First 5K

Okay...First race report ever. First off, I did it and beat my goal by almost 4 minutes! I was so excited to be there, even tho I couldn't sleep well last night, mainly because I couldn't find a pair of shorts that fit. But, sometime around 3 a.m. my drawer coughed up a pair that wouldn't fall down, and wasn't too small. Anywayssss....Sarah picked me up on time, we drank a smoothie on the way, and both felt pretty similar....this was about having fun and doing the best we could. Never mind that this was the World Championship for the Xterra Off Road 21 K. We had our race to run.

We saw the Real Racers off, then the 10K'ers. Next was our turn. Everything started out great – I was right in the middle of the pack, running along. Right around the first bend appeared a killer hill...I didn't know

at the time that it went up for about the first mile, but I did know that I couldn't run up it. What I also didn't know was that I could walk up it at a fairly good pace without stopping, even when taking pictures. So, at the first aid station (1.7 mile), I was way behind the pack, but had quite a few people behind me. That was quite a relief. After that it was a piece of cake. I watched myself on the extreme downhills and over the cattle gates,but ran quite a bit, even passing a bunch of people. At times I actually felt like I was getting in the groove of running.

In the midst of it all, I took pics of the mountains and various movie settings. And, in the end, I came in 4th in my age division. My friend came in 2nd. And I wasn't even close to last over all. Yay! Now I'm thinking of doing a mini tri. Talked to an 80 year old who had good information about them. Why not?

What Was I Thinking???

Four days until my first 5K...and I am scared. I don't think I'm ready. I'm sure I'm not ready to run the whole way. I'm pretty sure I can finish, I just don't want to be last. I was supposed to do a 28 minute run this weekend, but I didn't. I did, however go for a walk and two bike rides – one was for 3 ½ hours. Yay, flat Arizona topography!!!

So, yesterday after strengthtraining class I tried to do the 28 minutes on the tread. No good. I only made it 12 minutes before I had to slow it down. I tried to keep the pace up as high as I could, alternating fast walking and running/jogging, and eventually finished two miles in just under 30 minutes. SLOOOOOWWW. So, I guess I'm going to shoot for a time of under 50 minutes. And that might be pushing it. I'm trying to keep that ugly voice out of my head, so it doesn't keep telling me I'm going to make a fool of myself out there. Right, every time it tells me that I tell myself it's a good thing that I'm even attempting it, given the shape I was in six months ago. Still, I hate to embarrass myself.

Okay, enough of that kind of thinking. I'm going to do it, and I'm going to have fun doing it. Period. Here's the good news. I lost another pound this week. Even with turkey sandwiches and maybe the best lemon meringue pie I've ever had. What I've come to know is that, for me, the key to losing weight and feeling good is Keep it Moving. Speaking of which (sorry cold winter mainland people), I'm going to head to the beach for an hour of bodyboarding before work.

Something's Different

Something clicked in me today. I realized that I've once again recreated my body. I'd done it once before in 2003-2004 without consciously trying. This time was different though. This time I've worked hard at it. I've altered my way of eating and my daily food choices. I've exercised like a mad woman, almost every single day for six months. This truly is a new way of life for me. I look forward to challenging myself physically, can't wait for Dallas' Happy Hour each week, love to find new hikes to explore, and while I can't say I exactly love running yet, I AM running – 25 minutes at a time so far, and have entered my first 5K. These are big changes.

So, as I thought about Thanksgiving, and Christmas, coming up, I thought about whether I would gain weight or not. And I suddenly realized: it didn't really matter if I gained a pound or two this weekend. What???? Is this the obsessive constantly on the scale, tracking every possible variable number girl? Yes it is. Since I hurt my leg at the end of September I haven't been tracking my food intake or exercise. Why?

On the Food: I KNOW how to eat now; choose low or no fat over regular fat, keep portions small (deck of cards, deck of cards runs through my head when I occasionally run across a barbequed steak on my counter), load up on veggies and salads (my dinner plate is ALWAYS at least half veggies and salad). I love my morning smoothies and even tho I got sidetracked by grilled cheese sandwiches this past month (made with PAM or I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray, and often with mushrooms and spinach), I have reverted back to the smoothies – by choice, not because I have to.

On the Activity Level: I LOVE being active again, feeling my body move and do things it couldn't do a month or a week ago, lifting heavier weights, actually running (okay, jogging, but in my mind it counts as running), being able to sprint up stairs, feeling light in my steps. That had changed for me at one point; I stopped doing anything active for I can't remember exactly how long, but I know it was a long time. I never ever want to revisit how I felt then. The best I could do was get up to work, the rest of the time I pretty much stayed in bed or sat at the computer. Mind you, I still spend probably too much time on the computer, but the point is I now balance it out with being active almost every single day.

So, as I head into Thanksgiving weekend, I'm not scared about eating too much. I'm sure I'll have some of all my favorites, and probably some mayo on that turkey sandwich, and even if I gain a pound or two, I know that it won't be permanent. It would take a whole lot of work and determination to put back all these pounds and inches I've lost, and I'm just not motivated in that direction, ya know?

Also as I head into this weekend, I feel profoundly grateful for all the blessings in my life; my three wonderful, independent, loving children, my friends, my work, my home, the ability to go to the beach, my health, and my online friends who have motivated, inspired and supported me in quitting smoking and getting healthy through eating right and exercising. I hope you all also appreciate what you have and enjoy the coming holidays in good health.
-aloha

I DID IT!!!!!! - Part II

Well, I did it. No, not run 20 minutes again. That will be Friday or Saturday. Actually 25 minutes. I signed up for my first 5K. I'm happy, excited, and scared all at the same time. I'm reminding myself that I don't have to run the whole 5K (notice how I don't call it a race?), since I've yet to do that even in the gym. The point is to go out there and have fun, challenge myself to do something I've never done before, and complete it.

