TCS NYC Marathon ALZ Association

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Vegan Five One Eats #7 (New York City)

Sunday morning brought me to the Lower East Side/ East Village section of New York. In a few hours, I will be taking a walking tour around the area with a guide that has numerous stories over the years about punk rock. But first, it is time to find a restaurant nearby serving delicious vegan food. How about Organic Grill on 1st Avenue? That sounds wonderful.

I heard about Organic Grill through social media posts, most notably John Joseph (Cro-Mags). All their menu items are vegan. However, not all of them are gluten free and nut free. If you have allergies, make sure to read the menu before ordering. When I arrive, brunch was being served. Before entering, I took a look at the menu posted on the window. On the regular menu, I noticed a sandwich created by John Joseph himself. It is called the John Joseph Jackfruit Sandwich. Around 11:30, I was able to get a small table in the back close to the kitchen. If you have a group, I would highly recommend getting reservations, especially on the weekends. It is a small establishment and not too many tables.


The sandwich contains Jackfruit with barbecue sauce; aquafaba mayonnaise; and kale slaw on a potato dill bun. It was delicious because the filling was almost falling off the bun and it was not dry. This is my second time have a Jackfruit sandwich, Organic Grill did an excellent job. Prior to the visit, I never had Kale Slaw before. That's what I forgot to do, put it on the sandwich instead of eating it as a side dish. Either way, that was terrific.

Looking outside, it is starting to rain. Luckily, crowds are not rushing in during brunch. That gave me a little extra time to pass before the walking tour began. After the meal, I received the check along with a comment card, in the form of a post card. I took the opportunity to write, "John Joseph and Rich Roll sent me here. Awesome food and excellent service. Will return again soon." Leaving the card on the table, I noticed an older man walking around talking to the patrons. That must be the owner, Vladimir. Moments later, the owner noticed my card and we instantly struck up a conversation. I told him about how I found out about his establishment. Then, he gives me a copy of John Joseph's, Meat Is For Pussies. Thank you very much for the book Vladimir. I really appreciate it and can't wait to start reading it. He took a picture of me with the book and sent it to John Joseph himself.

This is the first vegan restaurant where the owner talked with me. I really appreciated Vladimir getting to know patrons personally. Our conversation was wonderful and we could've talked longer. More patrons are shuffling in and need my table. Along with the excellent staff and service, thank you very much for making my first trip to Organic Grill a memorable experience. Of course, I will return soon. Hopefully, I will bring more friends with me. What should I get next time I visit? Maybe the Waffle Burger or Green Machine Burger.

Until next time, healthy eating and prosperous living.

-MJ

For more information, visit https://www.theorganicgrill.com/
You can also find them on social media @organicgrill

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

New Jersey Marathon

“Confidence is not some nonphysical quality snatched from the spiritual dimension and installed in the mind. It is the feeling that arises when the body’s knowledge of itself is in harmony with a person’s dreams.”  – Matt Fitzgerald

After seven months of training, marathon weekend finally arrived. The day before the race, I stopped by the Pace Team table to meet the members and suggestions on running an efficient race. At first, I was very ambitious. Well, over ambitious to be exact. Based on past race performances, I was getting faster and stronger. One problem, the races were smaller distances. I understood that I could not run under seven minutes over the course of the marathon distance. A pacer asked me, what my previous time was (Vermont City 2017, 3:37:15). He recommended I run with the 3:30 or 3:38 pace group. After that discussion, I agreed that running a 7:00 mile/ 3:05 pace group was going to be a difficult task. The pace team gave me some excellent advice but I went against it slightly. Result of being over ambitious, a term that will be used several times over this recap.

April 29th, 6:45 AM Sunday morning, I arrive for the start at Monmouth Park in Oceanport. After stretching and dropping my bag off at gear check, it is time to take my place at the start line. Just after 7:30, the horn sounds and the runners are off. As the race began, the rain stopped, clouds started to open, and the temperatures gradually increased towards the fifties. Mile 1 started off really good with a 7:23 pace. Mile 2, I had to make an unexpected detour but got back into the race quickly. At around the 10 kilometer, I caught back up with the 3:15 pace group and held up for the next seven miles. Maybe it was the cheers from the crowd that got me going in the early portion of the race.

Around the halfway mark (13.1 miles), I was losing the 3:15 group falling slightly behind. This is where I started to slow up. My original plan was to run 7:15 miles the first half and pick up the pace slightly in the second half of the race. That all changed with about ten miles to go. Being over ambitious was catching up with me.  I wanted to pick up the pace as planned but my body would not allow it. I never looked at my watch once because the times were posted at each mile marker. I was looking forward to running on the boardwalk portion of the marathon course. It was awesome hearing the spectators and volunteers cheering all the runners on. As I approached the final 10 kilometers, I was on pace to set a personal best.

The last 10 kilometers were my slowest (miles 20-Finish) hitting at least eight minute miles. I felt a brief period of sadness running on the boardwalk. Despite feeling a small pull in my right quad, I carried on towards the finish line. Getting closer to the finish line, my emotions changed because it turned out to be a pretty good day.

Finishing on the boardwalk was an awesome feeling. Definitely a nice change from the hard pavement on all marathon courses. My final time was 3:24:01, inside the top 300 overall, and a five minute personal best. Overall, it turned out to be a wonderful day. I met a so many wonderful people and heard so many inspiring stories. The course was awesome and the spectators were wonderful. Thank you very much event organizers, sponsors, pace teams, volunteers, law enforcement, and medical staff. New Jersey, you were awesome. Finishing my fourth marathon was a tremendous success along with a wonderful experience.

The beautiful feeling running a marathon is learning more about yourself every time you step up onto the course with other runners. It has given me an excuse to travel to different states and meet so many people along the way. For all my readers, my one piece of advice is do not go into a big race over ambitious. Plans usually change over the course of the run. Always be prepared to make adjustments.

Until next time, get outside and lace up those sneakers. It is a beautiful day.