Why I love running

I overheard a good friend commenting that she thinks people run because they are bored. You can pretty much blame boredom for the cause of anything you do.

The comment came shortly after I finished my first half marathon, an accomplishment and made me develop an entirely new appreciation into running and for other runners. I've always been a leisure runner and never gave though in the idea of racing. While I'm sure most of her thoughts were intended as a joke, being the devoted runner that I am, I couldn't help but to take a little offense.

Rather than snarling back, I thought it would be a good time for me to remind myself and share all the reasons why I enjoy running so much!

1. Its the most efficient way of staying healthy.

2. It's the most effective way of losing weight. If for any reason I fall off the track one day and gain 5 pounds, there's no easier, healthier and faster way to get back into shape than running.

3. It doesn't cost anything to run - we all know how costly a gym membership can get and how we mysteriously rarely ever stick to the gym membership plan ; )

4. I love the challenge, I love how I feel a sense of accomplishment after a run. There really is something called the runner's high!

5. Great way for me to enjoy mother nature, especially after being confined at my desk and staring at screens all day.

6. When I travel, running gives me a great way to explore a new city. When I was in Hawaii, every morning I would jog to the Diamond Head lookout and back. Talk about eye-gasms from running along the Hawaii shores and sunrise with the sun shining on the waves against a backdrop of blueish purple sky! In Miami, I ran several times along the beach walk in the mornings. It was gorgeous.

7. Doing what your body was meant to do - not only were we born to walk, we were also born to run. Our ancestors had to chase down preys in order to survive!

8. It helps clear my head - Running allows me to think over things, gives me time to ponder on decisions, come up with new ideas.

9. Running helps me release stress - when I'm having a bad day, I'll go for a run to think things over, let the thoughts flow out, and I usually feel better.

10. Running actually counteracts with my tired and lazy days - I find that the days when I dread my runs the most are the best runs. I am completely rejuvenated and energized after I finish my workout/run. Running never fails to make me feel better!

11. Mentality - running helps me feel strong, powerful, brave and free.

12. Couldn't stand the thought of running in the rain? I actually enjoy running in LIGHT rain. When I finish, it's like I just stepped out of the shower.


I hope this post may possibly give you some insight to start running, or to those of you who already run, will help you on those days you really don't feel like running, and to those who can't run or have no interest in running, to respect those those who take their running with a passion.

I can think of an endless number of reasons but these are the main ones that come to mind. Are there any other reasons why you run?

Sustainable Living Expo

Thought I'd note down and share some excellent and valuable ideas learned from the Sustainable Living Expo (Epic) on Saturday, May 14, 2011.


Baking without eggs (substitution):

- 1/4 cup applesauce or mashed banana
- 3 Tablespoons of silken tofu
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water

Nutritional Yeast: Available as flakes or powder, it adds a cheesy flavour to all sorts of foods and is fortified with vitamin B12

Seitin - wheat meat, versatile, hearty and chewy.

Tahini: versatile Mediterranean paste made from ground hulled sesame seeds.

Tempeh: whole soybeans, sometimes mixed with grains , richer than tofu.

TVP: textured vegetable ( or soy) protein made from soy flour, cooked under pressure, extruded and tried.

Substitute butter for Earth Balance vegetable margarine


Seachoice.org = Canada's Seafood Guide to choosing sustainable seafood choices:

Some items noted to Avoid:
Farmed:
- ( International shrimp/prawn, tiger)
- Atlantic Salmon
- Tilapia (China, Taiwan)

Some of the best choices that made the list:
- US Tilapia
- CDN/US Wild crab
- Canadian Sablefish
- Cdn/US albacore tuna

Bees
- Population of bees are depleting at a rate of 20% per year. Some things you can do to help:

- Plants are bee friendly (http://www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/tips/bee-friendly-plants)
- Limit the use of pesticides

Fairtrade

Look for the fair trade logo to support products derived from social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards. It focuses in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries, most notably handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas, honey, cotton, wine, fresh fruit, chocolate.

Some of my favourite fair trade merchants that I sampled:

- Camino chocolates
- Salt spring Coffee

Mind Over Matter

I love how the days that I most dread my workout/runs are the the days where I have the best workouts!

Rule of thumb:

Don't ever let fatigue and laziness take control over your body.

Your body is a powerhouse, regardless of what form, shape, level or size. Your mind has the ability control how much energy your body wants to exert. Even if it takes baby steps, then so be it.

You'll be amazed at how the body responds to your determination.

My first half marathon experience - May 1, 2011

I finally completed my first half marathon race! The weather could not have been better especially given the colder rainier day's we been experiencing. I was a little nervous given that it was my first race and I went all by myself.

It was difficult but I had cut out alcohol and meat out of my diet the week prior because I didn't want to risk feeling lethargic for the race!

