Couch to Marathon

Couch to Marathon

January 1st of 2015 I woke up with the usual New Year's Day hangover and had this brilliant idea to run a marathon. The Disney Marathon was January 10th of 2016 and I decided this was my goal. Crazy, I know.

        At this point in my life, I had worked out maybe 15-20 times in my entire 23 years of living and I could not run more than a minute straight. I know it sounds like I am exaggerating but I'm not. Putting it all out there, I'll admit it, I was blessed with a decent metabolism and then, like many others, my body hit the breaks I swear immediately after I walked across the stage at graduation. But setting a goal to run a marathon wasn't about losing weight or getting into shape. For me, it was about proving I could do it. 

       As you will see in my plan below, I did the minimum on training for a marathon. Some days I look back and wish I would have done more in the summer and toward the end but I didn't want to miss out on time with family and friends. And that is the main key when it comes to running, time. Your body can do it, it's just a matter of taking the time out of your day to run, taking the time in the beginning to walk so you don't injure yourself, taking the time to plan out when and where your next run will be. It's tough. There will be times, and I mean a lot of times, where you think you can't do it but that is what makes crossing the finish line in the end worth it. 

      I don't know exactly what brought you to this post, whether you're a friend, a stranger, a coworker, a friend of my moms, or someone who is actually interested in running but regardless I encourage you to set a goal. Even if its a 5k. You don't have to enjoy running, I still cannot say that I "enjoy" it but I can say the joy you get from crossing a finish line is indescribable. 

      So here it is, my year in training. I used a lot of different training plans along the way: Nike app for running, Hal Higdon training program, Jeff Galloway RunDisney program, and so many others I found on Google. My Garmin Forerunner watch was a huge help allowing me to go for a run wherever I wanted and it tracked my mileage and pace. I used a couple of different websites to find races either in the state (ArkansasRunner), or out of state to make things more exciting (RunningintheUSA). All of these things allowed me to keep on track. But there were still times when I strayed, because I'm only human (and I can only go so long without a netflix marathon.) But you will see there are times where I go an entire week without running, in some cases two! Life happens but you cannot let that get in the way of your goal! 

    I would love to share more about my journey if anyone is interested! Many people have asked how I trained so here it is. Now go out there and do it!

You can download the training plan here as well! 

  

Which Hong Kong Food Are You?

    I could dedicate a whole blog to the different foods here in Hong Kong! Instead I created a quiz! Because who doesn't love quizzes!? (Besides the ones that start with pop)

Just click the link below and answer a few questions! Share your results on Facebook/Twitter or put them in the comment boxes below. Whichever food gets the highest results, I'll have to eat!!

Which Hong Kong Food Are You?

Hanging With Buddha & Getting Hit On By Buzz

 "The more people know about other countries and cultures, the more they become aware of their own cultural identity" 

-Mooij

This quote is from our textbook (yes mom & dad, I'm actually studying) and it's important to note when I am pointing out differences here, I'm actually learning more about our culture in the U.S. Not having "diet" drinks, eating chicken claws, and traveling on the left side of the road may seem weird or strange to us but this is their normal. There is no right or wrong.

________________________________________________

Week 1 treated me well, VERY well, and it's only going to get better :) 

• Learned the history of Hong Kong
• Visited Starcom agency
• Hung out with Big Buddha
• Ate seafood pizza (there was a baby squid on it)
• Got hit on by Buzz Lightyear 

    So I'll be frank, I knew very little about Hong Kong when coming here. Is it a country? Or are they owned by Britain? Aren't they Chinese? What language do they speak? Really, where did I think I was going??

Thank heavens for the history museum for answering my uncertainties:

• Hong Kong is a city-state and a special administrative region under China. Makes complete sense, right? Well basically, the British used to own Hong Kong and then gave them back to China in 1997, where they decided for 50 years Hong Kong would be on it's "own."
• They aren't under communism but they also aren't fully democratic. So.... China and Hong Kong don't really get along as well as they pretend. They also don't speak the same languages (Mandarin and Cantonese), which was news to me! 

    Next we visited Starcom, a media buying agency, which was an awesome opportunity. Seeing how an international agency operates locally really intrigued me, but lets get real... seeing Big Buddha that afternoon was the highlight of my day! 

Second largest outside sitting Buddha

One of the best parts was the way up to see the Buddha (not the 268 steps) but the cable car with a clear bottom, where you could see the ocean and the mountains below for 20 minutes. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it!

Rice Capital of the World

    Food is not something I usually have a problem with but I can admit, here, it's a struggle. What's custom to this culture is not what my body or mind is used to but I'm trying. Meats are cooked differently and it's not uncommon to leave bones in. Again, it's not that this is wrong. Obviously everyone else here has been eating this way and they are fine. For this, I am thankful I grew up in a similar culture where rice was plentiful. (Thanks shug town) 

     One thing I suggest to any world traveler though is to try food chains you are familiar with in the United States, like McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC or Starbucks and venture out. You may think this is ridiculous but as I've learned in class, these brands localize their food. They serve some of the food we're used to like Big Macs and cheese pizza but it's more interesting to try the food they customize for that culture: Rice Fun Wraps, Seafood Pizza (squid included), Red Bean and Green Tea muffins, etc. 

