T-na's Corner

Apple Banana Bars from Juice Pulp

2012-02-13T09:17:00.001-08:00

As far as my juice pulp experiments go, this one is a wild success. I hope I can duplicate it next month.

There are many cracker recipes online. The simplest one that did not intimidate me and got me to make crackers from vegetable pulp was from Raw Radiant Health. The chia cracker recipe was simple: soaked chia seed, pulp from green juice, Italian herbs, paprika, salt; mix and dehydrate.

I may try other more elaborate recipes later. I use the crackers with dips, spreads, and soups so they do not really need to be any fancier. Since I am just looking for ways to use the pulp from my juices, that simpler recipe appealed to me. Did not make sense for me to spend more time and effort to "recycle" my pulp --- sort of a false economy.

I found the apple or fruit pulp diluted my vegetable crackers. It's fine if it's only an apple or less in the pulp mix, but any more than that just does not have the same crunch and flavor for me. I use a couple apples in the green juice I make for my niece. What to do with the apple pulp?

I separated the apple pulp and mixed in the soaked chia seeds. Mashed in a ripe banana to sweeten it and to give it the pliable texture. I had a couple leftover apple slices; chopped that up and added to the mix. Shaped it into a bar about 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick and dehydrated it at 105F for 5 hours, flipped it over and dehydrated another 12 hours. Mmmm, it turned out quite well. The banana made a big difference in taste, smell and texture. I may try adding some cinnamon next time.

I also spread a thinner version on the sheet. Those were ok --- more like a chunky fruit leather. I like the thicker bars better, chewy but more substantial.

Ready for the Day

2012-02-06T09:17:00.001-08:00

Kale, romaine lettuce, celery, apples, and lemons. All washed and prepared for the juicer.

Green Applesauce aka When Life Gives You Pulpy Apples...

2012-01-10T10:44:00.001-08:00

Green Juice and Applesauce

A new twist on an old saying. When life gives you pulpy apples for your juice, make apple sauce. Edit: A better description would be mealy apples. Mealiness mostly happens to old apples that have been kept in storage for too long -- and these apples were definitely stored too long.

I cleaned out my fridge this morning by making today's green juice. Had a bag of fancy apples that were a little too past their prime to be eaten as is. I added the apples to my Omega juicer and out came this thick pulpy juice.

I prefer to strain my green juice so the apples soon clogged up the strainer. What's left in the strainer was this thick applesauce. I dumped that into a container and continued making my juice. By the time I got my 2 jars of green juice, I had a nice container of green applesauce. The bits from kale, romain lettuce, celery, and lemon added a nice flavor to the green applesauce.

This made the smoothest applesauce; perfect for my afternoon snack.

Now, I hope I don't get ~~pulpy~~ mealy apples for my juice again (slow down the juice making) but nice to know I can make the most of it.

I am not going to have time to make crackers from the pulp today. Otherwise, I would have been able to prepare today's meals using the "by products" of this morning green juice :)

Rocky

2012-01-09T18:13:00.000-08:00

Must Say... I Like This Picture

2011-12-27T12:54:00.000-08:00

Taken with Elias' "paper camera" phone app.

And that's saying a lot as I don't have my pictures taken often. Something about this likeness but not an exact image calms my paranoia -- provide a sense of anonymity to it. Feels as though I'm at a street corner cafe somewhere in Italy :)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T07:43:00.000-08:00

Oops, I can't seem to rotate this video.

Elaine playing with a Christmas balloon. The expression on her face when that balloon popped was priceless.
Taking care of the in-house pets before heading home for Christmas morning stuff.
Eski barking in the background.

Running Scooter

2011-10-18T12:04:00.000-07:00

Improving everyday; she's actually running in spurts around the yard this morning!

No-Bake Oat Bars

2011-10-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

No-Bake Oat Bars

These turn out so delicious, I'm not just eating them for breakfast!
My inspiration for these bars was the breakfast cookie from Fitnessista. Eating the cookie off the plate with a fork was not working for me. The convenience of grabbing a bar from the fridge on the way to work motivated me to try wrapping the "dough" in plastic wrap before letting it "set" overnight in the fridge. Works like a charm.

I need to measure the ingredients next time. I've been eyeballing it until it gets to the right consistency --- not too thin, not too dry, just right so it can be shaped into bars.

Steel cut oats (oatmeal will probably works)
Cinnamon (or for this season, pumpkin spice!)
Salt (I leave this out if I use salted nuts in the mix)
Protein powder (I have some leftover hemp protein powder that worked well)
Nut butter (almond, cashew, even regular peanut)
Really riped bananas (I call this the not-so-secret ingredient)
Almond milk (guess regular milk would work but I haven't tried it)
Mix-ins (dried fruits, trail mix, etc...)

Instead of spreading them on a plate or bowl, I spread them onto clear plastic wrap and shape them into individual bars. Refrigerate overnight and, voila, delicious single servings of oat bars.

Enjoying the Gorgeous Sunny Day

2011-10-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

Doctor's order was for me to get 15 minutes of sunshine at least twice a week. Hanging out with this sweet old beat up rescue pit is as good a time as any. She is still slow and weak on her rear legs but definitely much improved. At least she is able to walk on her own now; still have to assist her a little to get up but once up, she is able to move around and seemingly enjoy the exercise.

Seeing her up and about does my heart (and spirit) a world of good.

Running Again

2011-10-11T04:33:00.000-07:00

I was cleaning out my journal last week to prepare for next year's planner and came across this entry on March 2, 2011:

One of the better runs in a while. warm up 5-5.4 mph first mile then kept at 5.6 the whole way with spurts of 5.8-6. most importantly, did not stop or slow down at all after the warm up! yay! i ran a 10K!

Reading that brought back a flood of ~~wonderful feeling of~~ excitement and joy. I was so proud of myself. For the next 2-3 months after that run, I continued to average about 15-18 miles per week, keeping up with 4-5 miles runs.

Then, as usual, work got hectic for the summer months. My morning runs slowly got shorter and shorter until I skipped them altogether and went straight to work at 5 am. My evening runs got replaced by my evening naps (I changed my Everyman Sleep Cycle around the same time; 3 hours core sleep with 3-20 min naps). I was having more time -- but all those time was spent on work.

When I missed the first few runs, I told myself it was ok. I'm not going to lose any conditioning with a couple missed runs. Then I learned that it takes about 2 weeks of not running before you feel any impact on your running. So I told myself I'll focus on work to get through that tough week then resume running. Bad idea. The 2 weeks became 3 then 4 weeks. Then it was harder to get myself back into the routine. And the image of starting over again was daunting.

I see now that I should not have considered it starting over at that time. Even if it was a month of no running, I am sure I could have picked it up again and returned to where I was within a week or 2. I think I was just looking for excuses not to run. I had too much on my plate at the time and it was just easier to let running fall on the wayside.

Hindsight, I can see how ridiculous that was now. I was so sure that I would be able to resume running when things slow down. At the time, it did not seem possible that I would let my new found joy in running lapse. But I did. I have not logged a real run since May. Almost exactly five. whole. months.

Well, I laced up my shoes and started my back-to-running plan yesterday.

W1D1, run 0:30 / walk 4:30 (x7)

I did the Couch-to-5K in 2009 and really liked it but this time around, I plan to start with longer runs from the beginning (C25K starts with 20-min runs) and have chosen the plan from The Beginning Runner's Handbook. This plan starts really slow but have me on my feet longer - about 35 minutes, not counting the warm up and cool down.

The first day calls for a 5 minute warm-up walk then run 30 seconds / walk 4 minute, 30 seconds; repeat 7 times. I found it a little too easy -- and once I started running, it was hard to stop after 30 seconds! I did stick with it for 3 intervals but then the last 4 intervals were more run 2 min, 30 sec / walk 2 min, 30 sec.

I am a little sore this morning so I may try to stick with the plan and take it slow for now. An injury during this early stage may derail my comeback effort.

I felt good after Week 1, Day 1. I dug out my old Tech 4O watch:

Time: 40:11

Distance: 2.6 miles

Speed (ave): 3.88 mph
Pace: 15:28 per mile

The plan calls for me to repeat this 0:30/4:30 but for 8 intervals, giving me a 40 minutes session, for 2 more times this week. Not sure but I may change this up to 1:00/4:00 (x8).

We'll see how it goes :)

Good Thing It Was My Paper Planner and Not the PDA

2011-09-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

What happens when you leave a full traveler mug of coffee on the table with the lid off then reached for it :) Splat-splash!

Sissi's 46th Birthday

2011-07-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

Sissi and Danika

Twilight Zone

2011-06-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

Feeding Thumper During His Last Weeks

I don't think there were 2 consecutive days when he would eat the same food the same way. One day, it's hand-feeding from above, the next day, it has to be pieces on the ground.

I can't say I'm a Twilight Zone fan but have you ever feel as if you are living in a Twilight Zone episode? That nothing is as it seems? That what you thought and believe to be true is not? That you're the one who's "off", not everyone else?

