Showing posts with label Fitfluential. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fitfluential. Show all posts

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Throw back on a Saturday Afternoon


Going through my facebook albums and I look at My Journey album because a post from Chicked Nation page inquired if there were any transformation stories. 

When I look at my pictures, I counted back and realized since 2011, I was on a roller coaster journey. I have to share that if I didn't join a boot camp class (SOHI Fitness) that kicked my butt and challenged me, I probably would have become complacent again but my trainer's concept was no excuses. 

So, here is a throw back of my journey that I hope will inspire you in some way to be healthier and go further than you ever imagined. 

August 2013 was my first OCR race ever. I was already on a journey to be fit since 2012 but not really putting in any effort until accomplishing that Spartan Race in Aug 2013 woke me up again because I barely trained for that race. This not only woke me up to be healthy but to be a better person overall. I cleaned up my eating and started learning about workouts and what it means to be healthy. I started signing up for running events to keep me on my toes till the next Spartan Race (March 2014 and August 2014). Within one year, I completed 13 races (Spartan Super and Beast being my last two), which included my first marathon and a half marathon. It may not seem like much to an avid runner but I never did this much races ever. I never was an athlete in high school. I had 4 kids right after high school. My heaviest was 217 and now I'm 160. Am I faster? No, I'm still a slow runner/walker just enjoying the race / health journey. As of today, I'm training for my 2nd marathon, half-marathon and upcoming Spartan Races in 2015.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

You're cramping my run

I am pretty sure everyone who runs or races has experienced the dreaded cramps that makes your toes curl and slows down your running to where all you can think about is that you will not be making it in the time that you intended to finish with to crush your previous PR.

The things that I will share in my blog is hindsight that I am hoping I've learned my lesson and will not repeat on my upcoming races.

I've researched about cramps and although there are articles out there that shares the possibility of cramps, there is no definite answer because it can be to undertraining, nutrition, weather or you are just blessed with the ability to have cramps cling to your calves.

Honolulu Marathon 2013
Before the Honolulu Marathon, I was training but not as much in the mileage as I should have to where I researched on what I can do to maintain fuel / hydration to bring me to the finish line. And thank goodness the Honolulu Marathon expo had great vendors there because I was introduced the brand zipfizz.


I almost bought there bottle too but my husband was with me, which later he shared he was surprised I didn't just purchase it because it was a deal (darn!).

Anyhow, I have to share that I liked it because it carried me through. From what I understand, you are to use this with your water and it helps you maintain every 4-6 hours. As I look back at the marathon, it was zipfizz along with the water/gatorade stations that helped sustain me along with me buying pretzels around  the 23 mile marker. The only thing I did not care for about zipfizz are their plastic containers. It's cumbersome (not that I wanted to carry 10 but still...)

Great Aloha Run 2014
2014 rolls around and the Great Aloha Run is waving at me quickly. That morning, I under prepared. I didn't tape up (KT my calves-mistake #1) nor did I bring all of my NUUN tablet drink because I only poured it in my two little bottles that were attached to my waist pack (mistake #2) while I carried watered down gatorade...WATERED DOWN GATORADE...


The experience I had with the Great Aloha Run was not funny at all because the timing was perfect until I hit mile 7. As soon as I slowed to take in sports beans and a drink, my toes curled on it's own. I thought it was my KT tape coming undone but it wasn't. It was my toes curling on its own because my body was already dehydrated (it was muggy and I was pissed because my husband ran ahead of me despite the fact that I told him to run ahead earlier in our run). What further aggravated me was the fact that mile 7 is all hill and I was afraid of tearing my calf muscle if I pushed myself faster than I should.

So, what should have taken 10-15 minutes for me to get to Aloha Stadium took me over an hour to where I didn't crush my previous PR and it left me in a foul mood because now I have to run the Great Aloha Run next year to redeem myself.

Spartan Race at Aloha Stadium
I didn't want a repeat of what happened at Aloha Stadium, so I carb-loaded and prepared my fuel/hydration for during and after the race. Let me just say that when you do obstacle racing, your body is working out way more than a regular run to where whatever you have stored in glycogen will deplete quickly if you do not fuel/hydrate well.

