Weekend Workouts: Making the Most of Pre-Typhoon Weather

What do you do in Hong Kong when there is a tropical depression, possible typhoon headed your way? You make the most of the sunny weather while you can. Even if it's hot, hot, hot! The forecast for the coming week is all about rain and lots of it, so adding in an outdoor run and some fun on the water was important this weekend

Week 2 - Regular calorie and Low Calorie day - the workouts

Saturday - It was leg day and as a warm up, I ran an easy 1.3 miles to the fitness center. It was warm and sunny, but thankfully the first half of the run is shaded by trees and a tunnel. I love these short little runs and I was extra excited for this one because it was my first run in the Mizuno Wave Sky. I love the feel of new shoes.

The leg workout was no joke! It was 50% on the machines and 50% free weights (or just body weight) and I liked that. I like using the free weights because those exercises utilize more than one muscle group even though you might be focusing on one main muscle. For example, squats are quad dominant, but also draw on hamstrings, glutes, and calf muscles. On the other hand, I like the machines so that I can focus on one main muscle group and sometimes with better form. It's a balancing act for me and my testy knee, so a little bit of both works perfectly. Throw in some finishers and my legs were done.

Sunday - I chose to take my iSUP board out for about an hour of low intensity cardio since it was active recovery day. It's hard to believe there is a storm lurking in the South China Sea when you look at the bright blue sky over Discovery Bay and Tai Pak Beach.

this board is still available at a great price on Amazon

It didn't take long to get hot and sweaty, but getting in the water was not an option for me. Not that it is normally. It takes a lot to get me to go into deep water. Today there were a ton of jelly blubbers (aka blue blubber jellyfish) in the shallow waters! I'm pretty sure the sight of them helped keep my heart rate elevated in the fat burning zone. 

Week 2 - Regular calorie and Low Calorie day - the meals

Saturday - Broke fast around 11:00 - 2.5 scrambled eggs with ham, 2 pieces PB&J gluten free toast, orange juice

Lunch - 3 turkey & Swiss roll ups and a protein smoothie with Bob's Red Mill vanilla protein (available on Amazon)

Dinner - mrC's chilaquiles (seriously soooo good) and corn

Snack - watermelon, vanilla yogurt with chocolate sauce

Sunday - Broke fast at 11:00 - 2.5 scrambled eggs with ham, 2 PB&J rice cakes, watermelon

Lunch - 3 turkey & Swiss rollups and watermelon

Snack - peanuts

Dinner - leftover chilaquiles and corn

The big food winner this weekend ---> the watermelon. It was my first of the summer and it was so dang good. When we lived in China, we could hardly ever find seedless watermelon. Eating watermelon with seeds almost takes the fun out of it.

D you squeeze in certain workouts when you know bad weather is coming?
What is your watermelon preference - seeds or seedless?

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Weekly Workout Recap

Is it a bad week if nothing super exciting happened? That's how I feel about last week's workouts. I think I'm beginning to miss the days of training for something. I'm starting another carb cycling program soon, so maybe that will give me the focus that I'm lacking right now.

Here's a look at the randomness of last week:

Monday - No workout because I went to my first laser hair removal treatment which means no sweating for 48 hours. It was my first treatment and WOW! It does hurt, but in a different way. My friends told me it would feel like getting snapped by a rubber band ---> one that never stops. Fortunately the session went quickly and the doctor was very nice.

Tuesday - No sweating today so I did an at home nice and easy yoga with Adriene video. Perfect workout for my post laser treatment and it felt good too.

These are still my favorite yoga pants...SO SOFT!

Wednesday - Let the sweating begin...awesome run and then SUP afterwards.

Thursday - I had a meeting to officially become co-coordinator for the American Women's Club's Hong Kong Hosts program. I'm excited to volunteer my time and support our troops.

Friday - I was scheduled to take a new class at The HIT Room called LBT Circuit, but I didn't go because I was feeling nauseous (I think it might have been gluten related). I ended up taking a pretty big nap, so my body must have needed the rest.

Saturday - I was feeling better so I did my longer run for the week. It was a hard one, my energy tank was empty and left me on the struggle bus for most of the run. I pushed as hard as I could and finished with 4.55 miles including the two big hills in our neighborhood. Even hard runs make me smile.

Love how easy it is to wear my Wearsafe!

Sunday - We were out late on the Party Tram (I'm going to post about this later today), so it was nice to enjoy a lazy day with mrC.

PS - Use code RUNNINGESCAPADES to get 15% off annual subscription to your own Wearsafe.

Linking up with Tricia and Holly for the Weekly Wrap!

Have you ever done laser hair removal?

What is your favorite non-sweaty workout?

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Run and SUP for a Full Body Workout

Some days I want to run and some days I want to SUP. Instead of choosing, today I followed up my run with a paddling session and got the best of both worlds!

mrC was home, so I took him on my 5K run route. I set my interval timer to 2:1, but modified as we ran like my last couple of runs. We also modified the route a little by cutting through the park and then taking the ramps (for handicapped and strollers) up to the big hill in the final mile.

