Aloha Friday!

Happy Friday, everyone! It's the last day of school (work) for a week so I'm extra excited to have made it to Friday. 

Tonight we are hitting the boat parade with some hot rum cider and hanging out with friends, and tomorrow will be my little family Christmas celebration complete with the annual viewing of Love Actually. It's the best holiday movie ever, in my opinion. 

I also hope to get in a 10.5 miler tomorrow since I'm heading to the land of cold, wind, and snow Sunday morning... brrrr!

Last Christmas in the backyard.

I will miss you, beach.

But I will drink lots of you all week!

As far as running back home goes, we do have a treadmill I plan to make lots of use of, and if it stays above 40 degrees, I may just hit the road for a brief run. But I've planned it so that as long as I get a few mid distance runs in, I won't have to hit a double digit run until I get back from Chicago after Christmas.

I doubt I'll be blogging much from my food-and-drink-coma, but follow me on twitter for some cold weather updates!

Have a great weekend and Happy Holidays!

Sunset Run

Yesterday was one of those days when I was psyched all day to run... then it hit going home time and all I wanted to do was lay down. Motivation was lacking and the temperature was dropping with the sun. But after putting on lots of sweat wicking clothes, I headed out for a 5 miler down the beach path and was rewarded with this:

Thank you, nature.

I love it when 5 miles seems like nothing in the midst of a training cycle. 

How have your midweek runs been going?

Panties!

I've seen these on a few different blogs and healthy living websites:

Rundies.

Cute idea, but I don't know if I could justify $65 on underwear. And I'm not sure, but the model doesn't really look like she has a runner's butt.

Would you ever buy them? For yourself, or for the other runner in your life?

Monday Confessions

I did my long run Saturday instead of Sunday due to the Christmas Crawl and the accurately predicted aftermath. 10 miles in 91 minutes... good enough for me! However, my stomach was a mess all evening after, and when I finally was hungry, I'm sure this didn't help:

Do not eat this at 2 am next time, genius.

Did I mention that there were a lot of these going around?

White Russians- the dude would approve.

While I'm glad I got my run in, I would have liked to do some sort of exercise yesterday, but the hangover and the weather combined to make it a couch day. So did this:

Ahhhh.

What day do you do your long runs on?

Aloha Friday!

After a somewhat painful week, happy Friday! If everything is feeling okay, I'm hoping to hit the gym after work, since it's CLOSING today until the end of December. The worst part? They won't let us use the newly opened Super Sport ACROSS THE STREET! How rude.

Also, my neighbors and I are having a Christmas Walk, where we all are making a variety of wintery drinks for a pub-crawl type situation on Saturday. Could (and most likely will) be dangerous.

Gonna get crunk up in here.

Also planned is a 10 miler! Let's hope it goes as well as last week's niner.

What do you have planned?

Eating

When you can't work out, do you usually cut back on your food intake? Due to my stomach being whack still, I can't get in the usual 60 minutes of cardio today. So I'm trying to be more careful than normal since I'm trying to lose weight.

Mmm. Salad.

I'm not the biggest fan of dieting (I'll get into how I lost about 40 pounds a few years ago in another post), but I feel like every calorie counts these days.

What do you do when you can't get in a quality workout?

All Good in the Hood

Yesterday's EGD was kinda awesome in the way that I slept about 12 hours, ate frozen yogurt, was able to find my parked car without too many problems this morning, and was found to have a "normal" stomach. The anesthesia they give you makes you way forgetful, so I only had to ask the husband 4 times what actually happened. I'm told a "shitload" (that's a quote from my doctor, btw) of biopsies were taken, but everything looks fine for now. So we will see what develops!

I tried running today but only made it 2 miles on the tm before visions of internal bleeding stopped me. They didn't tell me a time restriction on no exercise, but something tells me pounding out 6 miles wouldn't be the best thing.

Anyway, what do you all think of Sport Beans? I have tried a few different flavors before long runs, but fruit punch is grody. I'd like to find a favorite flavor before the weekend if I'm able to do the 10 miles I have planned.

See? Grody.

