A goodbye post of sorts…

I think I’m starting to feel a little bored by blogging. I anticipated that this would happen before I started writing. It’s just too much work! I think I’d rather eat/workout and be done with it, but lately I’ve felt compelled to summarize and recap. Frankly, it’s a lot to think about, and I’d rather use the time/energy for other stuff. Maybe this kind of blog is just not for me. *BUT* I will still be lurking/commenting and getting my daily blog fix vicariously

I think I get more out of reading others’ blogs than maintaining one of my own.

I *will* use this place to keep babbling about my adventures in gym and food (and life…….., maybe more of life…), but don’t anticipate too many pics. Expect a lot of navel-gazing …with that said, I will come back and post a recap of my race in 2 weeks!

I went on my first run after a 7-week shin-splint-induced hiatus!

The post in which I detailed my shin woes: here

In the past 7 weeks I stationary-biked, rowed, lifted, and kept up a pretty consistent 5-or-6-days-a-week workout routine but didn’t run at all. At first I didn’t even walk very much (except when I had to, at work) because even that hurt.

But my shin pain went away FINALLY last week and today I resolved to go running. I stepped out of my house after dinner and ran for 40 minutes, completely pain free!

• 40:02
• ? miles
• max HR: 174
• ave HR: 156

I was actually surprised by how manageable it was. I had this fear that my legs would atrophy or something if I took time off, but thankfully I didn’t. YAY body that didn’t atrophy.

After talking to lots of people, it seems like a universal suggestion was to find some softer surfaces to run on, not only for my shins but also my bones and joints in general. There is a grassy park near my house, but it’s just that: All grass. I don’t like running on grass. I keep feeling like I’m going to step on a rock or branch and land on my foot wrong. When I was living in Durham, NC there were lots of dirt trails nearby, so I put those to good use. The only dirt trails I know of near my house (in central/northern NJ) are designated “hiking trails” and are too steep/rough for me to do the brunt of my runs on. Plus people are always hiking on them. They’re also kinda far,and the irony of driving somewhere to run is not lost upon me. We actually have a “fitness trail” in my town, but it’s basically a glorified sidewalk of gravel/concrete. Heh. So I think I’m stuck on the road, at least until I go back to Durham at the end of August.

Do you run on roads/concrete? How often? Has it ever given you trouble?

I am looking forward to my 5k again. It’s in 2 weeks exactly!

Because text-only posts are boring, here is a photo of my cat, qiuqiu (it means ball in chinese):

Entitled “Ima gunna come getchoo”. He’s my baby and I hug him under my boobs.

I signed up for a 5k on July 22 yesterday. And it cost me 24$!!! Participating in races is incredibly expensive, yikes. I think I’ve done 4 races this year; that’s like, 80$ or something in total for a total of 15-something timed miles?! I could have run those by myself and timed myself and have 80 extra bucks in my pocket.

This is probably the last race I’m going to do for awhile because I’m frugal. Froooooooogull. Best word ever.

I’m kind of concerned about the 5k because I haven’t run in 6-7 weeks because of shin pain, then my mosquito bite fiasco, and in general, for the lack of good running areas near my house. I don’t want to run on roads because the surface is too hard, but I also don’t want to DRIVE somewhere to RUN (aka a park). Does anyone see the irony in that? When I was at school, we had lots of nice trails and dirt paths nearby. I miss you, Durham.

(I also hate treadmills.)

But this race is cool because they have a band and free pizza, and it has over 2000 participants! It’s so close to my house I can walk (or run…) there. It’s also at 7pm, NOT 8am on a weekend morning — those are made for sleeping, not physical exertion.

Here’s a photo of me finishing my last 5k (may 10!), reppin the blue devils, and looking like I’m going to die a little.

Unfortunately, my camera ran out of batteries at the last minute and I was unable to take pics of my fourth of july feast. Some family friends came over, and I got to see two friends I haven’t seen in 3 years. I’m still pretty bummed. :[

I made pancakes for breakfast this morning! They are Eating Bender’s Ebleskiver Pancakes, but I don’t have an Ebleskiver pan so I made them flat and round. Instead of 2 egg whites, I used a whole egg, and instead of almond milk, I used soy. I also added a tablespoon of ground flax seed to the batter. Thanks Jenn!

I know they don’t look very appetizing, but they tasted good enough. They have cottage cheese in them! I had no idea you could do that with cottage cheese. I also had some cashews.

I usually don’t have time in the mornings to cook anything and rush off to work, portable breakfast in hand. The reason I had so much time today was because I took the day off work. Remember my mosquito bite woes? My right foot was so swollen all weekend I couldn’t walk on it/wear shoes, so I decided to rest it another day.

Compare right foot to left foot. Notice how puffy right foot is! Also notice the purpleish color by my right toe. This was taken this morning — suffice it to say that it was a lot worse this weekend.

