L.A. Play Day

It was so nice having today off to enjoy some of the Los Angeles sunshine. The temperatures were in the 80s by mid-morning and I even got a teeny tiny suntan on my chest. Here’s a bit about how the day went…

I woke up — sans alarm — at 7:30 am. I had assumed I’d sleep much longer after yesterday’s marathon day, but at 7:30 I felt rested, so I figured it was time to kick my day into gear.

I immediately suited up in workout clothes and hit the hotel gym.

I loved that the gym was stocked with a bunch of foam rollers and even had instructions on how to use them hanging on the wall. Very cool and helpful.

Then it was off to Santa Monica, where I enjoyed a fabulous 8-mile run. It was scorching hot, but I sort of didn’t mind because I was busy taking in the sights and “ooh-ing” and “aah-ing” all the other super-fit people out breaking a sweat.

Seriously, L.A. is one healthy city. While I was running I passed so many various fitness/workout groups, including hula hoopers…

…and a group of boing-people. I don’t know the technical term, of course, but they had those awesome jumpy shoes on and they were running and doing calisthenics in the shoes. My heroes.

I took lots of photos on my phone during the run. I traveled from northern Santa Monica down to Venice and back.

Venice was awesome and filled with arty outdoor markets and vendors. It also had a very distinct odor: marijuana and incense. My lungs were working overtime.

A few (probably blurry) shots from my running jaunt:

After my run, my coworker and I were more than ready to indulge in a decadent brunch. All I’ve been craving since I got here yesterday is fruit, fruit, fruit. And boy did the restaurant (Ivy at the Shore) deliver!

I ordered the crab cake appetizer and asked for “a side of fruit.” I got the most beautiful plate filled with fruit. I salivate just remembering it.

After lunch it was time to shop until I dropped (which I did — drop, eventually, that is).

I bought a cute top at Urban Outfitters and a long-sleeved shirt (the softest thing in the world, I swear) from Lululemon.

By the time we finished shopping, I was ready to crash.

How to avoid a crash?

Get some frozen yogurt, of course. (Photo of my masterpiece to come tomorrow.)

We came back to our hotel, took a dip in the hot tub (my sore legs were so happy to float warmly) and then I dined at the hotel restaurant.

My food (scallops with some sauteed spinach on the side) was delicious, the location was wonderfully convenient and my waiter was charming.

Now I’m ready to crawl into my huge, cozy hotel bed.

Tomorrow it’s back to frigid NYC on a 7:30 am flight. I get back to the city around 4 pm and am so thankful to have Monday off.

On another exciting note: Good luck to one of my very best friends, Courtney, who is running her first 1/2 Marathon tomorrow in Phoenix! I’m so proud of her and have loved following her training progress.

TELL ME: I haven’t had much time to catch up on blogs since I’ve been here, so tell me how your weekend has been!