Pho Garden - San Francisco, CA

Pho Garden...home of the famous Pho Challenge! I came here in the summer of 2009 to run the SF Marathon and went all over town looking for this place. I wanted to see what the hype was all about. Mainly, it is about the Pho Challenge. It's quite unfortunate, but every time I travel or go out of town, I always have Vietnamese food cravings. I mean I live about 15 minutes from Little Saigon where some of the best Vietnamese food can be found, so it is quite inconvenient when I am far from home and crave Vietnamese food.

If you have never been to San Francisco in the summer time, let me tell you that it is not typical summer weather. It is about 40 degrees in the morning with a high of maybe 60. Obviously I did not know this the first time I went up there during the summer so I was under packed and a bit cold at times. I'm telling you this little fact because perhaps it was this chilly weather that made me want to eat Pho here in SF. This place was out of the way and pretty far from our hotel but I was curious to witness people doing the Pho Challenge. So with a map in hand, we set out looking for this place.

Some hot tea since it was chilly. It was actually raining a bit on this day.

Vietnamese dessert drink (Che) - this was just okay. 

This is the regular size bowl. The pho here is strangely not that great. A lot of hype due to the Pho Challenge but nothing special to write home about.

This is the wall of fame for those who manages to complete the challenge.

Seriously, check out the size of that bowl!

Pho Garden
2109 Clement Street (between 22nd & 23rd Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 379-8677

Day 173 - Friday!

Breakfast - 10:30am
1/2 cup cooked rolled oatmeal w/ wheatberries, tropical nut mix, pepitas and PB

Midday workout - 12:00pm
Stairmaster 30 mins

Weights - upper and lower (going to go back to seperate body parts maybe. Lighter weights.)

Snack - 1:30pm

1 Gotein drink mixed w/ water

Lunch - 2:00pm
Breaded and baked orange roughy w/ veggie cous cous

Snack - 4:00pm
1 medium white peach
9 Quaker ricecake minis

Dinner - 7:00pm

Garden salad w/ balsamic vingar w/ leftover penne pasta in spicy tomato sauce (loved this!)

OJ and Limade mix

Note: I feel so good today. I am actually looking forward to going to the gym at lunch time and hitting the weights hard. Maybe even do pull ups and push ups...haha. 10 mile long run scheduled for tomorrow morning with the run group. Need to remember to bring some water. Hope I feel this good tomorrow morning. Have to get up at 5:30am...yuck!

Random1: I felt amazing after my midday workout today. I haven't felt like that for 2 months. I can almost say that I feel like my old self again. Still coughing though. So during my workout today, I decided that I am declaring war on my fat. I will be working very hard in the upcoming weeks to shrink my fat cells. I am going to clean up my diet to the best of my ability. Going to try to go to the farmer's market again and eat more veggies and fish.

Random2: I have not written a beauty product review...well I think I've never written one but I started using something recently that I purchased at Mother's Market that I LUV! It is the Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum. I am in LUV with this stuff. I was breaking out so badly the past 2 months...I think mainly because of me being sick and not taking such good care of my skin and maybe a little bit due to all the medications I was taking. I purchased this one day out of desperation because my face was not only breaking out, but I noticed my pores were all clogged up for some reason, I was red and uneven all over, plus I was oily and dry all at once. I was unhappy but this stuff totally fixed everything in 1 week. I LUV it!

Random3: Twilight's New Moon is coming out in November. I cannot wait! Not many things get me excited anymore, especially not movies but I am so excited to see this. I am not going to be crazy again and go see the midnight showing because I have a feeling that I will be crushed to a pancake and I am old! hahaha...ok that part is not that funny!

