Sunday, May 31, 2009

Misperception and rest days

I often neglect the idea of rest days. I'd often joke around with friends that rest was 'for the weak,' and that if you didn't feel some modicum of pain, then you probably weren't training hard enough. As a result, sometimes I'll go weeks at a time without taking a break (obviously not the smartest thing). Well yesterday I took one. It was well deserved (sort of), but basically I spent the day detoxing from the delicious (read: bad for you) food that I've been eating lately... did I mention prunes are awesomely delicious? In any case, I had planned on doing a longer run in the 8-10 mile range to Old Clinton, but honestly... I wasn't too confident I'd be able to do it. Remember? Day after off day + day after eating = terrible run. Except for today apparently though.

Total distance ended up being 9.49 miles on the run, out to the mill and back with some detours around developments. I planned on taking it real slow, maybe around a 9 minute pace, but like I've previously mentioned, I suck at holding pace. While I didn't truly time my run, my iPod playlist (counted by the number of loops) says it took just a shade under 80 minutes, or roughly an 8 minute pace. I didn't blaze any records, but certainly not the slow and steady I had planned on... especially when you consider the hilly terrain. All in all, I'm pretty happy with that. Why did I mention something about misperception? Oh yeah... when I was running, I thought I had run about 10.5 miles. I do this based on the idea that at the 60 minute mark, I should be around 7.5 miles. Turns out, either I can't tell time... or my math skills are in serious decline.

distance for the day: 9.49 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 236.63 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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Saturday, May 30, 2009

Day off! (for real this time)

What did I do this morning? I slept until 6:30 haha. That might sound early to you... and I guess for anyone who's on any remotely normal sleep schedule, but for me... that's an extra 2 hours of sleep. Anyway, I took a real day off today. No running (well I might later tonight, but only because it's so nice out today), and all eating. I polished off a box of Raisin Bran first thing in the morning, followed by a nice huge bowl of oatmeal, followed by a couple slices of cake, followed by remnants of my pork floss pancake (see bottom), and finished up with 4 peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. No I haven't gotten morbidly obese if that's what you're thinking... although thoughts of doing biggest loser (getting paid to workout) seems awesome to me. In any case, so far, so good on the relaxation part.

So yesterday, I got bored and started eating plain congee with pork floss when I had the greatest idea. Okay, it wasn't so great, my mom yelled at me to finish the pork floss and the pancake mix I had opened earlier in the week, so naturally I figured I'd bake it. They have pork floss buns at Fay Da, so why not a pancake version? How did it turn out? It looks kind of gross, and the description is kind of gross, but really, I swear to you, it tastes amazing.


I feel kind of bad tagging this post as running, since I didn't... yet.

distance for the day: 0.00 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 227.14 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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Friday, May 29, 2009

5 days... also, I'm running out of good titles

I didn't do much yesterday. I was supposed to pack for the trip, but yeah... that didn't happen. The day consisted mostly of me drinking coffee, intermittently drinking green tea, playing xbox, and eating spinach. Wash, rinse, repeat. I liken packing to problem sets (or for the non engineer... writing a paper). If I don't do it now, I'm 100% sure that it will get done when it needs to be. Worse comes to worst, I'll throw a bunch of spandex in a bag, pack my computers, and be done with it. Everything is so cheap in Taiwan that I really don't worry about having to buy stuff later on. While it's true I might have to wear shirts with things that are grossly misspelled, but who cares when it's $3... er 100 nt.

Morning run today was surprisingly good. I had a weird kink in my foot for the first half mile so I didn't want to run too far from my neighborhood. Somehow, I convinced myself that the pain wasn't that bad and kept running... at minimum I wanted to finish the 5k. Well, by the 3 mile mark I felt fine, and I was fairly close to my street so I just kept looping around other neighborhoods (all within a 2 mile radius of my house), and somehow ended up just short of the 10k. It's looking as if my 100 mile goal might've been a bit ambitious, considering I was averaging around 30 miles a week prior to that, but I shouldn't fall too short. Then again there's the off chance I decide to put a couple half marathons in when the sun comes out to play which would make it feasible again, but we'll see. Anyway, 5.71 miles in 46 minutes... I'll take it.

distance for the day: 5.71 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 227.14 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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Thursday, May 28, 2009

Deja vu?

Wow I am lame. I ran the exact same distance today as I did yesterday. I even swore that I would do a longer run this morning. Part of it can be blamed on the crappy weather, it was kind of sort of drizzling... the kind that you can't really see since it just looks like fog, but still manages to fuzzy up your glasses. Most of the failure can be blamed on me though, I still feel like a brick from Memorial Day weekend and it showed, both with the pacing and the total distance. I'm still around 145, so at least I haven't put on massive weight lol.

One week until I leave, and if you can't tell... I'm overcome with boredom. My exploits of biking will pick up again when I return in August (I can't find a car to carry the bike until then, serious fail), so all I'm left with is violin and running. See? I'm so bored I even picked up my violin again.

distance for the day: 4.81 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 221.43 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

I'm really hungry today

I think I'm going to eat... like everything that's left in my house. So no update today. Ha, I didn't even manage the 5 miles this morning. Whatever, I need a break.

distance for the day: 4.81 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 216.62 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Just a few days until pig's feet ice cream

By that I mean, just a few days before I leave for Taiwan. I'm actually really looking forward to this trip for some reason. I go nearly every year, and this year I have to go to work 5 days a week, so I'm not entirely sure why I'm so excited, but I am. I even have my first day planned out... get off plane in morning, avoid succumbing to jet lag (shouldn't be a problem given my sleep habits lol), drop crap off at apartment, go get pig's feet and pork floss flavored ice cream, fall asleep in bowl of beef noodle soup from Xin Jiang Beef Noodles (新疆牛肉麵), win. Maybe I'm looking forward to it so much more this year because of my increased appreciation of running, I mean... there's plenty of stuff to look at, and when I had to stop after 2 miles in the past, it really put a damper on things. In any case, this year should be fun, despite me being a lab jockey 5 days a week.

