Eating Right

Yesterday, Mayumi sent me a link to a NY Times article about the current debate between meat and climate. Essentially, they were talking about the farming industry and how livestock is bad for the environment, releasing more greenhouse gases than cars. I didn't think I get so riled up after reading it, but evidently I did. And Mayumi has requested for me to post my response.

Disclaimer: I never meant to offend anyone with my response. So please don't take me seriously.

"bah.. I think there is a definite line between environmentally-friendly people (who actively try to do things in their lives to be green) and radical, "the sky is falling, run for your lives", hippie extremists.

I think it's all about balance and healthy living. I agree that if a huge amount of the population consumes a ridiculous amount of one resource: gas, meat, water, etc., faster than the earth and nature can replenish it; then yes, I think we're definitely hurting the environment. And that's a sign that we're unbalanced and need to take a step back in the opposite direction: ride your bike every once in a while; eat more grains/veggies than meat a couple nights a week; conserve your water. Humans shouldn't act like spoiled children, thinking that their parents' money (in this case, earth's natural resources) are inexhaustible. And embarrassingly, I think the one nation that has this attitude the most is the US. Anyway, I think if we put more effort into figuring out sustainable methods/technology for our resources, then we wouldn't have to go to an extreme and just completely deny ourselves any particular resource.

Because, in the long run, getting everyone to deny themselves one resource isn't the answer either. A huge part of the population is employed by that industry, and there would probably be an enormous consequence to taking it down. It's not about hitting the industry source to improve the environment. I think there should be more education to the general masses about health-conscious eating. That way we're not only improving the environment, we're improving the health of the general public. Maybe more popular restaurants should take it a step further and prepare more health-conscious meals that require less meat product. The solutions are numerous if the big-wigs were just willing to do some research. In the end, I think that adjusting the average American diet would be more effective than unleashing an unholy amount of angry would-be vegetarians who are trying to save the world, when they'd rather just have a burger.

sorry, that was a long rant. but, I just wanted to give my take on the article. =)

Besides...if I don't eat the cow/chicken/pig/fish, then the cow/chicken/pig/fish is going to try to eat me. it's all about survival, dude. ;)"

Thanksgiving Leftovers

I watch, by far, way too much Food Network. If I'm sitting at home and fiddling with my computer, Food Network will always be on in the background. But, I think it's totally worth it and came in handy today. One of my favorite Food Network Chefs is Michael Chiarello, who specializes in Napa style cooking. So tonight's dinner was inspired by Michael Chiarello and last night's recycled dinner.

Turkey Soup

Mashed Potato Polpetti

(this was similar to croquettes)

I think it came out great, and completely trumps turkey sandwiches. It's also very nutritious and low in fat, so it's perfect for training. Here's to a low in guilt Thanksgiving.

Blackened Tilapia, Sauteed Baby Spinach, Blanched Broccoli, and Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

I'm seriously getting excited about Thanksgiving, especially since I'm hosting it this year and am planning a fancy menu. But, I wanted to eat lighter and healthier to balance out Turkey Day dinner. So last night, I ended up cooking Blackened Tilapia, Sauteed Baby Spinach, Blanched Broccoli, and Wasabi Mashed Potatoes. I must say that this meal was perfect for a light bite.

Blackened Tilapia
Ingredients:
-1/2 tsp chili powder
-1/2 tsp paprika
-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
-1/2 tsp. white pepper
-2 pinches of Hawaiian Sea Salt
-2 Tilapia filets

Mix the top 5 ingredients together to create a dry rub. Season both sides of the Tilapia filets and pan fry the fish on medium high in extra virgin olive oil for 3-4 minutes per side.

Wasabi Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
-3 Tbsp. wasabi
-2 lbs. new white potatoes (peeled and quartered)
-a splash of buttermilk
-2 Tbsp. sour cream
-1 Tbsp. "I can't believe it's not Butter"
-Hawaiian Sea Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes. Drain. Mash with the rest of the ingredients.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of dinner. But don't worry, I won't forget to take a picture of Thanksgiving Dinner.

Recipe of the Day: Thai Pumpkin Curry

One of Raquel's favorite thai restaurants is Osha Thai Restaurant in San Francisco. And tonight's dinner was inspired by our favorite dish there: Thai Kabocha Pumpkin Curry. I ended up searching the internet and modifying this Thai Red Curry recipe. Now, I've never cooked with Kabocha Pumpkin before. So as I was preparing it, it felt like doing battle with a brick! Here's a tip I found elsewhere that will help in the preparation: Before cutting the pumpkin, place the whole pumpkin in 1/2 an inch of boiling water for about 5-10 minutes. Then, you can cut it up after it has cooled.

