A Group Run and Tips for Newbies

Last night I took my introverted self to a group run in my neighborhood for the first time. Discovery Run is a free weekly meet-up that was started in June by three well-known local fitness enthusiasts in Discovery Bay. Their goal is to help DBers get healthy and have the opportunity to participate in running in a non-competitive way.

With all of my recent knee issues, I was nervous about attending the free Monday night 5K run. I've done group meet-ups before (usually with at least one friend in tow), but it's been a while and this time I did not know a single person. I was also a little worried that I might be doing too much in one day since I had attended Bodystep class in the morning.

See the girl in the green top? That's me behind her in white ;)

At 7:45 on the dot, the organizers welcomed all 30-ish of us and led us through some dynamic warm-up stretches. I'm guessing most people had walked or run to the meet-up, so the stretches were nice. After a rundown of the route (including where the leaders would be standing and directing us) and a quick photo (see above), we were off.

I was excited to wear my Nathan lights for the first time (I think). I don't even remember where or when I got them, but they made it to Hong Kong and if I need more, they're available on Amazon ;) I clipped them onto my shorts, but only used one because they are very bright and there were plenty of street lights. Speaking of shorts, I just picked up this pair of Track This Run shorts from Athleta and I love them. I can't wait to maybe get another pair when I'm in Cincinnati next month.

Most of the runners took off very quickly and at first I kept up with what I would call the "middle of the pack." I stayed with them for the most part until the turn around, but eventually we were pretty spread out. I passed about a half dozen runners on their way to the turn around and it felt good to know that I was holding up better than I had expected. I tried to keep a couple of runners in my sights (you can barely see them in the photo below), but the second half of the route had a lot of downhill that I was taking slowly and walking occasionally. Overall, my knee felt good.

With less than a mile to go, my watch died (I don't know why I didn't think to charge it ahead of time). I brought my phone with me (for pictures of course) and in case I needed to catch a bus home I'd have my bus pass (I wasn't sure how my knee would do). Because I had my phone I used an app to track the end of my run. So I don't know my exact time but between the two runs, I think it was about 34 minutes.

When most of the group appeared to be back from the run, the leaders led a quick cool-down stretch. Even though I didn't really "meet" anyone (this time), I did have fun and look forward to joining them again.

Here are a few things I do to make joining a run group for the first time a little easier:

1) Introduce yourself - just saying hi and making some small talk let's others know that you are new. The regulars will catch this and make you feel welcome. I got some extra information about the group this way.

2) Don't worry about your pace - most group runs are social which means ALL ARE WELCOME. If you are still worried, call or email the organizer. I reached out on Facebook and was relieved to hear that there were indeed runners of all types.

3) Walk when you need to - I knew that I would need to walk, especially the downhill portions because my knee doesn't like them. You will probably find other people need to walk too or you will eventually catch up to the people who slow down. I did end up passing a few people.

4) Know the route - I've never heard of anyone getting lost on a group run, but knowing where the run is going will make anyone feel better. This group had shared run routes on the group page, but the organizer also told us the route before we left.


What tips would you give someone who feels nervous about going to a group run?
What gear do you use for running in the dark?


By the way, it's good to be back. I didn't blog at all last week because it felt like I was saying the same thing, week after week. It felt like a good time to take a break and let my fitness experiences inspire me. I'm still following my carb cycling program and have some pretty awesome results to share with you soon!

(If you are interested in joining the FASTer Way To Fat Loss program, use my affiliate link to join and start carb cycling with me! Click here).

Today I'm linking-up with Patty, Erika, and Marcia for Tuesdays on the Run! 

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Weekly Wrap: My Effort

It's true what they say about effort and success...

I started the day with the goal of fasting as long as I could, which I hoped would be at least a couple hours longer than my normal extended fasting window. So if I made it to 2 or 3pm, I'd call it a success.

It would all come down to effort.

First of all, I woke up hungry (which is unusual). It's like my body knew what was about to happen. Like waking up right before the alarm goes off or getting a headache when a storm is coming. Needless to say it was kind of annoying that my stomach was rumbling and I hadn't even had my first cup of coffee. Like a good carb-cycler, I ignored the feeling and went about my morning.

