Why I love my new home

Mid 60s in January, not a cloud in the sky, great weather for wandering, exploring, and sitting and reading in the park.

Perfection.

Spirit fingers

Apparently I need to be around runners and races all the time...

As you know, I originally planned on running the California International Marathon as marathon #5 this past weekend. Of course, shortly after signing up and getting everything squared away, my legs decided they had other plans for me.

I couldn't let running buddy (lost count, but let's call her SF running buddy) travel to Sacramento alone...especially after I convinced her to run! So I packed my cheering gear and hopped on a train headed north to Sacramento.

I traded this familiar view (the ride between DC and Metropark)

(source)

for this one (the ride between Emeryville and Martinez)

Just a couple notes:

1. Amtrak here is definitely not the same as Amtrak on the East Coast. This was like riding a double decker NJTransit or MARC train. So weird.
2. Downtown Sacramento on a Saturday afternoon...DEAD. Interesting.

I walked from the train station over to the expo before walking over to our hotel. Yes, I'm trying to load up on the walking. No, I don't like it.

SF running buddy (will now be referred to as SFRB) got in shortly after I did and we settled on an early dinner at Kru. I stuck with my standard rolls and tried a Spicy Tuna Hand Roll. Not really into it...way too much fish per bite.

Do you get crazy sweet cravings after eating sushi? I sure do. We did a little Yelp search and discovered nearby Mochii Yogurt. In addition to offering tasty (and pretty tart) fro-yo, they also make a ton of flavored mochi! I sampled the Tiger's Blood which was an interesting mix of fruity flavors...I think there was cherry and maybe a hint of berry and citrus?

I couldn't commit to it in my yogurt, so I went with the standard Tang with Yogurt Chips and Strawberries. There were a few too many chips and (I can't believe I'm saying this) the yogurt was a little too tart for me to finish my cup. Still tasty, though!

I also walked away with a little bag of mochi for you know, emergencies.

A bunch of the Yelp reviews said Mochii was pricey, but I was shocked at how much cheaper it was than say, Tuttimelon or any other place I've tried. Clearly I've been living in expensive cities for too long.

We were up SUPER early the next morning so SFRB could catch the shuttle to the start in nearby Folsom. I went back to sleep for an hour or so before beginning my run/walk to my cheering spot at mile 21. See, SFRB is speedy. Did I mention her goal was to qualify for Boston? Yeah, I didn't have a ton of time to get to 21.

I ran/walked a total of 8 miles (to mile 21 and back) and it felt AMAZING to get moving again. Part of me really wanted to run the whole thing, but I knew that even this was pushing it just a tiny bit. Ugh.

I soaked up the perfect weather (very light mist and 50 at the start, warming up to the mid 60s) and scenery...

Palm trees on one side, regular trees on the other and autumn leaves at my feet. So bizarre.

Crossing the bridge as the elite runners pass through (around mile 22)

A serene river photo

Stalking the crowd for SFRB!

After seeing all the lonely patches at the end of the race, part of me was glad I wasn't running. I've really only run big races and the crowd support is what gets me through the last few miles. Then again, another part of me was frustrated that I couldn't run...especially with the perfect conditions. Ah well. At least I was a cheerleader.

Oh, and SFRB...ROCKED the marathon. She knocked THIRTEEN minutes off her PR and BQ'd. O heeeeyy! I'm living vicariously through her :)

It's heeere!

Race day is so close I can smell it! :)

So I'm definitely suffering from training burnout. How do I know this? Well, I'm no longer looking forward to my long runs...I just want race day here. NOW. Who knew I'd get so antsy?

How am I maintaining sanity? Apparently by doing some speed and hill work. Hill work?? Meh...it's pretty tough to avoid at this point. I'm going to embrace the hills. It'll only make Chicago seem easier, ya?

Tonight's run was FABULOUS. I met up with the running group for a breezy 5 miler that went over Fort Mason, through Fisherman's Wharf, along the Embarcadero and back. My legs were feeling particularly speedy and I whipped that puppy out in 44 minutes! Woooo! I even closed it out with a charge up the Fort Mason hill. Definitely feeling it in the booty, but nothing a little extra stretching won't fix!

