Outstanding in the Field

In celebration of our third year anniversary, I splurged and surprised Javier with tickets to Oustanding in the Field. This was one of the greatest things we have ever done. Outstanding in the Field is basically a bus that travels the country in the summer months hosting dinners at ranches, vineyards and small farms, using local foods, wine and people to put on a spectacular dinner. They set up an 80 ft table outside and ask everyone to bring their own plates. Our dinner was at Halter Ranch in Paso Robles where they took us on a little tour of the vineyard followed by a walk down a dusty dirt road where we sat at a  table which was nestled in a shady oak grove between the vines. The food was served family style and cooked right in front of us. The farmers who were at the dinner, stopped at each table and talked about their farms, food and practices. On the menu...abalone to start and rabbit ragu as a main course. Every bite of it was delicious. We met some great people and had the best time!

26.2

   Well, we did it! 26.2 miles! Sorry, for the lame photo, but I have to draw the line somewhere. We don't need a visual of me huffing and puffing my way to the finish line.
   Finally feeling back to normal today. If I could get my feet into some shoes, I might actually be able to go for a little baby run...maybe. Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better race. I had a strong and steady run and enjoyed almost every mile. It's too bad the live music at the "Rock n Roll" Marathon made my ears bleed, but lucky for me I had my trusty ipod. The weeks spent on compiling the perfect mix paid off and made my musical run rad! Thanks to my pals and all their recommendations!
   Javier had an entirely different experience with his race. It really is a toss up with running...you just never know when you are going to have a good or bad run. He ran a strong 23 miles 2 weeks prior, but had some major muscle cramping and a possible stress fracture in his foot during the marathon. He still finished strong and I'm proud of us both. 6 months of training, over 300+ miles logged.
   I've heard it a million times "once you run a marathon you will never want to run again".  Not so. If anything it fueled the desire to do another.  It was a wonderful and rewarding experience. I highly recommend it.