San Francisco in 24 Hours

I'm incredibly lucky that I have gotten to see so many new cities since I started my job a year and a half ago.  

If you couldn't tell, I like pictures A LOT. So I think that's the best way to some up where I've gotten to journey. 

(Detroit. Not the most exciting city in the world, but The Big House is seriously incredible!)

(Los Angeles. This was my first trip to the West Coast and it was AWESOME. This night at Venice Beach was picture perfect!)

(Chicago. It was SO cold that I barely got to be outside the entire trip, but I DID get my photo op with the bean and I DID have the best meal of my life at Girl and the Goat.)

(Vegas. I had been here before, but a long time ago. Vegas is, Vegas. It's not my favorite - but it's warm and I like warmth.) 

(Philadelphia. Kind of weird that I had never been here before, and I really wasn't expecting much, but I absolutely fell in love with this city. I'm usually a snob when it comes to New York and no city ever comparing, and while I stand by that fact, Philly was a place I could see myself enjoying for awhile. Such a bummer that I didn't know about NP while I was here - I'm sure it would have made me like the city even more!)

(DC. Definitely not a first for being here but I love history, I love how walk-able it is, there's some pretty delicious food, but WHY ARE THE SUBWAYS SO ANNOYING?) 

(Columbus, Ohio. Random? Perhaps. But the people here were literally the nicest people I've ever met. Everyone was so great!) 

(Santa Clara/San Jose. I was expecting to like it here more than I did, but I was also sick for a majority of the trip so it's probably not fair for me to judge. Their donut game is ON POINT though, that's for sure.)

Travelling for work, in general, is an amazing perk. Especially for someone like me, who really hasn't gotten to see a lot of the country! 

Sometimes, I get caught up in the constant grumbles of my co-workers who have been doing this for years and years. They're married or have kids or have just been doing this for so long that they're over it. In the height of our travel season, it is easy to feel not-so-great. You're tired, you're constantly surrounded by a lot of different personalities, you're eating like crap no matter how hard you try to tell yourself "this trip I'm going to be healthy, this trip I'm not going to drink, this trip I'm NOT going to eat the arena cookies..." 

(Trying to stay active...)

And it's true that by the end of a couple of events you are run-down and tired of hotel rooms that leave you waking up with a cold every morning, and you're tired of delayed flights and airports with no Wifi and of course there's all the weekend plans that you have to forego.  But at the end of the day, look at all that I've gotten to do! I ran up the Rocky Steps and I got my picture with the Bean. I went to a Bulls game, I got to eat at incredible restaurants, I ran a 5K with coworkers, I've visited November Project workouts, not to mention going to the actual events that we're there to put on - which I still find myself tearing up over sometimes. 

So the moral of the story, as I sit here thinking of missing Mother's Day and Father's Day and my mom's birthday, and my sister's birthday, and a slew of NYRR races that I'd like to run this summer, I need to remind myself more often how lucky I am. 

My recent trip to San Jose is the perfect reminder of why I should have zero complaints. I was able to extend my trip by a day so that I could finally see San Francisco! And although we were only there for 24 hours, the trip was pretty damn near perfect - we got to do and see so many things in a small amount of time! So here's my guide to seeing San Francisco in 24 hours: 

1) Rent a car. Yes, I would have liked to walk around and maybe take the trolley, but since we were on a time crunch, having a car was what made all of this possible.  Not to mention our incredible luck in finding street parking throughout the day everywhere we went! Someone was looking out for us. 

2) Golden Gate Bridge. I wish I could tell you the name of the viewing area we went to, because it was great, but alas, I don't know. We started up near the parking lot in a grassy field with this view: 

Then there was a walk down a path/steps (lots of people out running) which we stopped on for a different view (OK the view wasn't that different but we just really like taking lots of pictures) 

The path finished down here with this view:

3) The Painted Ladies. I grew up watching Full House so I naturally went here and proceeded to play the theme song while prancing around taking pictures like a giant tourist. It was well worth it. The Painted Ladies were kind of a let down, they weren't even the prettiest of the painted houses we saw. But the park was nice and there were so many people out relaxing. Probably because you have to walk completely uphill to reach the park. Everyone was ready for a nap in the grass by the time they got there (I'm dramatic, and I really hate hills). 

