Interval Run, a Water Bottle and on a Booty Roll

When I woke up this morning I had a feeling that it was time to go for a run. It had rained over night, but Mother Nature was on my side and kept the skies dry. I set up my interval timer with a goal to do 25 intervals doing 25 seconds run/25 seconds walk.

The run went pretty well. I had to stop after the 20th interval because I had a little pain on the meniscus side of my knee. The sidewalk near my SIL's house has some pretty good dips that may have aggravated it. But I ran/walked almost 2 miles. I'm happy with that.

Oddly I didn't know what to wear today. It was 50 degrees, which in the past would mean tank and shorts (no brainer). My body doesn't always warm up as much doing run/walk intervals. In the end I opted for a tee, but could've done the tank. Oh well.

Even though my runs are short nowadays, I still carry my water bottle with me. It's been a while since I talked about my water bottle. This bottle is designed with a hook shape to be carried hands-free. It hooks onto the back of running bottoms (which should be tightened to hold up to 13 oz.), running belt, a pocket, or even a sports bra.

The first time I ran with this bottle (4 years ago!!), I actually FORGOT that it was there! That's how simple it is. And it's made in the USA!! If you are interested in getting one for yourself, let me know...I'm a member of the Run Team and have a DISCOUNT CODE! PS - this is not a sponsored post. Just a shout out because I love this bottle that much!

More info on the Simple Hydration website

After my run I was reading blogs about running (you do that too, right?) and Amanda reminded me that I need to make sure my glutes are awake by taking a couple of tests. Since I had that little knee pain during my run, I thought it was perfect timing. After taking the tests (which I think I passed), I went ahead and did the recommended exercises plus a few more. Check out her blog post here.

I figured I was on a booty roll, so I did a few more exercises using the resistance bands. I don't think I was over-doing it because these also worked my other leg muscles.

WIA:

How do you solve your what to wear to a workout dilemmas?
Ever test your glutes?
Favorite meal in the fall? ---> I made my favorite crockpot chili (leftovers pictured above)

Let's Call it, 10K Tuesday!

Tuesday is a regular run day for me. Instead of heading out while mrC was still sleeping, I waited until he woke up and invited him on a little 10K adventure to mark day 10 of my run streak.

First we rode our bikes to Shenzhen Bay Park. My bike has one gear and that one gear is tight and squeaky. Normally I enjoy my bike rides, but today I couldn't wait to get off and run.

After locking my bike and putting my gear in mrC's basket, I set out in my Mizuno Wave Rider 18s and he set out on his bike. He rode next to me for a little while.

And he played paparazzi leap frog, getting in front and behind me.

He kept me company all the way to the end of my 5K run.

After some stretching and water, we rode home to finish our 5K round trip bike ride.

I'm pretty lucky to have a guy like mrC. He indulges my need to run and get outside and then lets me play on the computer while he makes me breakfast. He's the best photographer too!

Do you like non-running company while you run?

Weekend in 5

I've been feeling really good since my last run on Thursday. mrC has been home (dealing with the same cold I had) and other than the weather, it's been pretty quiet around here. 

Friday evening we took a walk to the waterfront near Sea World. The weather was comfortably cool and although it looked like it might rain, it did not. The waterfront was crowded with Chinese enjoying the National holiday break, drinking coconut milk straight from the coconut and taking lots of pictures. Sometimes we were the subject which can be both entertaining and awkward.

Saturday morning we walked to Peninsula in search of my favorite yogurt. In this area of town there are four good international stores all on the same street. It seems to be the Chinese way to line up a bunch of similar stores on one street. While there are plenty of stores selling imported goods, it's hard to remember who sells what. 

Saturday evening we watched the fisherman bring their boats into the harbor one by one. A tropical storm warning had been issued calling for them to do so.  They looked so frail sitting in the water just waiting for the storm to come.

Sunday morning my regular running partner cancelled because of the rain, but I went out anyway. The Rose Garden waterfront where we live is a great place to run when I want to stick closer to home, but is slippery when wet. There were others out walking and running, so I felt safe going for a slow 5K.

How was your weekend?

Any weather alerts in your area?

