Carbo Loading Our Way Through Italy, Greece and Turkey!

We are home from our anniversary trip.  It was amazing!  The food.  Oh, the food!  The homemade pasta, the pizza, the tomatoes and olives.  The gelato, pastries, cappuccinos and tiramisu.  And I'm still able to fit into my clothes!

The key to successful cruising is staying active!  I wore my Suunto on our excursions just out of curiosity and here's how it went:

Day 1 in Rome - walked 10.2 miles
Day 2 in Rome - walked 6.35 miles
Sicily - mountain biked 5.18 miles (this excursion will get its own post!)
Mykonos - walked 4.46 miles
Kuşadası - walked 2.73 miles
Santorini - walked 3.64 miles (we shared the footpath from the port to the town with donkeys)

700 feet of elevation gain in about a half a mile.

Athens - walked 3.91 miles
Capri - walked 3.8 miles
Final day in Rome - walked 7.39 miles - this included a stop at a local Italian bike shop!

Total 47.66 miles

This does not include any walking we did on the ship.  There were also times that I paused my watch and would forget to restart it for a few minutes.  I didn't do this to up my mileage for the year - it was more for curiosity's sake.  We always took the stairs - our stateroom was on deck 8, the Windjammer cafe was on deck 11, the Tides dining room was on deck 5, and the gangway to leave the ship was on deck 2.

Have you ever cruised?  Did you worry about weight gain?

Turkey Trotting? You Won't Be Alone!

I read an interesting article in USAToday yesterday.  Thanksgiving is now the most popular holiday for running!  According to data from non-profit Running USA, in 2012, there were 490 Thanksgiving-day races, versus 290 in 2008. And in 2012, there were more than 858,000 finishers — up 155% from 2008.

The Buffalo Turkey Trot is widely considered as the first race of its kind, and it's still run at 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving just as it was for the first time in 1896. That's the year Henry A. Allison beat out five other all-male runners in a 5-mile unpaved race in Buffalo, N.Y., according to the YMCA Buffalo Niagra. The event — thankfully now on paved roads and also accepting women — gets more than 14,000 participants yearly.

I thought the most interesting stat was this:  Thanksgiving is the day most people consume a traditional feast containing the same calories as 15 hot fudge sundaes!  Americans consume approximately 4,500 calories on this single day.

That also equals 43 bananas!

I'm pretty sure no one in the history of Turkey Trots has ever burned 4,500 calories before the meal.  Eat responsibly!

How Many Calories Did I REALLY Burn?

I've always read that running burns about 100 calories per mile.  That is a very arbitrary number.  There are so many factors involved and each individual is different.  I've had three different watches that read my heart rate from a heart rate monitor and calculated calories burned.  My first one in 2005 was a Polar and it seems like it showed 50-70 calories/mile.  Then I got a Garmin in 2010 and it usually was around 90-100 calories/mile.  I got my Suunto in 2013 and it is 50-80 calories/mile.

I ran three times last week and uploaded my file to Suunto Movescount, TrainingPeaks, Strava, and SportTracks.  Yes, I am a total data geek, what can I say!

Tuesday 7.12 miles:
Suunto  411
TrainingPeaks 1,137
Strava  891
SportTracks 623


Thursday 4.2 miles:
Suunto 302
TrainingPeaks  585
Strava 511
SportTracks  400


Saturday 22 miles:
Suunto 1,117
TrainingPeaks 3,467
Strava 2,676
SportTracks 1,944


On the low end, Suunto gave me 51-72 calories a mile, while TrainingPeaks gave me 139-160 calories a mile!  That's more than double, with Saturday's number being more than triple!  That's very scary to think about if you rely on "calories burned" to determine your calorie intake for the day.  Since I haven't seen much movement on the scale this year, I'm pretty sure my Suunto is the most accurate.  I can only imagine what my scale would be screaming at me if I had allowed myself all those extra calories!

Do you pay attention to "calories burned" after a workout to determine what you consume for the day?

Q3 Update

Happy October!  Another year is flying by.  I set some goals on January 1st.  Here is my update for the first nine months of 2015:

1 - Run another marathon.  The Revel Canyon City Marathon is next month!!  Super excited about this race.  I feel like my training has been so much better this time around - more like how I was in early 2012.

2 - Improve my pace.  I'm not as fast as I would like to be, but definitely faster than I have been the past couple of years.

3.  I want to cross the 2,000 mile mark again this year.   As of September 30th, my year to date miles are 1516.33.  I am right on track!  I had some making up to do after the first quarter, but I'm feeling really good about hitting this goal.