Here are the modifications I made for this particular recipe:

-use light (reduced fat) coconut milk
-use low sodium chicken broth
-I ended up using chicken instead of shrimp, but that's just cause I didn't have any shrimp
-add bamboo, and sliced red bell pepper instead of tomatoes and frozen peas
-add a handful of fresh basil
-add garlic to season the chicken (saute the chicken before you start the curry, and set it aside till the end)
-serve it over brown rice instead of white rice

Raquel loved my recreation of Osha's dish, and I thought it was tasty too. In my opinion, I don't think it's to their level of yummy goodness, but at least I don't feel as guilty when I eat it.

Recipe of the Day: Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Last week I had to take a sick day because of a massive headache. I'm not sure what caused it, but I've never been able to sit still when I'm sick at home. So, I ended up baking a healthier version of Food Network's Chocolate Chip Cookies. How is it healthy? Well, you've got to know the tips for healthy baking. For this batch, here's what I substituted:

-add roasted pecans for healthy protein.

-use dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate (dark chocolate is better for you as far as sweets go)

-use half the amount of regular flour and substitute whole wheat flour for the rest of it.

-use "I can't believe it's not butter" instead of real butter

As you can see, the color turns out darker than it normally does, but I can assure you that it tastes just as good. Give it a shot!

Recipe of the Day: Zippy's Chili

So for the last couple of days I've found myself pretty homesick for Hawaii's Zippy's Chili. But, what am I going to do when I'm about 2000 miles away from home, unwilling to eat the frozen stuff, and in need of a healthier version of it for training? Well, I went online and found a Zippy's style chili and modified it to my needs. As you can see, it turned out pretty close to the original chili! And after inhaling a bowl full of it over brown rice, I can attest that it tastes extremely close to the original as well. Give it a try!

Here's the base recipe that I modified: Zippy's style chili.

And here are my modifications:
-No MSG
-4x the amount of vegetables listed
-No chili beans to leave more space for the increase in vegetables
-use 93/7 beef. After the beef is browned, drain the rest of the 7% fat out so that you're just left with 100% beef.
-substitute cajun sausage for portugese sausage. I only did this because I didn't have time to run to 99 Ranch market to get portugese sausage.
-No ketchup
-use 2x as much ginger. I just did this because ginger is good for you.

Thank you AlohaWorld for being a fabulous source of local recipes for this homesick girl!

Recipe of the Day: Koto Kapama and Quinoa

After our little race, I was searching around for a good post-race meal to refuel us for another week of training. I have to say that Runner's World has never failed me. Koto Kapama is a greek cinnamon chicken dish, and this particular version was created by one of my role models, Iron Chef Cat Cora. Essentially, it's stewed cinnamon chicken and onions in a greek tomato sauce. I loved the flavors so much, that I doubt I'll only be eating this after a run.

Chef Cora recommended that it be served with quinoa. Ok, move over brown rice and whole wheat..Farro and Quinoa are definitely my new favorite grains. If you haven't tried it, try it! I also had an arugula salad (not pictured) with Tyler Florence's ultimate vinaigrette, as another shout-out to the Arugula Gap.

Quinoa Pilaf
Ingredients:
1.5 cups Quinoa (rinsed)
a handful of pine nuts
1 tsp of chopped fresh dill
a handful of sliced grape tomatoes
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Boil the quinoa in the chicken broth on medium high for about 15 minutes, until all of the liquid is absorbed. Toss in nuts, dill, and tomatoes. Stir and serve.

Recipe of the Day: Blackened Chicken Pasta

In anticipation for the increased running and race that I did last week, I was definitely in the mood for some carbs. So I sort of invented this dish on the spot. It's actually inspired by this cajun restaurant in Palo Alto, called Nola's, which Raquel loves. They make an amazing Cajun Chicken Pasta that has just the right balance between creamy and spicy. And while we love to frequent this place, I'm sure this particular dish is loaded with fat and bad calories. So, here's my version. I think it was a reasonable facsimile and at least I don't feel as guilty. Try it out!

