Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Hike

Saturday we met up with some friends and their kids who suggested we hike at the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed. We had never been there before and thought of course why not, it's always fun to venture to new places.

It is located in Pennington, NJ and only about 19 minutes from where we live in Princeton. It was 3:00 in the afternoon so it was pretty warm out. Not many were around when we arrived at the parking lot that afternoon. The kiosk below had a map of the trails.

Yummy Eats While Visiting the Seattle Area & Vicinity

I think that I mentioned that I ate way too much while we were in Seattle. I just could not help it, as I missed a lot of the food from there. Some things are just not the same over here in Central Jersey when it comes to food, or maybe I'm just used to the food on the West Coast, because it just does not taste the same over here (well at least some things). 

In no particular order, I will be telling you about some of the yummy places we visited on our trip. Some of the places, we visited for the first time, but are still worth mentioning as the food was pretty darn good! All opinions are my own. Enjoy the pics! :)

Diamond Knot Brewpub in Mountlake Terrace What I liked about the Diamond Knot Brewpub was that it was a family friendly restaurant. We went there to meet up with some of hubby's friends and their kids. I loved how they let us choose 4 beer samples for free. I can't remember exactly which I got, I think it was the blond ale, and it was good! I also liked how the menu had a variety of choices and the options were creative. Not your usual menu items like their Chicken & Waffle and Knot Head Nacho Burger. I ended up getting their Fun Guy burger and hubby got their Stoned Reuben sandwich. My burger was yummy and huge! Loved it!

Snoqualmie Falls with the Fam Trip Report 6/20/14

Today we headed to Snoqualmie Falls to see the 268 foot waterfall. My brother had mentioned that he wanted to do this while we were in town, so we met up with him and his family at the start. 

From my parents house in Mill Creek, it took about 50 minutes taking I-405 to I-90. Not a horrible drive to see something pretty cool. We met up with my brother at 10am and parking was easy to find. I believe the earlier you go, the better chances for parking at the top, plus it being a Friday gave us even better chances of finding easy parking. We parked across the street from the falls. From the parking lot there was a nice pedestrian bridge to walk across and the kiddos enjoyed running across it.

Seattle Rock and Roll Half Marathon 6/21/14 Race Recap

My sister and I headed out to downtown Seattle around 4:40am in the morning from Mill Creek. We were worried about parking so we thought we should head out early. My sister did the Hot Chocolate 5K run earlier in the year and she was almost late for the run due to traffic and having to find parking. We didn't want to stress about it this time so we both agreed on leaving a lot earlier. It totally payed off. When we arrived downtown, we got there about an hour and 45 minutes early so we had prime parking choices. :) Coming from Highway 99 we found street parking fast and easy (back in parking on Aloha Street between 4th Ave N and Nob Hill Ave N), not too far from the Seattle Center. We didn't even have to pay as street parking is free on Sundays. We were real happy about that. 

My sister mentioned that the Seattle Center house aka the Armory would probably be open, so we headed there. On the way, we saw tents that provided bottled water, fruit cups, and bagels for runners. I grabbed a bottled water. Very nice that those were provided. We also passed the port o potties, but figured with the Center House open, we'd go in there to use the facilities. It was open and there were other runners hanging out. We took advantage of the short lines for the bathroom. We then decided to gear check our bags with our extra clothes for after the run. Gear check was easy to find and fast to check them in since we were there so early. 

The weather was perfect for a run. I could tell that it was going to be a nice run from the start since I wasn't terribly cold with just my tank on. We ended up going back into the Center House to stay warm and kill time before the start. We were in corral 8 which was for a time of 1:58 or so (that was what my sis put for her finish time when registering). I switched to corral 8 from 15 so I could start with my sister (I had put down my goal time of 2 hours when I registered). I had been running strong so I figured it was ok, plus starting out with my sister would push me.

Recap Seattle Rock and Roll Half Marathon Expo

We headed into Downtown Seattle on Thursday for the Rock and Roll Half Marathon Expo. It was almost lunch time when we got there so we decided to eat lunch beforehand so we would not have to rush at the expo. One thing you don't want is hungry kiddos or the visit will be real short.

We went down to the waterfront for lunch and decided on Ivars. If you love seafood you have to eat at Ivars in Seattle. They've got the best fish and chips, along with clam chowder. We skipped on the clam chowder this time but got their fish and chips along with their fried clams. Yummy!

