118 Degrees - Restaurant Review

If you are ever in the Costa Mesa area and are looking for some healthy eats, you should go and check out 118 Degrees located at The Camp. I don't know how to describe The Camp, except to say that it is like a hippy hangout shopping compound. There is a Bikram studio, Native Foods, a bike shop, salon and some neat stores. Needless to say, I liked this place. I first came here many years ago when I was still in college. I remember I had dinner at a vegetarian restaurant here that I no longer see called the Gypsy Den.

Anyways, I had lunch at 118 Degrees, a raw restaurant with extraordinary food. I could not believe that it was vegan and raw. It was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. A meal so good, I had to blog about it. I ordered the Pre-Fixe Lunch for $10 and got a berry salad, tostada and caramel cheesecake. The pre-fixe menu changes often and this was what was offered today. I love the use of nut butter, nut cheeses and the way they marinate the veggies. Everything was well balanced, texture, flavor, seasoning, but most importantly it was delicious. This was my first raw restaurant meal and I was really impressed by the creativity of the chef. I didn't know what to expect when I walked in but I was so pleasantly surprised. I'll be back soon with others! :D

Photo: Front of 118 and inside.


Photo: Large artistic structure of the word CAMP/really delicious tostada/caramel cheesecake/berry salad.


Photo: I came back another time and ordered the Baja Crisp $10, one of my favorite items here.


Photo: Yet another visit here and ordered the bento box lunch for $15.

Running Fast is Not My Thing

Yesterday evening I went to track workouts for the second time. I showed up in time for warm ups and was all ready to do what we did last week, then Coach suddenly announced that we would be doing time trials today. I've never even heard of time trials. So I looked on the white board of punishment to see what we were doing today. On the white board was written 2 miles, 1 mile, 800, and 400. We were to run these faster than race pace one after the other with a short break in between. Let me just tell you how much I hate running fast. Very much. This exercise was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. At one point I couldn't feel my legs and towards the end I couldn't feel my feet. I was just trying to run them as fast as I possibly could so that I could be done with them.

So the way it works was that Coach had a sandwich board with times, ages, distances on some sheets for both male and female runners. You get a certain amount of points depending on how fast you run a certain distance for each age group. The max amount of points for each "event" is 25 and the max total is 100 and I scored 66/100. Obviously the goal is to get 100 points but I am not quite there yet. Let me tell you that it was motivating to do these and see what my body was capable of. I am assuming he is going to do this again in a few months to gauge progress.

I can't remember the exact times but it was something along these lines. I just glanced at the clock when I crossed the line.

2 miles: 14:33
1 mile: 7:06
800: 3:26
400: 1:36

I woke up this morning and was pretty tired, not sore but tired. I was suppose to go for a easy 4 miler but decided to do some body weight exercises in the gym instead. I will make up for it tomorrow, Friday and Saturday.

Photo: This is where I go to worship the speed Gods!



Photo: I've been really into juicing (green juice - spinach, cucumber & apples)

Random photos: My favorite ramen (Santouka), Butter cake that I baked, Uniq or Ugli Fruit (actual name), and recipe for butter cake on Sister K's ITouch.

Long Runs in the Hills and Juice Party

This post is a little late but I was lazy so I am just getting around to talking about my weekend. This past weekend I did a 9 mile run through the trails of Shady Canyon. It was a nice little run except that it is a bit hilly. I felt it in the knees after I was done but am all better today. It was also humid out but I was out there early enough to get it done before things got too warm.

This coming weekend is 4th of July and I have a 13-miler to get done, a BBQ to feast at and perhaps a stop at the Anime Expo. I have track practice this evening and an easy 3-4 mile run tomorrow morning.

Photo: Shady Canyon


Aside from the running, I also co-hosted a healthy afternoon tea party. This blog started out as an afternoon tea blog because I use to be really into afternoon tea and was having it quite often. I don't "tea" as much as I use to now, not sure why but perhaps it was the dairy-laced food that drove me away. So I attempted to create a healthy afternoon tea party with iced green juice instead of tea since it is summer. I suppose I could have served iced tea but green juice is so much better, imo. Plus, I tried to "healthify" some of the tea sandwiches and desserts. Since there was mixed company, there were still meat options and still some dairy-laced foods. Overall, I had a really fun time and managed to hurt my arm by taking my Wii games too seriously.