 
Hong Kong Disneyland

     I have been wanting to visit Disney again for awhile now because I haven't been since I was a kid and BOY was this just what I wanted and more. We spent 10 whole hours there and visited every part of the park. Of course, this one wasn't near as big as the ones in the states. But they have a

TOY STORY LAND!(Best part ever)

Erin and I share a love for Disney

   

Toy Story Land

• Disneyland Hong Kong is much cheaper
• But it's also smaller 
• Space Mountain and the Buzzlighter shooting game are the same & still just as awesome
• Great mix of American and Asian cuisine 
• It's Sleeping Beauty's castle, not Cinderella's
• Meeting characters and waiting in lines is not near as much of a hassle
• Mulan was not present, to be determined why (Sorry bro, no Mushu for you! Not like you're reading this anyway) 
• Aaaaaand finally... Buzz Lightyear hit on me. When Buzz did it, it was kind of cute. He got one knee, kissed my hand and I was completely and underly bashful, as seen obviously from below. 
• But when Winnie the Pooh did the exact same thing 30 minutes later, all my childhood memories of an innocent yellow bear and his pot of honey went out the window! Suddenly he looked more like a creepy old man with a beer belly and no pants on. '  '
• Luckily I met Mickey soon after who just gave me a sweet kiss on the cheek. Then I lived happily ever after!

Until next week friends (and mostly family), Macau is next and it's the Vegas of Asia!

I Ate A Chicken Claw...

Hong Kong has only had to deal with me for a few days and I can assure you all 7 million people know I'm here. I stick out like... well, a blonde girl in an Asian world. Through the dark sea, I am the yellow bobber bouncing up and down in the water. Unlike Spain, the people here don't assume because I'm a yellow bobber that I am trying to catch "fish." Men appear to respect women's appearances more here but then again, this yellow bobber has only been in Hong Kong for a few days. 

A little Hong Kong in 3

• There is a 13 hour difference between you and I right now (if you are on Central time, of course). So while I am writing this blog, most of you are asleep, and by the time you read this blog, I'll be asleep. It hasn't been too difficult to adjust but staying awake through the 14 hour flight helped me sleep once I arrived.
• $$$$ I paid $35 for a McDonald's meal AND it was actually cheaper than my meal back home. How? Well the exchange is about 7.75. Back home $1 = $7.75 Hong Kong Dollars. So I only paid about $4.50 US dollars for an entire Mickey Dee's meal here in HK. 

• The pleasant metro is also insanely efficient (as is everything else here). HK is made up of over 200 islands and the metro is actually under water taking you in between the islands. The first few times, I had no idea we were even under water. Of the main 4, I am on one called Kowloon, where Hong Kong Baptist University is located. 

HK Food in 5

• No Diet Coke...    ' ' In many countries, Diet Coke is not the same. Here it is called "Coke light." It appears to look like Diet Coke but a true addict fan, can tell immediately it's not the real deal. The reason behind labeling it differently is because Asians do not see the word "diet" as appealing. It actually steers them away from the product rather than toward it unlike the skinny seeking American.

• Red Beans and Green Tea. This is a muffin at the nearby Starbucks and I kid you not, it is green with red beans on top. The green tea part may be an obvious connection but the red beans took me by surprise. They use them in many desserts, with a red bean paste, and for cooking. And it's actually pretty good!

• Bring napkins. This doesn't apply to all restaurants but most don't serve napkins, most people carry their own "Tempo" napkins with them. Without this prior knowledge I've ended up with soy sauce hands a time or two.

• I CAN USE CHOPStiCKS!! This was one of my goals coming here and by day 3, I have successfully eaten like a true Asian. (*pats self on back*) 

• What you've all been waiting for... the chicken claw. I ate it. (Well, attempted to). The Chinese culture tries to use the entire chicken in cooking, which is logical. The claw, well they eat it like we do chicken wings. It was fried with barbecue sauce and tasted like any other part of a chicken but I'll be honest, I mentally couldn't eat the whole thing. (*takes back pat on the back*) Being able to visually tell it was a claw aaaaand spitting out the bones just didn't work for me BUT I would recommend anyone trying it. Just don't tell your body what you're putting in it beforehand. 

Featuring: Chicken Claws (Top Right)

Class starts this week so I will be studying a lot, visiting a museum, and going to an Advertising Agency (Starcom) this week. Oh, AND I'm going to

DISNEY LAND on Friday. #NBD

First Day in HK

Over 20 hours of traveling & I finally made it to Hong Kong!

For those of you who don't know: I am studying International Advertising abroad for a month as a part of my graduate program at SMU. This is one of the main reasons I chose this school over many others because of this part of the program. The school takes everyone in our class, which in our case there are 5 of us. Yes, 5, I know it's small but it serves its purpose as a much more personal educational experience.

First Impressions:

• Hundreds of skyscrapers and in contrast, tons of mountains. The pictures don't really do it justice but it is the true definition of a concrete jungle.

