Plant Based NYC Eats

Although I no longer like to label myself as a “vegan” or “vegetarian”, I do consider my diet to be plant based and free of animal products. New York City is a mecca for plant based living; restaurants commonly offer and label their vegan or vegetarian options, there are many vegan and plant based restaurants, and grocery stores even offer more options for veggies! I used to trek far and wide for my favorite dairy free milks, ice creams, cheeses, etc. and was extremely pleased to find that my local store has even more options than before! The nut cheeses I find are mind blowing, and every flavor of cashew milk ice cream! My cow loving heart is very pleased with the assortment of options.

Eating out is easier than ever before and more tantalizing for non-vegans to try! Here is a short list of some of my favorite places so far. Of course, I will continue to update this list in further posts.

Blossom

I had been previously with a meat eater, who was pleasantly surprised and loved it himself! I can’t remember what I had, but the food and experience was amazing.

My vegan mother came and I had to take her; we hit up Blossom on Carmine and enjoyed the Steak and Salmon (all meat free of course!) We still talk about how great it was and how often we crave it.

Seitan cutlet & gravy

Salmon dinner

Blossom Du Jour
Sister to Blossom, this "fast food vegan" offers your favorite comforts in a healthier and kinder manner! I had the BLT wrap.... fantastic. They even offer things like chicken tenders and Bacon Egg & Cheese sandwiches! A new favorite in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan. Perfect lunch spot on the go or before a Broadway show!

V Spot

Another of my favorites! I enjoy Latin inspired quinine which is sometimes difficult to find dairy and meat free. This place is off the charts, I’ve had the spinach burrito twice and I recommend upgrading your side salad to a Caesar. The bacon will make your day.

My sister had the Supreme Quesadilla which featured a spicy dip and plantains inside… incredible.

By Chloe

This uber trendy spot is popular among vegans and non-vegans alike. Their menu is all-American featuring sandwiches, burgers, salads, and incredible desserts. I have had the Guac Burger with Sweet Potato fries, and their tofu scramble breakfast platter. I would also recommend picking up a cup of their ice cream for your sweet tooth.

Bareburger

Veggie burgers are my ultimate weakness. I think I could actually eat one every single day. Bareburger has many locations throughout the city and the boroughs (one conveniently around the corner from me) and is my go to with friends. They offer 3 different options for veggie patties, sprouted vegan buns, vegan cheeses, and SO many veggie toppings and pickles! Meat eaters love it, veggies love it, beer drinkers love it. Seriously, something for everyone. And it is organic and cute to boot ;)

Franchia

On a rainy day in the area, I popped in with my friend Brooke to test this one out, and I have been back 4 times since. Wow. Exquisite, the décor is beautiful and well themed, the menu is extensive (all vegan) with appetizers galore, sushi, rice and noodle bowls, cocktails, and desserts! I love the Vegetarian ‘Duck’ Bibimbap (favorite), and I have also had the Javanese Noodles Goreng, and the Tofu and Vegetables Claypot in Spicy Ginger Sauce (pictured.) I could eat here everyday and never get tired of it because of their endless options! Vegs and meat eaters alike have enjoyed it, highly recommended for all!

My final eatery on this particular post:

Candle 79

Numerous times I have walked past Candle 79 and scoured their menu online, finally I had a reason to go! my best friend Allison was coming to visit for her birthday, and picked Candle 79 as her birthday dinner. After a long day of playing tourist, we were escorted through the restaurant to a cozy table upstairs. Deciding what to eat here was one of the hardest of our lives. We split the Empanadas appetizer and were immediately blown away. I can't say I've had many in my life, but these were the best by far. For my meal, I had the Mushroom Crepe with the most amazing sauce drizzled on top and a side Jalapeno salad. Allison chose the pasta special of the day and both were killer. Since it was of course her special day, she chose the Berry Crumble that came with a special candle (which I would expect from a restaurant with the name candle in it!) This was one of the best vegan experiences of my life based on the atmosphere, service, and food quality and options. I would recommend this for anyone, probably the easiest place for a non-vegan to eat because the choices were very similar to that of a standard restaurant. I will definitely be going back soon!

Thanks for reading friends, more restaurant posts to come as I explore the mecca of food here in New York City! 

Fall Race Plans

Ah fall, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin beers, pumpkin candles, sweaters, boots fall leaves, cooler temperatures, and now I get to experience the transition of the season FO REAL! I could not be more excited. I am ticking the days away until the cool temperatures move in and I don't die running in the heat everyday and I can frolic in the park with leaves crunching under my feet!

