I decided that I was going to take a little running break over the three day weekend. But, I replaced it with other forms of body torture, I mean, cross training. So today, you lucky folks get three posts for the price of one as I recount each day.
Day 3 was the end of our San Luis Obispo adventure and we found ourselves back in the bay area for some relaxation, or so I thought. Having just gotten back from a road trip and noting the insane price of gas now, we were both opposed to driving around any more on Monday. Thus, it was time to break out our trusty road bikes. What was supposed to be an innocent bike trip down the street for breakfast, turned into a bike tour of our neighborhood to run every errand we missed that weekend.
Thanks to these little biking day trips, I will never take my car for granted again. As car owners, we never give a second thought about forgetting something at the store. It may be a minor nuisance to go back and pick it up, but just think about having to bike that distance instead. This is also a lesson in organization, people. GROCERY LISTS!! Learn it, Live it, Love it. On the upside, at least I got in a decent workout while saving the environment. On the other hand...I don't know if all that biking was worth saving one dollar in gas.
And that's my three day weekend folks.. Now, I'm going to let my battered, sore body rest until tonight. At which time, I'll resume my regularly scheduled training. As you can see from the graph on the right...I'm behind on my current running goal. DOH! Gotta love vacations, you always have to play catch up when you get back.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Memorial Day Weekend Special, Day 2: Everybody Go Surf!
I decided that I was going to take a little running break over the three day weekend. But, I replaced it with other forms of body torture, I mean, cross training. So today, you lucky folks get three posts for the price of one as I recount each day.
Payback is a bitch. heh. Whee! On day 2 in San Luis Obispo, We decided to venture to Pismo Beach: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pismo_Beach , a renowned surfing beach and key location for many surfing competitions. Now I don't claim to be a good surfer, but I was definitely more crazy about surfing before I got into running. Nowadays, I seldom hit the waves because running takes precedence. But, since this was my running vacation, I decided to revisit my watery playground.
As a surfing enthusiast, I wasn't about to let my climbing enthusiast girlfriend get out of surfing that day, especially after what she put me through the day before. Unfortunately, surfing in 50 degree water with 3-5 foot waves is a hard sell to a beginner (Raquel) who's averse to any sort of cold weather. Luckily, I'm personally used to these conditions because I learned how to surf in Northern California, where these are normal conditions. So under these circumstances, I have to give her credit for sticking it out as long as she did: 10 minutes. She did manage to submerge her body in the water and allow me to push her in on one wave. And then....she didn't come back. Like I said folks, extreme sports aren't for every couple.
In any case, I had a grand time hitting the waves. To me, those were optimum conditions: not too crowded, frequent sets, and slow rolling long waves to ride all the way to shore. Surfing gives me the ultimate sense of freedom. Growing up in Hawaii, the ocean seemed like the big blue portal to the outside world. And just playing on it makes me feel like I'm straddling the link between Hawaii (who I was) and the mainland (who I have become). I am not whole without either part, and surfing on the link allows me time to reflect and remember that.
All in all, it was a great day of contemplation and nature appreciation. Well...that and the ocean kicked my ass with the cardio, core, and balance workout it gave me.
Stay tuned for Day 3...
Payback is a bitch. heh. Whee! On day 2 in San Luis Obispo, We decided to venture to Pismo Beach: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pismo_Beach , a renowned surfing beach and key location for many surfing competitions. Now I don't claim to be a good surfer, but I was definitely more crazy about surfing before I got into running. Nowadays, I seldom hit the waves because running takes precedence. But, since this was my running vacation, I decided to revisit my watery playground.
As a surfing enthusiast, I wasn't about to let my climbing enthusiast girlfriend get out of surfing that day, especially after what she put me through the day before. Unfortunately, surfing in 50 degree water with 3-5 foot waves is a hard sell to a beginner (Raquel) who's averse to any sort of cold weather. Luckily, I'm personally used to these conditions because I learned how to surf in Northern California, where these are normal conditions. So under these circumstances, I have to give her credit for sticking it out as long as she did: 10 minutes. She did manage to submerge her body in the water and allow me to push her in on one wave. And then....she didn't come back. Like I said folks, extreme sports aren't for every couple.