I don't like that feeling at all. No wonder I never got into The Twilight Zone.

Watching Planes Land at LAX

2011-06-26T23:58:00.000-07:00

Took this picture with my Palm Pixi. Considering the significant shutter lag, it's a miracle I timed it just right :)
My money shot!

Artwork from the Nieces

2011-06-21T06:18:00.001-07:00

Danika did the one on top. Kieu (Bella) was creative with the one on the left. Mom said Bella glanced at a photo of me in the living room as she was drawing. I had on a purple dress and a big smile. Yen (Lana) decided to go for the heart and message on the right.

Rich in Nieces and Nephews

2011-06-19T03:43:00.000-07:00

The Tran Clan gathered last night for an early Father's Day celebration. All three of my brothers came with their kids, including the almost-4-months old twins Alexander and Isabella.
Pictured are 9 of my 10 nieces and nephews (Andre, the next eldest, had to leave early. Or rather I was late to the party!).
(L-R) Danika, Tyler holding Alexander, Priscilla holding Isabella, Trevor (in back), Tommy, the older twins Anabelle and Ellana.

Alexander and Isabella

2011-03-22T07:26:00.001-07:00

Sis Ready for Office Holiday Lunch

2010-12-14T07:25:00.001-08:00

Sis all prettied up for the office get together.

Papaya for Mid-Morning Snack

2010-12-13T11:05:00.001-08:00

Yummy and refreshing after cleaning up & feeding everyone.

My beloved grandpa must be watching me from above & kept me from the humiliation that would've rained on me had I reported the "theft."

2010-12-13T09:23:00.001-08:00

Brushing Elaine's Teeth

2010-12-07T20:16:00.000-08:00

Trying to make a video of home dental care is tough when I have to use the tripod with the camera. Elaine was great but I had the mark off so we end up having her back and rear in view instead of her mouth!

Take 2 was better though but I ran out of memory so did not have both sides. O well. We'll keep working!

My first love letter from 4 y.o. Danika

2010-12-06T07:17:00.001-08:00

NGA is my Vietnamese short name; LY is hers.

Kobi is so good with Danika

2010-12-03T20:03:00.001-08:00

We're fortunate that Kobi tolerates Danika's handling. She's better now that she's older. She really loves Kobi. She even walk him with just the leash draped over his back :)

Danika in Her First Piano Practice Session

2010-12-02T07:06:00.001-08:00

She is only learning the keys so far. You can tell she is not looking at the music sheet. Guess, she memorized the keys and playing them from memory.

Manhattan Portage Messenger Extra Velcro Strips

2010-11-29T10:54:00.001-08:00

I searched the web but couldn't find the purpose for the extra velcro strips in the Manhattan Portage Messenger Bag. Decided to use them to decrease the exposed surface of the velcro strips sewn in the flap. This makes the flap easier to lift -- speedier access to the bag.

Working with Elaine in the Dark

2010-11-14T05:57:00.001-08:00

Practicing cues with Elaine. She was distracted by some passerby but did finally learn to stop, attention, and come.

Slowly Breaking Out The Holiday Spirits.

2010-11-13T20:59:00.001-08:00

Had to dig out my holiday cup for the sappy Hallmark Channel holiday movies.

Pixelpipe Update via BlogBooster

2010-11-12T08:13:00.001-08:00

Yeah! The video upload worked fine via Pixelpipe last night (Centro). The crashes were due to me recording the video in portrait instead of the landscape that the Pixi video app warned me to change. That must have messed the setting somehow.

Centro

2010-11-11T21:30:00.001-08:00

Test

Thumper Video via Pixelpipe

2010-11-11T07:44:00.001-08:00

Trying videos again. Previous one of Kobi crashed system.

Danika via Pixelpipe

2010-11-10T23:05:00.001-08:00

Danika on Priscilla's 19th Birthday.

Pixelpipe is working well so far. Lots of features and will allow me to post to work accounts also. Yay!

Pixelpipe

2010-11-10T23:00:00.001-08:00

BlogBooster is great for the style and formatting of blog posts. However, I could not get it to upload images from the phone. That limitation was a deal breaker as I need an app to upload blog posts with my own images.
Enter Pixelpipe. This is my current favorite picture of Priscilla on her 19th birthday.
Hope this works.

BlogBooster (Part Deux)

2010-11-07T06:11:00.001-08:00

The previous BlogBooster published well. I have to remember the return or line break thing - the published version had a lot of lines between paragraphs. There's also an odd square at the end of the post. Could not make that go away; not sure what it is or where it came from.

The hyperlink needs the http:// for it to work.

Otherwise, BlogBooster seems to be a good alternative for mobile blogging.

Let's try the image from Photo Roll. Yesterday was Priscilla's birthday. I snapped what is now my favorite picture of her (you think it's easy getting a picture of your teen niece?)

Priscilla

Addendum: Looks like attaching an image from Photo Roll is not working. That's too bad as that would have been an often used feature. May even be a deal breaker for me. I'll have to see if there's a workaround for this. For now, I may have to stay with emailing the posts with the image to blogger.

BlogBooster

2010-11-06T21:41:00.001-07:00

This is the third time trying out BlogBooster. The other times failed since it would not let me "Save as Draft" -- they both were published instead. Maybe a bug that still needs to be fixed?
Anyway, I figure we'll try again, at least to see if the other features work. Besides, ideally, I would be publishing the post directly.
BlogBooster allows for different styles such as bold, italic, underline, and color.

It also does text alignment and hyperlinks!

The Family Vet

Adding images should be a snap also. I can add it from Autocontent from the web:

That's just a random image that BlogBooster thought would be relevant to this post.
I can also add from Photo Roll but that gave me an error last time. I'm testing this first without Photo Roll and will try again later with it.
Well, let's see if this posts properly!

Red itchy puffy eye

2010-10-25T18:24:00.001-07:00

.. after eating something I guess I wasn't supposed to!

The Big 4-0

2010-10-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

Today is my unofficial but legal birthdate (long story). Sis got me a birthday cake. No, she did not leave out the year by mistake, there just wasn't enough room for it. And no, it's not my first birthday and no, I'm not trying to hide the fact that I'm FORTY years young. We forgot the candles and the "1" from one of the kid's birthday was lying around so we used it to symbolize the passing of one year.
Great quiet time with my sis, her family and Dad. Mom is away up north with my brother's family and HIS sons, one of which is celebrating his fourth birthday today.
Happy birthday, Tommy!

2010-09-20T19:13:00.001-07:00

All cross-eyed from working on social media cross-linking! I don't even know where this message is been posted, tweeted, facebooked, updated, or blogged :D

Big Ben

2010-09-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

Testing out the Share feature.

Synchronized Grooming

2010-09-20T12:02:00.001-07:00

Zuri (the Bengal) and Rorke (the Savannah) grooming to the same beat.

Uploaded by www.cellspin.net

CellSpin Simultaneous-Posting on Multiple Social Media

2010-09-20T00:43:00.001-07:00

Really enjoying CellSpin mobile blogging, twittering, & facebooking app. Best of all, it has a Palm version!

Testing out the different setting to see if I can post to the blog at the same time. Will likely not continue to do so after this; short updates for Twitter and Facebook but still use this blog for longer write ups.

Reactivating Facebook

2010-09-19T23:48:00.001-07:00

I finally caved in and re-activated my Facebook account. I don't like Facebook much --- actually, I don't know/use it at all so can't really say I don't like it. But I need to start using it if we end up using it more for work.
I stuck with Twitter only because having multiple social network accounts seems so redundant. I can barely keep up with my blog, as it is. I wanted to keep the blog more than Facebook. Now, with CellSpin, I can post to multiple sites at once!

CellSpin Mobile Blogging

2010-09-19T23:18:00.001-07:00

I came across CellSpin mobile blogging app for Palm OS and had to try it out. I am still surprised when I "discover" Palm apps. Hoping this will also help me with blogging more often. So many things happened these past several months. It's a pity I didn't take the time to document it all.

Let's see how this tool may help.

Elaine Acting Her Age (Not)!

2010-07-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

A ritual for Elaine. She runs circles around the treats or toys before picking the one she wants.

Had Forgotten the Colors!

2010-06-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

I don't think I ever noticed how colorful food is in its natural, uncooked state. Yes, we added food colorings when we cook and we made stirfry colorful with the different veggies. But that can't compare to the innate color of food.

I was prepping tomorrow's midday snack - honeydew melons (I picked a winner!) - when it hit me. I had cantaloupe today, a nice rich orange and tomorrow, I'll be eating light green honeydews. My salad and avocado salsa side is like a color wheel, especially when there's a tinge of purple from the red cabbage.

Colors that would have looked out of place in a traditional cooked meal seem very at home and natural with my new fresh food meals.

This honeydew camera-phone picture in the dark kitchen doesn't do the color justice. I just have to look at the pictures from the previous post to see the food rainbow!

