Runner Food of the Month :: Pho Ngon

New pho place in Mountain View that I loooove. Granted, all I ever get are spring rolls and Pho Tai, but what else does one need! This place didn't get great reviews in yelp which I usually think are pretty helpful, but for the items that I get, I think they are outstanding. The broth is clear, clean, and incredibly flavorful. You get real-looking slices of non fatty beef and the spring rolls actually seem and taste freshly made with fresh ingredients instead of the mishmash of mystery ingredients you usually get (sorry about the run on sentence).

They're a little pricey compared to the typical Pho Hoa type places, but since I don't eat out a lot, it's worth it to me. As a new little shop, the service is very eager and helpful. I love them, so help me keep them in business. 

Pho Ngon
2500B El Camino Real
Mountain View, CA 94040

Quote of the Day

"They are not as alarming as they used to be"

 In response to my question of whether I had lost a lot of muscle tone in my calves. 

OMG! Edit! Edit! Delete and check mental thesaurus for god's sake!

2 days!

Yesterday was my 2nd day of "practice" jogging on the trails. My purpose was to hike and get myself a much needed outdoor fix, but come on, when you're in your trail shoes on a trail, it's hard to not run. Maybe next time I wear heels.

Both trips were to Arastradero which like other parks around here right now is so beautiful and green and pristine it looked like a photoshopped image, animals included. Both times, I have come away with a lot of tightness and today in particular, a sore spot on my left hip. But, no nerve pain, it just feels like a bad knot. I can deal with that.
Hopefully I can keep this up and start training already. Meanwhile, it's yoga day.

Hiked Quicksilver with the mom, the cousins, and the dog. Such an awesome park with everything so green. Was able to jog a bit here and there with the dog and have high hopes that it will not bite me in the ass later today or tomorrow.

Was supposed to hike Sierra Azul today with the boy. Instead we got up at 9, had breakfast downstairs, then went back to bed with mugs of coffee and season of House DVD's. Oops.

I want to run trails. Badly.

Slow Beginnings

Still in recovery I'm afraid and making some progress this past week. There are multiple reasons that I think this setback not only occurred but lingered, and I'm afraid it was because of my new diet. I have been experimenting of late after reading Gary Taubes, Good Calories Bad Calories. I still highly recommend the book. I do not highly recommend screwing it up like I think I did. I followed his concept of eliminating all processed carbohydrates which I think is absolutely valid. However, while I upped my protein intake tremendously (beef, chicken, pork, cheeses, nuts, etc), I did not keep an even balance with vegetables and fruits. As a result one of my acupuncturist's checked and found that I was on the end of the scale for acidic ph balance in my body. If you read up on acidity in the body, it contributes to a whole host of ailments, from depression to inflammation, to cancer etc. 

This past week I have been eating my veggies, taking supplements (alkaline balancing drops in my water, fish oil pills, vit d supplements, and a multi vitamin), and doing a lot of moxa (deep heat treatments for my back). I am seeing slow improvements, but significant ones. My depression has decreased quite a bit from the previous weeks, my teeth are no longer sensitive, and my back no longer hurts during the day, though it is still uncomfortable in the mornings.  

My depression is worth explaining a tiny bit more. I am used to disappointment from not being able to run. I have dealt with it pretty well over the last 2 years. The depression that hit me this time around was nothing I could wrap my head around. It was deep and it actually didn't make sense to me. I am nearly positive it had everything to do with my ph and not just back pain which, really, I am so bored with in a sense that disappointment hardly registers anymore.

So I guess the lesson learned is balance which I will be doing in earnest this time around. I am looking forward to seeing if next week is better and the week after better still. I think I may have delayed my return to ultras  yet again, but it's still on the schedule for 2009.  

And thanks to Victoria again for tuning me into yogatoday.com. It has been helping me a lot in my down time.