A Case of the Runs

On a whim, I bought a shelf-bra tank top (in navy blue) from Target ($14.99). I don't wear tanks very often (I believe I have BDD for my arms... only half-joking!), but in this heat, I am willing to go sleeveless so I won't die of suffocation in the gym. I liked it because it made me look athletic... it fits pretty well and has a nice racerback. It is not made of technical fabric, but it isn't too bad with trapping heat, anyway. To improve its look, I should probably wear this with a sports bra underneath, though. Above: Taking too long to get ready for my run... Additionally, my Nike visor has been starting to fall apart over the past few months, and because I want to protect my scalp from the sun in a way that visors cannot, I got this Adidas Clima365 cap from Big 5 ($17.99) in white. This cap claims to have an SPF 25 finishing, vents, and is really a light cap. Best of all, it fits on what I believe is my huge head. Above: My hat's debut at the San Francisco Half...

So far, my mileage this week has been: Sunday: first excuse barf -- haven't gone for a weekend run pretty much since I started my 6am-3pm work days (nearly 6 months ago!), leaving me craving "sleeping in" until 7 or 8 am =/ Monday: second excuse barf -- study group Tuesday: 3 (~9:15 min/mi) Wednesday: 6 (~9 min/mi) Thursday: third excuse barf -- was resting from the day before as to not re-aggravate injury Friday: TBD when I go to the gym in about an hour and a half Saturday: fourth excuse barf -- sleeping in, doing laundry, going out Yep, that is it. The pain I've had in my hip flexor for two months is now residual, but the pain of having lungs that are out of shape is comparable. Additionally, the hot weather (105 degrees yesterday!), lack of life stability, and the ever-present burden of comprehensive exams (which I will be done with pretty much exactly one week from now) have killed any motivation to run. I'm not going to worry about it too much yet. I'm s...

Last night, I was picking up some things at the health food store near me ( Sprouts ) and noticed some goat milk yogurt next to the Greek yogurt that I was actually there to get. I have had goat cheese throughout my life on pizzas (not bad), in salad, and in cheesecake. Goat cheese has a strong musk(?)/flavor to it, and I have an unrefined pallate who barely is learning to appreciate wine and cannot stand olives or stinky cheese or other delicacies that people enjoy. But goat cheese is more friendly toward the lactose-intolerant, so in my effort to be open-minded, I decided to try it. So bracing myself for "that taste" in the yogurt, I got a strawberry-flavored one. I definitely tasted the strawberry, and yes, that goat cheese taste was definitely in there, albeit weaker than in anything I've ever tried. I don't think I will purchase this again... until I grow up, perhaps.

Guest Post...by Tea Time Hello readers of my sister's blog. I noticed that my sister got some new kicks lately but I didn't realized that it was time for me to also get a new pair until my legs started to hurt after my runs lately. I only hope it is because I needed new shoes and not something more serious. As much as I love shopping for running/workout wear, I simply hate shopping for running shoes. I wish running shoes would last forever. That's how much I hate shopping for them. But at last, I did go shopping. I was only suppose to pick up a new pair of running shoes as I think my current pair are spent. So I mosied into RoadRunners on my lunch break to pick up my old standby...my Adidas Supernova. I like it because it is hot pink. No that's not why. Maybe. Anyways, I found out that they were discontinuing that shoe. They still had one pair left in my size. I am a lucky person. However, the sales person pointed out that my current shoe model is being replaced by the...

Seeing how I don't want to dish out money to get an iPhone (mostly just the phone plan that prerequisites it), my jealousy continues to grow as I think about my "Sister K's" iPod Touch. She showed me the Nike+ "app" on there, and I saw that you could log workouts on there. And now that I'm in the process of joining a consulting firm as a marketing intern, I need to use/learn stuff like Twitter (see my failing widget on the right sidebar). Yep, excuses, excuses! There is no official word from Apple when it comes to a third-generation iPod Touch being released soon (pictured is the second gen), but I am hoping it really does come out soon, because I think I am about to drop some money on it. Would this iPod be ideal for someone like me who currently clips her iPod to her shorts? I've seen people using armbands, but never anyone beyond a recreational gym runner. Is it weighty? Will my endless sweat damage it? Better not get rid of the old 'Pod yet.....

