My Lottery

You have probably already heard a lot about the Find Your Strong project that Saucony is doing. Each week, they ask you to submit a photo or a quote or a ritual...something that inspires you to keep running. You can do it too; today is the last day to submit your photo for week 5 (your favorite sites on your run), and tomorrow there will be a new challenge for week 6.

The reason I bring this up is because I submitted one of my favorite running quotes for week 2 and I won! I won a new pair of Saucony Kinvaras. The Kinvara is a lightweight minimal shoe with a low heel drop. I received them in the mail the other day. I have never tried a minimal shoe before and am looking forward to their maiden voyage. I have read a little bit online about it and know that I will start slow at first, but other than that, I am not sure what to expect. You will hear back from me on that a bit later.

Not exactly my favorite colors, but not as ugly as I thought it would be! :)

But wait. There's more. I think I probably should have bought a lottery ticket when the jackpot was so high back a few weeks ago. Did you know that I have never bought a lottery ticket before? I should have that week because last month was a very lucky month for me. On top of winning the Kinvara, I also received:

- The Nature Box from Carrie: I have been rationing the goods, but so far am loving the pistachios, which are one of my favorite nuts and a really nice treat, especially these ones which are seasoned with salt and black pepper, so they have a bit of a kick! However, I am not sure the package is worth the $20/month price tag. In my box: currants, pistachios, dried pears, trail mix and pumpkin seeds.

- Dahlicious Lassi from Toni: I have not tried this yet, because I haven't found any stores near me that have it. But I will try it when I get the chance. It looks so good!

- Profoot Insoles and Moleskin from Marcia: I haven't used these yet, but plan to use them in my hiking boots, where they are much needed. And the moleskin has gone into my running bag just in case!

- 8 Pack of Peanut Butter Gu from Strava: I had to run 100 miles in a month to get this one, so it technically wasn't a "freebie" but I will count it as a win. Also, I have never tried PB flavored Gu. It sounds interesting. I wonder if I can make sandwiches out of it.

- Mystery Box from XLMIC: She said something about a sausage. I think there will also be some Nuun and other sports recovery bars/drinks etc.

Thanks to all my fellow bloggers for hosting these giveaways and allowing me to try fun new things that I may not be adventurous enough to try on my own! Have I mentioned how cool running bloggers are? No? Well, let me reiterate. Running bloggers are VERY cool.

"You don't get better at running hills by walking them". (this was one of the other winning running quotes for week 2, and my favorite out of the bunch!)

Do you enter contests? What's the best thing you have ever won? Have you tried any of the above products?

**I won all these products fair and square. Nobody asked me to say anything regarding any of them. All opinions are my own. 

What I Learned (2): The Relay

The Relay is over. I am tired. Sore. Dehydrated. And Happy. I am glad I did it. I will go over the recap in a few days, but for now, I want to say that I learned a lot from doing this. I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant going in, mostly because it was going to be a new experience for me, but also because I was going to spend the weekend with strangers, doing a strange thing. I was a bit scared.

But now? I am not scared anymore. I had a good time and it was an experience I will never forget. And I learned a  lot too! Here are a few of the things I learned. 

Jonnycat's Dirty Dozen

- You run by yourself but you are not alone. Most of the race was spent running alone, since the teams all started at different times, the race tended to be a bit spread out. Sometimes you pass a few people on your run (or sometimes they pass you, but we tried not to let that happen**!) but many times you are running a pretty quiet road all by yourself. However, the van goes on the same route and stops along the way to make sure everything is going well. So you never feel like you are alone. The team is always there.

- Inside the van, everything goes. Yup, you eat in the van. You sleep in the van. Your dirty feet and socks are in the van. You laugh in the van. You sweat in the van. Everything happens in the van. And this leads to...

- A stranger can be your new best friend. You spend a lot of time in the van, talking, laughing, joking, cheering each other on, giving high fives and hugs and pats on the back. You get to know these people in less than 48 hours. A bond is formed pretty quickly. I now have five new friends.

- Support is a multifaceted word. My group was awesome. If one of us was having trouble, the group would meet the runner at each mile with water, cheering and dancing and doing whatever it took to keep the runner's spirits up. Sometimes we even ran with each other for a little while. Also, I learned that the little net inside of your running shorts has a few different, interesting names that I was not aware of.

- Talking about certain body parts is par for the course. All body parts are open for discussion. Body glide goes on these parts in massive amounts. This is normal.

- There are many Hills. This race pretty much went up, then down, then up, then down...the entire time. I ran 4 legs and all of them had hills. There were no flat runs. That is the same for all my van mates. We had a couple of "easy" legs, but they too had hills. If you are not a hill runner, this makes things very hard. Even if you are a hill runner, it is difficult.

-**And many Kills. Kills also are hard. In case you don't know, a kill is when you pass another runner. Some of the other vans had tallies on the side of their van. We did not. We kept that info in our heads. Since the other relay teams are so spread out, on some legs (my 2 a.m. leg for instance) you don't see one other runner the entire time. On others, you see a dozen. So we tried our best to pass who we could, even though we were not running this race competitively. It still brought an element of challenge and competition to our team, between us and the other teams, as well as between the members of our van.

As you can see, I learned a lot. Team sports can be difficult because you have to count on other members of your team. But also, because of this very thing, team sports can be great. You have someone to count on and you have someone counting on you. This creates a bond that can't be broken and an element of fun you just can't get by yourself.