The good news continues, Chris found me a bike. By found, I mean he looked in his garage haha. It's the old road bike he used before his current one, which means it's shorter (good for me since I've realized finding a smaller frame is next to impossible on a budget). In any case, it looks to be a decent bike from the late 80's... purely speculation from the picture... which should prove to be more than adequate for use as a commuter bike and the occasional long ride, at least until I save up to buy really nice frame. So cheers to that, and much Chinese food is owed in the upcoming year!

Today's run was also tremendous. More Memorial Day pigging out yesterday. Crapton of roast chicken, hotdogs, and chocolate cake = very happy (but heavy) me. So I expected a bad run again. Something along the lines of maybe a shade over 5k at around an 8 minute pace. Well, I started running and wouldn't you know it, I just didn't want to stop. It might've been because I finally changed up my iPod running playlist, but I felt tremendous after the first mile, which is when I usually hit a wall that lets me know if today'll be good or not. Actually, I ran with a side stitch for the first 5k, but the legs felt fine so I pushed through. Final distance... 7.08 miles in about 56 minutes. Again, I'm going off the clock on my iPod so I have no clue how accurate my timings are (I really need a Garmin Forerunner), but it paces out to a sub 8 mile for just over a 10k. I can't complain about that... especially on a day where I'm not running for time. Oh, and on that 100 mile goal before Taiwan? I think I've covered about 44 miles already, even with my day off, so 56 over 8 days seems perfectly doable.

I really want to tag this post 'success' as it's a nice change of pace from the failroll that I had going, but I don't think I'd use that tag enough to justify it...

distance for the day: 7.08 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 211.81 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles

edit: this is the coolest thing I think I've ever seen... France does it again (by it, I mean win)
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Monday, May 25, 2009

I got sniped on buying a bike

Oh the perils of trying to use Craigslist. I had found a bike so unbelievably perfect for me, 54 cm frame and a 30" stand over height. Plus it was a fairly well known brand (Raleigh), was relatively light, and just a bit out of my budget... so I was willing to stretch that, understandably. Well, I got around to emailing the owner, who lived just a few miles down the road. I waited anxiously for their response, expecting to see a response to whether or not they would sell it for slightly cheaper. Unfortunately, I was told that they had just sold the bike a few hours before I had written. I'm cursed, I know it.

I went for a run this morning since it's supposedly the only day where it won't rain (for the entire week... fml). I had taken a day off yesterday, and kind of cheated with eating, what with Memorial day weekend and all. I expected a mediocre run, and that's what happened. Total distance clocked in at 4.69 miles with me walking .57 of that in the middle. This is a really bad habit I've gotten into that I really should work on... um... not doing? Haha, I'm pretty sure I'm not helping the 'marathon mentality' by allowing myself to walk. Seriously though, hills absolutely killed my calves. Aside from that, the run was more or less what I thought it would be. Maybe I'll punish myself with a long run tomorrow... in the rain :D.

There is good news though, Chris might've found me a bike. If you're reading this... details wanted... i.e. A/S/L lol.

distance for the day: 4.69 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 204.73 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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Saturday, May 23, 2009

Sleep in Saturday

I really wanted to sleep in today, I really did. For some reason, because my mom couldn't sleep, she decided misery deserves company and woke me up. So I got up a bit later today... 6:30 haha. In any case, I really shouldn't have gone running today... or yesterday, but I trudged on like a trooper. After the 5k my legs were shot. My right calf was burning, I think from the banking of the road, and my left knee had a weird twinging feeling... which is most likely runner's knee. All things considered today had to be considered a good run I guess. Final distance was 4.65 miles with me having to walk about .3 miles when I hit the 5k mark.

In other news, I still want a bike... someone help me find a cheap one... kthxbai. Also just noticed... I've broken 200 miles on the year (from the point I arbitrarily decided to start keeping track lol).

distance for the day: 4.65 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 200.04 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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Friday, May 22, 2009

Tim Tam Slams and prunes

First off, I'd just like to ask everyone for a moment of silence... Tim Tams are no longer sold in Target (only place to get them in the US is the Tuck shop in NYC). With that said, when I got home, I had found a gold mine, that is 2 boxes of pristine unopened Tim Tams, one box of caramel and one box of original chocolate fudge. A plethora of ideas raced through my head... should I just down them with milk... should I bake them into a cake... should I just stuff them into my mouth? No, all three ideas, while certainly not without merit, couldn't compare to the joy that I would get from performing a Tim Tam Slam. For the unaware, the Tim Tam Slam is the act of biting off opposite corners of a Tim Tam then proceeding to suck a hot beverage through the cookie as if it were a straw. Once the innards of the cookie have taken on a moist consistency (this will happen quickly) the outer chocolate will also begin to melt. At this precise moment, and it is an art if executed properly, you stuff the melting chocolate cookie into your mouth. If your choice of beverage is coffee like mine was, you get an indescribable mocha aftertaste. Seriously, everyone who hasn't had a Tim Tam is missing out. A note to anyone who wishes to perform this awesomeness... put the Tim Tams in the freezer prior to attempting, it will maintain the structural integrity of the shell a little better.

Oh yeah, I lied... yesterday I said all I'd do today was eat and take a recovery day. Nope, I felt terrific this morning, plus how often do you get mid 60's weather with low humidity (don't answer that... I know it happens all the time)? Anyway, I did another 9.72 miles. I have to be completely honest though, I had to walk probably 1.8 miles of that distance... not because I was tired, or because my leg hurt, or something that would make complete sense. The reason I had to walk was, uh... because I had prunes? I think I probably referenced this before, but that motivational poster where that marathon runner shits his pants... yeah, I didn't want to be him haha. Oddly enough, the part I walked was actually in the middle of the run. I'm not sure how, but I managed to sprint the last 2 or so miles at a 6:40ish pace, kinda crazy now that I think back on it. My devilish plan to run 100 miles in the 2 weeks prior to Taiwan is well on its way, I think I'm actually way over for pacing actually.

distance for the day: 9.76 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 195.39 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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Thursday, May 21, 2009

I'm just going to eat tomorrow

Yep, that's all I'm going to do... I ran a solid 7.99 miles today, and you know what? I think I've earned a day off. I'm gonna make a post about Tim Tam slams later today (hopefully) so there's that to look forward to. As for me? I'm gonna have some cereal... right about... now.


distance for the day: 7.99 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 185.63 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

One of life's great mysteries

Why did one of my animal crackers have genitalia? I understand that they're supposed to engage the imagination of children and educate them in a fun way, but isn't this taking things a bit far?


