Kauai 2016

I haven't written much. That's probably obvious. I love blogging but it takes so long because I'm such a perfectionist. I decided to get over myself and just write. If you find typos or redundancies here, you can do what I do; choose to see the writer's humanity or feel smug. Either works. 

I thought I would ease back into it by sharing photos of our trip. We are spending our last night on the island, and jump back into our respective lives immediately upon our return. My boy starts his sophomore year of high school (two days late) and my girl moves into her dorm this Saturday. Mr. Doll leaves Thursday to see friends and music for the Labor Day weekend. As for me, this summer flew by. I'm dreading returning to adulthood and responsibility 😒

We have spent 8 days on Kauai. It is truly paradise and my favorite place to be on the planet. It's impossibly beautiful here. 

Plumeria is one of my favorite scents.

Truly paradise

Even the garden snails are beautiful here.

I explored the garden daily at the house we stayed at, looking for
geckos and other island critters. 

Star fruit! It tasted a lot like a cross between a green grape
and a pear, except a little crunchier. 

We have spent our week snorkeling, relaxing and eating. We enjoyed an afternoon on ATVs, seeing the picturesque interior of Kauai where movies such as Jurassic Park, 6 Days and 7 Nights (I adore Anne Heche) and Tropic Thunder were filmed. 

Inside one of the bunkers from WWII

Taking it all in...

Impressive height!

Who is even this photogenic?? 

This will be featured on our Christmas card,
so act surprised when you open yours.

The valley is absolutely breathtaking. 

We came from Poipu to the north side of the island near Princeville three nights into our trip. On our second day snorkeling, my boy took off his booties coming out of the water and cut the bottom of his foot. We spent the afternoon trying to find a clinic and subsequently ended up at a fire station. They wrapped my boy's foot and gave us directions to the closest emergency room. 

Obligatory emergency room visit. Let's not do this again...

He received four stitches that were well-documented by yours truly. My BFF is fascinated by all things medical and she simultaneously sent odd photos and memes to my son during his procedure while intermittently texting me requests for pictures of his cut. I'll spare you the gruesome photos and extensive video that I sent to my best friend. Although it made the time pass, seeing my son writhing in pain during his lidocaine injection was unbearable. If I could have traded places and done the pain for him, I would have in a second. That must be the mark of a being a parent; I never would have considered stepping in and taking one for the team, like some sort of masochistic stunt-double, prior to having children. He dealt with it like a champ. With strict instructions to stay out of the water because of the 'high probability of contracting a staphylococcal infection' and prescriptions for topical and oral antibiotics, we were on our way. 

Thankfully, it didn't happen at the beginning of the trip and it forced us to slow everything down and totally decompress. I may not be psychically ready the school year to start, but at least I'll be well-rested. 

I love you Kauai!

Smarty Pants Review

Back at it again, Daniel! Yup. I was selected as a reviewer for Smartypants Vitamins. 

His and Her gummies. Happily ever after...

First, the pitch: The website calls their product the 'galaxies best tasting gummy vitamin.' They provide an excellent source of vitamins A, C, D (D3 instead of D2, btw...which is the form your skin produces when it's exposed to light), E, B6 and B12, plus zinc and folic acid. It contains no high fructose corn syrup or synthetic colors, flavors or preservatives. Non-GMO, too!

****

Most multivitamins are the size of a horse pill in order to 'squeeze' all the nutrients inside them, which are too big for me to swallow. Even after purchasing a pill cutter -- I don't play when it comes to my gag reflex, y'all -- I still was unable to swallow my multivites.

Okay. I don't look like this in any way, but you get the point.

So, yeah. I pretty much have to rely on a gummy vitamin if I'm going to take any kind of multivitamin. Besides, why do kids get to have all the fun? These gummies are REALLY GOOD. They have a multivitamin for both men and women (prenatal and kids, too). I was sent several samples of both -- and despite the fact that I'm not a guy -- I broke all the rules and tried the men's multivitamin; I really liked the sugary coating. They are just like tasty gumdrops! The women's version are more along the lines of Jujubes, but just as yummy as the boy version.

I asked my son to try the men's vitamin as well, and he liked them. Here's his contemplative pose:

Blueberry pancakes, milk and #smartypantsvitamins
Start yer day right!

