Wonder what happens when you take a girl who loves to plan a party, the debut of a new cookbook, and a gaggle of girls talking recipes on a run? You get a Run Fast. Eat Slow. Potluck!  Shalane Flanagan (in case you didn’t know… she’s a badass runner, 4-time Olympian, lady with a big heart) and her college teammate, Elyse Kopecky teamed up once again and wrote one of THE BEST cookbooks that I’ve gotten my hands on.  There was instant buzz from the book beginning with its release in August, but that buzz grew louder and louder as word spread.  Seriously though, I was obsessed from Day 1.  So obsessed that my friend Katie and I drove in rush hour traffic to San Francisco to go on a run with Shalane and Elyse (BTW… we beat them that day… even though they didn’t know we were racing ;o) We also got copies of the books signed.

After this, I was even more obsessed with the book and it really was a topic of discussion on many runs. Because there are so many good recipes and so little time, it was evident that we needed to divide and conquer.  That’s when the light bulb moment hit…. I should just host a potluck!  And so it happened… several months later.

Fast forward to summer… a shout out went to the ladies, a date was chosen and the Facebook event was created.  Each person was asked to claim a recipe that they wanted to bring to the potluck.  The only way that a recipe could be brought twice was only if there was a significant change to the recipe.  For example, my husband has a nut allergy so I make the Superhero Muffins with quinoa flour instead.  Side note… these are a staple in our home.  It’s like grabbing the normal milk, eggs and Superhero Muffin ingredients each time I get groceries.

The following recipes made the cut:

• Marathon Lasagna
• Can’t Beet Me Smoothie
• Arugula Cashew Pesto
• Kale-Radicchio Salad with Farro
• Strawberry-Arugula-Kamut Salad
• Wild West Rice Salad
• Carolina Tarragon Chicken Salad
• Recovery Quinoa Salad
• Garden Gazpacho
• High-Altitude Bison Meatballs with Simple Marinara
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Flourless Almond Torte

Although it’s not mentioned in the cookbook itself, as runners we fully understand the benefits of wine so there was plenty.  To stay extra hydrated, Cucumber-Strawberry-Basil Spa Water was available too.  There wasn’t a single dish that didn’t get a huge thumb’s up.  My husband was plenty skeptical when he saw the sweet potatoes go into the lasagna, but after the first bite he was protecting it to ensure leftovers.  The lone child at the party also gave high marks to the recipes.  Despite all the dishes brought, we didn’t even touch the surface of this remarkable book.  In fact, the second edition of the book is in the works right this moment.  The vote was unanimous… there will be another potluck in the very near future.

A big thanks goes out to Charissa for getting some beautiful pictures of the party while I was busy stuffing my face with all the goodness.

If you don’t have this cookbook, hit up your local bookstore ASAP (or go to Amazon and get it in 2-days if you have Prime).  You won’t be disappointed.  If you already have the cookbook, what are your favorite recipes?  Don’t worry… you don’t have to pick just one.