Healthy Ashley and Richard

on January 27, 2011

Healthy Ashley and her fiancÃ© Richard came to Charlotte today for a day-trip, so we met up for lunch!

Ashley and I met in Orlando and quickly became fast friends â€“ itâ€™s kind of ironic we both moved to North Carolina and now only live 2 hours from each other!

Ashley and I have done lots of races together, like Miracle Miles 15K, Foundersâ€™ Day 10K, Crooms Fools Run 15.4 Mile Trail Race, IronGirl 15K, and Breakaway to Sugarloaf Metric Century (100K).

Probably one of my favorite memories of Ashley is when we both got off our bikes and walked up Sugarloaf Mountain during the Metric:

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I thought we would never finish that race!

I took Ashley and Richard to Lunaâ€™s Living Kitchen, a raw/vegan restaurant in South End. They were impressed by the local flair.

I got the quinoa/kamut burger:

And the salad, which was so delicious.

Back to work I go!

Looking back at the races that Ashley and I did together got me really excited for some of my upcoming races â€“ I just hope my body holds up through training, and my foot doesnâ€™t hurt as I try to increase distance. Slow and steady is my mottoâ€¦ Iâ€™m doing a long run this evening, so keep your fingers crossed for me! 🙂

{ 67 comments }

Leanne (For Health's Sake) January 27, 2011, 3:18 pm
Good luck on your run tonight Caitlin!
Kacy January 27, 2011, 3:18 pm
That place looks great.

Definitely crossing my fingers for you! I have been having similar nagging issues so slow and steady is a must!
Beth @ Beth's Journey to Thin January 27, 2011, 3:22 pm
Wow that quinoa burger looks awesome! I have a great recipe for quinoa burgers at home with white or pinto beans.. they get crunchy when you cook them in a pan with a little oil. So good!
- Michele @ Healthy Cultivations January 27, 2011, 4:01 pm
  I made your quinoa burgers last weekend and LOVED them so much! I’m going to do it again in a few weeks.
Holly @ Couch Potato Athlete January 27, 2011, 3:23 pm
That salad looks so beautiful and fresh!

Slow and steady is always my motto 🙂
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat January 27, 2011, 3:24 pm
WOW that lunch looks amazing! You ladies are too cute. Good luck for the run tonight!
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey January 27, 2011, 3:27 pm
I always get jealous whenever I see that restaurant!
Ali G. January 27, 2011, 3:29 pm
That quinoa burger looks so great. Any chance you have a recipe for that?? I’ve done Croom the past couple of years 50K and 50Mile – one of my favorite races!
- Caitlin January 27, 2011, 5:09 pm
  I wish I did because I would love to make it – Beth in comment 3 said she has a good recipe though!
Jess@atasteofconfidence January 27, 2011, 3:29 pm
yay for the meetup! 🙂
Kara January 27, 2011, 3:32 pm
Wow, you guys have run a lot of races together! I feel like racing/running with someone is such a bonding experience, probably because you talk about personal things like needing to go number 2 and chafing 😛
- Caitlin January 27, 2011, 5:10 pm
  Hahah true dat.
Allison @ Food For Healing January 27, 2011, 3:34 pm
best of luck on your run!
i would love to do a blogger meet up like that. there is only one blogger where i come from. Saskatchewan is a little quiet!
Ashley January 27, 2011, 3:36 pm
I love Ashley’s blog! That food looks delicious. Good luck on your run!
Liz @ Tip Top Shape January 27, 2011, 3:36 pm
Luna’s Living Kitchen looks fantastic!!
Madeleine @ Stepping to the Bright Side January 27, 2011, 3:37 pm
cool- I LOVE Healthy Ashley’s blog! that quinioa/kamut burger looks pretty frickin’ delicious 🙂
Eliz@The Sweet Life January 27, 2011, 3:37 pm
That burger looks delicious! Glad you had a good mental break with friends.
Sarena (The Non Dairy Queen) January 27, 2011, 3:39 pm
That sounds like a fun get together! That burger looks so good! Have a good afternoon Caitlin!
Ashley @ Thefitacademic January 27, 2011, 3:40 pm
Wow! That’s a lot of races to do together!
Ann @ Day by Day January 27, 2011, 3:42 pm
Wow I hope that quinoa burger tasted as good as it looks! Quinoa is my new obsession. I love it with/in/on everything! Looks like yall had a fun lunch date.
Camille January 27, 2011, 3:44 pm
Wow! Sounds like she is a great running buddy 🙂
Annette January 27, 2011, 3:45 pm
That place looks super fun and delicious! I want to go tooo…… 🙂 Have a great run tonight!
jen @ taste life January 27, 2011, 3:46 pm
How awesome! I’m going hiking with Ashley this weekend (Meeting her for the first time!). Love the looks of that burger you have, yum!
- Caitlin January 27, 2011, 5:11 pm
  haha we were talking about you!
Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) January 27, 2011, 3:49 pm
So glad you and Ashley had time to hang out! And the Lunaâ€™s Living Kitchen, a raw/vegan restaurant looks awesome!