Ingredients:
For the Chicken:
Chicken
Keawe rock salt /pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
extra virgin olive oil

For the Pasta:
about a pound of pasta (your choice)
couple cloves of minced garlic
1 sweet onion, roughly chopped
1 bag of frozen peas
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups heavy cream (I actually used light cream)
Hawaiian Sea Salt and pepper to taste

For the Chicken:
Pre-heat the grill to medium high. Season the chicken with the spice rub and olive oil. Grill for about 5 minutes per side. Set aside to rest for a few minutes, then slice.

For the Pasta:
Cook the pasta and set aside. Saute garlic for a minute. Throw in peas and onion and cook till onion is caramelized. Turn up the heat and pour in the cream. Add in the sliced chicken. Simmer the sauce until it has reduced to the consistency of your liking. When the sauce is done, turn off the stove and stir in the cheese, pasta, salt, and pepper.

Recipe of the Day: Cornmeal-Crusted Mango Salmon

Here's my innaugural foodie post: Cornmeal-Crusted Mango Salmon. Tonight's dinner was thanks to Food Network's Sunny Anderson. I didn't use any butter though and probably half the olive oil than what was in the recipe. Essentially what you're looking at is center-cut salmon, with a mango glaze and cornmeal crust. It's topped with leftover mango glaze and fresh mango. I'll have to admit that it didn't taste as sweet as I thought it would, but that's because I'm used to sweeter mangos from Hawaii. Still pretty tasty though! Give it a try!

BTW, the side salad in the background was made up of:

-mixed greens

-mint leaves

-grape tomatoes

-low fat cottage cheese

-garbanzo beans

Training Benefits from this meal:

-beans, cottage cheese, and salmon are good protein for post-workout recovery

-mixed greens prevents muscle damage in hard workouts

Alrighty, that's all I got for tonight. Happy Eating!

Introducing Chef Surfrunner..

It's time for "Jog in Ocean" to undergo some re-designing. I'm not talking about a facelift to the page, I mean I want to modify the purpose of this blog. Per Mayumi's suggestion, I'd like to start blogging about some of my culinary adventures as a foodie. And per Sidewalk Monkey's suggestion, I will be occasionally taking pictures of my creations and posting them. This doesn't mean I'll stop chronicling about my training/technique. On the contrary, I think this gives you folks a better grasp of how I train because food/nutrition is a big part of the regiment.

I also want to quell the myth of having to sacrifice good food as a part of marathon training. It doesn't have to be a boring diet, and you'll see once I start posting about my meals. For those of you who are unfamiliar with my own cooking background, I've been dabbling around with it since college. But, my interest really started to take-off when I graduated, moved to the bay area, and started hosting a lot of dinners.

In the beginning, I was always inspired by that old "Ready, Set, Cook" show, which was a pre-cursor to Iron Chef, but not as elaborate. In other words, I hated recipes and made up my own stuff. But now, I think I've come to a happy medium where I'll use a recipe as a guideline, then add my own twist. And as far as cuisine goes, I'll tend to cook food from any region as long as it's relatively healthy and the ingredients are fresh. But, here are some sample cuisines I've worked with: Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Pacific Rim, Cajun, Mediterranean, Morrocan, Irish, and Californian (yes, this is a genre, just check Yelp).

In any case, this change also comes just in time for the Reno Rib Fest that a bunch of us will be attending this weekend. Stay tuned for food pics from that as well as whatever I cook this week*!

*This is usually dependant on whatever Raquel is craving, because even though I'm the chef, she's the eater. What a hard job...

I scream, you scream, we all scream....

Last month, I posted about the runner's diet: I Hate Diets, which discouraged eating a tub of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream. I knew that I'd be eating my words one day. Thanks to the lovely people at Runner's World, who recently published this article: Sweet Reward, it looks like ice cream is an acceptable post-run treat. Apparently, even though ice cream is packed with fat and sugar, it also provides a good amount of protein and calcium. Do I think this article can justify me having ice cream after every run now? In two words: Heck no.

To be fair, I didn't say that I could never eat ice cream again. As with all food intake, it's about balance and moderation. So, indulging in ice cream, beer, or bacon every once in a while is perfectly fine. The article labels ice cream as a "post-run treat" for a reason. Since your metabolism is so high, I think you can eat almost anything up to an hour after a good run; even say... a double bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a strawberry milkshake, depending on the intensity of the run. But for me, it's not about maintaining the same level of fitness. If I'm working this hard, I want to progress beyond what I've already achieved. Life is just like that for me. I can go backward or foward (preferrable), but if I stand still for a long time, unfulfillment and ennuis will set in. Movement, in any direction no matter how small, at least gives me purpose.