4.  I'm currently 13 pounds over my goal weight.  Ugh!  This has been the worst part of my year.  I have diligently counted points, then I switched to counting calories, I have cut out hidden sugars, and nothing!  The scale has not budged.  I have my physical this month so I'm hoping my doctor will have some ideas.  I was chatting with a running friend a few weeks ago and she has the same problem.  She's a nutritionist and 4 time Ironman finisher.  Menopause doesn't care!  I guess I should just be happy that I haven't gained any weight!

Mid-June Update

It's been too long since I've done an update!  2015 has been an interesting year so far.  Some good, some not so good.  I set a bunch of goals at the first of the year, let's just see where I am today:
 
Running
1 - Run another marathon.  I registered for the Revel Canyon City Marathon on November 7th and I'm really excited about that!  True training starts on July 19th.  I reapplied my training plan in TrainingPeaks and noticed some changes.  I'm really planning on working on my pace this time, I neglected speed work last year big time!
2 - Improve my pace. I really haven't gotten much faster overall, but I am working on running fast downhill.  This is important since most of my marathon is downhill.  My fastest downhill mile is 7:53.  I have a new route that is 8 miles - 2 miles up, 2 miles down, 2 more miles up and finishing with 2 miles down.  I did it for the first time last Sunday.  My downhill miles were 9:05, 8:53, 8:36 and 8:35!  It wasn't easy, and I'm definitely planning on doing this route some more.

Mileage
I want to cross the 2,000 mile mark again this year. I am currently at 871.60 miles.  I had a slow start due to the flu in January, but I've slowly been gaining momentum:

January 101.58
February 150.43
March 127.00
April 175.71
May 200.00*
June (through 6/17) 116.88

*I really couldn't have hit exactly 200 miles in May if I tried - that just happened!

Cycling wasn't listed in my goals, but I have really upped by riding lately.  I've been riding the trail and riding on the street and I'm seeing a lot of improvement!  I rode 13 miles this morning then came home and ran 2 miles with Les.

Weight and Health
I'm currently 13 pounds over my goal weight.  My doctor wants me to lose 8 pounds.  So goal number one is dropping 8 pounds, then I'll work on that additional 5. 
UGH!! This has been the worst part of my year.  I've lost about 20 pounds and gained about 20 pounds!  It's one pound up, one pound down.  I have been so diligent in my eating and tracking everything, I'm not sure what to do anymore.  I'm actually only 2 pounds overweight for my height, but that's higher than I want to be.  I'm not giving up, and am hoping that eventually my body will respond!  It seems this lovely thing in life called menopause has meant metabolism pause for me.

I will say that I'm feeling really focused and good about my activity lately.  Even though I'm not officially training, I just want to make my workouts count.  I'm healthy and injury free, so in spite of a non-budging scale, I'm calling it good!

Friday Funnies!

This blog is in serious need of reviving.  I think of lots of things to blog about while I'm out running or cycling, but come home and get busy doing other things.  I'll do an update soon, but I thought these were really funny this morning...

January Recap

I meant to do this about 10 days ago, but better late than never.  January started off with a bang and ended with a whimper.  The first two weeks went along great then I got hit with the flu.  I ran on January 17th and wasn't feeling my best.  That was a Saturday.  I went to church on Sunday and grocery shopping on Monday.  I didn't leave my house again until the following Saturday!  My next run was Monday, January 26th that I took super easy.  So here is a review of my Reset goals that I stated on January 1st:

Running
1 - Run another marathon.  I haven't signed up yet, but I leaning really hard towards the Revel Canyon City Marathon.
2 - Improve my pace.  I know the extra weight I'm carrying is a huge factor.  I want to be smart about this by slowly increasing my pace.  January get back in the 11 minute range.  I had five out of twelve runs in the month of January that my pace was in the 11 minute range.  I may need to take another month to work on this pace.

Mileage
I want to cross the 2,000 mile mark again this year.  It's been several years since I've crossed that milestone (2011.)  This includes running, walking and cycling.  I need to average 40 miles a week and know I can do it!  I had a total of 101.58 miles in January.  I'll be playing catchup the rest of the year, but I'm not giving up on my 2,000 mile goal yet.


Weight and Health
I'm currently 13 pounds over my goal weight.  My doctor wants me to lose 8 pounds.  So goal number one is dropping 8 pounds, then I'll work on that additional 5.  I have some cute clothes in my closet that I've missed being able to wear!  At one pound a week that puts me in April.  Q1 is about resetting!  I lost three pounds in the month of January!  Not quite a pound a week, but I'm happy with that.