Day 172 - Thursday

(Note: I purchased the pistachio and scone the other day from Layer Cakes but I didn't have any other photos from that day so I just threw them into this collage. The macaron was not bad. The scone was pretty terrible. They had so many different macarons, I may have to try them all...hehe)

Breakfast - 9:30am
1/2 cup cooked rolled oatmeal w/ wheatberries, tropical nut mix, roasted pepitas and PB

Midday workout - 12:00pm
Run 6 miles

Snack - 1:30pm
1 Gotein powder drink

Lunch - 2:00pm
Breaded and baked orange roughy w/ veggie cous cous (1/2 serving)

Snack - 4:00pm
1 small peach

Snack - 6:00pm
2 coconut Larabar samples (I love these things) - where can I get more of these sample sizes!
1 medium white peach w/ Tajin

Dinner - 7:00pm - Pomodoro
Penne arrabiatta
1 sip of lemonade

Note: Trying to get back on the train again after SF. I need to drop a couple of pounds in order to run faster I think. Put on some weight from being sick. Still coughing. Went to the doctor yesterday and he gave me some acid reflux meds and some steroids. No, not that kind! :( Anyways, I will take that for a while and hope there are no side affects. He said he didn't know why I was still coughing which worries me. He wrote me a prescription for a chest x-ray and blood work. I am going to have to get those done if this last batch of meds don't cure me. I am now down to a little more than 2 months to train for LB. I've come to realize that BQing at LB is probably not going to happen unless there is a miracle. I am now aiming for 3:50 and maybe try to BQ next year at LA. Overall, I am happy that at least I can still run.

Day 170 - Tuesday

Breakfast - 9:30am
1/2 cup cooked rolled oatmeal w/ wheatberries, tropical nut mix and PB

Midday workout - 12:00pm
Weights - upper and lower combo

Lunch -2:00pm
Seafood paella w/ cous cous
1/2 serving of protein blast smoothie from yesterday's dinner (Juice It Up)

Snack - 5:00pm
Raisin bread from JJ Bakery
1 small peach

Run Meet - 6:30pm
Run 6.5 miles

Dinner - 9:00pm
Salad
1 cup OJ/Smartwater mix

Note:

Mel's Diner - San Francisco, CA

During the summer of 2009, I was in San Francisco to run the SF Marathon.

One morning we were driving around looking for a place to have breakfast when we spotted a Mel's Drive-In. There are several locations in California, including a couple in the SF area. Looks beat up on the outside, not sure if that is on purpose or not.

They had table Juke boxes but it was so backed up with requests that you will likely not hear your song come on during your meal.

Tall glass of OJ in the morning? Yes please!

Scrambled Omelet with House Potatoes...

...and a side of toast!

Love this photo because it looks like Sister K is wearing a strange balloon hat.

This was what I ordered. A banana nut muffin and an OJ. This muffin was average at best.

Mel's Drive In Restaurant
3355 Geary Boulevard
San Francisco, CA
(415) 387-2255

2009 San Francisco Half Marathon

Date: Sunday - July 26, 2009
Location: San Francisco, CA
Time: 5:30am
Finish: 2:11:00

Ah San Francisco, how do I love thee! With your strangely cold summers and your hilly race course that brought tears to my eyes...especially since I was sick as a dog but decided that I didn't want to waste my race entry fee. I clocked in one of my slowest half marathon time ever, a close second only to a Long Beach Half Marathon I did many years ago when I was new to long distance running. I had a wonderful time on the trip but the running part was not great. I had a terrible cough that lasted 2 months and this race was at the mid point of that infection. When I crossed the finish-line, I was light headed but had a nice time running the course. I still might go back one of these years and do the full marathon. It was all pretty fuzzy to me running this half so I want to go back and really take it all in. San Francisco is such a fun place to visit but I don't think I would want to live here. But I'll be back.

Looking happy with Sister K but we are freezing on the inside...oh and the outside!

Ghirardelli Square...umm too short to get the whole word into the photo. :(

The Half Marathon medal was about 1/3 the size of the marathon medal. It is actually a key-chain!

So this is me crossing the finish line. I had to look through the lost and found photo page to find this since my bib was pinned to my sweatshirt and I got too hot mid run and tied it around my waist. Let's remember never to do that again.

Not my ice cream but it was a madhouse in the Ghirardelli Chocolate and ice cream shop.

I was eating these Ginger Chews on the car-ride all the way up to SF. They are really tasty. I get car sick sometimes, but these worked great.

We passed by a hot dog cart on our walk back from the expo to the hotel.

Credit to Sister K

So we got a Chicago-style dog.

Credit to Sister K

I'm a bad blogger as I just remembered that I had forgotten to take any photos of the expo. This photo was of a pizzeria that we passed by on the way back to our hotel from the expo. It was a long-ish walk so we got hungry on the way back. Sorry, I cannot remember the name of this restaurant.