So do I think that article is a bunch of hogwash? Nah, not really. It just needs to be taken with a grain of salt. At least it justifies the two pints of Ben and Jerry's sitting in my freezer. I can't wait till they write an article that lets me satify my unholy craving for fancy doughnuts and hot chocolate right now.

P.S. I love how they suggest adding corn to your diet at the end of the article, as if it balances indulging in the ice cream. If that's the case, you might as well combine it and eat Corn Ice Cream. Believe it or not, it exists in Queens, NY at Max and Mina's. I know...I watch too many Travel Channel programs which involve food.

Bouncing Back from Gluttony

In anticipation of the upcoming holiday weekend, I've decided to post about how I compensate for an over-indulgent night (or weekend) of festive food binging. Yes, believe it or not, there's actually a strategy to this. I'm not claiming any credit for the plan though, because I've adopted it from the experts who work at Runner's World: Holiday Weight-Loss Plan. Hopefully, I won't have to implement this plan anytime soon because my nurtition is on lock-down until the race. But, this is for all you folks out there who'll definitely go for the extra helping of BBQ chicken, BBQ ribs, or potato salad this July 4th.

The strategies that they prescribe are separated into types of binging (here's my breakdown):

Overall Food Binge:

• Ironically enough, you've got to eat a hearty breakfast afterwards. No, don't go to IHOP or Denny's and pig out on the all-you-can-eat pancakes or something. Don't just have a piece of toast or skip breakfast all together either. You need to get your system back on track and jump start the metabolism. So hearty means grainy carby goodness with fruits, ie: Fruit and Granola Yogurt Parfait (around 300-400 calories).
• Do a looooong run after breakfast. Considering how I am at a holiday feast, I'm usually trying to stuff enough food to sustain me through a winter hibernation. And if said feast is put on by my family (a Chinese clan from Hawaii), there are easily 9 fat-loaded dishes on the table. Take advantage of that carbo/protein/fat load that you did the night before and efficiently expend it over a couple hours of slow running and mulling over whatever family calamity happened at dinner.

Desserts

• It's actually a relatively new trend for me to hang out with my friends at dessert bars. But, that means ordering every item on the menu and sampling everyone's order. Don't give up the sweets just yet, because your body will just throttle you to the ground till you give in to ice cream. Instead, try to substitute the craving with natural sugars, like fruit.
• Use the sugar rush the next day and run a speed workout. You've got the energy in you, so don't let it turn into fat.

Pupus/Dim Sum/Tapas

• Every time I go with a large group of people to eat a "light" meal of snacks, I always end up leaving the restaurant feeling like I've eaten two meals. How does that work? Personally, I'd like to say it's because the company and conversation is so good that you never realize how many times the waitresses have to come to your table with more bite-size dishes. This kind of eating is actually tough for portion control. In any case, the next day I just try to get back to eating normally: no snacking.
• Crosstrain the next day, then hard workout the day after.

Meat, Meat, and more...Meat

• This is probably the most pertinent for the upcoming holiday. Since, for some reason the U.S. Independance day translates to scarfing down half a chicken, half a cow, and a quarter of a pig per BBQ. Meat makes me feel lethargic. So use nature's pick me up with a lot of fruit and vegetables the next day.
• Guess what you're going to do with all that protein. Yep, hardcore strength workout. With the extra protein, you're more than ready to pump iron, rep after rep. Bodybuilders drink protein shakes to get the quality protein I have after a meat binge. In my opinion, my method tastes better.

Ok Internet, hope that was helpful. Happy 4th of July! Enjoy the pigging out and kanak attack (food coma)!

P.S. Not only am I restricting myself from the typical culinary festivites this weekend, but I'm also slated to meet the girlfriend's parents. Believe me, I'm already burning extra calories just thinking about it.

Recovery Meal Du Jour

(Picture courtesy of Runner's World)

I think I'm finally starting to get my training/life balance under control! Well...it also helps that the big race is a little over a month away and I'm behind in my mileage. In any case, I'm considerably proud of myself, because I managed to get in a long run on Sunday and still show up at SF Pride for a few hours. Not only that, but I didn't succumb to any kind of alcohol all weekend even in the midst of the bacchanlian festivites. Huzzah! High-fives all around.