And I had the pleasure of closing the run out with this lovely view:

Now the important question...who else, aside from Val and Jessica, is running Chicago??

Sometimes it's okay to stray

Sometimes I get super crazy about following my training schedule. Other times, I say f the schedule! Ok, ok...maybe I say f the schedule a little too much :\

I had a 5 miler planned for this evening, but the 5 mile route took us all the way out to Hopper's Hands and back. My issue with running out to HH (for the sake of this post, that means Hopper's Hands and not happy hour ;p) is that the ground is so uneven that my calf gets so freaking sore the next day. I figured that wasn't a good follow up to bouncing around at kickboxing and Saturday's 12-miler.

Sooo, I took it down a notch and opted to do an easy 4 miler instead. I was cruising and feeling good...a little naked since I forgot my water bottle, but good overall. Hit the Warming Hut turnaround and decided to take the dirt path Promenade back.

Not going to lie, I started feeling a bit rough toward the end. It was a little too warm for the pullover I had on, I was starting to get tired and my belly was not happy (perhaps too many fruits today :\). I was convinced I shortened my run even more by taking the dirt path and was pissed off at myself for taking it so slow.

So I got home, kicked my shoes off

Think I have enough sneakers in my life? And no I didn't fix those up...I think that is exactly how I take my shoes off.

Mapped my route and, o hey, what do we have here? I ran 4.3 miles? In 39 minutes? THAT explains why the end was so rough.

I did a whole lot of stretching and stick-ing afterward and (knock on wood) the calf/achilles are feeling ok right now. Hopefully they still feel good tomorrow!

For dinner, I busted out the trusty steamed lentils from TJs for a quick and tasty meal

Lentils with Chicken Basil Sausage and Feta

1/2 package steamed lentils

1 chicken basil sausage, cut into bite sized pieces

3 stalks kai-lan, cut into bite sized pieces

1/4 c onion, minced

1/3 c grape tomatoes, quartered

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp broth or water

1 heaping tbsp reduced fat feta, crumbled

pepper

Heat olive oil in a pan and saute onion and sausage for 3 minutes or until onion starts to soften. Add broth or water and kai-lan and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and freshly ground pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in lentils and reduce heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top with a small sprinkling of feta and serve immediately.

Two thumbs up. I heart lentils.

Restaurant adventures and cooking fail

Ok, I take it back...Monday wasn't as boring as I originally made it sound. I almost forgot that Monday was Package Day! Hooray! The first package I opened was from Jamie:

In addition to a few items Jamie found in the storage unit, he tossed in some sweet treats and Spam packs...because everyone loves some Spam. And by everyone, I mean me. :) He also packed up a gift from his mom - a mandoline! SO excited to use this!! I've wanted a mandoline for quite some time now and I can't wait to slice some veggies :)

The second package I opened was a large box of things I had my parents take during the crazy move...mostly cookware/utensils and part of my food processor/blender combo. Now that I think about it, I don't know where that will go. Hm.

The last package I opened was a surprise from the folks at Clif Bar:

Since I'm obsessed with the Mocha Clif Shot Gels, Chocolate Chip and S'mores Clif Kid Zbars, Dulce de Leche Luna Bars, and Peanut Butter Pretzel and Mountain Mix Mojo Bars, I totally jumped at the opportunity to get a sample of their latest product: Clif Crunch. Unfortunately, I also forgot I did this until the package arrived haha.

About a month ago, I received an email announcement (I think via newsletter?) about Clif Crunch and signed up to receive a sample. I can't remember if I specified a flavor preference, or if they just sent a random one. If it was random, they must have read my mind. I'm a little obsessed with the Nature Valley Oats N' Honey Granola bars, but I've found a new favorite. The Honey Oat Clif Crunch is light, crispy and has a more complex (?) sweetness to it. I think it tastes a little more maple-y, dark brown sugar-y than the Nature Valley one. Two thumbs up to Clif Bar for the delicious new addition!