Fresh Food

2010-06-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

Never thought I would enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables so much. It's been 2 weeks since I switched to a raw vegan diet. I figured it would be a good food trial to see what I may be reacting to. I suspected it was to flavorings and seasonings, not necessarily the meat or nuts themselves. And since cooked food without seasonings can be bland to me, I tried the raw vegan diet and things have been going very well. I'll probably write more later but just want to add some stuff here to capture the "beginning."

Stocking up with fresh fruits every 2-3 days.

Mom's stockpile of bananas. We froze some to use in fruit smoothies. We finished the box in 2 weeks.

Learning how to pick melons was a challenge. I got the cantaloupe down (tan or not-green veins and some give on the end) but still hit-and-miss with the honeydews and watermelons.

Waited too long to eat this cantaloupe :)

Dinner from last night. Loving my salads right now. A mix of red romaine lettuce, saladson or what I call bitter lettuce (I get them at the local Asian Farm Market), chopped cabbage, tomatoes, red bell peppers, onions, Thai chili (for the spicy kick!), cucumbers, and a variety of fresh herbs (basil, mint, rau ram). Dressing was lemon, apple cider, olive oil, salt & pepper, and more Thai chili :)

I experimented with a salsa-like side dish and absolutely loved it. It was supposed to be a thick salad dressing but I went overboard with the tomatoes and onions and it became a side dish. Chopped one tomato, one medium onion, half an avocado, juice of half a lemon, half a Thai chili (yes, I like my food spicy!), and salt & pepper if needed (I didn't need it). Mix them all together and yummy!
I chop and prepare extras when I make the salads in the evening and save a large portion for the next day's lunch. The dressing marinates the salad and it tastes even better the next day. I did one with mostly cabbage and it turned out like a healthy coleslaw -- without the creamy mayonnaise. Elias call them "veggie ceviche" --- I can get really heavy handed with the lemon vinaigrette; the onions and tomatoes swim in the dressing.

Added blueberries to this morning green smoothie (bananas, spinach, blueberries, water).

The reusable Copco tumbler from Bed Bath & Beyond is one of my favorite recent purchase. Makes smoothies taste even better and helps me keep up with the water intake during the day.

Cantaloupe for mid-morning snack. If you told me 2 weeks ago that I would eat a whole cantaloupe by myself in a day, never mind as a snack, I would think you're crazy.

Now, I buy these cantaloupes, honeydews and mini-watermelons and eat the whole melon as a snack.

The problem I had was eating enough calories to keep me going during the day. Ha! Can't even believe that I am having problems eating enough calories :)

These smoothies come in handy. Bananas, mangoes, strawberries, apples, and water. Got the fruits in me that would probably have taken me the whole afternoon to eat (assuming I would be able to eat all of them).

Oh, another new find for me ---- all these different nuts. Eating almonds and cashews for now -- unsalted and unroasted; they actually taste great. Throw them on top of the salads or eat as a snack.

Anyway, more later. Things have been busy so I have not blogged much but hope to catch up soon. It's been great though, not having to fight through the mental fog either from the food I was reacting to or the Benadryl I took to counteract it.

Looking forward to sprouting chickpeas to make hummus and trying some tomato soup recipes in the blender!

Adventures in fresh food. Who knew?!! :)

Memorial Day 2010

2010-05-31T22:52:00.000-07:00

I left for my morning run around the neighborhood as planned this morning. Not long into the run, I wondered how far it was to my grandpa's grave. A quick call to my mom determined that I was on the right track and should make it there and back without any problems. Round trip is less than 7 miles.

Running there was nice as it was still early and barely any traffic. Passed some people waiting for the shuttle to Vegas in the supermarket parking lot.

I walked once I got on the cemetery ground. Just did not seem right to go running around the graves! I quickly found Grandpa and Grandma's place.

Took a quick snap of me at the marker --- surprisingly got it on the second take.
Grandma died in Vietnam in 1989. We were finally able to sponsor Dad and Grandpa over in 1991. Grandma was cremated and the ashes brought over later by relatives.

I am glad we were able to bury her ashes with him. I like to think he is less lonely that way.
The photo is one of my favorite of him. It captured his smile and cheerful look just right.

Across from Gramps' place is the Vietnamese Veteran's Cemetery. I stopped over there and paid my respect.

Thank you.

Simple things.

2010-05-30T07:29:00.001-07:00

Feel good just using them. Spoon from Cha for Tea. Hotel plastic coffee stirrer.

Kobi and the Bebop

2010-04-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

We had a full day today. Worked on Kobi and the Bebop harness trial. Still need to do the write up. Probably won't have a chance until next week.

click on image to enlarge

The harness was not very impressive at all. It was supposed to be padded but it looks just like a regular walking harness. The description noted that the straps are lower on the shoulders to avoid damage to the trachea but I could not appreciate the difference compared to the regular harness from American Kennel Club.

What I do like is the Safety Strap. It keeps the restraint strap off the seat so less tangling. I wonder about it's sturdiness though. It looks fine for a small to medium sized dogs but any dog over 40 pounds? Not so sure. Will have to test it out on Elaine later.

click on image to enlarge

It does give Kobi a lot of freedom to move around and he did not seem to mind it at all. Initially, he did wrap himself with the safety strap when he circled around in the seat. But he quickly learned to duck under the strap to avoid tying himself against the seat.

Overall, good impression of the harness system. Disappointed that the harness was not padded as advertised on the website. Also so-so customer service as my emails regarding the padding were not answered.

A Running Milestone at Mile Square Park

2010-04-12T20:44:00.000-07:00

Remember back in October when I first discovered Mile Square Park (MSP)? Of course you don't. It was nothing special, no earth shattering event to make it memorable to you.

Why do I remember that day?
1) My airheadiness for thinking it was one mile around the Mile Square Park. How long have I been around Fountain Valley? But in all those years, I have never really gone to this gem of a park -- until I took up running.
2) October was when I decided to take up running. I think that day was day 2 of my running project.
3) I remember huffing and puffing on those 45 seconds running intervals and wondering if I would ever be able to run a block non-stop, never mind around the park.

Well, I went back to MSP this evening to do my 4 mile run. What a difference 6 months have made. It was a great evening for a run; a little breezy but that just made me feel as though I was running fast with the wind in my face :).

Every time I run in the OC, I feel a little nostalgic and sad about my hometown LB. It would have been perfect if the scene at MSP was in LB.

A lot of people were out and about. All ages. Seniors walking. Mothers and fathers running with the strollers. Families with kids running together. And serious runners passing all of us. Oh, and dogs, quite a few dogs running -- and behaving -- with their running partners. One of these days, I'll have to take Elaine running here.

I ran a little over 4 miles, about 4.2 miles in 46:45, 11:04 pace. I felt great; no pain.

I was able to talk to some of the kids running with their family and dog. The kids and dog were doing one of those run-walk yo-yo. They ran full speed ahead of me then stop when the dog stopped and walked. I would pass them with my slow steady pace. Then later, they would all run full speed and pass me again. Repeat for several times until I finally noticed that the dog was limping on his right rear leg. I told them when I caught up with them. They must have thought I was crazy, breathlessly telling them that their dog is running as though his knee is bothering him. Fortunately, the dog picked that time to start running on 3 legs so they stopped him and waited for their parents. They walked the dog the rest of the way and waved as I continued with my run.

Before long, I made the final turn and completed the run around Mile Square Park. This was not my first 4-miler. I ran the first 4-miler last Monday. But, for some reasons, this 4-miler made a bigger impact on me. Maybe because I feared that last week was a fluke, that no way can I run 4 miles non-stop. Maybe because MSP was where it started and running it today became a milestone, a reflection of how far I've come since October.

What a great way to end the day.
Elaine behaving superbly in Petco. Delicious lunch prepared by my nephew. And a run around Mile Square Park to commemorate my 6th month of running.

Elaine & Rope Ball

2010-04-12T15:45:00.000-07:00

Elaine chewed up the last rope toy (knot) easily. They used to last months; we'd buy a couple a year. But this last one was chewed up in a month.

So we went shopping at Petco.

This was our second trip to Petco. She did great. Not even a growl or bark. She was a little nervous when a nice brave Petco employee approached us to see if I had any questions. She (the employee) wisely kept her distance and did not try to baby talk or coo-coo at Elaine. Then a pit puppy came bouncing down the aisle and I thought "uh oh." Lo and behold, Elaine sat down and just looked at me! Needless to say, I couldn't hand over the treats to her fast enough :).

The same employee started talking to the puppy owner. I took that opportunity to test Elaine and gave her the "down" gesture. She plopped down and stared at me. She always had problems in a strange environment and is easily distracted. But not today. She did us proud!

We had a small glitch at the check out line when a lady pushed a full shopping cart towards us. Elaine had been wonderfully by my left side the whole time. She was freaked by the cart coming at us and scooted around and hid behind me! So much for guarding me! But she redeemed herself by patiently waiting by my side as we paid for the rope ball.

