Over the bridge and through the streets, to the five boros we went

Me and the rents in Astoria Park

On Sunday my parents, AGK and I participated in the TD Bank Five Boro bike tour.  We joined 31,996 other participants as we pedaled 42 miles through, you guessed it, the five boroughs of NYC - Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and good-ole Staten Island.

AGK - so strong

This is my second time doing the event, and I loved it just as much as the first.  Like last year, we hopped on at the entrance to the Central Park, bypassing the crazy crowd down in Battery Park and soared through the course with ease.  The ride is a great way to experience different areas of the city that New Yorkers may not be typically subjected to.  The rolling hills and beauty of Central Park, the gospel singers serenading us in the Bronx, Astoria Park in Queens, adorable Williamsburg and Dunbo in Brooklyn, riding along the BQE, and the fabulous Verrazano Bridge (a.k.a. the death of my legs) all offered a unique experience.  However, the scenery that you bike through is only a part of the fun.  The other participants provide just as much entertainment.  Such as, but not limited to: the elliptical bikers (click here to see what I'm talking about), the woman biking next me in four inch heels (you can read about her journey here), and everyone's favorite weatherman, spotted by my momma, Al Roker.

Our swag

The Five Boro bike tour celebrated it's 35th anniversary this year and the event organizers have worked out almost all the kinks.  It is one of the most well run events I've seen, with hundreds of volunteers along the way cheering you on, directing you through the next wide turn, and warning you of the dreaded potholes.  They even offered a three day bike expo at Pier 36 this year rather than the usual pick up your packet and run from Eastern Mountain.  The only problem they have yet to perfect is getting all 32,000 participants on the Staten Island Ferry efficiently.  Again, we were at the front of the pack so we walked on, returned our bikes, and had bloody marys in hand by 1:30pm.  Others were not so lucky and were stuck on Staten Island waiting until after 7pm.

The experience is one that I think everyone should try at least once.  Catch ya in 2013! Check out more images from the ride below.

Images from the race: fuel, under the bridge in Astoria, riding the BQE, LARA, halfway point, finish line & view of Verrazano

Tuesday Tunes

I'm feeling very energetic this week, so this weeks playlist may be a little aggressive for your ears this early in the morning, but hope you enjoy!

1) Five by DOSVEC - Mylo, Freesol ft. Justin Temberlake, Calvin Harris, & Archie V Remix

2) Pressure by Nadia Ali, Starkillers & Alex Kenji - Alesso Remix

3) D.A.N.C.E by Justice - Mstrkrft Remix

4) Whistle by Flo Rida 

5) Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Myndset Remix (since we're going to the concert tonight!)

B-Bar: Not the One on Bowery...

Breakfast is hands down my favorite meal of the day. My usual week day morning meal includes greek yogurt, granola and a banana or oatmeal with a scoop of peanut butter.  I've been getting a little bored with the combinations lately so I was ready to try something new.  In swoops my lovely sister to the rescue, who sent me the following recipe that is easy, delicious and healthy.  It's a combination of some of my favorite elements.   Bon Appétit!

Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bars aka "B-Bars"

2-3 Ripe Bananas, mashed

1 1/2 Cups of Quick Oats

1 Cup of Unsweetened Applesauce

1/4 Cup of Raisins or Craisins

Cinnamon to taste

* I also added a smidge of vanilla extract

1) Preheat over to 350 degrees

2) Mix all ingredients together well. 

3) Put mixture in circle shapes on a greased cookie sheet. 

4) Bake for 30-35 minutes

Makes 15 cookies/bars at about 60 calories per serving.

Bouncing Around Broadway

Two weekends ago, I went with the Weiss gals to see Ghost The Musical on Broadway.  As a huge fan of the movie version, I was anxious to see the new theatrical production.  The show has been getting a lot of flack from critics for focusing on the big budget production rather than the story and I tend to agree.  The lights and special effects were incredible but, to me, took away from any substantial character development.  In every scene from the movie you could get the sense of love between Sam and Molly, but the musical didn't have the same focus.  All of this is not to say that I didn't enjoy it, it was extremely entertaining.  Molly's voice was incredible, Oda Mae Brown was hilarious, and Sam wasn't too terrible to look at either.  If you are a lover of special effects and pretty lights, its worth checking out; if you are looking for the same romantic love story from the movie, I'd just log into Netflix and park it on the couch with Demi, Swayze and Whoopi.


This weekend my family was in town and we checked out Death of a Salesman starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Andrew Garfield.  I think Hoffman is one of the best actors of our time and I've loved Garfield since his breakout in The Social Network.  Neither of them disappointed, which is corroborated by the fact that both received well-deserved Tony nominations last week for their portrayals. The play, written by Arthur Miller in 1949, is a timeless story of a traveling salesman and his relationships with his two sons.  It has been revived four times on Broadway and been made into a major motion picture.  Since I had never seen it before, I don't have anything to compare the production to but I thought the way the flashbacks were portrayed, the staging and the acting were all phenomenal.  It's a dark story at times, but Hoffman, Garfield and the other characters all evoke a plethora of emotions throughout the performance.  I would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a good Broadway play, but act fast because it's only out for a limited time!   

Disclaimer: this review may be slightly skewed since we met Andrew Garfield after the show and he is pretty much the cutest thing in the world.  Also spotted outside were Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber.  Love celeb spottings :) 

Playbill signed by my love

Tuesday Tunes

Another Tuesday Tunes brought to you on a Wednesday.  It's been a gloomy and rainy couple days here in the Big Apple, which has brought inspiration to today's playlist.  Fingers crossed for sunnier weather for the five boro bike tour and my family's visit this weekend!!

1) Set Fire to the Rain by Adele (Plastic Planes Remix)

2) Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo' Ole

3) It Will Rain by Bruno Mars

4) Come Clean by Hillary Duff (Laguna Beach anyone?)

5) Starships by Nicki Minaj (This was on in my spin class this am. No relation to rain but does inspire a mid-week morning dance party)

*Also, it's been brought to my attention that if you are getting this via email you may not know there are links to the songs in the list.  If you visit the blog's site directly, you'll see the links to YouTube.

xoxo