Photo: Washed spinach, vegan almond macaroons & crackers (Mother's), food spread, and large platter of tea sandwiches.

Running at a Snail's Pace

Yesterday was speed work day so that means track time. I know lots of people do interval training or track once a week but this is pretty new to me. I mean I've done them before, but sporadically and when it was convenient for me. I've always just ran with very little structure. Track workout is very structured and I really liked it. Plus running on a soft track is really nice!

Last week I did my first real interval training in a while and outside no less with Cal Coast. Glenn invited me to tag along to try them out. I've been "shopping" around for a running group to help me BQ at Chicago in October. Cal Coast is a great group, they are very intense. Lots of very fast runners and the coach seems very nice. Plus the group runs very close to where I work which is great. However, I think after my workout with Snail's Pace yesterday, I've decided to train with them instead.

There are a couple of things I like about Snail's Pace. For one, the group is small (~25-30) and I am a middle of the pack runner in that group instead of a back of the pack runner and I think I run a decent pace. Also, even though the track workouts are structured, the group is more casual. I guess in the end, it was less intimidating for me. The practice location is a bit farther than Cal Coast but not by much. Plus, there are no membership fees to run with them. Although that was not one of the deciding factors anyways, just a plus.

So I will practice with Snail's for a couple of weeks and see how it goes. Yesterday we did 5x4:00mins at 5K pace and 2:00mins of rest/jog in between. I ended up clocking 6:50-7:10 pace for all 5 sets. That along with warm up and cool down, I ended up doing about 5.5 miles. I guess I am a very competitive person because I am really looking forward to being able to run closer to the front runners soon. I am already looking forward to going back next week.

I also met the coach and had a chance to talk to him a bit. He told me that I wasn't running enough. Here I thought that I was running too much so I've been holding myself back. Well that and the fact that I didn't want to get injured. But I think if I increase my milages a bit more over time and continue to do my speed work, that I think I will be more confident when I arrive in Chicago. I am on my way!

Pumping Iron

I was on the web the other day and stumbled upon this photo of Marilyn Monroe doing of all things...pumping iron. I've never seen this photo before and was surprise to see a woman back-in-the-day doing this. She was ahead of her time as I'm pretty sure not too many women were doing this. I would even venture to say that up until recently (not sure exact year) many women including myself were afraid to go into the weight room with the bodybuilders to throw up some iron. Or they were afraid to lift any weights over 2 lbs for fear of getting bulky.

A few years ago I started to lift weights. I can't remember the exact reason why I started but it was a combination of wanting to strengthen my legs for running, losing some fat around my mid-section and trying to fit into a dress I had purchased for a holiday party. So armed with those reasons, I went online to read up on weight training and nutrition and a couple months and steaks later, I had a lot of muscles on my small frame. I remember I use to be so intimated by the bodybuilders. They were always grunting, sweating and looking serious...but it was not long before I was going into the weight room everyday doing the same sort of routines they were. I discovered that while it is true that women are not built to get bulky like men, I did learn that lifting heavy weights and eating too much protein or too much calories (even healthy foods) in general will cause your muscles to grow and you will look muscle-y. Because you are feeding those muscles. Nothing wrong with this, and I know some women actually want this but that was not me. After about a year of this, I decided to stop weight lifting because I was not happy with the way I looked. I noticed that I looked like the Hulk in a bridesmaid dress at my sister's wedding. Ok, maybe I exaggerated a bit but that was how I saw it. So I started experimenting with my portion size and switched to doing body weight intervals, aka cross-fit (i.e. push-ups, pull-ups, etc..) and so far I like the results better than when I was lifting heavy. I feel stronger overall. Most importantly, I think my running has improved, and I don't need to go to the gym and sweat it out with the bodybuilders, plus I can bang out 20 push-ups at the drop of a hat. In fact, I just did that in my office during a break. ^_^

I hate being Stationary!