This blogger's review is two thumbs up! They taste delicious and are a great way to make sure you get your daily vitamins. You can track them down on Amazon's link: http://amzn.to/1SWPLKx 

Manitoba Hemp Heart Bar Review

As an ambassador for Fit Approach, I was recently selected to do a product review of Manitoba Hemp Heart bars. As an expert snacker, I'm well-qualified and equal to the task. #allthesnacks 

First, the pitch: Hemp is considered a 'super plant', and every part of the plant can be harvested for a multitude of uses ranging from clothing, paper, rope...and food. Manitoba Harvest is passionate about their products, which are all non-GMO project verified and they are the largest hemp food manufacturer in the world. Each 45 gram Hemp Heart bar contains 10 grams of plant-based protein and 10 grams of omegas. 

Other fun facts about hemp: although untrue, the Declaration of Independence was rumored to be written on hemp paper, which is sturdier than tree-based paper.

Fun mail days are the best! 

I received two flavors of Hemp Heart bars to try: apple cinnamon and chocolate. The seeds of the hemp plant have a slightly nutty flavor is similar to pine nuts or sunflower seeds. I thought it would be fun to bring samples to my spin class for the members to try. 

This product tester came prepared,
including toothpicks for samples.

Apple cinnamon (top left) and chocolate (bottom right)

I'm a pretty adventurous eater; I likened the nutty flavor of hemp to sesame, similar to a Middle Eastern confection called Halvah that I used to enjoy when I was a little girl - although these bars are not as sweet. Unfortunately, most of the members in my class didn't care for the bars. Many people struggled with the soft consistency of the apple cinnamon bars, but everyone preferred its
sweetness over the chocolate hemp bar.

Want to see what all the fuss is about and judge for yourself? Use code hhbarlaunch1015 for 15% off your order (expires 4/31/16). 

Join the conversation: If you're photographically inclined, you can also post a photo on social media for a chance to win your favorite Manitoba food product. Tag @manitobaharvest and use the hashtag #fueledbyhemp with a photo of your favorite hemp product. No purchase necessary!     

Star Wars Half Marathon Recap

Last weekend I ran the Star Wars Half Marathon at Disneyland. Needless to say, given my love for all things Disney, running and Star Wars, this was truly a trifecta made in heaven.

Trifecta of awesomeness:
Running, Disney and Star Wars

Originally, I was supposed to run this race with three friends; one friend apparently registered but never received confirmation, and the other two decided that 13 miles isn't half of anything and was just too far to run. [Grammar nerd alert: I just used two, too and to all in the correct context within the same sentence...booyah!] 

A friend of mine since childhood, who is not a runner but shares my deep love of Disneyland, had planned her vacation around this event and we were going to share a hotel room in Anaheim. As we got closer to the holidays, it was apparent that she needed to use her vacation time to visit her aging father. We decided postpone visiting the Magic Kingdom together until the spring.

This left me in a serious quandary about trying to find accommodations three weeks before the race. My sister-in-law lives 20 minutes away from Disneyland, but she wasn't sure if they would be in town that weekend or not. I considered staying with my bestie who lives in Ventura the night before -- so I was at least a little closer to Los Angeles the day of the race -- but it still meant I would have to leave by 3:30am to make the 5:30am start time. It seemed foolish and impractical to drive in the middle of the night. 

This is where I got a little maudlin. None of my plans were panning out, and for a moment I considered scratching the race. 

Mind you, I said, 'for a moment...' Anyone who knows anything about Disney races knows this: they sell out hella quick and they are probably one of the most expensive races on the planet. Plus, if I was undertrained for my last half marathon in November, it paled in comparison to my training for this one: I hadn't run one day since then. 

Uh, oops. 

Running a half marathon untrained?
Arnold don't play.

It is stupid, Arnold. I can only rely on teaching spinning and past running experience for so much, and it's not like those miles stay in the proverbial fitness bank. It is a recipe for injury, and I should know better.

As luck would have it, my sister-in-law called me to say I was welcome to stay with them. I invited my niece and nephew to come with me to pick up my bib and they were completely onboard to check out the expo, which didn't disappoint. 

I had to snapchat this...because obviously.

Future 10k runners at next year's event!

This was probably one of my favorite photos of the
whole weekend: BB8 at the expo...and he was PISSED.

The force is so strong with these two :)
I adore being their aunt!