I know I've got to get back to tracking and eating better.  For the four weeks leading to my marathon I cut out desserts.  I felt so much better!  Some very wise women have told me that sugar is a major trigger to menopausal symptoms, so I'm committing to less sugar, a LOT less sugar!  The key is not having it in our house.  I'm not saying I'll never have sugar again, I just need to do a lot better.   I have tracked everyday this year so far, including the week that I had the flu.  I've gone over my daily points but have never used all my weekly points.  We do not have any candy or cookies in our house.  I have made sugar free pudding a couple times and we have a dessert once a week when we go out.  That weekly treat feels like a treat now!

How is 2015 going for you so far?

2015 Reset ~ Cleaning Up My Plate

I have tracked everyday since the first of the year.  I've also taken the time to clear out junk food and get more fruits and veggies (freggies) in the house.  I noticed my breakfasts were really lacking this time of year.  In the Spring/Summer/Fall, I usually have a post-workout smoothie for breakfast.  I get 2 servings of milk, 2-3 servings of freggies and protein powder for only 6 points.  Great way to start the day.  Not so great when it's 38 degrees outside.  I cannot drink nearly 32 ounces of icy cold goodness, no matter how good it tastes, when it's that cold out!

Other breakfast options have left me not feeling recovered after a good workout.  Lots of carbs - oatmeal with blueberries, waffles, toast, cereal, English muffins.  I went back to an old standby this week and I forgot just how much I enjoyed it!  Scrambled egg whites with veggies.  This week I had mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, and spinach.  It takes no time at all once the veggies are prepped.  Two bell peppers, two zucchini, a bag of spinach and a handful of mushrooms have lasted all week.  I'm not opposed to using whole eggs, I just find the pourable egg whites a lot easier, and when I come in from a run I want to eat NOW!

I use half a cup of egg whites which equals 50 calories, 2 grams of carbs, and 10 grams of protein for ONE point!  I cook about one cup of veggies (2 servings) then pour my egg whites over it.  This takes about the same amount of time that I need to toast an English muffin!  I've been having an orange (0), coffee (with light almond milk for creamer = 0), and sometimes an English muffin (3.)  I start my day with good protein, 3 servings of freggies and some carbs for only 4 points!  {Side note: I calculate based on the points plus system, but am too lazy to type points plus every time, so I just type points!}

My tracking week starts on Friday, so I'm going to recap last week's points.  I've read different views on activity points.  Some people use their weekly points before their activity points.  I've always used my activity points first.  I feel like I've earned them. I carry them throughout the week, but once the week is gone so are they.  I did use some of my weekly points last week, but not all.  I've used the WW app to calculate activity points, then compared to the calories my Suunto watch says I burned.  It averages out to 50 calories a point, so that's what I use.

Friday (daily allowance = 26)
Used 31 PP
Earned 2 AP
Used 2 AP + 3 WP
3 F/V (Fruits/Veggies)

Saturday
Used 43 PP (went out to eat)
Earned 0 AP
Used 17 WP
4 F/V

Sunday
Used 23 PP
Earned 5 AP
Used 0 AP + 0 WP
5 F/V

Monday
Used 25 PP
Earned 8 AP
Used 0 AP + 0 WP
6 F/V

I was feeling pretty good up to this point (although it's kind of unusual for me to not use all my daily points.)  Then my hormones went crazy!  I didn't sleep a wink on Monday night and spent all day Tuesday fighting anxiety and my blood pressure was up.  I'm surprised I didn't eat more points on Tuesday!  Les was out of town, which meant I didn't cook dinner so that probably saved me.  If there had been any chocolate in the house it would not have been safe!  We have none and I plan to keep it that way.

Tuesday
Used 28 PP
Earned 0 AP
Used 2 AP + 0 WP
7 F/V  Woo hoo!

Took Tylenol PM before bed on Tuesday and slept like a rock! I had to make an unplanned grocery trip for food for a funeral. A Snickers bar at the checkout line jumped into my cart.  It made it home, but did not survive the night.

Wednesday
Used 33 PP
Earned 0 AP
Used 7 AP + 0 WP
5 F/V

I made the mistake of buying an Asian salad without closely reading the label.  17 points for a bunch of cabbage!  The dressing was full of sugar, but still...  I know better.

Thursday
Used 36 PP
Earned 6 AP
Used 10 AP + 0 WP
7 F/V

Weekly recap
Daily Allowance 182 PP (26*7)
Earned (and used) 28 AP
Used 20 WP
Used 219 PP Total - Average of 31 PP per day

In spite of a midweek meltdown I was down half a pound this morning.  I'll take it!  I see other areas that I need to work on (drink more water!) but I'm happy to see my plate getting cleaner.

