I've said it before and I'll say it again. You deserve to be treated well. You deserve some indulgence from time to time. Go to the bar at Eleven Madison Park and treat yourself to a cocktail there -- just one (they even have a selection of lovely and interesting non-alcoholic cocktails) -- even one tasty tipple is enough to soak in the full luxurious experience. You'll walk away feeling better about any troubles that are on your mind, I promise.
If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you may know that I often post Runkeeper summaries of my workouts. You may also have noticed (although probably not), that for several possible reasons, I've been running a full minute plus per mile slower than I have in previous years. At first, I was pretty pissed about it. Over time, I've embraced it. I've been running in very hot weather, which ratchets your heart rate even higher than normal, so even as I've trained more and more, the heat has been kicking my ass to the point where I allow myself a 3o second walk every 5 minutes. But only 30 seconds. This morning, as an experiment, I ran with my heart rate monitor, which I haven't really done all season. I know from past experience that approx 165 bpm is my average running speed, so every time I caught the monitor going above 170 bpm, I forced myself to slow down. The result? A slow but solid run, and I felt great afterwards.
Look, kids, I hate to break it to ya, but I'm not going to *win* the NYC Tri. My goal in past years has been 1) to complete it in one piece 2) ideally in under 3.5 hours. Not sure I'm going to squeak by #2 this year, but I'm okay with that. I think that after the tri and during the off-season, I'm going to focus more on heart rate training and see what that does for me next year.
PS -- less than two weeks till the tri but you can still donate!!
Had some folks (and a dog!) over for dinner Saturday night. The goal was to make a meal that involved as little cooking as possible and used fresh summer ingredients. There was a vague Asian-influenced theme as well. Here's what I made; I highly recommend these recipes, expecially the soup!
Thai-spiced watermelon soup with crabmeat
Lobster ceviche with limestone lettuce
Corn, snap pea, tomato, radish & scallion salad with sesame soy dressing.
Grapefruit-Campari popsicles (which I think I need to keep in my freezer on a regular basis)
Served with St. Germain Cocktails and various and sundry wine. And, of course, I completely forgot to take pictures. Thanks to Beth, Will, Carrie, Brian, Jimmy and Tofu for the wine, conversation and fantastic company.
Around this time last year I was in New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail. Conveniently, it was the week after the triathlon, a perfect celebration for the end of my training and all the hard work I had put in. This year? It's two weeks before the tri. Not ideal. I decided to put my training first and save the celebrating for later. That said, many of my bartender friends are down in NOLA, but a few have remained to hold down their respective forts through the weekend. My latest on CitySip will tell you where to go.
Many thanks to the Amateur Gourmet, who posted this on his Twitter feed last night. It instantly brought me back to college, when I was in JCS, and my undying (and still current) adoration of the Indigo Girls. I remember hearing about this production when it came out and about the album they did (note to self: I should buy that).
Friday night we had a fundraiser for the D&P Triathlon team, then early to bed for me as I had a 6:30 a.m. (yes, you read that correctly) brick workout (approx 15 mile bike and 5 mile run). I was wiped afterwards, and lounged about for the remainder of the day until heading out for drinks at Mayahuel. I had fully intended to go there alone while waiting to meet up w/Rob, but of course ran into people -- @daisy17 & @brooklynwino. I love the days when NYC feels like a small town. After Rob showed up and we had a few drinks, we were off to Kasadela for a garlic & kimchi filled dinner.
Sunday I allowed myself to sleep in, which was blissful and much-needed. Afterwards, I headed out to meet friends at Clover Club for brunch, which is always delicious. Made a quick pit-stop at Char No. 4, then headed back to Manhattan for some errands, laundry (why do I feel like all I do is wash workout gear?), and Harry Potter (because I am a proud nerd). After the movie I had an unbearable craving for ramen -- likely because I had bought a copy of Lucky Peach earlier and was reading about ramen -- so picked up some take-out from Momofuku Noodle Bar, which served as dinner last night and will be lunch today! All in all, a lovely weekend.
Ooh -- forgot to mention: my soundtrack for the weekend was Girl Talk. Love. I may be late to the game, but I just found my new workout soundtrack.
Eating and drinking with friends and family is always fun, but it's even better when you're changing people's lives as a result.
Tonight, we're holding a fundraiser for the D&P Triathlon Team. From from 6-9 p.m. at TheStag's Head Rooftop, 252 East 51st Street (directly off of 2nd Avenue). For $30, you will receive 2 drink tickets and some complimentary bar fare, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society through the D&P Tri Team.
On Tuesday night, check out A Midsummer Night’s Taco Fiesta benefit at Tacombi. Thirty dollars scores an endless supply of tacos from Chef Aaron Sanchez’s “taco truck” and an open bar to support an international exchange and leadership development program for young women from the Lower Eastside Girls Club. The lucky teens who participate in this program will spend a week working on arts and community service projects alongside indigenous girls in Chiapas, Mexico. Tuesday, July 19th, 5:30pm - 7:30pm, Tacombi @ Fonda Nolita, 267 Elizabeth Street (between East Houston and Stanton). Tickets available online: $30 each or two for $50.
I've been pondering the following lately: Is it possible to do my job outdoors in the shade on gorgeous summer days? What would my life look like if I left NYC? Why don't I cook more when I love to do it so much? How can I manage to live abroad for a month or more? I've been blogging since 2002 - doesn't this entitle me to a free 4/3 camera (Olympus, can you hear me)? How would my life be different if I moved to Brooklyn? Will I be a good dog owner? Why did I have to get a mosquito bite smack in the middle of my shoulder blades where I can't possibly reach it?
But instead, I have to wait. And make it through a training run after a full day of work. But there *will* be an icy beverage after that, I assure you.
Too many people I know (and many I don't) have had serious bike accidents recently. You may be the best cyclist in the world, but it's never all about you -- someone can swerve in front of you on a bike or in a car; you might hit a pothole or some other debris in the road -- regardless, a helmet is a simple, inexpensive way to protect your head in the event of an accident. It could save your life.