The Best of the Best

Running is unlike any other sport out there. There is no field/indoor court/equipment involved. (of course a nice pair of sneaks of course). Running is not weather dependent, and does not require much when you really think about it. A few things are appreciated when running in the outdoors: temperate climate; abundant routes, tracks, and trails; vibrant local running and racing scene; etc. Recently, there was a poll of U.S. cities rich in these qualities and granted the top 15 best cities to run in the United States:  

1. San Fran, CA
2. Seattle, WA
3. Boston, MA
4. San Diego, CA
5. Washington DC
6. Portland, OR
7. Minneapolis, MN
8. New York, NY
9. Omaha, NE
10. Denver, CO
11. Chicago, IL
12. Madison, WI
13. Colorado Springs, CO
14. San Jose, CA
15. Los Angeles, CA

The Law

Disclaimer: Normally, I am not much of a history/economic/court case fan who gets interested in that sort of stuff...however, in my Law and Economics class, we are reviewing various court cases that have been addressed in the Supreme Court. One of the cases I found to be extremely interesting was Grutter v. Bollinger held in 2003. This was a landmark case in which the US Supreme Court upheld the affirmative action admissions policy of the University of Michigan Law School. Basically, Barbara Grutter was a women living in Michigan, possessing a 3.8 GPA and fairly high test scores. She was not accepted into the University of Michigan, despite her high qualifications. Grutter filed an injunction against the University in 2007, claiming that minority candidates who possess worse academic records and qualifications are accepted solely due to their race or ethnicity. She believed the school accepted minority candidates over her, even though the individuals had received worse grades than her. The United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of the University of Michigan, saying there was no way to prove that the school accepted or preferred candidates based on their race or ethnicity. As this is the time of year the senior class is hearing back from colleges they applied to, I thought this court case was extremely interesting and very relatable. What if someone I was close to had a high GPA, great test scores, great qualifications, participated in out of school activities, but was declined to their top choice of University of Delaware solely because they are a caucasian Delaware resident. But, someone who did not work as hard as them in highschool and fooled around was accepted because they are qualified due to their ethnicity and out of state admission. Something to think about....

bón appetite!

Over the weekend, I was in the cooking mood so I decided to whip up a delicious healthy Sunday night dinner for my family. Aside from how great they taste, this meal is super healthy, easy to make, and can be prepared in advance and baked a day or even two later. Peppers has a high water content, making them low in calories. So, once you stuff it with some flavorful veggies and the protein rich superfood quinoa, topped with just a bit of cheese and avocado, you’ve got an amazing healthy meal. It is a rather light dish, so my family served it with a nice big salad, but you could substitute that for soup, orzo salad, etc. instead. Below, I added some pictures of the final product as well as all the ingredients necessary to make this delicious dish!! ENJOY :)

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the pan
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 7 bell peppers, 1 cored, seeded and chopped; tops removed and reserved from remaining 6 then cored and seeded
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 pound baby spinach
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and cooked according to package directions 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup roasted cashews
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  
  
  
  
  
  

Race to the After Party

As I officially signed up for my first half marathon (!!!), I was browsing through a magazine my family gets a weekly subscription to, “Runner’s World”. From shoes, running attire, training, nutrition, street style, reviews, or just about anything else you can possibly imagine, this magazine has got it all. Anyway, quite ironically, the article I was intrigued by was a ‘Races and Places’ article, listing and describing food and beverage themed races to elevate one’s refueling fare post half marathon, ranging from chocolates to burritos to bourbon. Basically, the article describes the location where the race is held, the features you will encounter while running, and the treats you receive after you finish the race. Here are my top 3 favorites I am definitely interested in for 2017:

1. MiddleBury Maple Run

• Middlebury, Vermont
• Running views of the Adirondacks to the West and the Green Mountains to the East
• Finish the race with three fluffy pancakes topped with the state’s most famous export (generously poured on top of your hotcakes)

2. The Louisiana Half Marathon

• Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Running views of local neighborhoods lined with oak trees and plantation-styled homes, LSU campus, and cypress-shaded paths along the Mississippi
• Finish the race with a wristband good for six servings of Cajun grub from 24 local restaurants (including jambalaya, gumbo, shrimp, as well as a vegan village with plant based greens)

3. Mountain Chile Cha Cha Half Marathon

• Pagosa Springs, Colorado
• Running views of private land on the Colorado-New Mexico border
• Finish the race with a bean breakfast burrito, stuffed with green chilies