A Case of the Runs

I mentioned in THIS entry that I randomly picked up a boxed mac n cheese to try out. Better yet, make that a dairy-free AND gluten-free mac. I've made vegan mac n cheese before and think the results are pretty good.  However, I could not resist the lure of a box. So here I am, boiling the gluten-free pasta according to the package directions... Wash and strain.  The pasta didn't taste or smell strange at all... not like the first time I had gluten-free pasta... I combined the powder from the baggie with some almond milk... This is the resulting "chreese." The nutritionals are not terrible, and the pasta was made from very simple ingredients... Combined.  Don't be like me and make this in advance of dinnertime.  I ended up having to add more almond milk and reheating, though I think the same thing would have happened with the "real" boxed mac, too. Here's the final product.  It actually wasn't bad...  It tasted a lot li...

One of my peers in HRIS (Human Resources Information Systems) is on break (out of the country -- major jealousy here) for the next two weeks, which scares the heck out of me.  I perform some of the things he does, but he's like a Jedi Master that I like knowing is somewhere in case I need him. Oh, the stresses of Corporate America. I'm sure it will be no different from normal, when he's so busy that people often cannot reach him. So yeah, I can relax.  Breathe.  Drink a kombucha. What's kombucha?  Unless you don't read any other blogs of this genre, you've probably already heard about this fermented tea beverage.  I didn't try any for a long time because when I was first aware of its presence (maybe a year ago?), it was banned from Whole Foods for its small alcohol content. And then, it came back. At ~$3.79 per bottle, my second hesitation arose.  But I'm glad I finally succumbed to one, because it is VERY refreshing! Pros: - Refreshing ...

 If you're following along, here is the seventh week of training according to the 4 Months to a 4-Hour Marathon book.  The paces below are specifically for the 4-hour goal .  If anyone would like the paces for 4:15, 4:30, 4:45, or 5:00, I can start posting them alongside my plan if you let me know. I am also posting on DailyMile , but everything (and more!) will be posted here as well.  This "Marathon Training" series  is an experiment for me both in fitness and in blogging, as I am going to go into more detail than in previous training cycles, documented on my Training page. ------ Last Week in Review: Here is the original schedule from last week and my comments/modifications. I've also been doing a new strength training program , which actually cuts down the overall amount of time that I spend on strength (4 times a week for 10-15 minutes down from 4 times a week for 15-20 minutes().  I *will* do a follow-up post on that in a couple of weeks once...

The wonderful people at Vega sent me some samples of their Sport line. The Performance Optimizer (below and on the right in the collective picture) is to be used pre-workout. Even though I wasn't supposed to try something new on a race day, I had a packet before my recent half-marathon . When mixed with water as indicated, the powder kind of looked like that brownish stuff that doctors use to sanitize skin (peroxide??), which was off-putting.  However, the taste was slightly of berries and not bad, and honestly, its slight caffeine content and electrolytes seemed to have helped me during the earlier parts of the race. Performance Optimizer On the left in the above picture is the Performance Protein .  I took a scoop in a bottle and added water to it after the race for muscle-repair.  I shook up the greenish powder, and to my great dismay, I didn't like it at all.   I REALLY wanted to like it, too, because as you can see near the bottom of th...

Last year, I (re-)reviewed another Amphipod product, the RunLite Hydration Belt , which didn't exactly work well for me over the long run (pun intended). Well, after being disappointed that I couldn't find one at my running store, I finally spotted a handheld version of Amphipod at Sport Chalet !  Of course, I could have bought it online for the same price, but I wanted to hold it before buying, ya know? (Yes, we brought gummy candy into the sports store... consider it long-run carbo-loading.) The 20 oz water bottle detaches from the grip, which also contains a small compartment for things (really only large enough for pepper spray or gel).  It's a bit tough to re-assemble after taking it apart, but this should get easier with time. I typically fill mine with Vega Sport Optimizer ! It takes some getting used to, but it is a lot better than going without water, with a belt, or carrying a regular ol' water bottle like what I was doing for a while. ...

I've seen SofSole products in stores before, but after some past experiences with insoles in general, I have only learned that they are great for making your running shoes feel fresh(er) for a short period of time.  However, they don't seem to make my feet feel like they are better off. I'm pretty flat-footed.  I once got custom insoles made for me and was told by the person doing it that they might not help much, due to my low arch.  In a world of normal-arched people who run well, I sort of flap around in comparison. SofSole Fit is a new line of insoles that are "custom made" for your foot.  I think I've seen similar for Dr. Scholl's before, in certain drugstores with kiosks that actually measure the pressure from your feet as you stand and then make a recommendation. Anyway, I asked to try a low arch pair and also a normal/ medium arch pair for "The Ukrainian" to try.  I figure that since my feet are so "messed up," he wo...