The Supreme Pizza that everyone shared. 

This is the Margarita Pizza that Sister J and I shared. It had no cheese! :D

Day 164 - Wednesday

Breakfast - 9:30am
1/2 cup cooked rolled oatmeal w/ wheatberries, tropical nut mix and PB

Lunch - 1:00pm
Chicken teriyaki bowl w/ white rice

Snack - 3:00pm
Dried apple rings
1 cup hot green tea

Snack - 5:00pm
Dried apple rings
TLC bar

Dinner - 7:00pm

Note:

Day 163 - Tuesday

Breakfast - 10:00am
1/2 cup cooked rolled oatmeal w/ wheatberries, tropical nut mix and PB

Midday workout - 12:00pm
Weights, pull-ups, push ups

Lunch - 2:00pm
Japchae, white and brown rice mix w/ kimchi, beef cubes and roasted peppers.
1/2 cup rainier cherries

Snack - 4:30pm
1 plum
1 TLC bar

Run Practice - 6:30pm
Run 7 miles

Dinner - 8:30pm
Brown rice, duck and bamboo shoots from mom, and kimchi.

Note: Seeing that this weekend is my 1/2 marathon, I should be tapering but seeing that I've been so out of the gym scene, I think it makes sense to at least go in there and work on core strength stuff.

Day 162 - Monday - New Leaf Day!

Breakfast - 10:30am
1/2 cup cooked rolled oatmeal w/ wheatberries, tropical nut mix and PB

Midday workout - 12:00pm
Run 5.30 miles inside (man it really sucks to have to run inside...I am so not into running on the treadmill.)

Lunch - 2:00pm
Salad (I am eating a salad for lunch today no matter what. Compensating for the bad weekend eats.)
1/2 cup rainier cherries

Snack - 4:00pm
TLC granola bar
1 plum

Dinner - 7:00pm
Japchae, white rice w/ kimchi, grilled beef short ribs and veggies from K BBQ last week.
1/2 cup rainier cherries

Snack - 9:00pm
1 caramel and sea salt macaron (I think this is the last I am going to have of this, it is hurting my tummy because of the creamy center...so sad!)

Note: I really need to start eating better again. I am breaking out badly and my belly is ever expanding. I also am experiencing my stomach woes again so this week I will be good. I still have 2 macarons from the weekend which I will treasure throughout the week. Going to SF this weekend for the half marathon. I just want to survive. I did very little training for this even though I had good intentions of running some hills, my sickness for the past many weeks made it almost impossible for me to even get to the gym. Looking forward to this mini vacation. I've been up to SF before in a car but that was a long time ago so this is going to be fun!

Day 161 - Sunday

Breakfast - 9:00am
Rustic wheat bread toast w/ cherry jam

Lunch - 12:00pm
Bun rieu
1 large honey green tea w/ white boba and rainbow jelly

Snack - 2:00pm
1 caramel and sea salt macaron from Euro Pane

Dinner - 5:30pm
Rice and accompaniments
half mango
1 slice of watermelon

Snack - 10:30pm

1 large peach w/ Tajin

Note:

Day 160 - Saturday

Breakfast - 10:00am
1 Kashi TLC granola bar
2 Pop Pan crackers

Lunch - 12:00pm
Scrambled eggs w/ mushroom, tomato and clive
OJ, Limade and water mix
Rustic wheat bread

Snack - 3:00pm
1 sponge cake from Super H Market
1 Kashi TLC granola bar
1 apricot

Dinner - 7:00pm
Grilled short ribs w/ veggie Japchae, kimchi and white rice
Grilled mushroom, zucchini and green pepper
OJ, Limade and water mix

Note:

Day 159 - Friday

Breakfast - 10:00am
1/2 cup cooked rolled oatmeal w/ wheatberries, tropical nut mix and PB

Lunch - 2:00pm
Chicken and veggie noodle soup bowl
1 apricot

Snack - 4:00pm
1 large peach w/ Tajin

Dinner - 7:00pm
Home made pizza

Note: The coughing is getting better. I am having less episodes of nonstop coughing. I decided not to go to practice tomorrow morning since I am on those antibiotics that makes your skin sensitive to the sun. I don't want to end up getting a sun rash or blisters. Maybe I will wake up really early and run on my own...really fast before I sun comes out. Definitely starting monday, it will be a new leaf for me. Or back to the leaf I was on before getting sick. I like to think of it as a new leaf.

