This weekend was absolutely perfect!
Friday night started off with dinner at Eiji in the Castro with one of my oldest family friends. He was my neighbor back in New York and we’ve known each other since I was a newborn and he was just 2 years old. He and my brother were attached at the hip from day one up until high school, and our moms are still best friends. We moved out here around the same time and hung out in NYC a few times to discuss our California dreams before we headed west. Now lives in the Mission (a really fun somewhat mexican neighborhood in SF known for hipsters and overpriced coffee – the equivalent in NYC being the Lower East Side) and works as a Legal Assistant at Google. We had a really great time catching up! Of course, I asked him all about the amazing amenities at work. And of course like the spoiled googler he is, he complained about the cafeterias becoming healthier and replacing Mexican Coca-Colas (the ones with pure cane sugar instead of High Fructose Corn Syrup) with Hint Water. HA! He told me a funny story about how the chef at the Google headquarters loves cooking Duck. Four or Five times a week the chef would serve duck paninis or duck fat french fries. The employees were getting sick of duck all of the time so someone drew a sign with ducks saying “We Surrender!!!” and hung it up on the cafe wall. I thought that was pretty funny.
Dinner was Eiji’s homemade tofu and our own Sashimi specials.
Saturday morning, Matt and I woke up at 7 to meet some of his family at iFly in Union City (just 30 minutes from Palo Alto). iFly is a vertical wind tunnel a.k.a. indoor skydiving. One day i’d love to go skydiving…One day. iFly is a really fun alternative! You first suit up in jumpsuits of all different colors. We looked like the Power Rangers. More pics to come…
Matt and his cousin Adam were the blue and yellow rangers. I was the red ranger (not pictured).
Everyone took two turns in the wind tunnel. It wasn’t scary because an instructor is in there with you helping you correct your posture, and making sure you don’t ram into the walls or float to the ceiling. We all experienced a few tumbles. Matt took a really funny fall when the instructor let him walk out of the wind tunnel and he was sucked back in. The instructor gave an amazing showcase after. He scaled the walls and flew up to the ceiling only to land hovering a foot off the ground in “I Dream of Jeannie” style.
The day continued with Brunch at Plant Cafe Organic on the Embarcadero, My favorite Farmer’s Market (@ The Ferry Building), Muir Woods, Stinson Beach, Lombard St. and Dinner at B Star Bar by the Presidio. Matt’s uncle’s fiance had her cousin and sister in town from Rio, so we were celebrating her cousin’s 40th Birthday. Matt’s uncle’s fiance works in Integrative Medicine and eats an oil-free plant based diet. In other words, she is the definition of health and is SO incredibly inspiring. I could talk to her for hours on end trying to absorb her wealth of knowledge!
California PLant Burger at Plant Cafe Organic
Matt and Adam in Muir Woods
The view from a landing near Muir Woods in Mill Valley, CA
After winding roads and just before Lombard St. (The most crooked st.) one of our party go-ers got sick. The day started super early and we were in the car for a long time trying to get as many sights in as possible. We wound up in a daze at a 7-11. After stocking up on some road snacks, we drove to Stinson beach to stick our toes in the sand.
The next stop was BStar Bar (a sister restaurant to the well-known Burma Superstar restaurant in the Richmond district). We started off with grilled calamari salad w/ cucumbers, grape tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and a spicy tamarind sauce. This was great! The boys also enjoyed “Sticky Fingers” which were dark hoisin pork ribs, several pitchers of beer and tempura mushrooms.
For my entrée, I ordered the Black Rice Salad with Salmon. It ended up coming with Avocado too and was PERFECT. The Salmon was grilled and the rice was warm, nutty and tossed in a wonderfully light dressing. It was a long day and I just needed some carbs and sea protein!
Matt got the Basil Tofu w/ Coconut rice. I probably ate half of his coconut rice. What can I say? I love coconut.
The rest of the gang ordered Chicken Curry, an Asian Tuna Nicoise Salad, Pork and Shrimp Wonton Soup, The “Green Plate” and Fresh Veggie Spring rolls. Dessert was lychee ice cream and an not-pictured chocolate cake.
We slept well that night.
But we had to wake up early for our 1st Half Marathon run by the Dolphin South End Running Group (?) over at Lake Merced.
After fueling with Oats, a huge banana w/ numerous (5?) spoonfuls of Almond Butter and a handful of trail mix… I was ready. But, I still felt like this:
Matt finally got up, took a shower, sang Nsync’s “Here We Go” and did some pushups. I guess this is his new pre-race routine? Later he exclaimed “Betcha didn’t know that I knew that song!” He is definitely someone who likes to amp himself up before any physical activity. I made him eat a half banana in the car. He probably did it just to shut me up as I lectured him on the importance of breakfast for the millionth time.
I have run 10 miles at once before, but Matt has probably run 7 miles at once max. But, we did it! We arrived 6 minutes late and saw the runners take off. We scurried to sign in and get our bibs and pin them down. My garmin helped time us since we didn’t run with the pack. Our favorite part was passing people. No one wanted us to pass them… In fact some old lady was trying to race both of us as we approached her. Now that I think about it, approaching people on either side must have been intimidating. We get a little competitive… what can I say! During the race, volunteers handed out Cytomax (an electrolyte drink) and Water. Drinking and running is a difficult task that really meant me throwing beverages up at my face hoping that I could catch some of it in my mouth. Matt and I are kind of opposite runners, but we compliment each other well.
I listen to indie rock and sometimes even slow Radiohead songs. He listens to house music and loud hip hop.
I like to conserve my energy and not move my body side to side too much. He likes to box the air when he runs.
But, I have to say his energy keeps me going. And he does nice things like run through a flock of pigeons gathered on the trail just so I don’t have to. What a guy.
The pin on the bib made him a little bloody 😦
I must have eaten 3 bananas and a few oranges at the Post-race snack table. We clapped as the winners got their medals, and then headed into the city to shower. We ate a lot that day. I almost can’t even get into it… Let’s just say a feast made my Matt’s mom (I contributed a roasted root veggie dish – butternut squash, turnips, parsnips, zucchini slathered in EVOO and roasted at 375 F), copious amounts of ice cream, fro-yo and Trader Joe’s Chocolate covered sea salt almonds (go out and buy these now!)
This morning my body clock woke me up early again. I enjoyed breakfast in the garden… 
Lunch on a shady bench in the Whole Foods parking lot
Spinach, Kale, Black Beans (hidden), Salsa, Scallions + Cilantro, Feta (underneath the spinach), Tuna, Artichoke, Curried Quinoa w/ Chickpeas, Fruit Salad. What a weird mix. It hit the spot.
I did some errands and snacked on a couple handfuls of almonds. Off to do some more errands…
What did you do this weekend? Did you go anywhere you hadn’t been before?
Ruthie's Runs and Recipes 
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