I've gotten back into the tread running on a regular basis, and ran 8/5/8 with 3 min walks in between on Monday, and two 10 minute runs with a 3 minute walk in between today. My shins get a little sore, and today my HR was almost up to max, so I slowed the pace down a bit for the last few minutes. Oh yeah, I also increased my pace today -2/10ths of a whatever it is on the tread. Maybe by the time of this 5K my pace will be up to where I can complete it in 45 minutes. I know that sounds really slow, but considering I couldn't even walk for 10 minutes at a 2.1 pace 6 months ago, I'm doing okay. I need to give myself a break, and realize I can't keep up with people 15-20 years younger than me – yet. Although I'm hoping that day will come.

Oh! The other good thing is that my 157 weight the other day was not some aberration. Today, on my official Wednesday weigh in, I was at 156.4. Only 12.4 pounds to go to my goal weight. I'm more than ¾ there! Yee hah!!!

One more good thing. Well, actually two. An old friend called last night and she said after seeing me about a month ago, that she is inspired to get healthy again. She's seeing a nutritionist and wants to join a gym. So, I'm going to show her around mine on Saturday, and encourage her to start where she's at and build from there. The other good thing is Sarah, who I met hiking a few weeks ago, is still interested in the Xterra 5K. I just sent her the link and hopefully she'll sign up too.

Okay, one last good thing. I'm going to AZ to see my boys, and hopefully daughter, too, next week for Thanksgiving. I have lots to be thankful for, including you, my inspiring blog peeps.

I DID IT!!!!!!

I ran 20 minutes this morning!!!!! I tried on Tuesday, but had to slow it down after 12 minutes because my shins were hurting. I really didn't want to deal with another injury. But this morning I did it. I'm not saying it was easy, but it wasn't that hard either. And I'm pretty sure I can do it again. After that I went to a strengthtraining class. I noticed that I felt weaker than usual. Probably because of the run right before. So, I guess this means I'll sign up for that 5K. I hope they give us as much time as we need to complete it, because I am very slow. I mean super slow.

The other exciting that happened was I broke through that weight plateau I've been cruising on for over a month. This morning, despite the grilled cheese sandwich I had last night, I weighed 157!!! Yee hah! In the 150s. I'm proud of myself for keeping on when the weight wasn't coming off. It helped that the inches were and that more and more clothes are just too loose to wear. But in the 150s. That makes me do a happy dance.

I was planning on either a hike or some more bodyboarding today, but it is overcast and looks like it might rain hard Here's a pic from my balcony yesterday morning. Rain brings its own rewards. If it continues cloudy today I think I'll go in search of a new bathing suit top. I'm about ready to get back into two pieces – let my stomach get some sun. One of my mottos is “Fat looks better tan,” but some things shouldn't be seen. I'm feeling like its getting small enough to be allowed out in the light of day again. All kinds of progress. Yippee!!!

AWOL but Doing Stuff

Since my computer crash I've been gone, but not because I wanted to be. I tried to post something last week, but I lost it when I hit Publish. This time I'll be smart and save it first. (just tried that and I can't do it)

Synopsis: I didn't lose any weight last week. I did lose 10 inches last month and am fitting into some of my old fave clothes, even tho I weigh 15 pounds more than I did then. Guess I'm doing something right. I haven't fit in the 20 minute run, but intend to this week - again. My leg is totally healed. Even though I haven't done the 20 minute run (actually I haven't seen that part of the gym for over a week), I've gone to strength training classes twice a week. I went on an awesome hike with my friends from Kauai, John and Sue. The Likeke Falls one, but this time we went all the way up to the Pali lookout. This pic is of where we started from (the building down below) Another one of those big elevation hikes. It was fun! I only had to stop once or twice, and covered that by taking pics of John and Sue. And, the other really cool thing is that I met a potential new hiking/training buddy who said she would love to do the Xterra Kualoa 5 K with me in December! Yeah! Really hope that works out. We really had fun this weekend. Don't John and Sue look happy? I don't have any pics of Kalama's, but trust me when I say the waves were great!!!!!

What a week

This really has been the most stressful week since I was being stalked by my ex more than 15 years ago. I knew I was going to help my daughter with her final move to the mainland during the three days she was back in town and that it might impact my usual program. But, here's the Top Ten List of What I Didn't Know Beforehand;

1) my computer would totally crash the first day,
2) the cleaning I did at her apartment a few days before would just be the tip of the iceberg,
3) she would get really really sick the second day (thought it was a UTI, turned out to be e coli), 4) she was storing that much stuff at my house (she had asked, I just didn't get what I'd agreed to), and I'd have to find a place for it all,
5) when a computer guy takes your hard drive and puts it in an external hard drive enclosure it doesn't mean you can access and use what's there,
6) even if you call to check on when they're open and you rush to get there, it doesn't mean said computer guy will be there during open hours,
7) even though computer guy made the external hard drive for you, it doesn't mean he will help you figure out how to use it,
8) Windows Vista is nothing like Windows XP and doesn't like any of the apps and programs created on earlier versions,
9) even when you figure out how to re-create some of your most important stuff, it doesn't mean that it won't disappear and you have to start all over again, and
10) even when you're pretty good at backing stuff up, it really really really sucks when you have to get a new computer because of a crash.

So, that's where I've been - computer hell. Still trying to get things working, semi-successfully. Hopefully I'll be able to do my monthly billing tomorrow. Just glad I was able to find my way back here even though it was a twisty path getting here.

Another thing that's made this a stressful week is that my oldest son is dealing with the imminent passing of his dad. They're pulling his feeding tube, so he has less than a week to live most likely. I'm struggling with how to best support my son - Do I fly to where his dad is? Do I just be available on the phone? Is it okay to wait until Thanksgiving when I planned to go be with both my sons?