Well, I kept popping sports beans and drinking my zipfizz throughout the stadium but towards the run to the last spiral (down), my toes twitched and I was like, "Oh hell stinkin' NO". I managed to make it through the finish line but it floored me because throughout all this time while I'm running, my bladder was always full to where I would have to stop to use the bathroom. So, after the race, I'm still stumped on what happened to where I have come to the conclusion that it falls on me on how I trained and my nutrition intake:
  • I am not taking enough nutrients in my body
  • I am not training as I should be that would have minimized any injuries or setbacks if I did
I also posted on the Spartan Chick page as well as others giving me advice and the number one item people have been sharing is...mustard. Have you tried it? I haven't but I'm considering on having this in the pockets of my hydration pack to carry along during the Spartan Race.

Hindsight and planning for the future events
  • Revamp my nutrition intake and plan smarter
  • Revamp my training to endurance training that will take me out of my comfort zone
And I found another brand that I think I will try prior to the Spartan Race in August:
 
 
At least I can try this out prior to my half-marathon to see if my body takes well to this but I have a feeling that I am over-preparing in regards to these type of products when what I should be doing is focusing on training on strengthening those weak areas (calves).
 
Have you found something that works for you? Do share

Saturday, March 29, 2014

What have you been up to?

If you blog, you ever have blog block? I did for over a month. I haven't been keeping up with my yelp reviews either!

However, I have been keeping up with my running and training for the Spartan Race! 

Here's a recap of what I have been up to:

The Neon Vibe at Aloha Stadium (January 3, 2014) #7
 

Spartan Race Training by SGX Hawaii at Aloha Stadium (January 5, 2014)


The Great Aloha Run (February 17, 2014) #8
 

This was taken before the race by my daughter who was nice to drop us off at 5:00am in downtown Honolulu.


Me going thru the tunnel over TWO HOURS later from the start time. I cramped badly by mile 7 (boo).

5 days later...

The Warrior Dash (February 22, 2014) #10

(Before the race)

(Jumping over fire)


(At the finish line. Note: calf sleeves and mud makes me look like I have thankles...thighs + ankles)


(After the race)


Not mine but my best friend who broke her ankle in three places attempting to slide down an obstacle.

One month later...
 
The Spartan Race at Aloha Stadium (March 23, 2014)!!! #11
 

My dad and youngest son did the Spartan Race too!

(At my prettiest)


(Those lava seats)


(Just passed through the over, under and through walls with cramps!)


(One of the best moments running to the finish line with my dad!)


 





And guess who just signed up for the Spartan Race Trifecta Weekend on August 16-17, 2014 at Kualoa Ranch? Me!

Upcoming events:
-Hapalua Half-marathon (April 13, 2014)
-Makahiki Challenge at Kualoa (May 24, 2014)
-Spartan Race Trifecta Weekend at Kualoa Ranch (August 16-17, 2014)
-Color Run (November 2014)
-Kawela Bay North Shore 5k (November 2014)
-Honolulu Marathon (December 2014)
-Jingle Rock Run by Make-a-Wish (December 2014)














Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Are you ready? Do what works for you!

 
You would think that getting fit would be simple. Watch what you eat and do some sort of physical exercise, right? Wrong.

It's like with anything that is poorly planned, if it is not well-thought of without a clear goal or vision in sight, it will fall to the wayside. Thus, the many roller coasters of fluctuating weight and forever keeping those bigger jeans "just in case".

When you read that last sentence I just wrote, it gives you a pause doesn't it? I'm pretty sure we are all guilty of doing that but this time...it's different. It's time to get rid of the bigger size "just in case" mentality and get rid of it. This time resolve to make a difference for a better and healthier YOU.

Yesterday, I was lazy. I simply did not want to run or do anything except take a nap as soon as my husband and I got home from the movies (I'm thinking it has something to do with the popcorn and hot dog as well as not really eating any lunch). However, I kept thinking in my mind, "You have four big race events coming up...you can't slack at all, woman. GET UP."