It was going to be another scorcher (heat warnings were predicting temperatures at 94 with feels like above 110), so after doing some chores around the apartment mrC and I took a walk. This is always a good distraction from thinking about food. We were hoping to beat the heat, but the heat had an early start.

The first part of the walk was not bad. We cut through the trees and took the shaded steps down to the beach. There are two storms brewing out in the China Sea and they're bringing pretty nasty air quality to Hong Kong, but that hasn't stopped people from braving a day at the beach.

Despite the feels like temperature of 104, we saw runners, walkers, bikers and even full tennis courts.  People around here are way more hard core than we are. There is no shade or breeze on those courts.

We did a a one mile loop and that was enough for us. The final stretch is all uphill and mostly unshaded. We hung around outside for a few minutes because living at the top of the hill has the perk of being what we call the windiest spot in DB. In other words, it's a great place to cool off, most of the time.

After the walk, I tried to distract myself with laundry and even put on one hour express teeth whitening strips, but by 12:30 I broke.

I was hungry and I knew I had left-over buffalo chicken quinoa. (Have you tried this recipe?)

I did not give 100% effort today.  I knew my 24 hour fast would not be successful and I'm ok with that. I adjusted to what would work for me, today. Carb cycling and intermittent fasting does not mean that I must do a 24 hour fast or I fail. That's why this program works for me. I can modify it to my needs and still be successful. Maybe I didn't complete my fast for as long as I originally planned. I still fasted. My body still experienced the benefits of an extended fast and that's what matters to me.
**Want more information about carb cycling and IF? Click here for FASTer Way to Fat Loss® info.

Here's a look at the rest of my workouts from the week. I think my overall effort is excellent!

Monday - Laser hair removal day - took a walk

Tuesday - took a walk

Wednesday - strength training

Thursday - Bodypump

Friday - Bodystep

Saturday - strength training

Linking up with Tricia and Holly for the Weekly Wrap!

How would you rate your effort this week?
Can you think of any other examples of when our bodies seem to know something?

Thinking Out Loud #1

This is my first time participating in the Thinking Out Loud linkup with Amanda at Running with Spoons. Since the theme is always something random, I figured it was a perfect fit for me! You can learn more about the linkup here.

For my strength training workout, which was back, biceps and abs heavy, I signed up for another round of Bodypump at The HIT Room. After being away from this class for a couple of months, it feels good to be back (minus that I was seriously sore after my first class last week). I'm still trying to figure out the best times to take classes to "match" my carb cycling workout schedule, but I think Bodypump is going to fit in there.

Even though we receive hot weather warnings every day here, if it is cloudy I try to walk to and from class. Without the sun, it is a nice walk and I won't want to take a walk after I get cleaned up. I hate getting sweaty after I just showered.

I never burn as many calories in Bodypump as I do Bodystep (which is one reason I love Bodystep), but I have to remember that strength training means building muscle and as muscles repair themselves throughout the day, I'm burning more calories for longer after class. This is one of the key parts of FASTer Way to Fat Loss® and I want to keep moving in the right direction after my sneak peek at my results the other day. 

I spent the rest of the day inside working at my volunteer job (we have another US Naval ship coming to visit Hong Kong), reading (I'm loving this new book on my Kindle about being a fitness junkie) and eating!

Broke fast earlier than usual. The last time I went to Bodypump I felt a little lightheaded during class, so mrC recommended that I eat a little something before class. I chose PB&J apple cinnamon rice cake.

Lunch - our groceries from the American store were delivered and we splurged on Cheez-its. The go great with chicken breast and cheddar cheese sandwiches. Not pictured: Greek vanilla yogurt with some chocolate sauce.

Dinner - Buffalo chicken quinoa and corn. This is one of my favorite meals.

When I'm not working, eating or reading, I like to window shop internet style ---> browse all my favorite online stores and fill my shopping bag. Sometimes I will eventually buy something, but often times things just sit in my bag. Athleta is having a HUGE sale and I couldn't resist placing an order with these prices! I already have one high neck chi tank and I love it!

