LIVEALITTLE

What's pubgaining you might ask? It's pub crawling and rogaining (Aussie orienteering) mixed into one fun game. For more on rogaining, check out wikipedia.

Well, Justin and I (as team Lost) decided to traverse Sydney via running rather than take the train or bus. Rules of the game included: for every round of drinks we ordered at a bar (as evidenced by a receipt), we scored double points for the location. So, we decided to start slow and drink only Coke at the beginning but then got beer towards the end. All in all I think we got 5 alcoholic drinks, but who was really counting! We stumbled back just in time to check out. Ultimately, at 590 points and 11 bars (out of 30), Team Lost scored itself a 4th place position. It is the first time Team Lost was in a single digit position. Woohoo! Although only 10 teams competed in this event...

I must say it was one of the most fun events I've competed in requiring navigational skill, strategy, alcohol tolerance, cardio fitness and a large bladder!

Never fear, NYers, I plan to set up a pubgaine in NYC when I get back! We should have a dinner beforehand tho so people don't get run over by cars as they amble without coordination along the streets after a Delirium Tremins from Markt!

Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/livealittle/sets/72157601811032585/

There's less than one month to go and I feel totally unprepared for this 42k run on September 23rd. I had only run 20k 2 weeks ago. So, I decided to put in a big effort today and do a huge run. I ran 31k today in 3 hours and 40 minutes. I really stopped due to sheer exhaustion. That averages out to just about 6 hours if I even survived to complete the marathon. The cut off time is 5.5 hours to do the run. I need to speedy myself up if I don't want to be disqualified...
So, hoping to give myself a little boost in the run, I mustered some energy and mossied over to Running Science, a sneaker store with an in-house treadmill and podiatrists to assess your step as well as recommend an appropriate shoe. In a matter of seconds on the treadmill, I was assessed to have proper heel strike (outer edges of my foot) but over-pronation (I was rolling inward too much). I was given a couple of "stability" sneakers to try and decided the New Balance 757s ($180AU!!) were the most comfortable for my size 7.5 and D width feet. Typically women are B width so D is a bit exceptional. So I wonder if I am possibly made for running ... or wading ... in swimming pools. Regardless, hopefully I am fully equipped now with my hat, my yummy vanilla GU energy bars (they actually boost me for about 7k of running each time!), my new sneakers and my roommate's ipod.
Seriously, the ipod has really assisted me in forgetting about my running pain and encouraging me to forge ahead. Recently I was recommended a podcast for runners called Phedippidations (Thanks Shorty!). The host, Steve Runner, gives great information about how to run, how to take care of your feet, etc. Amazingly, he recommended a book to read called "The Runners Repair Manual" which I just so happened to have looked at at an Op Shop ONE DAY BEFORE listening to the podcast but disregarded because it was written in the 80s.

The following is my list of frequently listened to podcasts for running:
Discovery Channel's Vital Signs
The Dashing Doctor
ABC's The Health Report
BBC Newspod
The Best of National Geographic Magazine
TVO's Big Ideas
ChinesePod - Learn Chinese
Phedippidations
United Nations Radio
Great Speeches in History

You know, there's no need to own an ipod to download podcasts. If you download iTunes, the program will help you organize automatic downloading and organizing. It's great.
Let me know if there is a podcast you love listening to. I tend to whittle away at my list quite quickly even though they update on a weekly basis!

I love Newtown. It's an area about a 15 minute walk west of me consisting of artsy, creative types. Lydia and I decided to take a break from our assignment due tomorrow for some knitting r&r at the Newtown Community Centre. This knitting club works to create rugs for a national organization called Wrap With Love which creates and donates rugs to the poor of the international community. It's quite an incredible organization and I'm glad to have something to do for the 13 hour drive I have to take for my last clinical in Broken Hill in a months time.
Grandma taught me how to knit about 15 years ago and I made a huge rainbow colored disgustingly inconsistent blanket. But, dammit, I was proud of it!
Well, on the walk back to uni, we encountered a house with notes laundry-clipped to its fence. The quotes and sayings were inspirational. So I decided to add my own. For those of you who don't know, a friend of mine has started a new NGO which aims to enrich the lives of children in poor communities. He's starting in Honduras and it's called www.enrichtheworld.org. I hope to be as motivated as he is one day. If you do plan to be in Latin America, please do swing by. There are heaps of opportunities to help.

But for more up-to-date goings-on in the beloved Newtown area, check out www.noseyinnewtown.com.

Also, I know. I know. Sexpo pictures are to come... stay tuned...

For those of you who know me, being the gimmick lover that I am, it's obvious I would not walk past a chance to try and name a new McDonald's burger. Mind you, the only burger I've had since arriving in Sydney 1.6 years ago has been the McOz burger! Luckily the Maccas (McD's in Oz-speak) don't have my fAvorIte menu item ... sausage, egg and cheese brekky biscuit. Yums!

Although the name contest has past, I decided to give the new burger a go anyway since I love being the first in line for everything. Believe it or not, it was quite good. Probably for the first time in fast food history, the patty was not just a slab of ground meat. Rather it was meat marinated with a variety of veg (red onion, spring onion, parsley, tomato paste). I mean the veg was integrated into the meat! You could actually see chunks of veg! Despite the seemingly more substantial portions of veg, it fairs worse in kJ/calories (2130kJ/508 Cal), than a Big Mac (2010kJ/480Cal) but better than a Quarter Pounder with Cheese (2300kJ/549 Cal).
Here are my NameIt suggestions:

Probable Final Boring Name: McHomestyle
Elmer Fudd Name: Hambuwgew
Sophisticated Name: Le Dijon Marinade
Pirate Name: O' Mc Jolly Arr!
Gangsta Name: Yo, burga!
True Name: Did they just test this on the Oz Market to make sure this combination won't cause explosive diarrhea burger

BTW, do check out the Australia Maccas site (http://www.mcdonalds.com.au/ - broadband). I haven't seen anything like it and it's the best McDonald's website in the world (We checked out UK, Germany, France, US, Hong Kong, Yugoslavia, Japan).

Who says I can't cook? Well.. most people (me included). But since it was my turn to cook on Sunday flat nite, Lydia and I made an attempt to duplicate our cooking experience at the Tasty Cooking School in Thailand. Although I took pictures of our recipe, they were not very clear (and my instructions were not very clear). Luckily Lydia has a keener mind for the culinary arts and recalled most of what we had to do (she also kept my "modifications" in check limiting me to varying the recipe ONLY once -- she let me marinate the chicken with lemon pepper). Amazingly, both the Pad Thai and the Tom Yum dishes were similar to what we had made in class. Let me know if need me to clarify if you want to try these recipes as well.