In the end, we took about five recovery breaks including two on the ramp/hill section at the end, one restroom stop (paused my watch for this one) and one longer recovery at the beginning because the road slopes down pretty significantly and I'm still avoiding running downhill for the most part.

Although the finish time wasn't my fastest lately, I did spend more chunks of time running and that is the most important thing for me right now.

After watching some hockey and having breakfast, we headed to the beach with our paddles. SUP works a lot of muscles at one time: back, shoulders, arms, abs. We paddled for about an hour, going out and back twice. Using Mapmyrun, I estimate that we paddled a little over a mile.

The combined cardio and strength workouts really wore me out ---> which means it was a really good day.

I love getting mail and today my BAMRbands order arrived. I love that they can be shipped to me in Hong Kong. I can't wait until my next workout when I can sport one of these.

To cool down after the beach, I made us berry delicious smoothies. This is seriously the best way to lower my body temperature and the added protein (Bob's Red Mill is my favorite) makes it a good recovery beverage too.

Do you ever double up different types of workouts?
Do you add protein to your smoothies?

I'm linking up with Annmarie, Nicole and Jen for Wild Workout Wednesday!!

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Wrapping Up April

I expected to start off today...this week...May, with a run but my feet got a little (ok a lot) sunburned during SUP yesterday. I spared myself the pain of putting on my running shoes.

Instead I double-dosed the sunblock and took advantage of the cloudy morning to do an hour of SUP with mrC. Once we had our boards in the water, we paddled out and back three times for today's workout.

Funny story - yesterday mrC fell off his board and lost his sunglasses. He used my goggles to try to find them but no luck. Today, he walked the beach where we had been hanging out yesterday and there they were! The tide washed them up and left them on the beach a little banged up, but good to go after he cleaned them (after I took the photo).

Our post workout snack was another yummy smoothie. I'm absolutely loving our new blender and I'm warning you now that I might be saying that a lot for awhile. Smoothies make me happy ;)

Here's my weekly workout recap (Linking up with Tricia and Holly):

Monday - Bodystep - our instructor is off to Australia for a few weeks, so I will be searching for a calorie burning replacement until she returns.

Tuesday - Ran errands in Central which tallied over 19,000+ steps for the day!

Wednesday - Ugh and a fashion show.

Thursday - Ugh again.

Friday - Run!

Saturday - Pier volunteering for USS Sterett and shoe shopping in Central.

Sunday - SUP with the Discovery Bay Ladies SUP group

The end of the week also marks the end of April, so I'm tallying my monthly miles as well today.

8 runs for 32.76 miles. That's 5.58 more miles than March, but the same number of runs! My knee is getting stronger and I can't wait to see how May goes.


Has a sunburn ever kept you from your workout?
How many miles did you run in April?

5 Lessons from SUP and Pier Volunteering

Today was all about sunshine, the beach and stand up paddle boarding! First I got to meet two more ladies from the Discovery Bay Ladies SUP Group. This was the first time the sun was actually shining during SUP and it was absolutely perfect.

I'm still working on my SUP skills and with the help of my fellow group members, I learned a few things out on the water today.

1. Keep your paddle in the water - this is like having an extra leg down for balance and was a game changer for my confidence.

2. Face the wake head on - the wake is affected by the ferries coming and going, the wind, and the normal sea vessel traffic out in the bay. Turning into the waves makes a huge difference.

3. Bend your knees for stability - The slight bend relaxes my legs making it easier to go with the flow of the water under my board.

4. Straighten arms and paddle with your core - I can paddle so much faster when I use the proper form and my arms stopped getting tired.

5. Reapply sunscreen to your feet - so no one actually told me this (I should've known myself), but I learned the hard way today after my feet and toes got sunburned.

After the SUP group time ended, mrC and I continued paddling together (I'm so glad he has an iSUP board now too). We went out and back a few times with rests on the beach in between. Our friends joined us a little later and we enjoyed the sunshine and good conversation until lunch time.

Today was just as good as yesterday. It was pier volunteer time for another US naval ship that came into Hong Kong for some liberty. This ship was much smaller and able to be pierside which allowed us to see things up close.

Just like the last time, our job was to support the sailors by handing out maps, providing information on leisure activities, shopping, dining and helping to get them on their way in the right direction.

mrC was in town this time and volunteered too.

After our shift, we had lunch at Little Creatures in Kennedy Town. We patronize them because they give us loads of free beer coupons to give to the troops. And, the food is really good. Their pizza sauce reminds me of home.

We also took advantage of being in Central to do a bit of shopping. mrC picked out some tennis rackets and I picked out some new Skechers - mrC's first pair (Equalizer - Coast to Coast), my second (Go Walk Sport Rush Walking).

Do you have any SUP skills I should know about?
Ever been on a naval ship?
Are you a Skechers fan?

Sweaty Saturday: 4.15 for Boston and SUP time

I jumped right into the day today.

It's the holiday weekend, so instead of doing the pre-run coffee routine I decided to beat the sidewalk rush and get an early start. I was reminded that running before 7AM has more perks than just extra elbow room. It's peaceful. Instead of worrying about how to avoid crashing into commuters and dog walkers, I was able to just listen to my music and enjoy the scenery.