All of these things have made it hard for me to focus on my health. I've been eating okay mostly, but binging a little. I haven't been tracking either food or exercise. I've been to the gym a couple of times. Helping with the move was a workout, but I haven't fit in the 20 minute run that was next up. I just feel really overwhelmed. And I have a new appreciation for everyone who works full time, is a parent, and/or is dealing with their own or loved ones' challenges, and still finds time to make their health a priority by eating healthy and exercising.

I'm sure things will get back to normal soon and I'm really looking forward to having fun again. John and Sue are coming over from Kauai next weekend, so it will be fun showing Sue around Oahu. Depending on the weather, we'll either go snorkeling, hiking, and/or bodyboarding.

In the meantime I'm going to keep getting this new stupid a## computer working like I need it to do, and fit in some exercise when I can. Over and out -aloha

To Sign or Not to Sign

How do I know if I'm ready to sign up for a 5K? Like, how far ahead should I do it? And how well should I be running? Like what percentage of the 5K should I be at? I've been incredibly inspired by all of my blogger running friends, but truthfully all of you are 15-20+ years younger than me, and that does make a difference. And it seems to me that it has taken me a whole lot longer for my heart rate, and body in general, to get up to speed, compared to all of you. Luckily Michelle gave me the example of doing each week for as long as I needed to, and I have.

Okay, so I'm sometime this weekend going to attempt, and hopefully succeed at, jogging 8 minutes/walking 5/jogging 8. Then, within a week, I'm going to try 20 minutes. I'm not at all confident that my heart will feel good about that, so I'm not going to kill myself doing it..literally, folks.

So, I guess what I'm wondering is, should I work myself up to closer to the 5K goal before committing myself to a 5K, or should I just sign up, and keep working towards it? I'm asking this because I saw one that I think would be fun. It's part of a larger series of races sponsored by xterra, and it's at a place I'm familiar with. Actually a place I love. So I thought that might be a good place to start. Opinions, please?

Update: This morning I did the 8 jog/5walk/8 jog with no problem whatsoever. Heart rate didn't go any higher than it was at 5 min jog time. If I can do the 20 minute Jog within the next week, I'll sign up for the race. It's Dec 7, so that'll give me a little over a month to work my way up to 30-40 minute jogs. Yikes! That sounds long. Thanks for your encouragment everyone.

Going Down Again

Well, that sure was a long month of barely any weight loss. One of my mini goals was to be at 160 by the time I went to AZ last month, but didn't quite make it. So, I was so happy to weigh in today and see I'd lost 3 pounds, for a total of 40 pounds. I love round numbers like that. I'm hoping to be in the 150s by next week. Only 15 pounds till I'm in the normal weight category. Very exciting!

Did I mention how much I love my new Mizunos? Running in them feels so good. My jammed toe doesn't hurt, my knee doesn't hurt. I can't say that I've yet to experience that "runner's high", or any kind of exhiliration yet, but I have recently remembered how joyful running used to feel when I was a kid. I loved going off on my own, running through the woods. I hope that once I can comfortably run for longer amounts of time that that feeling will come back. I started week 5 of my C25K plan, running 5/walking 3 times 3, and it was easy. My heart rate went a little higher than I like, but it settled back down again within a minute. Next time I'm going to try the day 2: Jog 8/walk 5/jog 8.

I'm hoping to go on an outdoor adventure in the next couple of days, and will probably go bodyboarding tomorrow. I've asked Ann to choose an adventure. She's been walking up the outside of Diamond Head for the past few weeks, so it sounds like she's ready for some hills. I hope she doesn't pick something TOO steep, since I haven't been back to walking for too long.

Back To My Program

I am so over my leg injury..so so so over it. I rested all last weekend. This weekend I devoted to some medical procedures I don't want to gross you out with. Suffice it to say the prep was way worse than the actual procedures.

Okay, back to Back To My Program. Despite not being able to exercise much for the past three or four weeks, other than dancing to Santana, I didn't gain any weight. That's good. And, here are the much better good things. I'm back to Dallas' Happy Hour, lifting more weight than I was before.

AND! Here's the really really cool Good! I'm back on the tread...at the same level I was at before I hurt myself. No problem. Whatsoever. I was able to jog 5 and 3 - TWICE, with half that much walking in between. With no trouble heart rate or breathing. I love it! And I did it two days so far. Once more and I'll move to the next week, which is jog 5, walk 3, jog 5, walk 3, jog 5 (first day), and I don't think that will be much of a problem, then jog 8, walk 5, jog 8 (day 2), then jog 20 (day 3) ??????!!!!! I'm sure everyone will understand if this week takes me 2-4 weeks to get through. But, I will get through it.

So, to celebrate the reality that I just might be able to make it to a 5K in the not too distant future, I went out and bought myself some REAL running shoes today. Mizuno Wave Inspires. Here's a pic I tried out a bunch of shoes, jogging around the store, and decided on these. It was tied between them and a pair of Saucony's. These were $20 bucks cheaper and felt as good. I am so so happy! I was so happy that I also bought a new (first ever) running shirt too. I was trying to find a pic of my shirt and look what I found! A link to all kinds of 5K races here in Hawaii!

So, maybe I AM turning into a runner. Who would have thought that was even a remote possibility????? Thank you to all my blogger buddies who actually have turned into runners..and more...for your amazing inspirational examples. I'm running as fast as I can in your footsteps. Especially to Shosh who today completed her second half marathon in a week, Bekkles who is about ready for her tri, despite having just moved cross country, is working incredibly long demanding hours, and being an awesome wife and mother to the cutest little Lucy girl ever, Cyndi, whose dust I'm eating, and is not only ready to run her first 5K, but is thinking of a half marathon herself while she works full time, is also an awesome wife and mom to three amazing kids, and of course, to my dear dear friend Michelle, who got me started on this path by sharing her journey with me and others, turning me onto the blogosphere, and who just sent me two books; The Slow Fat Triathlete, and Your First Triathlon. You think maybe she wants to live vicariously through me during her babe's first year?

