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Thankful

Over a year ago, one of my co-workers convinced me to alter my normal morning run schedule and instead enjoy evening runs after work with a few of my co-workers. Originally, I had plenty of excuses not to join.

They are too fast.

They’ve been running together for a while already.

I don’t have time.

People will judge me for leaving my desk at 5:15pm.

After a great deal of persuasion, I laced up my shoes and put my computer away one afternoon at 5pm, even though I knew most nights I’d return to my desk for some sweaty work after the run.  I fell in love immediately not just with the group camaraderie which I always love during run clubs. But, running with co-workers gives you a time to talk about the days events in a safe environment and brainstorm together.

I never looked back and since then have run with the group at least once per week, sometimes 2-3. While we tend to run the lower loop more than any other path due to time we’ve had some adventures along the way including getting lost on the back paths, hill repeats, loops along the reservoir, and even a few weekend long runs during marathon training. photo (9)

Tonight was my last run club and tears definitely fell as I ran towards Central Park, surrounded by co-workers who came out in the July heat and humidity after a long weekend for a run together.  IMG_0076  IMG_0080 IMG_0075 

These people are a perfect example of why I love running. It doesn’t always have to be about the speed or the distance. Some evenings it’s just about getting out of the office and burning off some stress together.

I look forward to finding a similar group in Geneva beginning next week but until then, I’m so thankful for these amazing friends and co-workers!

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A Montauk & Hamptons Afternoon

This was one of those long weekends that should never end. Bo and I joked that we wish we could bottle up the weekend as it was wonderful in so many ways. Neither of us realized until Thursday morning just how stressed we were about the move as we’ve been avoiding some of the stressful thoughts and just focusing on the positive. But, by the time we hopped in Theodora’s red Volvo convertible we were ready to just let the wind blow through our hair, sing at the top of our lungs and relax for the weekend!

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We left New York City around 7am after some last minute repacking due to the fact that Bo and I tend to over pack and we didn’t take into consideration the amount of space a case of wine and some other gifts would take within the small car. Oh well. We were still able escape the city before any traffic which means that we made it to The Hamptons in about 2.5 hours and then all the way out to Montauk Point in another hour or so.

We decided that we’d allow our dear hosts time with their family during the day Thursday and instead would spend a few hours touring the area since no one in the car had been out to this part of Long Island before. We didn’t have an agenda which felt very liberating and instead we decided to stop anywhere that interested us.

We took in the scenic overlooks along the highway on our way out to Montauk while also enjoying the sights and sounds of the holiday.

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We started by driving to Montauk Point Light House, the oldest Light House in New York and the eastern most point of New York. We paid to park our car and explore the beach area before hiking up Montauk Point Light House! It was a fun activity including some fun history and wonderful views though we were all disappointed that you couldn’t walk along the light house balcony after the climb to the top. 

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Next we headed to the The Clam Bar at Napeague for lunch per Blake and JP’s suggestion!A lobster roll and Blue Point Summer Ale were the perfect vacation kick off lunch! The sword fish sandwich was amazing and the clams were superb but the lobster roll still was second fiddle to Luke’s Lobster. As you can see from the menu board below, the prices were steep but we figured that higher prices are pretty normal in the Hamptons. Though, as an FYI, we learned last night from Blake’s father that swordfish has such high amounts of mercury that any female interested in conceiving should steer clear.

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Our last stop before heading to our home for the weekend was 100% random but a great detour. When Theodora and Bo saw the Wolffer Estate Vineyard sign they both thought it would be fun to stop for a quick tasting. We soon found out that their tasting room was situated on beautiful land and featured a gorgeous terrace, perfect for sipping and enjoying the sunshine.

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We spent the next hour and a half enjoying the “Summer in a Bottle” tasting which featured 4 pours from refreshing, light wines. My favorite of the day was their Rose Table Wine!

If you’re heading out to The Hamptons this summer I’d suggest a stop at any of these three places as we enjoyed each thoroughly! Together, they made for a perfect afternoon itinerary and allowed us to see different parts of the island while driving from destination to destination.

In the Summer, what’s your beer or wine of choice?

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Moderation

So, these final few days in New York City are pretty amazing in very sad ways.

We feel like we’re leaving forever even though it’s only 2 or 3 years and we’ll be back within 3-4 months for a marathon and wedding along with the Christmas holidays. But, when you’re accustomed to spending multiple long runs, weekends, or happy hours with people it really is an eternity. Therefore, every single evening for about a two week time period I have either a happy hour or dinner on my calendar.

I’ll admit – my Instagram includes one too many going away picture but each night, with friends, I get really, really, really sappy.

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So reflecting on the week that follows and the week that has past, I’m proud of myself for being okay with plans every night since it’s a rare occasion. It isn’t every week that a couple moves to Europe and therefore leaves their incredible friends behind. So instead of getting stressed about all the bubbly and delicious food we’re enjoying we’ve been making sure to be reasonable about it and thank our lucky stars for the opportunity and great friends.

So, how are we finding moderation right about now? Well, I can only speak for myself, so here goes.

Each morning seems to be a social hour of a different kind. I’ve had more group workouts and run dates in the past two weeks than I can remember. But, it’s amazing. Why else would one choose to run 5 miles in Central Park and enjoy not one but two hills and 95% humidity at 6am? Why would someone do Uplift Strength and Barry’s Bootcamp within 12 hours of each other? Oh and last but not least, why would I choose to do hot power yoga, long run, and runners boot camp within 24 hours of each other? Well, because that’s how you balance lots of wine and squeeze in time with friends.

Going away workouts

In addition, I’ve been balancing the evening dinners and drinks with super clean food during the day. A creature of habit, I haven’t strayed from my morning iced coffee, oatmeal and banana nor my afternoon giant salad. Mix that with a few green juices here and there and you actually have a pretty healthy balance of work hard, eat healthy, sweat lots, and be social!

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I’m not perfect. I don’t claim to be in swimsuit model shape for this weekend’s Hamptons beach trip but at the end of the day I’m enjoying life and cherishing the time we have with our New York City friends before our move.

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