Erica organized!

IMG_5278 (478x640) Until later, have a wonderful day and enjoy this amazing video!

NYC Marathon Alex Baldwin prorez from Marc Beroza on Vimeo.

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In a New York Minute…

The last 24 hours have been SO much fun! Really, life is absolutely awesome right now for us and we’ve been lucky to be surrounded by great friends!

Last night we had dinner with the lovely Jess and Jacquie at Gramercy Tavern. Even though we’ve lived three blocks away for over two months we still had not tried this New York institution. In fact, after hearing that Jacquie has a special relationship with this restaurant, we chose to wait until her arrival. It was fabulous as was the company. A thorough review will be coming soon because it is more than deserving. We had a great meal, wonderful laughs, and fun with friends!

IMG_3511   This may be the most adorable restaurant bathroom ever! Yes, those are all fresh flowers! IMG_3528 IMG_3520 Jacquie was able to point us in the right direction when it came to dessert. Clearly we were ready to indulge. Hey, life is about moderation, right?IMG_3514 IMG_3513 Sweet BreadsIMG_3512

Calamari and carrot salad

Saturday

Our good friends Meg and Spencer are spending the weekend with us. This is Spencer’s first trip to New York City so we wanted to ensure we could squeeze as much as possible into his 36 hour trip.

We met this morning at 8:30 because we had places to go and things to see!

First stop: Empire State Building

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Our trip to the Empire State Building was perfect. We got there at 9:30 which meant there were no lines and the staff was still in a great, very friendly mood!

Our next stop was the Mint Rental Car location.

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IMG_3561  Ever seen a car elevator?!IMG_3562

Vroom, vroom! Meg recently had leg surgery which meant her mobility isn’t up to it’s normal levels. Bo and I wanted to make sure that Meg and Spencer were able to see the entire city. We took advantage of a Gilt special this week and purchased a year membership to Mint for $40 which also included a $75 driving credit!

This ended up being a perfect option as it allowed us to navigate the city from the Statue of Liberty views at the Southern most tip IMG_3567 IMG_3565 IMG_3563 all the way to Spanish Harlem! It’s a good thing Bo enjoys driving in the city.

Two hours later we parked the car and quickly dashed across the street for a delicious snack and sightseeing tour.

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After a quick lunch and tour we headed to the Time Square to grab the 7 train to Flushing Meadows. The UGA Alumni Association offered discount tickets to the Braves vs Mets game this afternoon which was a perfect outing for a group of Georgia natives. Furthermore, Spencer is a HUGE Braves fan. Forty minutes later we arrived at Flushing Meadows within steps from the stadium. There were dark clouds in the distance but luckily they held off and game ended up being filled with sunshine.

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Our seats were on the promenade level at Citi Field which meant we had a great view of everything! It’s still weird to see Pepsi signs everywhere after growing up surrounded by Coca Cola.

The best parts of the game included the Braves win and the food! IMG_3581IMG_3582

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The Shake Shack and a Blue Moon makes for a perfect baseball game viewing experience. The Shake Shack fries are worth waiting in line for but the burger didn’t meet expectations. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad at all and tasted very fresh. But, after having it once I don’t think I’d try it again. I do however want to try one of their city locations. I know that restaurants in stadiums and airports are often license locations. Therefore, the quality may not have been equal to one of their main locations.

After an express ride back into the city we ended our night with a perfect sunset at Frying Pan!

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