A Girls' Weekend

 Mom's visiting for a girls' weekend in Charlotte!  Friday night we hit the Food Truck Rally for dinner.  We started with gazpacho and sweet potato chips from Root Down and then jumped in line at Tin Kitchen for tacos.

We shared plates of Buffalo Cauliflower tacos (cauliflower, hot sauce, slaw, feta, and scallions) and Lobster Tacos (honey truffle butter, poached lobster, sherried wild mushrooms, and fresh herb salad).  The cauliflower taco was our favorite and a recipe that I'll definitely be recreating.

Saturday's are my favorite weekend day and today included all of my favorite things.  Sleeping in, a morning bike/run brick, a caramel latte from Not Just Coffee, and a trip to the farmer's market.

Look who else came to partake in girls' weekend?!  Bailey enjoyed a fun morning hanging out with us and partaking in all of the festivities.

We made our way to Ballantyne to do a bit of shopping this afternoon.  I've heard many compliments of the Xenia Hospitality Group restaurants (Nolen Kitchen, Maverick's Rock Taco) and chose to try another of their locations, Ilios Noche, for dinner.

For an appetizer we shared a platter of their four housemade dips:

• Roasted Eggplant ‘Melitzanosalata’ - toasted walnuts, red onion, mint
• Cucumber Yogurt 'Tzatziki' - imported goat's milk yogurt, garlic, dill
• Roasted Red Pepper 'Htipiti' - barrel-aged feta, chili pepper, arequina olive oil
• Hummus 'Revithiasalta' - crushed chickpeas, roasted garlic, capers

The roasted eggplant stole the show, but the roasted red pepper came in a close second.  Being the carb-loving ladies that we are, we devoured all of the pita and nearly all of the dips.

I was completely undecided with my entree, but ultimately selected a traditional Greek specialty - Moussaka.  I would best describe it as a Greek lasagna, with layers of potato, eggplant, lamb bolognese, and cream souffle.  The meal itself was quite unlike the food I would typically order, but I really enjoyed the heartiness and creamy combination of flavors.  It was a huge serving and left me with a hearty portion for another meal.

Girls' weekend continues tomorrow at the Ramblin' Rose Triathlon in Rock Hill.  I'm a blog ambassador for the event and have enjoyed spreading the news about the beginner-friendly women's triathlon tour.  After exchanging many emails, I finally met Caitlin from Healthy Tipping Point in person.

Tomorrow's race is a very short one - 225 yard swim, 8 mile bike, and 2 mile run.  Some say short and sweet, but the reality is shorter = more painful.  It's going to be an all out sprint for this non-sprint-loving girl!

An early morning race calls for an early bedtime.  Bailey has already called it quits for the night and it's time that I head to bed as well!

A Rainy 4th of July Run Down Peachtree

Running the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta is an annual tradition.  The street party-like 10k Independence Day celebration in the heart of downtown is unlike any other road race.  Since I was working last year on the 4th, I was especially excited to make the short trip home for 2013.  

Any trip home wouldn't be complete without mentioning how excited my favorite puppy was to see me.  Sadly, I'm not so sure how much she was loving me after I forced her into getting a bath.

After a rainy drive, I enjoyed a casual evening at home with a grilled salmon dinner followed by an decadent s'mores cake.  Dad even lit the chimnea and we watched the flames while dodging raindrops.

Thursday morning we were up bright and early to drive downtown and catch Marta to the race start.  Mom opted to stay home with a headache and a threat of potentially heavy rains.  Dad, Royce, Erin, and I all donned garbage bags and set out to brave the rain.

Fortunately, the weather gods blessed us with a rain-free interval that stretched from just as the race began, all the way until we were walking the last block back to the car.  Of the 60,000 registered participants, there were more than 55,000 finishes - pretty remarkable given the weather.  I had a decent first three miles, running 6:45s, but pretty quickly could tell there was no way I would be able to hold onto the pace.  Since it is the middle of tri season, I didn't specifically taper for the Peachtree, and my legs just weren't up for fast running. I finished in 46:25, about 4 minutes shy of my Peachtree PR two years ago.  

Post-race we were paraded through the mud pit that was Piedmont Park, collecting t-shirts, food, and drink as we went.  Ultimately, I found Dad (who had another great race and continues to become faster!) and a bit later, Royce and Erin.

