A Case of the Runs

No matter what critics are saying about it, I haven't been able to stop listening to Eminem 's Recovery album, which came out late last month. Regardless of people's comments, the album reached platinum level quickly. Hah, what did you think this blog title referred to??? I've written an entry about my musician love, Moby, but my second love is Eminem. I've been a fan of his since I was 13. I even have this stuffed tiger, Shady, named after him. I even brought Shady to see Moby (look at what he's signing in this picture). His "Hi, My Name Is" song was what I used to annoy my sisters before I got hit by the boy bands. His brutal and comedic lines got me through high school with the Marshall Mathers, LP and then later, The Eminem Show . Since then, I haven't been able to find an album that I've really loved as much as those. But yes, I liked tracks here and there, such as " Beautiful " (from the recent Relapse album) a song that I R...

Not long ago, I alarmed a bunch of people about my motivations... or lack of motivations... toward a lot of things. Sometimes, I don't know how I survived my first two years of graduate school, namely, between 2007-2009. Those were some of the toughest years of my life, because I had a nearly full-time job (or jobs!), took more course-load than normal, ran, and then had to divide the rest of my time between the boyfriend and the family. Don't get me wrong, I still had plenty of fun during that time, but I recall feeling trapped by a very tight schedule! Anyway, I decided to quit. I left this: ...To the wonderful outdoors. At least for now, until I figure out what I am going to do or how long this new stint lasts. No, all this ridiculous ranting did not lead up to a mere gym loss. Actually, I left my company. After over four years of miscellaneous assignments with little prospect for something permanent at this time, I am going to another temporary post that beckoned very stron...

This has made me happier and wall-bouncing than the decaf I have sitting on my desk right now: Hi Julie, I just wanted you to know, off the record, that I nominated you as my pick for the Dean’s Scholarship - and the Scholarship Committee (on which I serve) went along with my recommendation. I think Dean [name redacted] is accepting the recommendation as well. Just giving you heads-up and good wishes! Best, [Associate Dean, whose name I also redacted] (Note: Since I don't attend a main campus, he is our "Dean." The actual "Dean" is located 2 hrs away and heads up the other (larger) campuses. In other words, he's the head cheese around here, and to be contacted by the big cheese for non-punishment is a good thing!) No, I did not win any money or award. Yet. And even if not, this in itself is a huge surprise. I have spent time with him at some events. I even had him for a class (back in February '09), but I never had the time or will to brown-nose or anyth...

I have a few bar reviews to post, so this is the first of a few I will be posting over the next couple of weeks or so. I was sent a free Clif Crunch bar (thanks, Clif!) and decided to eat it after a run one day. At first glance, it looks just like a certain other popular granola bar. Can you guess which one? It rhymes with "Raycher Rally," lol. However, the taste is much more "real" than said popular-bar. The sweetness is non-chemical, and the texture, albeit dry and crumbly, consisted clearly of wheat bran and other authentic grains. For the same amount of calories (180), it is not a bad alternative to other bars. I don't know how much these actually cost, but wouldn't it be better to eat this organic bar??

Here we go... been sticking with the mileage so far, but it starts rising (in a big way) next week. This week is a step-back week, so it better be easy! UPDATE: Okay, so this hasn't been easy. Too many abruptions in terms of scheduling and the suffocation of living conditions have made it really difficult both psychologically and logistically to adapt. Therefore, total amount of exercise has decreased so far this week... Just trying hard to stick to my assigned mileage... speed is secondary, but as I am slowly recovering, it has improved. ------ This Week's Workouts: Sunday - rest, besides some walking and a few minutes of pilates Monday - 5 mi - outdoors, 10 min strength/abs Tuesday - 25 min of No More Trouble Zones DVD; 3 mi - outdoors Wednesday - 5 mi - outdoors, 1.5 hr salsa Thursday - 3 mi - outdoors (hills), 20 min hip openers yoga Friday - 30-35 min P-90X Core Synergistics video, walking (not as much as planned...) Half-day at work today... gonna take advantage! Going t...

