VICTORIA!!!!!

Friday morning after a sunny weather/early morning inspiring run, I packed my bike in my car and headed to Victoria. On my way I visited a good friend of mine, leslie, who lives in Tsawwassen, and has a beautiful new baby boy named jack. She was kind enough to let me park my car at her place and give me a lift over to the ferry, which is conveniently only a 5 minute drive from her place. She rents an entire house (which is brand new and stunning) out there for the same price as what she was paying in north Vancouver for the top floor of an older home. Pretty impressive.

I got to Vic in the afternoon. After wondering around the terminal like a lost puppy, I was directed towards the elevator to the parking lot where my friend Fawn was waiting for me. We got the bike in the car and headed over to her place. Shortly thereafter we headed to 'downtown Victoria'.

There has been one thing I have always wanted to do in Victoria and that one thing is to eat at the Rebar restaurant. I bought their cookbook a few years back and absolutly love their recipes. I was so excited I could hardly wait to get there. It was only 5:30 and it was already buzzing with people. My eyes were just wondering onto peoples tables as I scoped out their food choices. They had an entire menu front and back of smoothies and shakes...yum. I ordered the Monks Curry (something I had always wanted to make from the cookbook) and while we wated they brought us fluffy light foccacia bread which was brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with course sea salt. I had to ask for more! (what? I had a long run to do the next day).

My meal was absolutly amazing. There were thick peices of bok choy and other greens cooked to perfection with large chunks of tofu, served over brown rice. And the sauce, OH THE SAUCE!!!! For desert we had a chocolate peanut butter square. Heaven on a plate!

Yesterday we had talked about doing Rebar yesterday and Sushi today but after that meal, I asked fawn if we could go back again as there were so many things I wanted to try and I rarely come over this way. Perhaps ishould leave it as an excuse to come back, other than to visit her of course. The best part, for the 2 us, the bill came to $26!!!!! (includes 2 dinners and desert).

My friend had to work this morning, therefore I had the opportunity to head out for my Saturday long run. I decided to go run loops around Elk Beaver. There is a 100km here in 2 weeks. That's right folks 10 x 10km loops! My goal was to run at my easy run pace with my HR around 145-150 bpm. This rendered me a 50 min 10km. I managed to hold that for 4 loops. I was taking this week as a down week and although I contemplated another loop just for numbers sake (50km just sounds good) I didn't need to go there. 10 loops is a lot and 5 would have been about all I could handle in terms of sanity. The trail is nice because it runs along a lake but it's pretty hard packed. I would recommend wearing road shoes for anyone who is contemplating this event (and an Ipod, discman, walkman, whatever you got!)

The best part about the run is that I felt great after. I didn't get bloated or crampy or anything. I had a smoothie right after for recovery and didn't eat for the next couple of hours until I was hungry. I actually had an appetite and it feels soooo good!

Tomorrow Fawn and I are biking from her place over to Salt Spring Island!!! I have always wanted to go there and since she is an injured runner, a biking adventure sounds ideal. The only downfall is that I must bike with my over sized bag that I brought with me from Vancouver. The Salt Spring Island ferry and the Vancouver ferry are side by side and I'll head back home upon our return from S.S Island.

ANYONE HAVE ANY TIPS OF WHAT TO DO IN SALT SPRING??? I'll definetly have to check out the place where they serve Salt Spring island Coffee.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! See you in the trails!