Inside, outside... you know... just a usual day of training

Happy almost-three-day-weekend Monday! I have a tickle in my throat today that I hope to nip in the bud before it takes me down again for a three day weekend. Bring on the tea, baby! (but note to self- - don't drink so fast that you burn your tongue. Yup. Lesson learned the hard way)

I hope you all had a sanguine weekend full of exhilarating runs. I ran too alright.... though it was much more memorable and enventful than I could have ever asked for.

Let's rewind: Friday it rained all day, finally cleared up in the evening. Sat morning wake up to clouds, but since I "only had a two hour run", decided I have enough time to finish before it started raining. I quickly eat waffles (mmmmm!!!!) get all geared up, and head out the door.

1 mile in. So far so good.
2.5 miles in. Oh CRAP. I feel a raindrop on my head.
2.6 miles in. OH SH!T. I def feel raindrops. Maybe I can run fast enough to beat the raindrops? Is that even possible? Yeah. It is. I am a fast running machine...!
2.8 miles in. OK. Drizzling now. Keep my fingers crossed that it remains a mere drizzle.
2.99-3 miles: HOLY MOLY!!!!!! Torrential Downpour! I mean, like the sky is just dumping rain. Oh crap. There is no way I'm running 10 more miles in this shit.

I run to the closest shelter I could find: an awning over an apartment complex. I strike up a conversation with the elderly gentlewoman also sheltering there. She is sniffing sage. Yup. Totally normal.

Sky is literally p!ssing rain. I try to call James to come pick me up.
Um..... right. of course today will be the day my phone decides to break. Great. I give it a good whack (yes, that is the technical term for "curing" all electronic ailments) and manage to make one phone call to James "come rescue me!"

Sage sniffing lady keeps me company, James picks me up, we drop off said sage-sniffing-lady off at her house, (yes, we are good Samaritans), James drops me off at my house, and I decide to finish off my run on the treadmill. Then remember my ipod is at James' house. Crap. Drive over to James', he's not home. Crap. Sit like a deranged stalker in my car outside his house in the storm. Grab my ipod when James comes home. Head to the gym finally.

I am wearing my Runner's HI singlet and CW-X tights, holding my Nathan Hand held bottle, and running on the treadmill.

Yup I know I look like a complete doofus. It's OK.

Mile 3 on the treadmill: All my profuse sweating causes a blockage in my headphones and my left ear piece dies. Oh great. Now I have only one ear for music.
Mile 4.5: Crap. I can't take it anymore. Remove headphones.
Mile 5.5: time for a break and some Sport Beans. People look at me like, "you just ran. Why are you eating candy now?
Mile 5.5-10: somehow I got my headphones to start working again. Thank goodness. Just get this thing over with already!!!!!!
I ran 10 whole miles on the treadmill. Obliterated my previous 'mill record by a whole 4 miles.

As I finish my workout, a guy asks me "So you're a runner, huh? How many miles did you run?"
Me: "13"
Guy: "Oh you poor thing!"

Crap. I must have looked like a tortured, wretched little soul on that rotational contraption of death (aka treadmill)

Go home take a shower. Look out the window. It's Sunny.
No, it didn't just stop raining. It's f*cking SUNNY like birds chirping everywhere and deer and rabbits and squirrels are frolicking in the fricking park sunny. WTF. So I go for a walk. Naturally.

But you know. Just another day of training I guess. :)

So clearly, by Sunday, you had no way of telling it had ever rained. It was sunny and gorgeous and beautiful. Perfect day for a bike ride, no?

I slathered Body Glide and Vaseline on my inner thighs like there's no tomorrow. Put on my non-cyclist's cycling outfit, (cycling shorts are on the way!) and head out the door.

Told ya it was gorgeous out :)

It was a great day to be out.... except for the wind! I thought running in windy conditions were hard.... but it's nothing compared to cycling in the wind!
At one point, the wind was gushing up the hill that I was descending. The wind was so strong, I had to actually pedal quite hard to make it down the hill. Crazy!
At another point, the wind was so strong, I honestly thought I was going to topple. I had to turn the corner and kind of "wait out the wind". Gnarly, my friends.

