I need to write about the hype around "recovery" for Second Breakfast. To be clear, that's recovery as it relates to fitness, not drug/alcohol addiction. Although I should write about the latter too. And I now that I'm making that note, I should perhaps think about how the two may or may not be connected.
Anyway, this past week was about "recovery" ostensibly — giving my body a chance to recuperate from the half marathon. I didn't run — until Saturday and Sunday, that is, which made this the lowest mileage week of 2023. I did, on the other hand, ride my bike more than usual, taking four (as opposed to the usual two) trips down to Chelsea Piers Fitness. I swam twice and weightlifted twice, thanking the stars that I've been trained to utilized "RPE" — rate of perceived exertion — for modulating the latter. Although I did more reps, I only lifted to @7, which meant the weights were much lighter than usual. Even so, I had some DOMs after Wednesday's squat session, more discomfort than I had from the half-marathon.
Kin was sick again last week. Being back in the office and exposed to germs is wrecking havoc on his immune system, clearly. So without the normal walk-to-work, Poppy and I had multiple morning walks in Central Park. It's fun as, up until 9am, you can have your dog off-leash in much of the park. And Central Park is full of squirrels.
In my attempt to stay healthy, I got another COVID booster this week. I also picked up a couple of pairs of trials for new contacts.
Kin continues to expand our record collection and stereo equipment. The sub-woofer he originally wanted was back-ordered, so he bought a different one — obviously without checking its dimensions. It's the size of a small refrigerator. Our downstairs neighbors must love us. We went record shopping yesterday, and I found Alice Cooper's Greatest Hits, which was one of my favorite records as a kid.
In other listening news: we're still listening to the audiobook of Blood in the Machine. I finished reading Your Body is Not an Apology and The Meth Lunches. I need to write a review of the latter for Second Breakfast. It was just phenomenally good. I also listened to the Maintenance Phase episode on Ozempic during my run on Saturday and to Nobody Asked Us (with Kara Goucher and Des Linden) on my run on Sunday. I started reading Older Faster Stronger.
On Friday night, Kin and I met our friends Gary and Sylvia at Birdland where we saw Ron Carter Big Band. Goddamn, Ron Carter is amazing — 87 years old, still pounding on the double bass. We haven't seen Gary and Sylvia in a long, long time — since we left LA, perhaps. So that was great (even if the food at Birdland is pretty mediocre).
Elsewhere in food, this week I made a Greek yogurt cake with jam — a recipe by Julia Turshen, as well as jalapeno popper chicken, also one of her recipes; a "quick banh mi" (with ciabatta from Amy’s Bread); a peanut butter chocolate cake; arroz con gandules; and pancakes and fruit salad for dinner Saturday night.
We ate slices at Corner Slice. (Overrated.) Kin got bagels at Absolute again. (He wanted one dozen sesame, with the 13th an onion; instead he came home with 12 onion and 1 sesame. Oops) We ate at Nowon last night and their burger is definitely not overrated. Damn it was stellar. We popped into the local Oasis Cafe around the corner for dessert — we love that you can buy "minis" of all the pastries. Because sometimes you don't actually want much more than a bite or two of sweet to round off a meal.
Over on Second Breakfast, I wrote a recipe for sourdough granola as well as the usual "what's good" round-up of news, and I launched the podcast. I am planning on one episode a month, interviewing folks on their personal experiences with food and fitness technologies, with movement and "monitoring" health.
When we were in the East Village yesterday, we stopped by the new memorial to the women who died during the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. I think it's official unveiling is sometime this week, as it's still surrounded by chainlink fence. But it looks to be quite stunning — the sun will cast their names in shadows on the pavement where they jumped to their death.
We are really trying to make the weekends full of exploration and adventure, visiting parts of the city we don't know well. The East Village was definitely that.