Oh yes we did!

We're doing the Long Beach International! It's fast loop half marathon along a beach path in downtown Long Beach, about 1.5 hours north of San Diego. We're looking forward to attending a large expo this time since the last one we attended in Santa Barbara left much to be desired. Since this is a much bigger race, this should be a high energy race. The start and finish is right outside our hotel so we're definitely going to take advantage of all the festivities. With plenty of restaurants within walking distance, we finally have a half where we're not confined to waiting around for room service. With entertainment nearby, we'll be heading out to a dueling piano bar the night before and maybe a a movie the next night. Long Beach - here we come!

Eddie @ Eddie V's

We celebrated Eddie's 15th Anniversary at Eddie V's Restaurant in La Jolla. After reading some strong reviews on yelp, this oceanfront spot seemed to be the perfect place for the occasion. The service was top notch and they even surprised us with a card congratulating Eddie on his success. We sat on the terrace with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. The truffle macaroni and cheese, which reminded me of Thanksgiving and Christmas, was amazing. But the surprise knockout of the evening was the Bananas Foster. The bitterness of the alcohol was more prominent than I had expected making it a very grown up dessert. A delicious ending to a great day.

Happy as a clam



The remains of the Bananas Foster

Sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean

Eddie's 15th Anniversary

Eddie was surprised with a surprise celebration at work today. After his manager distracted him from his team meeting set for 11am, he walked into a room with his entire team, co-workers, cake, and balloons. A Yankee-Elvis theme was obviously two of Eddie's favorite things. In addition, he received tickets to wrestling! Congrats Eddie for all of your hard work and this great milestone!

Surprise!

One of a kind cake for a one of a kind guy

15 years!

Vegas Winners

We planned on only running 5, but Eddie accidentally ran 8.3 miles by missing the turnaround and so I decided to increase my run up to 6. By 12p, we began driving to Vegas. We started our trip with the intent of collecting Eddie's winnings from the Superbowl with a long walk from Palazzo to Aria in 90 degree temperatures, but Eddie wanted to teach me how to play Caribbean poker when we returned to our hotel. After two hands, the student became the teacher as I had 4 queens followed by another hand with 3 queens, which lead to a $1000 win in just a few minutes. From there, the winnings continued the next day with Eddie's picks on sports. With roulette, our numbers 6 and 27 led to more wins. The wins continued as we checked into Encore where they offered us a 2600 sq. ft. suite upgrade. The room was spectacular and the views were amazing. While we didn't plan too much on this trip, we did partake in the CSI Experience, where we acted as detectives to solve a case, enjoyed declicious meals with our most memorable dinners at Zine's and Sinatra's, and also attended Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian.

Eddie and Elvis at Aria

We enjoyed drinks at Lakeside, a gorgeous waterfall at the Wynn

Encore's 2600 sq. ft. suite

Our own bar

Spacious bedroom

Bathroom, the size of Eddie's living room

Doesn't everyone have their own massage room?

Floor to ceiling windows with views of the Vegas strip

Bunnies on a painting in our suite



Dinner at Sinatra's and Phantom of the Opera

Palm Springs Memorial Day Getaway

It felt great to run 6 miles along the coast. It felt even better knowing that we were headed to Palm Springs. A 2hr drive from San Diego, Palm Springs has become one of our favorite weekend retreats. Its rocky mountain backdrops and desert landscape make us feel like we're worlds away. I surprised Eddie with reservations at the La Quinta Waldorf Astoria Resort with a hideaway casita, known for its spacious back patio. We ate some great meals including a surprise find - Richie's Diner, a 50s style diner that Eddie loved of course. We had ribs and gigantic onion rings. We'll be back for sure! On a bummer note, I felt a tinge of my calf injury return on the run.

At the spa

Private entrance

Spacious patio and mountain backdrop

Success in Solvang

Our second half marathon is complete! We both managed to set personal records despite a more difficult course. Eddie's time in Vegas was 2:27 and mine was 2:45. Eddie worked hard and his preparation paid off. By a sheer miracle, I ran faster than my previous time. I ran up until the 11th mile and walked/ran. Eddie and I both agreed the last two miles were the toughest. The course was mostly flat with some hills to make it interesting. Highlights of the race, well organized, beautiful vineyards, cows up close and personal, an elderly couple - husband on his tractor and wife by his side cheering us on, a darling town with cottages in Los Olivos, horses running along side us as we climbed up our first hill, a young man with a guitar singing his heart out, and the volunteers who encouraged us at every mile mark which was marked very clearly.

We even recovered quicker this time. After the Wine and Music Festival, where Eddie sampled some beer, we went back to the hotel to clean up and eat (chicken drumsticks, chicken flatbread, pasta, and quesadillas, yum!) and headed to Michael Jackson's previously Neverland Ranch located in an almost eerily remote area. Fortunately, our trusty TomTom confirmed we were in the right place. We turned off our car, walked up to the gates, and we heard nothing but the sounds of birds and insects. Tranquil and peaceful, we headed out for a sushi dinner.

On a side note, we saw yet another housewife on our trip, Vickie from Orange County and her husband Don. Briana, her daughter, married Ryan who walked right past us at our hotel, and they had their ceremony the same day we were there. We can't seem to take a trip without spotting someone on TV!

Pre-Race...woke up at 4:30a and excited to start

Running by bulls and buffalo

Post Race...feeling GREAT and very happy

Michael Jackson's previously Neverland Ranch

Sausage and smorgasbord..where we ate in Solvang

According to Eddie, an old family story...can you remember?

Wine Country Half:

	Time	Pace
Eddie	2:12:53	10.08
Melissa	2:41:43	12:20

Feelin Ready...Sort of...

I can't believe we're in the home stretch. Eddie ran 7 miles this morning, a "light run" so he would feel energized for the race. My achievement for the week was run/walking 4 miles after coming back from a torn calf. The distance wasn't much, but it just felt fantastic to run again after a month off - doc's order - sooo frustrating!  My physical therapist says I should run/walk until I feel 100%. My goal is to getter done in 3:30. Eddie and I will meet up at the Music and Wine Festival where we'll be able to sample an unlimited amount of wines. LOVE my new running shoes by Brooks - the added support should help me a lot during the run. We stocked up on Chomps - gelatin to give a boost during our run, and I bought us fanny packs (way cooler than you think - they lay flat and can fit a cell phone/money/keys). Thanks to the great folks at the Running Center. We'll be returning when Eddie buys a new pair of shoes after the race. Highlights of the week:

• Eddie returned home from work travel to Texas.
• I saw Tim Tebow speak at the ChikFilet Leadership Conference.
• Sunday - I made pork chops for dinner with Italian bread crumbs. Eddie was over the moon.

Little beer mugs for tasting at the Festival of Beers (Scottsdale)