Do you have a favorite? What else do you eat for energy before long runs?

Monday Confessions

Holler! It's Monday. I had a weekend as advertised: plenty of eating and drinking. This is how I rolled at the husband's company Christmas party Friday: 

No, I cannot walk in these.

There was plenty of debauchery and donut eating at 2 am. Super! Sunday I got in 9.2 miles around the hills of Newport:

Mountains!

I felt really good in this, the longest run I've done since the Long Beach half in October. I'm surprisingly not sore at all today.

But the big news: tomorrow I have an upper endoscopy scheduled at 4 pm to see what the f is going on with my stomach. It's been hurting on and off since July and I'm pretty sick of it; what I'm most worried about though? Not eating. ALL. DAY. That's right; you can't eat for 8 hours before the scope, and since I'm such a dedicated teacher, I have an afternoon appointment rather than first thing in the morning. This after having to open the school tomorrow at 6:30 am. So wish me luck!

Anything you all need to confess? Anyone ever get scoped before? How was it?

OMG Thank Goodness

I'm so glad it's Friday it's sick. The real world is not at all what I would like to be in right now. Last Friday at this time I was on a remote beach on a remote island getting' my tan on. And it's not like I am on my way to Vegas for the big Strip at Night race that EVERY blogger in the universe is heading to...

BUT! I get to wear these:

Leopard and furry!

to a Christmas party tonight, so that makes up for everything.

This weekend we are also planning a hike (depending on how hungover I am tomorrow) and some stellar eating, so it should be fun.

What are your weekend plans?

Treadmill Talk

Today's run calls for 6 miles that I will be pounding out on the treadmill. I actually really like running on tms because I need work on my speed and I find that I always set the pace faster than I run outside. When I run outside, I usually take it easier and try to enjoy the scenery and people watching. At the gym on the treadmill, I'm all about getting in and out, hard and fast. Oh yeah.

She is working' it.

How do you feel about treadmills versus pavement running?

Run Club!

It's Wednesday and you know what that means: run club tonight! I lead a running group at the local (fancy pants) gym (that also hosts wine parties once a month.... awesomeness), so if you are interested in joining us, drop me an email at runinthesunblog@gmail.com. You do NOT have to be a member to run!

We often can be found running around here:

Lido yachts.

Posing, not running. 

Happy running!

Not in the Sun

In preparation for a cold Christmas in Chicago (and in a fit of boredom at work), I bought these shoes while doing the "Cyber Monday" thing yesterday. J. Crew was offering 25% off everything and free shipping.  Cha-ching!

Foot pillows.

They may also serve as a post-long run comfort thing.

Did you buy anything fun this past weekend?

Monday Confessions

Yes, it's true... I have the post-vacation blues. How could I not, when leaving a place like this?

Poipu sunset.

My new home?

But of all the places in the world to come back to, Newport Beach isn't so bad. The 80 degree weather yesterday certainly helped. It took me forever to get motivated to run yesterday, but eventually I knocked out 7.3 miles. 

I need to get back to not eating just one big meal a day, drinking champagne and mai tais every night, and wearing more clothes than a bikini and, on special occasions, a sarong to cover it up. I have to get back into half marathon training mode, damnit!

Final

Heading out for a last run here on Kauai. All in all I'll hit about 25 miles this week. Not bad for a vacation.
Running at home this Sunday is going to be rough though...

See you all on Monday- back to the real world. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

Yes, that's me. Sorry.

Thanksgiving!

A few things I am especially thankful for:
Vacations
Sunshine
Family
Water
Swimming
Cold drinks
Friends reruns
Running
Whiskers on husbands
Coffee
Mascara
Nars Orgasm blush
Cover up
Sarongs
Digital cameras
Blog readers
Trident
Indulgent husbands
Nike
Earrings
Netflix
Bobby pins
Burt's Bees lip balm
Liquor
Coffeemate fat free vanilla creamer
FiberOne bars
Neon Champion bras
Electric pencil sharpeners
Neighbors
Books

Kauai horses: livin' the life.

Update!

I'm still on vacation.