good luck on that run! 🙂
foodandfarm January 27, 2011, 3:50 pm
Do you have any tips for easing into running? I want to get back into it so bad but can barely stand a mile now!
- Caitlin January 27, 2011, 5:11 pm
  Do the Couch to 5K program (just google). Totally do able!
Bronwyn Coyne January 27, 2011, 3:56 pm
That burger looks absolutely delicious.

I love having race buddies. They make training/racing so fun!
Sara January 27, 2011, 3:57 pm
so fun that you got to spend time together! wonder if she was convincing you to go for the 3rd pup?? 🙂
xoox
sara
VeggieGirl January 27, 2011, 4:00 pm
What a fun meet-up!

Fingers crossed tightly for you! 🙂
Michele @ Healthy Cultivations January 27, 2011, 4:00 pm
Slow and steady wins, and it’s all about listening… and slowing down more if necessary. In the end, it’s about health and not about races. But those races are fun, I know.
Lisa (bakebikeblog) January 27, 2011, 4:01 pm
What a tasty burger indeed!!!
Jessica M January 27, 2011, 4:08 pm
That burger looks yummy! Good luck on your long run! Your inspiration inspires me to run tonight! I am sloowlly building up endurance- I’m a new runner!
lindsay January 27, 2011, 4:11 pm
Looks like lots of fun!

PS you’ve used ironic instead of coincidental twice in the past two days! Sorry, pet peeve of mine!
- Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg January 27, 2011, 4:18 pm
  My husband wrote his PhD dissertation on irony, so I always notice that too, lol. Damn Alanis song!! 🙂
  - Caitlin January 27, 2011, 5:12 pm
    isn’t it ironic, don’t you think? a littttle toooo ironic.
    - Julie (A Case of the Runs) January 27, 2011, 5:38 pm
      That song must be an English teacher’s nightmare!
Parita@myinnershakti January 27, 2011, 4:16 pm
I LOVE local restaurants that use fresh and unique ingredients! The quinoa burger looks yummy!
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg January 27, 2011, 4:17 pm
I’m SO jealous of towns/cities that have cool lunch places like this. We have NOTHING like that in Altoona, ha!
Kelly January 27, 2011, 4:18 pm
I hope your foot feels better! If it does, I’m going to recruit you to run with me. It think you might be one of the only one in our group I haven’t ran with yet.
Erin @ The Grass Skirt January 27, 2011, 4:24 pm
I love Luna’s!! I was just there on Saturday. The burger is the best. Did you know that the Groupon yesterday was to Luna’s? I totally snagged one but should have gotten more!
- Caitlin January 27, 2011, 5:12 pm
  I missed it 🙁 I shouldve gotten one.
Mary (What's Cookin' with Mary) January 27, 2011, 4:27 pm
…I’ll cross my toes too ! 😉
Marie-JourneytoBodyZen January 27, 2011, 4:37 pm
Good luck! I like your motto!
Katy (The Singing Runner) January 27, 2011, 4:45 pm
Hopefully you have a great (pain free) run! My fingers are crossed!
Emjaye January 27, 2011, 4:59 pm
Love both of your blogs. Is it weird that when I saw the first pic I thought, hmm, I would have imagined Caitlin was the taller one? Looks like a fun lunch date!
- Caitlin January 27, 2011, 5:12 pm
  I am super short – 5 ft 3 – and Ashley is tall – 5 ft 9!!! LOL i feel like a midget next to her.
Baking 'n' Books January 27, 2011, 4:59 pm
It kind of looks like ice cream scooped on that burger! Yum 🙂

