Hello from the Green Mountain State!
This is the third (and final!) state on our Annual Tour de New England. First, Brian, Ellie, and I spent a few days in Massachusetts to celebrate my niece’s second birthday.
Cheesing with the birthday girl!Then, we had a brief “layover” in New Hampshire, where we stayed with my parents and, obviously, made some time for outlet shopping and lunch at Ruby Tuesday.
My mom bought Ellie her own little pool. She loved it.Now we’re in Waterbury, VT, for a week, where Brian will embark on his four-day cycling stage race starting Friday.
I love coming up here every year. We stay in this big house on a farm with horses and a mini horse like Li’l Sebastian and all of Brian’s teammates. It’s always a nice break from the norm, and this year is especially fun because we have Ellie in tow, and she’s loving all the space and greenery and off-leash opportunities.
Ellie and her spandexed friends.So that’s what’s new right this second. And here’s what’s new beyond that…
EATING: Lots of nuts!
Thanks to nuts.com. The very kind people at nuts.com saw that I’m trying to snack smarter during marathon training, so they sent me a whole bunch of their most delicious nuts. Naturally I immediately devoured the sweetest ones, like the cocoa dusted almonds, but I’m also enjoying the regular [healthy] roasted varieties, too. Check ’em out.
My attempt at a nice photo of nuts.RACING: The Newport Liberty Half!
I’ve always wanted to run this race, which is touted as being flat and fast and on the water with killer views of the NYC skyline. Now that I’m a Jersey Girl, this race is a logistical breeze! (Though it’s a logistical breeze no matter where you live, since it’s super PATH-accessible.) I’ll be doing a few warm-up miles to get to the race, making this a sort of long run tempo effort — or something like that. TBD.
Bright lights! Big city!RUNNING: Around the island of Manhattan!
Well, I’m not. But my friend Liysa is. She organized this run — called No Manhattan Is An Island — and you should check it out. Read her story, and join her for some of the 30+ miles (or all of them!). All proceeds benefit The Herren Project.
LAUGHING: At this.
LOLOLOLOLWATCHING: THIS.
TESTING: My blood!
I finally tried InsideTracker, and I just got my results and am super excited to share them. That’ll be a separate post. But get ready to learn so much about my biomarkers and my cortisol levels and stuff!
I even got a cool Band-Aid!TRAVELING: Quite a bit this month.
After this whirlwind tour of the northeast, I’m back home for two days before jetting off to west coast. You’ve heard that the original Broadway cast of Newsies is reuniting for one night only, and that they’re taping the performance to show it in theaters next year, right? Well they are. And I’m going to the taping. For work. My job is hard.
Then I’m back from L.A. for a week before heading to Paris! Paris will be a true unplugged vacation, which Brian and I both need. Any recommendations for things to do, places to eat, champagne to drink? I have a list of things I want to see and do, but it’s a pretty basic, touristy list. Feel free to provide expert advice, particularly regarding where to get the best pain au chocolat.
LOVING: Washing my face.
I finally sucked up my fear of having my face touched and got a facial. It was strange. But I invested in three products because apparently my nightly routine of “furiously rubbing my eyelids with water until my mascara is mostly gone” isn’t an appropriate skincare regimen. So I bought this cleanser (which I use daily), this exfoliant (which I use every few days), and this moisturizer (because it has SPF in it, and that’s responsible). It all smells so good, and I’m obsessed with washing my face now.
NOT LOVING: That my stomach has felt like absolute garbage this week.
I’m trying not to over-think it or panic, but I have also felt these feelings before and I’m slightly terrified. Ugh.
So here is a picture of Ellie going grocery shopping.
Probs gonna buy string cheese and deli turkey.And here is a photo of me doing a headstand, thinking my toes were almost touching my head. Turns out, they weren’t. Like…at all.
GOOD TRY, THO.Finally, here is Ellie meeting our new neighbor, Toby.
TRIED TO PUT HIM IN MY POCKET FOR SAFE-KEEPING. Didn’t work.YOUR TURN! Fill in one of the blanks, please. I like it when we catch up and learn about each other and share our secrets and stuff.
![[C]Ali on the Run: My 7-Day Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Itinerary](https://i0.wp.com/aliontherunblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Runyon-Canyon.jpg?fit=800%2C439&ssl=1)
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Vin Pain Fromage … The name says it all! It’s an amazing fondue place where the cellar that you can eat is an old cave. Make reservations beforehand if you want to go! So good.
