In search of the perfect, delicious yet light fall cocktail? Give this fun, flirty drink a try -- the Orient apple martini, featuring Absolut Orient Apple flavored vodka. After one of my beloved late-afternoon autumn walks, I got thirsty for a refreshing cocktail, and had been wanting to give Absolut's new flavor a try. Per Absolut's suggestion, I paired this apple and ginger-infused vodka with a little cranberry juice, and was not disappointed! See below for a quick and easy guilt-free drink! :)
-1 oz. Absolut Orient Apple flavored vodka
-2 oz. organic, unsweetened cranberry juice (no added preservatives, colors, or sodium)
-1/2 fresh-squeezed lime juice
-1 tsp. all-natural agave nectar
Shake ingredients together in a martini shaker on ice, serve, and enjoy!
Hola, blogettes! I'm back on the blog. Apologies for the sporadic nature of my posts, but I've been so busy with life the past couple months that I have neglected to write about... life. Between work, trying to graduate, relationships, social commitments, and (of course) working out, it's sometimes difficult to find time to sit down for the things we love. Something else was keeping me busy the past couple months, as well -- training for a half-marathon! Granted, perhaps I should have been blogging along the way :/ Anyway, I have discovered a new passion and felt the need to write about it. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have run two full marathons in the past (both of which were indescribable experiences), but I have discovered a different kind of love for HALF-marathons! That is, a fun and incredible journey, but without quite so much pain and/or discomfort! ;) A group of girlfriends and I got together about three months ago and decided we were going to run the annual Long Beach Half-Marathon, held every October. 100% flat and about 90% coastal, it seemed like a good route to start off with. The best part of this experience, surprisingly enough, was training with my girlfriends. Training sessions/runs gave us something to look forward to on summer and early fall evenings -- I would actually look forward to our group runs. Time flew by during these workouts, they were enjoyable, and they hardly seemed like work! Between the five of us on our little 'team,' there was always someone to run with and keep you motivated. There was healthy, friendly competition and constant excitement and anticipation for our upcoming event. Running with the season change was a beautiful experience, as well, going from runs on warm summer nights, to brisk fall afternoons. As October 7th approached, we were excited, nervous, but ready to run 13.1 miles.
The run itself was a great experience for me. It was a beautiful, clear, sunny day; not too warm and not too cold. It was exhilarating running along the ocean for the majority of the route -- I found it energizing, yet peaceful at the same time. I felt great and had good energy all the way through about mile 11; I then began to hit my usual 'it's almost over but not quite yet' wall. It was difficult, but nowhere near impossible. As always, that final sprint toward and across the finish line made everything worth it. I would definitely consider it a more relaxing and enjoyable experience than a full marathon (as amazing an experience as that is), and I am looking forward to my next one! I have decided to attempt the 'Beach Cities Challenge' -- that is, three consecutive half-marathons (or marathons) in Orange County. They are the Long Beach Half-Marathon, Run Surf City Half-Marathon, and the OC Half-Marathon, completion of which means you achieved the Beach Cities Challenge! Initially disappointed when our half-marathon was over, my girlfriends and I now have something to look forward to again -- more training, fun runs, and race day!
