4:15 Wakeup Call Demands A Better Night’s Sleep

Once upon a time, my daily routine included waking up at 6:15 each morning to workout. Boy were those the days. I was able to workout from 6:30-7:30 each morning in the apartment gym and still make it work by 8am since I worked from home. Those days are long gone now that I no longer work from home. Little by little, our average wake up time has been getting earlier in earlier these past few months. What used to be 6am evolved to 5:30 about a year ago. Now, that 5:30 wake up time has evolved to 4:15 two days a week when Bo and I hang out with the other crazies at the 5am Barry’s Bootcamp class.

If this girl is going to wake up at 4:15 two days a week you better believe that I have to ensure I’m getting a good night’s sleep.

Luckily, a few weeks ago, my friends at Fitfluential asked me if I’d be interested in reviewing a Technogel pillow as part of my ambassador partnership. Review a pillow which promises to deliver a better night’s sleep? My resounding answer was YES PLEASE!

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I wanted to wait a few weeks to put this review up so that I could give a true assessment of the Technogel Contour Pillow. At first glance, it seems like Bo and I have similar sleeping experiences if you look at the picture on the left. But, when you peel away the pillow case, you see the true beauty of the Technogel Contour Pillow. This pillow is recommended for people who have neck, back or shoulder pain and who tend to sleep on their back.

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I sleep on my back almost exclusively, while practicing tree pose. What’s that? You don’t sleep in tree pose like my girl Theodora and I do each night? It’s the weirdest thing and attributed to tight hips but since marathon training started 3 years ago I’ve reverted to sleeping in tree pose each night much to Bo’s dismay. Somehow tree pose isn’t great for sharing a bed with your husband. But, back to my lovely new pillow, since at the end of the day that is what this post is about.

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I have been sleeping more soundly, waking up with less pain, and actually using my pillow through the night since I received the pillow a few weeks back. Historically, I’d throw my pillow to the side at some point during the night as it was more a hindrance to sleeping than a help. I’ve done this my entire life. Even Bo commented the other morning that since changing to the technogel I’ve consistently awaken each morning with the pillow under my head.

The biggest explanation I have is that the gel in the pillow forms perfectly to the contours of my head and neck therefore perfectly elevating and supporting it through the night while also releasing tension.

While the price point, $169, is definitely more than I’ve ever paid for a pillow, Bo fell so in love with the pillow while I was in Geneva that we are considering ordering a second one for him.

How about you? Have you tried a gel pillow before?

FitFluential LLC provided me with a complimentary Technogel pillow for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Say It, Do It Week of 2/25 and a Giveaway Winner

Tonight’s post is a quick one! I want to check in with you all regarding this week’s workout and training plan in addition to sharing a giveaway winner! I really am so thankful that Jes started this great tradition last year over on her blog as I love posting my workouts on here each week. It helps keep me accountable and plan the week out in advance which is something I rarely did before!

Let’s kick it off with the workouts first! I’m excited to finally have a full week in New York City that doesn’t include any travel or out of town guests. This week is all about focusing on half marathon pace during my runs and enjoying my workouts early each day. I know that this week and next week will include many late nights at work and therefore I’m doing my best to squeeze in morning workouts and then if I’m able to leave work in time I’ll enjoy a few evening workouts as social events.

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I’m hoping to make it to Lululemon Run Club on Wednesday where Jes will lead us through 400 repeats and then finally try Revolve with the Fitmapped Ambassadors!

This week’s long run will be a good mental test in advance of my half marathon in 2 weeks. Liz, Marcial, and I are going to head up to Central Park Saturday morning to do one full loop of the park and then the lower loop. Gia has some good goals in place regarding my pace that will help us figure out where we should target my goal pace on half marathon day. She seems to think that I have something far faster in me than I think I can hold for 13.1 miles but we’ll see how Saturday goes!

Next, it’s time to announce a winner of the Dasani Drops giveaway! You guys are certainly excited about a bike, that’s for sure! The lucky winner is #27, Emily, who blogs over at Sinful Nutrition! Congratulations! Please email me your mailing address so I can share it with Dasani!

What fun workouts are you excited about this week? If you’re in NYC or DC, have you tried Revolve? Thoughts?

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Two Delicious NYC Restaurants

This was one of those weekends that I’m just not ready to finish. From start to finish, it was the perfect New York City weekend.

Now that both Bo and his sister Meg live in New York City, his parents try to come up at least a few times a year to enjoy New York and catch up with us. This weekend included some delicious food and a Broadway show. It was a perfect way to spend a rainy weekend in the city.

Friday night Bo’s parents invited us to bring friends to dinner so Theodora and Laura, Meg’s roommate, joined us for dinner at one of our favorite hidden secrets, BLT Fish. I call it a hidden secret as even though it’s over 10 years old the food and service are both always amazing and normally you can get in upstairs as long as you book a few days in advance.

As normal the food did not disappoint and both Theodora and I were thankful for ordering the scallop special. My favorite part of the meal was the raw bar tower and the amazing candied Brussels sprouts! Oh, and just like any BLT restaurant, their signature bread course was delicious. The cheddar biscuits were were divine! IMG_2849

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Yesterday we made the best of the rainy day by heading to Broadway for a matinee showing of Cat on A Hot Tin Roof with Scarlett Johansson and Benjamin Walker. Bo and his father headed to the TKTS booth in Times Square around 10am which allowed them to buy tickets at 50% off! This is one of the best TKTS deals we’ve taken advantage of in ages! As the only Tennessee Williams I read in high school English was A Streetcar Named Desire I didn’t know what to expect from the show other than that it came highly recommended, Scarlett was supposedly amazing, and it was long. The show was so powerful that it left us talking about it for 2 hours afterwards. While I love musicals and other light hearted Broadway shows, there is something to be said for a show that leaves you thinking and talking about the plot.

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We took a break from dining out last night and instead wined and dined at home, sipping some of our favorite wines (Domaine Serene Pinot Noir and Cakebread Chardonnay) while chatting, relaxing, and enjoying a delicious meal cooked by Bo. Meg and I helped with prep but Bo truly owned the delicious meal which included a cheese plate, Caprese salad, hazelnut gnocchi, sautéed mushrooms, and veal chops.

Then, last but not least, we ended the weekend with a late brunch at ABC Kitchen. After a morning filled with working out and errands, Bo’s parents wanted to find a lunch spot near our home that would allow us to relax and enjoy one last, delicious meal before their flight back to Savannah. It’s always hard to think of lunch or brunch places as Bo and I rarely dine out for brunch or lunch, especially in this area. After being at a loss for a moment I suggested a few local restaurants, unsure whether they served brunch. Luckily, ABC Kitchen, one of my all time favorites, only had a 30 minute wait; just enough time for a mimosa before brunch!

This was the perfect brunch spot for our group as we were able to enjoy the beautiful interior décor in a relaxed environment and dine on the top notch food without feeling rushed. We took over two hours fro brunch, enjoying the dishes as they served them as we shared 3 small plates as appetizers before our main courses. I would highly recommend 3 of our items: roasted kobucha squash toast, raw diver scallops, and the chicken salad.

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Overall, our only complaint would be the hit and miss service. Our waiter went from being overly attendant to invisible. We were seated right at the 30 minute point but then once we were seated it took 10 minutes to see our waiter again.

What a wonderful weekend it was. While I’m not quite ready for the weekend to end, at least I can go curl up with a glass of wine and the Oscars!

Have a great week everyone!

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