I gave in to another fad. My latest convergence is this Green Monster drink. Being a not-so-great vegetarian that I am, I sometimes go through days without any veggies (subsisting on fruit and bread). It's not that I don't like salad... but sometimes my moods get me wanting sweet things, and things that don't crunch. Additionally, I am such a huge smoothie junkie, and any chance I get at having smoothies that don't contain frozen yogurt or artificial powders... I take! So with Tea Time's Magic Bullet blender, I was able to whip up the following breakfast: - 1/2 banana - some ice - ~1 c. kefir/vanilla soymilk blend - 1 tbsp flax seeds - 2 handfuls of washed spinach leaves Shortly thereafter, in spite of my skepticism of the drink blending properly, a beautiful green drink emerged (green is my favorite color)! It tasted light and not like spinach at all, with just the right amount of sweetness. I felt very good to be getting some veggies for breakfast! I prefer thick...

Above: A rainbow (faintly) appearing in early February driving on the I10-E freeway. Above: The next day, I had a soy tea latte from Starbucks and made marks on my cup (if you read it, "Tea Time" appears on there. Above: An afghan throw I knitted for "The Ukrainian" this past Christmas. I believe I took this picture as we were about to head out to Mammoth this past January . Above: This is my non-stock-photo of one of the cupcakes mentioned in my previous entry (Wonderland Bakery). I was a bit bummed that the top squished a bit. Above: I should really be eating more breakfasts like these, though... On a personal note, it's going to be a long week.

Get the song reference? This entry is completely non-running related. In fact, it is detrimental to the fact. As of this past year, just about everywhere I go, if I see a red velvet cake/cupcake, I am apt to try it. This is strange for three reasons: cheesecake frosting causes me adverse digestion red food coloring (red #40) is supposedly linked to cancer, going against my heathy beliefs I normally don't go for chocolate cakes, which is what red velvet cakes essentially are Places I've Tried (in no particular order - all in CA unless otherwise specified): Wal-Mart - could stand to have more moisture, softer texture; frosting was not memorable [unpictured] Ralph's - a little dry, frosting was average and a bit lacking, but good for that fix (much like Wal-Mart's) [unpictured] Butter Tart (Glendale) - moist, frosting was addictive; rather tasty Sprinkles (Beverly Hills) - very delicious! moist and good frosting Tea Time's homemade - thought I should mention! [unpictu...

NOTE: I actually sold these shoes on eBay in January 2010... they did not work for me at all! They were too heavy for my running gait. Next time, I will trust myself instead of some running evaluation to determine what shoes would work for me... Given that my most recent pair of running shoes have made it over a year with me, it was time for the next annual purchase of these necessary pieces of running gear. I never thought I'd be running in Brooks, since I did not think they made them for my wide feet. I was a bit PO-ed (i.e., unhappy) when I walked into A Snail's Pace this weekend and found the salespeople to be unattentive. One was with a customer, completely oblivious to the fact that I was, for many minutes, intently browsing the shoes, picking them up, flexing them, wondering why the selection had decreased since I was last there. Another was playing on the treadmill that they use for shoe-testing. Sorry to bag, but this is my blog, and one should be liable that bad w...

Did anyone ever read those Louis Sachar books about Wayside School (if you haven't, they are lovely, fun kids' books!)? Well, this entry isn't about that. It's about something falling to the wayside... mainly running. The gym at my work has been closing early for the majority of the week, and as a result, the extent of this week's exercise was two outdoor 6-mi run/walk excursions and one ab session (does scrubbing down my car count as exercise, too?). I'm going to San Diego today with "Ukrainian" in tow and will at least be hiking tomorrow with one of my high school gal pals. But the thought of running again seems daunting. I start running and then feel slight twinges in my hip, and I just have no motivation to plow through when I get even a little tired. I'm hoping this will improve when I just go back to the treadmill, but we'll see next week. I am well into the 18-week training period for my next marathon . Starting Monday, I am going...

I received a PURE Bar from Tea Time as part of my birthday gift a few months ago. (Wow, it's only been a few months?? Seems like an eternity!!) PURE Bars can best be described as moist, like LaraBars . They are a bit flatter the thus wider and a little less dense. As you can see on the right, they come in several different flavors. I tried the blueberry one. Blueberry is sometimes overly sweet in a bar, but this bar's representation was actually quite subtle. The chewiness of the bar was also very satisfying. These vegan bars have around 250 calories and can be found in health stores such as Trader Joe's.