I even made it down a steep hill I've been too pusillanimous to attempt, and rode further than I've ever gone. Soooo much fun!

I even got a cat call from a car driving by. It must have been because I looked very irresistible -->

Yup.

Must be.

Overall, it was a great ride. I wanted to go further, but decided my girly parts had enough of a beating for the day. :)

I really like these red flowers :)

Lemon groves. Would you believe it was storming less than 24 hours ago?

Country road... take me home... to the place... where I belong!!!!....

My "cycling gloves" aka fleece gloves from the dollar store

I just realized this had been a super rambling, incoherent kind of post. Must be all the germs my body is trying to fight...again! grrr. All I care is that it's better by this weekend's 20 miler, because LA Marathon is coming up fast!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend! :)

What's the longest you've run on the treadmill?

Announcing my second Marathon!

Happy glorious Friday!

Even though it is raining cats and dogs and I'm anxious about how to get my run in this weekend,
I am stoked that it's Friday! Don't you find that Fridays always feel special regardless of the weather? :)

I am postponing my regular Feature Fridays today, because I have a much more exciting piece of news to share:

James and I finally signed up for our second marathon!

And the race we're running is.....

Here's a clue: It's already listed on my side bar. It's in CA. It's my first "really big race". It's in March. It's going to be awesome.

It's the.....

LA Marathon!

We are both super excited about this race! Some of the points I'm most looking forward to:

1. Trying to beat my time from the first marathon
2. Running in Dodger Stadium! (image source)
   
3. Running on Rodeo Dr (window shop and run a marathon at the same time? Count me in!) (image source)
   
4. Out running Paris Hilton (the chances of her running are slim to none, but you never know)
5. Running a course I've never run on before
6. Running my first "big race" (More than 2,000 runners)
7. Finishing at Santa Monica and the beach party
8. Exploring a new city my favorite way.... by running!
9. Hopefully bumping into some fellow bloggers!
10. Running with my favorite partner James again :)

This year the LA Marathon is debuting their brand spanking new course, and since I've never spent a lot of time in LA (though I live only like, 2 hours away) I'm looking forward to exploring it in a much more intimate way.

My Round 2 of Marathon Training is going OK: not the best, but I'm satisfied. I already have a 16 miler and 18 miler under my belt, and will tackle a 20 and 22 miler in the weeks to come. As with the previous round of training, I think my highest mileage week will top off at around 30 miles. (pathetic I know... but it works for me) But my body feels much stronger this time around, and I have not been having debilitating knee pains or ITB pain (thanks to strength training and yoga). A little bit of pain from my pinched nerve, but thankfully nothing major.

And crikey! It's only 43 days away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I really am looking forward to meeting fellow bloggers! If I contact you to meet up; please don't think I'm a creepy stalker :)

And I'm off to do a ritualistic dance to make the rain stop :)

Have a runnerific weekend!

Oh and before you leave, check out some awesome giveaways in blogland:
Harbinger Fitness Gloves at I Run Because...I Can
Recovery Socks at Tall Mom on the Run

Nathan Handheld Bottle at Running Off at the Mouth

What do YOU think Wedenadays 4 - Is Yoga good for Running?

Good morning! It's already three days into February, can you believe? 2010 has been a flyin'!

Thanks for reading Part 4 of What do you think Wednesdays.

Let's just jump right into it.

What do you think.....

Is Yoga good for Running?

I am clearly no Kara Goucher, and clearly no Rodney Yee, but I run sometimes, and practice yoga sometimes, so… that counts for something, right?

In my humble, non-expert, but still-should-be-good-for-something opinion, YES, yoga has been good for my running.

Without getting too verbose, I’ll try to sum up how I think I’ve benefited from yoga.

The following is a list of generic/common benefits of yoga:

* Relaxation of Muscles
* Increased Energy Levels
* Improved Cardiovascular Endurance
* Improved Core Strength
* Improved Flexibility and Balance
* Enhanced Overall Muscle Strength
* Enhanced Immune System
* Improved Digestion
* Weight Control

To spare you from death by boredom, I’ll try to stick to the important bits!

Relaxation of Muscles:
This one’s pretty self explanatory. Running hurts. My leg muscles get tight. My tummy cramps. My neck and shoulders cramp. Yoga stretches and soothes. Relaxation of muscles: check!