Do you/did you play any team sports and if so, do you like it more or less than individual sports? Do you know an alternate name for the liner that goes inside your shorts (you can privately email me if it's not fit for public view)? Did you learn anything new this weekend?

Pre-Relay Jitters

Tomorrow, I embark on something I have never embarked upon before. A relay race. I am scared.

Vanessa posted this the other day, and it's a funny video where a runner explains to a non-runner what a relay race is all about.



It is pretty funny, because I have been asked many of these same questions. For example: Our relay is raising money for Organs R Us. We raised a few thousand dollars. We also got a sponsor to pay our entry fees. So when I told Mr Lovely that we had to pay to run this race, he didn't understand why. Why do we have to pay? Good question.

We have to rent our own vans. As the video states, we need baby wipes (lots of them apparently). And gas. And snacks. And water. And whatever is left over goes to a good cause! It will be fun (if you haven't already, see above video)! Right? RIGHT?

Sometimes I wonder.

I have to admit, as it's getting closer, I am wondering why the heck I joined a GROUP running effort. I loved playing soccer as a team, but the logistics were fairly easy. 1) put on cleats 2) drive to field 3) play soccer 4) drink beer. It only took a couple of hours. There was no, "who's going to bring the GPS and who can get 5 headlamps and where will we sleep and who is going to drive and what about reflective vests and snacks and iPod chargers and signs and BABY WIPES??" I know we don't need 10 iPod chargers in one van, and there has to be a semblance of order but I don't like relying on other people. I would rather have my own checklist with all the stuff I know I will need on it. I don't want to share my Garmin. I know; I'm mean.

I don't play well with others. I mean, I do, when it's organized and things happen at a certain time. But this has so many unknowns! How fast do people run? This makes a difference. If the first 10 people (I am number 11) run slower or faster than they said they would, we will have to run at a different time of day than we are expecting. I have routines I always follow. I need to eat a certain kind of food a certain amount of time before I run. This usually isn't a problem, but I am not normally dealing with 5 other people. I am going to bring my own Cheerios and hope we can stop for milk (and have a backup granola bar and squirreled away apple just in case we can't).

When asked to choose our slots, I said I would take any one that wasn't between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. (that is basically 7 of the 12 runners). But when my friend asked me to take one of the harder legs, I said "no problem". This leg? Is at 4 a.m. on Sunday morning. I didn't know this, since I didn't know everyone's pace at the time. Not only that, but now that friend is sick so I am going to take one of her legs (and maybe two), adding an additional 7 miles to my total, as well as causing me to run at... 2 a.m.!

So my "schedule" (as we know it) looks like this (V = Very Hard, H = Hard, M = Moderate, E = Easy):

~ 6:30 p.m. Sat -- 11th Leg: 6.9 H
~ 2:00 a.m. Sun -- 19th Leg (sub): 7 H
~ 4:30 a.m. Sun -- 23rd Leg: 1.9 (used to be 3.7, but there is road construction) E
~ 3:00 p.m. Sun -- 35th Leg: 6.2 VH

TOTAL:  22 miles

I have cold feet. I am worrying about everything. I am dreading this race! It's not the 22 miles that scares me; it's the two middle of the night runs, which are not back to back. So I will run 7 miles and then probably try to sleep for an hour and then run again. Or try NOT to sleep for an hour and then wobble along for LUCKILY only 1.9 miles! But that one point nine miles is my blessing and my curse. If I didn't have to run it, I could try to sleep, but I have to stay up for 1.9 measly miles? And yes, right now they are "measly".

I know, I know. I need to get into the spirit of things. It's going to be a new experience and I will get in a few extra miles this week and it will probably all go very smoothly and I will be fine. And most of all... it will be fun! (seriously, watch the video)

Have you ever run a relay? If so, please reassure me... Do you work well in large groups? Are you are morning (2 a.m.) person?

Around the Hood

This post is a little random, but here are a few things I have seen around the hood in the last few days.

-Maybe you can't see this very well, but when I went running last weekend, I saw this (it's a guy running away from me, on the wrong side of the road). As we determined, he should be running toward traffic. I wanted to say something to him! And this is the perfect road I am talking about, because you pretty much have to run IN the road, since there is no sidewalk and barely a shoulder to run on.

- Temescal Park, where you can swim! In fresh water. Although I bet it's mighty chilly right now! But people were there, swimming laps. It made me re-think the fact that I should probably be going swimming, at least once a week. It was so nice! I have the goggles and suit; I just need to work up the motivation!

- Another one of those "gosh darn them" moments. This car, parked on the sidewalk, where I had to run around it. There were plenty of parallel parking spots on the street. Right next to this driveway, in fact.

- As seen in Safeway. You probably can't read it very well (click on photo to zoom) but it says: "Warning, the red wine vinegars and balsamic vinegars on these shelves contain lead, a chemical known to the state of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm." So why are they on the shelves? Anyway, no matter, I purchased the one on the right.

- As runners, we talk a lot of the taper, and "taper madness". Well, if you come on down to my hood, you can get "taper madness"...or "fade madness", "afro madness" or many other fun afflictions. Or a haircut. (I wonder if they do those little z's?)

- Gordon Biersch garlic fries and a ballgame. The only thing better is that and a beer (not shown).

