Hello, my friends! We’re having a warm spell in DC right now, which is making coming back from sunny LA a little easier! Matt and I took advantage of the later evening sunshine and went out for a post-work walk last night (followed by a run for him – no running yet for me!) – I’d forgotten how amazing evening sunshine is. Perhaps this whole “spring forward” thing wasn’t so bad after all!
Anyway – I wanted to share my final ASICS LA Marathon adventures recap, for what I got into after the race! In case you missed my first two posts, please check them out first:
After finishing the marathon, my fellow ASICS LA Marathon blogger challengers and I were invited to hang out in the ASICS VIP area (I know, we were so spoiled) at our hotel, the beautiful Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows. On a serious endorphin high, we all spent the next couple hours hanging out, refueling (pizza is so delicious right after a long race), and sharing stories of our experiences. Here I am with fellow blogger Brian of Pavement Runner – loved meeting him – such a cool guy.
After refueling and cleaning up, a few of us reconvened for what was officially the most amazing afternoon ever following a race: the hotel pool. I may not have loved the heat during the marathon, but boy did that sunshine (and that cold water on my sore legs!) feel amazing after it was over. Just looking at this picture makes me jealous of my Sunday self. Can I go back and live at this hotel, please? Thanks.
I spent the entire afternoon at the pool enjoying the sunshine and hanging out with my blogger buddies Jamie, Beth, Rachel, Brian, and Ryan. Seriously – best afternoon ever. Endorphin high + sunshine + pool + a fun group = happiness x 1,000. I’ve decided I should probably only run races that have sunshine and pools awaiting after them… ;)
Later that evening, we had a big farewell dinner out with the whole blogger and ASICS LA Marathon crew, including Coach Andrew Kastor and his wife Deena, who was by this point our new BFF. Such a fun group!
We were treated to dinner at BOA Steakhouse a short walk (/hobble) down the street from our hotel. It was delicious!
We also enjoyed some wine. :) Randomly after dessert, they brought out something awesome – cotton candy?! Plus a sparkler?! Sure, why not. I hadn’t had cotton candy in YEARS! Yum.
My dinner companions for the evening included Rachel, Monica, and Monica’s husband Ben, who I hadn’t seen since Monica, Meghann, and I ran the Vegas Half Marathon together back in 2011! So great catching up with him.
It was wonderful catching up with Monica, too, who I hadn’t seen in way too long even though we talk online a lot. I also loved getting to know Rachel, who was so much fun!
Such a nice end to a fun trip – one more BIG thank you to the ASICS LA Marathon team for covering our travel expenses, hotel, race fee, and some of our meals. I was so honored to be a part of their marathon blogger team!
On Monday, my flight didn’t leave until 1 so I had some time to kill in the morning. I was up really early thanks to still being on east coast time, so I decided to take advantage and head outside in time to catch the beautiful sunrise.
After enjoying the sunrise I swung by one of my favorites in the Santa Monica area, Nekter Juice Bar, to get a little early breakfast.
I picked up a green juice and this fun snack bar.
While noshing away, I took a stroll down to the water. (Sidenote: walking down stairs the day after a marathon? OUCH.)
What a beautiful place, huh?
I got back to the hotel, packed up, and headed to the hotel restaurant for a second breakfast around 10:30 before departing for the airport. I enjoyed a frittata with a side of bacon (obviously).
My lovely view:
Plus some toast and world news.
Thank you for sharing in my LA adventures with me! :) What’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever been to?
I’m now gearing up for the Rock ‘n’ Roll USA half marathon (click for last year’s recap) here in DC on Saturday, since I’m crazy and love running way too much. Stay tuned for more on my plans for that race and how I’ve been working on recovering this week!
p.s. Happy Registered Dietitian Day! Yes, there is a day for everything. My friend Lindsay shared a great blog post today – Registered Dietitians Who Blog – check it out for some new blogs to follow that are written by RDs like me! :)
Spending a day at the pool after a marathon sounds so perfect. And after an especially hot marathon!
ahhh, that blue sky and BLUE water! <3 can't help but be happy looking at that.
Gorgeous place!!! What I would give for some heat in my bones direct from some glorious sunshine!!! Great way to end the day! And that frittata looks amazing!
You’re running RnRUSA too? Girl you crazy! Hope I run into you!
Lol yep, totally insane. It’s my favorite DC race and I’d already signed up when I got the LA marathon opp! Was originally going to have it be my half marathon PR attempt race, but obviously not doing that anymore!
New Zealand, especially the South Island. The Norwegian fjords are a close second.
Totally agree re: NZ! So beautiful.
Glad that you got so many photos… I’m going to point everyone here to see everything. Thanks for the shout out… the feeling is mutual. Except, you are a cool gal, not a guy, cuz that would make no sense. And I’m glad someone else was willing to jump in the pool. It’s the way fancy people take an ice bath.
So true re: the fancy ice bath. That was way more awesome than a normal ice bath…
Hope to get the chance to hang out/run with you again sometime soon! :)
I truly beautiful place. So BLUE!! RocknRoll this Saturday is my first race. I read your race recap way back in November and said “I can do that!” and registered!!
That’s so awesome! I’ll see you out there! :)
Looks beautiful!
Happy RD day!
http://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/MjAxMy00N2Y0OWJhMDgxMGQxMTE2
Ha! So true. :)
This post is making me miss LA! The sunrise + ocean + green juice everywhere haha. Glad you had a fun trip!
A very happy RDN Day to you (a day late :)
These pics are so beautiful…. love the sunrise over the pier!!
I agree, all runs should end with sunshine and pool time! These pics make me want to hop on a plane immediately. So gorgeous.
WOW! Sounds like you had an incredible time! There are some stunning views, and so glad you to got spend so much time with the Kastors! As I hope to be running close to what she ran someday in the near future, I feel like you were living with my idol. She is a wonderful person from what I hear, and that is so cool!
SO glad it was a fantastic weekend for you! Most stunning place I have been? My running has allowed me to travel all over the country for races so its a hard choice, but I think Colorado wins so far :)
She was SO nice (they both were!) – always awesome when someone lives up to their public persona when you meet them in person. :)
It’s so weird looking at pictures of this gorgeous sunny race when we just got 2 feet of snow overnight! Looks amazing. What a great trip. Thanks for sharing it.
2 feet?! Oh man. Where are you? Spring, please come back!!
Vermont! Our ski resorts are going crazy (with excitement, obviously). We’re planning on skiing tomorrow, so we’re pretty excited about it. :)
I bet!! Have fun!
thanks for the link love!
Thanks so much for sharing your adventure! It really looks like a lot of fun! Plus the sun, beach, warmth, and palm trees don’t hurt!
Such an amazing experience — so great that you were able to enjoy it all!
Nothing like So Calif weather! Awesome way to celebrate your second marathon!