In any case, I had a grand time hitting the waves. To me, those were optimum conditions: not too crowded, frequent sets, and slow rolling long waves to ride all the way to shore. Surfing gives me the ultimate sense of freedom. Growing up in Hawaii, the ocean seemed like the big blue portal to the outside world. And just playing on it makes me feel like I'm straddling the link between Hawaii (who I was) and the mainland (who I have become). I am not whole without either part, and surfing on the link allows me time to reflect and remember that.
All in all, it was a great day of contemplation and nature appreciation. Well...that and the ocean kicked my ass with the cardio, core, and balance workout it gave me.
Stay tuned for Day 3...
Memorial Day Weekend Special, Day 1: Climb Every Mountain
I decided that I was going to take a little running break over the three day weekend. But, I replaced it with other forms of body torture, I mean, cross training. So today, you lucky folks get three posts for the price of one as I recount each day.
My weekend began in the cute little town of San Luis Obispo, where Raquel went to college. We were determined to have an action packed weekend, where we kept up my training while she showed me her old college haunts. First stop on the tour: Bishop Peak (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_Peak). This climbing/hiking area is literally in the back yard of her college campus. No wonder those kids are so fit. Even the beach was only 15 minutes away. It still makes me wonder how often those students attended class, lucky bums..
Anyway, the area was beautiful and filled with buff/tan students swinging on the cliff face. Now for those of you haven't gone climbing, this is a sport that challenges your flexbitiy, core, strength, balance, and general monkey swinging abilities. To me, it's like yoga on a wall and fantastic cross training. Fortunately, I have the luxury of learning from my expert climber gf. However, it doesn't mean she can give me her hard earned strength and agility. She can make scaling a cliff wall look as natural as walking down the street, while I struggle to even make it to the first ledge. But not to be deterred, I gave it everything I got.
At some point, I realized that a lot of this sport is mind over matter. My body is capable of a lot more than I think it is, if I could just overcome the fear factor. I needed to trust in the rope, the gear, and in Raquel to not let me fall to my death. Alright folks, this is why climbing is not for every couple and could potentially be a fight waiting to happen. In any case, as soon as I believed in those three things I found myself reaching for farther holds and trusting my own limbs more. All of a sudden, I felt like the climber from the Marines commerical: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjya6LnF0mU , except I had a rope and didn't climb as swiftly. By the end of the day, I managed to complete the longest climb I've ever done outside. And I'm completely proud of that accomplishment, even if it was rated one of the easiest climb on that mountain.
So what did I learn? I need to let go of the things that I can't control (the environment, my gear, etc.) and focus on the things that I can. If you actually trust the support that you have to catch you, you'll always accomplish more than you set out to do.
Stay tuned for Day 2...
My weekend began in the cute little town of San Luis Obispo, where Raquel went to college. We were determined to have an action packed weekend, where we kept up my training while she showed me her old college haunts. First stop on the tour: Bishop Peak (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_Peak). This climbing/hiking area is literally in the back yard of her college campus. No wonder those kids are so fit. Even the beach was only 15 minutes away. It still makes me wonder how often those students attended class, lucky bums..
Anyway, the area was beautiful and filled with buff/tan students swinging on the cliff face. Now for those of you haven't gone climbing, this is a sport that challenges your flexbitiy, core, strength, balance, and general monkey swinging abilities. To me, it's like yoga on a wall and fantastic cross training. Fortunately, I have the luxury of learning from my expert climber gf. However, it doesn't mean she can give me her hard earned strength and agility. She can make scaling a cliff wall look as natural as walking down the street, while I struggle to even make it to the first ledge. But not to be deterred, I gave it everything I got.
At some point, I realized that a lot of this sport is mind over matter. My body is capable of a lot more than I think it is, if I could just overcome the fear factor. I needed to trust in the rope, the gear, and in Raquel to not let me fall to my death. Alright folks, this is why climbing is not for every couple and could potentially be a fight waiting to happen. In any case, as soon as I believed in those three things I found myself reaching for farther holds and trusting my own limbs more. All of a sudden, I felt like the climber from the Marines commerical: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjya6LnF0mU , except I had a rope and didn't climb as swiftly. By the end of the day, I managed to complete the longest climb I've ever done outside. And I'm completely proud of that accomplishment, even if it was rated one of the easiest climb on that mountain.
