I ran a marathon! Well, sort of...

As some of you recall, I participated in a half-marathon in January. Shortly thereafter, I was coerced--er, I mean, invited--to do another one in June with two nieces who live near Seattle. Despite the fact that I wasn't able to train as rigorously for the second one, I did complete it, and I did beat my Phoenix time by one whole minute!

Yay, me!

Considering the Seattle course was hilly, and the Phoenix one was flat as a pancake, I was thrilled to come in with a better time.

If you're a runner who enjoys participating in these events, I have high praise for the Rock 'n' Roll Series of races. Not because the music along the route is outstanding (I honestly didn't feel it was, in either race), but because the races were so well organized. From the registration packet pick-up to the finish line, it was a smooth and enjoyable experience. The Seattle course was absolutely beautiful, too. It began in Tukwila and wound up through the Seward Park neighborhood, along Lake Washington, through the I-90 tunnel and into downtown. Great views!

Now, imagine my surprise when another medal arrived in the mail recently...
See that? It says 26.2 miles! That's a marathon, right?! Never mind the fact that it took me six months to get it done.

One to enjoy before summer's behind us

Before we get to the end of summer, I wanted to share a recipe I found that I've been enjoying this season. Ordinarily, I don't consider myself a cole slaw fan. It's largely because of the mayo. I'll only eat mayonnaise--and it has to be Best Foods--in certain dishes, and cole slaw isn't one of them. Recently, though, I was asked to bring a salad to a friend's dinner party. The entree was to be chicken enchiladas, so I went on the hunt for a complementary Mexican recipe. I think I've found my kind of cole slaw! This Spicy Southwestern Slaw was very refreshing with lots of distinct flavors. I'm a bit wary with jalapenos and cayenne, so the only modifications I made to the recipe were to substitute diced green chiles for the jalapenos, and to use only about 1/4 tsp. of cayenne. Everyone still felt it was spicy enough, and allowed the other flavors in the salad to really stand out.
If you're a cabbage fan, I recommend giving this a try! It'd be a great addition to fish tacos, too. Hmm...maybe that's what's for dinner!

Happiness is...