2015 ~ Reset

I'm so excited for this new year!  I have some goals in mind, but first let's look back at 2014:

Mileage totals
Running: 983.18
Walking: 272.13
Cycling: 480.01
Total:  1,735.32

Not my highest mileage by a long shot, but good.  Things I'm happy about - finishing marathon #3 without injury and consistent splits.  Things that need work - my weight is still up and my pace is slow.  And that brings me to this year:

RESET

I started this morning with zero miles (but ran 8.2 by 7:30!)  I started this morning with 26 points plus to use wisely.  A blank page to write on.  What a relief! I have a few goals:

Running
1 - Run another marathon.  I'm not sure when or where, but I really enjoy the entire process.  The training.  The planning.  The mental break throughs.  The actual race.
2 - Improve my pace.  I know the extra weight I'm carrying is a huge factor.  I want to be smart about this by slowly increasing my pace.  January get back in the 11 minute range.  February 10:30 pace.  March 10:00 pace.  And finally in April get consistently back in the 9 minute range.

Mileage
I want to cross the 2,000 mile mark again this year.  It's been several years since I've crossed that milestone (2011.)  This includes running, walking and cycling.  I need to average 40 miles a week and know I can do it!

Weight and Health
I'm currently 13 pounds over my goal weight.  My doctor wants me to lose 8 pounds.  So goal number one is dropping 8 pounds, then I'll work on that additional 5.  I have some cute clothes in my closet that I've missed being able to wear!  At one pound a week that puts me in April.  Q1 is about resetting!
I know I've got to get back to tracking and eating better.  For the four weeks leading to my marathon I cut out desserts.  I felt so much better!  Some very wise women have told me that sugar is a major trigger to menopausal symptoms, so I'm committing to less sugar, a LOT less sugar!  The key is not having it in our house.  I'm not saying I'll never have sugar again, I just need to do a lot better.

And this...

I don't know what's happened to me, but I have become a total klutz!   I almost always have a bruise somewhere on my body.  Every day.  I spill things, run into walls, trip over my own feet.  I did read somewhere that dizziness/balance issues are just another of the many menopausal symptoms.  Yeah, so just wrap me in bubble wrap and all will be well!

Here's to resetting and a great 2015!

Strategizing

I'm only 24 days away from my next marathon!  Since this one includes a flight to a time zone two hours behind California, I know I need to have a solid plan in place.  Key areas:

Weather
Of course I can't control the weather!  But I do know what to expect.  65 degrees at the start, warm and humid.  It's 45 here this morning.  Humidity a couple days ago was 7%.  What I can do:

• Arrive 12 days before the marathon.  I've read that it takes about 14 days for your body to adjust to a different climate, so I'll be close.
• Wear an extra layer while running here at home.  I've struggled with this one!  I love running when it's below 55!  I wore a fleece lined jersey on my long run last week and will do the same this week.  I plan to wear an extra layer next week as I start transitioning towards the warmth.
• During the marathon I will be drinking early and often.
• I'll be applying extra Body Glide.  With the heat and humidity, I sweat so much more - more chances for chaffing and blisters.

Nutrition
It's time for a confession - I have been a complete sugar addict for the past two years.  If it has chocolate in or on it, it has my name on it.  Mini candy bars have been my "drug" of choice - they're only a point each.  But those points have added up.  We've been having way too many desserts lately, too.  As of Monday, I'm about 8 pounds heavier than I was when I ran my last marathon.  That's not gonna help.  Last Friday, November 14th, was declared the start of "No Desserts Marathon Countdown Month."  Les is joining me and we are allowing one exception - Thanksgiving day!  Since last Friday I have not had any desserts.  No cookies, candies, ice cream, not even a substitute like a WW bar (something I ate even while losing in the past.)  I will weigh again tomorrow.  I'm also upping my water intake.  Both previous times that I lost weight on Weight Watchers, I started in the Fall and lost weight during the holidays.  It can be done.  The rest of my eating is pretty good, but the sugar is weighing me down!

Pace
I really don't know what my pace will be.  I'm hoping to average under 11 minutes a mile.  My run on Saturday was slower than that, but had about twice the elevation gain.  I expect the excitement of the race to speed me up some as well.  I'm hoping to find a pace group of 4:30-4:40, but I don't know if they'll have one.
I just re-read my first marathon recap.  My pace for the first half was 9:38, my pace for the second half was 12:46!  I do not want to go out too fast and completely fall apart again.  I have noticed that my pace on my long training runs has been much more consistent.  Nothing super fast, but nothing super slow at the end.