Thank you, all you wonderful inspiring women. I'll try to live up to your examples. Really. And no standing on chairs again. I promise.

TAGGED!

Shosh, that fabulous athlete and person, tagged me. So, here goes, 6 facts about me.

1. I was born in Yonkers, N.Y. and my first home was in the Bronx. I grew up mostly in Minnesota, though. I left Minnesota 5 days after graduating high school. Then I was a hippie in the Haight in the late 60’s. Inside I’m still a hippie, but sometimes I can hide it pretty well.

2. I never went to college until I was 40. Then I powered through to a doctorate by the time I hit 50. Typed my whole dissertation and all those other papers with 2 fingers. Still 2 finger typing to this day.

3. My favorite food is raw fish.

4. I was spelling bee champ two years running.

5. I’ve been to 47 states. All except Alaska, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. I’m hoping to visit my non-smoking buddy, Pollye in Oklahoma one of these days. Maybe that will get me to Arkansas too.

6. I smoked for 36 years until I quit in March, 2007. Haven’t had one puff since.

I'm tagging Pollye, Cyndi, Bekkles, and Superdave

Anybody Have Any Injury-be-gone Spray?

It’s been a long few weeks with this hurt leg. I’ve been doing what I’m supposed to for it. I can really feel the lack of exercise – I’m antsy, a little cranky. So, yesterday I went to Dallas's Happy Hour. It helped my frame of mind a lot yesterday. I could do most of the exercises, all except some of the lunges and squats. It felt great! Here are a few pics of Dallas. One is of her “flashing” as she calls it. She pushes us in ways that make me laugh. Or makes me want to laugh if I only could while doing things like the gluteal pulses she loves so much.

A friend from D.C. was in town visiting over the weekend, and since he is vegan I ate mostly that way with him. We have our first ever Whole Foods market here, so one night we ate there. When I told him about the nearby Umeke market, and how the opening of Whole Foods will likely force them out of business, we ate there for the rest of the weekend. On Sunday I began making a vegan pasta dinner with roasted peppers and 2 kinds of squash, but he was more interested in talking than my cooking, so I finished it off Monday and shared it with my student tenants. As a result of all this vegan eating I lost 1.4 pounds this week despite only one hour of real exercise.

My leg still hurts, but is slowly getting better, so I’m hoping that by next week I can get back to some cardio. In the meantime I think I’ll go to as many strengthtraining classes as I can. Or, I’m still tossing around the idea of going to the Bay Area to see Carlos again. But, I really wanted to go on a Michelle and Miguel adventure when I went to the Bay Area, and I obviously can’t do that, so I probably won’t go. Injuries suck. Not at all sure what I’m supposed to learn from this, other than to never use a chair instead of a ladder or step stool. See? I told you I was cranky.

Stupid Human Trick

I knew better, but I did it anyways. I was unloading my truck of some boxes that I was storing for my daughter, and was putting a box of very fine shoes on a top shelf, when Kaboom! The 20 year old plastic chair I was standing on collapsed! Who couldn’t have predicted that??!! Anyway, it was the night before I was leaving to go to AZ to see my sons and Santana, and my right leg was hurting big time. I iced it, compressed it, elevated it, and rested it as best I could. ICRE, you know? No dice.

I was so happy to see my sons, and to cook for them as moms do. I kept up with my ICRE routine, and was very happy on the night of the concert to wear my red patent heels. They actually felt better than the flat shoes I bought. I guess it had something to do with the stretch of the affected muscles. And I did look pretty hot, if I do say so myself. Thank you again, Bonnie!

The concert was so awesome. More than I had hoped for, and so wonderful to share it with my son. Such a better thing than last March when we spent over a week together in the hospital when he had lung surgery. And we both danced our you know whats off. As long as I stood in place I was okay. It’s the walking that’s killing me. He sang this new song with the refrain, "Love peace and joy is what I want for everyone in my life" I loved that. It's exactly how I feel.

So, here’s the bad news. Eating, even in moderation, some of the old family faves I cooked for the boys, and not being able to exercise like usual, has taken its toll. I gained this week. Just .4 pounds, but wrong direction. I am bummed about it, but there’s nothing to do about it now. Not sure when my leg will be better. I went to the doctor this morning and she said a week or two more. In the meantime I’m back home and eating according to plan again, and I did do some upper body lifting at the boys’ house and will do that here at home too. I just know it’s not enough to keep my progress up to the level it’s been at. And no new outdoor adventures. I think I’ll miss them most of all.

Slow and Steady

That's me in the weight loss and running progress departments. Wednesday weigh in. Another 1+ pound loss. This scale is a funny thing. All week it looked like I wasn’t going to lose anything, even though I’d exercised every day including doing the Maunawili Falls hike again. Then presto chango, this morning it read 164.8. A few of my blogger friends are experiencing scale weirdnesses too. I think we all agree that as long as we keep on eating right and exercising regularly in whatever manner we choose, we’ll keep getting healthier and the weight will eventually come off.

I want to add a big congratulations to Shosh for reaching her WeightWatcher final goal weight this week. Yeah Shosh!!! I haven’t been following her journey that long, but I do know she’s been on this path for a while and has turned into quite the runner. And writes some excellent inspirational posts.

Here’s a pic of the top of the mountains from where I parked near the beginning of the trail to Maunawili Falls.


And here is a pic of the same mountains at the top of the climb. It looks a lot closer, don't you think? After that the trail levels out for a bit, then goes down, down, down till it reaches the stream again.