Increased energy levels:
Hmmm.... Though I find yoga to be invigorating, restorative, stimulating, and exhilarating, I don’t think it has contributed much to making me MORE energetic overall as a human.

Improved Cardiovascular Endurance:
For runners and endurance athletes, this statement might make you chuckle. Yoga? As Cardio? I personally don’t think yoga, even Bikram Yoga (aka oven yoga) can come even close to running in terms of improving cardiovascular endurance. However, that being said, there are challenging yoga sessions that left me panting. I think “improved” is an overstatement, but it does help somewhat.

Improved Core Strength:

(Boat Pose: Image source)

Bingo! This one’s huge for me. My lack of core strength slapped me in the face when I first started running. I was so weak, I would get too tired to hold my upper body upright on long runs. Even worse, with my weak core, I couldn’t support all the movements of my hips. Hello Pinched Nerve!

Yoga, with all its balancing poses, has helped my core strength tremendously! According to this LA Yoga article, yoga "[is] way to help runners with core strengthening, since running forces athletes to work the major muscles, while the stabilizers (tendons, ligaments and minor muscles) are often neglected.”

Every week, I do a 60-min or 25-min Core Yoga Class at home. (Available from yogadownload.com. SUPER awesome website BTW). HOLY CRAP. My abs are so ripped up, I call it The Situation.

Well, not quite, but my core strength is MUCH better. Thank you navasanas!

Improved flexibility and balance:(Standing Splits: Image source)

This one is by far the most important benefit, in my opinion. According to super Yogi Baron Baptise and Kathleen Finn Mendola in their article "Yoga for Runners",

A typical runner experiences too much pounding, tightening, and shortening of the muscles and not enough restorative, elongating, and loosening work. Without opposing movements, the body will compensate to avoid injury by working around the instability. Compensation puts stress on muscles, joints, and the entire skeletal system.

The article further goes on to explain that

Knee pain, too, is related to other parts of the body. If the ankles are weak or the hips are not aligned, that can put strain on the anterior ligaments in the knees.... Due to constant forward motion, hip flexor muscles shorten and tighten and cause hyperextension in the lower back. This constantly arched position holds tension in the back and can hamper the fluidity of the hamstrings as well.

Um..... wow. Has Baron been stalking my blog or something? Cause he just recapped all the injuries/pain I've been having, like tendinitis, ITB pain, pinched nerve in my lower back....

When I first started running, I kind of threw yoga off. I used to be little miss Gumby, but run ning, combined with a desk job did something unexpected to my body; it made me stiff as a board. My hip flexors especially were so tight! So much so that last February, I pinched my nerve in my lower back. That was NOT a fun experience. Running also put a lot of strain on my quads, as they constantly felt tight, swollen, tired, and heavy. I pushed through it and got tendinitis. Because my hips were weak, I got ITB pain.

Back in Octoberish of 2009, I got serious about my yoga again. It became a mandatory weekly workout. At first, I was so inflexible, I could hardly hold the poses I used to be able to do perfectly. I was shocked! Had I gotten that tight/stiff? wow.

But now, 5ish months later, I'm glad to say I'm back to being 96% of my original flexibility. My ITB pain is but a memory. My quads feel much better. My tendinitis has fewer flare ups. I think balancing the muscles being used, giving them appropriate flexibility, and stretching out the tightness caused by running has been crucial. I think without yoga, I'd be running with a lot more pain right now!

Enhanced overall muscle strength:
Yes. Yoga has improved my overall strength. I can now hold poses deeper and longer. I can balance without toppling over. I know yoga will never replace weight training. You can't hypertrophy through yoga. But using gravity and your own body strength goes a long way in developing strength.

I think the trick to gaining strength through yoga is choosing classes with "power" in the name. I like the "Power Vinyasa Flow" classes from yogadownload.com. I am too much of an adrenaline junkie to be able to yawn through "let's touch our toes and take a deep breath" kind of BS classes. I want to be challenged. I want to work out, I want to get strong! So I stay away from classes like "Gentle Hatha Flow" or "detox yoga", or anything targeted towards beginners. I think power yoga and other challenging classes def has muscle strengthening capabilities.