And of course, the obligatory Flat Babydoll the evening before to post on social media:

I thought I was clever in obscuring my race number
with a mini slot machine. I can't even believe
counterfeiting bibs is a thing. #lamesauce

I set my alarm for 3:30am to eat breakfast and give my body plenty of time to digest my food. I had brought a small tupperware filled with my tried-and-true oatmeal for race day. Believe me, one does not 'change up' the pre-race fuel unless you want to have it repeat on you over thirteen miles, or worse yet...frequent port-a-potty visits. 

Despite a lively discussion involving maps and where to park the night before, I decided to trust the wisdom that is Waze. While I can't say enough about this driving app (real time feedback with incredible graphics and directions), I am slowly learning that there is a difference between being impulsive and spontaneous - neither of which have their place in the predawn hours the morning of a race. Instead of following my brother-in-law's suggestion of how to get to the parking structure -- who patiently looked over the race book and used to work for Disney, for crying out loud -- I decided to enter the name of the parking structure right into Waze. 

Be ye not so stupid.

It steered me behind the structure and right into the employee parking entrance. You know, the one that requires a code to raise the arm to enter the parking lot? I had a small moment of panic that I would miss my race, but it wasn't going to be for lack of trying. I parked in a residential area and a hoofed it in the general vicinity of the Disneyland Hotel. A helpful volunteer at one of the crosswalks explained where I needed to be, 'It's a brisk 15 minute walk from here...' and I was off. This was at 5:35am.

The race officially begins at 5:30am, but because I'm not an elite runner -- we've already established that I hadn't trained for this race -- I was in the last corral. This was my third runDisney event; although I knew it was going to be close, I wasn't completely panicked because it takes a long time to release that many runners in waves. Fashionably late, I rolled in about 3 minutes before they released my corral:

Rolling in right before my corral is released.
It was actually kind of badass.

#represent

Me and Monstro. Storybook Land is my favorite ride in Fantasyland.

Another favorite: Pixar's Rex from Toy Story at California Adventure.

No, really: You da best.

I thought these droids were fixed to the ground, but I was wrong.
When C-3PO saw these two ladies dressed in gold,
he rushed over to them and mugged for a photograph. 

I need this window decal. 

Captain Phasma and Kylo Ren try to sway me to the Dark Side.

1970s Luke Skywalker

I heart R2D2

Best photobomb ever!

This dad carried his son on his shoulders
for at least a third of the race. So awesome!

Anyone who has done one of these races has heard about the notorious 'Balloon Ladies'; the 16-minute mile pacers who ensure the course is closed after four hours. Any runners caught behind them are 'swept' off the course and brought to the finish line. In the typical Disney grandeur, I envisioned princesses walking the course, wearing elaborate hoop skirts made from balloons; gracefully waving to the crowd and tapping on the shoulder of stragglers before being escorted off the course in Cinderella's pumpkin-shaped carriage. 

There goes my imagination getting away from me again.

Prior to the start of the race, I had seen a couple of young 20-something girls standing to the side of the course, each wearing a backpack with a single Mickey Mouse balloon tied to it. I didn't give it another thought, though. And at several points during the race, there were Disney race officials calling out times, 'Four minutes under pace. Keep it up!' 

Imagine my surprise when I dawdled too long mugging for photos along the course and the two young girls I saw at the beginning of the race came up behind my group shouting, 'YOU CAN DO THIS, EVERYONE. DON'T GET CAUGHT BEHIND US!!' I don't know if runners pulled from the course still receive a medal for their effort or not, but I selected this race specifically as my 20th half marathon and I wasn't taking any chances. The last picture I took on the course was, fittingly, of Darth Vader carrying is son on his shoulders. 

Next year, I'm hoping to run the 10k with my niece the day before the half marathon for a chance at earning a third medal. #rebelchallenge

My race review: Despite being my slowest pace ever, this was one of my favorite half marathons. The Star Wars franchise is a little piece of my childhood, and the nostalgia factor alone had me happy from the moment I set foot onto the course. The other two Disney-themed half marathons had long sections in the middle where there was little to see and the miles dragged. I don't know if it was the extraordinary Star Wars fan base or what, but there was always something to see: huge turnouts of costumed Star Wars fanatics passing out Red Vines, and incredible custom-painted cars that had mounted blasters and a R2D2 copilot. There was also a large high school band and cheer squad presence as well, with a half dozen schools represented and encouraging runners and giving high-fives. This was the first race greater than a 10k that I didn't wear my water belt. Although it's my preference to run without something around my waist, I'm always afraid there won't be enough water along the course. The water and aid stations were plentiful, and there were hundreds of volunteers along the course and in the finish area keeping things moving. Good after-race food and electrolyte drinks, too. Great work, Disney!   