This time Ann went with me and she needed to rest often. Sound like someone else we know not too long ago? I don’t know if it was the going slower with her, or just that I’m getting in better shape, but this time the hike was so much easier for me. Like no problem at all. That was a wonderful feeling. On the way back we decided to follow the stream instead of tackling that sharp uphill. I’m glad we did because we could keep a steadier pace that way, even though we had to make like Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea at times. Speaking of running, I went to Week 4 of my C25K running plan on Monday, which was 3 min jog/90 sec walk, then 5 min jog/2 ½ min walk, repeated twice. Now to any runners reading this it might not seem like a lot, but to me it was huge. I jogged for 5 minutes! Twice!!!! It wasn’t super easy, but it was certainly doable. I think it helped that I’ve been setting the incline up a bit on the tread each time. For this first Wk4 workout I set it back to zero. Still watching the heart rate. And this time it never went above 140. That is so excellent! Oh! And last week when I went to the doctor for some odd rash and little infection that showed up the day after the Maunawili hike, my blood pressure was 120/60! That is down from 142/90 on May 21 and 136/80 on June 9th. I should have gone for a jog/walk this morning, but I was beat. Woke up at 5:30 a.m. (two mornings in a row now), didn’t get home from my daughter’s until 11:30 last night, and didn’t go to bed until almost 1 a.m. So, I went back to bed, read some, and woke back up at 11. I might go after work, but not sure. If not, I’ll probably go tomorrow before I leave for AZ.


Yeah, AZ! I’m so excited to see my sons and of course, the one and only Carlos Santana. I am so inspired by his and his family's spiritual and life journies, and his music makes me feel so great. You know there will be pictures when I get back. I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to fit some exercise in between shopping and cooking. The worst that will happen is that the only exercise I’ll get is walking around stores and dancing at the concert. I’ll be back in time for Happy Hour with Dallas on Tuesday, though. I remembered my camera yesterday, but the battery was dead! Next week I WILL get a pic.

A New Wardrobe

This is going to be a quick entry. After last week’s screeching halt to the downward scale movement I did a lot of positive self talk, reminding myself that even if the scale didn’t show it, I continued to live a healthy lifestyle and felt great because of it. So, I just continued on that path for the week and voila! Another 3 pounds are gone.

I didn’t have any super calorie-burning experiences this past week either, so I guess that’s not what the factor was the week before. I’m not going to waste any more of my thoughts on it. As long as I continue to eat healthy and remain active I’ll continue to get in better shape, feel great, and most likely lose weight. I just want to say that I’ve only got 22 pounds left to my goal weight though, and I would like to be there by the end of the year. If I don’t make it, oh well. But, it’s something to shoot for.

I’ve continued on Week Three of my C25K running plan, and most days my heart rate has stayed where it should. I’ve also done it on a 1.0 incline, so I guess my heart is getting healthier. Sometimes I finish off with a 2.5 or 3.0 incline walk for a bit, just to mix it up a little.

I went to Kona last weekend to visit Bonnie and Dawn. Had a fun time, although no snorkeling this time. What with all the weird shark action we all decided to stay out of the water. We did go to a beautiful beach, Anaeho’omalu at sunset time one evening. Here’s a sign we ran into. We also drove up to Waimea where they were having a ho’olaulea. We got there in time to hear a good reggae band, so we danced a little.

The day I got there Bonnie’s car was leaking oil, so while her friend fixed it I went shopping at Bonnie’s “garage sale”. She has containers full of clothes, so I got a whole new wardrobe. Lots and lots of tops and bottoms and a few cute dresses. It was great, because I’d gotten rid of all my current size clothes when I lost weight before. Thank you, Bonnie! Now I’m ready for Arizona and Carlos!

Sharks and Turtles

Well, for some reason I didn't lose any weight this week. I ate really well (in calorie range) and was active. The only thing I didn’t do was have one BIG calorie-burning day. Like a 1500+ calories hike or bike ride. Oh well. I’m comfortably down three pants sizes, and even those are kind of loosish. I am NOT going to get all upset about no weight loss. I’m NOT! I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing and hope more comes off next week. And I'm posting this pic of me to remind myself that all this dedication to getting healthy is paying off by being able to have fun doing cool stuff (even if I do still have pockets of fat all over my body). But, I’d love to be down another size by the time I go see my son and Carlos at the end of the month.

I’ve been going to strength training classes twice a week. Dallas teaches the one on Tuesday mornings and she really pushes us. I’ll try to remember to take a pic of her. She makes me laugh, calls it “Happy Hour” while she is having us add “pulses” just when we think we’re done with a set.

Also moved on to week three of my C25K plan. Well, actually I took it a little farther the first day, jogging 3, walking 3 the whole time. But then yesterday I did what was recommended. 90/90, then 3/3 and then repeat. It wasn’t really too hard, and my heart rate stayed where it was supposed to for the most part. Progress. This getting old thing sucks. Everything takes longer. But, I’m really thankful for all the progress I’ve made so far. And how happy and healthy I feel.

I didn’t go on any bike rides yet. I’ve got this cold sore on my lip from the sun. I know, Ewwwww! So except for my one fun adventure last Thursday, I’ve been trying to stay out of the sun. Good thing, too, since there was a shark sighted at Kalama’s on Saturday, who was described as “acting aggressively.” No details, so not sure what it was doing. Nobody got attacked, and they can’t growl, so maybe it was baring it’s teeth? Or teasing swimmers by swimming up really fast, then turning away at the last moment? Just kidding. I don’t think sharks have much of a sense of humor. In fact, I know they don’t. I started writing this post yesterday, and before I finished it, there’s been an actual attack. Not at “my” beach, but up the coast aways, at K’a’a’awa. But in the general oceanic neighborhood. Sheesh. Now I don’t know what to do. As many of you know, bodyboarding is my “go to” exercise, the one I love the most. Have to do some thinking about this.