I packed and prepared everything I needed the night before so that I didn't have to scramble the morning of. I also 'carbo loaded' my Saturday night's dinner at moms place! I made a udon dish with home made peanut sauce and tofu stir fry and lots of cooked spinach on the side for iron and power! I was definitely full for the remainder of the evening!

I woke up at 5 am and spent a good 20 minutes stretching. The new foam roller I bought from the BMO Marathon expo has also been amazing! Especially on the back, really feels great.

Anyway now on to the race, I got there at about 6:15 am and quickly snacked on a protein bar. These Solo-gi bars I picked up at the expo are really tasty! I really like how my body reacts to the bar afterwards because I don't experience that sugar spike as I normally do with other bars.

Race started at 7 am and the first 5 km was tough! I think my body didnt like me racing 5k without warming up! I also started to feel my ears burn a bit, the feeling I got when I used to run the 6 lap runs in high school. Back then, 6 laps to me felt like my thoughts of a full marathon!

After around the 6k mark we headed down hill for a bit and it was then when my body started to warm up. I still didnt quite feel euphoric, I think my body and mind wasn't quite getting used to the speed and the crowd, I felt like everyone was passing me almost the entire race, it was not a very encouraging feeling! My breath was also feeling a little short as well for some reason, so it complicated my run a little bit more.

It wasn't until probably after halfway mark when I finally decided to pop open my chocolate gels when I started to feel my runners high kick in. My armin set then started to play a good tune and I was about halfway into Stanley Park with the sun shining and my run started to stride. I felt awesome. Soon enough I had 4k to go, we were passing English Bay. My legs started to feel like rubber and I had lots of energy!

At 19k I attempted to kick in some speed, slowly, til I hit the 20k mark, looked at my watch for the first time and it showed 1:45, I was surprised! I didn't think I was going to finish the race in under 2 hours! So that encouraged me to pick up more speed and try to get it to 1:50. I could spot the blue finish line and I was feeling quite exhausted but pushed myself as hard as I could, I missed the 1:50 by 1 minute, but 1:51:41, placed 86 of 761 in my division, and 1063 of I'm quite happy!

I think this will be the start of many more half marathons to go!

Stuffed Peppers (Pimientos)

Delicious stuffed peppers made with lean ground beef. Very simple and basic dish that are not typically found in restaurants. My favorite comfort food!

Ingredients:
Makes 6 servings
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: Approx 30 minutes

3 slices of white bread
½ pound of lean ground beef
1 egg
½ red onion
½ yellow onion
1 tablespoon oil
1 - 2 slices of tomato
1 tsp salt
6 red peppers
1 bunch of cilantro (1/4 cup chopped)
ground pepper
½ cup chicken broth

1. Chop 2 slices of tomato and half of a yellow onion

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil, and sautee the chopped onions and tomatoes, reduce heat

3. Throw in ½ cup of chicken broth and leave to simmer

4. In a mixing bowl, combine ½ lb of ground beef with the bread, egg and red onion. Gently stir and blend.




5. Sprinkle the salt and pepper to the mixture


6. Cut off the pepper tops, but keep the tops to cover them later once the peppers are stuffed with meat.



7. remove the seeds and membrane, rinse peppers with cold water.


8. Stuff the meat mixture into the peppers

9. Cover the stuffed pepper with the pepper tops


9. Cook the stuffed peppers in the chicken broth until the peppers are soft (approximately 30 minutes)

Chinese Kai Lan

Kai-lan - is also known as Chinese Broccoli, is eaten widely in Chinese culture. It is typically stir-fried or steamed with ginger and/or garlic, and served with oyster sauce.




Ingredients:
1 bunch of Gailan
2-3 blocks of rock sugar
2 cloves garlic, sliced
dash of salt
1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil for frying


1. Blanch the gailan for approximately 5 minutes or until gailan turns into a brighter green colour, try not to overcook it
4. Drain the gailan and set aside
5. In a wok, stir fry the garlic in some vegetable oil
6. Mix in the gailan, sprinkle some salt and cook for 1 minute

Steamed Tilapia

Steamed Chinese Style Tilapia

Another simple easy fish recipe. All of the flavour comes from the ginger, soy sauce and scallions. If you you feel you need more flavour, you can try adding a few drops of sesame oil and garlic.





Ingredients:
1 whole Tilapia
4 tablespoons of Soy Sauce
1 teaspon cornstarch
¼ cup shredded ginger (matchsticks)
dash of salt
scallions, chopped

1. Wash fish and pat dry.
2. Sprinkle the salt over the fish
2. Rub the cornstarch and soy sauce together over the fish
4. Place the fish in the pie pan and place the pie pan on a steamer filled with several inches of water.
5. Place the sliced ginger over the fish.












5. Steam for 15-20 minutes
6. Five minutes before the tilapia is cooked, throw in the a small amount of scallions over the fish. (The point of this is to get the flavor of the scallions but not to overcook the scallions)
7. When fish is done, throw in the remaining scallions and add soy sauce or vegetable oil to your liking!