 
I dressed in my running gear and laced up. As I started running, I kept thinking about the half-marathon training plan. I don't know about you but there is a rebellious streak in me that says, "I want to do things my way." And that made me pause because it made me think about my previous post. There are some training plans that works for me, like SOHI Fitness training plan because she scaled it down to what worked for me without discouraging me. In addition, I shared with my husband, "I'm 42 years old. My body is not like how it was in my 20's or 30's. I have to train smart." He agreed.

What is training smart? As I shared in my previous blog post, know what works and what doesn't work for you. Training smart is listening to your body, noticing the aches and pains that is normally associated with getting older and planning on workouts that works for YOU.

Training smart also means nutritionally smart, which is learning how to research on foods (i.e., complex carbohydrates, protein) because what you eat..is it giving you the proper nutrition that your body eats or are you consuming food lacking in nutrients? Seriously, incorporate veggies, fruits, beef (lean), poultry, pork and fish (if you have to..I don't like fish).

Not every plan fits everyone. Not everyone knows how to plan. However, everyone within has a resolving spirit to dig in and be determined to make a change, make a move and go forward.

So, I'm sharing...if you're stuck in a rut and you feel as if you've been slacking despite that you've been running and exercising but you need to up the volume to get you into beast mode and sticking consistently, then you develop and stick to a plan that WORKS FOR YOU.

If you're unsure, here is a sample of a simple workout plan that I used when I first started working out back in August/September of last year:

Warm-up: Stretch 10-15 minutes

Run: 1-2 miles (comfortable pace)

Workout (3 sets of 10):
Overhead Squats 10 x 3
Push-ups 10 x 3
Sit-ups 10 x 3
Burpees 10 x 3

Cool down: Stretch 10-15 minutes

Note: I did this workout 3-4 days out of the week considering this was the beginning of getting fit. You don't want to do too much at the beginning to where you'll burnout or get discouraged.

Here's some food for thought of something that I read on Pinterest...if you maintain a routine for 3 weeks, it develops into a habit.
 

Monday, January 13, 2014

Do you have a training plan?

 
In my previous post, I shared about "the beginning", the decision to make a change to live a healthier life. I touched on nutrition and eating cleaner, which I'm hoping if you did read the blog post-you made an appointment to see a dietician or nutritionist to guide you the best way possible on what will work for you as you begin your journey to a healthier you.

Now, I'm posting about my starting point of training. It also happens today is the first day of my training program for a half-marathon. I figure I will use this program alongside my training for the upcoming Spartan Race as well as the other runs that I have lined up from February to the Hapalua Half-Marathon (hopefully this is a smart thing to do).

If you have a smart phone, there are running apps that will appeal to what you are looking for in tracking your runs. As for me, I am currently using  the Nike+ Running App. This tracks all my runs from basic to distance running. I can choose to have playlist of songs begin as my run starts or the choice to have no music at all. In addition, Nike+ Running will also provide  me with my personal running history and stats. I can also share my activity through social media sites. What I like most because it challenges me to do better is the map showing where I ran. It shows my pace in colors. It's been my goal to erase all red (slow-walking) from the path to green (running) because for too long, my paths have been red and orange!

One of the other features on Nike+ Running is the Coach feature. This feature gives you training plans to prepare for 5k to a marathon.

I decided to choose the beginner's half-marathon despite the fact that I have ran 7 races in 2013.


It doesn't matter the amount of runs because as I look back on my runs and finishing time, I think it is now time for me to have a training plan. Seriously, it's time for me to grow as a runner this year. It's time for me to go to the next level of developing my run. And by this, I don't mean a faster time but to TRAIN SMARTER.

Now, it doesn't mean I don't want a faster time because we'd all love to break our PR with a new time. However, I have to be realistic that I'm a runner/walker meaning that I'm a slow runner. I am also smart enough to admit that I need to learn on what is truly my comfortable pace and to learn how to breathe while I'm running. I'm tired of breathing through my mouth only and feeling winded. I want to learn how to "breathe in through your nostrils and breathe out through your mouth". I want to do breathe like that naturally without trying to be fixated on my breathing technique.

