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Popsicles and Prosecco

Happy Sunday and Happy Mother’s Day everyone!

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Thanks to jet lag, Bo and I have already gone grocery shopping at Trader Joes, sipped Blue Bottle iced coffee and taken a walk around Cobble Hill! We are heading uptown later this morning to meet friends for a Soul Cycle class and coffee date! After hearing rave reviews, I can’t wait to take Hallie’s Soul Cycle class!

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Yesterday when we landed in New York City we kept our energy levels high with a packed schedule.

First afternoon activity was a killer Soul Cycle class at the Brooklyn Heights location. Conveniently located just a few blocks from Russell & Meg’s apartment, this was the perfect way for the four of us to workout together and get a second wind. Selena kept us out of the saddle for over half the class and her arm sequence was killer. Luckily her playlist helped distract me from the burn.

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While spinning at Soul Cycle in branded gear isn’t required, sporting Brooklyn and NYC tanks sure makes it more fun!

The rest of the evening was spent celebrating the recent engagement of  Meg & Russell. As we haven’t been back in New York City since their engagement in March, it was wonderful to spend the evening with many of our good friends celebrating. Over the years, many of our good friends have become Meg & Russell’s “aunts and uncles” not only serving as their friends but also helping them find their way in New York City.

We enjoyed rooftop cocktails at Loopy Doopy Rooftop Bar before heading to El Vez for margaritas & Mexican food!

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Loopy Doopy exceeded our expectations as the views were wonderful, even on a hazy evening, and their signature cocktail, Popsicle & Prosecco, was DELICIOUS! They have five different flavors including the blackberry mint which I happily enjoyed. Prosecco on tap and rooftop views? Even with the $20 price point it was a perfect way to start the evening!

Your turn: What’s your favorite cocktail?

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ashleyd /

May 2015 Goals

I’ve lost track of setting goals the past few months, but after finishing two half marathons and the changing seasons, May seems like the perfect month to get back in the habit!

After a relaxing April, we are traveling over half of this month! We will be in New York City next week for a close friends wedding and then later in the month we are meeting my parents in Ireland for a long weekend. Travel can be an easy excuse to start poor habits, but instead, these goals will help be stay focused and on track. 

May Goals

Fitness: Last month my running brought me a great deal of happiness! I stuck to the plan and put my heart into every workout. This month, I want to continue running, but also make a bit more time for strength training. I’m getting back to basics with my favorite Five Minute Workout this month. My goal is to do this every day, for the next 26 days. These five exercises make a significant difference when done daily – a perfect way to feel more confident and run stronger! 

Personal: I want to take advantage of my upcoming travel to catch up on reading. My goal this year is to read at least 36 books. This month’s books include The Nightingale, What You Can When You Can, and The Road to Character. 

Blog: This month my blog is finally getting a much-needed facelift! I’m trying to review old posts and organize them in a way that is easier for readers to find when searching for workout reviews, race recaps or travel tips!

Your turn: What’s the best book you read recently?

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ashleyd /

Taper Saturday

Happy Saturday! The sunshine returned to Geneva after three days of constant rain! Hopefully, it sticks around until noon tomorrow so everyone, including the marathoners, can run in good weather versus the predicted rain.

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This morning my Timehop app reminded me that last year, ten of my London runner friends were in Geneva for the weekend! We ran the all women’s 5k race, La Genevoise, before enjoying a pasta dinner with friends. I can’t believe a year has passed! Time flies!

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This year, Bo and I are thoroughly enjoying Jess’ recommended taper schedule the day before the half marathon. Lots of sleep, plenty of time spent with our legs up, no stress, some yoga, a gentle shakeout run and some extra carbohydrates and hydration. IMG_9143

After a green smoothie and coffee, we headed out for an easy, two-mile shakeout run. We took a different route than normal, exploring a few quiet, narrow roads before running back down the lake towards the Geneva Marathon Expo.  While stopped at a light we came across this little guy who was clearly also enjoying the sunshine and blue sky. 

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We timed our expo arrival perfectly as we were in and out within ten minutes! Even though there are over 15,000 people running the multiple races this year, the expo was empty at 10am.

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There were only a vendor and race booths so after checking them out we made our way back out into the sunshine to find our names on the participant board and check out the rest of the tents.  Since this is the first half marathon Bo and I are running together, and his first in Europe, I forced him to take this picture.

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Our plan for the rest of the day is to do another JasYoga video, make homemade meatballs to pair with our pasta, bake chocolate chip cookies and relax on the couch with a few movies we’ve had in our queue: CitizenFour, the Edward Snowden documentary, and Still Alice.

What was the last good movie or documentary you watched?

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