Goals
A+ Goal:  Finish in 4:35:17, 10:30 pace
A Goal:  Marathon PR of 4:53:32 or faster, 11:11 pace
B Goal:  Sub 5 hours
C Goal:  Finish and not die of heat stroke!

It's gonna be a great day.  I'm starting to get super excited.  The crowds will be massive.  I KNOW I won't be the last one.  Some finishers took 10 hours last year!  Pretty sure I can walk a marathon faster than that.  Twenty two miles this Saturday, 15 and 12 the next two and it's GO time!

Calculating Activity Points

I recently signed up for Weight Watchers online.  I haven't been able to get my weight back to where I want it, and with our current travel schedule getting to meetings just wasn't going to work.  There are almost no meetings on Oahu!  I signed up for 3 months, so that gives me until Thanksgiving to get back to where I want to be.

When I did the old points systems, I knew that about 50 calories equaled 1 point.  I used that same number for activity points.  At some point, I switched to 100 calories burned.  With the Points Plus system, I've never been sure.  To add even more confusion, my Suunto watch shows significantly fewer calories burned than my Garmin did for similar outings (about 75 calories/mile vs. 100 calories/mile.)

This week I decided to calculate my activity points online to see what I would get versus calories burned.  Here are some examples:

Sunday rode 8.96 miles, burned 273 calories (divided by 50 = 5.5 AP), 6 AP online
Monday ran 6 miles, burned 363 calories (/50 = 7 AP), 11 AP online
Tuesday rode 9.39 miles, burned 299 calories (/50 = 6 AP), 10 AP online
Wednesday rest day
Thursday ran 9.21 miles, burned 742 calories (/50 = 15 AP), 15 AP online

That is about clear as mud!  Some are close, while others seem way off.  The good news is I haven't used all the points and on my rest day I used very few weekly points.  So hopefully I'll see a loss on the scale tomorrow.

While this method doesn't seem perfect, it's still a lot better than what I did when I joined WW in 1997.  No matter the activity, 1 point was earned for every 20 minutes.  So if I walked, ran, biked, hiked, or surfed for an hour, I earned 3 points!

Calling Obesity a Disease

A headline on my Yahoo homepage caught my attention: ‘I’m fat, and it’s my fault’—and other reactions to calling obesity a disease. Last week the American Medical Association (AMA) decided to classify obesity as a disease.  Some experts say the decision increases the chance that doctors and insurance companies could more effectively treat the 78 million adults and 12 million children in the United States with BMIs above 30.

Is obesity truly a disease?  Yahoo News asked obese Americans how they felt about this new classification.  Here are some quotes, but you can read the entire article here.

"The AMA's declaration is nothing more than a happy pill designed to make overweight people like myself shift the blame for our own bad habits."

"The AMA gets a big fat ‘F’ from me for their enabling declaration. If I want to change [my life], it's up to me. Over the last year, I made some lifestyle changes and have been keeping my weight under control, but I have more work to do."

"What will this new ‘disease’ designation mean? Will people avoid me, fearing my fat is contagious?"

"Is my obesity a ‘self-inflicted’ disease? I can pinpoint a number of factors: My father and his side of the family were all obese, meaning it is partially genetic. I have had limited access to healthy foods at times during my life that doubtlessly contributed. I suffered a crippling car accident that impeded my ability to be active for quite a while. And, yes, there's also just that I enjoy eating and haven't always made the best choices.”

She thus welcomes a change in how the country views obesity. “But other steps are needed,” she argues. “Education, individual action, and community support must be achieved as well. I am hoping that instead of pushing an agenda of diet drugs and surgeries, there will be more focus on treatments that include healthy eating and exercise.”

"Being obese has stripped me of my confidence and happiness.  I now suffer from anxiety and depression and avoid meeting new people or gathering with old friends. It is the number one challenge in my life, yet I cannot seem to conquer it."

"This leads to a second concern: The AMA insists this new information will encourage more pharmaceutical companies to develop new drugs. I agree with them, but I don't see this as a positive thing. It adds to the growing number of health conditions that are treated in our country with pills and surgery. While there are people who genuinely need medications to overcome weight problems, I think we are already far too quick to prescribe drugs. This is especially concerning in the case of a health problem that, in many cases, is due at least in part to lifestyle choices. If you're already doing all you can to lose weight, that new pill might be a godsend. But our culture craves the quick fix, and far more people are going to demand the drug and make no accompanying lifestyle changes."

"I am a relatively healthy woman in her early 40s; however, I now have a disease solely based on my body mass index."