Anyway, I think it's a sheep... whatever it is, it's pretty well endowed.
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Should I start a twitter?

I'm not sure I absolutely need one, plus the effort it would take to establish a new network is somewhat beyond what I'd like to put in for the summer. Irregardless, I've been thinking about getting one. Any opinions on that one?

Today's run was solid. This was to be expected given a carb load yesterday... listen, you don't buy 3 pizzas and leave them sitting around the house, 'nuff said. Of course once I had finished the pizzas... there remained a banana bread/cake thing, mad chocolate chip cookies, chocolate mint ice cream, croissants, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and chocolate to finish. I felt like it was my responsibility to polish it off haha (new favorite food is pb & j sandwiches btw). So yeah, with that many calories in me I had a lot of energy to spare. I know I've said I usually have a real hard time doing distance the day after a cheat/binge day, but for some reason it just felt good. Mid 60's weather, no wind, and a nice dry morning led to pretty much perfect conditions for a longer run, although those goddamn asphalt hills still plague my knees. Anyway, I didn't really time myself since I was going for distance, but let's say about 80 minutes or so for 10.17 miles. Actually, probably a tad slower, there's no way I held that kind of pace... I'm going purely by playlist length (someone buy me a Garmin Forerunner... or a least a Nike+ please lol). Enjoy all your days, I'll be passing out about... now.

distance for the day: 10.17 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 177.64 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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Tuesday, May 19, 2009

I got nothin'

I don't really do anything interesting at home... what the hell can I write about? My house is flanked by a cornfield and trees, and there's nothing interesting within 15 minutes even by car. Sorry! Like I said, within the first hour of getting off the plane in Taipei, I plan on downing several bowls of beef noodles... and thus, food reviews will be delivered (which would be useful should you ever decide to visit Taiwan lol).

Decided to take it a bit easier today, ran a local route that I knew I'd be able to complete within a 30-40 minute period of time. Completed 4.68 miles at uh... I want to say around an 8 minute pace, but that's going off track lengths on my mp3 player haha. It felt good though. Oh, and additional thoughts... I most likely won't be biking at all this summer, but I would like to get a cheap road bike for next year... so if anyone is looking to junk/sell theirs, I'm all ears.

distance for the day: 4.68 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 167.47 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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Monday, May 18, 2009

Ever read 'Anne of Green Gables?'

Yeah... me neither, but I think the route I took today probably looks a lot like scenes from the book. You know, the small stone cottage sitting atop a hill... the white picket fences holding in the horses... the small pond with a mother goose and goslings(?). I'll try to get some pictures next time, although I absolutely hate running with a camera in hand. I won't lie though, I almost wanted to stop running just to take in all the beauty. Now that I've written the gay out of me, I can get to the gist of the actual run.

Decent pace for a good distance. That about sums it up. It was, like I said, a pretty pleasant run because the area was visually pleasing, and it was nice running weather at 6 am, that is to say... brisk, no wind, and dry. I think I would've liked it even more if I knew where I was going (Google maps is NOT the best since it mislabels local roads). At many points during the run I thought I was lost in the middle of nowhere, which actually kind of scared the crap out of me. Anyway, I covered 7.43 miles in a shade over an hour. I would probably be annoyed by that pacing on the treadmill, or even along Riverside, but I've come to realize that hills kick my ass... so yeah, expectations of distance/pacing have been tempered.

Oh, on a side note, I finally got home to try on all the pairs of running shoes I have stashed... a pair of Nike Pegasus', Asics Gel Equation 2's, and Brooks Switch 2's. Honestly, I've been a faithful devotee to the Asics Gel series since I've started running, but I'm gonna really enjoy running in the Brooks. When I put them on my foot... holy crap... sexual chocolate, that's all I can say.

distance for the day: 7.43 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 162.79 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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Sunday, May 17, 2009

Running in suburbia

So I took a day off yesterday from running (or physical activity) in the interest of unpacking. No let me rephrase that, my mom gave me a load of grief for messing up her house with my crap. I got yelled at for buying my tv too btw. I was probably overdue for a day off anyway, I've been doing this 5k, 10k, or biking every morning thing for about the past 2 weeks and it's clearly starting to take its toll on me (I think I'm getting skinny fat, I realize that's an oxymoron). So yeah, off day was probably required.

Today's run was okay I guess. I usually have a real difficult time completing the 5k the day after an off day, so I wasn't expecting a tremendous run. In any case, I did end up doing 5.26 miles in about 40 minutes, so the pacing was fairly decent, and I more than covered the distance I intended to, so that part was good too. From what I've written, I should be more than ecstatic about what I did today, but I'm not... why? Well for one thing, despite the fact that it had stopped raining for the most part... it was windy as hell (20 mph gusts ftw), it was relatively cold, and it was still drizzling, adding to the cold factor. Secondly, running in the suburbs means running over massive rolling hills (for the Manhattanites, central park does not have hills... it has minor changes in elevation that are more like bumps). Adding those factors together resulted in one of my most trying runs in a long time. Seriously, I thought I had done a 10k in distance at least... you can imagine how 'mapmyrun' became 'mapmydisappointment' really fast.

distance for the day: 5.26 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 155.36 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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Friday, May 15, 2009

Derailed again (Day 5 of finals: bonus edition)

While everyone is already done and celebrating by drowning away their failures with alcohol, I have the distinction... no the privilege of having one more test to take. Today I'll take on probably the most important test I'll have to take during my college career.

So why did I say I was 'derailed again?' Well in multiple ways. First off, the mere fact that I have to take another test on Friday is pretty messed up. The fact that I have to go into work before that test is even more messed up. Then, yesterday... as a way to relax before taking the test, we (Wayne, Rich, Han, Chris and co.) went to a Korean karaoke place, I have successfully lost my voice singing 'a whole new world,' 'kissing you,' 'breaking free,' and more Mariah Carey than I wish to admit. This part isn't that much of a negative so we'll consider it a positive on the week. I did a carb up yesterday as a means of preparing for a long run this morning (16k was the target) and uh... let's just say my run got derailed more than anything else.