4) Brunch. We found a cute place called Squat & Gobble and enjoyed some OUTDOOR EATING. 

5) Castro. Unintentionally, we realized we were in the Castro neighborhood and strolled around for a little bit. Some hysterical signs and lively places. This is probably where I would hang out if I lived in San Fran, if we're being honest. Very Village-esque.

6) I had read about a place called Philz Coffee with a MINT MOJITO iced coffee. It sounds like a weird combination, but it was so refreshing! 

7) Union Square. As soon as we got here, it's like I was back in NYC.  The whole area around Union Square is like Manhattan. I kept pointing out streets with the same names and all of the stores were what you would find along 5th Avenue. 

8) China Town. What I would expect from a China Town - very similar to New York. Tons of typical tourist souvenir shops which I managed to go into and not leave with some ridiculous thing that I didn't need. I did take pictures with the greatest monkey statue though.  And turtle.  And lion.  Sorry.

9) Lombard Street. We were scared the line to drive down Lombard Street was going to be really long, but it wasn't at all! It was bizarre but the houses along it are so pretty and the view from the top was awesome too. How do the people who live there own cars? Crazy. 

10) We were going to attempt to go to a speakeasy I had read about, but then I saw the sky starting to change colors and realized we were getting close to sunset. I have a serious obsession with sunsets, and the last time I was in California Emily and I were at Venice Beach for one of my favorites EVER (from the picture above) so I thought we should catch one in San Francisco together. We drove down to the Marina and walked out to the pier for a pretty sunset and dipped our toes in the water. 

11) Ghirardelli. Yes, I did the touristy thing and bought a bunch.The selfie stick was almost left behind on this stop- PHEW CLOSE CALL!!

12) Fisherman's Wharf. Yes a very touristy place, but I still wanted to see it, and while dinner wasn't the best thing I've ever had, we did have some yummy sourdough garlic bread! We were shocked at how early everything closed though! 

13) Mitchell's. Of course my research into San Francisco included extensive reading up on the best ICE CREAM. Mitchell's was the closest one I had read about to Fisherman's Wharf so we headed there after dinner. Mitchell's made my list because they have really interesting flavors like purple yam, avocado and halo halo, which is a combination of all different weird tropical fruits. I ended up getting a scoop of the halo halo and I wish I could describe it to you, but I can't really. It's not fruity, despite being filled with pieces of fruits. You should try it if you ever see it on a menu. I also got a scoop of mint chocolate chip because it's always my favorite. 

14) November Project. This was one of the main reasons I wanted to stay the extra day in San Francisco- so I could check out the San Fran tribe's workout on Friday morning. Unfortunately, my legs were on pretty strict rest, but I jog/walked and did the workout to a STUNNING sunrise, free from any fog! Everyone was friendly and badass and I don't understand how they run those hills. Crazy, all of ya. 

15) Mrs. Doubtfire House. Photo op! 

16) Last stop was back to Fisherman's Wharf to go to the Boudin Bakery. I never realized I even liked sourdough until I was in San Francisco. The breakfast at Boudin's was a great price - I went with the Belgian waffle with berries but the bread bowls with scrambled eggs probably would have been the better choice. If I'm every back, I would definitely like to take a tour of the bakery and maybe even make my own little bread creature (yes, that's a thing that you can do!)

See - told you we got to do a ton! 

If I were to go back, I would definitely plan on more food-related activities. Brunch filled us up so much the first day that I couldn't eat my way through San Fran like I would have liked ;) I would also loooove to do the tour of Alcatraz! 

So there ya have it. Whenever I'm being a grump about travelling please just direct me to this post, tell me to chug my Emergen-C to avoid airborne germs before my next flight, and send me on my way! 

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Food, Fitness, Friends - The Usual.

I've been really consistent with my blogging, wouldn't you say?

Since my pretty wonderful 25K out on Long Island, I've been pretty busy.

First off, it was Restaurant Week in NYC.  Ok, so Restaurant "Week" is now like 3 weeks twice a year, but I still try to take advantage of it! We decided to go to Maya - a Richard Sandoval Mexican restaurant on the Upper East Side. Review to come, but let's just say I was a fan and thoroughly photographed (and Instagrammed) the meal. 