Anyhow, as I am going along with a training plan and researching about running smart, I believe I will learn how and when to hydrating and refueling along the race course as I am running. On the days that I am not running and advised to cross train, the workouts will be geared toward the Spartan Race to focus on strength and my core. My daily food menu will remain the same of meats, poultry, veggies for protein and complex carbs as well as hydrating myself with water (and gatorade or electrolyte drinks as needed).

Remember, developing a training plan is wise to keep you from being injured and in understanding your body on what works and not works for you. This is very important for people who are 40 and over. We're not in our 20's or 30's, where our body is young enough to take a beating (figuratively). We're at that age where it's harder to lose fat and noticing what we could do then...no longer works now. So, at this age, we have to truly find what works for us and if it means modifying a training plan for us to be comfortable with a little oomph that challenges our training plan, then by all means-let's do it.

If you are in doubt of developing a training plan on your own or never did develop a training plan, sign up with a trainer who will help you develop a plan according to your needs as well as age group. I advise this because I had a great trainer who modified her workouts (lesser sets compared to the other participants) when I trained at her bootcamps. I was probably one of the older ladies in her class and she pretty much gauged what I could handle and then some by monitoring our heart rates throughout the class time. Please don't think she babied me because my trainer didn't. She gauged my heart rate and determined what I could do and if I was able to do a little more. This way, it pushed me a little further to where I noticed that I was able to handle a little more than before.

As I'm writing this, I now realize that because of my trainer's guidance and knowledge, that instead of feeling discouraged and inadequate, my love for running and keeping fit grew with appreciation that me not want to give up but to keep going to where it is now a lifestyle.

Happy running!

 

Monday, January 6, 2014

The Beginning

It's easy to say, "I'm going to get fit" but it is another thing when it comes to deciding when to start. If you've always been active or used to be athletic, you pretty much know the mindset of what to do and the attitude you have to have to get going.

However, what about the individual's who never was athletic in their younger days (childhood to young adults) but has now decided that it's time for a change?

Where do you start?

What do you do?

Meal planning (how much calories?)

For myself, I've fluctuated since the beginning of my pregnancies. And it's understandable because my mindset was to get back to a particular jeans size or to just look good according to society.

However, I guess the saying is true about the older you get, the wiser you become. And I'm hoping that this is it. I've finally gotten the "aha" moment of what it takes to begin your fitness journey.

Now, the first thing...nutrition. My recommendation is set up an appointment with a nutritionalist or dietician. If you're not into that, then I will say to eat in moderation. Cut out the soda, drink water. If you need a soda, start drinking sierra mist to get that carbonated feel. However, remember...there is so much sugar. And here is a tip especially for women who looks and feels bloated. Drinking carbonated drinks gives the bloated feeling (for me, that is). However, when I cut out soda last August after the Spartan Race, the bloating minimized.

So, rule of thumb for nutrition...seek a dietician. It's a smart way to start because you're getting professional guidance and you'll be monitored.

If you choose not to, begin eating in moderation. If you are one who likes to write things down...keep a food journal. You'll then notice what you eat and how you eat. If you're into iPhone or android, download the app, My Fitness Pal. It's a great way to log in what you eat and you'll see how much you are consuming.

By the way, if you are into calorie counting...please do not give a lofty goal of 1200 calories a day because that's not good especially you're incorporating exercising. You'll be burning off your daily intake calories to where you'll end up starving and then...you're body is on the hunt for food, which you may binge and eat junk food. Keep this in mind...your body is starving for NUTRITION not calories. Once you start researching nutrition. You'll find that all those junk foods are empty of nutrition.

Once you have that mindset of eating in moderation, you'll then begin to notice that you are starting to make healthier choices. For myself, it was gradual or I'd actually follow fitness enthusiasts on Instagram or I'd google fitness blogs for tips. And by moderation, I mean, limit your portions (instead of three servings...try to begin minimizing. Also, start replacing/substituting foods. For example, instead of white rice, eat brown rice. Start playing around with your menu. Instead of just a plain ole' chicken breast with salad, chop up that chicken and toss in colored bell peppers for some color and add in a dash of garlic salt. You can also toss up asparagus and mushrooms. Seriously, have fun with the meat and veggies. If you like fish (I don't), do the same as well. There are so much healthy, delicious recipes out there (especially on Pinterest!).