This morning was not a good run at all. There's a subject that I've actually discussed with another blogger (whom I won't mention because the topic is kind of embarrassing perhaps) about, quite thoroughly actually. It's the idea of having to go to the bathroom in the middle of a run. Well, let's just say the combination of 'woorijip' (아주 싸요), half a dozen bagels, and half a jar of peanut butter does not agree with you very well when you're trying to run. I felt pretty odd at around the 1 mile marker, felt pretty much on the brink of disaster around the 2 mile marker, but I decided to man up and at least finish the 5k lol. No incident, but it we'll leave it at... it was probably for the best that I stopped after the 5k or I would've been like the motivational poster of the runner that says 'priorites, he has none.' Anyway, last day at Dodge, last day as a varsity athlete in an NCAA school (it's so messed up that I can say that truthfully), and last day as a junior. I'm not sure how I should feel. Probably worried and anxious since I have a test in about 5 hours, but (un)surpringly my main concern right now is sodium bloat... pretty messed up I'll admit haha. Oh yeah, the food porn will resume... uh June 5th. Seriously, I'll get off the plane and go have a bowl of real beef noodle soup just to appease certain readers, and it'll probably cost me around $2. It makes midtownlunch's $10 rule look like a joke.

distance for the day: 3.23 miles
distance biked for the day: 1.43 miles

distance on the year: 150.10 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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Thursday, May 14, 2009

So close... yet so far (Day 4 of finals)

I have thermo in just about an hour and reactor design basically right after that. What am I doing blogging? I have no clue. It's not that I've given up, it's more that I've come to the realization that nothing I do in the next 60 or so minutes will make any difference. Sure I might learn a thing or two that just happens to show up on the exam, but what's the chance of that... and even if it does happen, it just means that I've forgotten another thing I've learned, that's probably equally important, to make room for it. Thus my solution, I will relax and play solitaire, because in 8 hours, none of what I do now will matter at all. Oh yeah, I'm not going to shower prior to the exam, and I've just gotten back from a great run 4+ miles in sub 30 minutes (finally back to that level of running). I guess you could say it's a superstition thing... hahaha more like 'if I'm going to suffer, so is everyone around me,' kinda thing.

But yeah, back on point... today was a solid run. I was originally planning on going steady state recovery day for 6 or 7 miles at an 8:20 pace, but then I realized that then I'd have time to stress out over tests. So I increased the speed to the point where the only thing I'd have to worry about was falling down lol. The reason I only went 4.18 is because I started out at much too slow a pace to go further. Oh, you might think I was lazy today because of the short run and the lack of biking. Well jokes on you, I did some erging today too. Er, I played fish game.

distance for the day: 4.18 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 146.87 miles
distance biked on the year: 141.25 miles
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Wednesday, May 13, 2009

I hate everyone who's done already (Day 3 of finals)

You know what? It's terrific and all that you're finished and that you don't have a care in the world, but when you're repeatedly mentioning that in front of me... who still has 3 tests to take, including the biggest one of my college career, then you're just pretty much being an ass. So if you're finished, that's great, I'm happy for you (wait... no I'm not), just don't tell me about it and expect any sort of positive response. On the subject of finals, corrosion of metals went surprisingly well. I actually answered all the questions this time haha, as opposed to the midterm of which I only finished 2 out of 3 in 90 minutes of testing. Serious fail that time. By no means do I think I answered them all correctly, but the professor is pretty generous in his grading, so here's to hoping that I might possibly pull off an a in an otherwise impossible class.

Today is Korean, which hopefully should be easy. I really need to bail early so I can get crackin' on the whole thermo and reactor business. Both of which I need to finish mad fast so I can memorize more words for the GRE. Let's be honest, I don't 'comprehend passages' very well, so I need to rock the analogies and sentence completions lol.

So for the past 3 days I've returned to eating clean and spending a buttload of hours in the gym (because that's where I hide when I don't want to think). Yes I know I said that whole thing about not being able to eat like a madman at home, but yeah, that's probably for the better. Anyway, remember how I was 158 over the weekend? Ha, back down to 144 post workout this morning. Sodium bloat is a bitch my friends. Decent run today for the 30 minute period, plus an additional lap of speed work, and just a short cool down on the bike which ended up being at a higher rating than I meant it to be, but whatever.

distance for the day: 4.08 miles
distance biked for the day: 3.11 miles

distance on the year: 142.69 miles
distance biked on the year: 141.25 miles
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Tuesday, May 12, 2009

I'm more or less screwed (Day 2 of finals)

Up on the docket today is corrosion of metals, a class that I sincerely regret taking. Number one, it's a graduate class that I have no business being in, two, I have no physical chemistry background... fail, and three, did I mention it's not even required for graduation? Whatever, too late for regrets now. I have 5 hours to figure out how to passivate a nail in acid solution, but yet I'm blogging. Wow, I've hit a new low haha.

Chinese went well enough, but not well enough to salvage my grade. I won't say much on that except... I have an a average in everything that isn't graded subjectively (class participation, presentations etc.), yet I'll probably end up with a b+. Take that for what it's worth.

distance for the day: 3.79 miles
distance biked for the day: 3.66 miles

distance on the year: 138.61 miles
distance biked on the year: 138.14 miles
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Monday, May 11, 2009

Koronets (a.k.a. I eat when I'm stressed)

So between the course of last night and this morning I finished a jar of peanut butter, about 10 bagels, a fair amount of oatmeal, ice cream, and a slice of Koronets. Lol no I didn't eat all of that because I'm stressed, actually no... I'm perhaps foolishly trying to maintain weight while losing fat... if that makes any sense (and I'm sure there are a lot of 'bros' who would say it doesn't), but that's besides the point. Anyway, I figured I would do well to pay tribute to the hole in wall that is known as Koronets before leaving for the summer. Plus I had a craving for pizza, what better way than to down a slice the size of your head?