The cuteness!

Random cute Teddy photo...so cute. He is currently at the vet getting a grooming and his annual checkup which includes shots. Poor the T.

Day 158 - Thursday

Snack - 8:30am - for taking medication
1 Pop Pan cracker
2 Rainier cherries

Breakfast - 10:30am
1/2 cup cooked rolled oatmeal w/ wheatberries, tropical nut mix and PB
1/2 cup Rainier cherries

Midday workout - 12:00pm
Weights - went to the gym for the first time in more days than I like to admit. I felt good in there. Going to try to clean out my diet and slim down a bit since I have lots of races coming up.

Lunch - 2:00pm
1 tuna roll w/ regular soy sauce
1/2 cup Rainier cherries

Snack - 5:30pm
1 large peach w/ Tajin

Dinner - 7:00pm - Brodard's
1 bowl of banh canh cua
1 small piece of eggroll
1 fake pomagrante seed che

Note: Went to the doctor again yesterday and he gave me some horse antibiotics to get rid of this thing that I have. I cannot go into the sun while taking these pills so I am concerned about my SF race. I will be at the tailend of the prescription by then but not sure what will happen if I go into the sun. It's like I am a sick vampire. Feeling somewhat normal again today after the staying up late episode and my sickness. I am optimistic that these large horse pills will do the job since they are pretty big and are a combo of 2 kinds of antibiotics. I've got some serious germs.

Day 157 - Wednesday

Lunch - 12:22pm
1/2 cup cooked rolled oatmeal w/ wheatberries, tropical nut mix and PB
OJ, limade and Smartwater juice mix (this was insanely good)

Snack - 3:00pm
1/2 large peach w/ Tajin
OJ, Limade and water mix
Some turkey leg meat from the fair the other day

Snack - 6:00pm
Clif Bar - almond and cherry

Dinner - 7:00pm - Yen Sushi
1 tuna roll
1 spicy shrimp handroll
OJ, Limade and water mix

Note: Didn't get to bed until a little after 4am last night. HP was totally worth it. It was pretty good. Glad I did it but I feel so old today. I slept about 6 hours until a phone call from work woke me up. Horrible! I am feeling ok now but might go and get a coffee soon. Hahaha...good times!

Day 156 - Tuesday

Breakfast - 9:30am
1/2 cup cooked rolled oatmeal w/ wheatberries, tropical nut mix and PB
1/2 cup Rainier cherries

Lunch - 12:30pm - Santouka
1 regular bowl of shoyu raman (so yummy!)
1 pickled plum rice ball
1/2 cup cherries

Snack - 3:00pm
1/2 cup cherries

Snack - 7:00pm
1 large peach w/ Tajin

Dinner - 10:30pm
1 bowl of shoyu ramen from Tokyo Table (not good)

Snack - 12:30pm
Some popcorn

Note: Tonight is the midnight premier of HP. Going to watch with Sister K and others. This should be fun since I've never done this before.

Day 155 - Monday

Breakfast - 9:30am
1/2 cup cooked rolled oatmeal w/ wheatberries, tropical nut mix and PB

Lunch - 12:00pm
Indian food - potato and onion slop w/ potato gruel, basmati rice and naan bread (I know the description is terrible but it was yummy)

Snack - 2:00pm
Fruit salad (cantaloup, honeydew, watermelon, pineapple)

Dinner - 7:00pm

Note: I am sick today. Coughing more now. Going to the dr on wed to check up again. Going to see the midnight premier of Harry Potter. I hope I survive..hahaha.

Day 154 - Sunday

Lunch - 12:00pm
1 bowl wonton noodles from Costco
some Fritos chips w/ ranch dip
1 buffalo chicken drumstick

Snack - 3:00pm - OC Fair
Some turkey leg meat, 2 bites of jumbo hot dog, some snow cone, 3 marshmellow on a stick covered in white chocolate.