Last night before I went to bed, I made plans that I would go for a little post marathon run this morning. This would have been my first run after the big race but it was not meant to be. Maybe it was due to the fact that I stayed up way too late watching the Ghost Whisperer marathon or maybe it was due to me inhaling a mango before bed. Who knows! Actually, none of that is true, I woke up this morning and still felt soreness from my legs. I think I pulled my left calf muscle a bit the other day walking down the stairs while carrying 3 bags. My right leg is not sore so I have a feeling it was the stairs that did it. This morning I went into the gym only to find out that I was not able to run. Not even slowly and doing leg work was also not happening. The only thing I was able to do that did not bother my calf was the stationary bike. For the most part I do not like biking. Not even outside. I just don't like it. What I hate worse is riding the stationary bike. It just blows; even more than the treadmill. But I did it. I got on that thing and spent 30 mins on it this morning. I was also on it yesterday morning for 30 mins. My calf better heal soon because I don't know how much more of this I can take.

Hopefully, this weekend I can do an 8 miler somewhere. Tomorrow, I plan to go out and run slowly and see how that goes. Maybe do a 4 mile run if I feel better. If not, you know where you can find me! :s

What am I...a camel? (iFitness Review)

I've always been one of those people who over pack. I can easily pack a suitcase full of stuff for an over-nighter. On any given day, I can be seen out and about toting around at least 2 bags. Of what you may ask. Oh, you know, random knick-knacks and I have lots of it. So it comes as no surprise that I own 2 different fuel belts for my running habit. They are both from AmphiPod. One is a 3 bottle belt with a small pack for storing phones/keys/GUs and the other is just a fanny pack-like belt that I take with me on shorter runs but still feel the need to bring a bunch of crap along. When I first purchased these two belts, I was really happy with them because up to that point, I was only able to carry 1 GU in the back pocket of my Nike shorts. Or my other favorite go-to method of training before I got a fuel belt was to go to the park near my parents' house and do my 20-miler around the park's 2.5 mile loop. I would park my car at a designated spot and everytime I completed one loop, I could stop and rehydrate and such. Yeah, it was no fun to run in circles. So when I finally got serious about my long runs, I decided to look into fuel belts.

Then this past weekend while I was walking around the SD RnR Expo, I felt the need to add to my collection of fuel belts when I walked past the iFitness table. I honestly don't have an impulsive shopping problem and the reason I was even looking to buy a new fuel belt is because my other 2 have been chafing me on my runs lately. Plus they tend to bounce a bit if you don't strap them in really tight which can cause chafing especially if you are sweaty. And after running 20+ miles of running, there is almost always some chafing around my waistline. So I forked over some cash in exchange for a black with pink trim iFitness belt with the double pouch. The material is stretchy and soft. I just want to say that I love this thing! It might have been a stupid move on my part to wear it for the very first time at the SD RnR Marathon but this thing did not disappoint me. I love that it is wore low on the waist. Being the pack mule/camel that I am, I stuffed 4 GUs and my hotel card in one pouch and my Blackberry and pill case in the other and at no time did this thing bounce. I almost forgot it was there. I'm pretty sure I can probably get more stuff in those pouches if I tried. And even after running a marathon, there was no chafing! None! Wow, I am really happy with this purchase and for me it is worth the $27. I am hoping that one day my running will improve enough that I don't have to lug around all this junk to get me through a long run but until that day comes, I'm glad I have this thing.

Dawn of Another Training Period for Marathon #3 in 2010

This past Monday, June 7th marked the first week of Chicago Marathon training for me. However, since that was the day after the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon, it was just not happening.

So I am going to start with week 2 next week. This training period, my only goal is to become faster. And that means, track workouts. Not something I am fond of but I think it is time I face the facts that that is the only way that I will gain speed in my miles. So I will be going to track practice starting next Tuesday.