The storefront like most on Broadway or Amsterdam is a small nook shop with only a plain orange awning to draw your attention. Which is to say it doesn't really draw your attention. Actually, most people probably wouldn't go here if it, not unlike Gourmet Deli, has a reputation on campus as a place that is open late, is cheap, and is good food for when you're drunk or out of your mind. My point is, the store is nothing to write home about (ironic that I'm still writing about it huh?), it has a couple of tables, and benches along the side blah blah blah. Their menu is pretty extensive, with jumbo slices, regular small slices, sicilian slices, and a host of generic toppings. They also have beef patties, which I would recommend against, stored in their small drink fridge and reheated upon request. Who would go here for anything aside from the plain jumbo slice though? Okay, maybe pepperoni... but the point stands, the star of the show is the giant slice. At $3.25 it's a considerable deal if you calculate by cost per square inch since it's literally the size of 2 regular pizzeria pizzas (not even $1 pizza can really compete). If you look at the picture, it's the obligatory dollar bill comparison. Actually I feel like it's gotten smaller, but whatever, it's still a behemoth in the pizza world. Also, sorry there's no pizza upskirt... if I tried that it would just flop so it's completely pointless. I will just tell you that there is no char, and often times it is undercooked and still doughy, but if you've been drinking... do you really think you'd care?

How is it? Well it's no DiFara's or Motorino pizza, hell I don't think it even stacks up well against Naples 45... but you're not paying for substance here. The fact that you get something so large that consists of flour, cheese, and sauce for $3.25 is all that matters. That said, it's a stomachable pizza. It tastes fine by all measures, the cheese is plentiful, the sauce is acceptable, and the crust is reasonably bready. It might be a tad oily, but hey... that's just a bonus, more calories for free (you have no clue how happy that makes me). If I was forced to give a midtown comparable... it would be just like stringing together a few of the $1 pizzas at Prince Deli. So would I go again? Yeah, I'm probably going again tonight for dinner haha, and I would suggest it to anyone in the area. If for no other reason, down 3 or 4 and it can be some sort of bragging right haha. I have one gripe though. When I got here Freshman year, the price per was a lean $2.75... and I feel like it was bigger (or maybe I got better at eating large quantities). That, was truly a deal. It's sad that the class of 2013 will never know true cheap eats from Koronets...

Weighing in at a tidy 152, so the weight is coming down gradually from that awful 158 mark. But if I'm losing weight, then I'm doing something wrong... perplexing.
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And so it begins (Day 1 of finals)

Up today is Chinese, I think I'll skip the post run shower so everyone can suffer hahaha. I'm not sure I prepared enough for this, there were a lot of characters, and trying to memorize them in addition to words in English for the GRE, in addition to things in corrosion, reactor design, thermo, and Korean don't help. That said, I'm going to take it at 9 am just to get it over with. I know this is so overused, but FML.

Today's run started off real bad (yesterday night I had ice cream, Koronet's... post to come, and bagels with 'Dark Chocolate Dreams' pb from Peanut Butter & Co.). My shins hurt again, just the right one for some reason, even though I 'took it easy' and just held an 8:26 pace. This all happened around the 2 mile mark. Then I decided to man up and at least finish the 5k, so I started increasing the speed every lap. The unexpected happens... I somehow get to the 5k marker, my pain lessens (or I grow to ignore it) and bust out a 10k at a 7:53 pace. I'm not entirely sure how I managed that, since it means I ran about a 7:20 for the second 3 miles, but I can't complain. I'm still a bit pudgy, weighing in at 152 waking up and 148 post workout, but that's surprisingly good given the stuff I ate last night lol. Anyway, I should study some more.

Oh, and congrats to Columbia's lightweight freshman crew :) on winning the petite finals. You'll crush 'em at IRAs... I have faith.

distance for the day: 6.26 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 134.82 miles
distance biked on the year: 134.48 miles
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Sunday, May 10, 2009

Not having shins must suck

I've been watching 'King of the Hill' lately, literally season 1 through 12, and I've come to the realization that not having shins (a la Cotton Hill) must suck. He waddles around, and he's bitter... maybe not about the shins, but I'm sure it doesn't help. How did I come to this conclusion? I'm not really sure. I was running this morning when I had really bad shin splints, which always happens after a day off, and I kept thinking about what would happen if I injured myself so badly that it required surgery... yeah, my mind wanders when I run.

Anyway, today was a pretty crappy run. I got in nice and early on a weekend, way before anyone else goes in, and was planning on running the half marathon. That clearly didn't happen, but what's worse is that I didn't even finish the 5k. Nope, I stopped after a mile. That's how badly my shins were screaming at me. So out of guilt I hopped on the bike and just put my head down and pedaled away for 45 minutes. I did play a couple pick up games of basketball, so it's not as if today was completely wasted... just a bad day for running I guess. The good news is that I'm sort of back to normal weight... 145 pounds even after the workout. You read that right, a 12 pound swing in a span of 24 hours, even I'm surprised this time hahaha.

distance for the day: 1.00 miles
distance biked for the day: 13.61 miles

distance on the year: 128.56 miles
distance biked on the year: 134.48 miles
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Saturday, May 9, 2009

Best bagels on the UWS? Absolutely

I really need to stop using puns as blog post titles (it's my way of copping out since I'm not that creative). Anyway, Absolute Bagels has just become my favorite bagel place both because it's conveniently located at 108th and Broadway, and because well... their bagels are pretty phenomenal.

The UWS/morningside area is actually home to quite a few bagel places, even just around Columbia there's Broadway Bagel, Absolute, Nussbaum & Wu, and Hot and Crusty. Needless to say, in the past month... I've found myself visiting all of them as Bagels were, and still are, sort of like comfort cheat meals. I'm not going to review most of them, so I'll do a quick summary of Broadway, Nussbaum, and Hot & Crusty... small and unremarkable, okay... but doughy and undercooked(?), and um... I just don't like Hot & Crusty's name or bagels (it's okay for me to have bias towards a name). In any case, Abolute stands above the bunch (even matching the storied H&H a lot of people seem to love... imho of course).