Now, usually after a long run I aim for a heartier dinner to repair my muscles and get my energy back. And I must say that my post-run meal isn't always the healthiest option, considering I've scarfed burgers, steaks, or a full on Filipino dinner (possibly the greasiest assortment of delectable dishes ever) depending on how far I ran. But, since I'm in crunch time right now I really can't afford any slip-ups, even for nutrition. With that in mind, I started scouring the internet for a healthy recipe that will do the job.

Lo and behold, Runner's World once again came through with some majorly good advice. In fact, the meal is even tailored for my exact training needs. Gotta love these guys. Anyways, I'd like to share this meal: Cinnamon Chicken (Koto Kapama), with people on cyberspace who may not lurk on Runner's World like I do. (Click on the link above for the recipe) I can't say that I followed the recipe perfectly, but I never do. I ended up using chicken breast in lieu of a whole chicken, but that's because my girlfriend prefers white meat and it also has less calories. In any case, it was still lip smackin' good! Beat that KFC! Try it out folks and let me know what you think.

P.S. I just found out that this recipe is originally from Iron Chef Cat Cora, who provided it to Runner's World. Chef Cora is also an athlete. No wonder why I like this dish so much, I'm also a Food Network lurker.

I hate diets

When I initially decided to become a marathon runner 2 years ago, my reasons were three-fold: 1. Pick up a daily athletic hobby that would help me focus, 2. Prove to myself that I could accomplish this seemingly insurmountable feat that a lot of my friends had already done, and 3. Finally drop the baby weight I'd been carrying all my life and show the new "me" at the wedding of my dear friends, Mayumi and Dave. Now if I wanted to actually achieve these goals, I couldn't just run until I dropped. I can run all I want, but if I eat pizza, beer, and ice cream at the end of the day, I won't really get the right results. Since, dropping the right kind of weight (fat), comes from both exercise and eating right, I had to go on a diet. And as Hamlet so aptly put it, "Ay, there's the rub".

Frankly, the word "diet" usually invokes a grimace on my face and an inward cringe from my gut. I'm sure the reaction harbors from my teen days when I was the "fat kid", and my mother put me on countless diets which hadn't produced any results. This time had to be different. If I wanted to show the new "me" at May's wedding, there had to be a new "me" to show.

I decided to make the committment to change myself, and become what I wanted to be: a runner. This meant I wasn't just going to go on a diet; I had to undergo a "lifestyle change", as Mayumi liked to call it. From then on I ate like a runner, trained as a runner, and slept like a runner, because I had made the choice to take myself seriously as a runner. With this sort of life change there's no such thing as half-assing it and half achieving your goals, at least not to me. So did it work? I'm happy to say that, Yes, boys and girls, it worked.

So how does a runner eat? Well, I try to follow a few rules that I've picked up from forums and magazines like Runner's World.

1. Know how many calories it takes to sustain the weight you are at: (your current weight in lbs. * 13) = total calories per day.

2. I don't count calories, but I need to know the general amount of calories each food is. Thus, websites like Calorie King are my friend.

3. If I'm trying to lose weight, then I create a slight deficit in my daily caloric intake. More or less, I like to target approximately 1500 calories per day as my intake.

4. Distribute your meals throughout the day, so you aren't hungry. In other words, 6 small meals a day. FYI, an apple and a small lowfat yogurt is a meal to me.

5. As a runner, I need to be properly fueled. In general, it's recommended to use the 50-25-25 rule. 50% of your calories should be carbohydrates, 25% protein, and 25% fats. Keep in mind, these are just guidelines. Vegetables and fruits are high in carbs, so you can get it from there. And when I say fat, I mean good fats such as nuts and peanut butter. I'm not talking about a tub of Ben and Jerry's, people..

6. Know when to eat what. If I'm doing a strength training workout, eat protein before it. If I'm doing a long run, be sure to have some carbs (an apple or something) an hour before and a bit afterwards for recovery.

7. Drink a LOT of water. Refer to my Water Post for more details.

Now, I would add in the extra rules I gave myself before Mayumi's wedding: only one glass of alcohol, 2 or 3 times a week; no processed sugar; and no beer, but I've actually dropped those rules. That stuff contributed more to weight loss, aka: a DIET, than it does to eating like a runner. And believe me, my friends whom I often dine with thank me for coming to my senses about that.

Water, Water Everywhere...

