A Case of the Runs

This is my third post in a series of entries about non-dairy milk alternatives. - Original "Milks..." post - Milks, part 2 I continued my journey through non-dairy milks, trying to avoid soy whenver possible just because of all the hoop-la surrounding it. But then I saw this "Silk" brand, notorious for soy milk, come out with an almond version.  Nutritionally, it fared better with me than other almond milks because of added vitamin/minerals and slightly more protein.  Lack of protein is my #1 complaint about almond milk... especially since I figure that almonds are protein-rich in their whole form. Bottom line: This is the tastiest almond milk I've tried!  It isn't watery and has a good amount of sweetness without being overly so.  I was able to drink this by itself, eat it with cereal, and even cook with it. Next on the list is this hemp milk.  Yes, I went there .  And no, I didn't smoke anything. ;)  I had avoided hemp milk because it ...

After "The Ukrainian" got a food processor months ago , we finally started using it recently! It made its debut to make this chocolate chip cookie dough truffle recipe from Healthy Food for Living .  Yep, another "ball" shaped dessert... So far, so good...  There are a bunch of other attachments in the package, which I'm not sure how to use.  I'm still trying to tap into this thing's full potential... Here was dinner that night.  I did not make this hummus... but it was the primary dinnner, along with the dough balls. :)  It will take me a while to realize the "life-changing" power of a food processor...

After destroying my previous pair of shoes during the rainy (an understatement) LA Marathon , I needed to spring for a new pair of shoes before gearing up for Fargo Marathon .  I've tried many brands of shoes by now, but I walked into the store demanding that I try something new.  Well, unfortunately, they only had two stability shoes in my size in the store, so I was left with slim pickings. Fortunately, there was a clear winner in this two-shoe contest, and it's one that I know pretty well.... Saucony Hurricane 12!  I ran in two pairs of Hurricane 10's a while back, but the 11 didn't seem to work for me the last time I bought shoes.  The 12 is everything I liked about the 10's... and more!  They fit in the right places (especially the heel), feel like a cloud, are deep enough for my flattish/wide foot, and are actually attractive. :) Looking foward to the next six months (that's how long my shoes typically last)!

I hope that we will not too soon forget that a nation is still reeling from one of the greatest natural disasters in history.   I am so thankful to those who donated to my LA Marathon Japan Tsunami Relief Fundraiser for the American Red Cross.  Those few hundred dollars will definitely help.  A few friends of mine are also helping in the effort.  Genevieve, in Hong Kong, is running ~25k in honor of Japan (around a horse race track).  And Anna, my friend who teaches and lives in Fukui, Japan, has been working hard since the event, collecting supplies. On April 11, Anna will be running 5k to raise funds for the stricken areas of her country.  Anna writes the following: "As someone who lives in Japan, I have been both shocked at the destruction caused by the earthquake and tsunami, and amazed at how people are coming together to help those in need. Watching these events unfold, I’ve had one continuous thought on my mind, 'How can I ...

Coincidentally enough, this photo of this pout-y version of myself was taken in "Wine Country" (Solvang, CA).  But I'm talking about wHining... you know, that thing that kids and girlfriends do. Increasingly, I have seen more and more people posting negative comments on companies' Facebook pages, news stories, and everywhere else that allows for "social media" input. There's nothing wrong with unpopular opinions or alerting a company if something is wrong, but sometimes, I think the postings get out of hand.  It's as though everyone who did not have the guts to contact the company personally (via phone or e-mail) suddenly came out and unleashed their rage (doesn't matter if the rage came from the product or their bosses, dogs, or whatever) in forums that could mar companies' reputations. And a lot of these demands that people are making are just plain unreasonable. Case in point: in the days following LA Marathon, I saw several comment...