How do you schedule your weekly workouts?

Do you internet window shop like I do?

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Wrapping Up FWTFL Week 3 (with Weekend Workouts)

We've literally been living under our umbrellas for the past few days, but I haven't let that stop my motivation. I did change things up a little bit, but it's my workout and I have to make it work for me.

Lorna Jane tank (similar here)

Here's a look at my workouts this week:

Monday - Took my sprints and HIIT workout outside for my last sunny day workout.

Tuesday - Active rest day

Wednesday - Learned about strength training with Supersets

Thursday - Another training day at the gym. I think I'm becoming a gym rat.

Friday - My Bodystep instructor returned from Oz, so I took my speed burst workout to The Hit Room.

Saturday - Regular Calorie Day - Leg Day - the workout 

I started the day with a trip to the beach for a pre-arranged meet up of the Discovery Bay Ladies SUP group. Four of us braved the rain to participate in an upcoming local magazine article.

I usually SUP in my bathing suit, but the rainy weather had me in a normal Chi tank and Costa shorts. One of the ladies wears full coverage rash guard, wetsuit like gear so she won't get stung by jellies if she falls in the water.

Warm up - I was over the rain, so I looked up the at-home workout for the day. My warm-up consisted of me digging out the free weights, getting out my yoga mat, and that's it.

Strength training - It was leg day: squats, deadlifts, lunges, step-ups, calf raises. 4 sets of 12-15 reps. Plus FINISHERS - curtsey lunges, side lunge with squat, jump squats, jump lunges. 40 reps. Repeat ---> I did not repeat. This was one of those calls I have to make to keep my knee happy.

It sucks that I have to limit my workouts on one of the larger muscle groups, but I do. The old me would push through and finish the workout exactly as it's written. I would pressure myself to not quit because a leg workout burns a lot more fat calories than an arm workout. But then I would be out of commission for a couple of days with knee pain. I've learned to modify my workouts so that they work for me and be ok with that.

Sunday - low calorie day - active recovery - the workout

Warm up - For once it wasn't raining so we were able to walk to the fitness center. mrC had a strength training day and I tagged along.

Slow paced run - I chose to do the interval progression run today. It looks like this: 1 minute walk, 1 minute run, 2 minute walk, 2 minute run, 3 minute walk, 3 minute run, 4 minute walk, 4 minute run, 5 minute walk, 5 minute run. At the end, I was almost to a 5K, so I repeated the 5 minute run. 

I admit that the longer walk breaks were HARD! I've gotten used to my one minute recovery intervals, but I stayed focused on the goal of low intensity and keeping my heart rate in the fat burning zone. PS - I'm falling more in love with my Mizunos every time I run in them. Have you read my review?

Bonus - I tossed in a couple sets on the adductor machine because my inner thighs are nice and flabby. I'm hoping the use of the machine will supplement the leg day exercises.

Cool down - I did some stretching on the stretch machine. If you've never used the stretch machine at the gym, I highly recommend it. It looks like this one on Amazon. I don't have a lot of experience, but it made getting a really good stretch of my hamstrings, glutes, and quads so easy. I did not use heavy weight during my leg workout yesterday, but I was feeling the results of the high repetitions.

Regular calorie day - the meals

Broke fast at about 11 - 2 scrambled eggs with ham, gluten free pancakes, red grapes, and orange juice

Lunch - 3 turkey roll ups and microwave popcorn

Dinner - Buffalo chicken quinoa and green beans

Snack - mini YPP

Low calorie day - the meals

Broke fast at 11 - 2.5 scrambled eggs with ham, one PB&J rice cake and red grapes

Lunch - leftover buffalo chicken quinoa and green beans

Dinner - leftover buffalo chicken quinoa ---> it's THAT good! (recipe here)

How was your week?

Linking up with Tricia and Holly for the Weekly Wrap!

Global Running Day + Strength Training

It wasn't a scheduled day for running, but I had to run because it is Global Running Day and the whole FOMO thing!