I've never tried yoga with weights... I don't know if I'm coordinated enough for that :)

Enhanced Immune System:
Dubious claim, in my opinion. I still get sick.

Improved Digestion:
Yup. I'll let em rip during yoga sessions. Keeps me from feeling dyspeptic. :)

Weight Control:
I suppose if I stopped with all those damned chocolate-covered, peanut butter filled pretzels from Trader Joes, I would lose weight.

In a nutshell; I have found yoga to be extremely beneficial to my running. The flexibility and fluidity I regained in my hips/quads is remarkable.

To be honest, I only look at yoga from an athletic point of view, not a spiritual one. I really couldn't care less about mantras, shakras, cosmic energies, ayurveda, or any of that sort of mysticism. I think yoga as a physical practice can be separated from its spiritual origin. In fact, a lot of that mumbo-jumbo scares me and turns me off. But I know that deep trikanasanas and utktasanas make me stronger, so I will keep at it.

Also worth mentioning is that I do all of my yoga at home. I use yogadownload.com, which is an amazing website for at-home yoga classes. I highly recommend you check it out. Dawnelle is my favorite instructor BTW :) They have everything from 20 minute classes to 60+minute classes for all levels and styles. I like to crank up the heater in my house to about 75 degrees and have a nice, warm, long, yoga session.

I know this has turned more into a "let me preach at you about yoga" rather than a "what do you think?" but forgive me. I love to talk about myself, obviously :)
So thank you for listening to me go on and on, but What do you think?

• Do you practice yoga for running?
• Do you have a stretching regimen instead of yoga?
• Or do you cross train instead? Do you find that cross training is enough to balance out your muscles?

Again, I very much appreciate your wise thoughts!

Happy Humpday!

Is this for real? Am I.... getting... no it can't be

Gasp!
Could it be....?
Really....?

Is Mr. Garmin playing games with me? Did the satellite messages get all effed up? Because the numbers can't possibly make sense....

18 miles, 9:40 average pace. That's a whopping 50 Seconds faster than my previous 18 miler, 20 seconds faster than my fastest 16 miler, and 6 seconds faster than my marathon pace.

And I wasn't even trying. And I was on my...um... cycle. WTF

I think the only logical conclusion is that Martians are out playing cruel tricks on people's confidence. I'll bet my life on it. Those darned Martians; screwing with the satellite signals again. I swear. If I ever run into one....!!!
(Image source)

Yes, it's safe to say this week's run was a GINOURMOUS improvement compared to the 16 miles of torture the week prior :)

This training cycle, (event yet to be announced as I am a lazy bum bum who hasn't registered yet. Drrr!) I promised myself to be more careful about on-the-run nutrition. I wanted to make sure I ate according to a schedule, not just randomly and erratically popping Shot Blocks.

Um.... yeah. Major FAIL on that one. I just cannot seem to get hungry enough for anything while running. Schedule, shmedule. Maybe the problem is that I eat too big of a breakfast? For example:

Pre-Run eats consisted of coffee, 2.5 homemade waffles with syrup and PB, 3/4 banana, a couple mouthfuls of scrambled egg, Clif Z-bar, piece of chocolate, and a slice of bread.

On-the-run eats consisted of 6 Shot Blocks, 150 calories of coconut water, and 3/4 slice of bread with jelly and margarine.

I felt no hunger on the run and I felt adequately fueled and energetic. I had packed two Carb Boom! energy gels, and an extra carton of O.N.E coconut water, but were left untouched.

Would it be better to eat less of a breakfast and eat more on the run? Or since breakfast consists of "real food", would it be better to keep eating my Hugh Jass b-fasts and lay low on the energy products? (Cheaper this way too) I would hugely appreciate any feedback! How/when do you fuel up? I guess I'll experiment during this weekend's "short run".
____________________________________________________

In terms of non-running news, I took my new bike out for it's second ride this weekend :) Despite some chafing (I'm ordering shorts, lube, and gloves today!), I felt much more confident on the bike: I've stopped having nightmares about clipping in/out :) ahh I can rest easy at night.