The storefront is again, an umimposing little nook shop on Broadway, real plain awning, nothing too inspiring here. As you walk in, there's a couple of tables, but the place clearly isn't for spending a day at. There's just an L-shaped counter, and a giant menu to peruse behind it. The only thing they do (and do well) is bagels... which is exactly what you want in a bagel place. They're offerings are of the plain varieties (poppy seed, pumpernickel, rye, sesame, onion, garlic, etc.) so you won't find any creative or outrageous concoctions here, but it's okay since classic is good. Anyway, at $1 a piece, their bagels are a bit more expensive than most in the area, but trust me it's well worth it. I ended up buying a cinnamon raisin, a poppy seed, and a pumpernickel to sample the gamut of varieties... you know, just to make sure they weren't a one trick pony haha. All three were good in the same way. Warm crusty outter shell (I went at 6 am mind you), which yielded with a crunch to a soft inner bread that was heavy and doughy, but still airy. Sorry, I'm bad with words, and I realize that last sentence makes no sense, but that's the best I can do. Regardless, the bagels had nice textural character, with each producing enough subtle flavor to clearly distinguish the types, that is to say... the poppy seeds didn't dominate the taste of the bagel (the same is true for the other two). So if you're craving bagels, don't waste your time with the mass produced crap at westside market or morton... unless you're trying to save money (I'm guilty of this more times than I'd like to admit), try Absolute... I swear you'll want to go back for more. Oh and don't ask them to toast it, it costs extra and it just makes the inside crunchy too. If i wanted to have crunchy bagels, I'll just go to Nussbaum...

Did you know you can put on like 10 pounds in 1 day through sodium bloat? True story. Current weight... a tidy 157 haha... fail.
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Is the 'Spicy Special' everything it's cracked up to be?

Affectionately known as the 'spicy special,' it's a footlong hero filled with cajun turkey, spicy mustard, mayo, pepper jack cheese, and I guess what could pass for lettuce and tomatoes. It sounds plain, but I swear it's not. It's an old time favorite of fratboys and drunkards alike, and something I didn't really understand until last year. Since then, it, and it's brethren sandwiches, have been staples in my diet.

So I guess it was inevitable that I reviewed the spicy special, and actually I'm not really sure what took me so damn long to do it. First off, Gourmet Deli on 109th and Amsterdam is not a real upscale place. It's undergone some renovations recently that include moving the sandwich bar to the opposite side of the narrow hole in the wall storefront, and cleaning up the dingy paint job. Needless to say, it lost some credibility in my eyes. Still, when compared to the friendly atmosphere of say... a Hamdel, it is still pretty shady (you'll often find drunk homeless people getting into arguments with patrons of the establishment when they don't give out change). The storefront... uh, yeah nothing special. I honestly would not have ever bought a sandwich out of such a crappy looking place if the sandwich didn't boast the reputation it does on campus. Anywho, if you do walk in, go straight to the sandwich bar, ignore everything else, and for the love of god don't get the cheeseburger (chopped is different).

First on the chopping block is... the spicy special a.k.a. the crack special itself. The ingredients have been previously listed. Again, I should reiterate, don't judge this sandwich purely based on what goes into it. If you do, you'll make the mistake of never having one... then another... then another 20 as you become a regular, which is unavoidable. So it's a plain hero that's toasted with some meat and cheese, what's so special you ask? To be honest, it's not truly spicy like the name implies, it's more of a subtle tanginess if I can call it anything. What makes this hero rise above it's peers vs. Milano's or Lenny's or most other midtown/morningside sandwich shops is its price. It's an even $4 hot and on a hero. In fact, it's only $3.50 if you order it cold or on a roll, but pay the extra 2 quarters... it's a lot more food. I'm not implying that this is the only thing that makes the sandwich redeemable, because that would be selling it short. No, it's a remarkable sandwich which melds flavors together incredibly well... the selling price is only half the story. I should add though, the reputation it has earned as a heavy hitter among Columbia students is mostly due to the fact that the deli is 24/7 and that kids are very drunk or stupid hungry when they go. So take from this what you will... I love this sandwich, I would eat it every meal of every day for a month if I had to, but if you're expecting 'free foods' quality from something that doesn't break a Lincoln? You're looking in the wrong place (case in point: I sometimes buy scratch lottery tickets from here).

As a bonus, I also got a 'Sweetie Pie.' No it's not a dessert, it's actually another sandwich (what? it was 5 am and I was hungry as hell... and like I said, I can't eat this much food when I go home). In it is chicken with honey sauce, American cheese, and again... the same measly amounts of lettuce and tomatoes. Is this sandwich any good? Eh, it's 50/50. It was good because I was hungry... but everything's good when you're hungry. It also wasn't so bad where I wouldn't eat it again if I was offered one. I guess to explain, I would order it again, since it's also so cheap at $4, but only if the 'Spicy Special' and the 'London Bridge' (have to wait for another post) didn't exist. So sadly, I will never eat another one. Back to the sandwich though. The sweet sauce melds with the American cheese in way too terrific to explain, not unlike the mixing of flavors between spicy mustard and pepper jack cheese, but the chicken was dry and tasted as if it had been reheated once too many times, which ultimately ruins this sandwich for me. You're probably thinking that mine might've been a dud. Nope, this is my third and last. Every one has been consistently, which is good, dry, which is bad haha.

Like I said, this is my last 'off' day for the gym before the end of the year, as well as my last pigout celebration before I return to a life of normal caloric proportions, so that's why I had so much food at 5 in the morning. I also found out I can drink a gallon of milk and keep it down. I'm also 153 pounds as of this very moment. In case you can't tell, I'm quite proud of both those accomplishments. How long before I go sub 140 again? If I were a betting man I'd set the over/under on 7 days...
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No running today

Today is my day off, I think I put in enough miles this week to justify having 1 solid day dedicated to studying, sleeping, and pigging out haha. That and I'm making a serious effort to stay above 140... you'd be surprised how quickly the weight drops off when you don't eat 3000+ calories.

I've also come to the realization that I haven't been doing many food reviews, and for that I apologize. Seeing as how when I'm at home I won't be able to eat nearly as much food (for fear of getting yelled at by my parents...) I will do my absolute best to make this last week at Columbia count... food wise of course. What? You thought I meant finals? HA... here's to the last week of academics that actually counts towards applying to graduate school. Hurrah!

Oh yeah, I got hungry last night... went to M2M and bought this. Not because I knew it tasted good, but because it had Shin chan on the packaging. Yes I'm almost 21, and yes I still buy things on impulse because of advertising aimed at 7 year olds. Anyway, they were good. Think sweetened corn chips fried in sesame oil. Then rolled in honey or sugar, then coated with sesames. I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor actually... I only wanted to buy it so I could take a picture haha.
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Friday, May 8, 2009

'Roid rage and bruised egos

What is wrong with people at the gym? Seriously, 95% of the people there in the morning are real friendly folks who just want to start their day off right. Most mornings I walk in, I'm greeted by smiles from the 'regulars,' those who I see on a daily basis because they can only work out at 6 am. These people are great. Then there's the antithesis... clowns who either have massive egos, or think they're 'swole,' or something or other. Today I had the misfortune of starting my day by meeting one of these people.