These are just a few tips from me that got me started especially when I started training with SOHI Fitness in Hawaii. My trainer gave some great tips that I followed to where my choices eventually became healthy.

Remember, you know who you are and what you can and cannot do. Don't limit yourself but push yourself a little day by day to where you'll eventually keep going without giving up.

Note: It takes 3 weeks of consistency before it becomes a habit :) Don't give up...keep going

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Farewell, 2013 with a jingle! (#6 of #9 run till the Spartan Race)



 
2013 was the year of change, of discovering and an awakening of something deep within that gives you the "aha!" moment because there are so much analogies that you see in certain things you do to apply to life situations.

Running is one of them. Finishing the Spartan Sprint back in August shook me awake and it slowly started running forward with insanely signing up for 5k's, a 10k and going through with a marathon that I barely trained for that entire year!

Now why would I do that? Because it was the year of awakening and knowing that despite barely training for it (physically), mentally and wisdom of what to do will get you to the finish line. 

Now, you can't do these runs without fun. So, my last run of the year was the Jingle Rock Run hosted by Hawaii's Make-A-Wish foundation and as I shared in Yelp, if anyone of the Hawaii community did not participate, they truly missed out because it was such a feel good, fun run! 

You were not only running for fun but you were running to make a difference in a child's life! You were running alongside your family, friends and others who had the same intent in their heart! This also includes family pets dressed up for the occasion too!

The perks of the run is the well-organized planning by the host and sponsors who made sure we were entertained (entertainment along the 5k route), hydrated (water and Gatorade stations), not injured (first aid station) and replenished at the finish line (sweet bread rolls, fruits, power bars and water)! They also gave out prizes from children to adults.

Ahhhh-it is truly a great way to end your running year with a race that reaffirms why you sign up, show up and run...because running is something deeply embedded in your heart that will either whisper or shout, "You feel it? It's your heart-now get out there and run!"
 


 



Friday, December 20, 2013

To the Wall and Beyond (the Vanity Struggles of a Marathon)

I am pretty sure I am not the only one who cringes at photos that are taken at the marathon of you along the course.

There is that woman (or man too) that has a vain streak that rises up when they see themselves at their worst especially when the pictures makes you look bigger than normal or it is a reality check that you still have a long ways to go in your fitness journey.

Well, this blog is dedicated to all the runners who have experienced their vanity ugly moments because I had mine at the Honolulu marathon (I'll disregard the Great Aloha Run 2012 because they only took one ugly photo of me that is still online).

The beginning
As you are standing at the starting line, you're stretching, warming up and preening as you have your picture taken by another runner because hey...it's a great moment that you want to remember, right?


The first stretch (0-6 miles)
You're on top of the world especially if you're pacing yourself and it's morning still.


The second stretch (6-13 miles)
Mid-morning and you got this-ain't no stopping you!


The third stretch (13-20 miles)
Wait...it's lunchtime and there's other runners and walkers pulling to the side eating...You begin to wonder if you should have brought something more than gel chews and sports beans...


Congratulations! You've hit the wall (20-23 miles)
You're stomach is rumbling and you're remembering those extra toilet paper advice. Porta-potties are out of the question especially after seeing someone's underpants discarded. Thank goodness for the Chevron staff that were allowing runners to use their restroom!


Going beyond the wall (24-25 miles)
After buying pretzels from Chevron and filling up your water bottle and gatorade bottles, you feel somewhat better, right? 


Keep going (24-25miles)
Your mind starts playing mind games with you, "Did they stretch out the last two miles? Are they sure they measured the distance correctly?!"


Last stretch knowing Diamond Head is coming up within the last mile. One more sport beans left to down with zipfizz for that last energy to start running...


Homestretch
From 5:00am...you've ran the first mile then walked all the way till the 25th mile marker...


So crank up the iPod and let those epic movie score from Transformers, "No Sacrifice, No Victory" play as you are running down to Kapiolani Park to the finish line...