What's going on in your neighborhood? Where is your closest place to swim outside? What do you indulge in when you go to the ball park?

A Fun Addiction

I am going to be totally honest with you; I have a food addiction. I love buying food. I also love to cook, but I often cook larger portions than what I can eat, then I feel like I have to eat it, because god forbid any of it go to waste...but I want to cook something different, so I need more space... So I am constantly buying food, making food, giving food away and eating food in an effort to have room in the fridge (and freezer) to fit new food. Just like books, I like to have a stockpile of ingredients on hand, JUST IN CASE. I mean, what if I run out!? I would die without enough food or books! And by enough, I mean stacks and shelves and boxes (and fridges and pantries)...

So, just like my book challenge, from time to time instead of buying new things, I go through the cupboard and play the "make something out of what you have" game. It's kind of like Top Chef. In some episodes, they get a mystery box and have to make something out of what's in the box. Of course, they have the entire Top Chef pantry to work with as well. Well, mine is no Kenmore Kitchen, but I make do.

This makes it so I don't waste food. And it's fun. The only twist is that it usually either involves a lot of veggies that are about to spoil, or no veggies, since I use them up pretty quickly normally. This week was a no veggies week. This week what I had on hand was:

- 12 - 20 oz Beer (I had a friend's 32 oz beer that was half full in the fridge. I'm not sure why)
- 1 Serrano (left over from White Bean Chicken Chili)
- 2 Bratwurst (freezer)
- 1 cup Cheese (almost to it's "throw away by" date) 
- 1 cup Beet Greens (I cut them off the beets and didn't know what to do with them)

I paired these items with a few pantry staples:

- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 tbsp Flour
- 1.5 cup Quinoa Pasta
- 1 yellow Onion
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 2 tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard

To make: Beer Bratwurst Mac N Cheese

First, put the brats and the beer in a pot. Cook until done (about 20 minutes to be safe). Also, start a pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add pasta and cook until done (about 10 minutes). Drain.

While the brats and pasta are cooking, sweat the onions, garlic and beet greens in the butter, then add the flour, stirring to make a paste. Add milk, Serrano (minced, with seeds removed if you don't want it too hot) and mustard; stir. Remove the brats from the beer and add 1 cup of beer to the sauce mixture. Once stirred in, add cheese.

Cut bratwurst and add to mixture. Stir. Add drained pasta. Stir again! Whew. That's a lot of stirring, huh? Now you are done. If you like, you can put the mixture into a casserole, top with cheese and bake for about 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Or you can just eat right away, which is what I did this time (I usually bake mine. I like the crispy cheese top. But I was hungry).

The verdict? YUM! Note that the sauce will be a bit brown, depending on what kind of beer you use. My beer was a brown ale. Also, note, this DOES taste like beer! So if you don't like beer, you may want to either use a lighter beer, less beer or no beer. 

Do you ever play "clean the pantry" and come up with something great? Do you prefer your mac n cheese baked or straight from the pot? What should I do with the rest of the beet greens?

Where I Live: San Francisco

While I don't actually live in the city right now (I am currently located just across the bay), I lived there for several years and I love being there, running there and eating there. Lately, I have seen many posts by friends, detailing why they love their particular home. I thought I would do the same.

First, a few suggestions for your reading pleasure:

- check out Lauren's post on Eugene, OR
- why Lisa loves Minneapolis
- the "I Love Boston Project" by Kelly
- Missris is learning to Give Pittsburgh a Chance

If you have a post about YOUR city, let me know and I will feature it on my next Where I Live post!

Obviously, everyone knows about things like the Fisherman's Wharf and Alcatraz, but San Francisco has so much more to offer than that. There is great food (see previous SnackaPalooza posts), great weather for running and many things to do that aren't on the "Top 10 Touristy Things to Do" list. You want an insider's view? Here you go. Today we are going to talk about... The Castro.

Your map, sir. Thanks to Google.

The Castro is a neighborhood that looks similar to Texas, if it were upside down. (Kind of. Okay, maybe not.)  It is well known as being one of the first and largest gay neighborhoods in the US. It's center is basically 18th St. and Castro St, but the neighborhood spreads out pretty far. Yes, if you go there, you will see large men walking tiny dogs. But the Castro is so much more than that.

To get to the Castro, you can take the Muni train (K or L), which goes underground from downtown, where your hotel probably is. OR...you can take the F-Market, which goes above ground on Market Street and is a collection of old trams from different cities around the world. It cost $2 and is well worth it for the ride alone! But it also gets you to where you need to be!

The F-Market (source)

First, you should have breakfast at The Cove (#1). It's not on the regular menu, but they sometimes have a corned beef hash eggs Benedict, which is SO good!

Next, go see a movie at the Castro Theater (#2) (which is conveniently located right across the street from the Cove). They play a lot of Indie and older films, and it is a great old theater with velour seats and gilded chairs. It's worth paying the entry fee just to see inside the theater.

Want some expensive cheese? Pop into AG Ferrari (#3) for cheese, olives, and a nice bottle of wine. 

Need a coffee? Check out Philz (#4) on 18th, just a block and a half down from Castro Street.

Now, the important part. Walk up Castro street, away from Market street (it should be going UP in numbers) to 20th St. When I say up, I don't mean North; you actually want to walk south, but you will be walking UPhill. Take a left (east) and head UP the hill (again). That house on the left (#5) is one of my many dream houses. Once you get almost to the top, you will have to climb up a few stairs, which will reward you with a pretty sweet view of the city. You will head back down the other side of the hill, which will lead you straight to...