(Chipotle Salmon entree from Maya)

To burn off those tasty, tasty tostadas, it was up and out super early Thursday morning for an EPIC Hybrid Training class at 6:30 a.m. Our friend has been teaching there and sadly is moving to Philadelphia, so we wanted to get in one more killer workout while we still could! I HIGHLY recommend checking out EPIC if you like getting SUPER SWEATY and going non-stop! You will feel so bad-ass by the end of the class, and you'll probably learn a few new exercises to incorporate into your routine. I struggled through Turkish Getups for a good 10 minutes before I (kind of) got the hang of it. 

(Get it, the HANG of it?)

Friday we ran to the November Project workout in Times Square. Waking up early definitely has its advantages, when you can take over the one area in NYC that's usually crowded beyond belief and workout! 

(I have a new top NYC moment - kick lining and singing New York, New York in the middle of Times Square. Photo Credit: Chris Mosier)

Of course, my all time favorite breakfast followed the workout. I still need to dedicate a post to the energy wrap...After NP I ran a few more miles on the treadmill at NYSC.

Friday just continued to be amazing when we had our first DIP NIGHT. Basically, a potluck where everyone brings a different dip. 

I was so excited to be able to host dip night in my new apartment :) With room for all the dip, and all of us! Dip night featured:

-Biscoff Cookie Dough Dip with apple slices
Recipe Here!
It took me some time to appreciate this, but eventually I came to think it was pretty tasty. Don't let the chickpeas scare you!

-Roasted Sweet Potatoes and a Curry Mustard dipping sauce

-Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip with tortilla chips

-Spinach and Artichoke Dip with carrots and celery

-2 Black Bean Dips with pita chips

-Guacamole with tortilla chips

-Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips with Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip 

-Brie/Apple Crumble/Walnut Bake 

-S'mores Dip! 

And of course, this was all accompanied by fresh MARGARITAS courtesy of Jaime! I've truly found my people. 

(She even salted the rims!!)

Despite a serious food coma, a bunch of us were able to rally and head to Central Park in the morning for some mileage. I did 11 and felt...

AMAZING. 

I bet you thought I was going to have some complaint about every muscle that was bothering me.  But nope. I busted out 11 miles at an 8:00 pace. 

I was able to be lazy for a little bit before it was off for an amazingly fun afternoon/night to say goodbye to our friend Leanne. A ton of November Project friends got together for a scavenger hunt throughout the city that ended at Brother Jimmy's for a looooot of drinking. 

(Ate an Oyster at the oyster bar in Grand Central!)

(Quick hockey break) 

(We all have the same birthday!)

(We'll miss you Leanne!!!!)

Sunday I slept in later than usual, finalllllly. But instead of laying around and doing nothing, we decided to take advantage of the relatively warm weather and headed to Brooklyn (whoah, who am I? I never go to Brooklyn - unless it's for food).  First stop was an attempt to get brunch at Buttermilk Channel in Carroll Gardens.  They basically laughed and said there was no way we would get seated before they closed. So we wandered and came across a place that looked good and decided to give it a try. Ok, I'll admit, what really sold me was the drink special on the chalkboard - Mint Tequila Hot Chocolate. Uhm, yes. It didn't disappoint. 

The food was good too, and the fire-place smelled delicious. (Buschenschank if anyone is curious - we both had the Cobble  Hill Cristo which was a poached egg, hollandaise, speck, lingonberries and melted Gruyere on battered brioche. It was the perfect blend of sweet and savory!) 

After brunch we headed on to the transit museum, which I highly recommend! The price is fair ($7) and it was really interesting. I actually learned a ton. And seeing the old subway cars was pretty cool.  

It was such a pretty day out and made me so excited for SPRING. 

(Is it time for Smorgasburg yet?!)

I did speedwork in the park on the following Tuesday in only ONE LAYER - a small miracle.  Of course, the speed work resulted in 0 more miles being run that week until Saturday's long run. My shins and intervals just do not get along.  We ran 10x400 meter intervals which I did at around 1:40-1:30. 

This is my new attempt at foam rolling. These knots are no joke. 

Tuesday night I went to the Coliseum for the Rangers/Islanders game which BUMMER they lost. But it was nice getting to be there - it was my first Isles/Rangers game at the Coliseum! And likely my last. All the feels. 

Hmm, what else.  We went to get a real German dinner on Saturday night. I ordered the Jagershnitzel and besides being a baby cow, it was delicious. Crispy, buttery spaetzle is incredibly yummy as it clogs your arteries. 