On this ride, I focused on learning more about the rear derailleurs. Every little hill, I practiced shifting up and down, and seeing how the bike felt. I also practiced dropping down to a very high gear for the downhills, so I wouldn't have to rely on gripping the brakes to death. Overall, a very fun ride :)

So by the end of the week, I hope to catch up on some product reviews, and finally announce the event I've been training for!

Hope everyone's weekend was absolutely glorious, and hope the week ahead has plenty of joy and laughter.... and of course, who can forget, Running! :)

Feature Friday: James the Marathoner

Good morning! I am so happy it's Friday! woot woot! And I got in a killer double workout yesterday, so I am feeling great :) All that adrenaline sure does help!

Today's Feature Friday is someone you are probably familiar with by now: James.

He's been the best training partner I could have asked for, and we've run most of the races together. He was really excited for the opportunity to express himself and to have you all know him a bit better!

So here's ten minutes with James (a bit of background on him: he's born and raised in Hawaii, played waterpolo in college and high school, and recently completed his first marathon)

Q; Did you have any running experience prior to your marathon training?

Running is in my blood. My dad was a track star throughout high school and in college. He used to tell us kids he could run between raindrops. I believed him. So he had little trouble convincing me to sign up for track when I was in middle school. I wanted to run between raindrops too. Just like my old man, I was a hurdler and a sprinter. I loved race days. Nothing made me more nervous than digging my spiked shoes into the starting blocks and lifting up to glance at a battalion of barricades. At that moment, the air was electric. When the gun went off, the worst was already over. As long as I was running hard, the hurdles couldn't hurt me. Twenty seconds later it was all over, but the rush would linger. And what a rush it was.

Q: You just ran your first marathon with me! What were some of the challenges you overcame to run those 26.2 miles? What were you most nervous about?

Well, I have to admit: I'm no endurance athlete. All my life I've been a fast-twitch kind of guy. I go big, then I go home. Prior to training, I had never run more than 6 miles at one time. The biggest challenge for me was pacing myself. Running slow was against every instinct. Seven years after my last track meet, my legs still want nothing more than to carry my body as fast as it will go. I've gotten better at pacing, but truth be told, without a wonderful running partner to help on those long runs, I may never have broken the 10 mile mark. I had to try three separate times before I was able to complete a full ten mile run. Come race day I was worried I would simply run too fast to start out. Not running every step of my first marathon was my biggest fear.

Q: You've run a marathon, and you've also completed a biathlon. What are some of your future goals as an endurance athlete?

Iron Man, baby!!! That reminds me, I need to buy a bike.

Q: Do you have any weird running quirks?

Quirks, huh? I dunno, I put my right foot down, then my left. I breathe in and then out. Is that quirky?

Q: What's your favorite running distance?

I love running 400 meters. Just one lap around the track, I get to kick it into high gear. I love the distance because I can open up my stride and really push the speed. It's a great feeling. Like I said, I'm a sprinter.

Q: What has your favorite race been and why?

By far my favorite race has been the Maui Half Marathon we did in September. (click here for recap) It was my first half marathon ever, and I was surprised myself by actually racing it. I owe a big thanks to Julia for helping me prepare for the event. I got 3rd in my age group (out of twelve) and got a nifty little koa bowl shaped like a honu (seaturtle). (please see below) Then we spent the rest of the day frolicking in the ocean. It was divine.

Q: If you could have any running buddy for a day, dead or alive, real or imagined, who would you choose?

No question, the late great American humorist and writer Kurt Vonnegut Jr. We'd run (really slow) all day and we would just talk. Well, he would talk, and I'd ask endless questions. We'd talk about war, love, beauty, youth and it's passing, and so many other wonderful, tragic things that are inevitable consequences of the human condition. And we would laugh. After all, "Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter could be said to remedy anything"

Q: If you could race in any city of the world, where would you want to run?
Prague, Czech Republic. I lived there for 6 months in high school and it is by far the most beautiful city I have ever seen. Old Town square has some of the oldest buildings in Europe, having narrowly escaped conflict in both of the world wars. Charles Bridge is awe-inspiring in the morning haze. The food is delicious and the beer is peerless. If you think you like pilsner beers, visit the Plzensky Prajdroj brewery in Plzen, Czech Republic (aka Pilsner Urquell, available at most Whole Foods stateside). Fried cheese and croquettes would be the best post-run food.

