Guam International Marathon

Jonathan and I participated in the Guam International Marathon last weekend. I ran the 5K (still battling hamstring tendonitis?) and Jonathan ran the Half Marathon. Because it is so hot when the sun is up, they started the races super early! The marathon start time was 3am, half 4am, 10K 5am and 5K 6am. We had no idea what parking would be like so we took one car even though my start time was 2 hours after Jonathan's start time. ugh. We left the house at 2:45am. That was rough. We got there in plenty of time to park, drop off his bag and check out the start line before Jonathan's race. There was a pretty cool blue light tunnel at the start line.

Before Jonathan's race at around 3:30am

Some traditional dancing before all of the races. 

Jonathan was very easy to spot in that shirt

They're off!

After the Half race started, I went back to the car to "sleep" for about an hour. It turns out we left a light on in the car. Oops! It was a good thing I went back to the car after Jonathan's race started. I'm not quite sure what we would've done. No AAA in Guam...

We did it! 

Red carpet to take a dip in the ocean post race

I am very eager to figure out and solve my knees/hamstring issues! I was pretty envious of all of the Half marathon finishers. I hope I will be running the half next year. Jonathan finished in 2:02, setting his personal PR in the half marathon (it wasn't difficult, he has only run that distance twice).

The rest of the day was shot. Jonathan was tired from running 13.1 miles and I was mostly tired from no sleep. We napped for a bit and then stopped by Meskla Dos for some burgers.

This burger was huge!

Buggest lettuce wrap burger ever.

Not a bad view

Grilled Reef Fish

We finally went to the Fisherman's Co-Op, a great place to get fish caught by local fisherman. Yes, it is a bit weathered on the outside...

The first time we went to the Co-Op, we bought some Maui filets. We were told the fish was caught the night before and cut that morning. It was soo good! We will definitely buy them again.

We decided to get a bit more adventurous during our second visit, we bought whole reef fish! The guy was very convincing about the ease of grilling a whole reef fish. So we went for it!

Jonathan with our reef fish. We were a little nervous...

A little liquid courage

Pre-cleaning pic

 After much internet research, we decided we should clean the fish before we grilled them. This is pretty messy business if you are not near a river or the ocean. Cleaning fish in Red River was a breeze with the river right there. But doing this in our backyard would have been a challenge. The carport ledge worked pretty well for a work space and it was near the hose. We now have a fish cleaning cutting board.

We oiled them up and put them on the grill. Of course, the guy gave us very vague grilling instructions. We asked how long it would take to grill and he said, "when the tail bends easily it is done." Hmmm okay.

It is a little sad to see these fish on the grill. We see these fish swimming when we snorkel. 

Grilled reef fish!

 It turns out the guy was right. When the tail bends easily, it is done.

The finished product

It was a success! But I think we should stuff the fish next time. It could have used just a little more flavor. 

SUP Morning Sessions

We broke out the Stand Up Paddleboard! 

Pumping up the inflatable board

The water is so clear! You can see straight to the bottom when you are out there. It is really neat. I've only seen one fish, but Jonathan has seen quite a few.

We currently only have one board... We need to get another! It is a drag to wait on the beach for your turn. 

Bourbon Cocktails and Rotary Sushi

The hunt for a good bourbon drink is over. The lobby bar in the Dusit Thani is our spot. The bartender made a delicious Old Fashioned. He even flamed the orange peel! Respect, bartender. While we were waiting for the drink, we were served a jello shot in an orange peel. The presentation was awesome and it was actually pretty tasty.

Best jello shot presentation ever.

It was a pretty rainy night - but the view was still awesome.

Enjoying our drinks on the balcony.

If we live on an island, we need to eat sushi! We were told to try Rotary Sushi in Tumon. We waited for about 20 minutes, but were told by others waiting with us, it was worth it. They were correct. This place was fantastic. The unagi could be the best I've ever had. The fish was so good! I can't wait to go back.

The biggest bowl of wasabi I've ever seen.

PSA to let diners know puffer fish won't be served here?

So delicious!!

Ritidan Beach

We are still exploring all of the beaches in Guam, our latest discovery is Ritidan Beach. Wow, this place was awesome. It's a bit of a trek from our place, but worth it. There is also a wildlife refuge in the area.

Tiny church on the way to the beach.

The view from the overlook. Always pull over if there is a "scenic viewpoint" sign!

The cliff from below.

We still need to check out the museum.

Jungle path to the beach.

This place was empty! It was great.