Posted December 13th, 2008 by Meg
Even though it started raining and was cold, today was awesome. My big dorky watch clocked me at 57:26 with an average speed of 9:18 minutes per mile. My official chip time was 56:56 with a 9:11 minute per mile pace. I am very happy with this number for several reasons. It is at least 15 minutes faster than my first 10k I ran earlier this year. I trained on a treadmill at a slower speed of 10 minutes a mile. I was a little worried that I would try to run too fast in the beginning and would not be able to maintain it or improve, especially since I was moving a little faster than normal. But, by mile 5, I was in it to win it. I am really pleased with the way it all went down. I especially enjoyed this event because there is no other time in my life where I can blatantly ignore red lights and stop signs in Los Angeles. I was also able to see parts of Venice that I have never seen before. I met some nice people at the end of the race. My ipod shuffle worked and played all the right songs at the right time (I sprinted to the finish line while listening to a song from Run Lola Run). And of course, I did it under an hour.
Mile 0-1: 9:45 minutes / mile
Mile 1-2: 9:38 minutes / mile
Mile 2-3: 9:34 minutes / mile
Mile 3-4: 9:22 minutes / mile
Mile 4-5: 9:11 minutes / mile
Mile 5-6: 8:48 minutes / mile
Mile 6-6.2: 6:43 minutes / mile
Who wants to get a beer?
Posted October 28th, 2008 by Meg
Spent most of the day in bed. Tried writing a post, but didn’t have the energy to finish it. Will make another attempt at it tomorrow. A lot on my plate, but unfortunately it’s not food. I’m going to watch Heroes right now. However, today I registered for the 31st Annual Santa Monica - Venice Christmas Run (10K). And, I am also going to be getting this poster by Jay Ryan that I fell in love with to decorate my walls: Swimming Diplodocus.
Posted October 23rd, 2008 by Meg
I recently stopped by Jin Patisserie, a pastry boutique on Abbot Kinney. My post won’t give the place justice because I did not sit down in the quiet tea garden or have any of their delicious pastries. However, I know from prior experience that this place is nice. It’s a quiet sanctuary separate from the hippy hustle and bum bustle of the street, an isolated zen-world. The owner, Kristy Choo, is an inspiration. She is a native of Singapore that has baked with some of the best. In 2003, she opened Jin Patisserie, combining her knowledge of traditional Asian recipes with the understanding of the American (specifically the LAian) palate to come up with unique creations.
Sadly, I didn’t have time to sit down and relax. But, I did have time for some green tea. Even when you order tea to go, it is still a thoughtful production. Instead of merely handing you your cup at the register, they ask you to sit down so the tea can properly be steeped (which takes a a few minutes depending on the tea) and then bring out a tray filled with your tea and sugar for your liking. Although such a small detail, it still impressed me.
I cannot remember the name of the green tea I ordered. This is good and bad. It’s good because it shows that there are a lot of tea options. Literally, pages of tea to choose from. It’s bad because I can’t find the tea menu online and this reminds me that I need to start writing things down. However, I am pretty sure you will be happy with whatever tea you order. They use tea from the French company Theodor ( Jin Patisserie is one of approximately 8 locations in the US that sell/use this type of tea).
This place isn’t just tea though. They make cakes, cookies, chocolates, and have a food menu that includes sandwiches and salads. When I was ordering my tea I couldn’t help but notice they had Yek Yek Cookies. I was all like: “What’s a Yek Yek cookie?” Probably a question the counter receives a lot. Apparently they are traditional cookies from Singapore that Jin has a family recipe for. I know, not very helpful. But from it’s description it sounds like a unique soft, shortbread cookie. They also have an eclectic and extensive list of chocolates that I would love to try some day.
Although I can’t remember specifics to what I drank, I do remember that I thoroughly enjoyed my cup of tea. It is the type of place you can go with just a close friend, a romantic date, by yourself, or with a large group (they have Tea Service!).
Jin Patisserie
1202 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 399-8801
Posted October 14th, 2008 by Meg
Recently my boyfriend and I went to the Abbot Pizza Company at it’s flagship location on Abbot Kinney. (The other location is on Pico in Santa Monica). Abbot Pizza Co. is quintessential Californian gourmet pizza. Known best for their bagel crust (a mixture of poppy seeds, onion, garlic and sesame) and supposedly as the best pizza on the West side of Los Angeles. However, the bagel crust is not the only option; if you were to order a pie they offer six crust options: Onion, Garlic, Sesame, Poppy, Hot-Crust and The Blend (Bagel). Also, they have a pretty wide selection of toppings (4 types of mushrooms!: shiitake, oyster, portobello, and buttons). The place is very small and filled up quickly with a wide variety of clientel. If we had not have come so early, we would have probably had to sit outside or get our food to go. Or be a looming (drooling) seat hunter.
I took the gourmet route and ordered a slice of the Cheese Bomb - parmesan, romano, fontina, gouda, ricotta & mozzarella cheese on an alfredo sauce.
And a slice of Popeye’s Chicken - spinach, mushroom, onion, tequila lime marinated chicken with mozzarella cheese on a garlic pesto sauce.
They were both great. I thought the cheese bomb was going to be my favorite because I love cheese, but other than the ricotta and mozzarella the cheeses were hard for my palate to pick up. I think I would have enjoyed the cheese bomb more if it had been a red sauce instead of the alfredo. I really enjoyed the garlic pesto on the popeye slice. I have yet to have a bad pesto experience.
In regards to both slice’s crust, I found it to taste more like a big soft pretzel than a bagel. I suppose when you add salt to a bagel, it increases it’s chances to taste like a pretzel exponentially. I would go again; it was good pizza. I want to continue trying their gourmet slices like the Meatless/Sauceless with pizza crust and seasonal vegetables. It’s a great place to go if you’re in Venice and hungry for pizza.
Abbot Pizza Company I
1407 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 396-7334
Hours: 11am - 11 pm
Abbot Pizza Company II
1811 Pico Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 314-2777
Even though it started raining and was cold, today was awesome. My big dorky watch clocked me at 57:26 with an average speed of 9:18 minutes per mile. My official chip time was 56:56 with a 9:11 minute per mile pace. I am very happy with this number for several reasons. It is at least 15 minutes faster than my first 10k I ran earlier this year. I trained on a treadmill at a slower speed of 10 minutes a mile. I was a little worried that I would try to run too fast in the beginning and would not be able to maintain it or improve, especially since I was moving a little faster than normal. But, by mile 5, I was in it to win it. I am really pleased with the way it all went down. I especially enjoyed this event because there is no other time in my life where I can blatantly ignore red lights and stop signs in Los Angeles. I was also able to see parts of Venice that I have never seen before. I met some nice people at the end of the race. My ipod shuffle worked and played all the right songs at the right time (I sprinted to the finish line while listening to a song from Run Lola Run). And of course, I did it under an hour.
