running… The Brooklyn Half Marathon on Saturday. We have been looking forward to this race for months. I hope it lives up to all the hype! If nothing else, we will have fun ending it in Coney Island and riding the Cyclone.

looking forward to… The Great GoogaMooga Festival this weekend in Prospect Park. It is a brand new food and music festival. I hope it also lives up to all the hype!

wishing for… Something ridiculous: A Proenza Schouler PS1 Large bag. The price is completely prohibitive and insane, but I can’t stop thinking about these bags! I’ll take any color.

eating… Ample Hills Creamery peppermint pattie ice cream. I’ve actually only had it once, but I want more, more, MORE!

also eating… Zito’s! This Park Slope sandwich shop is delicious and laid back. It is a great place to go for post-run food.

What are you up to these days?

Happy mother’s day to my mom, whom I respect and admire more and more everyday.

I must admit, I feel quite hip. On a surprise three-stop date on Saturday (planned and executed by me!) I took Travis to the very new, much hyped PokPok Ny. A tiny Thai restaurant which just opened in the Brooklyn Heights/Cobble Hill/Red Hook area of Brooklyn on April 18th.

PokPok Ny is the newest addition to chef and restauranteur, Andy Ricker’s, Portland (as in Oregon) Thai food empire. His restaurants and special fish sauce chicken wings (seen above) have been winning awards since he opened the first PokPok in 2005.

My secret sources in Portland suggested that PokPok PDX is a bit over-hyped and more of a scene than a comfortable restaurant, but I was still determined to try those fish sauce wings just the same…

Travis and I arrived at PokPok Ny at 5:30 pm and were already the fifth party in line outside the door. If you plan to go, I suggest doing the same. They don’t take reservations. The restaurant opens at 6 pm, Wednesday-Sunday, and by the time the doors opened there were at least 30 people in line. Travis and I sat inside, where there are probably only 24 seats, but thankfully the tented outdoor space was open for seating as well. I think the entire restaurant was full by 6:05.

We ordered the specialties: Ike’s Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings and the Papaya PokPok, a fresh salad of papaya, chili peppers, peanuts, and tomatos. Plus, Travis ordered vegetarian Khao Soi, a curry noodle soup with tofu. We also ordered both the sticky rice and the jasmine rice to mix with everything.

It was all so fresh! The Papaya PokPok was excellent, especially when you had a bite with plenty of peanuts, but it was spicy! Maybe I’m just not accustomed to so much spice, but my mouth was burning! I drank a lot of their initially strange, but ultimately refreshing Pandan table water to cool it down. I suggest pairing the Papaya PokPok with lots of sticky rice (which comes to the table inside a plastic bag in a grass basket) to cut the spiciness.

The wings were awesome!! NY Magazine just named them the city’s Best Wings, but I was not sure if I should believe the hype. I am not much of a “sports bar wings” person, but these sauce-coated, salty, sweet, spicy, crispy, mini chicken parts were delicious. At first I was skeptical of their top tier status, but the more I ate, the better they tasted. I ate the entire plate and attempted to totally clean the bones of any sauce. I think my dinner consisted almost entirely of saucy chicken skin, but I didn’t leave feeling greasy-food-gross or overly full.

In addition to simply being at a new, talked about Brooklyn restaurant, I felt even more NYC cool because I am nearly positive that Travis and I were sitting next to one of my favorite cool girl bloggers and Captain America party friend, Edith Zimmerman. Darn. It turns out it wasn’t her, but whomever it was, they truly were dining with a food critic (I’m guessing from NY Magazine). Andy Ricker (the actual restaurant owner and chef!!) brought at least a dozen dishes, half a dozen drinks, and three desserts over to their table over the course of the meal. I was jealous of all the food, but just sort of silly-happy to be part of the scene. I am most certainly a dork.

Anyway, if you like Thai food and a unique, casual dining experience, definitely try out PokPok Ny. It is not ousting Fort Reno as my favorite Brooklyn restaurant, but I must go back because I didn’t get to try their “drinking vinegars” or the highly recommended Hoi Thawt.

What NYC restaurant should I try next?

Look at that beautiful team! The Brooklyn Summer Team in Training crew headed to New Jersey on Saturday to take part in the Clinton Township Country Run 15k. It was a fun road trip and a great day.

I had a good race. I ran a 10:29 min/mile pace, which is not my fastest race pace, but a strong tempo run pace for me for 9.3 miles. I was happy with my run.

BUT… I was third to last of our team to finish and very near the back of the pack of total race participants. I am always in the second half of finishers in all of the races I run, and this 15K was a small race with under 400 runners, so I am cool with my place and time. BUT!! I am mad on behalf of all of the back-of-the-packers out there.