Notice the furrow between her eyes as she kept a wary eye on the shopping cart

Everyone kept their distance and I was careful to turn corners ahead of Elaine to avoid walking into anyone, 2- or 4-legged.

The car ride was also great. No jumping around or barking after skateboarders. We used the Roadie today. She did not seem as comfortable (compared to the Champion Canine) but tolerated the harness fine.

So far, she seems to like it. And, Lis, yes, it does roll away :).

Bloopers - Demonstrating the Floating Chest Pad

2010-04-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

Elaine had a full day today. Before we left for the day trip, we taped a quick segment showing the floating chest pad in action. One of the feature of the Champion Canine Seat Belt System was this floating chest pad but I never understood its purpose until I saw it in action. Basically, it allows the harness to be pulled down the side without twisting the harness under the dog -- the chest pad stayed on the chest, not pulled to the underarm.

To be honest, I thought it was just a neat feature but didn't think it was such a big deal. But after using it these past several weeks, it does seem to make a big difference. I don't see Elaine getting twisted in the harness as she turns every which way in the backseat.

Towards the end of the video, I had tightened the harness so it couldn't slide as designed. Ended up wrestling with Elaine instead.

It was an impromptu taping. I have been putting off finishing the reviews since we've been busy at work. I also had to postpone Kobi's part when he hurt his back a couple weeks ago. So, on a spur of the moment, I grabbed Elaine for the segment. Only after did I realize I was wearing my colorful Farmer Tran plaid shirt I bought years ago for my New Zealand farm visits. Oh well, may not be professional, but I guess it's in keeping with the informal nature of the reviews.

This is what it looks like when I edited out the end.

Day Trip w/Elaine

2010-04-06T15:49:00.001-07:00

Elaine made her first visit to the "new" Petco in town. It was a better place for her because it's still not busy midday. We did not have to worry about other dogs or too many kids. We were going to the park afterward but changed our mind (rather I changed my mind). This parking lot was up the hill and isolated. We end up walking around the mini plaza instead. Elaine did well considering she is still confused about walking on my left instead of my right.

That's what I get for not knowing any better when I first leash trained her. She got used to walking on my right. Now, I'm trying to retrain her to be on my left so we can go running (safer for her to stay on my left).

Rolling Easter Sunday

2010-04-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

Danika gave me an Easter egg she decorated at her dad's family's gathering. It's a Snow White theme.

In other news, we had a rolling earthquake this afternoon around 3:40 pm. It was the longest quake I've ever felt --- rolling sensation and luckily, not very strong. The epicenter was in Mexicali 7.2 magnitude and we felt it in OC! Lasted about 40 seconds.

Elaine & Hands-Free Leash

2010-03-30T07:11:00.000-07:00

Notice the slack leash! First walk with hands-free leash in public. Elaine tried to go after a barking dog but quickly came back to my side. Progress!

Danika - Stretching Her Face

2010-03-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

We got out of the clinic early today. I still had quite a few emails and phone calls to make but decided to re-energize with a run before settling in for another couple hours of work tonight. It was a good run. Ran 3.44 miles around the neighborhood -- and no pain! The last 3 runs have been great -- not sure if it's because I'm having at least 2-3 days (sometimes 4) between runs to recuperate or what. Wish I can run 3 times a week but things are so crazy at work that I've been only running twice a week. Oh well. At least they have been nice pain-free runs. Once things calm down, I'll sneak in a third run for the week.

Danika has taken to joining me for my post-run stretches. It is becoming a nice auntie ritual. She counts to 10 four times while we hold each stretch. Today, she recited her ABCs instead of counting; quite a creative kid, eh?

She scraped her knees earlier in the week so could not bend her knees well enough for some of the positions. She got bored counting and watching me so she started doing all these funny faces -- claimed she was stretching the muscles in her face!

Sweet silly kid.

Fuzzy Picture but Still a Favorite

2010-03-20T20:29:00.001-07:00

My favorite picture of a picture of my brothers and sister this past Christmas. My nephew Andre snuck in (second on the left in the red shirt).

Daisy - Morning Walk

2010-03-08T08:32:00.001-08:00

Elaine's New Rope Toy

2010-02-23T13:37:00.001-08:00

Update 03/01/2010
Looks like Elaine prefers the old rope toy after all. I've trimmed and removed the ends of the old toy as it got too worn and scraggly. But she still likes it better than the new rope. The new rope falls apart easily too. Same brand. Guess they don't make them like they used to :)

It's the Little Things

2010-02-22T11:09:00.001-08:00

Forgot to buy more peanut butter for my PB & sliced banana sandwich for breakfast. Banana slices on dry toasts just don't look right so I mashed the banana with a fork and spread it on toasts.

Yummy!
Just the right amount of sweetness.

Why did it take me this long to discover mashed bananas!?!

Re-Discovering the Outliners

2010-02-16T13:01:00.000-08:00

I've enjoyed writing the product reviews for work. I get to spend more time doing things with Elaine that I probably would not have otherwise. She continues to amaze and surprise me with her eagerness and cooperation. The other perk is refreshing and improving my writing skills.

I used to write a lot for classes in high school and college. The writing tapered off in veterinary school and almost came to a complete stop after graduation. Medical records are written with abbreviations, notes, and incomplete sentences. Unless I'm writing a referral report, paragraphs have no place in medical records. Frankly, I think the other doctors prefer the abbreviated versions, not the long proses.

One reason I took up journal writing was to practice my writing skills. Actually, it started as a way to practice handwriting skills as that, too, was falling on the wayside as computers took over most aspects of my life. Hence my interest in paper journals and pens. I soon learn that even though my handwriting is still pretty good, I had forgotten how to write things coherently and succinctly. I still don't do it well but, at least, I am working on it and blogging is a good outlet for it.

Outliners had always been a great help with my writing. I used Bonsai back in the days when I thought it was the answer to my GTD implementation (I was wrong). I was clearing out my Palm OS application folder when I came upon Bonsai again. Lo and behold, within minutes, Bonsai spat out an outline for the Canine Vehicle Safety Restraint System review.It feels good to have a big picture of where I'm going with the review. The ability to carry this outline in my Treo is a bonus. I've been known to get the writing bug while waiting in lines, dental appointments, etc... With Bonsai, I can access the outline and work on the review on my Treo. Bonsai has a lot of feature (to do's, etc...) but I'm only using it for the traditional basic outliner.

I stopped looking for a jack of all trade software. Why use an outliner to manage tasks when I already have something for that?

I'm using an outliner to create outlines. Big revelation, I know :)

Year of the Tiger

2010-02-14T09:58:00.000-08:00

My Sariah

2010-02-12T16:02:00.001-08:00

Lis got this nice one of Sariah, lounging in her bed. Best picture of her. Period.
Thanks, Lis!

Dead Clock

2010-02-09T20:58:00.000-08:00

What's wrong with this picture? It was taken at 5:37 pm today. At the time, I thought it was still early afternoon because the last time I checked the clock a couple hours earlier, it was about 9:35 am.

Downside of working in a windowless room and not taking breaks to look outside.
Time is determined by the clock --- even when it is not running.

Needless to say, I was late for several meetings.
On the good side, I was able to finish working on the Roadie review.

If I wait another 40 minutes or so, the clock will be on time again!

More of Elaine & Roadie Elite

2010-02-08T16:32:00.000-08:00

There are tricks and tips to help in putting the Roadie Elite on your dog. I had a difficult time in the beginning. The company website's video made it look so easy. I saw the difference was that I was pushing Elaine's legs through the opening, whereas the demo video (animation) showed the legs being pulled through the opening. So I gave that a try today and it was easier. I still have my doubt about using it for geriatric dogs and/or those with joint problems. I can still see dogs that are not used to harnesses or restraints panicking when one of their legs is still caught in the opening and hurting themselves trying to get free. Probably not a harness for first-timers.

Taking the harness off can also be a challenge --- at least, it was for me. Maybe I had my directions and orientation confused trying to face the camera. Instead of reversing the leg out of the opening, I tried to pushed the leg through into the next opening (for the neck). Luckily, I realized my mistake and backed out in time. Once I re-oriented myself, taking the harness off was not that bad.

After the videos, we went outside for some pictures and a test drive. The Focus is a small car. Even with the harness, Elaine can easily slobber on the front passenger. We will remove the wire barrier as soon as Elaine gets used to the harness and learns some carpooling etiquette :)

Click on image to enlarge

Plan to finalize the review for the Roadie tomorrow. (02/09/10: Done!)
Next week, it's the Champion Canine Restraint System!

