Madison Half Marathon

I had a great weekend.  I went to Madison, Wisconsin with my family to run the Madison Half Marathon with my bestie, Tamara.  It was her first half marathon and she totally killed it.  We had so much fun hanging out in Madison, eating good food, and celebrating the weekend.  We have already started talking about when we will run our next race!

When we arrived on Friday, we had dinner at Dotty Dumpling's Dowry.  This is a Madison classic with great burgers.  It was delicious.  Then we headed to the Ivory Room where we listened to dueling pianos.  It was a blast.

A beautiful day at the Farmer's Market

On Saturday, we went to the Farmer's Market.  This farmer's market is the king of all farmer's markets.  There are so many great stands and almost all of them are handing out samples.  The veggies, flowers, and cheese are abundant.  We had so much fun sampling things and we even got some scones to take home.  We also ate some famous Stella's Spicy Cheese-y Bread.  Then, we walked down State Street and did some shopping.  I got a super adorable alumni sweater that I am really excited about!  After that, we went to dinner at Cento.  This place was delicious and the perfect place for a pre-race dinner.  Bri and I split a pizza and some risotto and it was amazing!

DINNER!

Sunday was race day.  The race started at 7 am and we finished in 2 hours and 8 minutes.  I was super impressed with Tamara.  Her foot was hurting her, but she wouldn't let that get in the way!  We kept a super consistent pace of 9:47 per mile and we were both really happy at the end.

Some of my awesome support team! 

We celebrated with brunch at the Great Dane downtown.  I got the Huevos Rancheros and we, of course, split some cheese curds (when in Wisconsin...).  It was such a fantastic weekend and it was a great half marathon!

My Nashville Adventure

I went to Nashville for a Marathon recently and here is a photo reel of everything I ate...

The best donuts I've ever had from 5 Daughters Bakery. My favorite was the Maple one, but all of them were crazy delicious and the perfect treat to have the day after a marathon! 

A celebratory Bloody Mary from The Frothy Monkey.  This was our day-after-the-race brunch spot.  Breakfast was delicious and it is located on a super cute street to walk around.  

Jackalope Brewery had the cutest taproom...go there! 

A trip to Nashville wouldn't be complete without some Hattie B's Hot Chicken! I went for medium, it was delicious,  and it was the first thing I really ate after the run so it was life-saving as well.  We also got all the sides because Bri is a vegetarian and he loved them! 

Not that special, but we carb-loaded at Bucca de Beppo and I just couldn't believe the size of this dish and the tastiness of those meatballs! 

Country Music Hall of Fame! Do it! 

The Rock n' Roll Marathon Expo was super cute! 

This was a crazy good PB&J that I got at this amazing sandwich shop!  Clawson's Pub and Deli has great sandwiches and a ton of local beers.  This was the day before the race so I did not take part in the drinking, but I would love to go back and try some! 

On the way to Nashville we stopped at the Louisville Slugger Museum.  Bri had a blast and you get to see them making baseball bats! Plus, you get to take a miniature bat home with you! 

We also just walked around the city which is super adorable and we made a pit stop at Acme to check out some Honky Tonk and get a drink.  Overall, the weekend was fantastic and I can't wait to go back another time to check out more that this fabulous city has to offer!

Marathon Training Monday: Race Day! The Nashville Marathon

Race day was a blast.  Well, sort of.  The day started off a little rough.  It was storming and pouring so the start was delayed and instead of starting at 7:15, I didn't cross the start line until 8:15.

Then, I ran through downtown Nashville.  Nashville is just adorable.  There was a lot to look at as we ran through Honky Tonk Central and Music Row.  However, it was also super hilly.  Around mile 11, the half marathon runners and the marathon runners split.  This was interesting because we went from being part of about 40,000 runners to part of about 5,000 runners.  It was nice to have the space, but it was also a little depressing because you know that they only have about 2 more miles and you have 15.  Plus, as we watched our half friends run away towards their finnish, we had to run up a super long hill.

