A Marvelous Weekend Recap
Ah, what a marvelous weekend, and I am continuing to live life on the slightly-more-low-key side. But, I’m still having a great time! I’m doing a pretty good job of listening to my body and mind, instead of FOMO. Unfortunately I went back to my once-a-week blogging last week, with only one recipe post. Who knows what this week will bring? I’m not too worried about it – I’ll blog when I have time – but at least with this post I know I have one down!
Marvelous is…a rest day on Friday. Some lessons need to be re-learned and on Friday, I re-learned that if I don’t work out in the morning, it just is not going to happen. In CT I often worked out on Fridays between work and my evening plans, but there’s something about a Friday late afternoon in Boston that makes me just want to get the weekend started as soon as I leave work. When I left for the day I decided to grocery shop, then put away my laundry, then get my nails done…all to put off going to the gym. So then I decided (with help from a text-pep-talk from a friend) to just take the day off. And I felt much better after making that decision and sticking with it.
Marvelous is…accidentally picking out nail colors that match my running shoes perfectly. I swear this wasn’t on purpose – I didn’t realize how well they matched til the next morning!
Marvelous is…a low-key Friday night dinner out with Kelly. She and I often joke that we just cannot find the time to get together during the busy summer season. Then I texted her on Thursday, and it turned out we were both free the next night, so we were able to make plans just 24 hours in advance. Imagine that! We tried out Legal C Bar, and now I can say that I’ve tried all the different Legal restaurant types. (Though I honestly can’t see huge differences between any of them.) My entrée was incredible, my Manhattan and glass of wine were excellent, but most importantly the company was stellar. Kelly and I took our time, just sitting at the bar and chatting up a storm. So great to see her!
My incredible almond-crusted salmon special, with asparagus and mushrooms!
Marvelous is…Friday night froyo. I live SO close to a froyo place and still hadn’t been. In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had froyo. So even though I felt crappy about getting it because I had taken the day off, I got some, and it was perfection. I took it straight home and ate it in bed with my newest read. I thought about going out after dinner but there was really no place I’d have rather been than in bed with my dessert and my book.
I don’t believe fruit belongs in froyo.
Marvelous is…Saturday morning’s long run. I ran 9.77 miles, people! I was supposed to run 9, but I got a bit lost towards the end – oops! I honestly felt great during this run (thank you Friday rest day and all the Legal C Bar rolls) and barely experienced any shin pain. The night before my mom had texted me and advised me to “take it slow and enjoy”. So that’s what I did – I just set out at a slow pace and didn’t put pressure on myself to finish in a certain amount of time. And I finished in 93 minutes! I felt better than I did during my last long run – honestly like I could’ve just finished a half marathon then and there. I’m also sooo glad that I had a banana before I set out. In fact, I didn’t have one before my last long run, so perhaps that’s why I felt so much better this time! Even though I’ve been running less lately to rest my shin, I felt the best I’ve ever felt. Rest works!
I absolutely asked a stranger on the sidewalk to take a photo of me in my super matchy Barbie outfit.
Marvelous is…getting my hair did. I still go see my hairdresser Jen in Vernon, because she knows what I like and I can get a haircut and partial highlight from her for EONS cheaper than I ever could in Boston. I went home for Saturday night so I felt like it was a perfect afternoon to pay Jen a visit (and it was, aside from the traffic that made me an hour late). Plus she always gives me a nice little bonus hairdo at the end. This time I went for a pretty side bun, because it matched my outfit.
Marvelous is…dinner with Rachel and her fiancé (AKA my favorite couple). I always try to see Rachel while I’m home and Steve is such a great guy, so I didn’t mind him third-wheeling on our date 😉 We all dined at Max Fish because I had a Max Restaurant Group gift card (and because that restaurant is awesome). Well, realizing once the check came that I’d lost said gift card was not marvelous. But I adored every drink and bite I consumed, so it was totally worth it. I didn’t take any food/drink photos because I was too busy having a great time catching up, but I had a couple of stellar bourbon cocktails plus an incredible sea scallops a la plancha entrée with a summer veggie ratatouille and white bean puree. Plus Max Fish’s addictive everything crackers with perfect salty butter. The perfect dinner for a long run day!
Not sure why it looks like I’m lactating.
Marvelous is…a satisfying Sunday morning workout. I’d iced my shin after my long run but knew running the day after was out of the question, so instead I went to the gym and did 20 minutes of StairMaster intervals followed by good old armday (and some abs). I haven’t been doing much Stair-ing at all and wow…that was hard. I definitely have lost a bit of my StairMaster groove since I’ve been focusing on other forms of fitness! But 20 minutes was enough to get me covered in sweat and I felt strong as I lifted.
Marvelous is…my first (and likely the last) beach day of the summer. I cannot believe it took me until August 10th to get to the beach, even with a trip to Newport under my belt. But it did, and only because my and Hannah’s plans to hit up Liquid Sunday at MGM Foxwoods were foiled when we found out that it had sold out. Um, who even knew they sold tickets ahead of time now?! But we rebounded and my entire family ended up at Hammonasset together.
And I finally drank my Sofia Blanc de Blancs, which I purchased back during the Bishop’s Corner blogger day. Yes it was still good!
Marvelous is…Sunday night at home with my family. The beach (and beverages) totally wiped me out, so I decided to stay home in CT and wake up super-early this morning to drive back to Boston. I feel hungover-tired right now, but it was worth it. I got to chill on the couch with the fam, like the good old days, and eat a meal that always reminds me of home – turkey burgers with oven fries, black beans, and my mom’s delicious vinaigrette coleslaw!
Time to work my way through this day so that I can hit the hay HARD tonight. I’m thinking this may be a 9PM bedtime kinda evening.
Have you been to the beach yet this summer?
What was marvelous about your weekend?
Any great workouts – or fun rest days – to share?
