June 12 - Bridal Veil 10k and Palestinian Feast

I decided I better run the 6.2 miles that are requisite for an olympic tri.  Until the 12th of June, I had not run more than 4 miles without stopping.  So I found a local race... The Bridal Veil 10k.  We were taken by bus to some obscure point up the canyon.  They dropped us off, and we soon began our run.   A couple things made this race unique.  

1. The route was gorgeous!  We ran on a river trail through a tunnel of trees and passing a beautiful waterfall.
2. The T-shirt!  James Christiansen had some affiliation with the sponsor of this race, so our free T's had artwork by a famous artist!
3. The weather was unusually cold that morning, which was a total blessing for me, as I hate the heat! 
4. This was the most disorganized race I've done. I won't use this space to complain, but  the pre and post run were a little chaotic.
5. We were on the same route as a marathon, sponsored by another organization!  This was just indicative of the disorganization.  It did make the run unique though because we passed big crowds cheering for the marathoners.  It also provided motivation!  If all these guys can run 26.2 miles, surely I can run 6.2!

Dawn & I
I met Dawn at a 5k in May.  We ended up at this race, and laughed through all the chaos!
She's talked me into doing a half-marathon.

The run was easier than I thought, and I kept my 5k pace! 

That night, I had one of Alan's amazing Palestinian dinners.  He lived in Israel for 3 years and mastered some great dishes.  A typical meal includes a lentil dish, hummus, pita bread, kefir, tomato salad and fresh olives!  The food was delicious, fresh and vegetarian!!