Hills.  Those hills were rough and they were relentless.  Seriously, there really wasn't a flat part of the course and as the mileage went up and up I got really tired.  I had to walk a few times when the hills just were too much for me.  Although the hills were a downer, a lot of the course was pretty cool.  We got to run through a baseball stadium and get on the jumbotron!  We also finished by Nissan Stadium which was pretty neat and we had to run downhill to get there.  Also, the last part of the course was pretty and through a park.  On top of all of this, the bands were pretty great and there was a lot of music along the course to keep us distracted.  

I was bummed about walking, but I truly had a good time.  It was fun to see so much of Nashville and to run with my training buddies from Chicago.  We all finished and that was also great.  I finished with a time of 4:49.  This is 19 minutes slower than my previous time in Chicago, but considering the heat, humidity, and hills, I am actually pretty proud of this time.  The medals were super cool, the shirts were adorable, and then I went and ate all the food.  Nashville ended up being pretty great!

My Dallas Adventure

This past weekend I was in Dallas hanging with some of Bri's Wash U besties.  Bri was roommates with Stephen and Amy and they are now engaged! We had a fabulous time exploring their neighborhood and eating tons of food.  It was a great weekend and here are some highlights:

We took a tour of the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.  This was super cool because you even get to go onto the field! I even did a cartwheel on the football field because...why not?

We had a couple amazing breakfasts as you can see below:  

We got breakfast tacos at Tacodeli.  This place was super great and even had a salsa bar where you could sample all of their salsas! They also do lunch and dinner. 

I did my usual Saturday morning run and then we went to Cafe Brazil.  I ordered the Vegetarian Migas and it was one of the greatest post-run breakfasts I have ever enjoyed.  They also have this amazing selection of coffee at their coffee bar and you are allowed to get as many cups as you want!  

Our final morning was spent at The Meddlesome Moth eating one of the best brunches I have ever had.  We had coffee from individual french presses, mimosas, and I ordered the omelet.  

We also went to some great places for Lunch/Dinner/Beer: 

This Bahn Mi Sandwich came from this amazing food truck that was parked alongside a bunch of food trucks in a park in downtown Dallas.  This was awesome and the park was adorable! 

This amazing BBQ came from the Lockhart Smokehouse.  When in Dallas, one must eat some BBQ! Get the brisket...do it.

Like Chipotle for Pizza lovers, Pizza Snob was a must try as Bri is a HUGE pizza fan! I got the Buffalo Chicken Pizza and it was so good I took a bite before remembering to take a photo! 

Go to Emporium Pies.  Eat all the pies....

The Highland Park Soda Fountain is a cute little dive that has amazing milkshakes and just plain good grilled cheese.  I got chocolate, but Bri got cherry and Stephen ended up with Strawberry.  We were all very happy. 

We went to a great bar called Luck and sampled a ton of good Texas beer.  Then, we walked over to the brewery next door, Four Corners, and tried some of their stuff as well! 

I swear we did more than eat!  We shopped, walked around cute areas, and spent a good amount of time at the Fort Worth Stockyards: 

Engaged Cowgirls :) 

It was a truly amazing trip!

My California Trip: Davis, Lake Tahoe, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Sonoma

Cali was a great trip for me and Bri.  We have been there before, but we had never gone to these areas and so it was a blast!  We did a lot of sightseeing and a lot of eating!  I went for a couple runs and it was a really nice time!

Our trip started out in Davis where we visited Bri's brother, Kevin.  He showed us around campus, I went for a run through their beautiful arboretum and since he's a vet student, we got to play with kittens!  While staying in Davis, we decided to drive out to Lake Tahoe to see some gorgeous sites and eat some yummy burgers.  We went to Burger Me for lunch and then walked around the lake area.  Then, we went to Emerald Bay to get a good view of the lake as well as the scenic mountains.  

Back towards Davis, we went to Track 7 Brewing Company.  Bri and I love visiting tap rooms and drinking different kinds of beer.  At this place, we found a Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout!  It sounded pretty strange, but ended up being amazingly good!

We spent a night out for dinner and dessert in Sacramento.  For dinner, we headed to Pizza Rock for dinner and ate some amazing pies.  Kevin and I split a BBQ style pizza and Bri got a calzone.  Everything was delish.  Afterwards, we walked down the street to Rick's Dessert Diner.  This place was PACKED.  Obviously it is a place to be and it did not disappoint.  You can find every kind of dessert you can imaging in this cute diner.  I, of course, got a slice of the Red Velvet Cake.  