Spring is Coming (& sore knee)

2010-02-08T07:52:00.000-08:00

We went for our Mom & Me walk this morning. Love this time of the year when it's still chilly but signs of Spring are emerging. We came upon this front yard with 3 short trees of sort. They had blossoms that reminded me of cherry blossoms. Mom said they're not. She should know as she visited friends in DC and saw lots of cherry blossoms. Dad saw the pictures and said they are some sort of cherry blossoms (at least, that's what I get after I translated it from Vietnamese!). Anyway, they made me think of Spring or at least the passing of time. I walked by this house with Mom weekly and ran by it several times a week. Up until this week, those trees had been bare --- twigs sticking out of trunks. But then the little buds started appearing and this weekend, all the buds seemingly exploded into blooms.

My favorite one of Mom after our walk

There were also red and pink ones but not as full as the white ones above. We did a shorter walk this week as my right knee was bothering me a bit. I probably overdid the running this past week. Ran another 3.6 miles late last night and exceeded m y week's goal of 9 miles (yeah!). But I may have increased my distance too quickly, going from not running for a couple of weeks to running 3.6 miles every other day. I need to remember to slow own or I'll get hurt again. I was planning to take it to 4 miles this week but it may be more prudent to stay with the 3.6 miles or even less if my knee is still bothering me.

Mom said I was slowing her down on the walk :). We covered 1.5 miles in about 28 minutes; slower than we normally do so she had a point.

Still a gorgeous morning.
And a good harbinger of wonderful things to come the last week of this lunar year. Lunar new year (Tet) this weekend! Year of the Tiger!

Running in Circles

2010-02-05T23:54:00.001-08:00

Tonight was my first time back on an indoor track since C25K intervals. It was raining again and I did not want to slowly slack off in my running again. I didn't think I would be able to run for long on a track and was considering the treadmill instead. But something about running for 30+ minutes and not going anywhere does not sit well with me. So around the indoor track I went. Roughly 33 times around the track, to be exact. About 3.6 miles in 39 minutes and 55 seconds at 11:06 pace (5.41 mph)

It was another great run. I feel like I could go longer but did not want to overdo it. Maybe I'll go for 4 miles next week.

The best part was cooling down to Michael Buble ''Haven't Met You Yet." I skipped and (almost) danced around the track. Must have been a sight :)

Some rude comments in the locker room threatened to end my evening on a sour note. But I managed to remember the feeling I had skipping around the track to the catchy tune of "Haven't Met You Yet" and things got better.

So not worth ruining my run and evening.

With tonight's 3.6 miles, I met this week's 9 miles goal! If I can get out again on Sunday, I'll pass 10 miles for this week!

Runner's Buzz

2010-02-03T22:23:00.000-08:00

Tonight's run was the best one so far in my young running venture. It was late by the time I got home from work. But I was not tired and the streets beckoned as they have not for a while. I changed shoes and hit the road.

It was a wonderful run. I did not struggle through the first mile like I usually did. Seems I found my stride right away and the rest of the run was effortless (well almost!). I still felt good when I neared the last turn for home. I passed the turn and ran another 1/2 mile --- making this my longest non-stop run, 3.64 miles! And I could have gone more to make it 4 miles if I had any sense of timing and direction. Hoping to get at least another 3.5 miles in later this week to meet my minimum goal of 9 miles this week.

Distance: 3.64 miles
Time: 0:40:19
Pace: 11:05 (5.42 mph)

I hope this feeling and sense of accomplishment will motivate me and keep me on track to the 10K. After slacking off the last few weeks, I was not sure if I can run 3.1 miles non-stop anymore. Tonight's run put that worry to rest. And that, oooh, feels so good. I think the worst part of slacking off was thinking that I wasted all the time and effort that went into getting to the 3.1 miles mark. I did not want to be a C25K alumni who loses motivation and stops running after graduation.

Not quite a runner's high.
Definitely, a runner's buzz.

RuffRider Roadie Elite

2010-02-02T13:44:00.000-08:00

As you will see, the Roadie is not really the easiest harness to put on, especially if it's the correct size (not too loose). This was the first time (actually second if you count the time I put it on incorrectly) putting it on Elaine. Maybe it will get easier after the harness stretches a little? I had to flex Elaine's paws and elbows quite a bit to get her legs into the correct openings.

I will try to get better videos later to show tips on how to get the harness on. But thought this was a good one to show how difficult it can be in the beginning --- and Elaine was good for this; can't imagine a dog who is not used to wearing a harness in the first place. Also tricky to get the harness OFF. That will have to be another video later.

Brushing Dog's Teeth - Rehearsal

2010-02-02T12:48:00.000-08:00

We've been thinking of doing some short videos on pet care. Elaine is turning out to be quite cooperative for my crazy schemes. The problem is that she is not that well-behaved with other people. You have to meet her to believe me :) --- completely my fault; never really socialized her after the trainer for her puppy class told me to consider private training since other puppy owners may not feel comfortable with a pit puppy. I know, crazy but that was almost 8 years ago when the anti-pitbull sentiment was prevalent. Anyway, I managed to convince the trainer to let us stay with the class. But we had to be off to the side :( and none of the other puppy played with Elaine.

I probably should have pushed harder to socialize her but what's done is done. She is great with me and the staff but really would just behave with me.

Anyway, what does all that have to do with videos?
I can't have someone operate the camera! Elaine turns into a misbehaving crazy maniac with other people around. So I figured a way to use a tripod and am playing with different ways to record stuff.

Here's a "first take" on brushing her teeth. I'm just trying to get an idea on where to place the camera and how to position ourselves, etc. Guess we have to figure a way to do close-ups on the teeth. Maybe Elaine will be good with Elias behind the camera.

Note the last part of the video when Elaine gobbles up all the treats on the bench as soon as I turned my back!

Re-Focusing on Running

2010-02-01T22:31:00.000-08:00

I have not had a chance to blog about my running. To be honest, I have not done that much running since New Year's so there was not much to report. I ran about 5 times after New Year's, most of which were in the second week of January.

I don't know why I suddenly lost the urge to run --- stopped lacing up after work. Runningman was kind enough to check in on me recently. He made me think and I realized that part of the fizzle was because I stopped reading the running blogs. You see, I am a relatively new runner. Running is not second-nature to me (yet). I have to think and focus on it, otherwise, other more pressing things in life will push it aside. Reading about running helped keep it on my mind.

When I temporarily stopped reading blogs as a way to gain more time for work projects, running faded out of sight. I became a Monday runner, running only once a week. I still enjoyed my runs --- when I finally got out there.

So I pruned my reading list and will refrain from reading every blog; maybe just skim the highlights and skip the posts that I don't relate to --- i.e. I don't run with music so why do I still read posts about Music Mondays, etc...?

I am slower (if that was even possible!) but am thankful that I can still run a 5K. I can feel the difference (not good) compared to my 5Ks in December. Worried that I will eventually lose all I gained since my C25K days several months ago, I am re-focusing on my running again.

I had modeled my running plan after the One Hour Runner, using distance instead of time. I was on week 2 when I stalled. I am going to restart from the beginning since I want to be "comfortable" with 5Ks again before upping the distance.

So for this week, I plan to run three 5Ks (3.1 miles), or any combination of runs to total at least 9 miles. I was late this morning and only ran 2.2 miles.

7 more miles to go for the week!

Elaine & Roadie Elite

2010-02-01T19:59:00.000-08:00

Sweet Elaine was a trooper today. She modeled the Roadie Elite harness. And thanks to my clumsiness, she also modeled what the harness looks like when incorrectly worn. Check out this video and you can see how getting the harness on properly can be a little tricky.

Click on image to enlarge

These will be used in a series for work as part of my review on canine car restraint systems. We're looking at the following harnesses:

RuffRider Roadie Elite
Champion K-9 Seat Belt System (*** Do NOT order from champk-9 site; use usak9outfitters. See the review later for details)
BeBop Secure Fit Harness
Easy Rider Harness
Four Paws Harness

Should be a good one. Just hope I can do it in a timely manner!

Chef Michael's Canine Creations

2010-01-26T19:31:00.001-08:00

Bought a sample bag from Petsmart for $0.47 to try as training treats for Elaine.

The dehydrated chicken pieces were so-so. Elaine did not take to them initially. She licked at them, chewed and spat them out and finally ate them. It took her almost a minute to finally eat / swallow one chicken piece. Not a good thing for training. Need her to eat it quick and pay attention to me, not test and savor the treat :)

We'll try it again but this may be fine as regular treat, not as training treats.

Drying Out My Focus

2010-01-22T19:56:00.001-08:00

Opened the moonroof on the drive home last night to enjoy the fresh air after the heavy rain. Yep. Forgot to close it when I got home. Rain overnight soaked the front seats.

Flooding by the clinic

2010-01-21T17:25:00.001-08:00

This was in front of our clinic yesterday Wednesday 1/20/2010. Supposed to be more rain and thunderstorms tonight!

CeCe Romping Around

2010-01-03T11:10:00.001-08:00

CeCe was excited and jumping up to greet me this morning. She is well on her way to recovery. So amazing to think that 2 weeks ago she was stiff as a board from tetanus. Had me doubting my treatment several times. Never seem to matter that I know it takes time to see improvement, even up to months --- it still wreak havoc on my self-confidence to see her so stiff. Hurray for patience and persistence. Will miss CeCe when she goes home (though, I'm sure Elaine will be happy to have me spend more time with her again!).