Santa Barbara Veteran's Day Half Marathon

Last Saturday was the Santa Barbara Veterans Day half marathon. Somehow I had in my mind that Veterans Day was late November, although I'm at a loss as to where that notion came from, what with Thanksgiving falling at the end of the month and all. Suffice it to say that the race snuck up on me and I wasn't ready, which is a growing trend that I need to buck. 

Packet pick-up never felt so patriotic!

This was the first time I spent less than $5 at a fitness expo. I picked up two Gu for race day (Espresso Love and a new flavor that involved salted caramel) for $3...only to set them down and forget them at the t-shirt table. Whoops-a-daisy! 

Not only was I untrained for this race, but it was mentally one of the toughest events I've showed up for. From the moment I woke up at 4:40 AM to the moment I stepped onto the course, there was negative dialogue going off in my head:

'I should just go back to bed.' 

'I'm too old.' 

'I hope I don't bump into anyone I know; they'll be shocked at how much weight I've gained.' 

'I should quit running.' 

Yikes! That's just a small taste of the negative self-talk that dogged my entire morning. We frequently talk about taking contrary action in the recovery community. If it were up to my head, I would have stayed home...but I knew I would feel even worse scratching the race for no good reason. Honestly, it was almost a relief to start running. 

The one thing that pulled me out of the hate-spiral was my bracelet. My mom gave me a slender silver bracelet about 7 years ago that I never take off. It has a small stamped sentiment on it, 'I always believe in you.'  It occurred to me that this doesn't mean, 'I always believe in you...except when you're overweight,' or 'I always believe in you...except if you run slower than a 9-minute mile.' Always means ALWAYS. It was the tiny blessing that I needed to get out the door and on with my race.

My game plan for the race was to follow the Galloway half marathon training method: 3 minute intervals of running followed by one minute of walking. This proved to be a good strategy for the first 5 miles...until the wheels fell off, so to speak. I was banking on muscle memory to get me through the first 10k, which was unrealistic. 'My muscles have lost so much muscle memory, there's nothing left to remember.' Ba-dum bum!

A polite and chatty crowd right before our start. There was a man 
that wore a giant foam cowboy hat and looked exactly like Stinky Pete 
from Toy Story. It still kills me that I didn't get a photo of him. 

A quick snapchat to my daughter before
I started running. Emoji are life.

Part of my race ritual is determining what I'm going to wear and what I'm going to bring during my run. The night before the race, I convinced myself it would be a good idea to wear underwear with my running skort. Prior to my weight gain, I was all about #teamcommando. However, since I'm the heaviest I've ever weighed, it's not a so much a matter of whether or not I'll chafe as it is where: neck, underarms, around the elastic band of my sports bra, etc. 

I'm sure you see where this is going. 

Despite being generous around potential trouble spots with Glide, wearing underwear was a bad call. I'll just leave it at that. Suffice it to say that once things started going south, so to speak, I switched my run/walk ratio from 3:1 to 1:3. It was bad. 

Thank you for saying so! About a dozen of these hand-drawn posters 
appeared after the wretched switchback onto Las Positas Road.
The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

Despite being served a slice of humble pie -- in 2011, I PR'd my half marathon time by running this same event 85 minutes faster than last Saturday's effort -- it was a gorgeous day and a great course. The displays of patriotism reminded me of how fortunate I am to live where I do, and how grateful I am to my dad and all the veterans for their service to our country.

This gentleman saw us off safely and agreed to a selfie.
Thank you for your service, sir!

The man in front of me wore last year's 
race shirt. What an incredible sentiment! 

I dedicated the final mile of my race to three veterans: my father Joe,
my incredible SIL Michele, and my friend Bob Trimble. 

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
The last half mile was stunning and all downhill.

My race review: The organizers changed things up significantly this year by moving the start location onto the university campus. Although I was disappointed not to pick up the Obern trail right at the bird refuge, it was a spectacular course. It was also a nice change of pace, if you'll forgive the pun. Most local races begin and end in the same location, essentially making for an identical course over and over. This new change was well received. Variety is the spice of life, right? 