Paddled today in Hanalei, day off from running.

Happy Thanksgiving eve!

I should always have windswept hair.

A Little Bit More...

A quick summary of runs so far.... Saturday 4 miles, Sunday 5 miles, Monday undetermined (ran around a golf course while the husband played), and today heading out for 6. As much as I dislike running in the morning at home, here it is heaven. There are tons of runners on the roads and they're all like, "Aloha!" as you go by. I could get used to that.

Before "golf."

On the course.

Those are waterfalls.

Monday Confessions

One of the main reasons I love coming here is because of how active we are while vacationing. With the 2 hour time difference, we are usually up around 7am and in bed by 9pm. We get a lot of running in in the morning, hike and paddle and swim during the day, and have a lot of this on the lanai at night:

I love vacation booze.

Have you ever had a daffodil? Champagne + lemonade = alcoholic goodness. We earned it, right? 

So Far...

Running route

The forbidden island

First rainbow sighting

Drinks at the hotel

Polihale

More to come!

Running in Kauai

We are heading out this morning to get a run in all around Po'ipu. I love this area and can't wait to explore it more on foot. I'm going to bring my wallet in case one of the beach front mansions for sale calls to me...

Happy Saturday!

Books on a Plane

Instead of working tomorrow and all next week, I will be laying here:

Yes, that is heaven.

and I'm taking these with me:

Remarkable photography, no?

This past year I have inexplicably become terrified of flying, so I'm hoping to distract myself with a book for the 5 hour flight direct to Kauai. Which of these do you think will do the job?

(I made the husband buy himself The Hunger Games for his plane distraction. I read the whole thing driving back from Vegas recently to distract myself from barfing all over the car. It worked. And it was awesome.)

A Quickie

Ran 5 miles at one gym today, stopped home, went to other gym for run club, no one came, did another 3 on the tm there. Now that is a fun night.

See? I'm on a treadmill.

Run in the Sun... at Lunch?

Runner's World tweeted this link today, and it got me thinking. I am not a morning person, so I don't run then, and when I need to get a run in after work, I usually just hit the treadmill. But I am realizing that with the miserable parking at my gym, along with the crowds of walkers taking over the treadmills, and the darkness the descends at 5pm, I might need to do a lunchtime run. I leave work at lunch anyway, and I'm pretty sure I can sneak a meal in in the car or at my desk after lunch, so maybe I will try it!

What usually stops me from doing a lunch run is that I feel the need to get 60 minutes of cardio in no matter what, and that's just not possible in this scenario. But this article makes a few great points about the benefits of a shorter, faster run.

Do any of you work out or run at lunch? Do you go back to work all sweaty, or do you have time to shower? And if you do a shorter workout then, would you try to get in another one later in the day?

Swinging on a vine in Kauai = same as lunchtime run.

Monday Confessions

I didn't get my long run in yesterday... boo to me.

For the second Sunday in a row, I missed it. Last Sunday was because of my back, and yesterday was because of something similar to alcohol poisoning. 

(Just kidding). 

Does anyone else use the NTC app on your phone? I'm up to 915 minutes! It's a great way to get a workout in when you are short on time.... check it out! 

Available in itunes!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Aloha Friday!

Happy Friday and happy 11-11-11!!

Tonight we are getting ready for a dinner party at our house tomorrow by cleaning, cooking, and more cleaning (we are messy). I'm on the hunt for the perfect drink to serve with spicy chili. Any suggestions?

We also have a planning/coffee date set for tomorrow morning, since we leave for Kauai a week from today. Have you ever been to Alta? Dessert for breakfast is the way to go... and the way to spoil my Hawaii diet.

Kauai.

Sunday I am hoping for a good 9 to 10 mile run. I kicked ass on my 7 miler yesterday on the treadmill, and I'm so ready to pound the pavement this weekend after missing last week's long run. Yes, my back is feeling better, but I am still using Bengay nightly, if not for the pain but the comic relief the rubdowns bring.

So sexy!

What are your weekend plans?
ps Thank you to all our veterans for serving our country so well!

