Bo and I tend to go to extremes. It is in both of our natures and both our parents are often telling us to slow down and just enjoy life. We decided to take their advice and stay in New York City for the Fourth of July versus battling with travel. We’re so glad we did as this weekend has been amazing so far!

Breakfast

Breakfast this morning was simple and brief as we were dashing to the gym. We stopped in Zaro’s for whole wheat toast and peanut butter.

Their breads looked amazing but we stuck with the basics.

Workout

We both agreed that Saturdays our perfect swimming days as we can easily get to an Equinox that has a pool and allow enough time to swim and do other exercises. This is the face of a determined swimmer!

Today’s swim was already easier than last weeks! Even Bo noticed the increased confidence I had in the water and how I enjoyed it more than normal. My workout today was still a beginner one but still left my heart pounding and shoulders screaming.

30 laps (25 meters each) of freestyle with a 15 second break every 4 laps

10 laps using the pull bouy focusing on stroke technique

100 situps

50 pushups

Meanwhile, my little fish swam 1.25 miles and was barely breaking a sweat. My goal is to swim at least 1x per week and strive for twice a week.

Lunch

After the gym we were starving so grabbed a quick lunch from Pax on our way home. I forgot to snap a picture but made my own Greek salad.

-Romaine, cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes, olives, feta, grilled chicken, with FF balsamic dressing

While Bo ran a few errands I cleaned the house since we knew our friends Lauren and Casey were coming over later for dinner. My goal was to get the living room and kitchen presentable in 20 minutes. Great success! Clothes put away, dishes washed, towels folded, and clutter organized!

Manhattan from a New Perspective

Ever since Bo moved to New York City two years ago, I’ve wanted to rent bikes. There are so many bike paths throughout the city including Central Park, New York City Greenways, and the bicycle lanes in the city. We decided that today’s pleasant weather and free time provided the perfect opportunity. After some research we found that there are two main bike rental locations along the Hudson.

Hudson Urban Bicycle Rentals

Bike and Roll Rentals

We decided that Hudson met our needs better as the rentals were cheaper ($7 per hour ALL bikes and $35 for 24 hours) and the location (Charles Street between Christopher and Greenwich) was more convenient.

They were great! They filled up the air in the tires, adjusted the seats to our height, and answered any questions.  By the time we got started it was 1:30 and I was bursting with excitement! Our two bikes were hybrid bikes which basically means it is between a road and mountain bike. They had thicker tires, curved handle bars, and a nice comfy seat.

So excited to get going!

 

By the way, the Run Swiftly Racerback Lululemon tank you see above is my latest obsession! It is ultra light weight, sweat resistant, and a fun bright color! Definitely worth the investment.

Our hour and forty-five minute ride took us across 18 miles of Manhattan and gave us a whole new vantage point! You can see our route here.

We started heading South towards Battery Park and Wall Street.

The Hudson River Greenway is gorgeous and very biker and runner friendly. This route took me back to the NYC Half Marathon!

  

We diverged from our path and explored Battery Park City and wave hello to Lady Liberty! The tourists were SO annoying during this section.

From here we headed North East along the East River past South Street Sea Port and up along my old training path. Melissa, Dori, and I enjoyed a few long runs along this path and it was nice to revisit it. Luckily it wasn’t too crowded today which made for nice riding.

And then, unfortunately our road came to an end!

I guess NYC ran out of money because our trail literally came to a halt around 42nd street. We had to head to the streets from 45th street to 60th street before hopping back on around the Queensborough Bridge.

While biking by the United Nations we took some time take in the sites. Hidden behind iron gates we saw a sculpture of a Greco Roman hero slaying a gryphon whose body is a nuclear warhead. This was definitely powerful as it is in celebration of the United States overcoming nuclear warfare. It is definitely one of those things we wish we could uninvent. 

We decided that due to time we needed to cut across the Island around 81st street. We rode down 81st street until heading South towards the park. Riding through the streets with buses and cars at our sides was an adventure. I never felt fearful or scared and actually believe the cars heeded to cyclists quite well.

Hot dogs and water sounded very good at this point as we were both starving! Too bad we rode on as soon as the light changed.

We enjoyed a bear sighting as we rode through Central Park.

We exited the park at the 72nd transverse and headed for the river. We were 80 blocks from the bike shop and starting to get tired at this point. The bike ride was a lot of fun but after the morning swim and lots of sun we were both exhausted. Luckily, the Hudson side of the Greenway was pretty empty so we were able to pick up our speed on the way back.

Tired but still smiling because exploring NYC on two wheels is so much fun!

We would both recommend this to any of our friends who live in the city or are visiting. For $28 we were able to enjoy the city for two hours, get some great exercise, enjoy our daily dose of vitamin D, and see parts of the city we’ve never experienced. What a great Saturday!