Our last team finisher maintained a very solid, sub 15 min/mile pace and had a really good run, yet the race organizers were already taking down the mile markers before she (and those runners behind her — because there were plenty) reached them!!! How discouraging! Most races allow for at least a 16 min/mile pace, and I think even that is restrictive. It frustrates me that this community-focused race couldn’t wait for all of the finishers to go by before cleaning up!

Everyone is different!! Not everyone is born an elite or even talented runner. We all run at different speeds and are at different points in our training. I will never run a 7 minute mile. No matter how much I train, I will never be fast. I have been working hard for two years straight and my race times have barely budged. That doesn’t matter. I must exercise and I enjoy running. And I like running road races. I compete with no one other than myself… and I think that is plenty.

Race organizers should state their time and/or pace limits and stick to them. No closing up shop before all of the runners are in. TNT is great about that. Our teams cheer in every last runner. I think that the broader running community could work harder to adopt the same attitude.

It takes a lot of courage to do something that you are not the best at. We should celebrate all effort. Running is running. Plus, no matter how speedy and skilled we are now, we are all going to be in the Masters division someday… I think we will be glad when we are older and (probably) slower that we helped to foster a supportive and encouraging running atmosphere for all speeds, body types, skill levels, and ages.

I can’t believe it has been one year since the wedding of the century!! Happy anniversary, Adam & Nina.

(Oh, and congrats to that other couple, too.)

Warning: bold statement ahead.

Fort Reno Provisions is my favorite restaurant in Brooklyn.

Fort Reno is a very new, very tiny barbecue restaurant in Park Slope on Union Street. (Supposedly, it is the Slope’s ONLY barbecue restaurant… for now. Dinosaur BBQ is coming soon!) It is completely and totally “Brooklyn hipster,” with mustachioed bartenders, old-timey cocktails, reclaimed wood tables, and local, grass fed meat. I’ve been three times.

Usually, I try to avoid Brooklyn hipster hangouts — I’m just not cool enough — but ever since becoming a full-fledged marathon runner, I have been craving meat more than anything else. More than sweets even! I know. Crazy. (It is sort of a problem since my husband has decided to be a vegetarian marathon runner. Thankfully, I have meat eating friends.)

Once upon a time, I hated ribs (too much trouble) but lately they are all I think about. The rotating menu at Fort Reno contains anything from brisket to pulled pork and chicken to sliced beef to Saint-Louis-style ribs. Thankfully, each time I’ve been, ribs have been on the menu. They also offer southern-style sides, like mac & cheese, coleslaw, biscuits, collard greens, baked beans, red beet salad, and corn bread. You order your food at a counter and then take it to your table on a tray with butcher paper. Drinks (including a selection of $10 specialty house cocktails) are ordered at a separate bar.

The house-made barbecue sauce and the sides are all great, but I don’t even care. All I care about is ribs!!! I may have a problem. You can order them in a 1/4, 1/2, or full order. (Far above is a photo of the half order, above is a full order.) They are so meaty and tender and slide right off the bone, and I love their dry rub seasoning. So good!

I have a bad/good feeling that Fort Reno will be unbearably crowded once summer truly begins. I had better fit in plenty of dinners there before that happens! Thankfully, I already have my fourth trip planned for Sunday afternoon…

Read more about Fort Reno on Here’s Park Slope and Serious Eats.

What is your favorite Park Slope restaurant?

Freaky photo, right? Last Friday, on a whim, I decided to go get my eyebrows and lashes tinted at the Benefit boutique in Soho. My friend, Casey, had told me they offered the procedure and I was in the neighborhood on Friday and in the mood for an experiment.

For a little more than I was expecting — $49 plus tip — I got my lashes and brows tinted and my brows shaped and waxed. (Above is what it looks like during the tinting.)

I am low maintenance (Travis laughs when I say that) and rarely wear makeup. I am blonde (obviously) and have light brows and lashes, which can sort of blend in with my skin. I wear mascara when I do wear makeup, but I am way too lazy to fill in my brows or even tweeze very much. So, a semi-permanent make-up solution sounded like a good idea.

I know that for many women brow waxing is a routine thing, but this was my first time. I was pleased that it didn’t really hurt much at all.

The full procedure — tinting and waxing — is not something that I plan to spend money on every month, but I am actually really pleased with the results! Darker facial features are just more photogenic.

The girls at Benefit also did my makeup, which is shown in the “After” photo above. (And of course, I got talked into a few purchases. I love the new eye shadow I got.) The second photo is after the brow and lash tinting, but before the makeup. I have mascara on in the final photo, but my lashes are dark enough now to go without.

The brow and lash tint is supposed to last for four to eight weeks, depending on the person. I think that I will save it for special occasions (mainly because I don’t want to spend the money) but I definitely recommend the Benefit boutique in general. They also do facial and body waxing, plus other procedures, like tanning, and they totally accept walk-ins.