On Wednesday night, I found myself in the Marina (wow, I think I spend a lot of time here) for dinner with Selin. I really wasn't feeling a night in the kitchen so I totally jumped at the opportunity to explore a new restaurant.

We met up at Pacific Catch, an Asian/Hawaiian/Latin Fusion sort of spot on Chestnut (photo from the Yelp page).

It's a super tiny space, so we ended up grabbing a couple stools at the 'bar'. I throw quotes around that because it's not a bar bar...I guess it's more like a counter. Ha. We faced the grill and deep fryer.

I totally checked out the menu in advance and my belly was set on one of their Wasabi Bowls (topped with wakame salad, avocado, daikon sprouts, cucumber, ginger, sesame seeds, shredded nori & soy-wasabi sauce served over sushi rice), protein topping was going to be a game time decision. Things changed when Selin told me they can do a salad/rice bowl combo. HEEEY now...

I went with a Salmon Wasabi Bowl with half brown rice and half salad. DELISH! My salmon was cooked a little more than I hoped it would be, but it wasn't a deal breaker. So many of my favorite things are in this bowl and they went wonderfully together! The dressing was lightly drizzled on the salad greens and wasn't overpowering at all. Just the right amount. I felt a little bad spending money on something I could have done at home (and have sort of done at home), but I loved having it made for me. No dishes to clean.

Yeah, I'll admit it...my lack of cooking lately might have something to do with the whole no dishwasher thing. And no Jamie ;p I'm sure I'll get over it soon and get back to cooking.

I had to get some routine bloodwork done on Thursday, but instead of going first thing in the morning, I decided it would be fun to wait until after work. Not advised. I ate breakfast around 8am and planned on getting to the lab around 6, 6:30. OMG longest. workday. ever. I think the last 3 hours were the worst.

Thankfully, there wasn't a line and I zipped right through the whole process. Less than 10 minutes later, I'm walking to the bus with a banana in hand. I've never loved a banana so much in my entire life.

When I got home, I was pretty disappointed with the contents of my fridge and cabinets...I stared and just wasn't inspired. I ended up boiling some penne and cooking up the broccolini I almost forgot about, garlic and eggplant with some pasta sauce. Meh. It filled my belly, but it didn't make my tastebuds happy. Did I mention I had it sans cheese?

*sigh* Do you ever feel uninspired when it comes to dinner? What's the most boring dish you've whipped up?

I'm off to bed. I've had quite a long day that included a couple hours at the DMV where I had to take a written driving test to get a California license. I haven't taken a written test since 1998. Insane. I mentioned this concern to the lady as she scored my test:

Hells yes that is a smiley face! I only got 3 wrong out of 36...not too shabby considering I also haven't driven in a year. Woooooohoooooo! That was my accomplishment for the day (did I mention I don't have a car, nor do I drive here? haha) and NOW I'm off to bed. G'nite :)

OMG! OMG! (a good and bad one)

Good things go first, right? NO MORE PT FOR ME!!! :) :)

I don't want to get too excited and jinx myself, but it was such a great thing to hear this afternoon! I explained my whole experiment and how I felt on Wednesday to my PT and she checked me out and said everything was looking good. I've been sent to try two days of intervals this coming week and then try to increase to three days next week. If everything goes well, then I'm in the clear! If not, then I'm supposed to report back and she may have to send me off to another specialist that might be able to help. Cross your fingers!!

When I got back into the office it seemed fitting that I checked out a link sent to me by Lindy over at AudioFuel. Basically, AudioFuel provides music composed for runners to match their stride pattern. I know that sounds really nerdy and scientific, but think about it...have you ever listened to a song while running and get totally thrown off? I have.

In addition to the information on AudioFuel, Lindy also gave me the heads up about a "Music and Motivation" - they are working with the Virgin London Marathon (*big sigh* - I want to run this one day) and taking votes for your favorite running tracks. The top ten tracks will make up a motivating iMix! Share your favorite tracks here by February 1st! I already did ;)

Speaking of dates...two more days to submit your BSI entries!

On to the bad "OMG"...