Dinner - 8:00pm
Some turkey leg meat

Note: I've been eating very badly. So badly that I am thinking of restarting the count of my blog since I've not been clean eating for over a month now. I am planning to be better this coming week but we will have to see how I feel. I always eat bad when I am not feeling well and I've been not feeling that great lately.

Day 153 - Saturday

Breakfast - 10:00am - Side Street Cafe
2 pieces of french toast w/ syrup
1 cup of fruit

Snack - 2:00pm
Chips, cut up stone fruit, carrots and sour cream ranch dip (don't know what I was thinking)

Dinner - 6:00pm
Shared Nabeyaki, tako sashemi, rainbow and crunchy rolls, spicy shrimp hand roll.

Snack - 8:00pm - 85 Degree Bakery
1 cinnamon raisin roll

Note:

Day 152 - Friday - TGIF

Breakfast - 9:30am - Bruegger's Bagel
1 toasted cranberry bagel
1 cup fresh squeezed OJ

Lunch - 1:00pm
Large "mama" ramen noodles
5 Pop Pan crackers

Snack - 3:00pm
1 toasted cranerry bagel
1/2 cup Gatorade

Dinner - 7:00pm - Pomodoro
Bolognese rigatoni
Arnold Palmer

Note: I might be taking another rest day today. I don't want to get any worse. Not sure why I am all stuffed up. Home sick today which is why I am eating badly..muhahaha.

Day 151 - Thursday

Breakfast - 9:30am
1/2 cup cooked rolled oatmeal w/ wheatberries, tropical nut mix and PB

Lunch - 12:00pm
1 piece of toasted whole grain bread
1 blueberry scone
1 Arnold Palmer

Dinner - 7:00pm

Note: Feeling sick again. Just cannot get rid of this thing. Been trying to fight this thing off all day. It is currently 2:00pm and I am feeling ok at the moment. I seriously don't know what is wrong with me. Sister J joked that it might be the Swine Flu...which means that I probably got it from Pile O' Swine (aka Mon Amie). On a good note, if I continue to feel better, M said that I would be treated to Fukada. I am thinking that I will probably not be feeling very well once I get home but I am holding out for yummy udon...yay! Made some tentative plans w/ Sister K to go see the midnight showing of HP next tuesday night. That is also the day of run meet so we will see how things go. I better still not be sick by then. Grrr! Also, the SF half marathon is coming up quick style and I am worried about it. Yeah, can you imagine that I would be worried about a half but I feel so crappy right now. :(

Day 150 - Wednesday

Breakfast - 9:30am
1/2 cup cooked rolled oatmeal w/ wheatberries, tropical nut mix and PB

Snack - 11:00am
1/2 cup honeydew

Midday workout - 12:00pm
Weights

Lunch -2:00pm
Shrimp scampi and tomato w/ angel hair pasta

Snack - 4:00pm
Some tropical nut mix
1 cup honeydew

Snack - 6:30pm
1 wildberry popsicle
1 chocolate square

Dinner - 7:00pm
Brown rice w/ BBQ beef

Note: I think I've been over doing it with the cardio lately. I felt so tired last night after run training. I was sore in all kinds of places. I'm sure it did not help that I had swam at lunch yesterday as well. I am trying to get my cardio fitness up again but I think I am going at it too hard. I will be taking it easier today.

Day 149 - Tuesday

Breakfast - 10:30am
1/2 cup cooked rolled oatmeal w/ wheatberries, tropical nut mix and PB
1/2 cup honeydew

Midday workout - 11:30am
Swim - 45 mins

Lunch - 1:30pm
Brown rice w/ broccoli and shrimp and some BBQ beef
1/2 cup honeydew

Snack - 4:00pm
1 plum and bit of tropical nut mix

Run Meet - 6:30pm
Run 7 miles (had a sample size Clif bar)

Dinner - 9:00pm
1 cup OJ
Brown rice w/ BBQ beef, broccoli and shrimp stir fry from mom
1/4 cup of honeydew

Note: The thing that I learned today is that I need to eat a good snack before going to run practice. I was really hungry after my run today. Also, need to bring long sleeve shirt to put on after run before it gets chilly there.