"However, people who chose an unhealthy lifestyle may see this as a way of justifying their choices because they have a 'disease.' "

I have been overweight, but my weight has never reached "obesity."  I do know that each time I have gained weight it was through careless eating and little to no exercise.  Each time I have lost weight it has been through diligent tracking of what I ate and upping my exercise.  It was all within my control, so I am only writing from that viewpoint.

I personally don't feel that obesity is a disease.  It does cause many health problems, but when weight is brought back under control, most of those health problems go away.  I have heard many Weight Watcher members talk about going off medications when they lost weight.  I am not for more drugs.  There is no quick fix, in my opinion.  It amazes me that we think we can gain weight over the course of 2-3 years, but think we should be able to lose it in 2-3 weeks.

What do you think?  Agree or disagree?

Marine Layer = Perfect Running/Cycling Weather

We've been home for a week and go back to Hawaii on Monday morning.  I have enjoyed the weather so much!  The days have been warm, but the mornings and evenings have been so pleasant.  54-58 degrees for lows all week.

Sunday - Rested
Les had a 6:45 a.m. flight, which meant getting up at 4:45 a.m.  We were still on Hawaii time so that equated to 1:45 a.m.!  Not to my liking at all.  I needed a very large coffee about half way through Sunday school!

Monday - Ran 6.30 miles in 1:06:56, 10:38 pace

Tuesday - Rode 12.5 miles in 1:14:17, 10.1 mph
This sign was on the trail:

There was a bear on the trail a couple years ago that never caused any trouble, so I bravely forged ahead!  I had great plans to ride several times this week, but this ended up being my only ride.

Wednesday - Rested
I stayed up way past my bedtime on Tuesday night (as in, I didn't get home until after 1:00 a.m.!)  But it was worth it to spend time with some very special friends!

Thursday - Ran 7 miles in 1:21:25, 11:38 pace
I definitely I prefer the hills and cooler temps of Simi to the flat and warmer temps of Honolulu!

Friday - Rested
Les and I planned to get up and go riding, but it just didn't happen!

Saturday - Ran 10 miles in 1:50:00, 11:00 pace
Les is always looking for a "square" ride, so my goal for this morning was a "square" run. 10 miles with over 1,000 feet of climbing = square.  My total elevation gained was 1,146 feet.  I won't get that in Honolulu!

Totals for this week:
Ran 23.30
Rode 12.50
Total 35.80

I'm also happy to report that I am now down 7 of the 10 pounds I gained earlier this year... it's always easier to put it on than it is to take it off, but I'm headed in the right direction.

It was Bound to Happen Sometime!

Since I took yesterday as a rest day, I was ready for a good run this morning.  It was a little misty out, but that's not unusual.  I headed to my usual route - Diamond Head, going counterclockwise today.  After running the complete loop around the crater, I stopped at about the 7 mile mark to stretch a little.  I had a text message from Les asking if the roads were wet.  "Yep.  Getting sprinkled on now."  That sprinkle turned into a full on downpour that I ran in for the final 1.5 miles!

My forehead was dripping the entire time today - first from sweat, then from rain!  Nothing like a good downpour to make you pick up the pace at the end!

8.51 miles in 1:33:17, 10:58 pace
Ave HR 146
Max HR 160
Calories Burned 833

Re-Acclimating

We returned to Hawaii this week and I am having quite a time re-acclimating to the weather.  After running in high 40s and low 50s with 30% humidity at home, I returned to this:

94% Humidity - I might as well go swimming!  I'm definitely swimming in sweat these days.  But I'm drinking lots of water, taking my Endurolytes, and running on! 

9.18 miles in 1:39:49, 10:52 pace
Ave HR 141
Max HR 157
Calories burned 887

Reality Check

Last Sunday morning was the moment of truth... the moment I had been dreading but knew I had to face... I stepped on the scale!  It wasn't pretty.  Not pretty at all.  But it is what it is.  They say grief is heavy.  All I know is that my eating for about six weeks was horrific.  I knew it and couldn't seem to stop it.  It didn't help that we didn't have a scale in Hawaii to confirm what I knew.

So it was back to basics this week.  Tracking every bite, every day.  It's a tedious task, but it works!  As of this morning, my scale said I was down 3 pounds.  I've still got a ways to go, it's amazing how much damage can occur in six weeks!  I have weighed more (much more!), so I know I can do this. 

I struggled with jetlag early in the week, but still managed some good runs:

Sunday - Ran 5.16 in 1:02:21, 12:05 pace.
Found some hills!  Actually, I don't have to look far to find hills here.