A friend is coming down from NYC for a last minute visit and I grabbed some wine and snacks for us. Since I was picking up stuff on my way home from the running store, I stopped at Brookville Market in Cleveland Park. I've stopped here before to pick up random last minute items so no biggie. They have a pretty boring cheese selection, but I walked away with a Goat Brie. A nice safe bet. I also grabbed some Pillsbury Dinner Rolls, spinach and cremini mushrooms for an experimental snack.

I minced up some garlic, 1 anchovy fillet, a cup of spinach leaves, a couple tablespoons of toasted pine nuts, 3 cremini mushrooms, parrano cheese, salt and pepper - by hand, since I was concerned the food processor would make it too pasty. Smooshed it onto the dinner roll triangles, rolled them up and baked them. Voila!

I was a little worried about these guys, but they actually turned out pretty tasty. I have mixed feelings about Pillsbury dough items though...at least when making savory goods. It was a little sweeter than I wanted it to be. Maybe next time I'll try this with puff pastry? Something else?

Thank goodness that worked out because when I went to open the brie, I was greeted with this:

And a rancid, not right, garbagey smell. UGH. GROSS. Never again. EVER.

There's a fungus among us.

I love mushrooms. There's no denying it. Shiitake, enoki, porcini, cremini, white button, oyster - you name it, I'll eat it! Imagine my excitement when I saw Val was hosting this week's BSI and picked mushrooms! Woooo!

I originally planned on making something this weekend until I remembered I had a mid-week dinner date with V! We haven't had a chance to catch up since our 5 hour chat in October! ;p Luckily she's a mushroom fan - I gave her two mushroomy dishes to vote on for my submission:

Mushroom Wonton Ravioli

and Mushroom & Artichoke Risotto

The winner? Mushroom Wonton Ravioli!

I had done some research (aka tons of Googling) and I knew that there were some pros and cons to using wonton wrappers for ravioli. A lot of people complained about the wateriness of the final product, but honestly, I think I liked that texture. In hindsight, I'd probably get a better scoop so I could properly strain the raviolis as they finished boiling.

Totally winged the filling based on a few things: 1) I knew I had to get a fairly strong flavor going 2) I needed a base that included ricotta and egg 3) breadcrumbs are not the enemy.

I hope you enjoy my BSI creation!! The mushroom showdown 'loser' recipe will be posted later...still have to figure out how much of what I used :\

Mushroom Wonton Ravioli
1 c cremini mushrooms, diced
1/2 c white button mushrooms, diced
1 shallot, minced
1 tbsp butter
1 clove butter, minced
1/4 tsp rosemary, minced
1 sprig thyme
2 tbsp sherry
1 1/2 tbsp part skim ricotta
3 tbsp parrano cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten and divided into two bowls
salt
pepper
1 tbsp panko
16 wonton wrappers

Heat butter in a pan and saute shallot until softened. Add mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic, rosemary and thyme and cook for another two minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add sherry and cook over medium high heat until most of the liquid has evaporated. Place mixture in a bowl and set aside to cool.

Bring 6 quarts of water and salt to a steady boil.

Add ricotta, parrano and half the beaten egg to the cooled mushroom mixture and mix well with a fork (ricotta will begin to take on a dark brown color). Slowly add panko to the mixture to absorb some of the excess moisture. You may not need the whole tablespoon.

Using a small ice cream scoop, or a heaping 1/2 tablespoon, place mushroom mixture in the middle of 8 wonton wrappers. Swipe the sides of the wrapper with the remaining beaten egg and top with a wonton wrapper. To secure edges, press a fork on the edges to crimp them shut.

Drop ravioli into boiling water for 3-4 minutes each or until they start to float to the surface. Do not overcrowd pot. Serve immediately drizzled with Sage Butter Sauce.

Sage Butter Sauce
2 tbsp butter
4 sage leaves
1 tbsp white wine
2 tbsp heavy cream

Melt butter over medium low heat in the same skillet used to cook the mushrooms. Add sage leaves and cook for 2 minutes before adding wine. Cook for 2 minutes and then whisk in cream.

Just a little note - this is what I intended to do with the sauce, until I opened the fridge post wine and realized I only had skim milk and expired buttermilk. FAIL! This is why my sauce looks like speckled nothing. SAD!

