pudding

I've lately been using my homemade rice pudding as pre and post workout fuel, and the amount of energy it has given me is amazing. It makes sense that it would be a great training food as it has sugar for instant energy, rice provides complex carbs, and milk and eggs give a nice dose of protein.

I tried 3 different recipes when I first wanted to make homemade rice pudding, and none of them were very good. It took me few more tries of highly scientific experimentation, but I finally found what I think is the perfect ingredient and cooking combination for this yummy treat.

Ingredients you'll need:
- milk, 3 1/2 cups: You can use any kind; the higher the fat content of the milk, the richer the pudding will be. I use 2% organic milk.
- instant white rice, 1 cup
- sugar, 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp.
- eggs, 2
- raisins, 1/2 cup
- cinnamon, 2 tsp.

Directions:
- Bring 1 1/2 cups milk slowly to a boil over low heat. Add rice and 2 tbsp. sugar, cover for at least 5 minutes, you may need to stir and let sit uncovered to achieve correct consistency. Rice should be very soft and slightly creamy.
- In a large bowl, mix eggs, 1/2 cup sugar and 2 cups milk on low speed until well blended. Stir in cooked rice, raisins and cinnamon.
- Pour mixture into 1 quart casserole and set in pan of water (1" high)
- Bake at 350° for 65-75 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake, as pudding will curdle.

I hope you think it's as yummy as I do and enjoy!

Race Review: CWRRC Cleveland Fall Classic 2010

The Fall Classic, November 21, 2010. I did this race back in 2003 and hadn't done it since. I did, however, navigate the course nearly everyday for two years; it was my daily course while I lived in Broadview Heights. The route itself was two loops down and back through Valley Parkway from Bonnie Park to Edgerton Road. It's a nice part of the Metroparks and it was a fun feeling to run on such a familiar path.

This year the Fall classic really filled up and actually sold out... this caused some unfortunate side effects. Shirts couldn't be provided to all participants (not a big deal), but the medieval timing system in place just couldn't suffice. About a week after the race, competitors received an email notifying us that most of the manually tracked times weren't recorded properly, therefore, we wouldn't be receiving official results.

Because of the 2010 problems and overflow of competitors, CWRRC is planning to make some changes to next year's classics (Spring and Fall). The races will become 10-milers after 38 years of being half-marathons, and it sounds like they will be moving to electronic timing. CWRRC had been trying to keep race prices down through manual timing and limiting production of race shirts, but I think they are making the right choice to adjust their planning next year.


As far as my own run on the day of the Fall Classic, I had some trouble. I had some breathing issues and chest pain, possibly from beginning some heavy swim workouts the week before. I definitely wasn't happy with my performance, but since the times weren't recorded, I guess it doesn't matter much :)

Overall, my personal race experience was average. Competitors who were not given race shirts were supposed to get a registration discount, and we (my husband and I) didn't receive the discount or the shirt. After inquiring about this issue though, we did get shirts a few weeks later. I would rate this rate a 4 out of 10, not for lack of effort, but just poor and inadequate logistical planning. I do think that the classics are good races though, and that there seem to be plans in place to improve them in the future.

Race Review: Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon

The Columbus Marathon sold out again this year; on October 17th, a record mob of 15,000 runners and walkers descended on downtown. Having that amount of runners and even more spectators concentrated into such a small area has to be a logistical nightmare. Maneuvering through the bottlenecks of cars and crowds on race day morning was a slow process, and I figured so would be trying to maneuver past fellow racers during the first several congested race miles.

I hoped that there may be a remedy at this race for the foot traffic jam so predictable at a race this size. Upon registering for the race several months ago, I was happy to learn that there would be designated corrals at the start to separate runners according to planned finish time.  Runners would have to qualify for a corral using an official time from another race. Unfortunately though, the corral plan turned out to be pretty half-baked. Anyone could wander into any corral, and I even past a few walkers whom had taken it upon themselves to start toward the front of the pack. Hopefully organizers will recognize this problem and work on improving it for next year.

Although the first year attempt for corral organization wasn't a success, some other modifications Columbus put into place this year were. For the past two years, the race expo has become quite streamlined and organized. Packet pickup is held in a large room at the convention center, and the large amount of people navigating the area stay well spread out. The race also used a new timing system in which the disposable chip was part of the bib. I loved not having to deal with lacing a chip onto my shoe and having one less piece of stuff to keep track of. Columbus also improved the weather this year- after it being literally freezing the past two years, the temperature at the start was a much improved 45 degrees.

I love the whole marathon experience- the personal challenge and competition, the excitement, and the comradery. One of the things that really gets me motivated is when the city is enthusiastic about the race. Many cities with marathons of comparable size (such as Philadelphia and Portland) really celebrate their race, but this just doesn't seem to be the case in Ohio's capital. There was hardly any media coverage or buzz throughout the city leading up to the event. There was an ample supply of spectators condensed downtown, but as a whole they weren't as positive and interactive as I've come to expect in other Ohio cities such as Akron and Cincinnati. Perhaps they were downtrodden due to OSU's devastating loss to Wisconsin the day before. Fortunately for me I'm not a Buckeyes fan so my mood and attitude were fairing just fine.