(Not the more photogenic of dishes)

Saturday's forecast called for rain rain rain. But I had no choice, 18 miles were happening one way or the other. I would never have been able to do it without Peter getting me up and out and into the rain. We met up with Brian, who luckily knew his way around the bridges way better than me.  For the first half of the run I felt pretty good, then I had my usual "crap, I'm halfway done and now I have to do that all over again and I'm tired and it hurts" moment - luckily that's about when we picked up Kaitlin and I was able to suck it up and catch up with her while trying to keep up with a pair of fresh legs (meanwhile, Brian's legs never tire). I guess I was going a lot faster than I thought, because at the end, my 18 mile pace was 8:30.  There were a few parts in the park where Brian and Kaitlin had to give me a few peppy words because I was fading. 

Can we just briefly mention how DRENCHED we all were? I'm talking 5 pound pony-tail. Also, a car drove past me at some point and it was like a scene from a movie, hugeeee splash all over me. But it didn't even matter because I couldn't have gotten any wetter than I already was. 

I felt so relieved that I finished that run and felt OK doing it. Especially after an only 4 mile week. 

Normally, I would sleep the rest of the day away after a run like that. But instead, I showered, packed, ate and got on a train to go to Nassau Coliseum to see my parents, sister, grandparents, aunt, uncle, cousins, and best friend for our last Islanders game together :( I can't believe it. 

We all had rooms at the Marriott with a view of the Coliseum from our windows and enough food and beer (and sangria) to feed a small army. It was amazing. Minus the Islanders losing (but we're all used to that...) 

In other news, I've been doing weights a lot more since most days my legs don't feel run-ready. Operation do an unassisted pull-up is in full-effect and I started going back to Body Pump at NYSC.

Took a trip back to my most favorite margarita place - Bamboleos - for St. Patrick's Day! $20 pitchers with free chips and guac from 4-7. Go, people! 

So now that I'm relatively caught up - I'll likely fall ridiculously behind again. Sorry about it. 

Oh...WHO HAS READ UNBROKEN? Can we please discuss? 

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So I Sampled 2 Dozen Psycho Donuts

Donuts.

My love for them continues to grow at an alarming rate for someone who less than a year ago would have chosen almost any other dessert over a donut. Ice cream still wins in my dessert world, but I have a newfound appreciation for these deep-friend, doughy, delightful delicacies. I also really like alliteration.

One of my favorite things about traveling for work is researching all the different restaurants and foods that I need to try – because, shockingly, there is food to be eaten outside of New York City.

While researching where one should chow down in San Jose, California, I discovered what appeared to be a donut mecca. A shop called Psycho Donuts, featured on Food Network’s Donut Challenge. One look at the menu and I knew I’d be stopping there. Multiple times.

My coworkers simultaneously loved and hated me when I showed up to the office on Day 1 with a dozen donuts from Psycho.

I had walked into Psycho Donuts and asked for a dozen of their most popular donuts – and then proceeded to say, “But make sure you include a ____...oh and a ___, and ____....better throw in a ____ too.” So by the end I essentially created the entire dozen myself but what else would you expect from the food Nazi?

 Day 1’s Dozen: 

Nutella the Hun – “Nutella, sprinkles & chocolate cake make him a mighty force in our donut army. You’ll be raiding our cases for more.”

This wasn’t very Nutella-y and I’m not a huge sprinkles person. I know, they’re pretty. But ever just eaten plain sprinkles? They taste like wax. Not delicious. Not necessary.

Jekyll & Hyde – “Can’t decide which one of you to be today? Go schizo and dive into both sides of this chocolaty goodness.” 

Disclaimer: I didn’t try each and every donut. I would have. But, I think I would have been judged.

Cereal Killer – “A Psycho Favorite! Dexter Morgan and Jack the Ripper? They got nothin’ on this Cap’n Crunchberries donut.”
This donut just screams, “Instagram me!” Much like the birthday cake cream cheese from Tompkins Square bagels, this donut was a pleasant surprise – its instagramability wasn’t acting as a disguise for a subpar donut, it was actually delicious!

(The Cereal Killer is ready for its close up)

Marla – “This maple beauty will have you cheating on your best donut. She’s rich and creamy with Butterfinger and p’nut butter.”
I mean, read the description. Enough said.