Thursday Truths

Keeping this post short and simple. Focusing on the positives.

Truth: Thursday mornings are becoming one of my favorites. I love lacing up my running shoes and heading out to meet-up with other runners.

Truth: Getting a running group started takes time. It was week #2 for the running group. There were fewer of us today but two new members came out.

Truth: Post run smoothies are better than water. Today's smoothie might not have been super healthy, but we are working on that with a local restaurant. Stay tuned.

Truth: The name Posture Pump scares me. However, the thing is amazing. It has worked wonders on my neck. I'm feeling confident that my American chiropractor in China knows what he is doing.

Truth: Crockpot BBQ chicken is the bomb. I cooked yesterday (if you call throwing ingredients into the crockpot cooking...and I do) and am having leftovers today.

Tell me a truth from your day!
Do you like crockpot cooking?

3 Runs and 3 Meals

We moved into our new China apartment one week ago and have been busy trying to get settled.

I didn't start to FEEL completely settled until I slipped on my Wave Rider 18s and went for my first run. I got lucky with lower than normal humidity, but any thoughts I had of big breezes coming off the water were quickly erased.

I tried again a couple of days later and even though it was more humid, my run was better.

This morning I ran in a new place hoping to connect with a path to a park, but instead I found everything blocked by new building construction. It's going to take awhile to get comfortable with my new geography.

Speaking of getting comfortable, we finally stocked the apartment with what we need to cook some real meals. Thanks to one of our new ex-pat friends (and stores that import some US foods), I have a crockpot and fixed some Italian chicken for our first dinner.

This morning mrC treated me to his famous cheesy scrambled eggs and PB&J rice cakes. I really missed those eggs.

I've also been missing my cheesy quinoa and tuna (recipe here), so today I decided to make some. We found what we think is quinoa along with the rest of the needed ingredients: tuna, plain Greek yogurt, and parmesan cheese.

Making my way around the kitchen has had obstacles, too. I don't have a measuring cup yet, so I did some guessing. I also bought Greek yogurt that doesn't have a resealable lid.

When I was shopping, I also didn't notice that one can of tuna was in oil. Ick. But it worked.

It feels good to have a favorite meal from home.

What makes you feel settled?
Do you like to plan your run routes?

Dubai Desert Road Run 3K Race Recap

I'm super excited to write a race recap about my first race in a new country!

As a runner, running races in different states has always been appealing. When I discovered that the Dubai Desert Road Run 3K and 10K event was being held during my visit, I couldn't wait to sign up and add another country to my list. Since running in the heat hasn't been my friend, I signed up for the 3K. I figured running a 2 mile race in another country was better than not running at all! It was really about the bragging rights anyway :)

The race was held at The Sevens Stadium about 30 minutes from our hotel. The Sevens is a multi-purpose sports complex with fields used for rugby, soccer, football, tennis, track & field and concerts. As you can see in the picture below, the venue is literally surrounded by desert. Appropriately, there is even a camel racing club next to it.

source

We took a taxi to the race and had plenty of time to pick up my bib, look around, and get ready for the race. Even though the venue was kind of fancy pants with changing rooms and showers available, the race itself was pretty simple. I like simple.

The 10K runners started promptly at 7AM followed immediately by the 3K at 7:05AM. The course for both races began behind the grandstand and led runners out of the stadium complex onto traffic free back roads.

The race was quiet. Most of the spectators stayed near the grandstand where they had music at the start/finish area, so the only people out on the course were runners, photographers, and aid station volunteers. Running toward the 3K turn-around, all I saw was flat brown sand and groups of camels.

The camels were on the other side of the fence to my right.

Even at 7 o'clock in the morning it was warm. As I ran toward the finish, I was glad that I chose the 3K.

My results were much better than I expected. The 3K race was not chipped timed, but instead numbers were manually recorded at the finish line.

It was a blessing that mrC's class schedule opened up and he could go to the race with me. He is still on the no-running list following his gallbladder surgery, but we're both anxious for him to get back in his running shoes.

After cooling down, we skipped the awards and made our way out to find a taxi back to the hotel.

Have you ever run a race in another country?