Rested Knees and Dough Kneading

Thursday was a rest day for me and with the evening wide open without a run, I decided to make bread. Inspired by Sagan's post, I thought it was time to face my fears of yeast, kneading, and dough rising. My first attempt last night resulted to rock hard bread due to my carelessness in reading oven settings. :P I was determined though so I found another recipe for kids so that even a first timer like me wouldn't go wrong. List of ingredients was short: flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and water. I actually had fun kneading and bashing the dough. While the dough rested, I was too excited to focus on my book and couldn't wait to see how my first risen dough would turn out. After two hours, I became a believer. I saw it with my own eyes - Dough does rise. Haha. A revelation for a quick bread lover that I am. :P Less than 30 minutes after, I had freshly baked babies.

{Fresh Plaids}

I have a couple questions for the more seasoned baker readers. Kindly fill me in on these things. Thanks! :D
- If a recipe calls to let the dough rest for 2 hours, would it make a difference if I let it rest for an extra couple hours? Will it still be okay to let the dough rest overnight?
- At what point does one add the spices, herbs, nuts, etc. to the dough? How about toppings? I added the sesame seeds just before baking but they didn't stick to the bread very well.

{Sesame Spill}

While this may only be the lazy version of Sarah's breakfast challenge, eating bread that I personally made from scratch put a smile on my breakfast face. Being the balanced person that I'd like to think I am, I had one slice with fig jam and another with whole grain mustard and avocado this morning. One sweet, the other tangy.

Weekend is just around the corner! I've got a long run, a barbeque party, and grocery shopping to look forward to. What do you have in store for the weekend?

Back To School Staycation

Before starting work at a Japanese company, I took Nihongo and Japanese culture classes at an international school for 3 months. Living at the dorm, I had to comply with strict rules and schedules. We woke up before 6am, cleaned, exercised, then had breakfast at 7. We had classes the entire day with an hour break for lunch. Dinner was served at granny o'clock (6pm), bath at 7, and lights out by 10. Another rule that I found shocking there was that students weren't aloud to eat while walking in campus!

Being invited to stay at the school for four days at Week01 of my HMTraining, I immediately made adjustments with my run sked. I can still fit in runs for Days 1 (before I leave) and 4 (when I get back). For the two full days that I'm at the school, adjustments are necessary. I'm not sure about the activities planned for this staycation. I don't have as much freedom with time though, that's for sure. I'm looking forward to homecooked Japanese meals, though! :D A fun thing about the school is that we get to help with the food preparation, table setting, and cleaning.

I have already found a route for a short 3 miler. The problem would be if I can find the time to sneak in even a short run. If this was a regular vacation, that wouldn't be a problem at all. Like I said earlier, the school HAS RULES and I just have to find a way to bend them. :P

{Lake Run (I hope!)}

If I can't squeeze a run in those two days, I still have my Rest Day card for the week and power yoga instead. The TV room was always empty when I was there so hopefully I'll be able to use that as my personal yoga room. :)

What would you do if you had a couple extra hours added to your day? I'd choose to sleep or to run. Dear runners, how do you keep with your training schedule while on vacation? Happy Hump Day y'all! :D

Lake Night Rest and Early Morning Run

My official training has started today and I'm glad to report that my 3 mile easy run for the day is DONE. Yey! Some of you suggested for me to get more mileage on the next four weeks but I decided to start with the training plan instead. It's my first time using a program and I was worried with how I would respond to following scheduled runs as compared to running whenever I felt like it. I figured I should start now and see how it goes so that I could have more time to make adjustments if needed. Obviously, it's still too early to tell if I like sticking with a plan. Waking up today knowing that I had a 3 mile run per schedule was enough motivation for me to lace up and hit the road though. I wore the Mizunos for their second run and I'm loving them. They now have 8 miles shaved off their running life. :P The Asics have yet to be tested sometime this week. Now, I'm including shoe details on my training log to also keep track of each pair's mileage.

Backing up to the weekend that was, Saturday was spent by the lake with friends and their kids. Naomi was so full of energy the entire day. She tried to learn how to use her mom's camera but gave up after 2 seconds.

{Never too young (or old) to learn something new!}

She also played by the lakeside under the watchful eye of K, entertained us with her funny dancing, and ran around while waiting for the sun go down.

{Oh to be a kid again!}

We got to the lake a couple hours before the fireworks so we had plenty of time to kill. Onigiri (rice balls), cold tea, and chips were passed around along with fun conversation. When I asked Jacob (whose 6th birthday it was that day!) what he misses most about the US, I got an honest and funny answer: STUFFED CRUST PIZZAS! He asked why in the world don't Japan and Canada have them?! Don't they really have those in Canada? We have those back in the Philippines so I thought it was available everywhere. Then it was time for fireworks.