In a quaint area of South Pasadena , CA (a very well-to-do area) lies this little cafe called Heirloom Cafe . Above: The outdoor dining area. It was too cold to sit out there on this afternoon, though! Above: My barley soup and crusty bread... Above: Open-face egg sandwich. Look at the BIG chunks of egg! (the bread is hidden beneath somewhere) The prices here were a little high ($4.50 for small soup and $9 for sandwich), but the ingredients seem pretty fresh and carefully prepared. The atmosphere of this area of town is worth it. I wish I could afford to live there!!

A while back, I blogged about some of my adventures of cooking from Happy Herbivore , a low-fat, vegan cookbook.  I may not eat a vegan diet all the time (trying, though!), but I feel that everyone can benefit by making vegan meals a part of a healthy lifestyle.  And really,  Happy Herbivore  makes it SO easy to do so!  The cookbook has worked perfectly for me, being lactose intolerant, hungry, not rich, and a somewhat inexperienced cook.  It's no wonder her book has climbed the Amazon.com ranks and even sold out a few times!  Not only that, but two more "Happy Herbivore" cookbooks are in the works! The author behind the book (and blog ), Lindsay Nixon , is very accomplished.  She has practiced law, is a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), and is now a successful author.  Did I mention she is also a marathoner??? :)  I am thirilled to have her here to answer a few questions as part of her "virtual boo...

Updated Post: 3/20/11 As promised, here are the Sony W Series giveaway winners: -- both have been contacted and prizes sent -- Please e-mail me at (Gmail) Nobel4Lit2 with your addresses, and I'll ship out the units soon! Thanks to everyone who entered.  Stay tuned for another giveaway soon (maybe later this week)! (Note: I ended up putting everyone's retweets starting after the comments when it came to numbering the entries.) Original Post: 3/10/11 Sunday, March 20 2011, the day I will run LA Marathon for the 4th time (and embark on my 8th 26.2 journey overall), will also be very special because it will mark the 5th year since I did my FIRST training run with the intention of running a marathon.  (Check out that life-changing post HERE ). Yep, on March 20, 2006, I went to the track and ran my first 3.25 miles with the dreams of marathon glory (or even half-marathon glory). I think it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.  I was a sprint/tra...

EVENT: Los Angeles Marathon DATE: Sunday, March 20, 2011 LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA RACE BEGAN: 7:43 AM FINISH TIME: 05:01:35 ***NOTE: I am co-writing this entry with " The Ukrainian ."*** Foreword (by Julie): In the days prior to this race, I was trying to top off my electrolyte stores due to cramping issues I was having during training .  So I sipped on coconut water and ate pickles (didn't really drink much juice because I couldn't stand how it tasted this time around).  I also got SaltStick  to take prior to and during the race as a precaution. On the Friday before the race, we went to Dodger Stadium to pick up our race packets.  We had to walk across a large parking lot to get to the Expo... They were set up for a 5K they were having the next day, but I had class, so no go.  Yes, I'd consider doing a 5K before a marathon -- just check out my plans for this May . Finally, we got to the Expo.  It was large but very crowded, so I'd have ...

I'm finally getting my workouts for thsi week posted... and for good reason. It's game time! :)  I'll try to recap the race as soon as I can! (P.S. LAST CHANCE to enter the Sony W Series MP3 Player giveaway ! -- I'm choosing the winner after I get back from the race!) ------ This Week's Workouts: Saturday - 8 mi Sooo tired... this run basically blew. Sunday - rest; stretching/"The Stick" Monday - 1 mi (AM) + 20 min upright bike; 30 min strength; 4 mi (PM) and abs Tuesday - rest (overbooked) Wednesday - 1 mi; 10 min elliptical, 10 min bike; 20 min strength Thursday - 2 mi; 45 min strength Friday - rest;   LA Marathon Expo for race weekend I have class on Saturday, so I have to do the Expo on Friday, and of course, that means sitting on my butt all day Saturday, which for once might be a good thing. Weekly Mileage: 16