So what did I learn? I need to let go of the things that I can't control (the environment, my gear, etc.) and focus on the things that I can. If you actually trust the support that you have to catch you, you'll always accomplish more than you set out to do.
Stay tuned for Day 2...
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Checks and Balances
It's always crucial to have points in your training where you measure your general fitness, pace, and endurance. Well, today was one of those days for me. It is National Employee Health and Fitness Day, and my company participated by hosting a 5K for all employees. Naturally, the people who showed up to run are all athletes. Who else would be crazy enough to give up their lunch hour to exercise in the boiling heat? So compensating for that, I knew this would not be an easy run if I wanted to keep up.
Now, I've always considered myself to be a mid-pack runner. It never concerned me that massive, muscle-y hulks always lope pass me. But if the whole pack actually leaves me behind and I'm the lone last runner, then I definitely take an ego hit. Which, unfortunately, is what happened. Today was an exercise in calming my competitive nature. I'm usually content to run against myself and improving my personal record by a minute or two. But when faced with a bunch of sweaty lean runners who literally leave me in the dust, I can't help but beat myself up for my performance even if I tried my best.
This all brings me back to why I run. Running is for me. It's something that I use for my own self-improvement; allotting me enough time to cultivate my own fresh ideas about the world while maintaing my own physical abilities. So why does it bother me if I'm the slowest runner in the race? Because I'm the slowest! Think about it...on the plains of the Serengeti, if you're the last and slowest wildebeest in the herd, you become tonight's dinner for a pride of lions. It's our primitive nature to want to be faster and not dead (literally, in the case of the wildebeest) last. So, who am I to deny my own natural instinct?
I'm using today as a wake up call. For now, I will accept the fact that my pace is slow at the moment. But, herein starts my official speed training. I need to pick up the pace (pun intended). Naturally, the reward is not going to come without a lot of hard work and determination. But, that determination is not going to be fueled by wanting to be faster than the head of the pack. It's stemming from desire to just beat today's personal time by 6 minutes. If I set a goal which is momentarily too out of reach, I'll give up quickly. Baby steps, people...I'll aim for the head of the pack soon enough. But for now, Watch out Self, I'm going to kick your ass.
Now, I've always considered myself to be a mid-pack runner. It never concerned me that massive, muscle-y hulks always lope pass me. But if the whole pack actually leaves me behind and I'm the lone last runner, then I definitely take an ego hit. Which, unfortunately, is what happened. Today was an exercise in calming my competitive nature. I'm usually content to run against myself and improving my personal record by a minute or two. But when faced with a bunch of sweaty lean runners who literally leave me in the dust, I can't help but beat myself up for my performance even if I tried my best.
This all brings me back to why I run. Running is for me. It's something that I use for my own self-improvement; allotting me enough time to cultivate my own fresh ideas about the world while maintaing my own physical abilities. So why does it bother me if I'm the slowest runner in the race? Because I'm the slowest! Think about it...on the plains of the Serengeti, if you're the last and slowest wildebeest in the herd, you become tonight's dinner for a pride of lions. It's our primitive nature to want to be faster and not dead (literally, in the case of the wildebeest) last. So, who am I to deny my own natural instinct?
I'm using today as a wake up call. For now, I will accept the fact that my pace is slow at the moment. But, herein starts my official speed training. I need to pick up the pace (pun intended). Naturally, the reward is not going to come without a lot of hard work and determination. But, that determination is not going to be fueled by wanting to be faster than the head of the pack. It's stemming from desire to just beat today's personal time by 6 minutes. If I set a goal which is momentarily too out of reach, I'll give up quickly. Baby steps, people...I'll aim for the head of the pack soon enough. But for now, Watch out Self, I'm going to kick your ass.
Friday, May 16, 2008
cheating
Yep...I'm totally feeling this commercial too. I have to admit that those NB marketers are very clever.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
It's not easy being green
This month is National Bike To Work Month, and Silicon Valley is doing it's part by claiming today as our official Bike To Work Day. They even went so far as to provide food and refreshments in these little booths all over the bay for bike commuters who have decided to participate. Seeing this as an opportunity to be green and cross-train, I was all over it.