I had some unexpected time on my hands lately, so instead of doing this... I adorned this apron (not really... it was so hot that an apron sounded like torture)... Got inspired by some minor culinary decor... And decor that I brought in myself... I rounded up some ingredients.... Spent some time prepping... And made a dinner consisting of this: Above: Cherry Crunch, which is basically a cherry cobbler. I got the recipe from Recipezaar , one of my favorite websites. At some point, I might start doing recipes on this blog, but for now, it's all about the output! Above: Cooking up some filling for Tamale Pie, a recipe that I found in an old (Healthy Choice) cookbook at home. Above: And mixin' up some batter... Above: Outta the oven! Yes, I had a little paprika accident on the top, but it was not noticeable. Above: Served with some "Vegan Ceviche" (there are many variations of this recipe online). Above: Me at work, disheveled. ...

For Christmas, Tea Time got me a black Nike tank top (size S). I am generally not adorned with Nike anything, simply due to cost. Although I was thrilled with it, I didn't wear it too often because I generally don't wear sleeves things in general because I have some sort of self-consciousness/borderline psychological disillusionment with my arms. The tank itself if great, though. It has a shelf bra and padding, which is always welcome. The tank itself feels snug, which is more than what I'm used to, but then again, I used to run in men's boxers (did I just admit that online?). I like the black color because it conceals sweat, and the material is good for running for the most part. As you can see in my mud run post, I took full advantage of it, and yes, it's still in workable condition after a good wash. I kind of want to get more of these, but I'll have to see how often I can commit to sleeveless anything. I have to admit that wearing race T's all the...

This entry is about Sanuki no Sato in Gardena, CA. A group of us (the "McWangs," Ms. O, Six Pack) and I were having dinner there recently for "The Ukrainian"'s birthday. This restaurant has apparently done very well over the years, and because I'm a bad blogger, I didn't get a picture of the front or the celeb photos in the waiting area. x_x Anyway, we dished out an extra $15 (total) to get a tatami room... you know, one of those rooms where you sit on the floor with a low table, a-la Japanese. However... Above: ...I sat down to realize that there was a gaping HOLE at the bottom so you can actually put your legs down, as if you're sitting in a normal chair!! Above: A bad pic of me. If you look to the very left (again, due to bad blogging), you can see a gift that "The Ukrainian" got -- a foam roller ! Not only did Ms. O get him a good gift, but I know a certain *someone*/me needs it... just in the nick of time (I'll explain later...

Never fear, never fear, never fear... Fear is what keeps me from pushing myself to my limits, and the tenseness from fear makes those limits a lot lower than they could be. Although I haven't been meeting my yoga targets (3-5x/wk), I am trying to not give up on it. The heat makes yoga VERY uninticing, and my injuries have nothing to say to yoga in genereal. Also for this week... I just want to enjoy running again and make it as fun as it can be. ------ This Week's Workouts : Sunday - rest, mostly... except for some Wii Sports Resort for a good hour or so Monday - 5 mi @7.2, 30 min stretch/arms Surprisingly good turnout considering the late bedtime, alarm shutting off in the middle of the night, and the Monday blahs! Tuesday - 3 mi @7.2, 15 min sbike @3.r, 20 min arms/abs, stretch Wednesday - 5 mi @whatever I could muster- outdoors Thursday - 3 mi - outdoors, 20 min standing poses yoga Friday - 40 min Jillian Michaels' No More Trouble Zones DVD Review to come later. This ...

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was going to start trying different things to recover from my slew of running injuries and improve my running . One of the measures I have tried is incorporating some of the concepts from the book, ChiRunning by Danny Dreyer (with Katherine Dreyer). Yes, it looks like this married Dreyer couple collaborated on this book together, which I always find really sweet and cool! On a related note, in a semi-serious manner, I started the following conversation (may not be verbatim, but close enough) recently: "The Ukrainian": Where is your blog? Me: On the Internet. [Yes, I deserved to be smacked with that response.] "The Ukrainian": Aww, you don't want me to see your blog. Me: But you'll think I write bad, and I mention things in there like having to use the potty in the middle of a race... [pause] I'll show it to you... eventually. "The Ukrainian": 'Eventually' means 'never.' Me...

