Paella and Tapas

I'm definitely overdue for a food post. Well, this meal isn't very training-friendly. So, it's a good thing that I invited a lot of people over to play mahjong and help me eat the food. This meal was my indulgence after my 8.5 mile long run. My feet and knees are killing me, but my tummy is extremely happy. Plus, I got to play with my brand new paella pan, which feeds 8 people. Anyway, onto the menu: Seafood Paella, Prosciutto-wrapped Stuffed Dates, and Kahlua Flan.

I know the format of the photos aren't the same, but that's because I got lazy and didn't feel like taking pics. So, these are all photos that I've stolen from one of my guests and cropped. Overall, it looked like everyone enjoyed the meal, since I don't have any leftovers (always a good sign). And surprisingly, the meal was painless and easy to cook! But, that's because I've figured out how to utilize my live-in sous chef. Thanks honey!

Here are my modifications:

Seafood Paella

-swap chorizo with portugese sausage (linguica). It's hard to find spanish chorizo here instead of mexican chorizo. And Raquel loves portugese sausage

-I only needed 2 cups of rice to 4 cups of hot water. It was the perfect amount for a 15" paella pan. Also, make 1 cup of that rice, brown rice. You seriously can't tell the difference, and it's healthier.

-bloom the saffron in the water first for a minute. Then, throw all in with the water instead of later on in the recipe. It permeates the paella better.

-I didn't buy the lobster, cause I'm cheap.

-make sure to not add the shrimp too early. It cooks fast, and is easy to overcook. I'd wait till the water has almost completely disappeared.

Prosciutto-wrapped Stuffed Dates

-cook the finished product in the oven at 400 degrees for 8-9 minutes. It crisps the prosciutto and slightly melts and warms the cheese.

Give it a shot, it's easier than it looks. And your guests will be happy!

I Believe!

Apologies all around for my absence! Jog In Ocean took a couple of months of hiatus to take some summer camping trips, get settled in a work promotion, and ramp up on training for the Nike Women's Half Marathon (Oct. '09), But, I'm officially back. And, I'd like to start off with a shout-out to Sidewalk Monkey for joining our little pre-breakfast running club, and to Mayumi for being hard-core about her runs despite the ridiculous heat out on the east coast. I've also heard that there are a handful of new people who've started to read my blog. So, welcome to the intrepid web wanderers who stumbled onto my page!

I'm happy to say that my half-marathon training is currently in full swing. And, I've pumped up my schedule this year with more interval workouts, since I've added the pressure of a time goal. But, today's post isn't going to be about my last interval run, it's about my last long run yesterday (7.5 miles). Why? Well, because it was so bad that I felt compelled to blog about it. I began the day with the proper nutrition and hydration for a long run, but other circumstances hindered me from hitting the trail until high noon. I can't stress enough how much that's a BAD IDEA!

Unfortunately, yesterday's high temperature was in the 90's, and I could literally see the waves of heat curling up from the trail. Well, it was either that or I was starting to get blurry-eyed, which was also highly probable. So, yesterday's running goal swiftly turned from finishing in a respectable time to simply finishing (ie...a run/walk). I'm happy to say that I did manage to run/walk the full distance, but not without arriving at my car utterly drained, out of breath, and dizzy. Next time, I'll try to bring a small bottle of water. Since, I usually don't drink during a run, but in that heat you have to. I think that would've made a world of difference.

Also, Here is the one highlight of my run. I recently introduced a new song into my running rotation: "I Believe" by Yolanda Adams, from the Honey Soundtrack. Thanks to Mayumi, queen of dance movies, I watched the Honey movie, starring Jessica Alba, and loved the soundtrack. You never realize how much one song can affect you until you're running with it. Check out the lyrics:

They said you wouldn't make it so far.

And ever since they said it, it's been hard

But nevermind the nights you had to cry

Cause you have never let it go inside

You worked real hard

And you know exactly what you want and need

So believe and you can never give up

You can reach your goals

Just talk to your soul and say…

(Chorus:)I believe I can (I can)

I believe I will (I will)

I believe I know my dreams are real (know my dreams are real)

I believe I'll stand (Oh yea)

I believe I'll dance I believe I'll grow real soon and (That's why)