Sweet dreams were made of these (thanks to Google street view).

...Dolores Park (#6). On a nice day, this is full of people sunbathing, playing soccer and tennis, reading and just hanging out with friends. Plus, there is an awesome view of the city. If you are there on the right day (last I checked, it was the 2nd Thursday of each month) you can catch Movie Night, where an old movie is shown on a screen at the park. It's free; all you have to do is bring yourself and some wine and maybe a friend or two (and a blanket! You know what Mark Twain said!)

Who said it was the "foggy city"?

Have you ever been to the Castro? What's your favorite breakfast place in your city? Do you have a "dream house" somewhere?

Then & Now: April

You know I have to say it: I can't believe it's almost May! May is one of my favorite months of the year; It is Spring time, the flowers are blooming, the weather is great and it's my birthday month. You can't ask for much more than that. However, April is good too! This year has differed a lot from last year in the fact that I have been in one place for an entire month! Usually I move around a lot, be it for work or for fun. So, here is April's monthly comparison of the Who, What and Where of 2011 vs 2012!

The Who: 

 2011: Animals!

2012: The Parentals, My Other Mother, Little A, The Cat

The What: 

Books: 

2011: 4 / 2012: 6

Train Like a Mother by Dimity McDowell & Sarah Bowen Shea (review here): This was an easy to read training book for runners, both beginners or advanced. It was filled with funny stories and antidotes from runners polled. 

Ape House by Sarah Gruen: This was an interesting story about Bononbos (similar to chimps) who can communicate with humans through sign language. The two main characters are a newspaper reporter and the woman who taught the bonobos to speak. Their paths cross in a story that is amusing, enlightening and fun.

The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory: I read these out of order. Apparently this was number two. However, for my first Gregory, I liked it. I have heard great things about her, and they were no lie. I can't wait to read more of her books. This one was about the sister of Anne Boleyn, during the reign of Henry VIII. It was a great way for me to learn more about that time period while still engaging me in an interesting story.

You can see the others I've read here.

Running miles: 

2011: 0 / 2012: 113

Races: 

2011: 0 / 2012:4

Cherry Blossom 10 Mile
Jelly Bean 5k
Jelly Bean 10k
Grizzly Peak Trail Half

You can keep up with my training here and racing here.

 Hiking:

2011: in NZ

2012: in Oakland

Food: 

2011: On the road 

(pies , kimchi and street meat)

2012: At Home 

(White Bean Chicken Chili, Hummus, Granola)

The Where: 

2011: New Zealand, South Korea

2012: Washington DC, The Bay Area, Table Mountain

The verdict? Last year I ate out (and ate a lot of crap); This year I am eating much more healthy and having fun experimenting with some new recipes! I did more hiking last year, but more running this year! I'm exploring things on the local level this year and am loving it! And even though I only read a couple of books last month, I made up for it this month and am still on track for my 52 book reading goal!

How has your April gone this year? How did it differ from last year?

Your Answers Questioned

In my post yesterday, I asked readers to answer a couple of running related etiquette questions and got some interesting responses. I just wanted to do a quick follow up on that post.

Most of the people who answered agreed on these points:

- When coming up behind a runner from behind, yell "on your left" before passing them on the left (except for Robyn, who yells "good morning!" I like it.)

- When running on a wider trail, path or a sidewalk we run on the right side. 

- When running on a street with sidewalks, we generally stick to the right sidewalk (going with traffic) but a couple of us run on the left (toward traffic). **And when Grace runs on St. Charles, she runs in the middle of the street. Literally.

St. Charles Ave, New Orleans

Some of the ones that had discrepancies were:

- Running on a road without sidewalks. Most people said they run on the left towards traffic. I have always been taught this is the correct way as well. Otherwise you can't see the semi truck that is about to hit you in time to jump out of the way into the bushes. I did a little research to be sure, and Running for Dummies agrees! Run against traffic!

- The other one which I had to look up before my first trail race the other day to make sure I didn't commit a huge faux pas was: who yields? Well folks, according trail runner's rules on the run, the runner coming uphill yields to the runner coming down (this site also has great tips such as: don't litter, which seems obvious but is not always, and saying "thank you" if someone yields).

- The one that confuses me the most is bike paths. I went running on the American River Bike Trail in Sacramento and was running on the right and I got cussed at (no joke! and loudly!) by a bicyclist. Afterward, I saw signs instructing runners to run on the left, as if the bike path was a car laden highway. This actually makes sense to me, since a "bike is a car" and is supposed to ride with traffic. This just assumes that the bikers are "traffic", so they stay to the right like they would on the road, and we stay on the left, like we would on the road.

However, I tried to find information about it and this RW forum only made me realize that strangely enough, it may vary from path to path. Some paths may post the rules; some may not. So I guess it depends. However, trail etiquette states that the faster person should yield to the slower, so in theory, if you are running on the right (and I hope you are running at the edge and not near the line) the bike should make their way around you, politely saying "on your left" and making sure you don't accidentally get run over. If you feel like a little extra reading, this guy sums up the rules quite nicely. I especially like where he says, "The bike path is where people go to exercise, so move".

