The Final Countdown to Sedona!

So, remember when I was doing weekly recaps leading up to the Sedona Half coming up next weekend?  Yeah, me neither...sort of dropped the ball on that one, but I've honestly just been enjoying running whenever I feel like it and having fun.  My friend and running partner in crime and I decided we are just going to run this half for fun and stop along the way to take pictures of the gorgeous scenery ...so I sort of stopped training :).

I can't even begin to imagine what this is going to look like in real life! (source)

I did do one significant workout that consisted of trying to copy the first 6 miles of the race on the treadmill.  It was hilly and hard, especially in a hot gym, so I'm counting on the cool air to help a bit in Sedona...that is good logic right?

That second climb was pretty darn hard and I had to walk some :(

What else have I been up to in an effort to not train for this race?

I went snowshoeing! It was a perfectly gorgeous Pacific Northwest day and my friend Molly introduced me to the wonders of snowshoeing after I received some as a x-mas gift my my dad.  It was a ton of fun after I figured out that you just have to walk like a normal person and dig in when you need some extra support.

I took a weekend trip to Portland to hang out with one of my best gal pals.  We basically ate brunch and chatted the whole weekend...it was awesome!  I would highly highly recommend both places we went to.  Seeing these two photos next to each other has me laughing out loud because one is such a MEAT eaters dream and the other is completely VEGAN...but both were equally delicious!

Brunch #1 -  Charcoal smoked brisket, pepper slaw, fried egg, brioche from Clyde Common

Brunch #2 - Sweet potato and tempeh hash with coconut "bacon" on a bed of kale from Blossoming Lotus

And I went on one run while I was there...the day was just too beautiful not to.  My friend lives in a pretty hilly neighborhood so I guess this counts as a pretty good training run!

There has also been some Flywheeling and barre classes thrown in for good measure...I'm all about getting a total body workout wherever I can, especially if it means I don't have to run ;).

I've also been spending lots of time obsessing over Sedona weather and looking up hikes, wineries, and stuff to do while we are there...can I just be there already?!

Question: What is your favorite brunch dish/location? Hands down, Portage Bay in Seattle is my favorite!  Although the pretzelwich breakfast sandwich at Bravehorse Tavern comes in a close second.