Hello, my friends! We’re having a warm spell in DC right now, which is making coming back from sunny LA a little easier! Matt and I took advantage of the later evening sunshine and went out for a post-work walk last night (followed by a run for him – no running yet for me!) – I’d forgotten how amazing evening sunshine is. Perhaps this whole “spring forward” thing wasn’t so bad after all!

Anyway – I wanted to share my final ASICS LA Marathon adventures recap, for what I got into after the race! In case you missed my first two posts, please check them out first:

• ASICS LA Marathon Weekend Adventures, Part 1 (pre-race)
• 2014 ASICS LA Marathon Race Recap

After finishing the marathon, my fellow ASICS LA Marathon blogger challengers and I were invited to hang out in the ASICS VIP area (I know, we were so spoiled) at our hotel, the beautiful Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows. On a serious endorphin high, we all spent the next couple hours hanging out, refueling (pizza is so delicious right after a long race), and sharing stories of our experiences. Here I am with fellow blogger Brian of Pavement Runner – loved meeting him – such a cool guy.

After refueling and cleaning up, a few of us reconvened for what was officially the most amazing afternoon ever following a race: the hotel pool. I may not have loved the heat during the marathon, but boy did that sunshine (and that cold water on my sore legs!) feel amazing after it was over. Just looking at this picture makes me jealous of my Sunday self. Can I go back and live at this hotel, please? Thanks.

I spent the entire afternoon at the pool enjoying the sunshine and hanging out with my blogger buddies Jamie, Beth, Rachel, Brian, and Ryan. Seriously – best afternoon ever. Endorphin high + sunshine + pool + a fun group = happiness x 1,000. I’ve decided I should probably only run races that have sunshine and pools awaiting after them… 

Later that evening, we had a big farewell dinner out with the whole blogger and ASICS LA Marathon crew, including Coach Andrew Kastor and his wife Deena, who was by this point our new BFF. Such a fun group!

We were treated to dinner at BOA Steakhouse a short walk (/hobble) down the street from our hotel. It was delicious!

We also enjoyed some wine.  Randomly after dessert, they brought out something awesome – cotton candy?! Plus a sparkler?! Sure, why not. I hadn’t had cotton candy in YEARS! Yum.

My dinner companions for the evening included Rachel, Monica, and Monica’s husband Ben, who I hadn’t seen since Monica, Meghann, and I ran the Vegas Half Marathontogether back in 2011! So great catching up with him.

It was wonderful catching up with Monica, too, who I hadn’t seen in way too long even though we talk online a lot. I also loved getting to know Rachel, who was so much fun!

Such a nice end to a fun trip – one more BIG thank you to the ASICS LA Marathon team for covering our travel expenses, hotel, race fee, and some of our meals. I was so honored to be a part of their marathon blogger team!

On Monday, my flight didn’t leave until 1 so I had some time to kill in the morning. I was up really early thanks to still being on east coast time, so I decided to take advantage and head outside in time to catch the beautiful sunrise.

After enjoying the sunrise I swung by one of my favorites in the Santa Monica area,Nekter Juice Bar, to get a little early breakfast.

I picked up a green juice and this fun snack bar.

While noshing away, I took a stroll down to the water. (Sidenote: walking down stairs the day after a marathon? OUCH.)

What a beautiful place, huh?

I got back to the hotel, packed up, and headed to the hotel restaurant for a second breakfast around 10:30 before departing for the airport. I enjoyed a frittata with a side of bacon (obviously).

My lovely view:

Plus some toast and world news.

Thank you for sharing in my LA adventures with me!  What’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever been to?

I’m now gearing up for the Rock ‘n’ Roll USA half marathon (click for last year’s recap)here in DC on Saturday, since I’m crazy and love running way too much. Stay tuned for more on my plans for that race and how I’ve been working on recovering this week!

p.s. Happy Registered Dietitian Day! Yes, there is a day for everything. My friend Lindsay shared a great blog post today – Registered Dietitians Who Blog – check it out for some new blogs to follow that are written by RDs like me!