Now, let me preface this with the fact that I'm a novice biker. I have a tendency to bite off more than I can chew when I'm excited, which is enhanced with my unwavering belief in mind over matter. Unfortunately, my confidence as a competent biker was shaken about a month ago when I fell into traffic. Luckily, I escaped unscathed except for a permanent scar on my knee. I like to showcase that as my hardcore war wound. In any case, the incident still fueled my anxiety to proceed with my 11 mile trek into work on my bike.
I'm happy to say though that I made it into work without a collision with a car, another biker, or the road. Hooray! I got to work feeling invigorated and very environmentally friendly. On the flip side, I must say that whoever planned this event needs to understand weather patterns better. Of all days to pick, he/she chose the day that hits 101 degrees Farenheit. Thus, I'm not looking forward to the ride home in this torturous heat. While I feel great for being socially-conscious and earth-friendly, I think I'll wait until the heat wave dies down before I bike to work again. I'm sorry folks, I'm a horrible resource user when it comes to personal comfort. For now, I'll stick to being a stickler for recycling in lieu of hardcore cycling. Alrighty Internet, I've done my part to help Mother Earth for today, have you?
Now, let me preface this with the fact that I'm a novice biker. I have a tendency to bite off more than I can chew when I'm excited, which is enhanced with my unwavering belief in mind over matter. Unfortunately, my confidence as a competent biker was shaken about a month ago when I fell into traffic. Luckily, I escaped unscathed except for a permanent scar on my knee. I like to showcase that as my hardcore war wound. In any case, the incident still fueled my anxiety to proceed with my 11 mile trek into work on my bike.
I'm happy to say though that I made it into work without a collision with a car, another biker, or the road. Hooray! I got to work feeling invigorated and very environmentally friendly. On the flip side, I must say that whoever planned this event needs to understand weather patterns better. Of all days to pick, he/she chose the day that hits 101 degrees Farenheit. Thus, I'm not looking forward to the ride home in this torturous heat. While I feel great for being socially-conscious and earth-friendly, I think I'll wait until the heat wave dies down before I bike to work again. I'm sorry folks, I'm a horrible resource user when it comes to personal comfort. For now, I'll stick to being a stickler for recycling in lieu of hardcore cycling. Alrighty Internet, I've done my part to help Mother Earth for today, have you?
OH HAPPY DAY!
And while we're on the topic of marriage....
This just in:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/15/BAGAVNC5K.DTL
=D =D =D
While it may go away again in November, I'm so glad to hear that we actually have a one-up right now in this fight. And contrary to what a lot of my friends were guessing, No..this doesn't mean that Raquel and I are running off to city hall right now. I don't want the government to dictate when I should get married anymore than I want them to dictate who I get married to. But, for those couples who are in a place where they are ready to get married and are marching down to city hall this month, Congratulations!!
In any case, this put me in such a good mood, that I'm adding 5 extra miles to the total of next week's runs to celebrate. Yay!
This just in:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/15/BAGAVNC5K.DTL
=D =D =D
While it may go away again in November, I'm so glad to hear that we actually have a one-up right now in this fight. And contrary to what a lot of my friends were guessing, No..this doesn't mean that Raquel and I are running off to city hall right now. I don't want the government to dictate when I should get married anymore than I want them to dictate who I get married to. But, for those couples who are in a place where they are ready to get married and are marching down to city hall this month, Congratulations!!
In any case, this put me in such a good mood, that I'm adding 5 extra miles to the total of next week's runs to celebrate. Yay!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Congratulations Sidewalk Monkey!
Ok, today's post has nothing to do with training or cross training. I just need to make a quick shout out to my dear friend, sidewalk monkey. She just got engaged, and that's AWESOME news. YAY!! I wish her and her Jam Guy the very best and great happiness for their wonderful life together!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
DJ G-Funk* needs inspiration
I'm one of those runners that needs a constant soundtrack in the background to keep pace. And since it's such an integral part to my training, I'm very meticulous with new playlist creation. My whole process is somewhat akin to John Cusack in High Fidelity as he pores over mountains of vinyl records, creating the perfect mix for his girlfriend. A custom playlist is highly personal and allows glimpses to facets of personality.