{Lake Pic Before Battery Fail}

My battery died on me so that's all I got to show for you. :D The show was better than I expected. It went on for an hour and there were a lot of oohs and aahs from the crowd. Whenever everybody thought it was the finale, we would clap in appreciation but the show went on with more surprises. It was a great night.

Sunday was more laid back: reading, veggie shopping, dropping by friends' place and later walking in the park. I got home and baked brownies for this week's running fuel. :P They worked on this morning's run. :D Even if its hot hot hot, that didn't stop me from making Thai Green Curry. Yeah, it came from a can but all these fresh veg more than made up for health points, right? Carrots, eggplant, goya, kabocha, and soy beans - it was an explosion of flava! The curry had 4.5 chili points and boy was it HOT! I love the creamy coconut milk and sharp taste of lemon grass .

{Veggie Thai Green Curry on Rice Penne}

To balance the heat, this simple and quick salad was just the right side dish. Mushed tofu mixed with wholegrain mustard made a creamy sauce for some organic cucumbers bought from the road stand. Not too pretty but definitely refreshingly good.

{Cool as Cukes}

I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing weekend. I hope it wasn't as hot and humid as it was here! Stay cool and happy Monday!

Snacking Around The World

Although I don't eat cereals often, the fun packaging got me. So, I sampled cereals from Lithuania! Their website states: "In exhibition World Food Ukraine in Kiev, our best products Cinamoni and Nuttys won Grand Prix and Golden Medal in tasting contest." Looks like the ones available at my favorite imported grocery shop are winners! I like how the cereals were not overly sweet. Yum. What's your fave cereal?

{Cinamoni&Nuttys}

Next up, caramelized biscuits from Belgium. These were perfect match with tea as I read on a rainy afternoon. A bit dry and crumbly, I did not mind dunking them in the tea.

{Speculoos Lotus}

Where do your bananas come from? The ones here are from the Philippines. Ever since reading about Gena's Banana Soft Serve last month, I've been making and having some. I had it plain, with cinnamon, and with dark chocolate. It's simply the best. Today, I had some topped with black sesame. The toasty seeds gave the creamy bananas a bit of crunch action, not that it needed that.

{Kitty Jiggles in Approval!}

While it is best to purchase local, I am guilty of buying imported food. My reason could be as silly as cute packaging, or the excitement of trying something foreign, or that there simply are no bananas in Japan. Do you buy at imported food shops? It's like taking a foodie trip around the world, right?

Weekend Wii + Wee Bit of Sleep

I'm suffering from the Manic Monday Syndrome right now. I can't wait for the workday to end so I could nap, try a new eggplant dish, and go for an evening walk, then SLEEP. My weekend in bullets:

. Found some great produce Saturday morning.
. Made new friends and bonded over Wii, faith, books, and good conversation. This might become a Saturday Evening Socials kind of thing. They even created my own Mii! :P
. Nibbled on freshly baked brownies and okra tempura at said socials. Would love to try making the tempura with my okra but the heat is killing me.
. Ruined my optimal sleep streak by Wii-ing way past midnight. It was my first time playing it. I'm so behind, I know. :s Although it was fun, I'd still prefer real exercise any day of the week. You a Wii fan?
. Slept over at Rea's but couldn't really fall asleep. Hate it when that happens. Before I knew it, the sun was up and we had to go out for the scheduled run.
. Completed the entire lake loop on Sunday morning. Even if Rea opted to bike instead, I still pushed for a run.
. Learned about how a friend's eating habits are significantly different from mine. It's not a matter of who's right or wrong. As I don't like being judged for what I eat, I accept that what works for me doesn't necessarily work for others.
. Biked around to parts of the city I've never been to. Spent the rest of Sunday at the mall where I drank good coffee and snacked endlessly. Checked out running gear and bought some fun and soon to be tested snackies. :P
. Got rained on my ride back home but it did not bother me. It was a refreshing break from the heat.

That's it. It was a fun Wiikend and my only regret is not sleeping early last night. Now, I certainly feel like crashing. Must not underestimate the power of rest again!

{Hope this relaxing image helps me last the day. :P}

Here's to a great weekend! Unlike me, I hope you balanced all the fun with enough rest in preparation for the new week.

Cool Knees and Hot Tennis

We obviously don't celebrate 4th of July here but reading how each of you spent the weekend was such a thrill. Every post looked so much fun and I could almost taste the yummy food you all had. Haha!