Red Top Mountain Lookout Family Hike

I think today we found the perfect hike for kids that brings the best views! Today we ventured out to Teanaway to Red Top Mountain's lookout. It was quite a drive from my parent's house in Mill Creek (over two hours) but it was definitely worth it! Even the drive was pretty and scenic. Teanaway is on the east side of the Cascades beyond Snoqualmie Pass. Note: The WTA site says a NW Forest Pass is required for the trail, but we went to the Cle Elum Ranger Station just to get a pass, and they told us it is no longer required. The ranger did warn us about the dips in the dirt road and we were thankful for that. The minivan my husband drove managed fine, but driving up the dirt road to the trail head and back down to head home was his least favorite part of the trip just because of all the rocks (he wanted to be careful as he didn't want to get a flat).

Training for the week 6/16-6/22

Today was a no run day. We took the kiddos to the park with their cousins. They are having a blast playing together!

Happy Father's Day & 12 miler

Happy Father's day to my dad! He is an amazing dad! I am so thankful for all that he has done for me. The pic below, left side is from when I was about 6 and the right side is from today. He is awesome!

Running with my Sister

The last couple of runs I've done these past few days have been with my twin sister. It's so nice to run with her again! We had not run together since the Cherry Blossom Run last year. She is in a lot better shape than me since she has been doing full rounds of P90x and Focus T25, so she is a lot stronger and leaner. Ever since we were little we've competed with each other, so it's fun to try, but I know that I can't really compete with her now because she is so fit. ;)

On Thursday morning we did 10 X 400's. Boy were they tough! My sister is a lot faster than I am, so she pushed me, which was great!

5 Miler and the Pacific Science Center

Got in a nice 5 mile run this morning on the Burke Gilman trail. I wasn't sure how it would go because my legs were feeling a bit sore. I guess it's not the best idea to run down Rattlesnake ledge with your 5 year old after doing 11 miles the day before. ;)

Rattlesnake Ledge Hike Family Hike

Early this morning we took the boys to hike up Rattlesnake Ledge. We were still kind of on East Coast time so we left pretty early and got to the trailhead around 7:30am from my brother's house in Kenmore. This is probably the earliest we've taken the kiddos on a hike but they were ok. The trail is located in North Bend and it took us about 50 minutes to get there. The trail is off I-90 East off of exit 32 (436th Ave. SE) and fairly easy to find.  

Being a weekday and so early, we had no trouble finding parking. If you ever go, it is best to go on a weekday and early because this hike is very popular and known for being crowded. We found a parking spot in one of the earlier parking spaces closer to the lake. Below is a pic of the ledge, our hiking destination.

Graduation, Wedding, Long Run, & Zoo Oh My!

So much has happened since my last post. My 5 year old graduated from Preschool.

Happy National Donut Day!

Today is National Donut Day!  I love donuts! I guess I can say that I run so I can eat donuts. My favorite type of donut is the chocolate frosted ones just like the one my son is eating below. :) 

The Liebster Award

So a fellow blogger, Mae, from Mommy Loves Trees tagged me for the Liebster Award. Apparently it’s been around for nearly a decade and the idea is to tag bloggers to learn more about them and their blogs. 

So here goes...

The Rules:

1. Link the person who tagged you.

2. Answer the 11 questions that the person has asked you. 

3. Look for 11 bloggers and nominate them.

4. Come up with your own 11 questions for your nominees. 

Happy National Running Day!

Happy National Running Day!

National running day, held annually on the first Wednesday in June, is a day when runners everywhere declare their passion for running. 

Training for the week 6/2-6/8

Here is my training schedule for the week according to Hal Higdon's intermediate program:

Monday - Stretch & Strengthen

Tuesday -5 mile run

Wednesday -45 min tempo

Thursday - 3 mile run & strength

Friday - rest

Saturday - 5 mile pace Wedding

Sunday - 11 mile run

I didn't do a whole lot today as I'm feeling under the weather. Got a bad headache and my throat has been sore. I even took a nap. Here's hoping that tomorrow is better as I've got the 5 miles to do at the gym.

Great Long Run and My Son Turns 5

Another busy weekend. Started it off with an early run with a couple of moms from the closest Moms Run This town Chapter. We met up at Mercer County Park, which was nice as I had never run there before (only taken my kids to play at the playground) and I found it exciting to run in a new place with new people. I really liked how we ended up chatting the whole time and our pace was still pretty good. I think it really does help to run with others as it can definitely push you. At times we were chatting and we were actually running at a fast pace and it did not even feel like it.