Well, my running playlist is a far cry from being an accurate editorial of myself, but it serves it's purpose as a technical pace setter. I usually compensate for what kind of workout it's intended for: speed, distance, outdoor/indoor, or the actual race. There's just something about a well-picked, high energy song that can give me the extra boost to run that extra hill as fast as I can. It doesn't matter if I'm bone tired. The familiar back beat starts pumping and I start balling my fists. Then the lyrics will kick in and all of a sudden I'm Rocky Balboa, racing up the steps of Philadelphia.
Now, what kind of music facilitates that for me? Well, for the most part I prefer Hip Hop, Reggage, Rap, and embarassingly the occasional Pop. I know that last choice probably makes me "uncool" now, but sometimes you just have to leave Britney alone, folks. Don't hate. Anyway, today happens to be "New Playlist" day, but I seem to be lacking inspiration for new high energy songs. Do you lovely people have good suggestions?
And to give you a better idea, some of my best running songs were:
Janet Jackson - All Night, Don't Stop
Janet Jackson - Feedback
Lil' Mama ft. T. Pain and Chris Brown - Shawty Get Loose Remix
Christina Aguilera - Fighter
Madonna and Justin Timberlake - 4 minutes
Flo Rida ft. Timbaland - Elevator
Baby Cham & Akon ft. Alicia Keys - Ghetto Story Remix
*Note: I've acquired my fair share of nicknames in the past. My favorites are: "Porkchop", "Manapua Head", "Ninja", "Button", "Bone Bone", and "G-Funk". I thought DJ G-Funk sounded better than DJ Manapua Head.
Well, my running playlist is a far cry from being an accurate editorial of myself, but it serves it's purpose as a technical pace setter. I usually compensate for what kind of workout it's intended for: speed, distance, outdoor/indoor, or the actual race. There's just something about a well-picked, high energy song that can give me the extra boost to run that extra hill as fast as I can. It doesn't matter if I'm bone tired. The familiar back beat starts pumping and I start balling my fists. Then the lyrics will kick in and all of a sudden I'm Rocky Balboa, racing up the steps of Philadelphia.
Now, what kind of music facilitates that for me? Well, for the most part I prefer Hip Hop, Reggage, Rap, and embarassingly the occasional Pop. I know that last choice probably makes me "uncool" now, but sometimes you just have to leave Britney alone, folks. Don't hate. Anyway, today happens to be "New Playlist" day, but I seem to be lacking inspiration for new high energy songs. Do you lovely people have good suggestions?
And to give you a better idea, some of my best running songs were:
Janet Jackson - All Night, Don't Stop
Janet Jackson - Feedback
Lil' Mama ft. T. Pain and Chris Brown - Shawty Get Loose Remix
Christina Aguilera - Fighter
Madonna and Justin Timberlake - 4 minutes
Flo Rida ft. Timbaland - Elevator
Baby Cham & Akon ft. Alicia Keys - Ghetto Story Remix
*Note: I've acquired my fair share of nicknames in the past. My favorites are: "Porkchop", "Manapua Head", "Ninja", "Button", "Bone Bone", and "G-Funk". I thought DJ G-Funk sounded better than DJ Manapua Head.
Bells and Whistles
Jog In Ocean is undergoing some tweaking. I've decided to add a cool element to let you guys see how my progress is going. As you can see on the right side bar, I've added my latest run graph from Nike+. I'll do my best to keep the "latest run" graph up to date. And for fun, I also added my run graph from the Nike Women's Marathon '07 (my last half marathon run). Alright people..that's what I'm trying to beat. Let's hope this year's graph looks better than last year's.
p.s. The date on my last run shouldn't be March 26, it should be May 7 (yesterday). I'm having Nike+ technicians fix this right now, so stay tuned. Ah..technology.
p.s. The date on my last run shouldn't be March 26, it should be May 7 (yesterday). I'm having Nike+ technicians fix this right now, so stay tuned. Ah..technology.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Running and Relationships
Alright, I was wondering when I'd get around to blogging about this. The biggest difference between marathon training '07 and '08 for me has been finding my amazing gf, Raquel. Well, that's not entirely true, because I actually met her in the last three months of '07 training, but I think I still got the majority of my workouts in. In any case, I definitely have less dedicated training time now. Lucky for me, she's also an athlete. Unfortunately, she hates running. Not that it would have made a difference because I like to run alone (It's "me" time).
