You’ve got the running, we’ve got the rest.
Anyone who travels for sport and fitness competitions, especially marathon runners, can tell you that planning the details of a big weekend can be tedious and all-consuming.Logistics include packing the necessary gear, finding accommodations, mapping the course, and all the while, maintaining your training schedule.We’re here to take away some of that pressure for you with healthy restaurants to keep you fueled, local spas for a relaxing recovery, and a handful of Zeamo’s open gyms in Boston where you can find nearby swimming pools, stash your gear, and jump into a shower close-to-course on race day.
Your Go-to Guide to Healthy Restaurants in Boston
With three locations in Boston, Mother Juice spreads good vibes and good food in Kendall Square, Newbury Street, and Boston Public Market. Known for their cold-pressed juices, Mother Juice serves up an entirely organic and gluten-free menu. Peanuts, dairy, and gluten are never included in their extensive offering of smoothies, juices, breakfast bowls, concentrated health shots, salads, seasonal soups, and toast meals– making Mother Juice a no-brainer for your pre-race meal.Many of its options are both protein-rich and vegan. You’ll find delicious ingredientsincluding avocado, chia seeds, walnuts, and almond butter sprinkled throughout the menu.You’ll feel good about supporting Mother Juice, too, as they make a big effort to source those ingredients from local farms. Bonus points, the company was founded by two women!
Life Alive for Lunch or Afternoon Snack Attacks
With locations in Cambridge, Lowell, and Salem, and a new location opening in Brookline in April of 2018, Life Alive is perfect for a cozy, more casual dining experience that still meets the needs of those with dietary restrictions. Life Alive not only offers smoothies, warm grain bowls, cold wraps, fresh juices, salad bowls, an extensive array of lattes, concentrated tonics/boosters in house but an extensive takeout / online menu for when you need to lay low in your hotel and binge New Girl or Black Mirror.Life Alive certainly commits to, “soulfully serving you the most fantastic, vibrant, organic, therapeutic, whole food you could ever imagine in an inspiring environment,” as stated within the mission on their website, and excels in healthy, hearty, eating.
Forage for Dinner
Located in Cambridge, near Harvard Square at 5 Craigie Circle, Forage is a leader in exquisite culinary creations, many of which are also vegan or vegetarian. Their dining menu and craft cocktails both focus on “local, seasonal-driven ingredients” according to their website. At the bar, you’ll find ‘biodynamic/organic’ white, red, and sparkling wines. If you’re a food nerd like us and wondering what exactly constitutes a ‘biodynamic’ wine, Hilarie Larson at Wine Folly has all your questions covered here.Forage always provides a vegetarian and vegan tasting menu. Four courses for only $39. However, it really shines on Monday Evenings or “Meatless Mondays” as they’ve named it: $40 for six plates rather than four! From marathon running to marathon eating? Just for reference – that’s one plate for every 4.5 miles you just ran. Perfect.20 year Boston native, dog-lover, and fresh food aficionado, Stan Hilbert, the owner of Forage , took some time out of his packed schedule to speak with us. He explained that the community desire for a fresh, high – quality meal, coupled with the prospect of supporting the local economy, entices clientele from from all over, especially as Forage is very accommodating towards food allergies. Stan emphasized that the chefs as Forage operate by a simplistic culinary principle – let the food stand alone, as the original flavors speak for themselves. You’ll never find a plate drowned in sauces, additives, or excess seasonings, as the freshness is the main star of every dish. That said, Forage knows that not everyone is vegan. In fact, it’s just as widely known for its steaks, cheese, mussels, and more. Really, there is something for everyone here.
Unwind, Recover, and Practice Self-Care with these Boston Spas
Try G20 Spa + Salon for a Mix of Alternative and Classic Treatments
Located at 33 Exeter Street, G20 Spa offer traditional services such as massage and scrubs but what separates them from the pack is their extensive offering of ‘alternative therapies.’ Reiki, reflexology, guided meditation, a flotation pod, and a salt cave are all services available to guests, with many shorter sessions ringing up at less than $100. If you’re dying for a last minute sports massage before the big race, G20 offers that as well — and you can even text them to book it!
Exhale in Balans Organic Spa for the eco-conscious
Located at 216 Newbury Street, Balans Organic Spa offers float therapy, organic facials, organic massages, yoga and pilates classes, and chiropractic care. Balans strives to “consider all the dimensions of health” when treating clients, and supports your body “through organic food and healthy movement free of toxic ingredients.” As an added bonus, all of the cleaning materials used in the spa are organic and homemade. You can even take home a recipe outlining how Balans created the supplies used in your session. Talk about sustainable practice.
Run, Swim, and Stretch in these Kick-ass Boston Gyms
Get focused on your form inside Vim Fitness
Vim Fitness takes the environment very seriously. They incorporate Feng Shui and environmentally-friendly materials into the design of their facility. So much so, that they’ve been certified by the Sustainable Business Leader Program. Class offerings include Vinyasa, Barre, Spin, Pilates, and Bootcamp, just to name a few. Visit their two locations in University Park and Central Square!
You’ll find local swimming pools for lap workouts at Boston Sports Clubs
Need a swimming pool? Bingo! Boston Sports Club is your best bet for a finding a nearby swimming pool in Boston. Its many locations provide this amenity, along with basketball courts, saunas, and much more in South Station, Boylston, Wellington Circle, Watertown, and Newton.Fun fact: Did you know the company actually started as New York city squash club? Keep that tidbit in mind if you’re not in the mood for a pool of feeling competitive. Boston Sports Club is known for its squash. Book your session in with a day pass on the Zeamo app!
Take advantage of assisted stretching at Republic Fitness
Whether your in town for the Boston Marathon or just dipping your toes into the world of fitness, Republic Fitness offers anawesome assisted stretching program.According to their website, a session can, “help to increase flexibility, correct muscular imbalances, prevent injury and recover from your workout while enjoying mental and physical relaxation.” In other words, they can help you ease in or out of any workout with a stretching session so endorphin-releasing good, it’ll feel like exercise.We hope you’ve enjoyed our guide into Boston. Stay tuned on our Instagram for some last minute pre-race tips!