Well, for a "quick follow up", this sure is a long winded post. I guess it's a sore subject, some of these people who run towards me and don't move, or stand three abreast taking to their friends and don't even look ashamed when I have to run around them into oncoming traffic. I get out of people's way and I would feel guilty if I didn't; I expect the same courtesy.

My favorite answers were to the last question I asked, which was: what do you do if three people (or a person with a long leashed dog) are coming toward you, taking up the entire path? Answers ranged from "nothing" to: give them the evil eye, kick them, play chicken and assume they will move and, my favorite by Missris, and one I have employed myself, is to  "accidentally" bump into them with your sweaty elbow. In my case it was a shoulder, but it still does the trick (the trick being making me feel better, not like it teaches them anything).

Thanks everyone for answering. I hope you are enjoying your weekend! Good luck to everyone who has a race today! And  even if you don't have a race, good luck to you too!

Does your bike path have posted signs about which side to run on? How do you feel about bicyclists (or, if you are a biker, how do you feel about runners)? Have you ever been hit by a bike/car/other runner?

Do & Do Not: You

Have you ever had one of those instances where you are running along a trail or a bike path or the sidewalk and a runner comes toward you on the wrong side? And you wonder who taught, or didn't teach, them what side to run on?

I have. And sometimes I wonder if it's ME that's on the wrong side or doing it wrong. So today, I want to hear your vote on the rules of running. Maybe I can learn a few things. Maybe I have been doing it wrong all these years. Let's see.

1. You are running on a trail that is single track (one person width). You come up on someone slower than you from behind. What do you do/say?

2. You are running uphill on a single track. Someone comes downhill toward you. Do you yield? Or should the other runner?

3. You are running on a sidewalk-less road/street/highway. Which side do you run on?

4. You are running on a street WITH a sidewalk. Which side do you run on?

5. You are running on a running path which is wide enough for 2 or 3 people. Which side do you run on?

6. You are running on a path mostly used for biking, which is 2-3 people wide. Which side are you on?

And last, just for curiosity sake, you are running on a path and you encounter any or all of these situations: a) coming toward you are three ladies with strollers, walking abreast, taking up the entire path, b) coming toward you is a person with a dog on a leash that is stretched over to the other side of the path, essentially taking up the entire path, unless you want to do the limbo or c) coming toward you are three fit runners, running three abreast, also taking up the entire path. What do you do?

I am asking because I want to validate my behavior aka a) pushing the stroller out of my way, b) kicking the dog and c) giving the runners the finger.

So, weigh in. I want to find out from you what the proper running etiquette is. I will give you my answers in a separate post. I don't want to sway your judgement. Any other scenarios where you feel that I, or other runners, need to be schooled on?

I am linking up at Jill's today for Fitness Friday!

Use This: The Library

I recently had a friend who was taking a class where she had to watch movies and analyze them. She was talking about how expensive it was getting, as she was often buying the movies, since she never knew how long she was going to have them, and she usually uses Redbox. She does the same kind of work as me, where she moves from place to place, so Netflix was not as easy for her to use. I asked her why she wasn't using the library and she said she didn't realize that the library had movies.

Did you know that the library has movies? For free? And most libraries let you keep them for 7 days.

I have considered going back to school to get a Masters in Library Sciences, so when I was working in Missouri, I went to the local library and offered to volunteer, so I could get more of a handle on what a librarian actually does. To tell you the truth, I was surprised that a librarian does a lot more than I realized,  but one of the main things was helping patrons, aka customer service. So I am still on the fence about that decision. However, I also learned a lot about the things the library offers while I was there.

They have computers, and often a computer lab, with free access to the internet, printers and scanners. And if you are a 12 year old boy, games.

They have books, obviously, but they often have the most recent books out. I even got to help buy books while I was working there (They call it acquisitions. It sounds much more professional that way!) But did you know that if they don't have a book you want, they can get it on an inter-library loan, which means from outside the city, county, state or even country! A lady I know had a book transferred to her from Canada! If nobody has it, fear not, they can even buy it for you if it's in the budget!

They have books on CD. Lots of them! New titles and everything! I borrowed a lot of these, downloaded them and put them on my iPod where I now listen to them while I am running! Move over Ira Glass!

They have eBooks. These you can download without even going into the library. I think that they usually let you keep them for a couple weeks and then it goes away if you don't renew.

They have magazines. Yes. And you can take them out. If you have a flight coming up, you can stock up on Glamor before you go.

The have TV shows. These are the same as the movies; I think you can only rent them for one week, instead of two or three like books. But they have good shows and recent enough ones too! 

They have many reference materials, genealogy materials, newspapers, professional journals and the like.

Many libraries also have: a language learning program (there is one online called Mango), help with a job search, car repair information, practice tests like the GRE or Citizenship tests, tutorials for Microsoft applications and my favorite: Novelist.

Novelist is something the library has to pay for, so not all of them have it, but it's a book recommending site. If you just read a great book, The Hunger Games, for instance, you do a search and it gives you suggestions for books you may want to read next. Or if you are looking for historical fiction about WWII, you can find out that the top books for that, based on popularity are: The Postmistress, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and Day After Night (which I am putting on my To Read list right now). Not only that, but it gives you a synopsis of each book. The only thing it's missing is a way to auto upload to Goodreads.