One of my personal hurdles for Training '08 is to change my running motivation. Historically, running has not only been a personal athletic goal, but it served a greater purpose as my stress outlet. Now, my de-stress options after has work expanded to: going home to get coddled with ice cream and 5 hours of CSI:Las Vegas. Alright...let's weigh the options, boys and girls: Coddling from gf Vs. 3-4 hours of working out, pampering Vs. running, ice cream Vs. sweat... Well, the old me would have chosen running, but I think it was CSI that tipped the scales (j/k, Raquel). Obviously, if I let "finishing the race under 2.5 hours" solely carry my motivation, I wouldn't leave the couch.
So here is my "Have your cake and eat it too" solution. Be an active couple. You know what I'm talking about. The couple you see in REI advertisements: climbing mountains, camping, hiking, biking, and just conquering the world together. Yeah. Be that couple. True, this may not work for every couple. But life totally gave me a break this time, so I'm exploiting it. Maybe my training schedule isn't as rigid as it used to be, but it all evens out. You're always going to have distractions, gf or otherwise, when you're training. But, the key is to make it work for you.
My enhanced Training '08 motivation is to run at a performance level that gives justice not only to Raquel's on-going support, but also to every friend that's followed my training. How can I not run my best when I receive 30-something encouraging text messages from my dear friends during the race? How can I not run my best when 15 of them drag their butts out on a Sunday just to catch a glimpse of me in the crowd? and lastly...How can I not run my best when Raquel helps me train for 6 months, wakes up at 5 am for a race she isn't running, and jumps in at mile 11 to help set my pace higher so that I can finish well.
Dude...now that's relationships (platonic and romantic) at it's finest.
One of my personal hurdles for Training '08 is to change my running motivation. Historically, running has not only been a personal athletic goal, but it served a greater purpose as my stress outlet. Now, my de-stress options after has work expanded to: going home to get coddled with ice cream and 5 hours of CSI:Las Vegas. Alright...let's weigh the options, boys and girls: Coddling from gf Vs. 3-4 hours of working out, pampering Vs. running, ice cream Vs. sweat... Well, the old me would have chosen running, but I think it was CSI that tipped the scales (j/k, Raquel). Obviously, if I let "finishing the race under 2.5 hours" solely carry my motivation, I wouldn't leave the couch.
So here is my "Have your cake and eat it too" solution. Be an active couple. You know what I'm talking about. The couple you see in REI advertisements: climbing mountains, camping, hiking, biking, and just conquering the world together. Yeah. Be that couple. True, this may not work for every couple. But life totally gave me a break this time, so I'm exploiting it. Maybe my training schedule isn't as rigid as it used to be, but it all evens out. You're always going to have distractions, gf or otherwise, when you're training. But, the key is to make it work for you.
My enhanced Training '08 motivation is to run at a performance level that gives justice not only to Raquel's on-going support, but also to every friend that's followed my training. How can I not run my best when I receive 30-something encouraging text messages from my dear friends during the race? How can I not run my best when 15 of them drag their butts out on a Sunday just to catch a glimpse of me in the crowd? and lastly...How can I not run my best when Raquel helps me train for 6 months, wakes up at 5 am for a race she isn't running, and jumps in at mile 11 to help set my pace higher so that I can finish well.
Dude...now that's relationships (platonic and romantic) at it's finest.