Today is Tuesday and I am still sore from Sunday's race. I am still surprised that I was able to best my personal record for the marathon without fully putting my all into training for it. Makes me wonder how much more time I could cut from my PR if I trained really really hard. Hopefully if everything goes well and I do not injury myself or get sick these next couple months, I would like to commit to my training and see where it takes me.

I will be following Hal Higdon's Intermediate II plan as I've done for the past couple of years except I will really follow it this time.

This week I plan to use solely for recovery. Might do some body weight training and perhaps use the elliptical to ease back into things. I am also considering doing this. Not sure about it yet as I have no experience but I am still kicking the idea around.

Note: In conclusion, what is up with all the foggy race photos from SD RnR. I can't even get a good look at them. Let alone order any. Can't even tell if they are good or not. Case in point, this one below, am I happy, am I in pain...who knows!

2010 San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon - Race Report

Date: June 6, 2010
Start: ~6:15am
Goal: Around 4:00 hr
Finish: 4:00:48
Elevation:



After running some errands on Saturday morning, I was headed down to SD at around noon and didn't arrive at the Convention Center until almost 2pm...darn traffic. By the time I actually parked the car, the convention center was a madhouse. It was beyond crowded! I was hoping to run into some bloggers so that I could say hi but the only person I saw at the expo that I knew was Danica who probably doesn't remember who I was. I couldn't even get near some of the vendor tables but I got everything I came for. And I was off to check in to my hotel room. I stayed at the Holiday Inn about 1.2 miles from the start line. It was a good hotel except for the clogged tub. :( The hotel appears to have been updated recently so it was nice and I had a nice view of the San Diego Bay and the lovely 5 freeway...haha.

View from my hotel room, a pic of the Gaslamp District right across the street from the Expo and there was no 13th floor at the hotel. I always thought that was a myth.)

I went to Knowlwood for breakfast Saturday morning and they have some good grub there. It's a very manly place to have breakfast. I say this because the majority of the people I saw while I was there were mostly men. I know I said I didn't like Belgian waffles but I ordered it anyways because Belgian waffles is better than no waffles.

Went to dinner at the Souplantation w/ Sister J, the "Ukranian" & M. I admit I ate a lot again but this time I meant too and once again I was uncomfortable and too full. Can't get enough of that Souplantation. Then it was back at the hotel. I watched some random movie that I didn't catch the name of, then it was lights out. (below is also some funny photos of a potta potty fitting room at the expo and a funny name for a gift shop near the Souplantation.)

Woke up at 4:30am Sunday morning to get ready to walk to the start line and to our pleasant surprise, our hotel had a shuttle taking people to the start line...major win! So we got there with plenty of time to check my bag and stretch out. I even ran into Glenn. (Nice to finally meet you!) We exchanged a few words and then parted ways to head to our corral. I was feeling kinda nervous while I was standing at my corral with my sister waiting for the race to start because to be honest I have not really trained for this race. I have not ran anything over 13.5 miles since running the LA Marathon back in mid March. Plus, I had ran a half marathon just 6 days before. So I was a bit nervous about finishing this race in a reasonable amount of time.

As soon as the first corral took off, all hell broke loose and everyone else just started walking forward and going over and under the dividing corral ropes. I think at around 6:20-6:30am, I crossed the start line and we were off and running. I ran with my sister for the first couple of miles, but I had a feeling that my sister wanted to take this race nice and easy so I decided to hang with the 4 hr pace team for the next couple of miles. I had to stop to use the potta potty around mile 4 as I had not wanted to get into those impossibly long lines at the start line. I broke from the 4 hr pace team shortly after that. I ran into Emil out on the course somewhere, I cannot remember where. It was nice to meet you Emil, I hope you finished strong!

Overall this course was great. Loved running on the 163 freeway and the flat second half. It was hot out there. I had to stop at many water stations to drink multiply cups of water and Cytomax as well as stretch. Once we hit the area around Seaworld (I think it was Mission Bay), there was a nice breeze as we were running through the long stretch. So hot out there !