Do you “groom” your brows?

Isn’t this blog always about me, you ask? Well, yes, but today it is even more so. I was “tagged” by the fun and adorable Mrs Whiffo, so I MUST share some fun facts about myself…

The rules of the game:

1. Each tagged person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog.
2. They must also answer the 11 questions the tagger has set for them, plus create 11 new questions for the people they tag.
3. Then they choose 11 new people to tag (no tag backs) and link to them in the post.

———

11 things about ME!

1. I work from home.
2. I love historic buildings and old houses.
3. I am very interested in religion (but I’m NOT religious) and want to know EVERYTHING about EVERY religion in the world.
4. My favorite painter is Wayne Thiebaud.
5. When I was a child, I wanted to be an Egyptologist when I grew up.
6. I cannot get enough of Star Trek.
7. I sort of have a crush on Liam Neeson.
8. I want to learn to shoot a firearm.
9. I really like Twitter. Follow me!
10. I plan to travel a lot when I grow up.
11. I wish I could serendipitously find a piece of Art Nouveau Louis Comfort Tiffany jewelry at a junk shop for 50 cents… so that I could take it on Antiques Roadshow and cause a sensation.

11 Questions from Mrs. Whiffo:

1. What is your favourite candy bar?

There are so many good ones, it is hard to choose… but Twix has been pretty good to me lately. (I eat them during marathons.)

2. Who would play you in the movie of your life?

OMG. Please say it could be Gwyneth Paltrow!

3. … and who would write the soundtrack?

Tom Petty

4. Where is your happy place?

On the couch with Crusher and Travis.

5. Coke or Pepsi?

Diet Coke! Yum.

6. Favorite Film?

Hmmmm. Terminator or Alien. I love a true female heroine who saves herself.

7. Show me your tattoos, or your “would be” tattoos!

I don’t have any… but I want one. This tattoo idea is from Travis, but I think it is a good one: get a hash mark on a foot for each marathon I complete.

8. Favorite book?

This is a difficult question. The book that most blew my mind was Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder, but I need to read it again…

9. What item do you carry with you at all times?

My iPhone.

10. Which Simpsons character are you?

I want to be Bart, but I’m probably Marge.

11. Why do you write a blog?

My blog is basically my scrapbook and I love having it as a record of what I’ve done. It is definitely just a selfish thing. No one else is going to tell my life story, so I might as well do it!

———-

11 Questions for YOU:

1. What is your favorite restaurant?
2. What is your lucky number?
3. Who is your favorite CNN anchor? (Mine is Wolf Blitzer.)
4. Would you ever get plastic surgery?
5. Do the Freemasons secretly rule the world/control the global economy? Also, is JayZ one of them?
6. What is your all-time favorite video game?
7. If you could leave on a vacation right now, where would you go?
8. Gelato, ice cream, or sorbet?
9. If you could travel back in time (without disturbing the space-time continuum) which era would you visit first?
10. What is your favorite song?
11. What is the best way to get rid of mice in an old apartment building? (Really, I must know.)

The 11+ bloggers I am tagging:

Crissy | Lauren | Jessica | Joel | Casey | Bunny Log Lisa |
Libby | Paul | Seth | Adam/Nina | Aaron | Amber | Travis

* Tag-ees: You don’t really have to do the whole process, but 11 facts about you would be fun! You can even put them in the comments!

playing… Draw Something – it is like Pictionary, but over your phone. Very cute and fun. Draw with me!

eating… out at too many great restaurants! My new favorite place in the Slope is Fort Reno, a tiny barbecue joint located just around the corner from our house. I finally tried the ribs last week and they were amazing! I have been craving them ever since. Then, over the weekend, Travis took me to Littleneck where I had scallops and pea shoot salad. (Very good, but I still want ribs!) And yesterday, Dizzy’s opened their new 5th Ave location. Travis and I HAD to stop in for opening night dinner.

prepping for… the IndieBizChicks Virtual Conference on April 25th. I’ll be speaking on the topic of “Building An Online Community” and sharing my experience creating and managing Swap-bot. The conference is $25 for a full day of business presentations (which will also be recorded so that you can listen to them anytime).

reminiscing about… running the San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon in 2000. Only a month and a half until I revisit the event on June 3rd! I have no idea what to expect this time around… except fun. Lots of fun.

What have you been up to?

Last week, I took a lunch trip with my friend, Brian, to Mile End Delicatessen. The deli has received a lot of buzz and hype since it opened at the end of 2010. It was created by a Montreal couple, Noah Bernamoff and Rae Cohen, who wanted to re-create the Jewish deli comfort food that they missed from home.