 Back at home, I enjoyed a fantastic afternoon nap before indulging in an Independent Day clam steam.  Mom did all of the prep work and menu planning, and the boys manned the steamer pot.

Bailey and I pretty much lounged around and took full advantage of a lazy rainy afternoon.  She convinced me she had a really rough morning (up sick overnight, a bath, and thunder-boomers) and needed a buddy to keep her company.  It took a lot of convincing, but I obliged to an afternoon of being couch potatoes.

Six o'clock rolled around and the giant pot of clams, shrimp, "kielbasa" (tofurky), corn, and potatoes, was ready for consumption.  Great job guys, it was delicious!

In addition to the steam, we feasted on a kale and carrot salad and watermelon.  Grandma satisfied our sweet tooth with vanilla yogurt and berries for dessert.

 Friday morning I hit the road bright and early and made my way back to Charlotte.  Despite the rainy weather and sub-par race performance, it was a great getaway and time with the family!

Do you have any Independence Day traditions?

Another Year Bites the Dust

What is the importance of today - June 30th, 2013?  It marks my last day as a PGY-2 ortho resident.  Tomorrow marks day one as a PGY-3.  Two years down, 3 years to go.  Enough about work, let's looks at some recent eats.

Spinach salad with avocado and fresh-from-the-garden strawberries, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber.

Tempeh tacos with cucumber salsa and coconut roasted squash

A reward for finishing a post-call interval run
Luna's Gateway to GreenPesticide-Free and NC locally Grown Kale, Granny Smith Apple, Orange, Lemon, and Ginger

Friday night I celebrated the end of two months of trauma with Yelp's Charlotte Rock City Party at The Fillmore.  The spread of food from local restaurants (505e, Libretto's, Cast Iron Waffles, Crunch, Local Loaf, Mama Fu's, Orman's Cheese Shop, The Pizza Peel, The Flying Biscuit, and Three Amigos) was delicious.

In addition, drinks were flowing and music kept the party lively.  The Fillmore was packed for the Friday evening "Rock City" party.  This was my first Yelp event, and I look forward to many more in the future.

Both Saturday and Sunday I enjoyed a wonderful night's rest and casual wake-ups sans alarm clock.  Nothing beats a lazy morning in bed without any rush to get up and go.  Saturday, however, I was motivated to squeeze in a run before the sun came out in full force.  I took my favorite 8 mile loop through South Park and Myers Park before heading back to the house.

Post-run nourishment included a green smoothie while glancing through the Peachtree Road Race magazine.  T-minus 4 days until I'll be running down Peachtree with 55,000 of my best friends.  It's by far my favorite race quite simply due to the size, street-fair like atmosphere, and the fact it's an annual family tradition.

Our residency is in the process of growing by leaps and bounds, though not in the number of residents, but rather in BABIES!  This weekend we had a shower for a group of the soon-to-be moms.

The hosts threw a "Mad Hatter's Tea Party" themed shower, complete with a formal afternoon tea.  They did a fantastic job decorating and building a menu of little bites.

After being on the go for most of Saturday, I knew laziness would be the theme for Sunday.  I started the day by making a fresh cup of Kona Coffee.  Dad and Mom brought the macadamia flavored grounds straight from the islands.  There is no better bean that authentic Kona coffee - smooth and absolutely  no bitterness at all.

And, of course, I enjoyed a pancake breakfast while catching up on the news with the Today Show.

Eventually I dragged myself out of the cozy chair and knocked out a 90 minute threshold bike workout.  Tomorrow I start two months of hand surgery, so the remainder of the day was spent reading and reviewing hand anatomy.  I have lots to learn!  Last, but not least, dinner.  Tonight's plating was roasted sweet and purple potatoes, "cheesy" collard greens, and avocado.