Monday - Rest
The real problem with jetlag is bedtime.  10:00 p.m. California time is 7:00 p.m. Hawaii time.  I had trouble going to sleep the night before and could not get up in the morning.

Tuesday - Rest
See Monday.

Wednesday - Ran 6 miles in 1:10:10, 11:42 pace
I was a little shocked when I stepped out the door to 46 degrees! 

Thursday - Ran 5.59 miles in 1:15:37, 13:31 pace
This was my hilliest and windiest run of the week. Santa Ana winds in April is very unusual, but that's what we had.

Friday - Rest
After two days of hills my legs were really feeling it.

Saturday - Ran 9.01 miles in 1:40:07, 11:07 pace
Windy again, but I pressed through.  My pace was at 11:20 at the 7 mile mark, so I really pushed to drop my average. 
It was 69 degrees when I got up, it's currently 75 with 24% humidity.  Big change from Honolulu!

Total 29.76 miles

Cycling There, Running Here

I knew we were heading west on Tuesday, so I decided to give my knee a couple more days rest and ride my bike before hitting the beach again!

Sunrise over the Ali Wai this morning

I've added a new walking route - Don Quijote is the local supermarket.  I guess you'd call it an Hawaiian Wal-Mart.  The prices are much better than any other market I've been to on the island.  It is just over 2 miles round trip.  Since we don't have a car, I have been going almost everyday because I come back with just what I can carry.  This is turning in to a great workout for my arms. I've also been rained on each time I've gone.  Living the Island Life!

Sunday - Rode 8.73 miles on the road in 47:08, 11.1 mph
Tested my knee this morning and found little pain in my right knee, while my left knee decided to complain!  Maybe it's working its way out of my body!

Monday - Rode 10.21 miles on the trail in 1:11:47, 8.5 mph
I decided to ride my bike one more time before we left the mainland!  My knees weren't too bad.

Tuesday - Sat on an airplane for 5 1/2 hours
After we got settled in to our condo, I made my first trip to Don Q's, not to be confused with DQ (Dairy Queen!).  I bought WAY more than I could carry, so I took a taxi back.
Walked 1 mile

Wednesday - Walked 3 miles
This included a trip to Don Q's and Ala Moana Center

Diamond Head in the distance

Thursday - Ran 1.95 miles in the sand
Took another trip to Don Q's.  I kinda feel European, purchasing food everyday!  Walked 2 miles.

Friday - Rested
I was tired of walking to Don Q's!  We went out to dinner for the first time since we've been here this time.  It was a nice treat now that we're not doing it every night!

Saturday - Ran 5.79 miles in 1:07:48, 11:43 pace
This run started off great, the first two miles were in the 10s.  The heat and humidity slowly started getting to me and I got slower and slower, with my walk breaks becoming longer and more frequent.  I really need to remember to take my Endurolytes, they work but only if I take them!
We have a bunch of errands to "run" today, so I'll be adding a few more walking miles.
5:45 p.m. update:  I walked to the Ala Moana Farmers Market (AMFM) - 2 miles round trip.  Then Les and I walked to Wal-Mart, from there we went to Don Q's and stocked up - another 1.6 miles.  We took a taxi home with all our purchases!

Rainbow on my way home this morning

 Totals:

Running - 7.74
Walking - 9.60
Cycling - 18.94
Total - 36.28

Today's Run = 20 Miles and Weekly Report

This wasn't my worst week ever, but it wasn't my best either.   I've been having a lot of pain in my left IT band.  While running in Tennessee on Monday I was trying to figure out why.  I finally remembered having the same issue in the Spring and after buying new shoes the pain went away.  It seems like such a simple solution, but it really does work.  Running shoes break down, they lose their cushioning, and become ineffective.  I got new shoes yesterday, so I'm hoping to see improvement soon.

Sunday:  Rest Day
Result:  Rested

Monday: 4 Miles Easy w/4 Strides (pace 9:52 pace)
Result:  4.18 miles in 50:18, 12:02 pace.  I was enjoying the beautiful weather too much to get in a hurry!

Tuesday:  Yasso 800s - 9 miles total
Result:  5:14 in 1:04:24, 12:32
Trying to do Yasso 800s on hilly terrain is not a good idea!  I pushed the pace some, but not much.

Wednesday:  Rest
Result:  Rested

Thursday: 10 Miles w/8 Miles @ MP (marathon pace 9:09)
7.38 miles in 1:28:16, 11:58 pace

Friday:  Rest
Result:  Rested and bought new shoes!