Day 148 - Monday

Breakfast - 10:30am
1/2 cup cooked rolled oatmeal w/ wheatberries, tropical nut mix and PB

Midday workout - 12:00pm
Cardio - run 6 miles

Snack - 2:00pm
1 red plum

Lunch - 3:00pm
Brown rice w/ broccoli and shrimp in brown sauce and some BBQ beef

Snack - 4:30pm
1 cup honeydew

Evening workout - 6:00pm
Ride bike for 8 miles

Dinner - 7:00pm
Brown rice w/ BBQ chicken legs and broccoli and shrimp
1 cup honeydew
1 Giradelli chocolate square

Note: Man, what a weekend. It went by too fast. I didn't get a good look at it. I was bad with my diet and running. Don't get me started about the zucchini loaf my sister made. I went to town on that bread...poor bread! I did not workout one bit. Had one of the best 4th of July with family and friends...crazy hijinks, went to Anime Expo and finally ate at Euro Pane (such amazing food there), thank goodness I don't live or work near that place. I would surely gain a ton of weight. Everything they made was so fresh and simply prepared. I ordered the open face egg salad sandwich on Rosemary current bread, 1 biscotti, 1 pistachio macaroon and 1 current wheat scone, also an Arnold Palmer. All so good. The baked goods are just to die for. I will be coming here again. :)

Note 2: Hahaha...I have been bad with documenting my eating. I will be better this week with the photos and amounts. It's hard to keep track of what you eat when you eat everything in site. Note to self to have more self control..haha.

Day 147 - Sunday

Breakfast - 9:00am

2 steamed custard filled buns

Lunch - 2:00pm - Euro Pane

Arnold Palmer

Open-faced egg salad sandwich on rosemary and current bread

scone, biscotti and pistachio macaroon (so yum!)

Dinner - 6:00pm

Rice and accompliments

Note: Went to Anime Expo today.

Day 146 - Saturday - Fourth of July!!

Breakfast - 9:00am
4 shumais and a small piece of zucchini bread

Lunch - 11:30am
Jok w/ pork, 1000 year old eggs
Pan fried flour cake w/ egg

Snack - 3:00pm

Dinner - 5:30pm
BBQ

Note:

Day 145 - Friday

Lunch - 1:00pm
2 pieces of french toast & 1 cup fruit
1 cup of coffee
1/2 sloppy joe

Snack - 3:00pm
Scone from Julianne's

Dinner - 5:30pm
Rice and accompliment

Note:

Day 144 - Thursday

Breakfast - 9:30am
1/2 cup cooked rolled oatmeal w/ wheatberries, tropical nut mix and PB

Snack - 11:00am
3 gummy centipedes

Lunch - 1:30pm
Indian food w/ naan bread
1 Asian pear

Snack - 4:00pm
1 large chocolate chip cookie

Dinner - 7:00pm

Don't remember

Note:

Day 143 - Wednesday

Snack - 8:00am
1/3 PB & J sandwich

Breakfast - 10:30am
1/2 cup cooked rolled oatmeal w/ wheatberries, tropical nut mix and PB
1 plum

Midday workout - 11:30am
Swimming (45 mins)

Lunch - 2:00pm
Brown rice w/ cauliflower & chicken stir fry and kho pork
1 small Asian pear

Snack - 4:00pm
2/3 PB & J sandwich

Dinner - 7:00pm
Brown rice w/ spagetti meat sauce (ground beef and mushroom)

Snack - 9:30pm
1 green apple w/ Tajin
1 wild berry popsicle
1 really small slice of raspberry danish

Note: I think I am finally getting back into the swing of things. I am feeling more energized again as you can probably see that my activities have gone up. Not nearly at the level I was at before sickness but I am getting there slowly. Running is getting easier again and thank goodness. I am still trying to eat healthy and clean. I think next week, I will start eating fish (baked cod) again. I got a new headphone from Target yesterday from Phillips since my Apple IPod headphone suddenly was not playing music on the right side...that sucked as I could not hear my music well during my running. All is good in the world now. I recently purchased a Champion running skirt from Target also and have been wearing a couple of times and I love them! They are great. Not sure why I never got one. I think it is because I hate the way my legs look (all stocky and bulky), but these skirts are quite cute. I think my running coaches were making fun of me about it. Short week at work this week...so so happy about that. Going to have a great weekend and enjoy every last bit of it!