Tri Latta 2013

June 15, 2013

Charlotte, NC

750m swim, 17 mile bike, 5k run

Highlights:

Swim: 14:29  (1:55/100m)

T1: 2:10

Bike: 48:59 (20.8mph)

T2: 1:51

Run: 21:49 (7:02/mi)

Finish: 1:29:17

6th OA Female (194) and 1st AG 25-29 (20)

PRE-RACE: Training has not exactly gone according to plan over the last week due to work and inclement weather.  Prior to race day, I had only managed 3 hours of workouts during the previous five days.  Usually my race week is swim heavy, but severe afternoon thunderstorms two different nights forced the closure of the pool - and thus not a single swim for more than a week.  Friday night I picked up a salad from Earth Fare on the way home and enjoyed it on the deck watching the sunset.

Saturday came far too early with a rather harsh alarm clock.  A 6:30am race start and 30 minute drive translated to a 4:15am rise and shine.  I have always enjoyed Set Up Events' races due to their extreme organization and detailed race day logistics.  However, they really missed the boat on one particular detail this year.  How many port-a-johns are necessary for 533 racers?  Does five sound about right?  I think not!  So, after spending far too long in the bathroom line, I made a very quick dash to get body marked and set up transition before making my way to the water.

SWIM: I fully intended to race the open category this year, yet somehow during the registration process I missed that option and found myself registered age-group.  I started in wave five, sixteen minutes after the first group.  Evidently the swim buoys weren't anchored, because they were rapidly drifting and what was supposed to be a rectangle turned into a random zig-zag of floats when my wave started.  There's no telling how far we swam (I'm guessing a a tad long given my slow time).  I'm consistently getting better about sprinting at the start and succeeded in finding clear water within the first 100m.  On the turn back towards shore I spent time trying to swim over and around the men from the earlier wave, so that slowed me down.  Otherwise, it was a decent swim.
12th / 194 Overall
2nd / 20 Age-Group

BIKE:  As I mentioned last year, the tough part of this course is the two miles on poorly paved and speed-bump ridden roads exiting and returning to the Latta Plantation.  Aside from that it's gently rolling hills without any major climbs.  Nothing too remarkable to mention about this leg aside from how smoothly my bike raced thanks to a little love from Curtis at Cannon Cyclery last week.
11th / 194 Overall
1st / 20 Age-Group

RUN: The 5k run is on a gravel packed trail that is littered with tree roots and lots of quick ascents and descents.  To add a little extra fun, there are three switch backs that are awkwardly placed in downhill sections.  The benefit to that design, however, is that you can monitor the proximity of your competition.  That drive allowed me to pass two women over the first two miles and run as hard as possible to prevent being passed from a surging woman from behind.  I had no idea where I was with respect to the open women since they had a sixteen minute earlier start, so I tried to lay it all on the line during the last mile in hopes of working my way up overall results.  My mile splits were consistent in the 7:0x range and heart rate steady in the upper 170s and maxing out at 182.
6th / 194 Overall
1st / 20 Age Group

POST-RACE:  After walking around for a bit to cool-down and stretch, I wandered through the food and drink.  While many people went straight for the beer tent, I opted for some orange slices from Earth Fare and bread from Great Harvest.

Results were scrolling on a computer screen and I was pleased with my overall finish.  Had I raced open, I would have been 3rd.  I can't help but wonder how much faster I may have been by starting with the fastest women and racing to stay in their sights the whole race.

Post-race I recovered with a masala chai latte from Not Just Coffee's newest location in Atherton Mill.  SO GOOD!

The remainder of the weekend featured cleaning house, our program's chief roast party, working, studying, a recovery swim, soaking up some sun, and then making a nice Sunday dinner (finally a meal that took some effort and more than five minutes!).  

Oh, and because it's now Sunday - HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DAD!!  I can't imagine my life without your loving support and enthusiasm for your "favorite daughter."

Short, Yet Sweet

Leaving work on Friday morning I was smiling ear to ear - GOOD-BYE NIGHT FLOAT!  I'll be back for an entire month of nights in November, but until then, I'm back to living in the daylight.

Rather than spend a weekend here in Charlotte being lazy and probably sleeping more than necessary, I opted to make a short trip down the road to the ATL.  Since Father's Day is next weekend and I'll be here doing some racing and working, this weekend was the perfect time to make a little surprise trip home.  Bailey's crazy barking prevented my stealth approach, but Dad was still sufficiently surprised.