So, mrC indulged me and we ran to the fitness center. I carried the #OiselleWorldRelay virtual baton in Hong Kong while sporting my favorite running shorts and tank (similar).

The short run was literally a great warm-up for our strength training in the gym. It's already in the high 80s before 7AM here, so we were nice and sweaty going in.

While I'm on the topic of heat and running, June is also National Safety Month. One precaution runners who lace up for outdoor runs in the summer should take is staying hydrated. You probably couldn't see it in the other photos because of how nicely it tucks into my sports bra, but I run with my Simple Hydration water bottle. The bottle is so comfortable back there that when I started my strength workout I realized I had forgotten to take it out!

Week 2 Regular Calorie Day - the workout

Warm-up - 10 minutes of (your choice) - Perfect spot for my run.

Strength training - Legs. Chest. Shoulders. Finishers ---> let's talk about these. At the end of an already intense training session, these extra exercises are meant to push you to the next level and leave your energy depleted. The benefits to adding finishers at the end of workout are 1) increased fat burning time after your workout has ended, and 2) burning more calories in less time.

Side note: I finally found the in-between weighted dumbbells. Game changer.

Cool down - Any thoughts we had about running home after the workout disappeared after those finishers. Instead we walked back and spent a little time stretching in what we call the best spot in Discovery Bay ---> because there is always an amazing breeze here.

Regular calorie day - the meals

Broke fast around 11:30 - 2.5 scrambled eggs with ham, 2 pieces GF PB&J toast, and red grapes

Lunch - Quinoa & tuna and some green beans

Dinner - 4 crunchy tacos and corn

Snack (aka dessert) - strawberries

Hitting my macros was a struggle in my previous rounds of carb cycling, but I seem to be getting the hang of it, finally.

How are you celebrating National/Global Running Day?
Do you ever do things because of a FOMO?

Today I’m linking up with Susie and Rachel and Debbie and Lora for the Running Coaches' Corner and I'm linking up with Annmarie, Nicole and Jen for Wild Workout Wednesday!!





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Weekly Wrap - A Fitness Plan

FASTer Way To Fat Loss week one kicked off and kicked my butt. It was awesome!

I'm a sucker for a schedule, a routine, a plan. Maybe it's the former teacher in me, but I just like to know where I'm going and what I'm doing when I have a goal. I think that is why I like the carb cycling programs so much. The plan is designed for people like me who want to lose fat and gain strength. People who already work out, but need to shake things up a bit to move past a plateau.

I like following the plan. For me, there is a great mix between running, HIIT, strength, and recovery.

Here's what week 1 looked like:

Monday - Speed burst and HIIT

Tuesday - Speed burst and LISS

Wednesday - Strength training

Thursday - More strength training

Friday - Active recovery yoga

Saturday - Strength training - leg day!

Sunday - I tried a juice cleanse

Do you follow a training plan or prefer to be spontaneous with your workouts?

Linking up with Tricia and Holly for the Weekly Wrap!

Weekly Recap: A Taper Kind of Week

Last week feels like it was a taper type of week. I was gearing up for another carb cycling program, so it felt like I had a little bit of go ahead and eat it now and enjoy it now mentality going on.

The week wasn't a complete wash or anything. I got to work out a lot with mrC, but I felt a bit lazier than usual.

Monday - Back for another 60 minutes of Body Attack Aerobics and killed some major calories.

Tuesday - Just a little foam rolling today.

Wednesday - Took my run indoors after a serious rainstorm.

Thursday - Basically a rest day before heading off to my first Bunco Happy Hour.

Friday - We spent the day in Shenzhen visiting friends and enjoying cheap massages.

Saturday - Great early morning run and some relaxing pool time.

Sunday - Another day at the pool after watching some Dragon Boat races. This time I did some laps.  I did 5 laps in about 10 minutes. I find it hard to pace myself in the pool.

Can you taper when you're not training for anything?

Linking up with Tricia and Holly for the Weekly Wrap!