Grandma's Sticky Rice

I finally learned how to make my favorite winter comfort food - Grandma's sticky rice! Little did I know how EASY this recipe is! My grandma makes the best sticky rice. Her recipe is relatively low in fat but packed with flavor. Most of the ingredients can be found at a Chinese Medicinal/Herbal Shop.



Ingredients:
2 shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 Chinese sausages http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_sausage (lap cheung)
1 Chinese Bacon (and lap yuk), alternative you can use 2 Chinese sausages should you not want to use Chinese Bacon
4 cups of glutinous rice
4 dried scallops
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup water
1/2 table spoon of dark soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon of light soy sauce
¼ cup scallions
¼ cup cilantro for garnish
Other Optional Ingredients that my grandma often uses:
- Chinese Preserved Duck (Lap Op)
- Dried Shrimp
Chinese Sausage - There are several kinds My grandma prefers to select the leanest types of Chinese sausage. You can find that in almost any Chinese Supermarket.









Dried Scallops - Great for flavor and you can find them in most Chinese medicinal/herbal stores.
You'll notice that the recipe does not call for any oil or salt. Basically any oils will be absorbed from the Chinese sausage. As well, the preserved ingredients already have a lot of flavor, so not salt is required.

1. soak the glutinous rice for 4-5 hours
2. Place mushrooms in small bowl; cover with 2 cups (500 mL) warm water and let soak until plump, 30 minutes. Dice mushrooms into 1/8-inch (3 mm). Place in bowl and set aside.

3. Soak the scallops in the boiling water for an hour. Tear into fine shreds.

4. Drain rice, add rice in cooker with 1 cup of chicken stock, 1 cup of water and add scallops and mushrooms to cooker
5. Cook for 1 hour
6. Dice the sausages









7. Cook for 1 hour or until rice cooker is ready
8. When the water in the cooker boils, throw in diced sausages to rice mixture
9. When the rice is ready, pour both light and dark soy sauce and mix evenly into the rice
10. Garnish with cilantro and scallions

Characteristics of True Love

Since Valentine's day is just around the corner, I was thinking about what characteristics fosters a true love, and value came to my mind to which I believe is a must and should be documented, and that is:

"the ability to see happiness together thorough the same pair of eyes".

What do you believe is essential true love?

Jai - Vegetarian Monks Food

A popular Chinese dish eaten at Chinese New Year. There are several variations, in the following recipe (shown in the picture), my grandma opted out of bean curds, ginkgo, jujubes and cloud ears.





Ingredients:
2 cups of Fat Choy, aka Black Moss (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_choy)
~ 20 dried Shiitake mushrooms
1 cup of cloud ears
20 small dried jujubes (Chinese red dates)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons plus 1 Tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil
8 to 12 dried oysters, soaked overnight in water to cover
3/4 Cup shelled gingko nuts
2 ounces dried bean curd sticks (also called dried bean flour skins)
4 ounces snow peas, strings removed
8 fresh or canned water chestnuts, peeled and sliced
1 can of chicken stock
2 tablespoons of waterchestnut flour
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 - 2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1. Place the cloud ears, fat choy in separate bowls, hot water and soak for 45 minutes.
2.Rinse the cloud ears well, drain, cut and discard any hard parts.

3. Rinse the fat choy , then drain and gently squeeze out the water.


4. Mix a bit of oil with the fat choy and cook the fat choy in a wok or fry pan for about 1 minute, then set aside on a plate.
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5. Blanch the snow peas in boiling water for 30 seconds. Rinse them under cold water and drain.

6.Cook the mushrooms in 1 can of chicken stock for about 1 hour.






7. Combine the, cloud ears, fat choy, oysters, ginkgo nuts,, water chestnuts, and snowpeas in a large bowl. Combine the bean curd sticks in a separate bowl.

8. Rinse soaked oysters and then Steam the oysters in a small dish for 10 minutes over medium heat until soft.
9. Put the ginkgo nuts in a small saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer five minutes.

10. Break bean curd sticks into two- to three-inch pieces. Soak for 30 minutes in a small saucepan with water to cover, simmer about 10 minutes to soften, then drain.

10. Mix 2 tablespoons of waters chestnut flour in water, pour mixture of mushrooms. Add Scallions



11. Add oyster sauce and soy sauce

12. Add all of the ingredients (except for the Fat Choy) into the mushroom mixture and cook for about 2 minutes longer.

13. Pour all of the above ingredients over the plate of Fat Choy.

The Twelves - DJ Session in Rio de Janeiro 2010

The Twelves - DJ Session in Rio de Janeiro 2010: "The Twelves - DJ Session in Rio de Janeiro 2010"

The Pros And Cons Of A Strong Loonie - Investopedia.com

http://financialedge.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0111/The-Pros-And-Cons-Of-A-Strong-Loonie.aspx

Kat