PDX

My friend Deb and I flew up to Portland, Oregon, last weekend and stayed with my BFF Maya, and had an ah-mazing time.

We were incredibly blessed that it was sunny and warm (even hot at times) during our stay, despite the heavy rain the city experienced only few days prior. We were told that this was, hands down, the best weekend there in many, many month! Even the cabin attendant had to make a disclaimer that it’s not an April Fool’s joke that we can expect an unusually pleasant weather once we land in PDX.

We didn’t do much, other than eat good food and vegged out at home, which is exactly what Deb and I needed to relax and unwind. My favorite part of the trip, aside from catching up with my girl friends, is seeing rows and rows of Sakura trees and their lovely, pink petals dancing on the streets of Portland.

We went into this little speciality beauty shop called Blush Beauty Bar on the trendy NW 23rd Street (aka “trendy” third) and I fell in love with a bottle of this Cherry Blossom scent from Demeter. I’ve tried different Cherry Blossom fragrances, including ones from Jo Malone, Bath and Body Works and L’Occitane, but this has to be my favorite I’ve tried so far. It’s light and floral, and you immediately transport yourself to spring with just one spray.

And even more spring-y, are these designer chocolate bars from Moonstruck.

Last weekend’s Portland Half Marathon was one of the most fun I’ve had in running races! There was absolutely no pressure for me to perform well (not that there ever is an expectation for a turtle like myself ) and knowing that I was only doing this race purely for fun helped me relax and actually enjoy the experience. Thinking about all the delicious food I get to eat afterward also helped me stay super excited during the 13.1-mile run.

My time is not considered great at 2 hours and 51 minutes, but I was extremely pleased with the result since all I wanted was to run under three hours. But more so than time, I was delighted with the way I felt during and after the race. My feet felt lighter than usual and I felt like I had some energy left even after I crossed the finish line, which made me believe that I can shave off a few minutes on my next half marathon in two weeks.

I think it really helped that I trained for this race for the last eight weeks (unlike my last Portland Marathon), logging about 15 to 20 miles per week. I didn’t necessarily follow any formal training, but my friends Tiffany, Shannon, and I were good with doing mid-week runs at Rose Bowl. Having great running buddies really does make a difference! I am so thankful for the lovely ladies for pushing me to lace up my running shoes, even when I was feeling incredibly lazy and unmotivated!

My fiancé and Maya were waiting for me at the finish line which made me incredibly happy. After I took pictures with the medal and relaxed a little, we invited Tiffany and Jesse for brunch at Papa Hayden.

I was hungry but my body was a bit too tired to eat a heavy dish like Eggs Benedict (that almost everyone at the table ordered), so I settled for a shrimp salad and French onion soup that my fiancé and I shared. The soup was amazing, with the perfect amount of cheese melted on top, but the salad was just okay. I wish I ordered a waffle or bread pudding that caught my eyes in the beginning.

The desserts were absolutely fantastic, as usual. My favorite was Baked Alaska. The airy and sugary meringue certainly hit the sweet spot for me. Although the desserts were meant to be shared, I think I polished the plates all by myself! But that’s okay because I just run a half marathon! And I intend to use the excuse for at least the next several weeks … or even months.