After all that eating, we felt like we needed to get moving.  We spent some time strolling through Muir Woods. I thought that fairies were going to fly out at me.  This place feels incredibly old and magical.  The redwood trees are simply stunning.  Pictures do not do them justice.

Following our Muir Woods excursion, we spent the day in San Francisco.  We started off with brunch at Sweet Maple's.  This place was also a hopping spot.  We stood outside and waited for our table for quite some time, but it was totally worth it.  I got a scramble that was out of this world and the "million dollar bacon" was also a huge hit at our table.  I am not a big bacon person (gasp!...I know), but it even tempted me.

San Francisco is a great place.  We just loved it.

We even found dessert as a middle of the day pick-me-up at Dandelion.  This place happens to be one of the best chocolate shops in the world.  Go there.  Get the Peanut Butter and Jelly Bar.  Trust me.

Then, because you just ate your brains out, go walk up a hill and check out this gorgeous city.

And then find beer...

Tasting at 21st Amendment Brewery

At this point, you're probably wondering: "So this girl went to California and drank beer the whole time?"  Bri is a huge beer fan and I enjoy it quite a bit.  However, the answer to that question is, nope.  We definitely got our wine fix in Sonoma:

Wine Tasting Tour

Wine Tasting Tour

and more beer :)

Marathon Training Mondays

Hi! Long time no...blog?  Anyways, I was traveling and a bit all over the place for the past week, but I'm back and ready to share some marathon training maddness.

I was in California for my 10 mile run and I went for a very hilly run through the UC-Davis Arboretum.  It was very pretty, but very hilly, and I was not all that pleased with my run.  However, I did it and as usual, afterwards I felt great.  Plus, I got to see these squirts while I was running! So cute!

California was a great trip and I can't wait to share some of my adventures, but then we came back to hot and humid Chicago and I had a week of NOTHING!  Camp is over and school hasn't started yet, so I was able to relax a little.  This past week's mileage was 3, 7, 4, 15.  7 was tought.  15 was pretty darn difficult.  I finished both runs at about a 10 minute mile pace, but this weather is really wearing me down.  I need to go back to beautiful Cali!  

15 was also the start of the really long runs.  In my mind, anything under 13 is not too terrible.  Anything above is a really long run.  You need to hydrate and take care of yourself the day before.  You need to bring "course nutrition" (like gels, gu, or other things) the day of.  And, afterwards, you need to get some good protein in your system and stretch/foam roll.  I'm feeling a bit tired and sore, but I'll survive because I'm trying really hard to take good care of myself!  If anyone has any tips on what has worked for them as the mileage increases, I would love to hear it!  

This coming week the mileage is 4, 8, 4, 16.  I'm hoping that the heat starts to die down! 

Lake Geneva

My buds

I can't believe I haven't told you about this yet! I had the most amazing weekend with friends up in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  We ate great food, found tons of fun activities, and had a generally relaxing vacation.  I consider myself incredibly lucky to have found these guys my freshman year of college and to still be so close with all of them today.  So here is what we did:

We stayed in this great cottage near downtown and that meant we were able to walk almost everywhere.  We went on a pontoon and walked around the lake.  I got to go for a few good runs while I was up there as well!  In the downtown area, we went to places like Kilwin's and Popeye's.  Kilwin's was perfect for a sweet treat in the middle of the day and Popeye's was our big dinner out that we enjoyed. 

Our other dinner was a homemade BBQ.  We made a great strawberry poppyseed salad and grilled up some hot dogs.  

We also went to a brewery and a winery while we were in town.  Both places were a drive, but totally worth it.  We went to the Gevena Lake Brewery which was super cute and had tastings of everything they had on tap.  Then, we went to Staller Estate for wine tasting and, of course, I bought a bottle to bring home.  I am suddenly super interested in reds.  I'm not sure if I just suddenly grew up or something, but I love red wine!  I am still a white fan, but all the wine tasting I have done over the past few months have showed me that I actually have quite the taste for a good red wine! 

The IPA at Geneva Lake

It was a great weekend and I can't wait to see what we come up with for next year's reunion!