A long time ago, I (and my sister ) reviewed two fitness clothing detergents. In the meantime, I haven't been using any special detergents for my workout clothes.  For one thing, I haven't been wearing my fabulous Nike capris in this hot weather, and for the most part, my clothes are not high-end enough to warrant special treatment.  I mean, if I break it, then I can get another one the next time I hit up an outlet , right? No, not really.  I hand-wash my "high-end" (and some low-end) workout clothes to stretch their lifespan, as I am not made of money.  Imagine the pain of breaking a Lululemon item... I have not even step foot in that store in fear that I will want something! For items like that, and I guess my current items, I was sent a sample of this Vaska Herbatergent  in this huge box (overstuffed with bubble wrap, but I guess that is customary?). Liquid laundry detergent uses real lavender and potent botanical cleaning agents to clean clothing a...

Bigger isn't always better. Which is why I made these  jelly muffins  in our new mini-muffin tin.  Well, I should say "our," because it was part of my birthday gift to "The Ukrainian," but I feel that if I'll get more use out of it than he will.  Although, that depends on how one defines "use." The baking scene: Non-sequitur!  I pointed my camera upwards to take a photo of the new kitchen lighting.  It used to just be flourescent lights covered with clear sheets, but a plumbing issue from upstairs resulted in the need to change them out completely to this recessed lighting setup.  So handy! Anyway, like the last time I made these muffins , I had to grind up flax seeds due to my stubbornness to use up what I have (whole vs. ground flax seeds). I did blend it more after this point, but as you can see, it does get goopy like eggs, which is what the ground flax is used to substitute. This time, I changed it up a bit by adding p...

 If you're following along, here is the sixth week of training according to the 4 Months to a 4-Hour Marathon book.  The paces below are specifically for the 4-hour goal .  If anyone would like the paces for 4:15, 4:30, 4:45, or 5:00, I can start posting them alongside my plan if you let me know. I am also posting on DailyMile , but everything (and more!) will be posted here as well.  This "Marathon Training" series  is an experiment for me both in fitness and in blogging, as I am going to go into more detail than in previous training cycles, documented on my Training page. ------ Last Week in Review: Here is the original schedule from last week and my comments/modifications. 1) Mix-up: I had a tiny mix-up on this step-back week, and was supposed to jog on Thursday, which got swapped to Saturday.  2) I need rest! I swapped a shorter day for the long run because I REALLY need to sleep in. I've been waking up at 5:30 M-F and 6:00 on Saturdays ...

Cocoa is a wonderful thing, and not because it's behind most chocolate desserts. As anyone who knows me personally can guess, I am often powered by such desserts.  If anything, it's good for mental well-being.  :)  Cocoa is known to have other benefits as well, such as: decreased blood pressure improved cholesterol levels antioxidants Of course, I can't keep eating chocolate things all day long (well, I could, but...), so if you've walked by a GNC lately, you've probably seen CocoaWell on their shelves. Cocoa in pill form ?  I'm sold!  I was sent a sample of these CocoaWell True Energy supplements to try.  When I opened the bottle, I actually sniffed it to see if it smelled like chocolate.  And to some degree, it did... or at least the closest I've ever experienced in terms of pills smelling like chocolate, anyway. The pill is a pretty standard size.  I don't recommend leaving it in your mouth as long as I did, as the cap...

As I struggle on the "healthy eating" wagon, cooking always inspires me to make better choices. I saw THIS spaghetti squash and vegan cream sauce recipe and could not help but attempt this normally heavy dish on a hot summer day. This was my first time cooking spaghetti squash.  Check out that knife I used... to cut it open.  Definitely could have done better with a cleaver, ya know? ;) Scooping out the seedy middle reminded me of Halloween . And I also got to use something else I've never cooked with before -- shallots. Now dressed in olive oil, garlic, and shallots, these puppies went into the oven for about 55 min... Meanwhile, I made a simple salad.  Tomato, romaine, and some extras like this pickled radish.  I made this a while back because "The Ukrainian" bought radishes and didn't eat them (nor do I like them).  So I put them in a salt/vinegar/black pepper mix.  In other words, I saved those darn radishes' lives. ;)  Their second l...

(NOTE: This is the last restaurant review I'll be doing here for a while, so I'm going out with a bang) One random night a couple of months ago, "The Ukrainian" and I went to have sushi for our Friday night dinner ( Ichima Sushi in Pasadena, CA). The place was very busy, even though it was pretty large and accomodating.  Let's just say that after the waiter got our order down, he asked, " And this is for two people ?" Why, yes. I ended up trying a piece of most of the rolls, and I was already stuffed to the brim.  Since most of the rolls were fish (or imitation crab, which is essentially fish), I was able to try almost everything we ordered. Ichima roll, which is wrapped in a rice paper.  This was my favorite roll, since it had three types of raw fish in it.  But did I bother getting a good picture of that?  Apparently, I was more focused on eating it. :$ Sashimi salad, whichi s one of my Japenese food favorites. This was supposed t...