Women's Running Half Marathon in Nashville

Since I am training for the Disney Marathon in January, I figured that running a half marathon or two would be a good way to hold myself accountable in the meantime.  So why not run in the Women's Running Half downtown with 2000+ other ladies?  It seemed like a good idea at the time!

Pretty awesome course, right?

The course was hilly, but pretty incredible.  We started and finished at the Country Music Hall of Fame (soooo Nashville, right?) and the course included running on Broadway, through Midtown, Centennial Park, Music Row, and more.  I noticed so much about the city that I hadn't seen before.  And I actually ran about 15 minutes faster than I'd hoped to, in spite of warm weather and hills!  It was a fun race for sure, and I even ran into a coworker and two fellow West Pointers that I knew; the running world is a small world.  As it turns out, I knew about half a dozen of the women running!
There were junior cheerleaders, sororities, students, police, and even IHOP employees out on the course cheering us on.  There were creative signs and costumes too.

Running photos aren't glam... but I'm proud of this!

And the medal?  Sooooo blingy and Nashville!  I loved it!  They even had post-race mimosas.  I felt pretty wiped out afterwards, but the next few days weren't as bad for recovery as my ill-prepared half in 2012.  I have been wearing tall compression socks on my long runs, and I think they do help me recover faster.  I also ran with some goo and water at my disposal, which was helpful even though the water stops were plentiful.

I know my "fanny pack" belt is dorky, but it keeps my inhaler, phone, and more close at hand.

After those 13.1 miles, I was pretty much starving... so my friends Lindsey and AB picked me up and took me out to the original Puckett's in Leiper's Fork.  Back in 2008, it split from the rest of the restaurant group, so the concept is very different.  It's truly a Meat & Three, more casual, and sticks to the basics.  You eat, and then you pay on the way out!  The food is solid Southern fare, not as upscale as the rest of the restaurants, but still pretty good.  I had a breakfast platter that really hit the spot after my race.

AB, Lindsey, and me!

After all, *real* girlfriends pick you up from your half marathon and feed you biscuits.  Of course!  :)

Art Prize in Grand Rapids

Once again, a lucky business trip happened to be timed with Grand Rapids' annual Art Prize festival!  This year, I was able to soak up more of the artwork, reconnect with a friend, eat delicious food, and enjoy the beautiful fall weather!

On my first night in town, I joined the "Nerd Walk" supporting the local PBS station, which was kind of a kickoff event for the festival.  I marched behind the GVSU band and enjoyed the great energy!  I also saw some art exhibits in The Morton hotel building, which is being gutted to construct apartment I believe.  Saw some very modern/freaky stuff.  Also enjoyed a walk around The B.O.B.

My friend MW, who grew up in Grand Rapids, met up with me for both the walk and dinner.  We joined her son and her parents at San Chez, a fantastic tapas restaurant, for a true feast.  There was just so much deliciousness!  I couldn't take pictures fast enough to capture all the plates.  The patatas bravas were excellent (always a tapas favorite) and my dessert, the empanadas de manzanas, were like a gourmet McDonald's apple pie, in all the best ways.

The next day, after my business meetings, I enjoyed a run around the downtown area.  The river and surrounding area was perfect for a relaxing jog, and filled with things to see.  I met up with MW again at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art, to see some more exhibits.  This festival has everything... I saw installations, robots, woodwork, even a display case filled with BEES.  Live bees, making art on art.  Crazy!

Those are real bees on the right.

Really cool how you look at something from one perspective... then another, and it's WOW!

For dinner, we met up with MW's parents again, this time for delicious burgers at Cottage Bar, a delightful little hole-in-the-wall with great food.  It was just so fun to eat places with true locals; MW's parents have been volunteering for the festival ever since it started five years ago, and everywhere we went they were stopped by people who knew them.  I felt very special to experience the city with them!  Not only were the burgers at Cottage Bar delicious, but they had beer-battered waffle fries.  Grand Rapids has such good beer and food, I feel like I could live there if it weren't for the harsh winters!
I really like Grand Rapids.

P.S.  Congrats to SHAUNIE, who won my Red Gold apron and cookbook giveaway!  Check your e-mail so I can get you the prizes.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Sutler

I'm not quite on the cutting edge of the Nashville restaurant scene; I dabble in trying new places, so it often takes me a while.  But when my friend JL and I needed to grab a bite before a show at TPAC, it seemed like an appropriate time to try something new: we went to The Sutler in Melrose.

The Sutler definitely has a saloon-like atmosphere, with reclaimed hardwood and cowboy boot decor.  It's located next to Sinema, another pretty new restaurant, all in the up-and-coming Melrose neighborhood.  You wouldn't expect this super-cool restaurant across the street from a pawn shop, but it's there!

For my drink, I had think what I had was the East Bound (didn't get a menu pic!), described as a strawberry soda with a kick.  There was another drink I'd wanted but they didn't have the ingredients for, and what I ended up with was something strawberry with a very interesting finish.  We asked about it because it felt like a spicy floral, and it was some kind of liqueur or bitters that gave the effect.  Not bad for a fresh-tasting beverage; not sure if I'd get the same one again, but I like the creativity and would be into tasting more concoctions.

For starters, we had the Sutler Queso Spread jar, which was chilies, cheddar, gouda and belle chevre, spiced peanuts, and saltine crackers.  There was also a really delicious jelly served too.  Overall, we wished the queso was more like *queso*, vs. a spreadable cheese.  Dipping not spreading.  The jelly was probably our favorite topping for the saltines.

For our main meal, we decided to split the Brussels Sprout Hash and a Bear Creek Brisket Horseshoe, which was brisket, Texas toast, house fries, and a cheddar ale gravy.  I love eggs, so we topped it with a fried egg to boot.  Awesome!  This was definitely the highlight of our meal.  I don't like vegetables, but the Brussels Sprout Hash proved itself to be tasty (and a happily less healthy version of the green stuff I'd expected).  But our absolute favorite was the BBQ stack.  The cheddar gravy was thick but a great complement.  We dug in with forks and cleaned the plate.

Overall, I'd come back to The Sutler.  The service was great, and even though not everything blew my mind, there's enough good there to keep me curious.  I'd love to try their pork fat fries, and maybe one of their "dunks", a sandwich literally served IN a bowl of soup.  Interesting, right?  This place has a great ambiance and pretty solid eats.  Oh, and PARKING!  :)