Restaurant Week February 25, 2008

Last Thursday, I attempted my first tempo workout.  I’ve never done regular speed work, with the exception of very, very short speed intervals where I usually give it up when I start panting.  I started with 5 x 3 minutes at tempo pace, with a 60 second jog in between each 3 minutes.  My legs felt fine, but my lungs were burning and I felt like I was going to die.  I know they’ll get easier as I build speedwork into my regular routine, but for now, I’ll just have to suffer through not being able to breathe.

I did a 9-mile long run on Saturday, and had a great, easy 6.5 miles of recovery today.  I ran by a school, waved to the people holding the STOP signs and guiding the kids across, and one of them yelled, “Have a great run!”  My calves were tight and slightly sore, I had some mild shin splints, but I wasn’t in any hurry to finish and was just enjoying being out on the road.

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My favorite pre-long-run meal lately has been Palermo’s radiator-shaped pasta with vodka sauce.  Creamy, tomato-y, and all-out a delicious load of carbohydrates. If you’re ever on the southwest suburbs of Chicago, give it a try. They have, hands down, the best Italian food ever (Boyfriend goes insane for their eggplant parmesan). I also got to take advantage of Chicago’s first annual restaurant week this weekend.  Boyfriend and I went to Aria Saturday night, located in Chicago’s Fairmont Hotel and known for their  Asian fusion.  We ended up splurging and ordering off their regular menu instead of the prix-fixe 3 course for Restaurant Week, and it was worth every additional dollar.  The food here is AMAZING.

 


Spreads: lentil, cashew, spinach, and sour cream.

 Appetizer: prosciutto-wrapped sea scallops

 I had the Hong Kong BBQ Duck & Lobster Lo Mein

 

Boyfriend’s 28 oz. (!!!!) prime rib – best steak EVER.

Complimentary potato trio: (L-R) sweet potato with vanilla cream, au gratin, smoked fingerling with horseradish 

 

The 5-pound, 5-layer chocolate cake “for 2.”  Our waiter said if we finished it, we get another one on the house.  

Sunday night, I went to Devon Seafood Grill with some girl friends.  The food was great, but I think I’d eaten so much this weekend already I couldn’t fully enjoy it.  I had lobster bisque, and scallops with lobster risotto, and key lime pie, but at the end, I was so full I felt like throwing up.  I love food, but…perhaps it’s time for a little break.

Run, Cupid, Run February 19, 2008

For Valentine’s Day, Boyfriend ordered a complete dinner from Lobster Gram - two giant 12 oz. lobster tails, two 6 oz. filet mignons, chunky crab cakes, and chocolate lava cakes for dessert.  I love lobster almost more than any other food, except maybe bacon, but never get to eat it because I am a stereotypically cheap Chinese person.  Everything delivered was amazing.  The lobster tails were an orgasmic treat dipped in butter, and the filet was, hands down, the best steak I have ever eaten.  

 

For my part, I made my own red and white fortune cookies (recipe here) for the Boyfriend, some dipped in chocolate with red sprinkles, all with handwritten love notes inside.  They were surprisingly easy to make, save for the fact that you have 20 seconds to handle the cookie once it comes out of the oven.  Gloves are recommended, but having none, I bravely sacrificed sensation in my fingertips for romance.  

 

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I am slowly getting back some of my running motivation, although I am still tired of the weather.  It’s not even so much the cold as everything that goes along with it – wind in your face, watery eyes, ceaselessly runny nose.  I hate running 6 miles in half a delirious state because I can’t stop snorting and sniffling.  I did 6.5 on the treadmill this morning and felt great.  So it’s probably just a matter of swallowing my real-runners-only-run-on-the-road pride, and log some miles on the machine. 

Back From Beijing February 14, 2008

I returned from China on Saturday. My jet lag is almost completely gone, after a few days of falling asleep on the couch at 8 PM and waking up at 4:30 in the morning.

I ate a lot of great food, saw a lot of people I hadn’t seen in a couple of years, and got in a few of my first runs ever in Beijing. Despite attending my grandmother’s funeral, I didn’t realize how much the trip affected me until I got back. It’s hard to see people getting older, and all I could think about when I left was how it may be the last time I ever see my grandpa or maternal grandmother again, how I live so far from my parents, and how I was walking away from everyone.

I wasn’t prolific about my runs, but I managed some 6, 7-milers. The lingering calf injury often felt fine during my runs, but made itself very obvious afterwards. On my last couple of runs, I had some shin splints and some pain in my left foot – making me wonder if my Nikes are on their last legs. I put in some miles on the treadmill yesterday, but between the trip, the seemingly futile job-hunting, and some recent poor runs, I haven’t been motivated lately. And it’s a vicious cycle because when I stop running, I get lazy in all other aspects of my life.

On the upside, I had a great time in Beijing. Both my parents are great cooks and are foodies too (although maybe not as gluttonous as I am). Here are some various pictures from eating all over the city (and at home).

Hot pot at home

Spicy beef noodle soup

Snack at BreadTalk – blueberry tart, thick buttered toast, and Singapore coffee.

Shanghai buns (小笼包)

Fruit skewers in caramelized sugar (糖葫芦)