Carb Cycling Week 4: Feeling Strong and Sports Bra Squad

This round of FASTer Way to Fat Loss® seems to be flying by. This past week was about strength. It was about more than physical strength. It was about finding out that I'm stronger than I think.

Here's a quick look at the week 4 workouts:

Monday - Burned some serious calories at Bodystep for my speed burst workout

Tuesday - Sprinting on the treadmill and an ab circuit

Wednesday - Full body strength training with supersets

Thursday - 24-hour fast ---> longest fast so far!

Friday - More strength training supersets and ab circuit

Saturday - Training Day Calories - Leg Day - the workout

Warm up - Since I had to run for 10 minutes, I joined the National Sports Bra Squad Day fun. This was a day for all women to ditch their tops and go for a run. I don't usually run in my sports bra (although I did pick this one because I thought it would look good solo), it just feels taboo, but I'm glad that I did it (even if it was only for 10 minutes). I only saw a few people who were out walking and even though it didn't seem like they paid any attention to me, I felt powerful when I was finished. My goal is to do it again and again, until it doesn't feel taboo anymore.

Strength training - It was leg day. I'm trying hard to build up muscles and get rid of flab, so I'm cautiously adding weight to my exercises. My knee doesn't make this part easy. The challenge is trying to make sure my good leg is not picking up slack from my bad leg. I add in a few single leg reps when I can, but I've read conflicting opinions on doing that. The finishers are tough and squeeze the last bit of energy out of me: curtsey lunges, side lunges, jump squats, and jump lunges ---> I do a modified version of jump lunges.

Cool down - Even though jumping on a bus sounded good, I walked (about 15 minutes) back to the apartment.

Sunday - Low Calorie Day - active recovery - the workout

I joined my local ladies SUP group out on the water for about 45 minutes. It was windy and the water was rough, so it was harder (and scarier) than I like. I could feel my core and leg muscles tightening up because I was paddling like mad to get back to shore and trying to stay balanced. I'm so happy that I didn't fall in. There were jellies out there again.

This week was about feeling strong. I feel strong when I increase my weights during strength training. I feel strong when I can finish my sprints without wobbly legs. I feel strong when I can fast for 22 hours. I feel strong when I can ditch my shirt and join the #SportsBraSquad.

Instead of listing all my meals, I'm just sharing my favorite foods from the weekend:

Protein smoothie

Sweet potato tots

What makes you feel strong?
Favorite eats from your weekend?

If you're thinking about joining FASTer Way to Fat Loss®, use my link to join and start carb cycling with me!

Linking up with Tricia and Holly for the Weekly Wrap!

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5 Safety Tips for Running Solo

I'm taking a little hiatus from workouts and getting sweaty for the next 36 hours because I had another round of laser hair removal treatment. While I'm on my break, I thought I'd share this post that I wrote for Wearsafe website. I hope you enjoy it!

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When it comes to running, we all have our preferences: run with a group or go solo. Even for those who prefer running with friends, it is inevitable that during training the time will come when you are forced to go out alone.

I prefer to run with others, but even if most of your runs are solo, going out alone doesn't have to turn into a bad experience. As we enter National Safety Month, it's a good time to think about what precautions we can take to make our solo runs safer. So today I'm teaming up with Wearsafe to share my go-to safety tips.

5 Safety Tips for Running Solo that I use:

1. Plan a route

Whether I'm in my own neighborhood or visiting somewhere new, I plan where I'm going. If it's a new area, I use MapMyRun and if possible, I also do a drive-by of the route to make sure it's not secluded. It's good to have a general idea of the area so you don't get lost and end up in a sketchy situation.

2. Tell someone

Always tell someone where you are going. Even on days when mrC is out of town, I send him a text to let him know I'm heading out, give him my route details and let him know when I get back. If he's at home sleeping, I leave a note and add the time.

3. Take a phone

It can be inconvenient, but a phone is good to have on a solo run in case you get hurt, get lost, or need to call for help. Having my phone accessible is important to me and carrying it in my Flipbelt makes it easier to get to than if it's in armband. If I'm uncomfortable, I will even run with it in my hand until I get to a spot where I feel safer.

