This afternoon, Bo and I headed to the Upper East Side.

We were on a mission to pickup our race packet for tomorrow’s 18 miler and pickup any last minute necessities at Super Runners Shop.  NYRR was alive with energy this afternoon. No one can believe that the marathon is less than six weeks away!

In case I haven’t said it enough, I am so blessed to train for the NYC Marathon in New York City. Training for the marathon while living in New York affords us many perks such as running the course ahead of time, not having to worry about lodging for the marathon, and enjoying all the events the New York Road Runners offers throughout the fall preparing us for the big day.

Tomorrow, we will run our longest, hardest course yet in preparation for the marathon. We are running the ING New York City Marathon Tune-Up tomorrow beginning at 7am in Central Park. The course will be tough and monotonous as it is simply 3 six mile loops in the park. But, NYRR will provide GU and Gatorade stops along with plenty of restrooms. I’m looking forward to running with Theodora and focusing on my pace. My goal for tomorrow’s 18 miles is an 11 minute pace which would prepare me for a 4:45 marathon

After we grabbed our packets, we headed over a few blocks to Super Runners Shop.

The store is smaller than the average running store but the staff is knowledgeable and friendly.  Bo and I were both in luck as they had everything on our lists. Bo had his gait and arches analyzed by the staff. They confirmed that his Aasics Gel Kayano 16 are perfect for his medium arches and narrow heels.

After our running adventures, I headed downtown with Rebecca. It’d been weeks since we’d enjoyed a long walk together and today’s weather was perfect for the 1.5 mile walk down to the Piperlime Pop-Up shop! It did not dissapoint!

The shop features this season’s top items ranging from vintage to military and everything in between. Luckily the shop wasn’t too crowded so were both able to try on some clothes and shoes without a long wait. The staff was attentive and excited to be there. The only downside was that they do not accept Banana Republic Luxe cards nor do they accept any Banana company coupons. Unfortunately they don’t have the systems setup that .com uses. I found one lace top in the vintage section which I believe can be a perfect work to weekend piece. It paired perfectly with my skinny jeans and gold Tory Burch flats today but could also be dressed up with a suit or heels.

Our shopping continued down to Steve Madden in search of sexy heels for Rebecca’s little black dress. Unfortunately, the looks this season were either painfully tall or cartoon like. What are your favorite shoes for fall?

While we were shopping, Bo took a trip to his favorite new store, Eataly. We were both craving a simple pasta dinner in preparation for tomorrow’s long run. When I walked in the door, fresh ingredients were spread across the counter!

Yum! Tonight’s dinner consisted of fresh pasta, scallops organic tomato sauce, 8 freshly chopped garlic cloves, basil, grated parmesan, and a fresh loaf of bread. Be still my heart!

Before we started in the kitchen, we tasted his new discovery, golden raspberries. Have you ever tried these? They were less tart than the average raspberry but still delicious. Their little brown hairs were a bit freaky!

A simple Italian dish coming right up!

      Tonight during dinner, we watched Boyz N The Hood.

It was 2 hours of intense L.A based drama, revolving around the guns and drugs that surround families in the poorest areas. Both Ice Cube and Cuba Gooding, Jr gave amazing performances considering their young ages. Have you ever seen this movie? Do you steer clear of emotionally draining movies?