Finally, I was at the last 6 miles and really struggled with these. Right after I past the 25 mile marker, I saw Glenn at the sideline to my right and he paced me all the way to the final 0.20. He asked how I was feeling and I think I told him I felt like death at that point. Thank you for pacing me! It was so neat to run the spectator-lined path to the finish line. Everyone was cheering so loud. I've never seen so many spectators covering a course like this before. I even saw one of my coworkers out volunteering and cheering everyone on. I didn't even realize it was her until I called her later to ask. I was feeling so good when I crossed that finish line and was not in too much discomfort. I stumbled forward to get my medal, a cold bottle of water, and a much needed cold wet towel. I almost forgot to mention about the wet cold sponges they were handing out at some of the water stations at the last 6 miles. Those were so wonderful! And those that were spraying people with hoses, THANK YOU! The volunteers were AWESOME! They were so cute and happy. Some of them were trying to get a laugh out of me when I had to stop and stretch my sore legs out. Volunteers Rock!

I could not wait to get back and get a shower before the hotel kicked me out. :) I cannot believe I made it back in time. I also wanted to mention that the Pat & Oscar breadsticks that they were passing out at the runner's recovery area tasted like pure heaven. I ate 2 pieces and then heading out.

Good race. I might come back. Maybe! :) Oh and I PRed by 1 min I think. Official time has not come out yet so this statement is based on my Garmin time. Oh I hope so! (edit: yep PRed by 56 secs...haha)

Finisher's medal, race shirt, content of swag bag and the long line I was in to get into the convention center parking lot. Man, I was on that street leading up to the CC for 25 mins. Terrible.

This is me at the final sprint to the finish line. It was so hot that day. If you look closely, you will see that I am holding a wet sponge in both hands to try to keep cool.

National Running Day?

Today is National Running Day, but why and who decided that June 2 would be THE day? I want to know!

Anyways, I went into the gym this morning to see how my legs are feeling and they are still sore. So I hopped on the treadmill and walked for 2.5 miles at a brisk pace. I'm glad I did that as I am feeling less sore now. So no running for me on National Running Day which was what lead me to wonder who decided that today would be a good day to run...haha.

Also, yesterday I finally decided to sit down and look over the logistical info for the SD RnR Marathon and noticed that it is going to be a pain in the butt to get around the race in that area. I mean we are talking about cars, shuttles, and even trolleys. It would probably be a lot easier to be air dropped at the start line. Does anyone own a helicopter? So I am staying at a hotel about 1.2 miles from the starting line and I've managed to map out my plan of attack for getting to the starting area and the closest Italian restaurant...hahaha. BTW, If anyone is doing a meet up for dinner, please invite me, especially if you guys have reservations to some better restaurant than me! :d

Chicago Marathon 2010 - Training Schedule

Chicago Marathon 2010 - Training Schedule

Week of 10/4: (Final week of Chicago Marathon training)

Monday: Unscheduled rest day due to work

Tuesday: Unscheduled rest day due to work

Wednesday: 4 miles

Thursday: 4 miles

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: Rest Day

Sunday: RACE DAY - 26.2 miles!

Needed: 35.2

Total: 34.2

Week of 9/27:

Monday: 4 miles

Tuesday: Stationary bike 9 miles

Wednesday: 6 miles hills

Thursday: 4 miles

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: 9 miles

Sunday: Rest Day!

Needed: 26 miles

Total: 23

Week of 9/20:

Monday: BW Exercises

Tuesday: Misc. light cardio (woke up feeling tired this morning so didn't do much)

Wednesday: 8 miles

Thursday: 5 miles - hill

Friday: Unscheduled Rest Day

Saturday: 20 miles

Sunday: Rest Day!

Needed: 34 miles

Total: 33

Week of 9/13:

Monday: 15 minutes on spin bike, 10 mins on rowing, stretching. I am still not feeling that great this week in terms of energy level.

Tuesday: 5 miles on treadmill

Wednesday: BW Exercises

Thursday: 5 miles

Friday: BW Exercises, and maybe stationary bike.

Saturday: Long run 20 miles

Sunday: Rest Day!