Sorry for the lack of pictures this evening. V got all photographer on me with her Rebel so I definitely don't mind waiting for the pics :) Hopefully you can imagine the raviolis in the meantime!

Ah yes, good day indeed :)

Sorry for that spastic first post. I was way too excited to download all my recent food adventures that just kept piling up in my camera! I guess I'll just add the recipes onto that post??

Just got back from a nice long gym session - I put in 50 minutes of QT with the elliptical machine! I think that's a big deal for me, no?? I also did a 10 minute shuffle on the treadmill, which bothered me a little more than my 20 minute adventure on Friday. I think it might be because I attempted to stop heel striking, but maybe it's too soon. I'll take it. 10 minutes of shuffling is better than nothing.

I had another fun playlist with some songs that actually had me grinning since they were pretty old and brought back memories. Ahh, college.

Beija Flor - Thievery Corporation

Meet Me Halfway - Black Eyed Peas

Put Your Hands On Me - Joss Stone

All That We Needed - Plain White T's

Underneath the Sky - Oasis

Ghostwriter - RJD2

Body Movin' - Beastie Boys

Higher State of Consciousness - Josh Wink

Runaway (Charlie Fanclub Remix) - Grum

Flight Tonight - The Avalanches

Straight Out the Jungle - Jungle Brothers

I was pretty surprised that I was able to stay down there so long...perhaps it was my brunch of champions:

After seeing a couple of Allison's posts (Green Dog Wine) on Spicy Oats, I was determined to try them.

I didn't have any sausage handy so my spicy oats contained oats, one egg (microwaved scrambled), shredded cheddar cheese and a whole lotta sriracha! Verdict? Savory, spicy oats = yummy in my tummy!

Why on earth did I have a container of oats in my home? Well, I was busy baking up a storm since I'm sending a package over to Jamie this week. It appears he's in need of some items that he can't find on base so I figured I'd toss in some goodies.

I took a basic chewy oatmeal cookie recipe from Smitten Kitchen (who btw, has a lot of fun recipes - two thumbs up for the Dal recipe which I'll write about later), subbed in some ingredients and voila! Oatmeal Raisin with Dark Chocolate Chips and

Oatmeal Crasin with White Chocolate Chips!

Personally, I prefer the craisin one. Basically, I doubled the recipe, using 1/2 c butter and 1/2 c shortening. Then I split the dough into two bowls and subbed in the chips for the nuts. Very easy and delicious!

Done aaaand DONE!

Hey all, I'll have a full race recap at some point tomorrow, but for now I'll leave you with these tidbits:

• ran the whole thing b/c I felt FIIIINE until like 24 miles in when I started feeling a little pang inside my ankle (same ankle w/the achilles pain)
• V was running STRONG!
• I love having a cheering section!!
• Temporary tattoo was a STICKER and the majority of it fell off at mile 4. I think I was allergic to said tattoo because I now have some skin discoloration on my right leg. WTF.
  
• V and I were on track to finish in 4:56ish for the first 30k, but that damn 14th Street bridge is the END of me!
• Sport Beans were actually not bad when I grabbed a pack on the mall
• I had a Mocha Clif Shot at the start and didn't eat any of my gels for the rest of the race. MEH?
  
• I think next year my long run will max out at 22 since I've fallen apart around that mile marker every single marathon. It's a sign.
  
• Even though I came in at 5:10, I still PR'd...only by a minute, but freaking awesome considering I went into it injured!
  

And check us out at mile 23
That chipper look on our faces - LIES ALL LIES! haha. Hope all the other MCMers had fun!! Gorgeous day for a run!!

MCM Weekend is heeeeere!!

And I'm more anxious/nervous/excited/crazy than when I ran my first marathon! I think I'm just a bit jittery since this is my first marathon at home and the first time I'll have more than a one person cheering section (thanks, Selin ;p).