Anyway, I guess what I am trying to say is....I love the library! Sometimes you don't realize what resources are available to you! I didn't!  One last thing. My best friend: the HOLD. Before even going into the library, you can look up what you want and see if your local branch has it. If not, you can place a hold, so they will transfer it in for you and then hold it once it gets there. So you just sit back and wait! It's great! As you can see, I am a fan.

Do you use your local library? If so, what do you utilize the most? Have I missed anything useful?

Food Firsts (2)

You may remember that one of the things on my to do list is to try a new recipe each month. This actually ended up turning into one new recipe a week on average. They are not anything special; they are just an attempt at trying something NEW, not fancy. And it's fun!  Now if I can just get myself to try a new activity each month as well... Here are three of my favorite breakfast recipes from the last few months.

1. Breakfast Quinoa (adapted from this recipe): I love quinoa and was excited to find that I could eat it for breakfast! One of my favorite ways to eat it is to cook it as mentioned below and then add fresh fruit, a few nuts and some almond milk for a yummy and fast breakfast!

Ingredients
2 cups almond milk
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup craisins or raisins

Bring milk to a boil in a small saucepan. Add quinoa, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, until three-quarters of the milk has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook, covered, until almost all the milk has been absorbed, about 8 minutes.

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2. Overnight Oats (adapted from this recipe): I liked these because you can make them the night before and then just grab and go in the morning. They also make a great gift for a basket. The recipient just has to add milk and leave in the fridge and they are all set. Easy! 

1/3 cup steel cut oats 

1 cup almond milk

1/4 cup nuts

1/4 cup raisins or craisins

1/4 cup shredded coconut

2 tsp brown sugar or honey (or to taste; you may want a little more)

Mix all ingredients together in a jar or lidded Tupperware.  Stir well. Leave in fridge overnight. In the morning, stir and enjoy! They are a little chewy but very good! (**I eat this as two servings) 

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3. Homemade Granola (recipe adapted from here): This recipe is kind of an estimate, as I like to throw in a bit of this and a bit of that and sweeten to taste, which for me is not very sweet. So, you can use this as a guideline and add what you want! This makes about 6 cups. Each half cup serving is about 220 calories. 

4 cups oats

2 tbsp flax

¼ cup sunflower seeds

½ cup almonds

2 tbsp honey

3 tbsp oil

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tbsp cinnamon

2 tbsp brown sugar

½ cup unsweet coconut

Mix all ingredients together and spread on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes at 325. Take out and stir around. Bake for another 5-10 minutes. Stir again. Bake for another 5-10 minutes. Oats should be golden brown. Let cool and store in airtight container. It should last a couple of weeks on the shelf.

For more recipes I am thinking of trying, or to find me on pinterest, go HERE.

Have you tried any of these? Have you made any new recipes lately? What do you normally eat for breakfast?

Weekly Doings

After an entire week of rain, last week it cleared up and was beautiful. And then it was in the 80s and I sweated my booty off. This week's highs are supposed to be in the 70s which is perfect! Spring has sprung for real, I think! I had a great week doing lots of things outdoors!

First, I did some of my favorite things: 

Coupon clipping, reading and coffee drinking in the sun.

You can't get much better than that. 

The book, Train Like a Mother*, was good. It's about running.

You can read my review here.

I went for a run on the trails near my house. 

One bad thing about Spring? 

Poison Oak. 

Leaves of three; don't touch me! 

 

Then I headed up to my parents house for the weekend. 

There is still snow on the mountain tops! 

I love it there! It's so beautiful!

 

I put my Dad to work, trail running with me. 

I even made him leap small buildings logs in a single bound.

Then he put me to work raking, gardening and towing things. 

Touche father, touche.

My parents made homemade cheese! 

I had to taste it to make sure it wasn't poisonous. 

I haven't died, but I still may need to do further testing to be sure.

 

The apple trees are just getting their flowers and the bees are getting busy! 

It only took me 2,361,384 attempted photos to get this one useable one. 

 

Yesterday, on my way back home, we went for a hike. 

The two hats are my Mom and Aunt, sitting mighty close to the edge of that cliff. 

 

No hike would be complete without an attempt at kite flying. 

Notice I said attempt. 

The wind was not cooperating. 

(I heard a man behind me say, "If you have to run, it's not windy enough". Lazy or smart? You decide)

 

I drove home, which takes about 4 hours, and listened to Ape House on the way, which totally makes the time go by fast (I have been doing it while running too. It's awesome).

*I received Train Like a Mother for free from the authors. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a review.

Have you ever read a running related book? Have you ever had poison oak (or ivy)? Have you ever listened to a book on CD?

12 in 2012 Update

When Jill asked me if I wanted to join the 12 in 2012 Running Challenge**, I thought, "that sounds like fun", but I didn't realize how much it would consume me, not only my time and energy during races, but my time and energy looking for / deciding on races and my time and energy looking for running routes and training for races. Not to mention that, like travel, once the running bug has bitten you, you are doomed. I made my friend run a 5k with me when I went to visit her in Kansas. I made Mr. Lovely run a 5k (I ran the 10k) with me when we went to Florida on vacation. I am dragging my friend K out to do run/walk intervals once a week. I am perceived as the "healthy" friend. How did that happen? On the other hand, I am seen as an obsessive compulsive nut job. Guilty as charged! 

**In case you are not familiar, the 12 in 2012 Challenge is a goal to do 12 Half Marathons, ideally one a month, for the year of 2012. You can see my post about it up at Fitfluential.

