On Saturday, I raced the first annual North Face Endurance Challenge half-marathon. If you saw the elevation chart, or ran the course, you’d probably come to the same conclusion that I did: It was brutal. Anyway, I ended up doing pretty well (2nd for my age group, 5th overall women), so I thought I’d share my post-race celebration meals, which happened to be concentrated in Hayes Valley.


Taken during construction....

First, we (I hope you didn’t think I ate this solo) splurged for a five-bowl meal at the new La Boulange in Hayes Valley. This particular locale is my new favorite Boulange, as the layout is far more comfortable than the spots on Union and Polk (the only other two I’ve been to).



Bowl #1: If you read The Order of Things, you’d remember that I’m a bit of a granola fanatic. So, naturally it was the first thing I wanted—a gigantic bowl filled with granola and a heaping scoop of creamy yogurt and topped with fruit and honey. (By the way, I’ve come to terms with digging for the granola at the bottom—now it’s sort of like a buried treasure.) 

Bowl #2: This particular Boulange offered an oatmeal dish—oats, milk, berries and honey—that I hadn’t seen at the other locations. I think they called it “Healthy Breakfast”—or something similar sounding that resonated with my day thus far.

Bowl #3: Fresh fruit—strawberries, pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew, grapes—and there were even blueberries, which while it’s December and definitely not seasonal felt like a treat.

Bowls #4 and 5: soy latte. Nothing beats drinking a latte out of a big bowl!

Stay tuned for dinner….