Who am I?

I am (in no particular order)...

a LOVER of all things Luci (I am her #1 fan):


a zombie cupcake connoisseur (It's the truth):


a Runner (am I allowed to call myself that now?):


a die-hard knitter (currently) with too many unfinished projects (ie, four):


a star-burst jumper (although I'm not that aerodynamic):


A lover of food...especially food truck foods (I can't say no to a street taco):


a crazy dog lady (who occasionally carries dog treats with her to the gym):


a cupcake feign (Red velvet is my favorite flavor):


a consumer of cool (non)alcoholic beverages in warm climates:


very clumsy (if it can be broken or be dropped, I most likely will):



I am Me.

Easter Pibble

I think it would be wrong of me to NOT walk Luci around the neighborhood like this from now on...I mean, would you be scared of a pit bull that came up to you looking like this? <3

Kissy Kissy Bite Face

Here is Luci and Harley...they did this every day that Harley was staying with us (1 week). I'm sure the downstairs neighbors did not enjoy all the extra ruckus, but I really was in no position to stop the girls from having a good time!





I love watching dogs play with each other...I could probably honestly do it all day.

Fun at the Park

Today we met up with Harley & Lola and their humans at Morley Field...





The girls all had such a fun time...I'm assuming Harley & Lola are tired too because Luci is currently zonked out under a blanket next to me. That's the universal sign of a good time.

The humans and I are planning on making this a normal occurrence. We all love zonked out happy dogs :)

A perfect end to a Sunday.

Friends

Luci has been making new friends left and right lately...

First it was Betty:


Then it was Harley...they secretly plotted together to take up as much space on the sofa and on the bed. It was tres cute, but uncomfortable (for me!):




It's hard to see Harley because she is so dark...but I have a great video of them playing at home...I will have to post that later. They are the best of friends!

And then Luci recently made friends with Lola:


Of course, we cannot forget about our good ol' friends Juni & Chloe...but I don't have a picture of them right now :)

As the weather starts to get better, we can go on more hikes!

Round 2

I had full intentions of signing up and running the Chicago Marathon this year...I like variety! But when I had looked into hotels around the start/finish, they were all way too expensive for little ol' me (since I'll most likely be traveling/running solo).

Sooooooo...


I just signed up for the Portland Marathon...again! I got sucked into the fact that 1) I LOVE me some Portland 2) the food trucks in Portland are calling my name and 3) (most importantly of course) it's the 40th anniversary of the marathon! How could I resist?

So, come October, I'll find myself in one of my favorite cities :)

p.s. - Running is quite the expensive hobby!

Tofu Kimchi Gyoza

Experimented the other day with Tofu Kimchi Gyoza...It was a successful experiment. But then again, I LOVE GYOZA.

Started off with one block of extra firm tofu cut up into cubes, 2 green onions chopped up, one grated zucchini, and a healthy heap of chopped up kimchi:


Mash up the tofu and mix everything well. Add a splash of shoyu (aka soy sauce), 1 beaten egg, mirin and sake (if you have some). Make sure to taste it at this point to see if its seasoned to your liking (can't do this if you're using raw meat sucka!):


Then you become a gyoza wrapping factory...I like to lay out my wrappers and then use a teaspoon to put on the gyoza skins. Make sure you don't overfill! It will make it hard to seal if it's exploding with filling...Dip your finger into a bowl of water and wet the edges of the gyoza skin to help seal the sides.






You can shape the gyoza however you like...this is how I do mine :)


I've found that they keep in the fridge without the skins getting glutonous for one day...apart from that, I'd put them in the freezer for safe keeping :)


To cook: Pan fry in a little bit of oil (I used olive oil b/c that's what I have at home) for 3-5 minutes until the bottom of the gyoza is golden brown and crispy looking. Then, add about 1.5-2 cm water into the frying pan, put a lid on it, and let the gyoza steam until the water evaporates...about 5-7 minutes. Then enjoy! I like to dip mine in a combination of shoyu and rice vinegar to taste.

Why do you run?

I get asked this question a lot. In fact, I even ask myself this question a lot...on Friday nights when I have to stay in b/c of early Saturday morning group long runs, on Saturday nights when I have to stay in b/c of early Sunday morning wake-ups on Race Days, on days I have to pass on eating my favorite ethnic foods in fear that I will regret it the next day, on Race Day when I have to get up at an ungodly hour, every minute up until the race starts and I'm freezing cold, and of course, while I'm actually running. I guess I question my running motives a lot..

Apart from the obvious answer that I love to put the race bling on my dog, Luci, while she looks at me with anguish...I thought long and hard about this question while I was running in the San Dieguito Half Marathon this morning.

And I think I've finally come up with my answer(s).

Reason one: I run to cross the finish line. I think it's just that simple. Running has taught me that giving up is easy (too easy if you ask me), but that finishing, as hard as it may be on some days, gives you a sense of accomplishment (even on the bad runs).

Reason two: I think I love running so much, despite my turtle-esque pace, because during my runs is when I get the best mental clarity and often come up with my best ideas, thoughts and inspiration. Running is the one time in my day where I can kick back and think about anything I very well please...And since I do not run with headphones/music (unless I'm on a treadmill), I soak in the sounds, smells, sights around me while running...and these all trigger other ideas, thoughts and inspirations as well. I've smelled horse maneure (gross, like today), seen dolphins jumping out of the water, and met some pretty cool dogs all while running.

Reason three: Running has taught me that we all need to roll with the punches in life. I can wake up and do everything right in preparation for a long run or a race, and just outright have a shitty run or race where nothing falls into place...my breathing is all wrong, my posture is crap, my legs feel like lead...blah blah blah. But then the next time I run, everything magically falls into place and I finish the run/race feeling like gold. It happens to all of us. Running has taught me not to cross off a day because something doesn't go my way or the way I had planned...tomorrow is another day and I need to live in the moment instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Running has also taught me to not worry about how many miles are left in a race or a run, but instead focus on the mile that I'm ON.

I don't know if I make sense really...I'm not a very good writer.

In any event, I had a good race day today. It was my first half marathon of the year (haven't raced since October) so I was hesitant at first and let my nerves get the best of me. I think I sometimes underestimate my true abilities in fear of poor performance. It's something I'm working on. The course was a lot hillier than I remember it being (I ran it for the first time last year)...I should have known better too since everyone I talked to about the race beforehand commented on how hilly it was...and I was like, really?

Memorable moments included the British lady that dresses up like the Queen on Miles 1 and 12. I saw here there last year too...must be a tradition. They were also serving sangria on Miles 2 and 11 (unfortunately? fortunately? I passed...though I wish it were available AFTER the race)

Felt that my breathing was great the entire race, and I never felt unbearable fatigue at any point in the race (does this mean I'm not pushing myself hard enough?), and surprisingly, I only walked for 5 seconds the entire race (up a steep-ish hill), not even during the aid stations! I also didn't take any gu during the race, as I didn't have any. (The line at Road Runners was waaaaaaaay to long yesterday and since I had Luci in the car, I didn't want to stand in it. This was the first race I didn't take any Gu, and it worked out fine. Maybe my body has finally adapted to tapping into my fat reserves like it's supposed to.)

Finished in a happy (unofficial) 1:57:27 (according to the trusty Garmin)...a vast improvement from my 2:12 performance from last year. Now I need to refuel my stomach. :)

I'm back.

http://tinybuddha.com/blog/the-one-new-years-resolution-that-creates-lasting-change/

Read this article...it's great. I've been following this way of life for 2011 and thus far, it's working.