The Post that Launched 1000... Eggs? There is currently a post on the blog No Meat Athlete regarding how cow's milk basically is: - full of hormones - not meant for human consumption: yes, I'm intolerant! - full of white blood cells (i.e., infection cells) - contains pus - cruel I've talked about my presumed lactose intolerance quite a few times on this blog, but as of late, I've been trying to eat dairy again after I ate two pizzas without a stomach issue. I've partaken in ravioli, cream cheese, sour cream, and even (a good portion of) this: And this dairy consumption made me happy, because no stupid bloating or gas was going to keep me away from my former favorite food -- cheese. But I think I'm going to put a halt on my happy-go-lucky days of eating dairy with some abandon and just go back to avoiding it again. I thanked the author of that milk post for reminding me why I am an aspiring (not perfect... yet) vegetarian. The post also mentions the peril of e...

I couldn't help but get another yoga DVD, though this will likely be my last for a while. I decided to rejoin Rodney in my journey toward recovery from my running injuries with yoga. So when I saw the title of this DVD [Gaiam] -- Conditioning Yoga for Athletes, I couldn't help myself. I got this for $8 at Amazon . A week later, I cracked open the case and saw a short leaflet outling specific yoga poses for people of different sports such as tennis, golfing, cycling, and running . For example, for runners, the downward dog (see pic) is ideal. The DVD consists of a 50-ish minute workout. It starts with Openers , which is done with a chair, Conditioning -- where all the stretching happens, and Integration , which is more of a relaxation phase. A chair is required to stretch the legs one at a time. Conditioning involves a lot of standing poses. And Integration is all the sitting yoga. At some point during the relaxation phase, I think I fell asleep . All I remember was that I was ...

Last Updated: 7/18/2012 It has been two years since I updated this.  Running a lot less, but still have stuff to add. ------ Update: 8/17/2010 Updating this post makes me REALLY want to go somewhere new to run besides my regional park, the streets in my neighborhood, or worse, the treadmill! Note, though, that driving just to run isn't something I would prefer... ------ Original Post: 1/21/2008 I have never really been anywhere, but I'm going to make a point to note the loosely-defined cities in which I have ever, or am scheduled to, run (defined as having an intention to run, usually dressed to run, etc... not running to dart across traffic or at the airport or something). Some of these locations were ones that I traversed during a race/run. - Alhambra - Aliso Viejo - Anaheim - Beverly Hills - Boston (MA) - Camarillo - Camp Pendleton (Marine base) - Carlsbad - Del Mar - El Monte - Encino - Fargo (ND) - Hollywood - Huntington Beach - Irvine - ...

I know I had mentioned I was going to start marathon training on Hal Higdon's Novice 2 schedule today, July 12, 2010... ...But then I started to think that I could push myself a BIT harder now that I've run SIX marathons. No, not all of them were good by any means, but I really shouldn't discount myself as a "novice," injuries or not. What...did you think I was going to say that I have deferred my training?? Fat chance! It is now the time that I should step it up at least a little. I know Hal says that even on a Novice schedule, one can qualify for Boston, but I think I need a little help. Of course, the gung-ho in me was hoping I could do a program that had hills and sprints incorporated into it... but I think that I could add those sparingly on my own as I attempt to get myself back into good shape. Yes, my blog friends, I am serious about making some kind of improvement, but I am not so ambitious to the point that I would wreck it all by re-injuring myself...

It's marathon training time, folks! I will fill in the pacing gaps for each of these runs. For instance, I don't know what my "marathon pace" should be, but if I want to PR, I think I need to keep it to a consistent 6.3 mph. That's kinda slow for me to be running, it's just that I tend to break down during races. So I will be doing something faster than that during training... "The Ukrainian" has given me the green light to go a 7.0 mph. Yay? ------ This Week's Workouts : Sunday - rest Was supposed to do yoga, but gosh darn it, I was having a laaaazzzzyyy day. I should have done it, though, if not just to get rid of that "I need to get out of the house" feeling. Monday - 5 mi @7.0, 30 min stretch/arms/abs, 20 min backbends yoga Okay, so the back of my left ankle area feels sore. It actually started during this run. Also, left hip feels tweaked. I don't think it's necessarily a consequence of speed, nor do I think it's anythi...