Needed: 50 miles

Total: 30

Week of 9/6:
Monday: Rest Day
Tuesday: 2 miles (treadmill), 4.5 miles stationary bike
Wednesday: Stretching - not feeling very energetic today so took it easy
Thursday: Missed my morning workout, still under the weather a bit.
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 6.2 miles - Nautica Tri Event
Sunday: Rest Day!
Needed: 34
Total: 8.2 (this is the lowest milages so far)

Week of 8/30:
Monday: BW Exercises
Tuesday: Easy - ran 4.5 miles (crap missed track due to work)
Wednesday: Ran 4 miles
Thursday: 15 mins BW Exercises, 35 mins stationary bike for 9.25 miles (level 3)
Friday: 5 miles
Saturday: Long run - 20 miles (only completed 16 miles due to dehydration issues)
Sunday: Rest Day!
Needed: 50
Total: 25.5

Week of 8/23:
Monday: 4.5 miles
Tuesday: BW Exercises, I managed to get lost and missed track practice once again
Wednesday: 9 miles
Thursday: BW Exercises
Friday: Rest Day.
Saturday: 16 miles
Sunday: Rest Day!
Needed: 34
Total Miles: 29.5

Week of 8/16:
Monday: BW Exercises and 30 mins stair-mill intervals
Tuesday: 15 mins on elliptical
Wednesday: 5 miles on treadmill
Thursday: 10 miles on treadmill
Friday: BW Exercises and Abs
Saturday: 15 miles
Sunday: Rest Day!
Needed: 50
Total Miles: 30

Week of 8/9:
Monday: 4 miles - easy on treadmill
Tuesday: 6 miles pace- treadmill
Wednesday: 9 miles tempo - treadmill (missed track yesterday...yikes!)
Thursday: BW Exercises and Abs
Friday: 5.5 miles - hills
Saturday: 9 miles
Sunday: Rest Day!
Needed: 45
Total Miles: 33.5

Week of 8/2:
Monday: Abs and BW Exercises (done)
Tuesday: 5 miles tempo (done)
Wednesday: 20 mins stair-mill (intervals), 20 mins stationary bike(intervals) - (done)
Thursday: 5.5 miles - pace (done)
Friday: 8 miles - treadmill (done - felt sore after yesterday's run - more sore after today's run)
Saturday: Active Rest Day!
Sunday: Rest Day!
Needed: 38
Total Miles: 18.5 (Wow I am having a sad running week)

Week of 7/26:
Monday: BW Intervals (done)
Tuesday: 4 miles walking 10% incline treadmill (done)
Wednesday: 5.5 miles easy - treadmill (done)
Thursday: BW Intervals & 5.5 miles - intervals (done)
Friday: Rest Day!
Saturday: Rest Day!
Sunday: 17 miles (done baby!!)
Needed: 41
Total Miles: 32 (I am pretty sure I am not going to make my milages this week.)

Week of 7/19:
Monday: 6 miles tempo (done)
Tuesday: BW Intervals and Track - 4 miles (done)
Wednesday: 7 miles hilly (done)
Thursday: BW Intervals (done)
Friday: 7.5 miles hilly (done - felt so much better than the Tuesday run)
Saturday: Power 90 group workout (45 mins)
Sunday: 16 miles planned (12 miles completed - too tired to complete my 16)
Needed: 40
Total Miles: 36.5 (3.5 miles short for the week)

Week of 7/12:
Monday: BW Intervals & ran up 2 flight of stairs (30 steps each flight) x20 = 1200 steps (done)
Tuesday: BW Intervals + Track 4 miles (done)
Wednesday: Abs, Stretching and stairs - 1800 steps in 21 mins (done)
Thursday: 9 miles - hills (done)
Friday: BW Intervals and Abs (I was going to run this morning but I thought I would save it for tomorrow morning.) - (done)
Saturday: 10 miles - long run (done)
Sunday: Rest Day!
Needed: 30
Total Miles: 23