Went to the expo around 11:30 this morning and there were a lot more people than I expected to see at that hour on a Friday. It was pretty well organized, with the exception of the shirt area. I'm used to having my shirt size printed out on one of the taggy things off my bib and getting whatever shirt size I originally marked off. This was pretty much a free for all. The shirt people were just like 'So, what size do you want?' Not bad for people that got there early, but I'm thinking the late comers (translation: anyone who gets there tomorrow afternoon) will get stuck with bad sizes. Bummer.

The first shopping area you walk into sells all the Brooks Official MCM gear. I must say, I wasn't too thrilled with the selection, but I guess I was a little spoiled. I was really impressed with the selection at the Chicago Marathon Expo last year and it made the MCM Expo look itty bitty. I did manage to walk away with a fleece...because I'm a fleece whore and I can't say no to them.
I had some time to kill before I had to be at work (going home seemed like a silly option) so I metroed over to Dupont for some Chop't! I grabbed the San Antonio Cheesesteak Salad (o yes, SOOOO healthy ;p), sat on a stool by the window and prepared to browse some goody bag reading material. All of a sudden I hear "pour the dressing on the salad already!" I look up and it's one of my old roommates. Hooray!

Even though Jamie and I now live one building over from him, we rarely see each other so it was a fun surprise. Conveniently, Susan works a few blocks over so I messaged her to come meet up for lunch and then the next thing you know it's an impromptu roomie reunion! Woohoo! Yeah, I'm a bit too enthusiastic about everything right now.

No photos of the salad - didn't expect to pick up some food, so no camera. I will say it was pretty good and hit the spot considering I was craving red meat. However, I found it to be a little to rich for me about 1/4 of the way through. I'm one of those people that dips into salad dressing instead of pouring it in and this salad really didn't need any dressing. They went a little overboard with the pepperjack...blech.

For dinner, we planned on making a Tortilla Espanola but my pan wasn't cooperating and it ended up sticking so instead we had scrambled eggs with potatoes and tomatoes...not quite the same :(
Whatevs. Better luck next time...or perhaps a better pan. Hm...

Now on to the fun stuff...RACE DAY ATTIRE AND PLANS! I'm writing this now like a huge nerd because my parents will be in town tomorrow and we'll be running around (sadly, probably doing errandy sorts of things because I think the fun of 'visiting' DC has worn off after 9 years. HA).

Because I know you all care about what I will be wearing from head to toe ;p

V and I got these matching bright orange tanks from Under Armour:
I was going to iron on our names, but um, yeah...failed to notice that you can't iron these shirts. Now I'm stuck with 2 packs of iron on letters. Oh, did I mention that we drove all the way to Rockville last night to get them at Michael's? I mean, that's not all we got and we did get some sushi at Hinode for dinner (and who am I to turn down sushi) but still...what to do??

Underneath I will have my absolute favorite sports bra EVER. I have it in maybe 4 different colors and I HIGHLY recommend it :) Why yes, it is also orange!

I'll also be rocking those Nike capris I mentioned the other day
My precious Mizuno Wave Riders, shut up, I don't care if pink doesn't go with orange ;p
My Amphipod for good measure
To block the sun and tame my hair that keeps growing and I'm too lazy/poor to get it cut, one of my favorite race goodies (it was free too!):
Yeah, HI JERSEY! In case you happen to get stuck behind my run/walking ass :p
I'll probably throw this on for the first half of the race:
This was my 'souvenir' from my first marathon expo that I never really wore until this year. I love it now...it's that perfect not quite fleece thickness, plus it's SO SOFT!!

And my gels because I just don't leave for a long run without them!
I might grab a Blueberry Pomegranate Roctane as well...maybe another mocha...we'll see how I'm feelin'.

AAAND the most important part:
I found temporary tattoo paper and I've decided to turn my happiest looking bean from my header into a tattoo for race day! Absolutely ridiculous, but I figured hey, at least it'll wash off and maybe people will recognize it?? Meh? So if you see a crazy lady with capris and a fairly large bean on her calf, be sure to say hi!! :)

Agh! It's already 11pm!!! I need to send out emails to my prospective cheerleaders to let them know where to meet up AND sort of clean for the folks.

If I don't get a chance to jump on here again before Sunday, good luck to everyone running the marathon and 10k this weekend!! See you on the road!!