I've been anxiously awaiting the opening of the Cherokee Aquatic Center since it was first discussed a few years ago.  Finally, it has recently opened, and so I made the quick drive just down the road to check it out. Not only is the facility incredible and far superior to the dungeon-like Woodstock Aquatic Center, but it's currently long-course meters.  I had nearly the entire pool to myself and the 3000 meters flew by.

There's nothing better than home-cooked meals!  Mom prepared a great vegetarian stir fry with brown rice.  After three weeks of toast, peanut butter, sweet potatoes, and an occasional salad, my stomach was very happy to have a real meal.

Saturday morning the smell of fresh-from-Hawaii coffee woke me from my slumber.  I'm no coffee connoisseur, but Kona Joe coffee is definitely the best I've ever tasted.

Sufficiently caffeinated, it was time to get down to business and knock out a bike + run.  Bailey decided she needed some exercise as well and hit the treadmill for a short run.  Tri Latta is just a week away, and I can only hope that race goes better than my Saturday workout.  I'm blaming on the sleep deprivation and miserable humidity.

Saturday  night we joined nearly the entire city of Woodstock for a 70s concert by Yacht Rock Revue.  Although it's not quite the music of my generation, the band was good and had the crowd energized.  I, however, seemed to miss the infusion of energy, and instead accomplished the feat of sleeping through a rock concert.  What can I say . . . that takes talent!

Sunday morning Royce and I arranged to take Dad out for a Father's Day brunch (one week early).  I had heard several great reviews of Local Three, so we opted to check out their brunch.  If you live in the Atlanta area, you MUST go check out Local Three.  Their Sunday brunch is served straight from a buffet line in the kitchen, giving you a unique behind the scenes glimpse at the chefs preparing the dishes as you fill your plate.  I'm not a frequent bruncher, but this was a stellar meal, with a great ambiance, and very reasonably priced.

Plate #1
Corn bread with apricot jam, mixed greens, fig and ricotta crostini,
mac and cheese, shrimp and grits, black eyed pea  + greens soup

Happy Father's Day Dad!

Plate #2
French toast with strawberries, scrambled eggs, bacon, Elvis pancake (banana chocolate chip with
peanut butter sauce and caramelized bacon), spinach and cheese panini, cauliflower quiche,
seasoned potatoes, and roasted ham with sweet potatoes, carrots, and green beans.

Now that I was stuffed to the gills, it came time to say good-bye to the whole family and hit the road back to Charlotte.

The drive home was a weather nightmare.  Just north of Greenville there was a torrential downpour, and as if that weren't enough of a challenge, as I made my way through Spartanburg, I was greeted with a hail storm.  Despite dodging cars and trucks stopped in the  middle of the highway, I escaped the madness and was happily greeted by sunshine as I crossed into North Carolina.

My final weekend activity was a trip to Taste of Charlotte.  Along with Taste of the Nation, I try to make these two local foodie festivals an annual event.  The street fair features samples from more than thirty local casual restaurants.  Last year I enjoyed a casual afternoon wandering through all of the booths.  This year, however, I arrived to threatening skies and escalating winds.  Having scoped out the restaurants online, I made quick work of gathering the plates that I was most excited to try.  The rain quickly changed from sprinkle to heavy raindrops and so I opted to grab things to-go.

Zizi's Vegan: Organic Quino Salad
Polka Dot Bake Shop: Strawberry cupcake with lemon icing

Mellow Mushroom: Kosmic Karma Pizza
Red sauce base with feta and mozzarella cheeses, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes,
 and Roma tomatoes with a pesto swirl.

Newk's Favorite Salad: mixed greens, grilled chicken breast, gorgonzola cheese, dried cranberries, grapes, artichoke hearts, pecans and croutons tossed with Newk’s sherry vinaigrette

Caffe Siena: Sea Bass Cake with Chipotle Slaw

Woodland's Indian Cuisine:  Vegetable Biryani with Chana Masala 

Don't those dishes look delicious?!  I was impressed that there seemed to be more vegetarian options this year and hope that is a trend which continues.  Although the rain put a damper on the festival, it certainly won't keep me away year after year.  If you live in Charlotte and haven't ventured in to Uptown to explore the Taste of Charlotte, be sure to add it to your calendar for June 2014!

And that sums up my weekend . . . far too short, yet packed with fun, family, and food!  Here's to hoping this week is a great one!