4. Be aware

I love my music, especially since I now have wireless earbuds, but when I run alone I avoid using them. If I do wear them, I keep the volume down low so that I can still hear most of the world around me. With that in mind, there are times when wearing earbuds is probably not a good idea at all: running in the dark, running near sports fields, or running in an area prone to wildlife.

5. Carry safety devices 

Pepper spray or claw-like tools for runners are definitely good defensive options to have. I carry my Wearsafe tag. Much more accessible than my phone, if I'm ever in a situation all I have to do is press the button and my family and friends are alerted to my location and sent a 60 second audio clip of what was happening when I pressed the button.

Too many times, we read about runners becoming the victim of a crime. If you find yourself heading out for a solo run, take the time to use precautions.


PS - I'm happy to share my discount code RUNNINGESCAPADES for 15% off the Wearsafe Annual Service Plan. 


Disclosure: I'm a Wearsafe Running Ambassador which means I receive my yearly subscription for free in exchange for talking about my training and how I use my Wearsafe. As always, these are my opinions based on my own experiences.



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Fri-nally, a Run and a Night of Glamour

My big plans to get out early for a run on Wednesday were delayed until today.

The weather has been uncooperative and so has my body. So besides literally raining for days, my period left me feeling like I had been run over (sorry guys, if this is TMI). Usually I can sail through my cycle, but I woke up Wednesday feeling like mud. My head felt like I had a hangover and I had zero energy. I pretty much felt the big blah.

Somehow, I rallied enough energy to attend the American Women's Association's Conscious Couture Fashion Show at The American Club in Tai Tam. All of the models were AWA members and all of the fashion was designed with sustainable manufacturing processes and materials in mind. In addition to being able to "shop the runway," there was also a live auction of one-off pieces donated by the designers.

It was definitely an evening for the ladies loaded with all things glamour and beauty. There were canapés and drinks to welcome us to the club, live performances from Jolie Chan and everyone went home with a goodie bag filled with amazing swag (I LOVE the scarf). I'm so happy that I didn't have to miss it.

This morning the weather was perfect. Just like the morning of my last run, the rainy weather left cooler, dryer air behind. These kind of mornings are perfect for doing the two hills route that goes right by the beach.

I am still running 2:1 minute intervals and feeling good about things. Today the best part of my run was coming up the final hill. Instead of walking for one minute recovery, I kept running and made it nearly to the top of the hill. I walked for maybe 30 seconds and then finished the hill all the way to our apartment. It felt awesome.

I had a couple of my running essentials with me on today's run. Even though mrC ran with me, I also wore my Wearsafe tag. This was more about making it a habit to wear it since it's still a new piece of equipment to me. I love how lightweight it is. I don't even feel that it's clipped to my tank. FYI ---> you can use my discount code RUNNINGESCAPADES for 15% off Wearsafe annual service.

Mizunos have been a running essential for me for a long time now. My legs (which really means my bad knee) are loving my Wave Horizons. I really think switching to a support shoe was what my knee was needing. I'm really glad mrC likes Mizunos, too. Now when we run together we become Team Mizuno.

We cooled down after our run with a breakfast smoothie. I'm still getting the hang of my new blender, so sometimes my smoothies are a little on the small size. It's ok, we had eggs and left over pancakes too.

Ever attended a fashion show or other big fundraising event?
What are your running essentials?

Bump Up Day and Running with Wearsafe

I stayed up very late watching the Boston Marathon last night ---> which was ONLY possible thanks to my amazing friend Janine who saved me from the online streaming blackout handed down to anyone not living in the right geographical location or subscribing to cable.

Needless to say, when I woke up at my normal too-early time today, I was feeling a little reluctant to go out for my scheduled run. I was tired, it was foggy, and the humidity was at 92%. Yikes! Then I remembered watching all those runners push themselves in the marathon. They didn't get there by skipping runs. As soon as I put on my running clothes and shoes, I felt better.

Inspiring shoes and shorts

In the elevator (we live on the 20th floor) as I was getting my music and interval app ready, I recalled my running plan. I've been running 90:60 second intervals for about two weeks with good results, so today was another big bump up day ---> increase intervals to 2 minutes run: 1 minute recover x15.