S’Mores – “We bring the campfire to you! Real marshmallow, graham crackers, chocolate…don’t! A Psycho Signature.”
Another beauty, although the toppings trumped the donut.

Dead Elvis – “You’ll think you died on the throne! Cream filled, bananas, bacon, peanut butter and jelly. It’s a hunka hunka donut love!”
Going into this donut adventure, I knew that this one was made for me, and it did NOT disappoint. This was by far my favorite donut, though, dare I say it- I could have done without the bacon.  Basically, to me, a filled donut far exceeds an unfilled donut. This donut combines a jelly donut with a Boston cream and adds my two favorite things – peanut butter and banana. Genius.

Raspberry Road Rash – “Don’t fall off the donut wagon! This donut will bring you back from the skids with cheesecake icing and real raspberry dust.”
I’m not one for fruity donuts, and this one was WAY WAY fruity, but holy hell they are not kidding when they say this has real raspberry dust. Kudos for that! Everyone assumed it was red velvet, and open taking a bite, they were in for quite the surprise.

Kooky Monster – “A customer favorite, topped with crushed Orea cookies and blue drizzle. It will leave you all googly-eyed and wantin’ MORE!!”
Also highly Instagram-worthy, the Kooky Monster wasn’t anything killer, but at the same time, anything with Oreos can’t be bad. Can we also acknowledge that the description features the word “drizzle?”

Sticky Monkey – “Bananas Foster in Donut form! Before you drool, don’t forget the salted caramel. Get one in your mouth, NOW!”
Really, get one of these in your mouth. Everyone who came up to inspect the box and pick their donut thought they had this one all figured out, “Oh that’s an apple fritter right?” Nope. No. Wrong. So wrong. This is no mere fritter. This gave the Dead Elvis some serious competition for donut deity.

Suicide Squeeze – “Designed by our favorite little league team – The Psycho Donuts. They went all of nothing with Oreo dust and dark chocolate filling!”
Didn’t try this one either, but I did take a little taste of the chocolate filling and it was a little bit of a disappointment. It wasn’t pudding-y enough for me – it was more like a mousse.

Boston Scream Pie – “A donut so good that it will make you scream! Skull adorned, chocolate frosted, and filled with vanilla custard.”
This one wasn’t anything special, but it was solid and the Boston Cream is a classic, for good reason.

‘Mello Submarine – “Who doesn’t love an old fashioned Rice Krispie Treat? Our friends Snap, Jrackle and Pop are stuck on this one.”
If a donut with cream, peanut butter, banana, bacon and jelly sounds like too much for you – this might be more your speed. It was yummo but not super crazy.

(Top Row Left to Right: Boston Scream Pie, Suicide Squeeze, Dead Elvis, Kooky Monster

Middle Row Left to Right: Marla, Nutella the Hun, Cereal Killer, S'Mores, Jekyll & Hyde, 'Mello Submarine, Raspberry Road Rash, Sticky Monkey)

Obviously, once I realized we had tried less than HALF the donuts at Psycho, I knew another trip was in order. Unfortunately, I had either a stomach bug or food poisoning. You know I was feeling like crap because I didn’t get to eat ANY of these donuts except for a few nibbles here and there.

Day 2’s Dozen:

Repeated: ‘Mello Submarine accidentally and Nutella the Hun and S’Mores for the birthday girl!

Cinnamon Troll- “This fearsome troll is under your bridge to happiness. Its light glaze will have you on your way to greener pastures. “
This thing was a monstrosity. A beautiful monstrosity.

Buttermilf – “How does dis muddah go down? She’s like hot knife througb uttah I tell you. Take one home and get your just desserts!”
Another good option for people who don’t want to take a bite of donut and feel like they instantly clogged in artery, gained 15 pounds and developed diabetes. Chances are, all these things still happened, but you can convince yourself otherwise due to its plain nature.

Some Off Menu Donut – With peanut butter AND Nutella. Yeah.

The Dirty Turtle – “The Psycho nurses love turtles! This tasty terrapin has been wallowing in cheesecake, Oreo dust and caramel!”
Everyone said this one was really “heavy,” as if that was a bad thing?