If you know me, you also know I'm like an old person. That is, I go to sleep promptly around 10 every night, and I wake up at 4:30 to have my oats before I go to the gym to run/bike/erg/lift (5:45 on the dot, 15 minutes before the doors are supposed to open haha). Today was already a bit different. I overslept and woke up at 5:56, I'm not sure why since I've been sleeping way more this past week. I forced myself to stomach some breakfast despite not being hungry... then I waited 30 minutes before leaving (you're mom is probably right, you shouldn't exercise right after eating). Anyway, I hop on a treadmill sandwiched between a senior citizen... dude was legit, ran an 8:15 mile for 20 minutes (I was both impressed and scared for him since he didn't stop wheezing from the first minute), and on the other side was a short middle aged Hispanic man. All is fine and well, I run my first 30 minutes like I normally do by habit (that is starting at 7.0 and increasing .1 mph per lap) and I end up finishing the 5 mile run in just short of 38 minutes and change. I sprint the last minute and a half at 12 mph just to get my heartrate up and naturally I start to walk after that. At this point I'm exhausted, which is when the middle aged man turns to me and says "couldn't keep up eh?" Are you kidding me? First off, you started 15 minutes after me, Second, I'm pretty sure I outpaced you for the entire piece, Third, when did treadmill running become some sort of sport? I'm pretty sure it's done for health and training reasons.

I'm not sure that qualifies as 'roid rage on his end, but my ego was surely bruised lol. I had just completed what I thought to be a perfectly respectable run and could've left the gym in high spirits, but no. Not that I should care that much what someone, who I don't even know, says to me in the gym, but it's one of those things that will bother me for the day. In any case, here's my crappy run for the day, didn't finish the 10k... probably because I 'couldn't keep up' with the middle aged version of Usain Bolt next to me.

distance for the day: 5.24 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 127.56 miles
distance biked on the year: 120.87 miles
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Thursday, May 7, 2009

Productive, I am not

Ever wonder what my desk looks like come finals time? Not really you say? Well here you go anyway. It's a wonder I get any work done in my room. Just to note, I was studying... it just so happens that I study with 'King of the Hill' playing in he background... and with food blogs opened as well. Quick summary of what's actually on my desk... Asus W7J which is actually kind of dying (will replace when it dies entirely or when Calpella comes out, whichever comes first), Macbook Pro (not for long, sad panda), 20" Dell lcd (a bit old but it works like a champ), 32" Sharp Aquos (my reward for getting a job at the beginning of the year), and Dell Mini 9 (to replace said Macbook Pro as my classroom distraction). Why do I need 3 computers? I don't, I just like having 3 computers.

For those of you who wonder why I have a Macbook Pro despite hating Apple with a passion... it's from work, and I (sadly) have to return it as of next week. Yes, I'll admit that I've kind of fallen in love with having it as a spare notebook. Despite the fact that I find them to be way overpriced for the hardware they're selling, Apple has really done a solid job on the Macbooks, they can really take a beating. Anyway, I just thought I'd make this post as a means of distracting myself from doing real work. I think I succeeded... but really I'm failing in life. Irony.
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Guilt, muffins, and my left knee

Those are my three big weaknesses, among others like undiagnosed add haha... but I digress. Let me rephrase that. Those are my three weaknesses when it comes to running and other physical related activities. You see, my left knee has been wonky for the past 3 or so weeks. I think it was the few days leading up to my 25 mile run where I suddenly upped my mileage from a morning 5k to 5 miles. Yeah it doesn't sound like much, but try running 35-40 miles in a week after doing 20 and you'll feel it too. Actually, this shouldn't just be about my knee... ever since I started working out religiously, I've always had some sort of ailment that kept me from doing things 100%. When I first started... well I was fat, enough said. Then over the summer I had this really weird pain on the outside of my foot, probably because I underpronate and was wearing basketball shoes to run. Then when I got back for rowing season, I had stomach viruses (from swallowing Harlem River water...), stomach flu, and eventually some asshat crushed my foot with a weight. Sweet. Now my knee is messed up. I just wish, for just one day, I can run, erg, bike, whatever... without anything stopping me but the physical limitations of my body (that includes having to go to the bathroom in the middle of a long run LOL).

Second weakness. Muffins. I don't know why, I love muffins. They don't even have to be good, because my friends all know that I'll gladly scarf down a half dozen muffins from a streetcart at the end of a day, that is to say... stale muffins. So I'm clearly not a baked goods snob. To me, they're the ultimate cheat without actually cheating (or so I tell myself). But yeah, muffins... I hate you and love you at the same time.

Which kind of leads me to the last point of guilt. I feel really guilty after a day of going to town on muffins, ice cream, and burgers ha. I know I can eat pretty much anything I want and not really gain weight because well... the next morning I somehow guilt myself into running a 10k, 15k, or god forbid a half marathon. I know I could probably stay in decent shape even if I didn't do that much, but of course, guilt makes me do crazy things. Some people might think that it's a good thing, or perhaps even call it 'dedication.' Not really. If you knew me, you'd realize that there's nothing I want more than to be free of this obsessive personality haha.