The post race spread left little to be desired, which is often to be expected at larger races. Still, it would be nice to have a couple drink tickets and a little something worth snacking on. I do wish Columbus would get a bit more creative with their finishers' medals like Akron, Cleveland and Cincinnati have. It is a one-sided design with an outline of Ohio.

Finally, I must add a couple musings that entertained me. Around mile 6, there was a musician playing the theme to original Mario Brothers on his keyboard as we ran by. It was so appropriate and fitting and made me laugh mid step. Also, after the race I saw a fellow runner puffing away on a cigarette. I figured it was definitely a better choice to partake in smoking after rather than before or during the marathon. I don't plan on doing this race again next year. It offers a fast course and other positives, but just isn't the right fit for me. With detachment of the race from the feeling of the city, it just doesn't provide the ultimate experience for me. I did still have a lot of fun though and it was a great way to finish race season.

Race Review: Lake Health Distance Classic Half Marathon 2010

Last year was the inauguration of the Concord Classic Half Marathon. Leading up to it this year, I heard from numerous runners that the course has extreme and frequent elevation changes and also that the very hilly course offers great scenery through the Lake Metroparks Greenway Corridor. This year the race had the same course, but an even longer name: the Lake Health Distance Classic Half Marathon. Fortunately, many of my regular running paths through the Metroparks in Broadview Heights and Brecksville offer substantial vertical challenges. So, after studying the maps and elevation chart, I wasn't overly intimidated.

On race morning there was some pretty ominous weather. Thunderstorms had been coming in and out of view throughout the night and the skies were still looking dark. We lucked out, however, and ended up with only a slight start delay. Originally, it was announced that there would only be a 15 minute time suspension, but it ended up being over 30 minutes. I had no problems with adjustments to the race itinerary for safety reasons, but communication from officials should have been better.

Once the race got going, my muscles had tightened up quite a bit from waiting at the start for so long. It took me longer than usual to warm up, but the beginning of the course was relatively flat and not very demanding. After a short jog through a nearby golf community, the course followed the metroparks bike path for about 3 miles. After that segment, any beginning race congestion was cleared out. With less than 400 participants, however, the Lake Health Classic was a small race with the pleasant benefit of minimal runner traffic.

The largest altitude changes occurred between miles 5 and 10, with the highest peak at mile 9. After much anticipation of taxing hills, the climbing really wasn't that grueling. It definitely didn't rival my frequented home route through Brecksville Reservation. The told scenery also didn't live up to its hype. Compared with any number of other metroparks courses in Northeast Ohio, the one through Concord included more main roads and was often monotonous. The last 3 miles were completely downhill, however, which equated to a really fun and fast end to the race!

My only other critique of the Lake Point is of their odd timing chips, which were Velcro strips attached to the runners' bibs. I suppose we've all gotten spoiled by D-chips lately, but the removal of the chips at the end of the race was a real nuisance. Another flap of the bib also needed to be handed off and I found it unclear at first where to leave the different pieces.

Besides some confusion before and immediately the race, the Lake Health Classic was well organized and coordinated. There were ample water stops, 2 goo stations and the course was clearly marked. There was also a surprisingly nice spread at the finish which included of fruit, protein shakes, icecream, and bagels. Overall I rate the Lake Point Classic as a 7/10. I'm definitely planning to do it again next year.

Race Review: Cleveland Marathon 2010

There's been a long gap between my running of Cleveland Marathon this year and getting around to writing this race review. This is mostly because I don't have much more to say about the race this than I did last year, and it's not like any one reads my blogs anyway. This was the 33rd year for The Cleveland marathon and my 4th time completing it.

The course was the same as last year's, but somehow seemed even more boring and anti-climactic. I'm not sure which was worse, the stretch across Detroit and then Lake Avenue, or the miles of nothingness up Marginal Road. I somewhat enjoyed the portion near Case Western's campus, but that also marked a long portion of the course with little water. I don't plan on running this race again unless the course is changed.

Fortunately next year I'll be living within walking distance of the Akron Marathon, which I thoroughly enjoy. I must say that I'm quite disappointed by Cleveland presentation, but not horribly surprised.

Hermes Cleveland 10 Miler 2010

Yeah, so Hermes decided to stick with the whole "Run like a god" slogan. I discussed my views on this slogan last year in my review of the 2009 Hermes 10 Miler. I still don't think it's an appropriate catch phrase for the race... especially when it's inked across the back of the race T-shirt. Basically, few participants of this race are "running like gods".