Canadian Morning Squeal Meal – “This one will make you sit up and say ‘eh!’ A tasty buttermilk bar topped with maple icing, bacon bits and chocolate drizzle.”
I wept that I couldn’t stomach a bite of this. “Drizzle” making another appearance on the menu.

Rocky Road – “This bumpy, nutty, oh-so-rocky road is the Highway to Heaven. Chocolate cake donut, chocolate icing, peanuts and ‘mallows!”
Would you hate me if I said I don’t love chocolate cake?

Apricotology – “A-pri-cot-to-logy(n): the study of fresh apricots in perfectly-fried donut dough on the human psyche!”
My coworkers learned their lesson and said, “Ok, I know none of these are normal. What’s that one?” A lot of surprised, “Oh! That’s actually really good” for this one.

Headbanger- “Death metal knocked this guy off his rocker! If raspberry jelly filling gives you a head rush, he’s your head trauma man!”

Strawberry Fields – “Something to get hung about! Strawberry icing, freeze-dried strawberries & a Pocky stick. Deliciousness forever!”
Hold up. Deliciousness is actually a word?
I know I said I’m not a fruity donut person, but I did find myself enjoying the small piece of this that I tried. 

(Top Row Left to Right: Strawberry Fields, Buttermilf, Apricotology, Cinnamon Troll

Middle Row Left to Right: 'Mello Submarine, Nutella the Hun, S'More, Canadian Morning Squeal Meal

Bottom Row Left to Right: Headbanger, PB Nutella, Dirty Turtle, Rocky Road)

We missed a few (was really hoping to try the hilariously named Michael Jackson donut – a chocolate cake donut covered in white powdered sugar) but I think that overall, we done good!

If you ever find yourself in California, go psycho for donuts! They have a shop in San Jose and a shop in Campbell. 

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The Run I've Been Waiting For

So, since my last running update, I successfully rested for a (pretty) solid 10 days. 

That's actually huge for me and was shockingly not too torturous considering for 4 of those days I was sick and couldn't imagine running anyway. 

Somewhere in those 10 days I had a verrrrry slow jogging November Project workout in San Francisco (I picked my damn hotel based on the fact that it was .8 miles from NP, there was no way I was going to miss it).

(#WakeUpTheSun)

And then on the 11th day I ran 3 miles to November Project NYC's workout to see how I was feeling and whether or not I thought I could run the 25K I was registered to run on March 1 on Long Island. 

(More NP fun)

Friday's 3 miles felt lovely, and so I headed to Long Island Saturday night, telling myself I would see how Sunday's race went - no expectations. No getting my hopes up. If I didn't finish all 15.5 miles, fine. This was a long run, not a race. I half expected to go out, take a few strides, feel pain in my shins, and retire to the car while Peter finished. 

Instead, I cautiously began to realize I was feeling...great? Peter kept telling me we were pushing 8:00 and I was trying to slow down but it just wasn't happening. At one point I even said, "I feel like when I relax and try to slow down I just go faster!" 

This was the run I have been waiting for. The run that just felt right and good and wonderful. Challenging, but amazing. At one point I looked at my watch and saw something that I haven't seen in what feels like forever - a pace in the 7's. 

For about 9-10 miles I was on cloud 9, cruising right along. Of course, it had to come to an end at some point, and at around mile 10 my Achilles and IT band started hurting pretty badly (because it's always something new!) 

The last half mile or so of the course was on rocky/bumpy/icy/puddly trail-like terrain and since I have weak ankles, it was really doing a number on my legs. That's when things hurt the most, and between miles 10-12 every step I switched between "You better not finish the last 5K loop Lauren, don't be stupid" and "OK, you're fine, you got this, your legs are just achy from running a long distance." At one point I told Peter, "Don't let me finish all 15.5 miles." Well, as we got to the start of the last loop, I of course informed him, "I'm finishing." Miles 12 - 15 were pretty good, and the last .5 on that damn shitty trail killed, but we celebrated Peter's longest run at 13.2 miles and we finished at a full-out run, crossing the finish line at 2:09:28. 

We cooled down with a little jog and stretch and then walked back to the food table where I gleefully exclaimed, "ARE THOSE PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA SANDWICHES?" Best race ever. 