So, one third in, two to go. How has it been so far? 

The first race, the Coyote Hills in Fremont, was a nice hilly race on a bike path. At the time I considered this a trail. Until I actually ran a trail race. This race was in a beautiful location, with views of San Francisco across the bay and perfect weather. There were several hills and a little bit of single track, but it was mostly wide and fairly flat. I had a new PR of 1:47:03 (Recap HERE )

The second, the Bay Breeze Half in San Leandro, was also along the bay (but farther north) and was on a nice wide asphalt bike path, as well as some packed gravel. This was a windy and slightly chilly race, but the course was totally flat. This race got me another PR and second in my age group at 1:42:40 (Recap HERE ).

The third, in Chico, was the Bidwell Classic. This day I was under the weather. However, the weather at the race was great and the course was a nice double loop around Bidwell Park. And I got served water by the firefighters. Best part of any race so far! I did not PR, but was still very happy with my time, at 1:44:04 (Recap HERE).

April's race was the Grizzly Peak Trail Run in Berkeley, which showed me what a trail race was all about. There were several 700 ft elevation gains, and a total ascent of 4496 ft. It was muddy and steep and very, very slippery. However, the views of the city once I got to the top made all the work totally worth it. I came in at 2:14:55 and third in my age group (Recap HERE).

So, what's next, you ask? Good question. I really liked the trail race. It was fun, the group was smaller and the time is not so much of a factor. I will probably do a couple more of of them. However, I do plan on doing a marathon in a few months, so I don't want to do hills ALL the time, so I will probably throw a couple of "fast and flat" courses in there as well. Maybe.

The tentative schedule for the next third of the challenge: 

May - Cinderella Trail Run -- Oakland

June - San Lorenzo Trail Run -- Santa Cruz / Zombie Runner SF -- San Francisco

July -  Golden Gate Trail Run -- Marin Headlands

August - Summer Breeze Half -- San Leandro / Marathon

Coupled with that, there are a few other races I have planned. May 5th, only 2 weeks away, is The Relay, my first relay race. I am excited about the race, but as the days get nearer, I am not sure I like having to deal with the additional logistics of transfers, additional people, food, driving, etc. It's already hard enough to get one person (me) to the start line on time with food in my belly and proper clothing. But I will tell you more after I am done. 

Also, there is a relay race around Lake Tahoe (after I just said I wasn't sure about relays!) which is 70 odd miles around. It is 7 runners who run roughly 10 miles each. It's June 9th. Anybody want to do it? You have to sign up by May 15 to get a good price. 

So, the insanity goes on. However, I am not the only nut job. You can see some of my bloggy buddies recount their tales as well. Go check out Jill, Jill, Nancy, Courtney, Suz, and Rachelle as well as the other participants when you get the chance and root them on!

Have you ever taken on a challenge that has taken over? Are you a list maker? How are your goals for 2012 going so far?

Do & Do Not

A while back, Grace was talking about some of the things she does and doesn't do when running or training for racing. I found it interesting to hear, because you do read about so many different things that you are supposed to do, should do, should wear, should have, should eat, shouldn't eat, etc when running, racing or training.

I found that some of the things she did do, I have never done and some of the things she DIDN'T do, I do all the time. It was just fun to see the differences. So, I thought I would list a couple of things  that I do and do not do.This in no way means that what I do is right or wrong or what you do is right or wrong. I just find it fun to compare and contrast!

I do:

- Eat breakfast before running/racing. Usually this is done 1 to 2 hours before my run. This can also be a snack, depending on the time of day. Generally, I run in the mornings, so my go to meal is cheerios or oatmeal with fruit and almond milk. And a cup (or two) of coffee. Without fail, I will have that. I tried toast with PB and let's just say the PB was not my friend. I even carry Cheerios with me when I travel.

- Yasso 800s. I was introduced to these by Lisa, who is in a running group, so I sponged off her training plan and tried them. Before I ran my first Yasso, I didn't think I would ever get faster than a 9 minute mile. I don't know if the Yassos actually do anything physically, or if they are just a great confidence booster. Either way I am sticking with them.

- Take rest days. I know sometimes it's hard because I feel like I am being lazy and should be doing something, but I do believe that rest days are important. I usually take one day where I do nothing and one to two days where I take a walk with a friend or do yoga/weights.

- Wear my running clothes twice in a row without washing them. Yes. I will be honest with you, the clothes get worn, get hung up and get worn again. Unless it was a particularly sweaty run, which doesn't happen to me very often, I use them twice. I am saving the environment, one stinky shirt at a time.

I do not:

- Eat fuel during runs/races that are half marathon or less (only for marathons or training runs of longer than 15 miles). I know this is not what they say to do, but I seem to get along fine without it, plus I am not a fan of Gu and all those other sweet nasty things. I will take it if I have to (like at mile 23 of the marathon) but I really don't like it. (side note: I did eat some gummy bears at my last trail race, and those weren't bad.)


- Get pedicures (I am afraid of losing my calluses!) My friend asked me the other day if I wanted to go get a pedicure with her and I turned her down. It's taken me a long time to get these feet in perfect running condition (aka ugly and hard) and I am not going to have some lady scrape off all my hard work in mere minutes.