Beef...That's not what's for dinner
When you are really focused on training, your body should operate like a machine. Disclaimer: Everyone trains differently and this is just how I train. Your fuel: 5-6 small meals a day; 1-2 liters of water a day; good carbs, lean protein, and lots of fruits/vegetables. Your schedule: total workout =6 days/week; long runs 2-3 days/week; short runs = the rest of the days; core, weight-lifting, and cross training = every other day. And of course, 8 hours of sleep a night for good regeneration. Alright, that's all fine and dandy, but I'm human, people. Even though my concentration and discipline is upheld by my stubborness, I still falter. The most difficult part of training is restarting it after I've taken a good 5 month hiatus. I start to crave everything from skipping workouts to bad food and beer.
My latest craving has been fatty red meat, specifically a juicy meaty burger. This probably comes as a surprise to my close friends because even during off-season, I don't like red meat. Like Joni Mitchell says "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone". Word Joni....Word. In any case, I refuse to cheat, especially so early on in the season. So, here's the alternative that I came up with: Bison Burgers!! Alright, check it out:
Comparison chart
Animal Fat Calories Cholesterol
Buffalo 2.42 gm 143 82 mg
Beef 9.28 gm 211 86 mg
Chicken 7.41 gm 190 89 mg
Ostrich 2.80 gm 140 83 mg
Comparison based on certified independent research Sept. 1991, Feb. 1993
and USDA research revised May 1990. Based on Buffalo sirloin, beef sirloin (choice),
and chicken breast with skin on. All samples 100 grams (3.5 oz).
http://www.healthybuffalo.com/nutrition.htm
*Sorry, the formatting isn't showing up. So if you want to see the pretty table, click on the link above*
The Native Americans were totally onto something. Bison..it's BETTER than the other white meat. Bottom line: It has less of the bad stuff and more of the good stuff. And from personal experience, it really does taste similar to beef. If you want something similar to a turkey burger, I'd go with the ostrich. So in summary: Grill up your bison, slap it on a toasted wheat bun w/ reasonably healthy fix-ins, and I've satisfied the ugly craving (for the most part) w/o sacrificing too much of the training.
Ok, granted that wild game is more expensive than just buying beef. Which is why I practice moderation. When it comes to burgers during training, I don't do it that often anyway. Alright, I hope that covers me from PETA and vegetarians from chasing after my ass.
My latest craving has been fatty red meat, specifically a juicy meaty burger. This probably comes as a surprise to my close friends because even during off-season, I don't like red meat. Like Joni Mitchell says "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone". Word Joni....Word. In any case, I refuse to cheat, especially so early on in the season. So, here's the alternative that I came up with: Bison Burgers!! Alright, check it out:
Comparison chart
Animal Fat Calories Cholesterol
Buffalo 2.42 gm 143 82 mg
Beef 9.28 gm 211 86 mg
Chicken 7.41 gm 190 89 mg
Ostrich 2.80 gm 140 83 mg
Comparison based on certified independent research Sept. 1991, Feb. 1993
and USDA research revised May 1990. Based on Buffalo sirloin, beef sirloin (choice),
and chicken breast with skin on. All samples 100 grams (3.5 oz).
http://www.healthybuffalo.com/nutrition.htm
*Sorry, the formatting isn't showing up. So if you want to see the pretty table, click on the link above*
The Native Americans were totally onto something. Bison..it's BETTER than the other white meat. Bottom line: It has less of the bad stuff and more of the good stuff. And from personal experience, it really does taste similar to beef. If you want something similar to a turkey burger, I'd go with the ostrich. So in summary: Grill up your bison, slap it on a toasted wheat bun w/ reasonably healthy fix-ins, and I've satisfied the ugly craving (for the most part) w/o sacrificing too much of the training.
Ok, granted that wild game is more expensive than just buying beef. Which is why I practice moderation. When it comes to burgers during training, I don't do it that often anyway. Alright, I hope that covers me from PETA and vegetarians from chasing after my ass.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
I heart my iPod and Nike+
As promised, here's my ode to my running partner, Tonks, better known as my flourescent fuchsia iPod nano.
Lean and light device,
Blasting music to set pace,
Nestled in my shorts.
Ok, so my ode came out as a haiku. But I'm a lazy poet, so that's all you're getting.