Hermes Racing, the "Run Like a God" slogan, and using an Ionic column as the "1" in the number 10: I thought maybe they've kept with this theme because they don't have anything else to go with. Well I have a solution for them. My alternative will more accurately reflect the Hermes Cleveland 10 Miler demographic and they can even keep the same color scheme. Observe the current logo (left), and my proposed design (right). The new slogan would be: "You're a slow runner".
The concept came to me while I was passing several people during the race who were wearing "Run like a god" T-shirts. I'm certainly not going to the olympics or winning a race anytime soon, and I thought, "these people are NOT running like Gods... in fact, if I'm passing them, they are on the slow side". So I think my new race branding will be highly successful and give participants a more realistic view of our abilities.

Moving on, there really isn't much to change from my review of last year's Hermes Cleveland review. The course was identical and I again enjoyed it. It's mostly downhill which is obviously rather appealing. There was once again a moderate level of disorganization, especially during pre-race business. The race was sold out and there were only 2 packet pickups prior to race day held in small venues. Race volunteers told me that lines for packet pickup wound out of the building and didn't settle down for hours. The only obvious difference this year was the weather. Last year it was a beautiful day, but extremely hot. This year it was a little chilly and rained during much of the race. I once again give this race a six, but I guarantee it would move up in rank if officials implemented my ideas of logo and slogan change.

Race Review: Hermes Chili Bowl Classic 5K

First race of 2010 BTW.

First, I must add a respectful note of sympathy for a friend of mine; in an act of kindness, he offered transport to this race. However, in an unexpected causatum occurring less than 30 seconds after leaving my house, a deranged snow plow on my street (which most likely was a robot transformer disguised as a diesel vehicle) lambasted his car indenting the entire left passenger side. He went on to finish the race in about 20 minutes so fortunately his body and concentration weren't damaged. His timing chip malfunctioned though (these D chips and/or race officials still have some kinks that need worked out), but am told all is on the mend.

So to the first point- the race t-shirts. This one is definitely a contender for worse shirt ever, it's right up there with the Towpath marathon t-shirts and last year's Cleveland TRI t-shirt. It was bright blue and probably inspired by Avatar.

Some people actually wore these shirts DURING the race. This race offered chili at the end of the race, but I think these fashionistas must have been drinking something else before it. I however was slightly less enthusiastic about my shirt.

I did enjoy the race very much to spite the poor stylistic representation offered by the fanatical chili peppers on the race shirt. It went through an area in which I've run many times while training and that is one of my favorite stretches of the Cleveland Marathon. It goes past the Brown's stadium, the Science Center, the Rock Hall and Burke Airport. It's a nice little tour of the Lakefront. It started and ended at Tower City, so we didn't have to stand in the cold too long. As usual, the Cleveland volunteers were enthusiastic and warm (well, they mostly got to stay in the heated inside), and the race participants were upbeat and bombed with excitement (and maybe bombed by the drink specials at Tower 231).

This was actually my first short race and I thought it was a lot of fun. Surely a well organized event. It was a little too early in the day for me to try the complimentary chili but it looked pretty good as well. No doubt I'll be doing more short races in the future to work on speed and a different kind of cardiovascular conditioning.

Movie Review: Avatar

I almost didn't bother writing a review of Avatar due to the overabundance that have already been posted and published... but then I realized that I have additional critical comments that I've yet to read anywhere else, and I thought the world would be interested in hearing them.

My first observation during my private theatre viewing (Siskel and Ebert style) of this film was that this has been a great year for big naked blue characters. My thoughts fell back to Watchmen, the popular superhero movie from 2009. It is my belief that they are all trying to rip of Captain Planet (see comparison below):Now, any one who knows me is aware that I'm a student of colors (I googled the word colors about 45 minutes ago), and I consider myself an expert on the Pantone Color Chart, so I know all of the above superheros are blue. I also know that historically, the natural color of the blue sky gave primitive societies a commonality in which to relate to each other. Even in modern cultures blue is often significant in religious beliefs, brings peace or is thought to keep the bad spirits away. This theory on blue obviously doesn't apply to the primitive culture in my home of Cleveland where the sky is eternally gray (Go Cavs!), but I have a sneaking suspicion that Avatar was trying to use what the creators of Captain Planet had already beat them to failing at.

There has been some critical debate over the possibility of references to Native Americans in Avatar and a possible parallel between the culture of aboriginal peoples and the Na'vi. I disagree with this opinion and see no similarities between the imaginary people of Pandora and Native Americans. I do like the na'vi style however, and have began adjusting my own style accordingly (see below).Having visited the attempted metaphors extended in Avatar, I came to the personal determination that while Cameron's project succeeded in luring in the masses with exciting new special effects, its obvious attempt at making a creative or social statements was lamentable. However, the goal of luring in the masses with exciting 3D special effects was highly successful. Avatar was able to use it's vast resources to produce a casuistic film that stunted the evolution of creative expression through film media. For that I applaud it.