A month before the event, the organizers did away with the full marathon completely. I'm sure many people who were registered to run 26.2 miles were disappointed by this decision. The race officials offered full marathon participants three options which I thought were fair: a full refund, entry to the half marathon and a refund of the cost difference, or reduced fee for the half marathon in 2016. This race has been called three different names in the 5 times I've run it, and I'm certain putting on a road race is an expensive endeavor. I am sure eliminating the full marathon was a decision the officials did not take lightly. I was pleased with the new route, the volunteers were fantastic and the water/aid stations were plentiful. There was a good afterparty that included food trucks and a beer garden, and the morning concluded with an incredible airshow. I'm grateful to have such a prestigious race in my own backyard.  

A Very Special Running Club

It's been super quiet around here. The summer passed very quickly, like I knew it would...and suddenly we were moving Girldoll out of our house and into her dorms. 

Um, yeah. That. 

Before and after photos of getting
my girl moved into her dorm.

The thing that made it easier is knowing how happy Girldoll is at her school. She is one of the most well-adjusted people I know, and I am thrilled that she is thriving and making new friendships. Her move happened to coincide with the annual closure of the gym where I work. This turned out to be a blessing because I missed her so much, it was hard to concentrate. It was unchartered territory for me and I felt emotionally lost. There were a few instances those first couple of days where I was so distracted, it felt unsafe to be driving. I was a freaking zombie.

The first two weeks Girldoll were gone were some of the hardest days I can remember having in a long time. I had the sensation of being homesick, except that I wasn't the one who moved. I'd get a reprieve a few moments throughout the day when I was focused on a task, but having the feelings rush back with such intensity was almost worse. Time has made things more manageable. We've settled into a new dynamic with just three of us at the house, but it's the little differences - like only bringing out three plates for dinner, that stumped me at first. 

I have been keeping busy with projects at the house, and shuttling Boydoll to school and his various activities. Speaking of which, I was seriously spoiled over the last two years my daughter was driving. Holy crow, all the mileage and time I'm spending in the car these days.

All that driving has me like... 

What does any of this have to do with fitness, or anything remotely close to the name of my post? Well, it doesn't. And therein lies the problem. I have reasons galore for not running - or not exercising much at all, for that matter, apart from teaching my spinning classes. I've slowly gained nearly 30 pounds over the last two years, also for a host of reasons, and it's made running miserable. Something has to give because I am starting to fight my way through teaching my spin classes. 

Do I want to do something about it? Absolutely. What I won't do is tear myself down over the weight gain; it serves no purpose to disparage myself or hate on my body. I know what I need to be doing, and it just needs to get done.

Apparently, my solution to this self-imposed running hiatus was to register for all the races. As if my looming half marathons coming up in November and January weren't enough, I recently have discovered the beauty of virtual races. No costly travel expenses or timing chip to contend with, just lace up your shoes and get out there. Where and how you get your mileage is on your honor. The best part is that you still get a medal! After registering for two virtual charity races and sharing them in a Facebook post, a friend innocently wrote this in the comments: 

If you like Harry Potter 

you should check out the 

Hogwarts running club, 
they have some awesome ones!

In the spirit of full disclosure, if I had to chose between Star Wars and Harry Potter in terms of fandom...the Force would beat out the Ministry of Magic, every time. Maybe I'd feel differently if I was younger and the Harry Potter books had come out when I was in grade school. Regardless, nothing comes close to waiting in a line that wrapped around the theater to see Episode IV, A New Hope with my dad in 1977. Nostalgia wins, every time.  

You guys. I'm so hosed, but in the nicest and most magical way. Not only did I join the Hogwarts Running Club on Facebook -- their motto is, 'Run like you know who is chasing you!' -- I got so caught up in the thrill of these themed races, I ended up taking the Sorting Hat questionnaire to formally determine which house I should join to add my mileage 'points' to. Although the sorting feature is down on J.K. Rowling's Pottermore site, I was able to track down the actual test online. It turns out the Buzzfeed quizzes that you see circulating on Facebook are surprisingly accurate in this case. Well, as accurate as selecting a house at a wizard school from a fantasy novel can be. Both questionnaires sorted me into the same house: Gryffindor. Go...Lions?

This was exactly the same expression
on my face after I was sorted into Gryffindor?!

I'll be running the distance of a full marathon, split over 5 races: three 5k, one five-miler, one 10k...and one 9-and-3/4k, because obviously. I'm running my first virtual race tomorrow: the Hedwig Memorial 5k to benefit the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Check out what the medal looks like, y'all:

Avada Kavadra to kids' cancer!