The Way to Do It

This might be a new way for me to carb load...

Tasty Kitchen

or just a new way to wake up every morning. French toast coated in pancake batter... sounds like a PR to me!

Recipe here.

At the Gym

When you're working out at a gym, what do you look at?

Work it- 24 Hour Fitness.

I usually watch myself in the mirrors, especially when running on a treadmill, and I've been told I look kind of scary when exercising. I guess I'm just intense; I mean, I'm not there for a good time. Also, I feel like if I look at someone too much, they think I'm checking them out- busted!

So what do you do?

Rewind

So the weekend was a slight fail... let's go back to the beginning, shall we?

Friday the plan was P90X yoga; due to the rage of working out for an hour with one contact in and 24 Hour Fitness having suck ass excuses for working treadmills, I came home angry, found a husband who was equally unmotivated, and yoga was no more. The good news? We went to the store instead and I made some awesome hot apple cider with rum. Yum.

Saturday the plan was hiking and a dinner date. The hike was cancelled due to the breaking of my back- not literally but I still can't really move my neck or arms above my head. What happened? Your guess is as good as mine; I'm thinking a combination of over training, sleeping in a bad position, and having poor posture. But for reals, it hurts. 

We did venture out to dinner at Habana and it was lovely:

Masking the pain with hot purple lipstick.

My nurse date.

Mahi mahi with some sauce.

But it didn't help my back, and Sunday's nine miler turned into finding ways to lay on the couch without dying, and the husband cracking dirty jokes as he rubbed Bengay all over my back.

I haven't been injured in a while, and despite my weight being higher than usual (an issue for another post), I am in really good shape. So I'm worried about losing my fitness, especially because I'll be on vacation for 8 days this month, and freezing in Chicago for 8 days next month.

Anyone else ever have stabbing pain in their upper middle back? How did you deal with it?

Monday Confessions

I snuck out to the gym during my break today for a quick 31 minutes on the Precor. I hurt my back pretty bad this past Saturday and atrophied on the couch for the rest of the weekend, so I was anxious to burn some calories. This means, of course, that my workout clothes are fermenting in the car while I'm back at school, awaiting my return for another upper body-motionless workout later. But that's not the confession-y part.... while I was sweating, I was jamming to the Wicked soundtrack. Yes, that's right, the 2003 hit Broadway musical.

Official poster.

In my defense, there are some great songs on here. I dare you to not theatrically raise your arms as Elphaba belts out "Defying Gravity," and it's a fun way to pass the time. But it's a little weird, so there you have it. I'm a badass like that. 

Any semi-embarassing songs you listen to while you work out?

Aloha Friday!

It's a dark and stormy day in Southern California...

Spooky.

actually, the sun is coming out and the weekend is here! I've had a discouraging week, health-wise, but I'm really excited about our weekend plans. We are doing yoga tonight, P90X style, hiking tomorrow, and have a date planned for the evening! Has anyone been to Habana at the Lab before? I can't wait.

What are your big weekend plans?

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend- wish I was in New York!

p.s. Two weeks until Hawaii!

Fuel or Foe

Heaven in a box. Instagramed.

These babies are awesome. I first tried them while carb loading for the Long Beach Half, and immediately fell in love. They are actually even better when they are open for a few days (if you can make them last) and get even crunchier and somehow more peanut buttery. But the Puffins probably aren't the best thing ever to eat when you are not carb loading for a race.... like right now, just because it's hard to not eat the whole box in one sitting.Which is why I will stay away from them... at least until fuel time for Carlsbad in January.

Do you have a favorite carb loading food?

Run in the Fog

Sunday's 8 miler down the beach path started like this:

A perfect day for a run.

turned into this by the halfway point, 

Where did the world go?

and ended with the last mile in the sand. I always go in the water after my beach runs to ice down my feet and legs, but the temperature was a little to warm for that this time. 

Ahhh.

But even though I was supposed to be home to watch the Tebow show (which didn't turn out so well this week), I couldn't help but hang in the water for a little longer instead, and was treated to an amazing dolphin show. Do Sunday runs get any better than that?