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 the Week with a Mother's Day 5K and Does this Happen to You?

It took me two tries to get my run started, but I did it.

Attempt #1 - My morning motivation has been zapped a little knowing how humid it is. Once I did make it out the door and down 20 floors, it was sprinkling. I run with my phone, so I had to head back up to grab something to carry it in.

Attempt #2 - Armed with my Flipbelt, I headed out with my goal set to run a 5K.

Today's run wasn't easy. As I started I told myself to slow down so I wouldn't fizzle like I did on my last run. It felt like I did but my split, 9:56, shows that in fact I was speedy again. My splits also show that I continued to slow down over the last two miles (10:11 and 11:33).

I played around with my intervals again. I kept the timer set at 2:1 minutes. I ran mostly all the flats and ups, and walked the downs. I kept this up until the last mile when I started following the timer more especially up the big hill ---> it's a 121ft gain over a little more than half a mile. I ran that slower than my average 11:14.

My overall pace was faster by 2 seconds and one of my best in more than a year. This taking things slowly and running intervals is really working. I'm looking forward to running with the girls at the Cape in July.

The humidity made me dig deep today. You know your body is warm when it feels like your face is on fire. After my post-run stretching, I took a cold shower and then made a smoothie. Best post-run treat: cold protein.

Does this happen to you?

Humidity makes me sweat. Big time. All that sweat runs down my body and soaks my shorts. I hate the feeling of wet shorts and worrying that I look like I peed my pants. (like in the top pic. Ugh!) I'm pretty sure it's just something I have to live with, but I wish I could find a solution.

Here's a look at the rest of my week: Linking up with Tricia and Holly for the Weekly Wrap!

Monday - Body Attack Aerobics and some pool time

Tuesday - Chiropractor for lots of myfascial manipulation and microcurrent stimulation on my shoulder ---> finally starting to feel better.

Wednesday - Morning run and an evening at the horse races

Thursday - Beach day with friends

Friday - Hiking in Macau

Saturday - rest

Oh, and I'm considering this my Mother's Day 5K medal ;) Happy Mother's Day to all the moms, step moms, God moms, mrMoms, fur baby moms!

If you run with your phone, how do you carry it?
What's your favorite way to cool down after a hot/humid run?
Any suggestions on how to stop the sweaty-pants?







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Breaking the Unintentional Run Rut

Saturday I finally laced up my Wave Horizons after an unintentional running rut and it felt really good.

More than a week had gone by since my last run and it was driving me crazy! First it was my sunburned feet. Then a busy schedule plus rainy weather just made it impossible to get out for a run.

We spent one day back in Shenzhen at the Luohu Commercial Center ---> it's the Made in China shopper's paradise. It's hard to tell what is copy, factory seconds or the real deal, and you can't beat the prices.

My pesky shoulder called for two sessions with Dr. Cosman and myofascial release. It's painful, but it's working. 

My look here

My running rut wasn't a total fitness wash though. I did spend quality time with my foam roller and yoga mat.

Everything lined up on Saturday. The air quality was ranked as moderate, so I took my run inside at the fitness center. I had my choice, so I picked a treadmill that had all the options and created my own interval workout at 2:1 with a goal of running a 5K.

I loved how the treadmill automatically switched between my work and recovery speeds. If I have to keep looking at a timer or manually change the speeds it prevents me from enjoying the run. It's hard to get into it. This was the best interval run I've had on a treadmill.

I was back to the apartment in time to watch Breaking2, the quest to break the 2 hour marathon barrier. Besides the obvious excitement over how close Kipchoge was to busting that wall, I loved watching the spirit of the running community play out live. The intimacy of the running family that played a role in this challenge demonstrated such love and support for the runners attempting to make history. Seeing them smile and laugh, and cheer Kipchoge to the finish was so heartwarming.

We went to a housewarming party last night and today I'm enjoying a quiet, lazy Sunday.

How long was your last running rut?

Do you like using the workout options on treadmills?

What do you think of Nike's Breaking2?

I'm linking up with Tricia and Holly for the Weekly Wrap!