I'm running a marathon this weekend! :) :) :) -- Follow Me on Twitter for Real Time updates during the race! I've gone to so many race expos that I figure I have enough expertise to write up a little "how to" to someone who has never been. And if you haven't been, go! Of course, these things are much more fun if you're a long distance runner (the target audience), but they are really neat for even recreational runners. (Just be sure not to show up the afternoon before a race when they get packed!) So here's my suggestions when it comes to navigating an expo: 1. If you're running a race the next day, take some time to check out the course and transportation maps .  You will need to know how/when to get to certain places at the right times.  If you're bringing a cheering squad, know where they can watch out for you and where to meet at the end.  For big races, I usually try to meet up post-race at the medical tent (or sponsor of choice) if ...

A few marathons ago (you know you've been doing too many when you can say that), I decided to include starvation as part of my taper strategy. The week before a marathon, I start loading up on pickle juice, sleep, carbs, and water. And I completely (to my power) cut out music. You see, I listen to music (on my Sony Walkman  -- GIVEAWAY STILL GOING ON , and formerly iPod ) on most of my runs.  I've done a couple of races without music, mostly because I forgot or wasn't allowed to have it.  But when I can help it, I'm going to jam to Eminem in my darkest moments of the race. So this means that on my last runs before the race, my ears are open.  I don't turn on the radio in the car (except talk radio), and I try to avoid lingering in music-playing supermarkets or stores for very long. This way, when race day comes, I'm starving for music, and its motivating affects are increased.  Yes, marathons much are less painful when you're absorbed in a Lil ...

If you're anti- Twitter , you may want to skip this post.  (About a year ago, I would have skipped my own post!) If you have a Twitter account (click HERE to follow me), do you "follow" other runners? For those who know nothing about Twitter, two things: 1) Tweet = update your status in 140 characters or less 2) Follow = subscribe to someone's "tweets" so you can see their updates in real-time Seemingly everyday, I see posts and posts about running.  "Gotta get my run done!"  "6 miles done!" etc. etc. And let's not forget Saturday and Sunday mornings, where I see a barrage of "I did my 20-miler!" or "I woke up early to run in the cold." Is this expected, or annoying? Does Tweeting about your running somehow become so necessary ? And most of all... am I an annoying runner-Tweeter ? I generated a little " Tweet Cloud " that shows the relative frequency of the words I have used in my twee...

Please click HERE to do so! With a week left before the LA Marathon , I realize I've definitely fallen off my usual fundraising bandwagon.  I think I've fundraised every year since I started, but due to time restraints from school and a change in work situation, I haven't made an attempt to fundraise. And then, this horrible thing happened in the East.  It took me a few days to donate myself and wondered how many others just haven't gotten around to it.  I thought I'd give those who haven't taken the opportunity to donate yet to do so right now. As far as I know, I don't know anyone personally who has been affected by these disasters, but I'm sure we can all relate to the humanity and humility of a nation struck by things far, far worse than I could imagine.  Surely I can give up a couple of smoothie costs for them... Any amount would be greatly appreciated.  If you do donate, feel free to let me know in the Comments section of my Sony W Series ...

In my "Untold Stories" series , I relate things that seemingly have nothing to do with running... with running.  To ease myself away from food posts in the spirit of this being a countdown to my marathon this Sunday , here's a part-food, part-life, and part-running post. Other "Untold Stores" I've Posted: the time I pulled my wisdom teeth "The Ukrainian"'s first race ~~~~~~ I've been watching a lot of Man vs. Food lately, and I finally caught the episode that showed the Las Vegas Hash House a Go Go.   Finally, I place I've been to... on TV!  So I decided to blog about the time I went to a "famous" place... but I can actually relate this to running! Tea Time , M, M's sister, and "The Ukrainian" headed there the morning before the Las Vegas Marathon  in 2009.  Since I had a feeling that dinner pickings were going to be small (we were staying at the host hotel, which would be FULL of carbo-loading marath...