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.)

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!

At the Gym

I used to go to the gym a lot before getting in good enough shape to run long distances. Back then I was obsessed with Turbo Kickboxing, spinning, and the occasional weights class, and I feel like that's when I was in my best shape ever. Since I've been running more, though, I hardly ever do anything but spin maybe once a month if I'm lucky, and I definitely do not look or feel as good as I did when I mixed it up.

One month from today I will be heading back to Kauai for a vacation, and I'm really going to try to get back in to the classes groove.

What about you? Do you feel like your in better shape when you're mixing it up or when you're running miles and miles at a time?