Speaking of music ---> I downloaded this Nike Run Club playlist and found a few new favorites in the lineup. Everyone is loving Ed Sheeran's Shape of You (me too!), but I also like Let's Go (Calvin Harris) Action! (De La Soul), 24K Magic (Bruno Mars) and This Is What You Came For (Calvin Harris).

I finished my run at 4.15 miles. 4.15 miles for Boston on #OneBostonDay. No runner will ever forget the events of 2013 (whether you were there, watching on TV, or heard about it later) and every year I donate my miles to my running community.

After a quick shower and some scrambled eggs, I returned to the beach with my SUP paddle to meet a member of the DB Ladies SUP group for the first time.

My board! My board has been stored on the rack at the Lantau Boat Club for about a week now. As soon as mrC and I got it inflated (I mentioned it here) and stored the weather turned rainy and then he had a trip (figures, right?).

I couldn't wait any longer and luckily Sue was willing to be my paddle buddy and help me break in both my board and my confidence. It felt really good to finally get my board in the water, but I was SUPER nervous because the last time I was on a board was last summer at the Cape. It is a lot like riding a bike and it all comes back to you. As we paddled around and out and back, I was getting a little braver and more confident, but my legs and feet were in nervous clench mode for the whole hour!

The picture I took after our paddle makes the water look deserted, but there were a few outrigger canoes going and at least one row team out practicing. Every 25 minutes or so the ferries to Central would come and go. Plus there was this whole Easter egg hunt on the beach thing going on.

My sweaty Saturday was pretty much perfect (except that mrC is away on a trip). I love that I can walk out my door and go for a run or walk down to the beach for a little SUP time or a ton of other active options.


Do you prefer to run with people around or while everyone is still sleeping?
What songs are on your favorites list lately?
Do you like to SUP?

How I Mix Workouts with Fun on Vacation

If you know me at all, you know that I like to workout.

Not everyone is into fitness, so I try to find things to do that others will enjoy but that will give me my often much-needed workout.

There are plenty of fun activities to do in Falmouth. Believe me, I have a list of favorites that gets longer every time I'm here. But I love to try new things, too.

Last year I tried SUP Yoga for the first time with my friend Danielle and loved it. She's working on her Masters Degree this summer, so she put me in touch with her friend Amy of Peace Love SUP. I was thrilled that the whole family wanted to join me. Our group of six met Amy at Great Pond for a fun afternoon session on the water.

The girls and I had a challenging SUP Yoga workout. I'd love to say that I conquered crow pose on the board, but this is really just Amy catching my one second hold. She did not catch when I fell off the board trying to do side angle pose.

The boys kept to SUP even though we tried to talk then into joining us for some yoga.



W had a great experience with Amy on the SUP boards and several of us were even a little sore the next day.

A new activity for us this year was Bottom Fishing with Patriot Party Boats. Bottom Fishing pretty much guarantees that everyone will catch a fish because they park the boat on top of schools of fish.

Even though I just went along to watch and cheer on the group, I ended up giving fishing a try. It's a lot of work bringing a fish to the surface! I'm pretty sure you can call it a workout, especially if you catch a lot of fish. I think littleC caught eight!

My new found enjoyment of hiking led me to The Knob on Quissett Bay Harbor near Woods Hole. The Knob is really a sanctuary that was donated to the people by Cornelia Carey. She wanted people to enjoy the woods, the birds, and the sea.

There are two walking trails to get to the area known as The Knob lookout. The main trail is well maintained, wide, and takes you straight to the end. We took the Harbor Cliff trail which overlooks the inner harbor in spots but is narrow and not as maintained.

Off the main trail is also access to Crescent Beach on Buzzards Bay. Many people were making a day of it, but we just enjoyed a quick dip to cool off.

One of our favorite activities in Falmouth is the Shining Sea Bike Trail. The trail extends just over 10.5 miles from North Falmouth to Woods Hole. There are several trail heads so you can jump on and off at different places.

Of course there is always swimming at Old Silver Beach. We like to walk the .50 mile there and then spend a couple of hours in and out of the water. There's also a water sports rental shop right on the beach.

Do you like to workout when you're on vacation?
How do you get others to workout with you?

Vacation Life on the Cape Part 2

Let me start by explaining that this post is LONG overdue, but there are very good reasons!

First we were having a blast with our revolving door of family and friend visitors on the Cape. Then when vacation was over, we were literally emptying our house for the big sale non-stop for three days (without internet/cable). Finally we were on the road between New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts before flying back to China.  

Now that you know the reason for my tardiness, I can tell you that the second part of our vacation was as awesome as the first!

We rode 16 miles on the Shining Sea Bikeway.

Ran some more.

Accomplished SUP on the ocean.

Hung out at the Chart Room.

Enjoyed the beautiful sunsets at Old Silver Beach.

Loved every moment with our dog.

And basically decided that life on the Cape is just plain awesome!

We are already talking about doing it all again next year!

Where is your favorite place to vacation?
Do you include extended family/friends in your vacation?