dinner @ Rumours East + back at track

At 5 am it was pouring down rain. But the skies cleared up just in time for my run, about an hour later!

Look who’s baaaaaack. After an “off season” of strength training and hill sprints, it’s time to head back to the track for the first time in months! So daunting, but so fun too.

And so humbling 4 x 200m, 3 x 400m, 4 x 200m, with a standing rest between each rep (absolutely needed!). My goal for the 200s was 40 seconds; for the 400s, 85 seconds. Those 400s were killer! This was me after ever rep.

Even though I died a little bit out on the track today, it felt good to be back. Can’t wait for a summer of speed!

And a summer of outdoor dining!

Anthony and I had a date at Rumours East last night.

It was the perfect evening to dine outside!

We started off with some cocktails — generously offered to us on behalf of the manager, Ron. This was actually our THIRD attempt to eat at Rumours, but both of our previous reservations in the past six weeks were canceled due to snow. Crazy, right?

To make up for the weather delay, Ron made sure we were treated well!

This gin-based drink had habenero-grapefruit syrup in it. Sweet, with a bit of kick!

We started off with a fried artichoke appetizer. Black bean hummus and a roasted red pepper tapenade on the side. I love artichokes, but am too lazy to deal with preparing them at home. This was awesome.

Rumours has a small menu that’s not over complicated — making it easy to choose! I went with the grilled salmon. It was cooked perfectly, and paired with a slightly sweet cauliflower/raisin/almond creation.

Anthony and I were having such a nice time sitting out on Rumour’s patio that we extended the evening with a glass of dessert wine.

I saw a wine featuring the rare Garganega, an Italian grape from the Soave region, on the menu. I’d just heard about this wine on America’s Test Kitchen Radio the other day and had to give it a try! Because I’m a nerd. Christopher Kimbol would be so proud!

Overall, Rumours was a pretty wonderful experience. Worth waiting through the bad weather for Enjoy this spring day!

• Locals: Best outdoor patio?
• What podcasts do you listen to?
• Hardest distance to run on the track?