Q: Favorite pre-run food? On-the-run fuel? Post-run fuel?

Julia makes the BEST pancakes. Fluffy and filling, they go well with jam, pumpkin pie filling, honey, applesauce, syrup, greek yogurt, or the freshest of fruits. Hands down, the best pre-run fuel, complimented by a nice pot of coffee. On the run fuel? PBJ sandwiches save my life. Once, on a long run, some bum stole my sandwich. I was a sad panda for the last three miles. I had to settle for my Gu's. Those are great too. For post-run fuel, pizza and beer would be the next best thing to genuine Czech fried cheese and croquettes and of course pivo (beer).

Q: So we know you enjoy running. What are some of your other hobbies?

I like... drawing, painting, surfing, strummin' on my gui-tar, which, much like running, I'm still learning.

Q: If you had to run a race dressed head to toe in one color, what color would you be?

Colors can say so many things. But nobody has said as much with a monochromatic wardrobe as my man, the late great songwriter and singer, Johnny Cash.

"Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought 'a be a Man In Black"

I'd wear black.

Thanks, Julia and all you wonderful readers out there. Keep on keeping on!

(at Healdsburg Half Marathon)

Thanks for reading everyone, and thank you James for doing this! I hope you all got to know him a tad bit better :)

Hope everyone's weekend is filled with mind-blowing runs :)

What do YOU think Wednesdays III - Japanese Eating Habits

Yay Wednesday!
A little secret: I totally overslept this morning (on accident I promise) and was late to work.....shh!!!!! But that extra 45 min of sleep was heavenly. Crazy how much difference 45 min does for my body. Ahhh. Even the rush to get ready felt peaceful for some reason ;)

So here is Part III of What do You think Wednesdays.

The topic today is: Japanese Eating Habits

I haven't written too much about eating habits; I discussed eating healthy on the cheap here, and about what I ate in Japan here and here.
One topic I could talk for hours and hours about though, is the comparison between American eating habits and Japanese eating habits.

Before I go any further, please click HERE and watch the video segment that aired on the Today Show a while back. (Today show is my absolute favorite show. Yes. I know that makes me SuperNerd. I'm OK with that)

In this clip, Ann Curry talks to Harely Pasternak, author of "The 5-Factor World Diet" who is a famous celebrity trainer, author of the notorious 5 Factor Diet.

Usually, I don't care for your so-called "celebrity trainers" touting weight loss secrets. Usually I think they are full of BS. However, this clip caught my eye, as it describes the eating habits of three of the world's healthiest countries; Italy, Sweden, and Japan.

As you know, I grew up in Tokyo basically my entire life, and I've been living in CA for the last 6ish years. My brother has been living here for about 4 years. You know what happened to both of us?

We both accumulated some excess lbs. Oh yes.

What has changed?

As Harley explains in the video, we eat a lot of soy, fish, and green tea in Japan. But I don't want to focus too much on the actual food itself. Harley only briefly explains "The ceremony of eating is so important" in these healthy countries. But actually, this is what I think is the biggest difference.

In Japan, Food, and Eating, is kind of A BIG DEAL. And not just any old thing you can put in your mouth, but really good, fresh, high quality, gourmet food.

Walk into any department store in Japan, and you will typically find 1-2 floors devoted entirely to a collection of the finest foods you can find. Specialty beef. Specialty crabs. Specialty teas. Specialty cheesecake. Specialty chocolates. Specialty tomatoes. Yes, it is expensive compared to your Costco 12 pack of boulder sized muffins. However, in Japan, people are more concerned with the pleasures of savoring a bite of unforgettable goodness rather than stuffing their bellies with food for the sake of feeling full. Now this is easier to do in Japan, since the portion sizes are smaller to begin with. In Japan, other than your growth-spurt, hormone ridden teenage boy who could eat up a fridge, most people will much rather prefer to spend $10 on an ounce of top-grade Kobe beef than buy 10 pounds of no-brand beef. It's kind of the ethos of the Japanese culture, I think, to adore small and delicate things. (top grade sashimi)

I know I'm getting totally off topic from the video. But this has spurred a lot of thought!
Here's a brief list of why I think Japan continues to rank as one of the healthiest countries:

Eat Fresh
When I moved to CA, I was shocked by the quality of the produce in supermarkets. The fruits and veggies looked lackluster, dull, and not very appetizing. (I’m talking about regular stores, not places like Whole Foods) And the yogurt! American yogurts don’t expire for almost a month! WTF is in these things? It makes me wonder just how much preservative they must add.