Oh Internet, you're so lucky...it's free training tip from SurfRunner day! I've picked up a lot of important training tips over the last 2 years. But, I think that if I had only one to share to the general masses, it'd be about hydration. We've all heard the mantra of "8 glasses of water a day" to stay healthy. I even recall hearing the phrase "Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!", during my choir days to ensure that our instruments were always up to par. Well when it comes to marathon training, that idea is no less important. Although, it has one variance: quantity.

Gone are the days where I take little gulps of water to just quench my thirst. We're talking about drinking enough water to replace most of the fluids lost during my workouts and to improve performance.* Now, how do I get that much water into my body? With the help of my trusty 32 oz. Nalgene Bottle (it's actually a pretty purple one)! It's like an American Express card, I don't leave home without it.

Now, at first I was skeptical about water affecting my running performance. But, after a bit of experimentation, I'm a true believer. I can run farther, faster, and my joints hurt less when I've been properly hydrated.** Not only that, but I just feel healthier when I drink a lot of water and carry around the Nalgene. It's almost a constant reminder to myself that I'm going to run later that day, so I better be adequately fueled.

And for those who are more curious about scientific fact than my testimonial, I've collected a bunch of health benefits from here:

1. It helps to clear the toxins from your body.
2. It maintains the Ph balance in your body; preventing disease.
3. It lubricates your joints and organs (oh..no wonder why I'm less sore).
4. It helps to regulate body temperature.
5. It maintains muscle tone.
6. It improves your skin and eye health.
7. It promotes weight loss.

Moral of the story: don't snub Mother Nature's drink. And that's my ode to water. I'd like to give a review of the different types of sports drinks out there, but I actually haven't tried any. However, if you want me to give a review of mixed drinks and other yummy alcoholic beverages, I'm your girl!

*Note: This only works for short runs under 30 minutes. Any more than that, and you should probably use other drinks to replace the electrolytes and energy that you lose.

**Note: It also helps to have eaten enough that day.

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.

Learn balance, Daniel-san.....Balance.

A huge problem with my training has been learning how to balance my life with my regiment. I've always been slightly envious of those life-long runners who can seemingly weave their social lives into their running schedules seamlessly. Not only that, but they even manage to effortlessly stay on track with the standard athlete diet. I realize that I'm putting these people on a pedestal, but I've got to have role models.

Unlike them, I'm a late bloomer when it comes to running. I think I may have even cheated on my 1.5 mile run test in highschool PE (I was one lap short, shh...don't tell). So naturally, I've also had a hard time changing how I eat. I'm a Hawaii-born girl. We like to eat a huge variety of different foods...and we like to eat a LOT of it. Now, I'm never going to be able to change my taste or the fact that I'm an innate foodie. But, I'm dedicated enough to my goal to agreeably suffer through a daily menu that has less panache than normal. That being said, I can't exactly force my friends and family to do the same.

This past weekend was my monthly mahjong night. A time when I can have my close friends (L and J) over to play mahjong with my girlfriend, Raquel, and me. (Note: I'm using my gf's full first name because she's already revealed herself in my comments.) Now usually this fun-filled night involves elaborate cooking and quite a bit of drinking. Luckily, it was my turn to host this often boisterous bacchanalia, which means that I could create healthy dishes as well as abstain from too much alcohol. But as always, my good intentions were wrestled to the ground.

I did manage to create a meal which was healthy and tasty: Brown Rice, Sauteed Baby Bak Choy, and 2 whole steamed fish (chinese style: ginger, green onions, light soy sauce, and sesame oil). However, I fell off the band wagon as soon as J popped open the first bottle of white wine. Between the 4 of us, we downed 3 entire bottles of wine and Raquel didn't even drink a whole glass. Now if I had only cheated with the alcohol I wouldn't feel as guilty. But how could I refuse Raquel's request for Chocolate Lava Cake and ice cream? How could anyone?

Overall, it was night of decadence and gluttony. And now the guilt is slowly creeping over my shoulders just as the dark chocolate was slowly oozing out of that lava cake. I'm dreading my next run and how lethargic my limbs will feel. But hey...if you do the crime, you better be able to push through the punishment. And for now, that will be my balance. Next time, my balance will involve no ice cream and only one glass of wine. Stop giving me that look people, I need to be setting achievable goals in the beginning!

L and J, even though I competely over-indulged, that was a fantastic night! Thanks!

Gluttony = 1, Surfrunner = 0.

Back to running...

Note: I'm writing this post after I helped another close friend celebrate his bday this morning with a smorgasbord of greasy dim sum. sigh...Moral of the story: If you're going to cheat, go all the way.