- Buy new shoes every 300-500 miles. I know the drill, the advice. I sold shoes, athletic ones even, for 7 years. But I don't care. My shoes are still comfortable; my knees and feet don't hurt. I see no reason to change my shoes as often as they say to. I think, like Valentines Day, it is a marketing gimmick. Plus I am cheap. Plus I hate the new shoe break in period.

- Drink Gatorade before, during or after a run/race. Like Gu, I am not a fan of Gatorade. Or Poweraid or Clif whatchamacallit. I like water. I probably would have more energy if I ate and drank all the electrolyte/caffeine/sugar items, but I really feel fine without them.


Are there things on my list that you think are strange? What things do you always do when running or training? What things do you typically avoid?

WIAW (4) & White Bean Chicken Chili

What I noticed when I looked back on my last month of posts, is that April must be bean month over here. First, there was Stone Soup, then Hummus and now, White Bean Chicken Chili. I guess it goes without saying that I eat a lot of beans? (so much so that Lisa sent me this recipe, which I will be trying soon!) I do eat a lot of beans, because they are cheap and easy, last a while, you can make a big pot of them, they are good and they are an excellent source of protein. Since I eat little meat, I use beans as my main protein source.

I have made chili before and subbed chicken instead of beef, but this time I wanted to also ditch the tomatoes and see how it went. The results are in; it was fabulous. So here is the recipe. Note, I often toss in a "little of this, little of that" so try this, and if it needs something, feel free to throw a little of your spice to the mix!

White Bean Chicken Chili 

Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 Yellow Onion, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp flour
- 4 cups chicken/veggie stock
- 12-16 oz chicken breast, cubed
- 2 cups dry beans -- I used Navy (1 1/2 cups) & Black Eyed Peas (1/2 cup) (Soak these for a couple of hours or overnight)
- 1/2 cup lentils  -- I used red ones (just for fun!)
- 1 Serrano pepper (the green one about the size of your index finger), minced
- 1 can or frozen bag of corn

A pinch or two each:
- cumin
- oregano
- fennel
- red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper

Put olive oil in pan. Sweat onions, celery and carrots for about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and chicken. Cook until chicken is done, about 10 minutes. Add flour, stir until mixture thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Add chicken stock.

Add remaining ingredients. Cook for about 2 hours, until beans are soft. Mixture should be slightly thick. Mine turned out Pretty. Darn. Spicy. I used the packets of red pepper flakes you get from a pizza place. 4 of them. But I like spice so it's all good. You may want to skip that part (and the Serrano) if you don't like things spicy! (idea for this recipe taken from here) **Makes approximately ten 3/4 cup servings. Each serving = 220 calories.

And now, What I ate Wednesday, hosted by Jenn at Peas and Crayons. 

 Breakfast: Oatmeal w/ pumpkin & sesame seeds & strawberries / coffee x 3 / gummy vitamins

 Lunch: Quinoa pasta with broccoli, mushrooms and green beans

Snack: coconut water / brownie bite / orange / chocolate treat / celery w/ hummus / apple (not pictured)

 Dinner: White Bean Chicken Chili / beets / cottage cheese (straight from the tub; yes, that's how I roll) 

As you can see, I eat a lot of snacks! I guess I like single servings of...a little bit of everything! I don't normally eat that much chocolate, but since I made those brownie bites, I have to keep making sure they still taste good, right? I am totally giving them away tomorrow. For real. I have no self control!

Also, I added a RECIPE page so that everything will be in one place. It's just a baby right now, but given time, it will grow. Check it out if you feel like beans. Or baking.

What did you have for breakfast today? Do you eat a lot of snacks? What is your favorite bean?

Looking Forward

When Lisa introduced me to the idea of "looking forward", I knew I was going to copy her borrow it from her. It is a great way to remind yourself of all the good things that are coming up in your life, rather than worrying about the bad ones.

Today I am looking forward to my run. I had a really great run last Saturday, where I went all around Oakland, through all the little neighborhoods and up and down the hills, and it really reinforced my belief in how much I love where I live. Today my run will be a bit shorter, but regardless, it will be beautiful. The weather has been in the 60s with a nice cool breeze coming off the bay, so I am ready to get moving!

This week I am looking forward to seeing my parents. I got to see them for dinner on Easter weekend, but it was a pretty short visit, so I decided to drive up and see them for the weekend, so we can relax and visit some more. I miss bossing them around, making them eat what I cook, playing games with them and just plain hanging out with them! So I will probably make up for lost time and do all of the above. Also the wildflowers are in bloom, so we will most likely take a hike and have a photo walk! It will be really fun!

Home

This month I am looking forward to my once a week walk/run with a friend. She put her name in for the Nike Half Marathon and is hoping not to get picked, since she can't quite run a mile without stopping yet. But I have devised a training program for her and we are doing run/walk intervals, so she is going to be fine. It's fun seeing her starting out and knowing how much improvement she will see week by week. It reminds me of how much we are capable of. It's pretty amazing.

Next month I am looking forward to so many things! The Relay, Mother's Day with my real mom and my "other mother" (my friend's mom who has put up with me for so long she gets honorary motherhood), my next 12 in 2012 race, which I think is going to be another trail race, going to a Giants game and much, much more. May should be a pretty busy month!

This year I am looking forward to running another marathon, a possible vacation in Oregon, the Giant Race with my friend Hashi, my Grandmother's 80th birthday party, swimming in Lake Tahoe, many baseball games, times with friends and lots of good food!

What are you looking forward to?