In any case, I highly recommend the iPod and it's Nike+ attachment. In terms of the iPod itself, it's a workout necessity. There is no better pace setter or motivator than music. My quiet runs (sans iPod) can't even compare to a music-fueled run. I'm also very impressed with the durability. Unlike most runners, I don't like it strapped to my arm, it's in my pocket. And amazingly, it has survived several flights from my pocket to the edge of the trail. Of course it also helps that I have a protective leather covering on it.
Now, as for the Nike+ attachment, I believe this to be a revolutionary improvement to the sport. These are my favorite attributes:
1. The Pedometer. True, you can buy any pedometer and attach it to your shoe. BUT, does it actually talk to you mid-run to report your progress? I'm a sucker, I buy into the bells and whistles sometimes.
2. The Graphs. If you've activated your Nike+ account online, you can download every run and it will display them as a Speed vs. Distance line graph. It's a very convenient way to review your progress and how you run. Plus, you can improve your running from a scientific approach. Look at Takeru Kobayashi, Nathan's Hot Dog Eating world champion. He didn't win by starving himself for days and chowing down, folks. He painstakingly studied his technique and past competitions to improve. Although, I'm embarassingly not as in shape as the hot dog eater: http://takeru-kobayashi-news.newslib.com/ .
3. The Online Community. When you do nose around your Nike+ account, you can drop in on forums run by other Nike+ users, set personal goals, and challenge users from all over the world. I'm competitive. I'll push myself to run those extra two miles if it means I win my online challenge against some guy in Denmark.
4. Lance Armstrong and Paula Radcliffe. Ok, this is my favorite feature. If you beat some personal best, a pre-recorded message from Lance or Paula kicks in at the end of the workout to tell you "Good Job!". Lance, Paula, and I are best buds during peak training. If I don't hear from one of them at least twice a week, I think we've broken up. Seriously though, what's a better pat on the shoulder than an award-winning athlete telling you that you're kicking some ass?! It's a truly genius feature.
Alright, I swear I'm not getting money from Nike or Apple for this review. But...if they want to hand me a tax-free check, that'd be nice. :)
Lean and light device,
Blasting music to set pace,
Nestled in my shorts.
Ok, so my ode came out as a haiku. But I'm a lazy poet, so that's all you're getting.
In any case, I highly recommend the iPod and it's Nike+ attachment. In terms of the iPod itself, it's a workout necessity. There is no better pace setter or motivator than music. My quiet runs (sans iPod) can't even compare to a music-fueled run. I'm also very impressed with the durability. Unlike most runners, I don't like it strapped to my arm, it's in my pocket. And amazingly, it has survived several flights from my pocket to the edge of the trail. Of course it also helps that I have a protective leather covering on it.
Now, as for the Nike+ attachment, I believe this to be a revolutionary improvement to the sport. These are my favorite attributes:
1. The Pedometer. True, you can buy any pedometer and attach it to your shoe. BUT, does it actually talk to you mid-run to report your progress? I'm a sucker, I buy into the bells and whistles sometimes.
2. The Graphs. If you've activated your Nike+ account online, you can download every run and it will display them as a Speed vs. Distance line graph. It's a very convenient way to review your progress and how you run. Plus, you can improve your running from a scientific approach. Look at Takeru Kobayashi, Nathan's Hot Dog Eating world champion. He didn't win by starving himself for days and chowing down, folks. He painstakingly studied his technique and past competitions to improve. Although, I'm embarassingly not as in shape as the hot dog eater: http://takeru-kobayashi-news.newslib.com/ .
3. The Online Community. When you do nose around your Nike+ account, you can drop in on forums run by other Nike+ users, set personal goals, and challenge users from all over the world. I'm competitive. I'll push myself to run those extra two miles if it means I win my online challenge against some guy in Denmark.
4. Lance Armstrong and Paula Radcliffe. Ok, this is my favorite feature. If you beat some personal best, a pre-recorded message from Lance or Paula kicks in at the end of the workout to tell you "Good Job!". Lance, Paula, and I are best buds during peak training. If I don't hear from one of them at least twice a week, I think we've broken up. Seriously though, what's a better pat on the shoulder than an award-winning athlete telling you that you're kicking some ass?! It's a truly genius feature.
Alright, I swear I'm not getting money from Nike or Apple for this review. But...if they want to hand me a tax-free check, that'd be nice. :)
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