I put the day to good use and took a practice GRE test. I also hopped on the bike for an hour (I guess if I”m well enough to exercise I’m well enough to go to work, but shhhh) after being completely off my feet for 4 days or so. It felt GLORIOUS. Max heart rate was 168, average was 140.

In other news, I’m signing up for another 5k on July 22! I haven’t run in 6-7 weeks now so I have noooooo idea how it will go.

Before I go, I made a Chayote stew for dinner! Chayote is so pretty, heart-shaped when sliced.

It was good …no recipe, just threw it all together, all the vegetables that needed to be used up. In addition to chayote, The black/purple things are purple potatoes. There’s also some bok choy, tomatoes, thai basil, maybe some cilantro… it was all stewed in a can of pre-made thai red curry sauce from the asian food market.

Off to watch house and make lunch for work tomorrow!

On mornings when I don’t rush off to work (aka weekends…), I always start my day with a huge mug of tea. Because my family makes frequent trips to China, there is always an abundant supply of loose leaf green tea in our cupboards. We have such an extensive stash that I can no longer identify what each variety is or where it was from.

Here’s a small sample of what I’ve been drinking:

That’s three different kinds of green tea. I think the big difference is where the tea leaves were grown/picked.

Frankly, I’m not enough (or at all) of a tea snob that I can distinguish bad tea from good tea from better tea. I do, however, prefer loose leaf teas over bags for taste and freshness. At school, I drink lots of tea bag-tea because it’s what’s convenient, and Dragon Pearl Jasmine never disappoints. A couple of campus eateries also offer Mighty Leaf teas, which are fantastic. lot of I usually add a few tablespoons of soymilk (or cow’s milk) for every cup of water, for a chai-like richness. It’s warming from the inside out during winter.

Sometimes at night, I make myself a cup of chrysanthemum tea, also from loose flowers:

I just soak a few flowers in near-boiling water for a couple of minutes, add a splash of milk, and voila, a caffeine-free concoction.

Anyway, my mosquito bites on my legs (the ones pictured here) are almost completely healed. My foot, however, is a swollen puffy mess. If I stand on it too long, it turns purple and spotty and HURTS. I’ve been staying off my feet for the past 2-3 days, so needless to say, no gym no running no weights no biking. Just ice, hydrocortisone, rest, and elevation. UGH. I feel so restless and frustrated. I was going to go watch the fireworks today around the block with some friends from high school, but there’s no way I can even walk the 3 blocks there and back.

However, we’re having some guests over tonight for dinner! Check back for a post on party food

What’s your favorite tea? Do you drink it plain? Sweetened?

Fuji apple + Almond butter. Is there a more perfect marriage?

The first time I had a sliced apple + nut butter combo, I was at an eating disorders treatment center. During that spring 2007, peanut butter on apples (usually it was a mealy red delicious) was introduced into my diet as a way to get 1 fat + 1 fruit. I’ve always known about bananas and peanut butter, but APPLES too?! I loved the combination from day 1. I used to think of it as “peanut butter and jelly”-esque, because the sweetness and tartness from the apple cut into the creaminess of the peanut butter. It was more crunchy, less sweet, and less bread-y. Who eats a PB&J for the bread, anyway?

In the two years+ since I left, I’ve come to enjoy mix-and-matching a variety of fruits with a variety of nut butters. Gone are the days of the 0.75oz smuckers creamy single serve tubs (and gone, too, are the days of agonizing over calories), though the single serve non-natural packs sure are handy for an on-the-go snack.

Nowadays, I like ANY fruit with ANY nut butter. Oranges, apples, pears, peaches… they all taste good. I enjoy all nut butters as well, but prefer the taste and texture of products without stabilizers. My favorite combination, however, is the apple (fuji, preferably) and almond butter (trader joe’s variety is pictured). I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of it!

Do you have a favorite specific fruit + nut butter combination?

Whenever I’m asked if I have an allergy, I reply no. I should probably amend my answer, because while it’s true that I don’t have a food or medication allergy, I have pretty strong reactions to mosquito bites. And that’s an understatement. 2 days ago I got five bites on my leg and foot in the course of .. oh, 5 minutes, and by last night, my foot was so swollen I couldn’t stand on it, and my leg was clearly misshapen. My plans for going to the gym were quickly abandoned.

Check out my right leg, inner thigh/knee, where I have 2 bites. Compare the inside curve/bulge of my right leg to left. All from…

Did I mention they itch like crazy? These photos were taken yesterday evening, but by this morning, the reaction was so strong that border from my two mosquito bites had fused together, so right now it’s even worse than the photo looks. It feels really awful.

The bigger problem I have right now is my foot. Two mosquito bites have pretty much covered the top of my entire foot. Every time I walk, it irritates the bites on my foot. My entire foot has swelled so much that last night it was starting to go a little numb and I couldn’t move my big toe and I had to stay off my feet the entire night. Parts of it are purplish in color. I didn’t take a photo of my feet, but imagine the grossness of my leg x 3.