In Japanese supermarkets, the produce is more expensive than in America, but it looks more vibrant and colorful. Also, people are picky about where their food comes from. Many supermarkets will display on the label where in Japan the eggplant was grown, what prefecture the apples are from, what farm the rice is from, etc. It gives a sense of community as well as safety. And as for yogurt, I’ve never seen a package that expires more than ten days later. (Less preservatives = more fresh)

Also, in Japan, most people go grocery shopping a few times a week, but only buying things they really need for the next day or two. This ensures that you are always eating fresh(er) things, and you don’t waste money by letting leftovers and food go bad in your fridge.

Bite Sized
Seriously. It’s not just a stereotype that American portions are out of control! For example, the smallest cup size at Starbucks here is the “tall”, which is 12 ounces. In Japan, that’s the medium size. Most people order the “short” size, which is only 8 ounces. Another example is yogurt. Even though it’s a “healthy” food, in America, most containers are about 6 ounces. In Japan, it’s about 3.5 ounces. The difference is small, but over a lifetime, those calories add up. Most things considered "small" to "medium" here would translate to a "large" and "X-Large" in Japan.

(Specialty bite sized cakes)

Think Green
Green tea with McDonald’s? Yup. Japanese people drink tea with their fries. Walk into any 7-11 or grocery store, and you will find more varieties of tea than soda or juice. Not only is tea calorie-free, it also contains a lot of antioxidants and is good for your health.

I'm continuously surprised at how much sugary coffee drinks Americans drink everyday! Sure, it’s a great pick-me-up and all, but some of those concoctions can have upwards of 400 calories!

Quality over quantity

I have come to the conclusion that Americans REALLY value quantity. So much so that they are willing to compromise quality for quantity. Costco sells 50 mediocre looking apples for 20 cents each. It may look like a steal, but a Japanese person would see that and think, “hmmmm. But is it domestic? Where does it come from? How good is it?” and would prefer to go to a specialty store and buy a domestic, fresh, ripe apple for a dollar.

Same goes with dessert. Here, you can buy a GIGANTIC scone for $1.50 at most cafes. They taste OK, and fills you up. But in Japan, we would go to our favorite bakery, cake shop, or a famous pastry shop and splurge on a dessert that is truly exceptional. These desserts tend to be smaller and more expensive, yes, but they leave you feeling more satisfied and happy.

Phew! That was a looooooooooooong post. And please note that I am NOT attacking American culture in any way.... just making generalizations. These are just some of the observations I have made from living in America and in Japan. I obviously don't have the best eating habits in the world, so who am I to talk, right? But I just think that when it comes to staying healthy through food, Japanese people are onto something that Americans can learn.

Sorry this is long, but if you made it through to the bottom, please share, what do you think?

• Have you lived in/spent time in another country with a very different food culture? Did you learn anything new from that culture?
• What's one thing you would want to see changed about American food culture/food industry?
• What's one food habit that keeps you healthy?
  

Again, thanks so much for reading and sharing your views! :)

Carb Boom! and Honey Stinger Energy Chews Review Time

Happy Tuesday! Thank you so much for the encouraging words yesterday regarding my craptastic run this weekend. To know that I'm not the only one who has horrid runs, to know that bad runs are followed by good ones, and to hear your coping strategies is invaluable to me. So thanks for lifting my spirits!

And now onto some fun stuff: It is product review time here over at Chocolate Shoestrings

One redeeming thing about the above mentioned run was that I got to try out two (new to me) nutrition products. To my pleasant surprise, both were so good, I think they are going to dethrone my current favorite; Clif Shot Blocks!

I found both of these products at my local bike shop, btw. I haven't seen them anywhere else.... but that's probably because I live in a small town!

Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews in Pomegranate Passion

Dang. I really like these little suckers! So tastey! Clif Shot blocks are in immediate danger of being overthrown as my top running nutrition.

These chews from Honey Stinger are, according to the website, a "natural energy gel made from a combination of pure Honey, pure water, Salt, Potassium Citrate and Vitamin B Complex." They contain an "ideal balance of carbohydrates for optimal performance before, during and after training. A near 50/50 Fructose - Glucose ratio gives ideal levels of glycogen to muscles and liver." Sounds good to me!

The guy at the bike shop explained to me that since it's made from honey, the sugars get absorbed into the body quicker, thus resulting in a faster energy boost. Who knows how accurate "bike shop dude" is, but I know honey's good for you, so I gave it a shot. And I'm glad I did!

Each chew is a little smaller than the Clif Shot Blocks, and are circular in shape. There are 10 pieces in each bag.

Taste: Delicious. Not too sweet, not too tart. No "fake" and icky aftertaste, just a nice, fruity burst of happiness right around mile 8 :)

Texture: Very easy to chew and swallow. Since each piece is smaller than the Clif Shot blocks, I found it easier and quicker to chew these Honey Stinger ones. Sometimes, I struggle with the Shot Blocks; I can't chew them small enough while running, and end up swallowing big chunks. And I know that will cause my body to digest/use it slower. So I think the Honey Stinger chews are superior in this aspect.

Verdict: I couldn't tell if Honey Stinger worked any "faster" than the Clif Shot Blocks, but all I know is that I'm headed back to the bike shop today to buy some more for the long run this weekend.

Nutrition at a glance: Serving size of 10 pieces (1 bag)
160 calories, 0g fat, 80mg sodium, 40mg potassium, 39g total carbs, 1g fiber, 24g sugar, 1g protein, 100% Vitamin C

Honey Stinger also offers energy gels, protein bars, energy bars.... and flavors galore! I am interested in trying the Cherry Blossom Energy Chews next. All the products are available on their website, and the chews go for $1.99/pack or $22.50 for a box of 12. I might have to invest in a box :)

Carb Boom! Energy Gel in Apple Cinnamon
I have been weary of energy gels ever since I had a bad experience early on in my training. (ie puke) However, I was getting tired of stuffing my pockets with countless Clif Shot Blocks. You need to eat a lot of Shot Blocks to get the same amount of calories as one Gel Packet. I don't know why I got inspired to try a gel again, but I did. And I'm glad I did!

Carb Boom! Sports Nutrition is a very new company; started in '08. They have a whole slew of products including energy gels, chews, sports drinks, whey protein, recovery drinks, etc. I tried the energy gel in the apple cinnamon flavor. That is Guppie-chan, my favorite childhood stuffed animal friend :)

The energy gels are all natural, and has a "blend of 22-25g of complex carbohydrates and just 2-4g of simple sugars to maximize energy delivery to working muscles." (according to website) Flavors range from Cranberry Grapefruit to Banana Peach to Chocolate Cherry and much more.

Taste: Wow. Crazy good. It tasted just like dessert! It was much better than the Hammer Apple Cinnamon Gel that made me puke. I actually enjoyed every last drop of this gel. Mmmmmm :)

Texture: Thick. I ate this gel during a quick pit stop at the car, so I wasn't eating and running at the same time. However, I think it will still go down easy even while running. It is smooth though, absolutely no grittiness or lumpiness. It was just like pureed apple pie filling :)

Verdict: I think I have been converted into the ways of the energy gel. I'm serious. This Carb Boom! stuff is delicious. And the best part? No puking! No nausea, no cramps, no "heavy" feeling in my tummy. I'm stocking up on some Carb Boom!s for the remainder of my training cycle.

Nutrition at a glance: 1 packet of Carb Boom! Apple Cinnamon Energy Gel (info from website) You can purchase these gels on the Carb Boom! website, and they are $29.99 for a box of 24, and if you get a second box, the second box is 10% off.

So there you have it folks. I'm excited about my little trip to the bike shop today to try out some bike shorts and buy some more of these yummy nutrition options for my long run this weekend. 18 miles! eeek! The rain had better stop by then! :)

Later gater!