Update: CeCe went home Thursday 1/9/10. She should be fine. Miss the crazy girl already! Elaine's quite happy though :) getting all my attention again.

Hello, 2010!

2010-01-01T20:01:00.000-08:00

Started the year with a run this morning with Priscilla. She is returning to college this Sunday so I will be minus a running partner again. Boo!

We ran a quick 2 miler --- Priscilla is a lot faster than I and was ahead of me most of the run. Still was fast for me -- 10:25 pace. It was great to be out early to greet the new year.

I did a 3 mi run last night to bid 2009 fare thee well. Priscilla was leaving with friends so I ran that one on my own. Wish I can wax poetically about reflecting on the old year as I plan for the new but no such thing. I can't say I think about much during a run --- just on my breathing and strides. Maybe that will change once running become second nature to me.

Elaine and Her Rope Toy

2009-12-29T15:31:00.000-08:00

Happy CeCe

2009-12-28T09:29:00.001-08:00

CeCe was happy this morning. She was eager to run outside, not stiff as before. Had to take her in early though as the noise from the construction across the street was freaking her out.

Running with a Cough (& Christmas Run)

2009-12-27T20:42:00.000-08:00

I still have that nasty cough. Interestingly, the cough does not bother me at all during the run. But as soon as I stop, wham! cough my lungs out.

Oddly, tonight's run gave me my fastest pace for a 5K.
Time: 34:38
Distance: 3.11 mi
Steps: 5299 (setting for 37" per stride)
Pace: 5.39 mph (11.09 min / mi)

I also ran Christmas evening (before the nieces and nephews arrive). It was only a short 2 miler but it was nice since I was able to run at a faster pace (for me). I may need to do these shorter runs more often to work on my speed.
Time: 23:29
Distance: 2.16 mi (Tech 4o calculated it to 2.029 miles, w/stride length at 36")
Steps: 3573 (stride length 38" for this run!)
Pace: 5.52 mph (10:53! min / mi)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T13:05:00.000-08:00

Caught in the act. Elaine went digging around the packaging and got the sticky side of a bow on her collar. Got my Treo to record her playing but she stopped when she saw me approaching. She sat up with the "what did I do?" expression. Couldn't resist the almost perfect holiday camera-phone moment, complete with the red bow. In many ways, Elaine is one of my gifts --- and not just for today. Blessings are all around us. Sometimes we're too busy searching to actually see and appreciate what's in front of us.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

CeCe - Christmas Morning

2009-12-25T09:22:00.001-08:00

CeCe is not as stiff and not overly reacting to external stimuli today (which is good). Took the opportunity to clean her up a bit. We had not been able to clean her much (other than wet towel wipes) this past week since we had to minimize her handling to avoid causing her to seize and stiffen up on us.

Good to see her slowly but steadily improving. Click on image to enlarge.

Rudolph Running

2009-12-24T19:53:00.000-08:00

I got home a little later than I had planned -- it being Christmas Eve and all. The family was still chaotic, my youngest brother had not arrived with his family yet. Following the don't think about it plan, I asked Priscilla if she wanted to go for a run.

She was finishing up her presents and cards but she was ready for a break. Lil' Bro arrived as we were about to take off so we stayed a little to greet them. Gosh, how the boys have grown! Then off we went.

Andre, my nephew (Priscilla's younger brother), was cool to lend me his bike light. It clips onto my iFitness belt and is visible through my tank top.It worked quite well; I may look into getting one for these evening runs. Sis wanted me to wear the light on my nose a la Rudolph. I am not that crazy :)

CeCe - Best Part of the Morning

2009-12-22T08:53:00.001-08:00

CeCe continues to improve. The tetanus still makes it difficult for her to open her mouth wide to eat on her own. But, as you can see, she does superbly well when handfed. We slice the canned food into pieces that would easily go in her mouth.

Running Partner

2009-12-21T20:43:00.000-08:00

Tonight was a first for me --- running with a partner :)
My niece, Priscilla, is home for the holidays. She runs most mornings at UC, about 2 miles every morning. She was game to come running with me even though she has never ran 3 miles before. We had a good run. She held her pace back a little, I'm sure. We still ran faster than I ever did for this route --- 11:21 min mi :) (did I say I am slow?).

A running partner is nice. I kept going in places where I knew i would have slowed down if I was on my own. I was also glad to see that she had a good work-out also. Part of me thought the run would be too easy for her --- it was easy the first 2 miles then she had to work harder for the last one. I'm glad to see her in such good shape though. No one in the family (other than moi) runs so it was a pleasant surprise to see her running.

Time: 35:30
Distance: 3.13 mi (Tech 4o calculated it to 3.11 miles, not bad)
Steps: 5474 (stride length 36" in setting)
Pace: 5.29 mph (11.21 min / mi)

I thanked my sister for having Priscilla when she was relatively young --- so that my niece is old enough to go running with me (and I'm still young enough to do so!).

Don't Think About It

2009-12-18T21:04:00.000-08:00

That was close. For a moment, it looked as though I was not going to get another run in until Saturday or Sunday, one short of my goal of three runs a week. My last real run was on Monday. I ran a 2 miler with my niece on Tuesday as part of the family weekly walk but nothing since then.

Coming home from work today, I thought about doing an evening run but I did not get home until after 7:30 pm. I considered not running and just doing it tomorrow instead. I wavered back and forth during the walk in from the car. The sky was clear. The air was cool and crisp. Holiday lights were up. Got into the house and decided to go for the run. Not slowing down to give myself a chance to change my mind again, I changed and laced up my shoes and head out the door. It was a beautiful run.

Time: 35:50
Distance: 3.13 mi
Steps: 5503 *** stride length 36" in setting
Pace: 5.24 mph (11.27 min / mi)

My legs tired soon after mile 1. Not sure if it's due to low energy since I had not eaten much the whole day. But my breathing was great, nice and easy.

I love my Tech 4o watch. It was right on with the mileage. I'm going to keep the setting at 36" for the running stride for now. It's good to see my time improving even though my legs were tired.

So looks like I'll meet my goal of 3 runs this week (4 if counting the 2 miler). We have a family gathering on Sunday but I should be able to get a run in late at night. The trick is not to think about it. If I wavered back and forth then the reasons for NOT running were probably not that important. Don't dwell on whether it's a good idea or not to run. Don't give yourself a chance to talk yourself out of a run.

Don't think about it. Just run.

Too Well to Pose

2009-12-15T22:26:00.000-08:00

Thumper is recovering amazingly well. His kidney values are stable with only the canned KD food. He still has a small lump by the right underarm but gradually decreasing in size. I cannot explain how he is doing so well. I'll take it though, no questions. Just glad that the little guy is doing so well. As you can see, he is too well to hold still for pictures now!

Miko Beanie Kept Me Warm for Post-C25K Run

2009-12-14T08:04:00.000-08:00

Did my first post-C25K run this morning. Feels kinda weird running without a real plan. I need to work on a schedule soon to keep up with the running. I can feel the temptation to slack off now that there's no timeline. I want to continue with the 3 runs a week. Actually, I would like to run more often but it seems I'm still too sore to run every other day. Plus, I learned from today's run that I need to work on my legs; maybe some cross-training. Cardio-wise, the run was easy --- was not out of breath; breathing was nice and steady. But my legs were tired after 2 miles. Think I'll hit the gym for some weight work-out.

Time: 34:28
Distance: 3.1 mi
Steps: 5380 *** stride length was 37" this run; not very consistent, considering increase to 36" in setting
Pace: 5.4 mph (11.08 min / mi) --- my fastest pace for 5K thus far!

Stopped twice: once to re-tie shoelaces and once about 20 sec at stoplight.

Was cold this morning. Ran with my Miko Beanie (got on clearance at Sport Authority); kept me warm. Love the beanie. It has an opening at the top for my ponytail.

Overall, it was a good run. I like running early in the morning but it does put me behind schedule for everything else. Didn't get to the clinic until almost 9 am.

Will try to do 2 more runs this week. Fingers crossed.

Cat's in the Cradle

2009-12-12T19:44:00.000-08:00

Danika starting early on her college fund.

I don't have kids (the 2-legged kinds) and don't really plan on having any. I have nothing against kids; just know that I'm not up to that commitment.

Love my nieces and nephews to pieces :). Actually, I love most kids --- as long as they are OPKs (other people's kids).

Danika reminded me why I love kids --- and why I don't have any.

I try to spend time with her after work. She would ask me to play with her while I'm eating dinner. Sure, honey, I'll play with you after dinner. But only for a little bit, ok? I still have work to do.

While I'm at the computer, she wants to read me a story. OK, hon, can we make it a quick one?

She wants to play tea party. Sure, hon, but make it quick.