Crossing fingers! How do you manage to blog in between your busy days when your so on the go – multitask!? How long do you spend on a post typically?
- Caitlin January 27, 2011, 5:13 pm
  It takes me 10 – 50 minutes to do a blog post (that was a 15 minuter or so). You get faster the more you write them!
Courtney @ The Granola Chronicles January 27, 2011, 5:10 pm
Good luck on your long run! It’s so fun that you were able to see Ashley again – I’m sure you both had a great time catching up.
Jessica @ The Virtual Scrapbook January 27, 2011, 5:19 pm
Aw, you guys are such cute blogger friends. I want someone to go to a vegan restaurant with! Glad good friends were able to meet up.
Kate (What Kate is Cooking) January 27, 2011, 5:22 pm
How fun! Charlotte looks like it has a lot of great restaurants.
Meghan January 27, 2011, 5:23 pm
That burger looks delicious! I might have to try to find a similar recipe, as I work on transitioning myself Veg.
Julie (A Case of the Runs) January 27, 2011, 5:42 pm
I have yet to try a raw restaurant, but I really want to! I live near Los Angeles… there should be a bunch!
Laura (Starloz) January 27, 2011, 6:16 pm
i need to find raw/vegan restaurants, like right now!
Allison @ Happy Tales January 27, 2011, 6:23 pm
Ahhhh Luna’s Living Kitchen! I am now KICKING myself for not buying that groupon. I totally forgot to buy it! Oh well, all the food looks delish!
Sara @ Running In Pink Project January 27, 2011, 8:04 pm
Mmmm that burger looks awesome. What is in the “Sauce” on top?
- Caitlin January 27, 2011, 9:47 pm
  hummus!
  - Sara @ Running In Pink Project January 27, 2011, 10:35 pm
    Oh Yum! I was thinking it was either hummus or some sort of cream cheese/veggie mixture. 🙂
Allie January 27, 2011, 8:26 pm
I miss Luna’s so much :(. Have you tried the chocolate pudding? It’s ah-ma-zing :D.
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin January 27, 2011, 9:15 pm
That’s awesome that you have such a dependable running buddy! Doing all those races with Ashley must make them even more fun for you! Maybe I need to find myself a race buddy for my first 5K…
Kathleen @ Kat's Health Corner January 27, 2011, 9:42 pm
Fingers crossed!! 😉 You can do it!
Maren January 27, 2011, 9:59 pm
I hope your long run went well!! That burger looks amazing! That must be edamamus (sp?)!!! I tried it at a local sushi restaurant and my sister recreated it at home! It’s so delish!
Maddie (Healthy Maddie) January 27, 2011, 10:33 pm
Wow that looks like a great restaurant! Have a good run.
Mary @ Bites and Bliss January 27, 2011, 10:46 pm
How nice of you all to go out together. She seems like a great gal!
Paige @Running Around Normal January 27, 2011, 10:57 pm
How fun! I bet it was so nice to see a great friend again 😀
Kiran January 28, 2011, 12:35 am
What a fun meet-up and the foods look amazing, especially the salad 🙂

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