Fall is also the perfect time for races, especially in New York City. It's been overwhelming trying to pick and choose what races I wanted to run; some weekends have half-marathons on both Saturday and Sunday! Here is what is on the books so far:

Run 10 Feed 10: 10k in Hudson River Park September 18.
My goal for this race is to run fast.... which I don't enjoy. I am a spiritual runner; I run for the enjoyment, the way it eases my mind and brings me peace. But for this race I would like to shoot for 55 minutes or under (fast for me.)

Brooklyn Rock and Roll Half Marathon: October 8
I have ALWAYS wanted to run a Rock & Roll after only hearing the best things about it! So when I found that one was just a quick train ride away I was sold. There are live bands all along the course, and much of it is run in Prospect Park that I am excited to see!

I am hoping for this to cut my PR by 7 minutes and run it in under two hours. Like I've said, I am an endurance runner, not a speed runner so I am hoping by incorporating one speed workout a week and a tempo run that I can accomplish this! A little over a month to go!

After my January marathon, I have been thirsty for another. I went back and forth thinking about the Brooklyn Marathon and Philadelphia Marathon (both in early November) that I would have adequate time training for, but with adjusting to city life, making new friends, I decided to wait to do another marathon. It was a tough decision, but after a little bit more time I think I will be more ready for the next one and the next training cycle. Perhaps I will get into the NYC Marathon next year, or the Marine Corps Marathon instead since it holds a special place in my heart as my dad and sister both ran in. I am also considering an ultra in the near future.... only time will tell!

Keep running friends :) 

When You Can't "Just Keep Swimming"

Some days, you just can't. No, I am not trying to sound like an 18 year old valley girl that "literally just can't", but today I knew I had to quit. I have been trying to obsessively follow a marathon training plan for my half marathon on November 15, and my first full marathon on January 31. I have a schedule for my runs and workouts following the plan basically to a T, and today called for 12 miles. I do all of my long runs typically on Tuesdays, sometimes Wednesdays pending on my work schedule. So yesterday, I turned down invitations from friends to hangout after my 11 hour shift, came home to eat my dinner of brown rice, veggies, and tempeh, and hit the sack by 9:30pm.

My alarm sounded at 6:30am; trying to beat the heat of the eternal summer that is Florida (it is November 3...) yet my body just said no. It told me I was too tired, I needed to rest, yet I forced myself up, ate a banana and got dressed and headed out. By mile 4 I was already exhausted. It was nearing 85 degrees and only 7:30am. I just couldn't get in "the zone," and decided to cut down to 11 miles. By mile 5 I decided I couldn't go any farther and turned around to just do 10. It was hot, I was running out of water from my Camelbak, my IT band began to flare up and I resorted to run walking.

Mentally, I was over it. I wasn't having any fun, I was tired, thirsty, hot, and began to worry and doubt myself about being able to run 26.2 miles come January. If I couldn't even make it 12, how would I ever be able to run that far? Would I even be able to push myself to train longer distances? I had given up. I called my dad at 7.5 crying. He has completed many marathons, and always has the best advice. He told me that sometimes, our bodies need a break, to go home, eat, rest and get back on track when I felt better. My typical work week is about 6 days a week and over 50 hours, where I stand, squat, and remain pretty active and it all takes a tole on me that I really don't factor in. I am leaner and in better shape than I maybe have ever been, so why did my body quit on me? Because it needs rest, it just needs a break from activity.

So here I was, crying because of my obsessive compulsion to accomplish every single goal I set for myself and here I was failing myself. I have NEVER not completed a long run that I planned out, yet here I was walking the 2.5 miles left to get home. I was defeated, done, even walking bothered my IT band. Out of water, thirsty, and sweating bullets. I stopped at my neighborhood McDonalds to get water, and got quite a few confusing looks from the regular carnivores. Charlie greeted me with a friendly meow when I got home, showered, and had my usual post run waffles and fruit as a reward for my labor.

Now it is time to re-evaluate. I am a super obsessive person, always have been. It has led me to eating disorders, exercise disorders, and generally to be anxious about anything in my future. After this not so great run, I learned that I need to just take every run as they come. If I am injured, rest (very hard for me, I usually will run anyways.) Stop obsessing about races, if come January I cannot do the full marathon, I will drop down to the half. Maybe my body just can't handle it, and I will need to learn to be okay with that. I can't keep isolating myself from my social life because it "doesn't fit into my running plan."

Now, I will commit to making living a priority, rather than working constantly to attain my goals. Instead of working 6 days a week to pay my bills and have extra spending money, I am going to take my extra days to go out into nature and do the things I want to do, say YES more often to invitations from friends, and maybe even in December to drive my happy self to the mountains and stay in a hostel to explore. It's time to live, be present in everything I do, and to learn to work running races into my life rather than into my schedule and letting them consume me. Time to live.

Peace and running friends!