You see, I thought I was being a good Auntie. Playing and spending time with her. Making time in my schedule for her. Then it dawned on me. That's no way for a kid to grow up. She should grow up knowing that she is an important part of your world, not some responsibility that you have to squeeze in between your work schedule or social life.

Earlier tonight, it was freezing in our house. I was working at the computer, shivering in my Snuggie (yes, I have a Snuggie) when Danika walked by. I grabbed her and said, "Brrr, it's cold. How about a hug to warm us up?"

She smiled sweetly and replied, "OK, but make it quick."

She's not even 4 years old yet.
The things they pick up from us.

I gave her a quick hug and let her go.
Cats in the Cradle played in my mind.

See why I don't plan to have kids? I feel this bad when she's my niece; imagine if I have kids of my own!

C25K Graduation!

2009-12-10T21:10:00.000-08:00

Yeah! Today's run was the graduation run for C25K. I finished the 9-weeks program and can now run 5K (3.1 miles) non-stop. I'm still slow; takes me about 37 minutes to run the 3.1 miles (about 11.5 min mile). But just think, 2 months ago, I couldn't even run 2 minutes without huffing-n-puffing.

I wish the week has been good and the run was filled with happy thoughts. Unfortunately, this week was a continuation of last week with some more losses to cancer. It's always difficult for the families but it must be more so during the holidays. At times, my hugs at the end feel so inadequate. Some have families to share the sorrow; some are by themselves. The elderly clients living alone are the ones who get to me the most. Sigh.

I ran after work. It was around dinner time. The local market must have had a fish special or something --- fried fish was the predominant smell tonight. Not nice at all. The run did not feel as good as the last one. My right knee felt too loose most of the run; did not settle into a stride. Oh well, guess some runs will be eh.
Time: 37.0
Distance: 3.13 mi
Steps: 5617 *** stride length was 35" this run; will leave the setting at 35" for now.
Pace: 5.08 mph (11.50 min / mi)

My right knee is still a little sore. First time that I have problem with it since I overdid things in October. To make matter worse, my form was all off because I was trying to compensate for the right knee. I'll take it easy and see how it feels this weekend; sort of want to start my post-C25K run this Saturday but will postpone if the knee does not feel right.

I plan to continue running 2-3 times a week (3 is ideal but some weeks are crazy) and want to improve my speed so I can then increase distance. With a current pace of 11.5, I have plenty of room to improve :)

C25K W9D2

2009-12-08T07:35:00.000-08:00

I thought of taking Kobi with me but he had other ideas :)

It was freezing this morning; temperature must have been under 40F, which is cold for us. I had wanted to do W9D2 today. Felt a little bad that I chose to do the run instead of the walk with Mom & Sis --- that walk was scheduled for yesterday but we got rained out. I think Mom was hoping we do the walk today. I was up early and just could not wait for Sis to get up. OK, that's just an excuse. I wanted to do the run.

I head out without the heart monitor again. I liked the non-restricted feeling and think I finally can judge my effort now. I tried leaning forward a little more from the ankle; faster pace without much extra effort. I think I've been off on my running form. I was so focused on the tilting-pelvis-upward --- leveling the pelvis --- that I think I was actually leaning or holding myself back a little. I must be tilting it wrong or something. Anyway, I relaxed the tilting a little and things felt more natural. Must have helped since I finished the 3.14 miles in less time than before.

Time: 35.37
Distance: 3.14 mi
Steps: 5493 *** seems I maintained the increased stride from 35" to 36"; will adjust my setting.
Pace: 5.29 mph (11.21 min / mi)

Felt good. I think I could have gone longer. Which lead me to think about what I want to do after the graduation run later this week. At first, I was going to do the One Hour Runner or Gateway to 8K. But both are based on time. I prefer planning & mapping my runs by distance. So I may make my own schedule based on the One Hour Runner (i.e. instead of 30 min 3 times a week, I would do 3.1 miles 3 times a week, etc...). I'm thinking of keeping the first 2 runs of the week at about 3.1 to 3.5 miles and work on improving my speed and increase the distance gradually as my speed improves. The third run of the week will be the longer distance one where I gradually increase from 3.1 to 6.2 miles (10K). At this time, I don't plan to go past 10K as I can't realistically set aside over 75 minutes of running time a day. I'll just work on improving speed. Once I can run faster, I can add more distance.

Exciting that I'm about done with C25K!

First Rain is not Elaine's Friend

2009-12-07T12:57:00.000-08:00

It's been pouring since this morning. Elaine is not much of a rain girl.

She didn't know what to do; just stood there frozen.

Then she realized the quicker she does her morning business, the sooner she gets back inside.

We waited for the rain to stop so we can go outside. But no such luck; it was raining even harder than this morning. Decided to dig out the reflective coat we got last year for the late night walks.

Don't think Elaine is too pleased even with the coat :)

Thumper's Feeling Better

2009-12-07T09:14:00.001-08:00

Thumper continues to improve and is now up and prowling for his food.

The swelling by his right front shoulder and underarm is not as painful as last week. The warm compress seems to help. He's a good sport and tolerating (dare I say enjoying?) the warm compresses 2-3 times a day. Did the aspirate and no purulence so not an abscess as I feared. Seems to be more of an inflammatory reaction. Just worried that it seems to surround the lymph node. We'll give him some more time since the swelling has gotten smaller and he's improving. Hope we don't have to explore it.

W9D1 Run. Finally.

2009-12-05T22:57:00.000-08:00

5K of silence but for the passing cars & my breathing.Alone w/the sounds of my footfalls & thoughts for a woman missing sweet baby tonight.

I finally managed to get the W9D1 run done tonight. I was not sure what to expect since I had not ran since Tuesday morning. I know, that's not even 4 full days between runs but, hey, I'm a baby runner. I've been following the C25K plan with 3 running days a week (except when I was injured / sick). Maybe I thought I would backslide running just 2 days this week.

What a feeling to learn that's not so. Tonight's 5K was even easier than my accidental one last week. I ran the same route and did not have the problem on the upslope. Tonight was also the first time I ran without the heart monitor -- it was great not having that restrictive band across my chest. I confess, the heart monitor was my security blanket in many ways. I was never good at judging pain and listening to my body so I was worried about overdoing it in the beginning. The heart monitor was a way for me to gauge my effort so I don't keel over dead on the street :)

Without the distraction of checking my heart rate, I must have fallen into an easy pace and kept it up the whole run. I finished the 3.13 miles almost 30 seconds faster tonight!
Time: 36.43
Distance: 3.13 mi
Steps: 5505 *** seems I increased my stride from 35" to 36" for this run; progress!
Pace: 5.11 mph (11.44 min / mi)

It was a quiet, cool night for the run. I hit a nice pace and was able to think about the day. It was a busy day --- make that a crazy week. Ended the day with humane euthanasia of a dog with an inoperable tumor that had finally compromised her quality of life. We knew the day was coming; actually thought it would come sooner than today. The diagnosis was made over a year ago but we were able to maintain good quality of life for her with pain management. In many ways, she lived as though nothing was wrong --- "ignorance" is a blessing for our patients --- until the tumor got too big and impaired her bodily function. Much as it saddened us and pained her human companion, it was time for farewell.

We can prepare all we want, make our checklist of things to monitor, etc... but I've come to believe that it's almost impossible to ever be ready for that moment. And that there's never a right time. Just because it was time does not necessarily mean it was the right time. How could there ever be a right time for something like that?

No Running :(

2009-12-04T05:13:00.000-08:00

My last run was on Tuesday (sounds like a confession, eh?). I had planned to run last night and when that didn't pan out, I thought I'd try this morning. But no luck there. It has been 14+ hour days this week at work and am having problems fitting in my runs. I was looking forward to starting Week 9. I am still slow so a 3.1 mile run takes at least 35 minutes; add the stretching and showers (my co-workers would appreciate that, I'm sure) and I need to budget 90 minutes to do the run in the morning and get to work on time. So far, it's not happening :(

I was doing the runs in the evening last week but has not finished with work until after 10 pm this week. By then, safety concerns kept me inside. So I thought of getting up early for pre-work runs. Well, I didn't wake up until 5 this morning; not enough time to do the run and get to work by 6 am. It's a catch-22. I need to go to bed earlier to get up in time for the morning runs. But I can't get to bed early because of work. Besides, if I get done with work early, I would just do my runs in the evenings then, not go to bed so I can get up early :)! Maybe I should reconsider the treadmill at night. Sigh.

C25K W8D3

2009-12-01T20:41:00.000-08:00

I really like my Tech 4o watch. It took some fine tuning but after the second adjustment to the stride length, I think it's pretty accurate for a non-GPS device. Tech 4o got the mileage at 2.83 miles, compared to the 2.82 miles from the map.

I head out early this morning for the 2.8 mile W8D3 run. It's a route around my parent's home in OC. It was cold this morning (for me) so breathing hurts a little at first. It wasn't until mile 2 that breathing was easier and the legs were moving smoothly. I found myself leaning forward at the waist and had to make a conscious effort to tilt my pelvis and lean from the ankles.

