26.2 miles, 2 crippled days, and many soupy meals
Endurance, Appetite, and a Fully Body Recovery
I’m writing this from the couch — legs finally back to life, heart still humming. On Sunday, I ran the New York City Marathon. My first ever. I’ve replayed the moment I crossed that finish line a hundred times since, trying to name what I felt. Pride? Relief? Definitely nausea. But mostly, stillness.
There’s something strange and beautiful about moving for hours and then stopping. like you’ve been dropped back into a slower version of the world. Everything after feels softer, quieter, earned. I’ve been doing my best to honor that pace this week: sleeping in, eating too many bagels, calling my mom to tell her I did it. There’s a sweetness in that slowing down that reminds me of cooking — how effort, heat, and time somehow collapse into something simple and good.
The day after the race, I could barely walk, my knee ached, and my nausea was still very present, but I couldn’t stop smiling. And somewhere between the ice bath, inferred blanket and the Advil, I know I said it out loud: I’d do that again.
Meal In
This week, I’ve been cooking and ordering like someone learning how to walk again. Slow, soft steps. Mostly gentle food: soups, sheet pan meals, and things that hum quietly on the stove all afternoon. My favorite has been a one-pan chicken with apricots. RECIPE
And when I haven’t been cooking, I’ve been ordering from Springbone, mixing their broth and sides to make my own little soup.
My go-to order: New Roots broth, liquid gold, a side of chicken thighs, two sides of rice, and cabbage slaw.
When I eat like this, it doesn’t feel like I’m just feeding myself. It feels like finding my way back home in my body. After the marathon, my gut and my body have been craving that kind of gentle, medicinal love.
Meal Out
This week was a bit of a juggle between work, pre-race jitters, and actually taking care of myself. I found myself leaning into bigger lunches on the go instead of long dinners out. Two spots I grabbed a seat at were Tacombi and Chloe, both in the West Village.
Tacombi order: chips and guac, cheese quesadilla, El Pastor x2
Chloe order: kale caesar and sweet potato fries
One quick but perfect neighborhood dinner was at Entre Nous. I had Braised Pork Toast with Marinated peppers and Chanterelle Mushrooms with vinegar and onion.
High Chair Talk
Healthy fried rice and baked tuna bites on repeat.
Mars has officially entered her picky phase — what she eats, where she eats, when she eats… all of it comes with an opinion. I’m sure it’s normal (right?), but some days it feels like food gymnastics. One minute she loves something, the next she won’t even look at it.
Two consistent winners lately: these easy baked tuna + corn bites and a simple healthy fried rice. Bonus — they’re just as good for me to snack on or finish off when she’s done.
Food for Thought
Running a marathon taught me something unexpected about appetite. You train for months for one single day, push yourself to the edge, and when it’s over, you don’t crave more movement, you crave stillness. Not to stop, but to move in a different way.
I’m someone who doesn’t always know how to sit still. I’m quick to jump into the next thing (or three). But after the marathon, my body gave me no choice. For 48 hours, I could barely move—and instead of fighting it, I let myself lean in. I rested. I let the quiet land.
In that slower space, I began thinking about food — the way I cook, the way I eat, and the way I gather people around a table. So much of life right now is built around speed: content, deadlines, scrolls, hustle. But the good stuff? The moments that actually taste like something? Those only happen when you slow down long enough to notice them.
More of that. In the new year, and always
Side Plate
A few things I’ve been loving lately:
Chestnuts — tis the season! Roast and smother with herb butter.
New York fall markets — Union Square on a Wednesday morning right now is pure theater: persimmons, quinces, people in puffer coats tasting apples like wine. My camera roll can’t take it much longer
Nobody Wants This (comfort TV in its truest form) & season three just got approved…
Side Plate x2
I’m so excited to share that I’m co-hosting a beautiful dinner at Frank’s House — Feast with Friends: Gather — on November 13th.
It’s a special evening in collaboration with Philo Studios
This dinner is rooted in everything I’ve been feeling lately — endurance, gratitude, and the joy of slowing down to gather around a shared table. We’ll be cooking, talking, laughing, and (almost certainly) eating too many chestnuts.
If you’ve been meaning to visit Frank’s House or want to end your fall with something warm and communal, this is the night to do it. Come say hi, come hungry, and come ready to feast.
Highlighting our sponsors:
CHANDON, Row 7, Graza, Bright Farms, The Great Chestnut Experiment, One Love Community Fridge
Sound Bites: November Playlist <3
That’s it for now <3
xx
Gina
Beautiful 😍