Mile End is a tiny, tiny shop right off Atlantic Ave in Boerum Hill. Brian and I went for a mid-week lunch and luckily got the last two seats at a shared table. (Don’t worry, Travis was not jealous. Mile End does not have many vegetarian options.) We ordered the signature dishes: the Matzo Ball Soup and Poutine to share, and I got the Smoked Meat Sandwich on Rye and Brian ordered the Beef on Weck.

It was all so, so, so, so good! I wish I were more of a food critic and could discuss the different textures and flavor profiles, but sadly I am just an inarticulate lay preson who likes good food. I can tell you that the Smoked Meat Sandwich blew Katz’s Deli away, and I am a huge pastrami fan. The poutine was salty and delicious and the matzo ball soup was heavy on dill, which was perfect. I was a very happy customer… as you can tell by my stuffed-mouth smile above.

Dinner at Mile End looks interesting (with chopped liver, lamb’s tongue, and veal shortbreads) but I think it will remain a favorite lunch spot for me. I can’t wait to take out-of-town guests!

Now that I checked Mile End off of my restaurant wish list, I am eager to visit the rest of my list: Balthazar, Minetta Tavern, Little Neck, Pok Pok Wing, Momofuku Ko, Pies N Thighs, Fatty Cue, Brooklyn Fare… etc, etc…

Last Sunday, my Summer 2012 Brooklyn Team in Training (seen above) ran the The Race at Roosevelt Island 10k. It was a fun day full of firsts for me — my first time on Roosevelt Island, first time on the Roosevelt Island sky tram, first time on a NYC bus! — but the actual race may have been the worst of my life.

Despite wearing my Team Sparkle skirt for the first time, I just couldn’t get my body into race mode. I was in pain with terrible shin splints and my pace was my slowest ever in a race. I am not really sure why it went so badly. I don’t really have an excuse. I ate well on Saturday. I had basically rested for the full week before. I drank plenty of fluids and ate breakfast before the race. My shoes were semi-newish, so maybe that is it… but i wore the same shoes at my triumphant NYC Half Marathon two weeks ago, so I don’t think they were the problem. I guess I’ll just tell myself that I was having a plain old bad day.

Luckily (or unluckily, if it goes as badly) I have a do-over this weekend. Tomorrow, I am running the Scotland Run 10k in Central Park. My somewhat unrealistic goal is to run it in 59 minutes. My more attainable goal is to simply have a better race than last weekend.

Wish me luck!

So… you know that I have an ongoing list of things I hope to do each year, right? Well, on my “31 while 31″ list, I have: attend a taping of The Wendy Williams Show. Thanks to my friend, Brian, I can now check that item off my list!

I’m not obsessed with tv. Really. But I had a lot of fun attending a few tapings of the Martha Stewart Show, and The Wendy Williams Show just looked like a party for the audience.

My assumptions were correct! Despite having to get up really early last Tuesday and go into the city to wait in line in the cold — Brian got tickets online, but you still have to arrive early to get in the audience line — it was a wild and totally fun experience. Alison, Casey, Brian and I had a great time. (Sadly, Travis was at work and couldn’t come with us… but I have a feeling that Wendy Williams may not be his scene.)

We spent a long while in the green room area before entering the set. I was interviewed by a producer who wanted me to ask Wendy a question on air. (In every episode of the show Wendy answers an advice question from the audience.) I was willing to do it, but nervous. I am terribly awkward on camera and glad that I didn’t ultimately get picked. Whew!

Once we entered the set, the fun started! The warm-up guy for the show was excellent. Very funny and energetic and cute. All of the ladies loved him. There was also a dj playing music to pump us up. They wanted the audience to be really excited and loud when Wendy entered the set. It was definitely a little more rowdy than the Martha Stewart Show! At one point in between segments, there was an audience member dance contest. It was crazy and hilarious and embarrassing. Don’t worry, I did not participate.

We didn’t receive any free items like I did at the Martha Stewart Show, but that is totally ok with me. We spent the two hours laughing, which I think is even better. The show guests were an actor from CSI:NY, a gospel group, Run from Run:DMC, and Beverly Johnson, an ex-supermodel with a new reality show. I enjoyed it all and am even tempted to watch Beverly Johnson’s show… maybe.

Wendy Williams is the real deal. On screen she looks like a giant, but she is much more normally-sized in person. (Although, the three giant body guards that she had around her at all times helped to put her height in perspective.) And she is beautiful. She was very sweet to the audience, and funny, and a total pro. She only had to re-take a few lines when she was taping the promo segments. I was impressed. You could easily dismiss her show as unserious fluff, but I actually think she is very talented. She is honest and matter-of-fact with her guests, not afraid to ask tough questions. I actually think she has a long, successful career in front of her.

Anyway, I recommend attending a taping of The Wendy Williams Show if you can. You can request tickets here.

Which television show taping (in NY) should I attend next??

Check out more photos from our Wendy visit on Flickr.