• Pleasantly clean. Envision New York except for the streets aren't filled with trash, the metro smells like fresh air, and no one is honking throughout traffic. (still love me some NYC though)

• No homes :(. All of those high rises in the picture above are where people live, in apartments. There are very, very few homes on the islands due to the mountains and little land to live on.

• MALLS. Where everyone wants to be. So since everyone here lives in small apartments in high rises, they don't have people over, they go to the mall. Especially because they want to save money on energy in their apartment. There are tons of malls unlike in the U.S. where we have around 2 or 3 in each city.

• Everyone speaks English!! It amazes me how much we take for granted how many people learn English as a second language. From street signs to waitresses, english. There is no problem in communicating and for that, I am grateful.

I'm going to try and post as often as I can, not only to inform everyone on what I'm up to but to keep track of this wonderful adventure for myself. Sorry there isn't much to post today but I hope to share more with you all in a few days!

8 am Hike at the Peak mountain

Pizza with Zucchini Crust

It is MARCH people, almost APRIL, and I'm just now saying goodbye to the turkey stuffing that's been hanging out with my hips since Thanksgiving... ' '
All it took was a week of really thinking about what I was eating and including veggies whenever I could. ((oh & using myfitnesspal.com and their mobile app))

   This pizza not only helped me lose weight but made me feel

    like it was effortless since it was so. freaking. good

Ingredients

      Pizza Crust

• 1 medium/large zucchini 
• 1 egg
• 2 slices of mozzarella grated OR half a cup of whatever cheese ya like

    Pesto Pizza Toppings

    * you can put whatever you like on top but keep in mind zucchini is absorbent and it may make it soggy with too many toppings

• Half a chicken breast, cut into cubes (left over chicken works great too)
• 2 Tbsp basil pesto
• 2 Tbsp cream cheese
• Reduced fat Parmesan cheese as desired
• 1/2 Tbsp of Olive Oil if chicken is uncooked

**These are the portions for a personal single serve pizza. For 2 or more double the ingredients.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450

    1. Grate your zucchini into a medium size bowl.

   

    2. Zucchini has a lot of water in it so it is important to remove as much water 

      as possible. Place the zucchini on a paper towel and roll, repeat until 

      zucchini appears dry. (There are other ways to do this like press another plate on top of it. However you choose, 

          the goal is to remove as much water as possible)

    3. Mix zucchini, egg, and mozzarella cheese in the medium size bowl.

    4. Place tin foil on a baking sheet and cover with non-stick cooking spray. 

    5. Place zucchini mixture on the sheet, spread until about 1/2 inch thick and place in oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden on top!

    While the crust is baking you can put  together whatever toppings you like

    6. If chicken is uncooked, heat olive oil in a pan and place seasoned chicken (salt, pepper, etc.) in the pan. Heat cubed chicken until slightly golden on both sides.

    7. Mix together the basil pesto and cream cheese in a small bowl and place in the microwave for about 15 seconds until cream cheese is melted and blend.

    8. Once the crust is slightly golden, spread the cream cheese mixture, place chicken cubes on top, and lightly sprinkle with additional cheese!

Now, Eatzza Pizza!!

In no time you'll be lookin' like Yonce, shaking it like dis

okay maybe not that good

PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps, LESS calories

Hi friends!
I haven't posted in awhile because a.) school and work own my life b.) I'm trying to eat healthier, which is actually easier than I expected especially when I get to eat scrumptious meals like this one!

Lettuce Wraps 

(copy cat PF Chang's, healthier version)

                                *Left out a few of the ingredients in the actual PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps but there's 

                                                               PLENTY of taste in these for me, I didn't need the mushrooms, water chestnuts, & rice sticks

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1 chicken breast (4 oz) 
• 1 egg (large grade A)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Sauce

• 1 tbsp Honey
• 2 tbsp Soy Sauce (low sodium would be ideal but I used regular)
• Dash of Garlic Powder
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar 
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 packets of Splenda Sweetener (or whatever sweetener you choose)

Wrap

• 3 Iceberg lettuce leafs (thats all!)

Instructions

        *Preheat oven to 375

1. Cut the chicken breast into small strips (I could cut mine into 8)

2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper (or any other chicken seasoning you prefer)

3. Place 1 egg in one bowl and 1/4 cup of flour in another. Dip each strip into the flour, then    

    into the egg, and back into the flour. Do this until the flour is gone.

4. Place strips onto a baking sheet and place in oven for about 15-20 or until done.

5. When chicken is almost done mix together all of the sauce ingredients (honey, soy sauce, 
    garlic powder, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and Splenda) in a small bowl.   
    Since the honey is thicker, I heated up the sauce for about 15 seconds.

6. When the chicken is done, place three leaves of iceberg lettuce on a plate. Cut the strips 
    into very small pieces and dip them in the sauce before placing them on the lettuce. Use 
    the leftover sauce to dip your wraps in!

(I only used 4 strips and placed the other 4 in the fridge for lunch the next day)

Ta-dah! 

(You're basically Chef Chang now)

Caloriessss

3 Wraps

• Chicken- 114 
• Sauce- 212
• Lettuce- 5 really? (you burn these calories just by chewing)

Only 331 calories:)

Pf Chang's= 530