Week of 7/5:
Monday: 6 easy miles (done)
Tuesday: BW Interval + Track 6 miles (done)
Wednesday: BW Intervals (done)
Thursday: 7 miles treadmill (done - I am really tired)
Friday: unscheduled rest day
Saturday: 15 miles - long run
Sunday: Rest Day!
Needed: 36
Total Miles: 34

Week of 6/28:
Monday: BW Interval + 3 miles on treadmill (done)
Tuesday: Track - 5.25 miles (done)
Wednesday: BW Intervals (done)
Thursday: 4.5 miles hill tempo run (done)
Friday: 5.5 miles pace (done)
Saturday: 12.5 miles - long run (done)
Sunday: Rest Day!
Needed: 31
Total Miles: 30.75

Week of 6/21:
Monday: 3 miles easy (edit: unscheduled rest day)
Tuesday: BW Intervals & Track - speed work (5.5 miles) - (done)
Wednesday: 3.75 miles - easy (done)
Thursday: 6 miles - pace (edit: unscheduled rest day)
Friday: BW Intervals & 30 mins spin bike (edit: 5 miles treadmill tempo run)
Saturday: 9 miles - hilly long run
Sunday: Rest Day!
Needed: 26
Total Miles: 23.25

Week of 6/14:
Monday: 4.5 miles - easy, on treadmill (done)
Tuesday: Body weight intervals and 4.5 miles, hilly speed work (done)
Wednesday: 3.5 miles - easy (done)
Thursday: BW Intervals (done)
Friday: 5 miles - tempo on treadmill (done)
Saturday: 11 miles - long run (done)
Sunday: Rest day!
Needed: 27
Total Miles: 28.5 (felt tired by end of week)

Memorial Day Weekend - things I did aside from the Laguna Hills 1/2 Marathon

So it is Tuesday today and even though I didn't feel sore yesterday, I sure am feeling it today. I guess it has been a long while since I've been sore enough to feel it. I decided against going into the gym this morning. Yes I had planned to go in but mostly to stretch out, use the foam roller, do some abs and maybe some arms but when I woke up this morning, I felt how sore I was and decided to sleep in. I really need to focus on recovery this week so that I am ready to go next Sunday in San Diego. I am really excited and cannot wait to get down there.

It was so nice to have a three day weekend. I started the weekend right with breakfast at the Original Pancake House and I ordered one of my favorite things there...waffles! They have the regular waffles that I love, instead of the Belgian kind. I also like the waffles at Rosco's Chicken and Waffles, but that's another story. I also ordered a side of corned beef hash which turned out to be a very large side order. It was just ok. Strangely enough they have some really good oatmeal here, even though I didn't order any this time around.


The Friday before the Memorial Day weekend, I decided that I wanted ramen for lunch so I headed over to Santouka. That place is just crowded. It just seems to get more and more crowded every year. So I was sitting there in the food count eating my ramen when I noticed that the area where Maestro's use to be was occupied by some either new or squatting ramen establishment. I didn't think anything of this until I got back to the office and Googled it up. Turns out that a popular ramen chef from NY (Ippudo Ramen) was in town for only 4 days serving up his famous ramen. So you know that I had to go back and get me some. So I did just that. I went back on Saturday and got in line to try this famous ramen. There I sat with my piping hot ramen and I gotta say that it was not as good as I had hoped. The broth was not that flavorful and I didn't care for the thin noodle. The sliced pork on the other hand was amazing but not good enough to save this bowl of noodles. In fact, I think Santouka is so much better. I am glad that I can get a bowl of Santouka whenever I want. I would be pretty sad if they were just visiting. Here's a different perceptive on this ramen.


The Mitsuwa Market Food Festival was also happening this past weekend. I've somehow accidently managed to catch the last two food festivals and I love the different foods they sell during the festival and there is always something new and different. I ended up buying a box of Takoyaki (little batter balls with octopus in the center) and some sort of baked sweet potato dessert concoction. I liked those! I did not like the Takoyaki, it was pretty gross. It had a really strong ginger flavor which I do not care for and they put so much of the heavy sauce on it that it was really soggy and nasty. I will never get this again from this vendor.