All you're thinking is, "I want my medal and shirt! Thank God the finish line is right here and I'm not cramping over! Just don't let me trip and fall!"


Legs on fire as "Girl on Fire" starts blasting in your ears while the volunteers are directing you to stand and pose (even if you are in pain and you feel as if your legs will pop off at any moment) 


You wait anxiousky for almost two weeks to view the marathon photos. After viewing them and buying those ugly photos, this makes you want to run the Honolulu Marathon again with makeup and to make sure that you're smiling at the end (Note: Being under the sun for 10 hours must have addled the brains to think such a thing).

But, as you sit back and think, you remember that quote on Pinterest, "If you are still pretty at the end of your run (workout), you didn't run (workout) hard enough." 

Guess I did a good job, yes?

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Whatever it takes



You come to that moment in your life when you realize that to get to your goal you have to do whatever it takes...
 
But, this doesn't mean cheating or aggressively pushing your way through and offending anyone, it's the determination that you set within yourself emotionally and mentally as well as physically that you are willing to plan strategically and get out of your comfort zone to finish what you started or decided to do.
 
Some will groan at the unfairness that why can't there be a magic pill or drink that will melt away the fat and give us the ideal physique that media tells us we should have.
 
Some will groan on why is does one have to train a specific way for a race and why can't there just a gel blok or sports beans that will give us the supernatural power to conquer an obstacle race, marathon, half-marathon, 10k or 5k?
 
However, there is no satisfaction in the quick fixes. Quick fixes gives fast results that returns back quickly that places you further back. Half-hearted efforts will give you minimal results that will either leave feeling you dissatisfied and discouraged or challenged to do better. Ask me how I know-we've all been there until the lightbulb went off in our head on what we needed to do.
 
I asked myself this question as I started this blog post, "Why is it that we are willing to do whatever it takes?"
  • Because we want the satisfaction of running that last mile with the feeling of sweat, your heart pumping and your breathing steadily going to making that run count until the very end...
  • Because we want the exhiliration of climbing over that last obstacle and running through those gladiators to get to the finish line...
  • Because we want to feel victorious as we meet our PR goals of rope climbing, thrusts and pull-ups...
We all want that heart-wrenching, deep satisfaction that we did what it takes and that means struggling, pushing through, creating meal plans, scheduling training WODs and researching tips to minimize injuries and maximize performance.
 
It's not about showing off but it is about earning the right to share what you have done and what you have learned along the way to get to your goals and that you are still running ahead full force because there is nothing else you can do but to go forward and conquer.
 
Your pace, your lifestyle, your well-being...do what it takes to get it done. You got this!


Monday, December 2, 2013

4 of 9: Another Turkey Trot...North Shore Style


After signing up for the Turkey Trot at Kaneohe MCBH, I also noticed another run that looked interesting because I noticed it was on Thanksgiving Day.

See, at my household for our traditional Thanksgiving Day is that while I'm preparing the food, my husband and his friends from church will boogieboard (bodyboard) and return just in time to help with the carving of the turkey and eating. It's been like this for the past 15 years but I figured this year, I wanted to change it. Actually, I've been wanting to do this since last year because I never knew about turkey trots until I seen one of my friend's post last year.

Since I am a beginning runner, I didn't want to choose a time for a 10 miler! Plus, I've been paranoid about injuring myself before the Honolulu Marathon AND the Spartan Race. Anyhow, enters in the North Shore 5K Kawela Bay run presented by Oakley. When I noticed it was only a 5K and it was a trail run around Turtle Bay Resort / Kawela Bay, I was game. The price was reasonable as all other runs are for a 5K.

Our race packet pick-up was the day prior and on race day. Now, I have a confession to make before I go any further with this blog post. Ever since I've started on this fitness journey especially with training for the Spartan Race in mind, I have a thing for race shirts and race bibs. In all honesty, in my previous races when I really didn't take my health seriously or appreciated the races, it didn't dawn on me to hold on to my race bib or t-shirts (I wish I kept my 2002? 2003? and 2012 Great Aloha Run race bib and my 2012 Ford Island Bridge Run race bib!!!).