If only I can start feeling how I feel at the last quarter of the run earlier in the run, that would be great! I was worried about running this morning since it was the shortest time between runs since recovering from my knee pain. I ran the 5K the night before last so was worried it was too soon. But it was the few chance I have to run in the morning so I took it and hoped for the best. It worked out well.

Time: 33.41
Distance: 2.82 mi
Steps: 5127
Pace: 5.02 mph (11.57 min / mi)
Min HR: 80 bpm
Ave HR: 161 bpm (89% MHR)
Max HR: 168 bpm (93% MHR)

The wiring in my reflective armband got too bent (stuffed in my gym bag) so the blinking red lights are malfunctioning. May have to get a new night light for the late night runs. At least the armband is still reflective.

I felt good at the end of the run and know I can do the 3 miles in week 9. I plan to make it 3.1 miles because I like the way 5K sounds :) The trick is getting through the first 1.75 miles --- everything is so difficult those first 20 minutes; breathing and strides are labored. Then, as if a switch is thrown at 2 miles, everything comes together and the rest of the run is almost effortless.

Hopefully, those struggling 20 minutes dwindle with time and training.

Found another newbie runner to follow for inspiration (and sympathy!). In addition to marshmallowrunner and runningman, there's now runnoobrun. I still check in the C25K forum but try not to so often because it tends to eat up the time and I don't get any work done. Selecting some blogs to follow helps cut down the web-surfing procrastinating time.

Weekly Walk with Mom and Sis

2009-11-30T20:56:00.000-08:00

Sis joined Mom and I for our morning walk this morning. She did very well for the 2 miles around the neighborhood. We may have to pick up the pace or risk boring her. I have to think of something to keep her motivated but at the same time, not be too much for Mom. Maybe have them do walks a couple times a week together then the one day I join them, I can do the run/walk with Sis. I can consider that my "off" day. I just don't think she would do it on her own.

She was barely out of breath during the walk. She can so easily do the C25K plan. I've read on the forum people who are more overweight than she and able to do the program. Hopefully, I can convince her to try.

The nice plus is she wears shoe size 8.5 --- the exact size of the practically-new Brooks Adrenaline GTS6 I have from last year (when I was going to start running). When I tried it on a couple months ago, it's gotten too small for me and I had to get a size 9. I was going to give it to another runner --- who knew it was going to be my own sister! :)

Thumper Looks Tired Today :(

2009-11-30T09:36:00.001-08:00

Thumper is one of our clinic cat with kidney failure. He's been doing well with his K/D (kidney) diet and subcutaneous fluids. He looked fine yesterday and got his fluids in the afternoon.

But this morning, he's moving slower than usual and he did not finish his dinner from last night --- very unlike him.

Hopefully, it's his arthritis. We had to discontinue the joint supplements when he had some soft stool. We'll restart the supplement with Adequan Injections if it turns out to be joint related and not his kidneys.

Wrong Turn Gave Me My First 5K for W8D2!

2009-11-29T20:36:00.000-08:00

My folks were not too surprised about my wrong turn but they were shocked by the 5K (sounds so much more official than 3.1 miles!). Let's just say I don't have the best reputation when it comes to directions. It did not help when years ago, pulling out of the driveway on my way to San Diego, I had to stop and gesture my sister to come to the window to ask: "How do I get to the 405 FWY?" The 405 is a major freeway in SoCal and I drive on it almost everyday but heading north. I don't often have to go on the 405S so was not sure where to get on the south 405. My family shook their heads and wondered how I ever made the road trip from Wisconsin to California on my own during vet school years.

Well, I mapped out the 2.75 mi run for my Week 8, Day 2 run of the Couch to 5K. The first part was up-down the streets of our neighborhood. In the dark, I missed the turn and did not do part of that run. I knew that would make me short on the 2.75 mi and spent part of the run thinking about how to make that up. I contemplated just making it a short run but after yesterday failed run (it stopped drizzling after I got home yesterday but I decided not to go back out), I didn't want another no-go on the record. So when I took the last turn of the mapped run and still have some oomph left in me, I passed the turn towards home and made another loop around the block.

The Tech 4o watch said I ran 3.144 miles but I wasn't sure how accurate that was since I'm still fine tuning the setting. Well, I just re-mapped the run on RunningAhead and it was 3.13 miles! Woo Hoo! My first 5K!

I ran the whole distance; no walking. The first mile was fine, not great but I wasn't struggling. The second mile gave me some problems as that was up a gradual slope but I still managed to keep the same (slow) pace. Then heading into the third mile, my breathing got easier and my legs were turning over without me having to think about it too much. I was able to work on increasing my stride length again. I must have kept it at 35 inches since the Tech 4o was almost right on with the mileage.

Time: 37.15
Distance: 3.144 mi
Steps: 5101
Pace: 5.04 mph (11.55 min / mi)
Min HR: 80 bpm
Ave HR: 161 bpm (89% MHR)
Max HR: 170 bpm (94% MHR)

Part of me want to keep doing the 3.1 miles for W8D3 but I think I'll stick with the planned 2.75 miles and maybe try to pick up the pace a little. I think I've been taking too short of a stride while running -- the running stride is barely 3-4 inches longer than my walking stride. Either that or my walking stride of 31 inches is too long :) Plus, I can always work to improve the running cadence. I think I'm currently running at about 136; maybe I can try for 140 with the metronome (which has been gathering dust on the desk).

It was a great night to run. Cool but still comfortable in my sport bra and tank top. Yeah, I still wear cotton tanks. I just have not feel the need to spend money on running tees and shorts/pants yet. It's still about 3 days 'til full moon but it looked full to me. Yesterday's "rain" and wind gave us a crisp clear sky.

I still can't believe I ran 5K. It was barely 2 months ago, on Oct. 1 when I started the intervals of running for 45 seconds and walking for 2 minutes, repeat 4 times. And I huffed and puffed through that first day. Wow. I hope I don't lose this I-can-do-anything-I-set-my-mind-to-do feeling. More importantly, I hope that months later when I get upset at myself for not making good time on a 10K, I can look back and remember how exciting running is and how far I've come. Remember future-self, winning is not only determined by how fast or how far you ran. You have already won the moment you lace up and head out.

Pinch myself!

Mom is so sweet. She wants to know how she was going to keep up with me tomorrow :) We plan to do our Mother-Daughter Walk tomorrow morning. Hope sis will be able to make it this week.

It Never Rains in Southern California? C25K W8D2 No-Go

2009-11-28T19:10:00.000-08:00

After another full day at work, I decided to do my W8D2 run before joining my family for my twin niece's birthday. Would you know it, but as soon as I reach the first street corner, a light drizzle started. The clouds were ominous in the evening sky. But growing up in SoCal, any dark cloud looks threatening to me. I was going to "tough it out," ha! The drizzle continued but not that bad, didn't even get my shirt wet. But it got my eyeglasses spotted and then fogged up. I cleaned / spat on the glasses (does that really work?) but by then, I was not really into the run anymore. So I turned and took a shorter loop home.

Final time was a measly 7:51 for 0.7 mi; pace 11:13
It does put my miles total over 60 for October and November, so that makes me feel good. Maybe I can get to 100 by the end of the year.

On the plus side, the twins had a good birthday and it was nice to see my brother and his family. I'm going to try W8D2 again tomorrow.

Thanksgiving Day and C25K W8D1

2009-11-26T20:01:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day started with me sneaking out of the house while the family was still asleep for my 2.8 mi run for W8D1. I read on the C25K forum about people having bad runs due to poor hydration or not refueling. I had not paid much attention to those issues since I thought my distance was still too low to need special preparation. Anyway, after my bad W7D3 run --- done after a long work day --- I switched it up and ate half a peanut butter and banana sandwich and drank some water before I suited up and head out.

I don't know if that made a difference or if it was a morning run vs an evening (post-work) run, but it went wonderfully well. Finished the run in 33.05, a 11:44 pace. I don't think I ever did under 12 before. I worked on increasing my running stride length also -- just seems so short compared to my walking stride.

Some early cooks were up and baking already. Delicious smells wafted out of open windows throughout the run. No thoughts other than the family gathering later in the day and the food.

The Tech 4o watch was about 0.6 mile under; not bad. I think it was due to my longer stride length. I had set the watch with the old 34 inch strides but I worked on lengthening the strides on this run. The new stride was closer to 35 inch. I hope to maintain this stride so made the adjustment on the Tech 4o.
Time: 33.05
Distance: 2.82 mi
Steps: 5177
Pace: 5.11 mph (11.44 min / mi)
Min HR: 79 bpm
Ave HR: 163 bpm (90% MHR)
Max HR: 169 bpm (93% MHR)

Went to work after my run; got everyone taken cared of and got back home in time for Thanksgiving dinner.

My brother and his family came over for dinner. Above are his two girls "wrestling" with me.