UGH. I HATE MOSQUITOS I HATE MOSQUITOS I HATE MOSQUITOS. This completely kills my plans for the weekend (gymming activities, social activities, shopping, etc), since I have to stay off my feet. I’ve been icing, elevating, and plastering my bites with hydrocortisone. And trying my hardest not to scratch. And resolving to never leave the house without a bodysuit of DEET. *wails*

Do you react strongly to mosquitos? Are you a mosquito magnet? Are you one of those people (aka my dad) who gets bitten and doesn’t even know/care?

Ever wonder how sometimes vegan/vegetarian foods that aim to mimic meat or meat products taste a lot like the real thing?

I was reading this interesting article today on how items from vegan restaurants actually tested positive for animal ingredients in the Los Angeles area. They called in, ordered take-out, and tested the food with kits that assayed the presence and concentration of hen’s egg, milk protein (casein), and shell fish.

Of the 17 restaurants tested, 10 came up negative for all three (egg, milk, fish). The other tested neative for one or more, often showing readings of “high” or “overload,” indicating almost certainly that those ingredients were present.

Since the restaurants they picked billed themselves as vegan restaurants, one should safely assume that there would be no chance of cross-contamination.

I’m not vegan or vegetarian, but the mis-labelling of foods concerns me greatly. It’s just a terrible business practice in general. Hell, it’s LYING. I like to know what I’m eating, what I’m buying! It’s the kind of stuff that makes me hesitant about eating out. If I’m going to a store and buy a DVD, I should be able to trust that the DVD inside the case is as labeled on the box, right? I mean, imagine buying a disney movie for your kid and openin it up to find a sex tape. Why should it be any different when it comes to purchasing food? GRRRRRRRR.

What do you think? There are interesting comments at the end of the article as well, and here is the link if you missed it at the top: http://www.quarrygirl.com/2009/06/28/undercover-investigation-of-la-area-vegan-restaurants/

Last night I made my mom take a video of me doing chin-ups. Usually, it takes my almost all my effort to do three of them consecutively from a dead hang. So I made sure I was well-rested all day since I wanted to make it look effortless on camera, haha. After showing my mom how to work the camera’s video recording capabilities, I did 3 in rapid succession, thinking all was well and quite giddy about seeing what my back looked like during a chin-up.

Well, it turned out that the video didn’t actually start recording. 3 chin-ups for nothing, I thought. Well, not for nothing, because I like doing chin-ups and thus they’re still for something but I wasn’t sure I could do three more for the video.

Then I surprised myeslf and squeezed them out, albeit grunting and muttering. So you should click the button and watch ;P

Some people call them chin-ups, some people call them pull-ups with a supinated grip (palms facing inwards). Whatever one might call them, the number of chin-ups one can do is a great marker of overall upper body strength, since they pretty much use all the muscles in my arms/shoulders/back at the same time. In my opinion, pullups/chinups are the best upper body exercises, and the only other exercises I do are dips and pushups. Chin/pullups are great for developing functional strength and I can do them right at home in my door! Ha.

What if you can’t do a chin/pullup? About 6 months ago, I couldn’t complete one from a dead hang. I could go from 180 degrees (arms straight) to… oh, maybe 120 degrees (and my boyfriend would tease me about explaining it in math terms). Most untrained females can’t do one! I basically built up to one by doing a lot of negative chinups (using a stool to get to the top, with my chin above the bar, and lowering myself as slowly as possible), jumping pullups (in which I jump to the bar and use the upwards momentum to help me up), and having someone push my legs up as a boost as I pulled up (thank you dear boyfriend). Well, the learning curve was steep, so though it took me quite awhile to get the first rep, the second came quickly soon after, and the third, etc., and now I can do 4 in a row!

Today, I went to a potluck BBQ with my parents’ family friends. My mom was responsible for bringing the meat so last night we marinated a bunch of drumsticks, wings, etc. in some soy sauce, sesame oil, scallions, onions, garlic and other random chinese spices. We also made a dry rub with cumin, cinnamon, pepper, garlic powder, salt, and montreal steak seasoning for another batch. SO TASTY. This was my first plate:

I didn’t take anymore pictures, but I had another entire chicken wing, a drumstick, half an italian sausage, handful of rye bagel chips, and something like half a pound of costco strawberries. I love the fruits of summer.

And something sweet and cold…

It was nice seeing my parents’ friends again. Two families have children who are my age (seniors in college) and the three of us went to SAT class together back in the day. Unfortunately, neither of them could make it.

And here’s a pic of “my” — in quotes because it’s technically not mine — new car. It’s my mom’s car, but I’m driving it to work everyday so I consider it mine for now. Her name is Gemma. Vroom vroom.

After I came home today I did a practice verbal section on the GRE. Is it just me or is the verbal GRE so much harder than the verbal SAT?!

Off to read some blogs, watch 24 in bed, and sleeeeep.