Saturday:  20 Miles LSD (pace 10:04-11:04)
Result:  20.01 miles in 4:06:39, 12:20 pace
I knew I couldn't wear to my new shoes for 20 miles.  That is not even smart.  I also planned on doing two loops, with a stop at home at about the 10 mile mark.  So... I started with my new shoes and they felt pretty good for about 7 miles.  I think they're going to be fine, just need a little more breaking in.

I set my watch to 3:1 intervals - run 3 minutes, walk 1 minute, repeat, repeat, repeat.  This worked really well for about the first 12-13 miles.  Then two things happened, I started getting tired and the temperatures started rising.  It was 63 when I left and 80 when I got back.  Someone, anyone, PLEASE send cool temps our way.  I am completely done with summer!

I started getting really bummed as my pace slowed and slowed.  Then I remembered Jeff Galloway's rule - 30 seconds a mile slower for every 5 degrees over 60.  It's hard to do, but I know it's what I must if I'm going to finish.  My last few miles were filled with longer walk breaks, pep talks, and a little nausea just to make it even more fun!  I think my biggest issue is comparing my times to earlier this year.  But that was in the Winter/Spring and now I'm training in the Summer/Fall.  I'm still training my body to press on through, just a little slower than I want!

Ave HR 144
Max HR 159
Calories burned 1855

Cool iPhone App

If you are a Weight Watchers member, or ever have been, you are familiar with counting points.  I first joined WW in 1997, lost 30 pounds, became a life time member, and promptly quit going to meetings!  I did okay on my own for a while, but I only learned to lose weight and hadn't learned to maintain.  When I lost my Mom to breast cancer in October of 1998, all desire to focus on healthy eating went out the window.

Fast forward to 2005.  I had gained all the weight back and more.  I finally went back to WW in October of that year and again lost the weight to get back to life time status.  I have maintained, pretty closely, since that time.

Since my marathon, my miles have dropped off, but my eating hasn't.  We also took a vacation (deep fried Twinkies) and had company.  So I'm not real happy with my weight these days.  Over the weekend I decided it was time to get serious about tracking my food again.  But I really didn't want to actually write stuff down.  I searched the App store on Saturday and found many Points trackers.  The only freebie was Weight Watchers, but it's not truly free.  You use part of the site, but must pay a monthly fee to use the tracker.  I finally installed Pts. Plus Diary by Frippware for $1.99 and so far I really like it.

I did a full post, with screen shots on my other blog (HERE), but just in case there are any readers who don't read that blog, I'll put it in a nutshell.  I really like it!  Very simple to use and if you used the old Points system, you can use this app to track that way, too.  Here's the home screen:

Do you track your food on a daily basis?  If so, what do you use ~ paper or electronic?

Will Climb for Chocolate

After yesterday's post about attacking hills, I thought it was funny that I received an email from Terry Bicycles with the subject "Will Climb for Chocolate."  If you're not a cyclist (or married to a cyclist) you may not be aware that the Tour de France is going on right now.  They are in the middle of week 2, of a 3 week bicycle race that covers over 2,000 miles.

Most people know that the winner of the Tour de France gets the Yellow Jersey.  What you may not know is there are three other jersey classifications - the Green Jersey, the Polka Dot Jersey, and the White Jersey.  I won't bore you with all the details, but you can read all about it here.

So, back to that email from Terry.  It said this:

The red polka dot jersey.
Most people know that the polka dot jersey is awarded to the best climber in the mountain stages of the Tour de France. The King of the Mountains title was first awarded in 1933, but it wasn't until 1975 that the white jersey with red dots was officially designated as the KOM jersey. What isn't very well known is where that came from: the polka dot wrapper of a chocolate bar company sponsor!!

Now that's what I'm talking about ~ chocolate!  Isn't it a little ironic that my blog background is currently red with white polka dots?  In my opinion, if you're gonna climb hard, you need to be rewarded with chocolate.

Wonder how many calories a pro cyclist burns and consumes in a day?  Pro, Ted King, blogged about it recently.  Every.Single.Bite.  Including some chocolate.  The entire post is quite entertaining, but if you don't have time to read it, here is his simple conclusion:

– By my calculation, I consumed 5,082 calories. All of which were delicious, especially the risotto and the honey waffles
– Calories expended on the ride: 5,067.69
– Ride time: 5:23 and change (approx. 107 miles)

I, on the other hand, rode 10.52 miles in 1:14:07 this morning, burning 608 calories.  My ride had one continuous climb, then a wonderful downhill.  I earned a little bit of chocolate

The moral of this story:  If you really want to enjoy chocolate, become a pro cyclist!