That is what I do believe

Your goals are just a thing in your soul

And you know that your moves will let them show

You keep creating pictures in your mind

So just believe they will come true in time

It will be fine

Leave all of your cares and stress behind

Just let it go

Let the music flow inside

Forget all your pain

And just start to believe

Chorus

Nevermind what people say

Hold your head high and turn away

With all our hopes and dreams I will believe

Even though it seems it's not for me

I won't give up

I'll keep it up

Look into the sky I will achieve all my needs

I will always believe…

Chorus

So yes, this may sound cheesy, but you truly feel the meaning of the words when you're pushing yourself to your physical limit. Every single phrase counts, every single phrase sinks in and fizzles down to your toes. My body literally started tingling, and I sprinted off, feeling weightless for the majority of that song. For a very brief 3 minutes and 43 seconds, I felt like I could sprint all the way back to my car (I was only at the 4 mile marker). My speed even kicked up an extra notch by the time I hit the last chorus, because that's when they bring in a children's choir to sing in the background. And I know that affected me because I grew up singing in a youth chorus. Then the song ended, and 2 minutes later I was back to plodding along again at a slow rate with the heat waves smacking me in the forehead. But, it just shows me how important music is for me on these runs. So what songs work for you out there? How does it make you feel?

Alright, that's all I have for this post. But, let me leave you with some additional tips to run in heat:

TIPS:

• If there is extreme heat in your area, try to run in the mornings or the evenings.
• If you have to run when it's really hot, try wrapping a light towel soaked in ice cold water around your neck.
• Wear light-colored clothing, hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen (protect your skin).
• If the heat is so bad that it's making your limbs feel heavy, try a run/walk. Jog at a comfortable pace through the shaded areas and walk through the uncovered sections to recover. If there are no shaded regions, jog for 10 minutes and walk for 4 minutes. Repeat.
• Hydrate an hour before the run and take water with you on the run.

Grilled Scallops, Spicy Chickpea Salad, and Caramelized Beet with Arugula Salad

Imagine my shock when I saw a sale for scallops in Safeway for a pack(12) of these large scallops for just $6. That pretty much guaranteed that we'd be dining on big, juicy scallops for dinner. Anyway, I scoured the food network site for a good recipe, and found this one: Cumin Grilled Scallops. It even had a nifty chickpea salad side dish. Loved it!! And as for an appetizer, I found this amazing Beet and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad. Perfect, because beets are in season.

Here were my modifications:

Scallops

-substituted green onions for chives

-added one grilled red pepper for color

-I didn't care for the tahini vinaigrette, so I made a Parsley Walnut Pesto instead

-grind some lemon juice, italian parsley, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and walnuts together in food processor for pesto

All in all, it was a really healthy meal, not to mention colorful.

Spicy Grilled Mahimahi with Chile Lime Risotto

This meal was inspired by a recent visit to Roy's, one of my favorite Hawaiian Fusion restaurants. I ended up taking Raquel for a night out there, because she's actually never sampled that genre of cuisine. And she LOVED it, especially their yummy drinks. Anyway, I happened to find mahimahi on sale that weekend, and couldn't resist recreating a gourmet meal for 2, for just $15. Also, she wanted to get in on the cooking too. So, she ended up making the tasty appetizer/salad in the second photo. I'm so proud of her.

Grilled Mahimahi

-mahi mahi filets

-hawaiian sea salt, pepper

-ancho chili powder

-avocado slices

-extra virgin olive oil

Season filets with oil, salt, pepper, and chili. Heat grill to high. Grill for about 4 minutes, flesh side down first. Then grill on the other skin side on medium-high for approximately 4 more minutes. Garnish with avocado slices.

Chile Lime Risotto

-1/2 cup arborio rice

-2 cups low-sodium chicken stock, heated

-1 serrano chile, chopped

-1/2 lime (juiced)

-lime zest from 1 lime

-half an onion, diced

-3 cloves of garlic, minced

-extra virgin olive oil

Heat small pot with olive oil to medium heat. Saute the garlic, onion, and chile until onions are translucent (about a minute or two). Toss in and coat rice grains with mix for a minute (this also slightly toasts the rice). Lower the heat to medium-low. Add in the chicken stock in thirds, while stirring often. Only add more chicken stock, once the rice has absorbed all of the liquid that was previously added. It will be done after 15-20 minutes, and should have a creamy, fluffy consistency. Stir in the lime zest and juice right before serving.

Pork Chops in a Fennel Sauce, and Farro Salad with Grilled Eggplants

I'm always on the lookout for a healthy pork chop or pork tenderloin recipe. Mainly, because I love my pork, but pork chops that are smothered in some kind of gravy isn't always good when you're training. Anyway, I found this delightfuly fresh recipe from Giada de Laurentis: Pork Chops with Fennel, which seemed to pair well with Bobby Flay's Farro Salad with Grilled Eggplant. Personally, I liked the flavors of the fennel sauce and the succulent, juicy pork. But, I probably won't make it again because it turns out that Raquel isn't a fan of fennel or capers (we figured it out that night). Oh well.

