Tag Archives: otto nyc

Runners in Heels

During marathon training, going out on a Saturday night meant either being exhausted from my run that morning and fighting to stay awake or nursing a drink or two because my run was the next morning.

So while I miss training a bit, it’s fun to go out without some aspect of marathon training hanging over my head.

It’s also fun to go out with other runners so you can talk about the marathon just a little more because, really, you haven’t talked about it quite enough yet.

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Just in case you don’t recognize her in normal-people clothes, that’s my lovely friend Gia. Her birthday was just before the marathon, so the celebration was held until after the marathon.

By the way, if you don’t read her blog, you should. It’s sweet and smart, just like her. She also KICKED the marathon’s ass–running a 3:48 just a year after having twins! I would like to do that when I grow up, too.

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Her friend Kristen (RB, if you read her blog) organized a wine tasting for us. Apparently Otto also offers wine classes, which Gia says is one of her favorite dates with her husband. I also wouldn’t mind going on a date there. Just saying.

Red wine makes me wheezy, so I stuck to a rosé and sauvignon blanc.

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It was nice seeing Gia and her friends and all, but I would have been happy just sitting in the corner with this OLIVE OIL GELATO. Otto’s known for their olive oil gelato, so I’d heard of it before and thought it sounded appalling, but after a few glasses of wine, I was happy to stick my spoon in and give it a try. And it was amazing–sweet and savory at the same time.

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There was also a vegan cupcake for the birthday girl.

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And some cookies.

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We stepped outside to look for somewhere to go to grab more food, and saw this limousine waiting. (This was not planned in the least.) RB did a little bargaining with him, and for $5 a head, he agreed to take us to our next destination.

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PROM PICTURE.

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We had it take us to B Bar, where we ate everything they had.

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Somehow, I still woke up starving this morning, so I made Sunflower Butter and Banana Stuffed French Toast (basically Tina’s Almond Butter Stuffed French Toast, but with sunflower butter and bananas instead.)

And now I’m going to yoga, because I should do something active in between meals, I guess.

Funemployment: Otto Review + Giveaway Winner!

I’d still rather have a job (seriously, the grass is always greener), but I’m finally putting a little more fun in funemployment. It’s also awesome that I can workout on my own schedule right now, although I’m still trying to work out in the mornings just so that I can beat the heat.

This morning, Coach Marc had four miles on my training plan. I’m “assigned” three strength workouts per week that I can fit in whenever I want, so I decided to try doing one after my run today. (I really like that there’s a specific emphasis on strength training in this plan and hoping I can lean out a little bit while marathon training.)

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It was after 9 by the time I started, and it was already incredibly (like 85% incredibly) humid, so my run certainly didn’t come easy to me. I’m also getting a little sick of running my West Side Highway path, but it’s the easiest place to get to quickly with minimal city street running.

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The cloud cover actually burned off pretty quickly, and I was seriously struggling by the time I was done.

I stopped at Duane Reade to get some coconut water, since I desperately needed to rehydrate (weirdly enough the sangria I had last night didn’t do it) and came back to my apartment to use the building’s gym to lift. I’m still self-conscious in the weight room, and my apartment gym seems like a nice place to get used to it. I only know a few people in my building, and so I feel like the embarrassment potential is low. Of course, I walked in this morning, and one of those few people was the only person in there with his trainer. I thought of making up some excuse about something I forgot in my apartment, but I stayed and did my workout:

Bench Press 2 x 12 reps (40 pounds)

Squats 2 x 10 reps (20 pounds)

Dips 2 x max (my max was 16)

Calf Raises 2 sets (Inside, Outside, Straight x 15 reps) <–that video is pretty hilarious, but it’s a good demonstration

Back/Shoulder Press 2 x 10 reps

Back Extensions 2 x 15 (I just did them on the ground…)

Running Arms 2 x 25 (I used a 10 pound weight in each arm, and this is my new favorite exercise. I can feel it working my arms and my entire core.)

After sweating out last night’s sangria, I took a quick shower and my mom came over so we could meet Lacey and her mom (who was in town from Missouri) at Otto for lunch. If you have been living under a rock, Otto is Mario Batali’s pizzeria. I’d heard of it, but apparently I’d been living under a rock because I’d never been there.

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We sat down, and I checked into Foursquare and saw that I got a free glass of Prosecco with pizza or pasta! Well, okay. If you insist.

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Creepiest photo ever. The lighting was really weird in there. From L-R: (I think) some sort of chutney, cherries and honey for the cheeses. Also, apparently I hold my camera really weird.

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Better.

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The moms. There’s a cute photo of the four of us, but it’s on my mom’s camera, which is already back in NJ.

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Our cheeses: triple Coach cream, Parmiagano Reggiano, Gorgonzola Dulce

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We also got their lentil and cauliflower, which were actually my favorite part of the meal.

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I forgot the name of the pizza my mom got, but it had pecorino cheese and an egg–I thought of Meghann and her eggs on pizza.

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I got the pizza with proscuitto and arugula. It was good, but a little saltier than I would have liked.

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Oh, and last night I went to a panel that some editors from The Onion and Anderson Cooper. Yes, he is one hot silver fox. I was definitely geeking out.

But you really don’t care about any of this. You just want to know if you won a pretty necklace…

Well!

I asked for your greatest accomplishments, and I was amazed by all of the wonderful accomplishments you all listed. From the sweet moms who wrote about their kids being their greatest accomplishments to overcoming illness, I smiled reading each and every comment. If you need to smile or a little dose of inspiration, I suggest reading the comments.

And the winner (via the giveaway winner plugin) is!

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Congrats Laura!!! Can you email me (theodora@losingweightinthecity.com) so we can get you your prize? 😀