Okay, on to the adventure. My friend Ann (there she is getting ready, with my bodyboard and bag next to her) and I went out to Goat Island last Thursday. I lived on that bay almost 30 years ago, but had never gone out there. I guess because there was such good bodyboarding right in front of our house and we had an acre and a half. Anyways…we swam ourselves and our stuff out there, had a picnic, swam in this little bay, walked around the island, and just felt grateful for living where we do. We found a bunch of beautiful shells, more than either of us had seen in years. We had the island to ourselves except for this poor turtle we came across who was really sick. Lots of our sea turtles have these tumors, and this guy had a necklace of them. His shell was dry and when Ann touched it, he retracted his head a bit. At least we knew he was alive. When we got back home I tried to get someone in the animal rescue business to go get the turtle, but still don’t know if anyone did. Now I’m thinking about how that turtle = sharks in the area. Actually, I did think about sharks as we were paddling out there, but since sharks are always present somewhere in the ocean, if I let that stop me from going in the water, I’d never go. But, given the most recent shark happenings, I’m definitely going to be more cautious. I can’t promise I’ll stay out of the water, but I will make sure I’m extra aware of what’s going on around me. Anyway, we had a good time, except for the turtle thing.

Hiking Along

Okay, so I’ve done many things since my last posting. Including losing weight. Yee haha! 2.6 pounds last week, and another 2 pounds this week. As long as I stick to my eating plan and keep active it seems like I'm going to keep losing. And I've lost a total of 24.5 inches overall. Amazing!

Here’s what I’ve been doing. Gina, one of my new tenants (here’s all three new tenants; Gina, Pam, and Kerstie-so cute!), and I, hiked the Makiki Loop Trail, as I said we were planning. Unfortunately we both forgot our cameras. At the beginning of the hike I pointed up to the top of the ridge on the other side of the valley, and said, "We're going up there." We both laughed. I was kidding! Little did I know we were going up there. We did make it, with a few breathing stops on the 700 ft elevation climb within .70 miles (16% slope!). Suffice it to say it kicked our collective butts, and we both decided, on the way down, that we needed to add to our hiking supplies, in the way of ankle/knee wraps/braces. I definitely learned from that hike.


So, two days later I decided to hike to Maunawili Falls. And I did. This time I packed a knee brace, an ace bandage, an energy bar, and of course, water. Oh! And my camera. It was a fun hike, with three water crossings, not too many stairs, and a waterfall at the end as a reward. Oh! I’d been considering titling this (my next) post “I Hate Stairs!,” but I guess it’s like childbirth…I’ve forgotten how painful they are. Believe me, I’ve spent a LOT of time lately imagining a post about how much I hate stairs on hikes. But, I found a long piece of bamboo right at the beginning of my return from Maunawili Falls, broke it in two, and now I have walking sticks to help me up and down the paths, so while I still think about how much I hate stairs, I’m okay with them…..for now. And I'll tell you, it felt like I was flying going down the trail that day.

Anywaaaays…been hiking. Had a few down days this past weekend, but have still managed to go to the gym, do strengthtraining and some C25K (been jogging 90/walking 90 seconds for the entire 30 minutes. Think I'm going to move on to the real week 3 this week), and of course, do some bodyboarding at Kalama’s.



Also did a short hike to Likeke Falls. Got a little lost on the way, but from what I’ve read and what I heard that day, it’s par for the course. Along the way I ran into three Marines who were as lost as me. They had a map someone had given them. I considered backtracking and following them, but decided to continue on as I’d planned. That afforded me an opportunity to climb a humongous hill and back down, and then backtrack. (Note the bamboo stick in my hand. That Marine wanted them, but I wasn't giving em up, no siree Bob!) But I also found the falls before the marines, so that was a sweet reward. I love having these adventures. A good life. Not perfect, but good enough.

Oh! And I got a bike. Not sure if I mentioned that. I think I'm going to give it a try this weekend - either riding to Kalama's or trying a bike path I've heard about. First I have to get a helmet though. I'll keep ya posted on that. Hey all you friends (and you know who you are), how about leaving me a comment?

Obese No More

Yes, it’s true. I’m not obese anymore. Now I’m just overweight. I never ever EVER want to be obese again!!! Like anyone does? Anyways, after getting back to my program, eating within calorie range and being active pretty much every day, I broke out of that measly loss pattern of the past two weeks. I lost 3 pounds this past week!! Not only that, it brought me down to 29.9 BMI which, in case you don’t know, is the cut off between obese and overweight.

Funny, I went to the doctor today so she could take a look at my toe that has been hurting. Remember the Portland Waterfront Blues Festival pic of my feet? Well, I’ve kept my toe taped pretty much nonstop since then, and it still really really hurts when I go on the tread, when I walk very far with slippers, and well, pretty much all the time. While the x-rays didn’t show any break, they did show a pretty noticeable, at least to me, jammed up joint. Barely any space in between the two bones. So, I have to make an appointment with the podiatrist. Why do we always have to see specialists these days? Why couldn’t she have just taken that toe in her well-manicured hands (I notice that kind of stuff ‘cause mine usually aren’t. And I actually told her not to look at my very un-manicured toenails. I really need to get a boyfriend so I feel like doing that more often) and pulled it back out like it’s supposed to be?

Anyways, beside the toe issue I asked for a referral to a gastrowhatever so they can stick a tube down my throat and make me stop coughing somehow. That’s gonna take another couple of months apparently. Specialists. Anyway, what was funny was that I was all happy about my weight loss and said something about not being obese anymore, and she said, “Weeellll…your BMI is 29.9 and it should be 20 whatever” (I guess I should mention that she’s a thin Asian doctor) I told her I was very happy to be just overweight and not obese, and she conceded that point. It’s funny that I wasn’t bummed by her response. In the past I probably would have been embarrassed, mad, resentful. This time I was happy to be happy about it. I know what I’ve been doing to get here...and where I’m going. That’s enough.