I had something important I wanted to write about, but in writing all that, I forgot what it was that I really wanted to say (too much stress lately). Anyway, another good run today, and yes, I ate a crapload of muffins yesterday... and ice cream too! Also I realized that I average just about 4 miles a day, with my average being much closer to a 10k as of late. So not only have I adjusted, and learned to run at a heavier weight, but I got in better shape too? Is that a semi-fail-win?

distance for the day: 6.21 miles
distance biked for the day: 2.03 miles

distance on the year: 122.32 miles
distance biked on the year: 120.87 miles
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Wednesday, May 6, 2009

I bitched out (once again)

So yesterday, I was really hungry, but I didn't want to do more cheat meals... solution? I ate about 5000 calories entirely clean. Think several tubs of cottage cheese, about 2 pounds of pasta with meat sauce made with lean ground sirloin, and about 5 or 6 cups of oatmeal with skim milk. Yes I felt ridiculously full, but this time I didn't feel guilty. Hell, I think my macros came out to something like 400 grams of protein and 600 grams of carbs. Why would I do this, aside from satiating my hunger, you might ask? Because I really wanted to do another half marathon and see if I could hold around a 7:45 pace for the entire thing. Well, it was kind of a success? Haha, I did run around a 7:53 pace at the 10k mark, and past that I did run at a significantly faster rate for another couple of miles, but I think I ended up just holding the same average pace at the 15k mark, at which point I kind of just caved in. I stopped for a couple reasons, first, my knee started feeling weird again and I'd rather not reinjure it and be out of commission for another week, and second, my boxers were so heavy with sweat that they had difficulty staying up (lol what a crappy reason). Nope, today's fail wasn't inspired by an old perspiring man who reeks of Taipei after it rains. Today's fail was all on me.

No erging today, I forgot why I used to hate it... I have those annoying water blisters all over my fingers again. Two days, imagine that.

distance for the day: 9.48 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 116.11 miles
distance biked on the year: 118.84 miles
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Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Pasta pasta pasta

Okay first off, I'd like to just say... 1 pound of pasta is a lot of pasta. Even for me. Haha, I polished off about 4000 calories today since I plan on running a half marathon tomorrow morning before going to work (aren't I ambitious?). Needless to say, right now, I feel like an elephant... an elephant who just ate a pound of pasta. Anywho... looking at the distance I biked today, you probably assume that I'm getting lazy... or fat... or both. You'd be wrong. I'm not getting fatter (finally back on the cutting thing, not the depression driven kind mind you), and I'm not getting lazier. In fact, this morning I erg'd a 30 minute piece at 2:06. That's the kind of split I used to put up! Okay, maybe back then I was doing that kind of pacing for a 15k, but whatever, it hurt like hell, so I'm sure it was doing something. Then I tried hopping on the bike. Today was the same story as yesterday. Middle aged, borderline senior citizen, man hops on the elliptical behind my bike. Once again, horrible body odor prior to working out. I seriously don't understand how this works, do you just not shower... ever? Or is it that as soon as you walk out of the shower you start to sweat profusely from whatever it is you do in life? Ugh... the gym was my one sanctuary where I didn't have to think about anything. Now I have to strategically plan how to avoid old people who smell bad. Sometimes, I hate life.

distance for the day: 0.00 miles
distance biked for the day: 3.84 miles

distance on the year: 106.63 miles
distance biked on the year: 118.84 miles
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Monday, May 4, 2009

On hiatus... sort of

So for the next two weeks, I probably won't be updating, with regards to food anyway. I'll still use the blog as a tracker for distance ran/biked, but yeah... with finals and all that jazz, I probably shouldn't be updating at all.

Don't judge the distance I biked today as me being lazy. First off, I actually pulled a 6k on the erg beforehand (remember I said I'd like to get decent at rowing again?). I held a 2:09 split, which a couple months ago I would be embarrassed about, but it's honestly not too bad a starting point. Secondly, there was an old man who got on the recumbent bike next to me who smelled rank... how the hell do you have body odor PRIOR to working out?

distance for the day: 0.00 miles
distance biked for the day: 9.06 miles

distance on the year: 106.63 miles
distance biked on the year: 115.00 miles
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Sunday, May 3, 2009

Finally a day off!

So our pentathalon is done, rooms are picked, and no more trying to drop weight (not that I plan on gaining weight or anything, just sayin'). So today? Eating whatever I want.

No running, no erging, no biking... just me and food. I need a some alone time haha. I can't tag this entry as running can I?

edit: I went to Silvermoon Bakery for another chocolate chip brioche (it wasn't warm this time, boo... but still rather good). Followed by a trek down to 78th(?) to 'Big Nick's Diner.' My namesake, haha. I have a story for that that deserves its own post, so I'll be writing a partial review later on. No pictures of the food though, since it was rather unexpected after a night of long studying.
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Saturday, May 2, 2009

Stupid Koronet's

I had 2 friggin' slices... that's it, and only because a friend came to visit. This morning I woke up feeling like I had weights in my stomach, and I was bloated like 'fudgy the whale.' Obviously I couldn't run, but I didn't want to do nothing a day after going to town on pizza... so I set another goal for myself haha (I think I have like... 5 or 6 by now). I want to get good at erging again. There was a time where it wasn't ridiculous for me to do 2 or 3 solid 10k's a day, all hovering around 42 minutes (no those aren't terribly good times for any lightweight, but hey... I weighed like 130). Now I find myself unable to complete a 5k without feeling like death. What does this have to do with my runfail? Well... since I couldn't run, and I hate biking downstairs with other people... I took advantage of the fact that for another 2 weeks, I still have some justifiable 'reason' to use the crew room. So I biked for 20 minutes, all the while staring at the ergs in front of me. Those magnificently simple machines mocked me, with a 'you're fat and out of shape' feel. I hopped on, and decided to do a 10-9-8-7... except in reverse order. Ha, that was pretty uneventful as I only did 500 meters on the last piece, but hey... we all have to start somewhere right?

Anyway... today was a bad day for running (which is a shame since it's gorgeous outside), but I can honestly say that I feel much better after tormenting myself with the bike and erg combo. Oh yeah... that goal of mine to return to erging glory? Part of my general plan of being able to... 1. run a 10k with ease, 2. row a 10k with ease, 3. bike a 50k with ease. Not all successively of course :).

No counter today, since I didn't keep track of my biking distance, and I don't really want to start another counter for rowing.
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Friday, May 1, 2009

Consider this my 2 weeks notice

Give me 2 weeks... then I'll be back to normal (life and blogging alike). I'll be free of finals, the GRE, and I'll be free to bake, run, and sleep as I like. Of course, this is all only temporary before I head to Taiwan, but still. The freedom's so close I can almost taste it...

Another solid run today. Improved the time a little, hitting the 5 mile mark at a shade over 38 minutes. I used to be able to run this in a shade over 35, I'm not sure what I'm so happy about haha.

distance for the day: 5.06 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 106.63 miles
distance biked on the year: 105.94 miles
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