Marathon Recovery: Carbs Galore at Henry's

Vegetarian pasta at Henry's

Henry’s, a bistro in the upper upper west side, is  just off the bike path along the Henry Hudson Parkway. It is named for its owner, not the highway. 

But it also calls itself a bike friendly establishment, which to me means a huge outdoor seating area so you can keep an eye on your wheels, and a good selection of beer on tap. 

Grain bowl

I got to go to a celebratory dinner at Henry's when I was part of the NYC marathon charity team, raising money for Transportation Alternatives. 

Vegetarian friendly fare

There’s also healthy filling food like a vegetarian pasta with mushrooms, butternut squash and Brussels sprouts and a grain bowl with quinoa, brown rice and a soft boiled egg. 

There is also a great kale salad, with grapes, cranberries and a maple vinaigrette. It would be perfect at Thanksgiving. Produce is GrowNYC Greenmarket-sourced or sustainably-farmed.

The butternut squash squash soup was a bit too sweet, with an apple cider reduction, but the pumpkin oil added a nice touch.

Henry's

There is also wild, line- caught fish and hormone free meat.

If you are treating yourself after a long ride (or run) the warm chocolate cake is worth the splurge.

Go on a Wednesday night, when wines are specially priced at just $28 / bottle.

Should You Run a Marathon: Post NYC Marathon

All smiles at mile 7

Last year, I ran what I said would be my one and done - one marathon and that's it. But it was such a great experience, I was suckered into doing it again.

A grey day, but far from bleak

How to get into the NYC marathon

Running the iconic NYC marathon has bemuse so popular that yo have to enter a lottery, or qualify by running 9  New York Road Runners races and volunteering, or do a charity run. I love to bike, so I decided to join Team TransAlt and raise money for Transportation Alternatives.

This became especially poignant when a terrorist attack on the bike path of the West Side Highway killed multiple cyclists.

The countdown has already begun to 2018!

Throughout the run, total strangers cheered Transportation Alternatives. Since it rained through most of the day, and my name peeled off my hat and shirt, it was nice to have that identifier and connection with random marathon watchers.

NYC as one

After 9/11, New Yorkers banded together, grieved together, and maybe became a bit more neighborly. The marathon also displays this resilient spirit. It seems like the whole city lines the streets. People spend their own money to buy bananas and oranges and offer them to runners.

On my way to and from the expo on Marathon Monday, strangers congratulated me and every finisher I passed shared a smile with me. Even going home from the marathon, I was offered a free subway ride (then I promptly lost my unlimited Metrocard!).

Would I run again? Never say never.

Easing NYC Commute: Ford Partners with Chariot

NYC commuters, your Chariot awaits

According to today's New York Times, more New Yorkers are commuting by bicycle. I am all for this, and am, in fact, running the NYC Marathon again as a member of the Transportation Alternatives team.

But not everyone can or wants to bike to work. I get it. I am also rather fed up with the NYC subways this summer. I've been stuck in more stalled trains, or behind sick passengers, or delayed because of signal problems or police incidents or train traffic than cumulatively over the last decade.  The subways are so horrible that Governor Cuomo has declared a state of emergency.

Ford partnered with Chariot

This is on top of construction at Penn Station, which many subways traverse, which is undergoing its summer of hell.

So I was intrigued when I heard about a new transit option, Chariot. Chariot, a crowd-sourced shuttle service, partnered with Ford to help commuters in New York City. This is part of Ford Motor Company's smart mobility plan to innovate beyond private car ownership.

Chariot already operates in San Francisco, Seattle and Austin, and launches in NYC in August. The service is designed to address transportation deserts and fill in gaps in transportation. When Chariot launches, it will have two routes, Greenpoint, Brooklyn to Dumbo, and the Lower East Side to midtown.

The old (cab) and the new (Chariot) alternatives to crowded subways

Chariot CEO Ali Vahabzadeh said the 'micro transit' is entirely crowd sourced; by fall, Chariot plans to have 60 shuttles running throughout the city, with routes determined by users who make suggestions.

What is great about Chariot, as opposed to other app-based transportation services, is that each shuttle  fits 14 people. Vahabzadeh said at Chariot takes at least 10 people off the road. If you have sat in traffic, you know that having fewer cars on the streets is critical.

The Chariot service costs $4 per ride, with no surge pricing. Riders are guaranteed a seat. And since this is a sustainable mass transit option, it qualifies for TransitChek reimbursement.

And, just to reinforce the idea that Chariot is needed: on my way to the launch meeting, my subway inexplicably stopped moving for a good 17 minutes. I would love to ditch the Metrocard.

Overnight Oats: My Vegan Breakfast Obsession

Vegan 'yogurt'

As I start training again for the NYC marathon, I have been carefully considering my breakfast options. I like to go on training runs an hour after I eat, and I need protein. My usual fuel before a race is a peanut butter sandwich, with natural peanut butter on whole wheat toast, but that takes a little longer to longer to digest.

I also found that cutting out dairy helped me avoid stomach distress last year. So I started making overnight oats with almond milk and almond or soy 'yogurt.' The faux yogurts don't taste great on their own, but mixed with everything else, it's fine.

Overnight oats became my obsession recently, since it's too hot for oatmeal. I soak oats with liquid and maybe some goji berries. I leave it covered in fridge and add fresh fruit the next day. The oats become creamy, almost like rice pudding. And it it more filling than just having yogurt and fruit.

You can also add a bit of peanut butter to boost the protein.

With blueberries and strawberries, you can have a patriotic red white and blue vegan breakfast.

Overnight Oats recipe

1/3 C rolled oats
1/3 C liquid: skim milk, or almond milk if vegan
1/3  C yogurt: plain yogurt, or soy yogurt if vegan
1 T goji berries, optional
1 T natural peanut butter, optional
1/3 C fresh fruit

Mix the oats with milk and yogurt, and goji berries and peanut butter, if using. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, top with fresh fruit.

Serves one.