The other thing is, my doctor likes me. She noticed I’d cut my hair. She said she was glad I’d decided to do the endoscopy. I think she gets a kick out of me still bodyboarding. She saw me through an emotionally rough time a few years back. And, when I told her I was planning on hiking on the Makiki Loop Trail tomorrow, she very kindly told me I should watch out for the pig hunters. I won’t go into all that, but suffice it to say that there are some people who love to play commando in the hills, hunting pigs with their packs of pit bulls, and that some of them think everybody should get out of their way when they’re doing it. She suggested I carry a BIG umbrella that I could open to fend them (the pit bulls) off. Not sure if that would work, but it sure gave me a humorous picture to consider.

I’m going to do it anyway, since I have a meeting I have to go to right next to where the trail starts. If you don’t hear from me by next week, call the police. Although my doctor says the police won’t do anything about the pig hunters.

Oh! My other big news is that today on the tread I jogged for 90 seconds/walked for 120 for thirty minutes. I’ll have to look if that fits into the 5K running plan I’m pretending to be on. I know it’s progress and that’s what counts.

Up Down and Sideways

Well, I physically pushed myself this weekend. Did one thing I know I wouldn’t have attempted even a month or two ago. I went to Kauai to visit my friends John and Sue again, for my birthday. That isn’t the thing. The thing I did was hike the first two miles of the Kalalau trail, from the trailhead at Ke’e beach to Hanakapi’ai Beach. Now 2 miles each way doesn’t sound like much, and I’m sure it’s not much for those people, including my daughter, who hike the total 11 miles to Kalalau valley (it’s between that last little point and the big point in the distance) and back. But this isn’t your average little 2 mile walk in the park. Oh no, this baby starts at sea level and rises 1060 feet total, with a couple of ascents and descents, and with terrain ranging from dry to slurpy muddy, from rocky to root-covered. I definitely felt my lack of stair-climbing experience at the gym, because some of the trail demanded climbing rocks – lots of them. Nice for my ..umm…back of body area. Oh! And no matter what the trail is like underfoot, and what little challenges it throws at you, it meanders right along the edge of the cliffs for much of the time. This means you get some awesome views of the ocean and beaches down below, as well as up the coastline to Kalalau. It also means that you better not get dizzy or distracted too much…unless you can fly or don’t mind tumbling hundreds of feet down into, hopefully, the ocean.

Along the way you pass a few streams and waterfalls, and at the top of the first ascent you come to a really windy spot. Hold onto your hats is my best advice. And don’t start congratulating yourself yet, because there is way more, mostly up and down more, to come before you reach Hanakapia’i Beach. John had mentioned that once we got to the beach we could opt to hike another two miles up to the waterfall, but we didn’t have to decide until we got to the beach. Sue, bless her heart, announced about a mile in that she wasn’t doing that. Thank you, Sue! I was already formulating my most cheerful suggestion that they go ahead and enjoy some “alone” time while I hung out on the beach. I didn’t care how long it took them, I knew that I was going to be gathering my strength for the return hike.

Anyway, we reached the beach after about 1-1 ½ hours and I felt great! I think I only had to stop to let my heart rate come down once on the way in. Major progress!!!! I was feeling really happy and proud of myself and grateful that I was getting in such better shape and able to enjoy these kinds of activities again. Sue, being so considerate and all, had packed some fruit, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit for us. Yummy. Oh! She also saved my ass by lending me a pair of socks. I, being the non-shoe girl that I am, had worn my fave hiking/festival/all around comfy shoes, but hadn’t worn socks. I’m pretty sure I would have been singing a different tune, something on the line of “Oh my owie blisters” had it not been for those socks.

So, after a bit of time hanging out on the rocks in the shade at the beach, watching the other hikers, including this one family whose kids kept passing us on the way in, then waiting for their parents to catch up, then moving on, we decided to head back. I remember saying after the first up hill on the way back, “Wow, that was easy.” I was feeling positively giddy with my new found fitness. But not so quick, oh new shoe-wearing, hiking girl. For some reason the way back was MUCH harder. I had to take at least five mini-breaks to settle my heart. Of course all the old tapes started right up, being embarrassed that I couldn’t keep hiking without a break, wondering if John and Sue were thinking what a drag I was for slowing them down. But, they being who they are, kept letting me know that the hike was a bit strenuous even for them (not sure if that’s true or just them being nice) and telling me that I was doing great. It helped that there were a few other people who were having to take breaks and/or taking it really slow, too. I’ve since read that the way back IS a lot harder in general.

Anyways, we made it back, and even though my calves have been sore ever since, I’m proud I made it. And do really look forward to at least making it to the waterfall one day. Not sure about all the way to Kalalau though.

So Sunday while Sue was at church John and I took another bike ride. Not as long as the one to Kipu Falls last time, but long enough. Here’s me looking like a bicyclist in front of John and Sue’s house with Sue’s porch railing garden behind me. We went back roads for about an hour and I had to get off and walk once, then John wanted us to go to Menehune fish pond lookout, but when I saw the hill going down, I begged for mercy and we turned back. It’s really nice to be back on a bike again, and it’s good to have John pushing me harder than I’d go on my own. After Sue came home we ate yummy salads, with leftovers from The Blossoming Lotus from the night before. I forgot to take pics! It was totally vegan and Yummy!

Then we all tried a new sport, stand up paddleboarding. It’s basically a big surfboard that you paddle with a long paddle while standing up. Balance and no quick moves is the key. That and taking short, instead of deep, strokes when you’re standing up. If there was a “Most Time in the Water Instead of on the Board” award I think I would have won it. I fell off sideways – each side, backwards, and forwards – many times. It must have provided some good entertainment for folks on the beach. I finally got the hang of it though, as did John and Sue. Of course John got it immediately, and he was cruising along back and forth between Sue and I, giving us pointers. Show Off. Anyway, fun stuff.