My legs feel like jelly

(photo courtesy of Pilates Digest)

(photo courtesy of getfitsource)

The above photos are the two instruments of toture that my personal trainer selected today to try to break me. But, there is much to say about pride and pure stubbornness. Both of which, I've been told, are prominent traits in my family that I've inherited. And I'm convinced that it's with these traits that I'm going to make it through the intense program that my trainer has designed for my half-marathon goals. Because, even though the bosu ball and glider discs (pictured above) seem harmless, I can assure you that they are evil and will continue to painfully sculpt my body for the next couple of weeks.

Now, if you're lucky enough to have these things in your gym and don't know how to use them, let me enlighten you on some of their fun exercises.

Glider Discs

(the little purple plates)

-Pushups: place your hands on each disc, and separate them as you lower yourself. Your elbows should go behind your shoulders. Then, push your hands together towards the center of your body as you push up. This will work your upper body....and the next day your boobs will hurt.

-Mountain Climbing: Get into pushup position, but instead put the discs on your feet. Then keep your upper body still as your feet slide back and forth on the ground, like ice skating. Keep it up for a minute. This works your legs.



Bosu Ball

-Squats: Hold out your arms to the front to balance yourself. As steady as you can, do squats standing on the ball, while keeping your back straight. This is why my legs feel like jelly. It also works your core.

-Crunches: Do crunches while lying on the ball to support your lower back. Make sure to not let your hips drop while you sit up. Instead, use your stomach muscles. This mainly works your core.

-Plyometrics: Stand with one leg on the ball, and one leg off (The Captain Morgan pose). Then, jump sideways, switching your feet on the ball, and landing on the other side with the Captain Morgain pose again. Keep jumping and switching for a minute. This increases flexibility and works your muscles for lateral movement. Of all the exercises, I think this one is the most beneficial to runners.


Alright, that's all I have for now. I'm sure I'll have more exercises in the next session. But, even though I'm sore, I'm looking forward to it. If this makes any sense, this is the good kind of sore.

I have Haole feet*.

(photo courtesy of Vibram Five Fingers)

Thanks to my cousin, Jeff, this article about modern running shoes being a waste of money, was brought to my attention. The whole article was basically a strong scientific argument that running shoes are not only better when they're cheap, but that they also increase your risk of injury. Apparently, humans were designed to run without shoes. Our toes, arches, and muscle-skeletal structure are already naturally woven together to create an elegant solution for quickly getting from point A to point B. And according to those scientists, we're ruining mother nature's design by running long distances in fancy designer shoes.

Ok, being an engineer, does that mean I'm going to throw out my shoes and change my running style since these claims are backed by hard scientific evidence? Not really. The article also states that if we've already grown up wearing shoes, then converting back to barefoot running will also injure us. The way I see it, it's all a matter of smart shopping. After cycling through several shoes in the last 3-4 years, I've figured out what's comfortable for my feet. In fact, I chose my latest pair of shoes specifically because I felt like I could feel the ground better due to the thinner rubber sole. Which coincidentally, is what the article suggested is a desirable feature in a running shoe. Go figure.

Although, I must say that my lack of barefoot running ability did somehow make me feel less rugged, less hard-core, even less worthy of being called a true runner. In essence, it made me feel like I have Haole feet. I've seen several groups of people trying to get back to barefoot running in all of the races I've run. And I've even seen a handful of people running in FiveFingers shoes (pictured above), which is essentially a glove on your feet that simulates running barefoot while still maintaining protection against the elements. So why can't I start doing the same? Well, because I'm not crazy and I'm ok with having Haole feet.

I actually think that running shoes are a great invention. Running in today's environment isn't the same as running through the forests thousands of years ago. Asphalt is hard! They may not be the perfect design yet, but every invention needs progressive improvement. For example, take the very first marathon runner. The legend is that the Greeks sent a soldier from Marathon to Greece (26 miles) to announce their victory over the Persians. You know what happened to that guy? He died from exhaustion right after he gave that announcement. I will guarantee you that I have better running shoes than he had. So, I may not be able to outrun a barefoot runner from the Tarahumara tribe in Mexico, who are evidently the best long distance runners in the world. But, I do have pretty, comfortable, functional running shoes that do seem to enhance my running experience.

*Note: Local Hawaii kids like to refer to more delicate feet as Haole feet. Haole is Hawaiian slang for a caucasian person. But in this connotation, it refers to someone who hasn't grown up walking barefoot all around the island.