If you go to the Eiffel Tower at night and want to have dinner somewhere decently close (like, a 15 minute walk) that’s not full of tourists and/or overpriced like whoa, go to Le Petit Cler (http://www.lepetitcler.com/). My mom and I had the best meal of our three days in Paris there and it was so reasonably priced! (PS. I found this place by googling “non touristy places to eat near the Eiffel Tower, which led me to this post – http://parisbymouth.com/not-terrible-near-the-eiffel-tower/)
I don’t have Crohn’s or anything but nuts TEAR up my insides. If I eat too many I can literally track their progress through my body as the pain moves downward. Sorry to be gross, but the nuts and garbage stomach could be related!
Watching…..Bachelors in Paradise. I know you are super impressed that I only watch the most intellectual TV. #can’tstopwontstop
You get the best macaroons at Laduree! They are heaven.
Must sees the view from the Eiffle Tower, Notre Dame and if you got time Versailles is absolutely beautiful.
A boat trip around the city is also really nice.
Gallery Lafayette is nice for shoping and a behind the scene tour at the opera is quite interesting!
Have fun here in Europe! It’s beautiful!
Greatings from vienna!
Check out Paris by Mouth. We did the St Germain tour, and it was absolutely the highlight of our trip!!! We also had great pain au chocolat on the tour. Also if you’re in to it, escargots are unbeatable in Paris. Enjoy!
http://parisbymouth.com/paris-food-tours/
OMG Paris! It’s one of my all-time favorite cities in the entire world.
If you can do the Eiffel Tower at night (the most touristy thing ever maybe), it’s completely worth the climb and then elevator ride to the top when it’s all lit up. Just incredible. I love red wine so I drank more than my fair share while I was there – even their table wines are out of this world good because #france. In terms of restaurants, my friends and I stumbled upon Le Vieux Bistrot at the end of our trip and it is somewhere I would go back to in a heartbeat: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187147-d2554906-Reviews-Le_Vieux_Bistrot-Paris_Ile_de_France.html
Have an incredible time!
xo Marie
Chocolate & Wine
My brother has been in Paris since April but it’s for business and he works so hard he hasn’t really been out much. I’ll ask him if he can recommend anything. He might have some local restaurant reccos at least.
Ellie’s underbite is really the cutest thing.
You have a lot to look forward to (LA, Paris). Can you pack me in your suitcase?
Your headstand is super impressive even without your toes touching your head!
Hi Ellie! You are adorable! <3
I emailed you my best Paris list.
My Sept highlight will be cycling round Lake Tahoe. I know I can do the distance, I know I can do the hills…I’m not sure I can do the distance and the hills at altitude so if Brian has any hints…
Have a blast in Paris!
I can recommend the most ridiculous French restaurant: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g187147-d1159701-Reviews-Chez_Denise-Paris_Ile_de_France.html. They serve food until 5am (!!!). We were looking for a place serving after 11pm… We finally arrived there close to midnight and they were completely packed and asked if we had a reservation. We didn’t but we mentioned another place sent us and they were able to squeeze us in. The food is fantastic, the stuff is rude (part of the charm), they open wine bottles for you and only charge you for the amount you drink… Go there!
Hi Ali, I hope you guys have an amazing time in Paris, there is so much to see and do. Hands down my three favorite things I did while there in 2014 were (in this order): (1) a Paris Running Tour – worth absolutely every cent, fantastic personalized tour of Paris, a must do (http://www.parisrunningtour.com/), (2) a Chocolate and Pastry tour – I can’t find the link but delicious food and a great history about the food scene in Paris without being too pretentious (3) audio tour of the Paris Opera House (Palais Garnier) – we didn’t have time to make it to Versailles but did this instead, it was a gorgeous building with an interesting history. Have a ton of fun! Enjoy checking out from work and the Internet world for a while 🙂
Ellie’s face at your headstand is pretty much the cutest thing ever. And good try on that blood test, your grin says NBD, but I happen to know they use needles for that!
The tower sparkles at the top of the hour each night, but only for 5 minutes at a time. It’s a must see. We also did an early morning run along the bank of the Seine. BEST. RUN. EVER. And then we had crepes from a vendor next to the river. They were amazing!!! Have fun! I loved Paris! It’s everything you imagine it to be.
Before reading this I was literally researching facials and whether they’re “worth it” all morning. I’ve never gotten one. Would you do it again?
LOVE your blog!!
Wish I could help with your Paris trip – sorry!
I’m racing in the 10K across the Bay Bridge (Chesapeake) Race in November. I’m normally just a 5K racer, so this is huge for me.
Enjoy vacay with Ellie!
Paris!!! The BEST pastries are at Du Pain Et Des Idees
https://dupainetdesidees.com/en/
Everything was amazing.
And for the best ice cream in the city – Berthillon!
http://www.berthillon.fr/
Have fun!!!