After that we went to Duke’s again for salad bar. I had that in my mind because of last time. Sue pointed out that since it was my birthday we could get a free piece of Hula Pie. Now, Sue had been pushing the desserts the night before, but John and I were too virtuous (and full) to take the bait. But, we didn’t want to disappoint her two nights in a row, well, at least I didn’t, so we let the waiter bring it. It was really huge, and I didn’t want her to get a stomach ache, so I helped her, just a little. John helped her more, I’m sure. Despite that benevolent gesture, the next day on my REAL birthday, I weighed 175.2 pounds. Not the straight 175 that was my goal, but close enough that I’ll take it. I can’t blame it on Sue’s pushing that Hula Pie, though I’d like to. I think I can more credit the hike and her lending me her socks.

Last night my daughter took me out to a fave Italian place and we each had Caesar salad and shared a delicious fish and capers entree. Another yummy meal. Not to mention the delish lychee martini. Now I have to stop going out to eat for a while and get back to my plan. I want the 2 pounds per week weight loss again. Don’t think I’ll have that this week. But, I have enjoyed the good food and company the past few weeks. Life is such a trade off sometimes. So for the next 6-7 weeks, till I go visit my sons and see Carlos I’m going to pretty much stick to my plan.

Oh my gosh! I forgot to mention what I did last Friday!!! Went to see Barack and Michelle Obama when they flew in for a week’s vacation. It was wonderful seeing them, so full of optimism and love. I sure hope he wins the presidency and makes some changes. Reminds me of the Kennedys and how hopeful people were at that time. Okay, that’s the end of this missive. Hope everyone is happy, healthy, and enjoying life. Aloha

Wednesday Weigh-in Update: 176.6. Even though I was down to 175.2 on Monday, I'm back to 176.6 today. No loss, no gain for the week. As I said, back to my program.

My Pants are Falling Down!

Yep, those big girl pants are gonna have to be put away, cause they are just way too big now. I’m fitting into a few of my old faves now, and even those are getting a little loose. But, here’s the dilemma: I don’t have many in between sized clothes. I’m sure I’ll figure it out.

So, my second trip to Oregon was great! Spent the weekend experiencing the Columbia River Gorge with my good friend Judie. Jude worked for Columbia Hills State Park for five years, so was a wealth of information about the area. Plus she absolutely loves that area of the world, so it was fun to experience it with her. On Friday we went berry-picking with her friend Kate at “The Hatch”, which is a famous wind-surfing spot. We filled up containers and containers of those juicy morsels. Don’t tell anyone, but I brought some home to share with family and friends. We also took a drive up the gorge a ways. And ate at Taco del Mar.

That was the start of my making questionable food choices. I asked for a nutrition chart, but they looked at me like I was crazy and finally told me, “It’s online.” So, I ordered 2 fish soft shell tacos, hold the cheese. But not “hold the sauce” because I’ve never met a sauce I didn’t like. I just looked it up, and that was 540 cals, 22 g of fat with cheese, so maybe ..hmmm….475 cals and 15 g of fat without? WAY too much. Then we ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Again, no nutrition chart. I tried to order what I thought would be the healthiest choice, but my sweet and sour chicken turned out to be deep fried. Which of course I ate. The chop suey and rice probably weren’t too bad. I didn’t eat my fortune cookie though. I won’t go through everything I ate for the rest of the weekend, but let’s just say it ended with buying a 240 calorie bag of “reduced fat” chips from the vending machine at the hotel Sunday night. Oh! And eating not only the grilled chicken sandwich at Wendy’s (this time I did “hold the sauce”) at the airport, but most of the first class breakfast on the flight home. I mean, I couldn’t really turn my nose up at that, could I?

I did do a couple of good things food-wise though. I had a smoothie to start each day because Judie had stocked her fridge with frozen strawberries, bananas and yogurt. Thanks Jude! I also got to visit Trader Joe’s for the first time ever, and bought some low cal/low fat snacks, and we bought salads for dinner.

We did quite a bit of walking while I was there, including a cool petroglyph/pictograph tour on Saturday morning. Here’s “She Who Watches”. Judie said an elder told her that this particular one was created to witness the decimation of the people of that area. Sad. I learned that there were giant glacial floods that created the stunning cliffs and buttes of the gorge, and that much later on, in the 1950s, a couple of dams were made which flooded the river basin, effectively covering much of the Native American living and burial sites. This area was visited by Lewis and Clark in 1805 and 1806, and it was a massive trading site, with various tribes gathering each year. The “locals” fished 10000 pounds of salmon from the river per week during the season. Sounds like they were a pretty well to do bunch. They had wooden homes and storehouses, and an interesting way of cutting planks from trees without killing the trees. Nice.

We also visited the Maryhill Museum, which was built by Sam Hill, originally as his home. I got a great pic of Mount Hood from the lanai while we were eating lunch. During both trips to Oregon people kept telling me about the beauty of Mount Hood and Mount Adams, but they kept hiding behind clouds to the point I was beginning to wonder if people were making it up, until she finally revealed her beauty to me that day. Old Sam Hill had quite the collection of Rodin sculptures and drawings. Very Nice. There was also an incredible collection of Native American basketry, beadworks, and other tools, toys, and stuff. I didn’t see the collection of doll costumes. Maybe next time. Then we went to a replica of Stone Henge that Sam Hill also created. Jude said during the summer equinox this place really draws the freaks out. We also drove through someone’s ranch where there are all kinds of animals like zebra, camels, giraffes, emus, and more.

So, I got to experience all kinds of cool things with Jude, and best of all, spend time with her. It had been way too long. We’re talking about maybe camping on the coast next summer for a weekend. You can be sure I’m gonna plan that during berry season again. Oh! She had an exercise bike so I did 20 minutes on that one morning, plus did some yard work for her one afternoon. The net result of my bad eating and pretty active weekend? A half pound weight loss. Not what I’d like, but I learned something from it, and at least it wasn’t a gain. Off to the gym now. I've got less than a week and 1.6 pounds to lose to reach my next goal.