After 10 sweaty miles yesterday morning, the day ended with a pretty amazing afternoon and evening.

Bo and I headed over to Theodora’s apartment around noon to walk Bailey and give him some love and attention while his mom rocked her first triathlon! How can this face not make us want a dog? While the feelings are definitely there, for now I think we’ll just be Aunt Ashley and Uncle Bo who spoil Bailey at every chance.

After a quick visit, we attempted to save money and take the subway out to Queens for a celebratory barbecue that Lacey hosted in Theodora’s honor. After waiting at 2 platforms for more than 15 minutes and then finally being told that the subways weren’t running out there, we caught the first cab we saw. This is how we felt at that point.

But, within 15 minutes we were enjoying amazing friends, food, and beer so our attitudes changed quite quickly.

Theodora’s first tri experience may not have been all she had dreamed of but she sure as hell rocked it, especially the 5k, and was all smiles by the afternoon!   

Since meeting Theodora a year ago, Bo and I have not only been blessed with her friendship but also her great friends Shannon and Lacey.

Our food for the afternoon was beyond my wildest dreams. Lacey singlehandedly put together a delicious, fresh, and healthy feast that we all thoroughly enjoyed. Seriously, who knew that grilled romaine was so delicious? I’ll definitely ask Lacey to share the recipes with y’all.

The menu included:

• Grilled beer can chicken
• Grilled romaine
• Grilled corn on the cob
• Foil grilled peppers and onions
• Healthy pasta salad
• Assorted beers
• Italian pastries and cookies

 Theodora’s adorable mom was even there for the party and brought tasty Italian pastries for us to enjoy.

Though the trip out to Queens was quick, I’d say we all had a blast. The fun continued for us since Shannon is a rock star friend who not only wakes up at 4am to support Theodora’s triathlon endeavors by providing door to door car service, but she also volunteered to drive us back into the city. Who cares if Bo had a date in the back seat with Bruiser, it was a hell of a lot better than trying to track down a cab in the heat or deal with the subway chaos.

Bo and I are heading out to see Friends with Benefits but I’ll be back later with a recap of NYC Marathon Training week 2.

Question: What is your favorite healthy barbecue dish?