From the Spartan Race back in August, I've started to keep my race bibs and cutting my race shirts to muscle-T workout shirts that I can use while I run or workout. Well, I figured this turkey trot 5K was going to be the same but I was wrong. The t-shirt was already a workout shirt that I absolutely LOVED.

After picking up my race packet, I decided to stroll to the poolside because the race information shared that this would be the starting and finishing point for the 5K. It was a beautiful afternoon as you can see (NOTE: Why do people want to swim in the pool when there is a beautiful ocean right there beckoning to you?).
 
Evenings in Hawaii gets dark quickly around 6:00 and I decided it was best to head on back to the southwest side of the island because it was about an hour drive.
 
Since, I knew it would be an hour drive back home, I started planning on what time I would get up to head on out to North Shore. I knew there wouldn't be traffic except for the surfers and bodyboards who goes out on dawn patrol. After Thanksgiving service at church, I prepped all my stuff for the next day and went to be bed early.

Got up around 4:00am and left the house around 4:45am. Reached Pupukea around 5:30am and figured I better stop and eat a bagel to get my stomach settled because the run started at 7:30. I reached Turtle Bay Resort around 6:00am and sat in my car for awhile. As it got lighter, I decided to stretch out my legs for awhile by walking around.

One of the beautiful things about Hawaii and you're by the beach is watching the surfers paddle out. Seriously, you can't go wrong with this type of view.

Earlier that morning, it was raining and at first, it didn't seem like it would let up but the rain let up and the morning air was cool.

As I walked around to the poolside of the resort, more runners started trickling in to get themselves settled and ready for the morning run.






It was great seeing the enthusiasm of other runners especially the ones who was aimed to winning the best turkey trot costume. This group of individuals were nice enough to keep still as many of us asked if we could take a picture of them.

The announcer gave updates on how the race would start and where it would loop around. They also shared that there would be prizes for the different age groups and for best costumes. They then announced that men would go first and women would follow a minute after. This caught me off-guard but all right (not like I wanted to start sprinting). One thing I noticed though was that couples chose to run with eachother despite the lineup, which the men stayed next to their wife or girlfriend. How nice is that?
 
We first looped around the hotel, which I regretted using my vibram sprydion. I made a mental note that I could have used my running shoes for this run. But, as soon as we hit the trail after the golf course, I was glad that I wore my vibrams because some areas were muddy and sandy. As I ran back towards the resort, we passed the stables to our right, which I held my breath because I didn't want to start gagging at the smell of manure (weakling, I tell you).
 
As I reached the curve to head to the finish line at the pool, there were other runners cheering everyone coming in. I love it! Right after the finish line, there was volunteer waiting to give us our turkey leg that smelled heavenly but all I wanted to do was head on home to check on the turkey that my daughter placed in the roaster oven for me. As I drove away, I couldn't help but smile because the best thing about this 5K run was my timing. From January of this year to present, I improved my pace from 21 minutes down to 14 minutes. Granted, this may be slow to some but as I shared on my Instagram account...Slow progress IS progress.








¡Dos Mas! Two more added before the Spartan Race 2014















My posts will be confusing by the numbers because I just added two more runs to the list that I posted previously. First, I added the Turkey Trot at Kaneohe MCBH but I also decided to add the North Shore 5K at Turtle Bay / Kawela Bay "Turkey Trot" run.

 
 
 Not only did I add those runs, but I am now registered for the Neon Vibe as my first run of 2014 because my cousins decided it would be a great fun run to do as a family after I shared about the runs I've been doing because of my training for the upcoming Spartan Race.
 

So, what's adding two more runs before the Spartan Race in 2014? To other runners and sports enthusiasts, it's probably no big deal. In fact, I am pretty sure there are more seasoned runners and sports enthusiasts who have signed up for more runs than I have throughout a 12 month period.

But, as I shared in my previous posts...this is a first for me. This is the most runs I've ever done and God willing, I'm looking forward to many more.

 
(North Shore 5k Kawela Bay photo courtesy of www.oakridgevisitor.com)
(Neon Vibe photo courtesy of North Shore Kawela Bay facebook page)
(Running Quotes photo courtesy of http://extrememarathonguide.com)