The past few days, I've been bothered by my slow mile pace compared to those that I see on other blogs. So I pushed myself at one of my runs last week and my knees kind of hurt a bit after. My knees which were promptly iced (thus the first half of the post title) are okay now. It was my body's way of telling me that the knees are not ready for heavy pounding yet. Reading about how injured runners feel so bad about not running for weeks scared me and made me realize that there is no need for me to rush. I'm still a newbie runner (just into my 2nd month) and there is no need to be speedy at this point yet, right? I'd like to run for as long as I can, pain free, and enjoy the entire process.

Another sport that I have tons of fun playing is tennis. I've been playing (non-competitive) since I was 10 and still play whenever I can. It's a sport I love and enjoy so much that I could play for hours and not get tired at all. My goal is to put running in the same level as tennis: an activity I am comfortable with and enjoy doing anytime. So for me to reach that, I'll have to stop worrying about mile pace (at least for now?) and relax.

{This girl does not need to rush. :P}

Speaking of tennis, have you seen the Wimbledon Finals? OMG, it was totally worth it staying up late (match ended 2:45AM Japan Time) to watch Roger Federer win another Grand Slam and break tennis records. It could have gone either way as Andy Roddick was playing so well, too. Thank goodness, it was Roger's day. I was sooo tense and sleepy at the same time; I had to do some stretches/stand/snack on peanuts while restraining myself from making too loud cheers (or I might wake people next door) to get through 4+ hours of intense tennis. Woot woot! :D Roger's skill and composure is undeniably the best but I'd also like to point out how his being injury-free throughout the years being an important factor in his superb tennis career. Sure, he is certainly surrounded by the best trainers, doctors, and advisers to keep him in top shape. I'd like to believe though that he listens to his body really well and treats it the best he can thus maintaining top form without suffering any major injuries, right? :P

What sport do you play? Do you like playing/watching tennis? Any favorite sports stars?

Too Much Too Soon?

Last night, I ran my first ever 4 miler. There was a light drizzle as I left my place but I was determined to run. As if on cue, the drizzling stopped just as I finished warming up and was about to go. I was so into my run and before I knew it, I was already at the halfway mark. I only needed a 5-second break to stretch my back and I was off again. It was my best run so far. Don't you just love it when the miles just seem to fly? How do you describe how you feel when you are 'in the zone'? For me, it felt like I was floating.

{Feel Light}

Since I have plans for tonight, I had to sneak in my 2.5 mile run this morning. It was better than my previous morning run but I'd still prefer evening. I guess it might be the heat, the sunlight, or that my body is still not warmed up enough that slows me down. I'll reserve my mornings then for days when evening rains are expected or when I have other evening plans. :)

Last week (Week 2), I ran 5 out of 7 days with a total of 14 miles. After I complete a 3 miler (on either Saturday or Sunday), this weeks' total would be 15.5 miles. I read somewhere about gradually increasing run distance around 10% more than the previous week so I think my mileage is just fine. While I don't feel any pains, soreness, or discomfort I am worried that I may be doing too much too soon. As a newbie runner, do you guys think that running 5 days a week is too much or just right? Should I just follow my natural rhythms to run most nights and taking a couple days' rest? Or would it be better if I toned it down a bit (run 4 days, rest 3 days) to avoid future burn out? Thanks in advance! :D Your words of encouragement and tips on previous posts have been very helpful. Thank you and enjoy your weekend! :D

Running in the Rain: Possible?

I was all set on running Tuesday night but 2 minutes into my run, rain started pouring! :s I had to go back home and call it a rest day. So while the thunder rolled, I curled up and started reading the 'Okuribito'/'Departures' comic book I bought last weekend. The film is the Academy Award® Winner for Best Foreign Language Film this year. I have yet to watch it though. Since I cannot read all the Japanese characters, I depended a lot on the drawings. Take a peek:

{Pages}

So while I rested my body and exercised my mental muscles last night, this morning I had the crave to run. Since I started running at the beginning of the month, I have never tried daytime running. While I felt a bit slower with today's 3-miler, it was still a good run. Plus, I got to watch the sunrise and spotted these hydrangeas that are in bloom all over Japan in June.

{Blues & Whites}

Do you like running in the rain? I've read about some people who do so and I am in awe. I'd like to try that one of these days, even for a short run. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. :)
Also, do you prefer day/night runs? Based on today's run, I'd still prefer my evening runs. I'd still do morning runs whenever I am up early to mix up my routine a bit.