It has been a minute. A whole year to be exact. Here is a recap of the year, all the best bits of travel, food and fitness.
A Grimace Summer.
By far my favorite weekends of the year took place in NYC. We traveled down for a Mets inspired 7k, which was cancelled on our drive down, to the disappointment of no one. It was a very hot weekend, and wound up feeling quite rushed with the distance we had to travel from our hotel to the race. Instead, we got to spend a weekend at the Hoxton Brooklyn. It was a really nice hotel with a great restaurant, coffee shop and communal space in the lobby. We explored the area which included bagel sandwiches, matcha and Citi Bikes. The Citi bike was a feat I did not know I could accomplish through the chaotic streets, but my sweat drenched clothing and hair, for longer than I care to admit after arriving, betrayed my attempt to downplay the effort. Overall one of our favorite pictures of the year was taken, and we often reminisce about the bagels and coffee we enjoyed.
We did reschedule the 7k for a later weekend, when the weather was more favorable for racing, and this time stayed in Long Island. We had another wonderful weekend with friends, and less rush in downtown. I am not a fan of rushing. We took the ferry into town and I benefited from another photoshoot with a stunning backdrop. More favorite photos were taken and shared. And to top off the weekend, everyone raced really well and hit some A goals. A literal win for all.
Overall, NYC was a great destination this year with memorable experiences. I do hope to make it an annual trip, and stay in different areas. I hope to visit and make it over to Broadway and also enjoy a run at central park.
Other memorable stops this year were Austin during the solar eclipse for a friend’s wedding. A great destination and beautiful event. We were really happy we could share with them for a lovely day. Austin was a great destination, and exceeded my (low) expectations. We also spent a few weekends in Saratoga Springs which never disappoints. A really nice area with a lot to do, from nature trails, to a performing arts center to a busy square with a lot of shops. We have a great time every time we visit. And Boston, which is very close to us. We head down there for concerts, to visit family and sometimes shopping. Shoutout to Filson.
Worst parade ever.
This was my favorite sign during my first marathon at Indy Monumental. I spent all year training and building strength to run a marathon under 4 hours. And it happened. I had the best day, felt super strong and am glad to have challenged myself. It feels weird, I am very proud I did this big thing because ultimately I was not sure how I would feel running the furthest I had ever gone. But also anticlimactic, in a way, because I knew I could do it, and I knew towards the end I could do it faster. I am focused on next year and all the running goals I would like to set, and building off this point to see what else I can accomplish.
Hoping for a handshake.
My favorite thing I made this year was Devonshire Split, the recipe was from Paul Hollywood on the Great British Baking Show. It was fun to make, pretty easy and great payoff. Erik does not have the biggest sweet tooth so when he raves I know I did something. I highly recommend!
Favorite Products
My favorite running shoe of this year is definitely the Velocity nitro 3. I did most of my miles this year in this shoe, and it was the first time I wore a shoe that could do most of my runs. I felt I could pick up the pace or do easy recovery miles. It had great grip, and was just very easy to use. I wore them basically everyday and just recently hit 400 miles. Overall the out sole still looks great even with running on variable surfaces including gravel so it is a very durable shoe. I purchased another pair for winter running and am just as excited as when I first ordered them. I ran my marathon in the Puma Nitro Elite, which was also an elite purchase. Amazing, lightweight, fast, comfortable – it checks every box and was perfect for my marathon.
My second favorite purchase of the year is probably my L.L.Bean waxed canvas field coat. I love this jacket for the style, fit and quality. I bought it on impulse (very rare for me) but was in the market for a Fall jacket and it was a 100th anniversary special edition. I wanted something other than a puffy/synthetic jacket. I was pretty confident when I saw it that I would have a lot of opportunities to wear it throughout the season. After wearing and styling it over the fall and early winter, I can confirm it fits perfectly, which is hard to find a coat that does not look ridiculously over-sized, and is not too warm, is water resistant, comfortable and fits my personal style. I have worn it out shopping in Boston, walking the dog on the trail and out to shop for the day in town. It is so practical, casual, versatile and stylish. I am really hitting my stride on personal style and finding quality clothing with great materials. I hope to have this jacket for many years.
Other favorites are consistent from last year. I am still using the Westman Atelier mascara, the same Kalita Wave coffee maker, the same Roka glasses, the same Garmin watch and the same JSS cleanser.
Mochi remains an abiding favorite.
Happy New Year! Looking forward to 2025 and sharing more posts.