But for real, this was my second GLIRC (Greater Long Island Running Club) race and both were excellently organized with really nice courses. The 25K was 5 5K loops through Caumsett State Park and it was really pretty with some rolling hills but nothing too challenging. The heaters in the tent weren't working, but the post-race heroes and snacks, small-town feel, and relatively convenient parking situation more than made up for it. 

The elites were a little sassy, and I lost feeling in my hands walking back to the car, but overall, it was a wonderful day. Oh, and did I mention that when Peter and I were in the tent loading up on snacks, we both heard our names announced as first in our age groups? Cherry on top! 

(Pace = 8:21 suhweeeeet)

I was so exhausted the rest of the day, but not too exhausted to eat approximately every 20 minutes. 

(Home sweet Long Island)

This morning, I woke up pretttttty damn achy. I'm working at NY Running Co. tonight and hoping there's some serious down time for foam rolling... my Achilles is the real thing concerning me and bothering me at the moment so fingers crossed some stretching and a day off will help. And, YOGA TOMORROW. Ew.

AND HI LOOK AT MY RUNNING WALL IN MY ROOM. 

I may or may not have used a wine rack as a sneaker tree and a scarf hanger as a medal display...

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Japanese Tapas in California - On the Floor

I was just in California for a work trip and the first night, had an interesting dining experience at a Japanese fusion tapas restaurant. That description itself should have been the first hint that this dinner wasn’t going to be ordinary. But strangely enough- the food was probably the most normal part of the evening.

We ventured to Cupertino, between San Jose and Santa Clara for dinner at GocHi Japanese Fusion Tapas. The restaurant was in a strip mall, next door to the oddest karaoke joint we’d ever seen. Once inside, we realized just how authentic this place was – the seating with tatami style – we were seated on the floor on mats with a cut out under the table for our legs to go in. It was surprisingly less uncomfortable than I thought it would be, despite my horrible posture.

What was slightly concerning was the sign asking us to remove our shoes- while simultaneously telling us that they were not responsible for any stolen shoes. Okay…

Once we sat down and received our menus, the concern grew as we read, “Please do not leave valuables in your car, especially where it’s visible from the outside.  Many cars have been broken into and had their important belongings stolen in our parking lot.”

Really?

The great thing about going to a tapas restaurant with a big group, is you get a chance to try so many different dishes! But GocHi’s menu is HUGE and we still only sample a small portion of their offerings.

Here’s what we had-

Edamame: Standard, although it was cold instead of warm and I prefer it warm.

Tako Carpaccio – Octopus, Sliced Cucumber, Plum Paste Vinaigrette Dressing drizzled with Garlic Oil: Not my favorite octopus that I’ve ever had, but it could have been worse

Hamachi Carpaccio – Yellowtail, Garlic-Ginger-Ponzu, and Chopped Jalapeno Drizzled With Garlic Oil: Again, not really anything special.

Gyuniku Salad – Thinly Sliced Cooked Beef & Spring Mix in Sesame Peanut Butter Dressing: SUPER DELICIOUS. Interesting texture and flavor, but I was a big fan. Figures, I liked the salad.

Kurobuta Steak – Kurobuta Pork Steak with Soy Brandy Sauce: This was really delicious and full of caramelized onions. Pork is always one of my favorites.

Hotate Tomato – Pan Seared Scallop and Roasted Tomato in Shiso-Pesto Yuzu: Didn't love the tomato but the scallop was really good and the pesto mixed with asian flavors was...interesting …

Gyuuniku Maki – Panko Crusted Beef Rolls with Asparagus and Cheese with Hatcho Miso Sauce: Yummy because it was friend and the brown gravy sauce was good too.

Nasu Curry Fusion Pizza – Pork Curry Sauce, Eggplant, Wild Mushrooms and Cheese: An awesome mix of flavors!

Buta Meshi Clay Pot Rice – BBQ Sliced Pork: Sooo good- the rice, with the sauce, with the crispy pork skin made me wish this didn’t come out last when I was already stuffed.

Specials
Tuna Tartare: Did not like this at all for some reason
Pork Meatballs: Delicious is an amazing broth with potatoes

Dessert
Sweet Potato Custard with Vanilla Ice Cream:  SO SO SOO DELICIOUS
Chocolate Cake: Boring
and Lychee Sorbet: Really sweet and refreshing and an interesting, icy texture

After dinner karaoke, anyone? 

(Stay weird, San Jose!) 

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