I downloaded a couple of things from YogaDownload.com , which are meant to be downloaded onto iPods and such to take yoga workouts everywhere. Some of the shorter lessons are free -- longer ones are priced pretty low as well. My iPod now contains a video called "Yoga for Weight Loss." This was one of the few times I actually used the video-playing functionality on my iPod, and it worked okay. It is hard to see what's going on whilst holding positions, but to me, it was easy enough that I'm sure in a few workouts, I wouldn't need to look, anyway. So the 20-ish minute video emphasizes chin locks (in which you bring your chin to your chest to stimulate the thyroid, which is supposedly the weight loss part of it. The sequences are not too difficult and run through a few times each to get you warm. And yes, I did find myself getting warm while doing this, though I've already been doing other yoga as well and didn't find it difficult at all. If I'm on t...

Up until now, I admit that I didn't know what kind of traffic this blog receives. I use Feedburner to keep track of how many people subscribe to my feeds, but as far as absolute hits... nada. And nada is precisely what I was expecting in terms of how many people visit this site. Not so, says Google Analytics , one of Google's lastest neat tools besides Blogger itself. This is pitiful, but I have been tracking for about a week and get about 25-55 visitors per day. I got about 222 visitors in one week, which may include those who loyally or occasionally read... in addition to those from India or Europe randomly coming upon this site looking for diarrheal relief (just kidding... get it?!)! (this screen shot was taken a few days after the top one) So if you want to try this out, all you have to do is copy and paste some HTML code in your blog template, and it does the rest. P.S. Happy Birthday to the one from Ukraine!

This week is my last week before I actually start on a marathon schedule! So for this week, the goal is to hit a 6.8 mph pace for up to 50 minutes at a time. This means, same distance... but faster. ------ This Week's Workouts : Sunday - 20-ish minutes of Yoga for Weight Loss , to be reviewed later (4th of July holiday) Monday - 5.2 mi at what was TRYING to be @6.8, but too hard so I had to take walking breaks; 1.5 miles of cooldown-/jogging; 20 min stretching; [planned - 20 min yoga??] Tuesday - "The Ukrainian"'s birthday... took him to a theme park, which meant lots of walking and weird eating (food+rides=nausea) for me. Had dinner with his family and came home just in time for bed, so yoga was a no-ga today. Wednesday - 5.6 mi @6.8, .4 mi cooldown (jog/walk); 30 min strength/stretch/abs, 1 hour athlete conditioning yoga (review to come later) Thursday - 5.6 mi @6.8, .4 mi cooldown, 10 min bike @3.0r, 20 min standing poses yoga Friday - 45 min FitMoves circuits, 3...

Blog About Life. I have been blogging here a lot more lately. A part of the reason is that it is summer, and due to my dissertation chair taking her sweet time providing feedback while in Turkey (she's off-contract, so she is actually doing me a service by agreeing to work with me over the summer), I haven't been doing much work on that front. Over the past month or so, also, salsa classes have been on hiatus. I take salsa on Wednesday evenings and sometimes Saturday afternoons. After six months of this, it's losing its fun-factor. I will still be going to class, but I will probably miss the first class next week because I don't want to spend 90 minutes doing the basic step over and over again! Thirdly, I've been motivated by reader comments, followers, and hits that I've been getting. I know I'm not one of those top health/fitness bloggers, but I already have a full-time job and the rest of my life divided in between my family, my love, my friends, and...

This is one of those entries that have been a long time in the making, as I had to give both of these products much, much use before giving my full opinion of them. I am fortunate in that both of these items have been made available to me via my company gym. First up is The Stick . It is about 1.5 feet long in the version that I've been using and kind of reminds me of a plastic rolling pin with the center part sectioned off like beads so that they can roll independently. I like that I can roll out my muscles while lying down sitting, or perhaps even standing. It is just like rolling out dough. A moderate press is all you need to feel an effect. Go too hard and you'll just be hurting yourself. Sometimes, there is a chance that your skin can get a little pinched in between the sections. I also doesn't work too well right up against bone (i.e., the shin), but otherwise, my quads and hamstrings and calves love it after a good run! Next up is the foam roller. It is a sty...