As I started I told myself to keep the pace nice and slow, so that I didn't fizzle in the humidity. Even though I had programmed 15 sets, I figured I would go as long as I could and make up my route as I ran.

I ended up doing a nice 5K around the north part of Discovery Bay - I think it was 11 interval. Instead of doing two full loops, I did one loop with a double out and back along the promenade thrown in. This meant I only had to climb a big hill once.

I was very happy with my run. My knee felt good with the longer run intervals, my pace was mostly comfortable (even going up the hill) and I am one step more confident that I can do a 5K race in the future.

Speaking of confidence, running alone can be scary. We've all read the headlines. Too many stories of runners being attacked. Living abroad with a husband who travels for his job makes going out for solo runs even more unnerving at times. That's why I was excited when Wearsafe reached out to me about joining their Running Ambassador Program.

Wearsafe is wearable safety device that makes it so I'm one click away from a network of people to help me. It works with your smart phone to track your location and even record what's happening once you activate the Tag by clicking three times (you get to choose this setting). That information is sent to your network and your people decide what to do.

Now anytime I head out for a run, I clip the Wearsafe Tag onto my top or shorts. I can run feeling safe and think about things like my pace or my route or the views.

Because I can attach my Wearsafe Tag to just about anything I might carry with me when I leave the apartment, it takes away any fears that I won't be able to get to my phone if I need help. With the click of a button, my family and friends instantly receive an alert.

With the key fob, I can carry my Wearsafe Tag when I'm walking to the fitness center or out running errands. Help is still only a click away.

It's the perfect safety device for runners, hikers, bikers, students, anyone ---> it's versatile!

Wearsafe is similar to your home security system where you pay a monthly fee for the monitoring. Plans start as little as $5.00 USD a month. That's pennies a day to feel safe and confident that help is just a click away every time you leave your home.

Use my discount code RUNNINGESCAPADES for 15% off Wearsafe Annual Service and reclaim your run today.

Were you able to watch the Marathon?
How do you stay safe on our runs/hikes/walks/daily adventures?

Disclosure: As part of the Wearsafe Running Ambassador Program I was provided with a Wearsafe Tag and 1 Year Wearsafe Service in exchange for using and sharing my honest opinions. 

Tough Run, Run Love and My Weekly Wrap

Today's run was a tough one.

75 degrees at run time with 83% humidity. It was M-U-G-G-Y! My legs told me so right away. They felt like lead. This was one of those runs where the hard is extra hard and you are tempted to throw in the towel, but then an easier part comes, so you hang in there. You hang in there because you love the run. 

This goes on for the whole run, the emotional flip-flopping. When the end comes, the actual end of the run (which in my case is at the top of a seriously big hill), it is all the more sweeter because you did hang in there. You did not give up because you love the run.

Run love. Running isn't always easy. You have to give it second chances. Those second chances make you happy.

Something else that makes me happy is Wearsafe. Today I finally had a chance to set it up and use it for the first time. The Wearsafe Tag clips onto my clothes and then I'm one click away from help if I ever need it. The set up was super easy too. A proper post is in the works. Stay tuned!

Besides fitness this week, I was pretty busy with my volunteer job with the American Women's Association. I have been working on the Hong Kong Hosts committee to help arrange ship support for the USS Makin Island that came to Hong Kong for some liberty this weekend.

In addition to helping coordinate the volunteers who were hosting activities for the service men and women, I also volunteered to greet the sailors as they came ashore. It was such a privilege to have been able to do this for them.

In other exciting news, we finalized storage arrangements with the Lantau Boat Club and took my iSUP board down to the beach. With mrC's help, we had it fully inflated in about 10 minutes. I was hoping to take it out for my first spin today, but the threat of rain kept me off the water.

Now here's my workout recap ---> I'm linking up with Tricia and Holly again for the Weekly Wrap!

Monday -  I kicked off the week with some yoga and Bodystep.

Tuesday - It was just an extraordinary day with more yoga and an awesome run. 

Wednesday - Ran some errands with mrC before he left on another trip. One stop was to Times Square, a multi-floor shopping mall with more than 230 stores ranging from mid-price to luxury brands. mrC headed to Columbia Sportswear and I headed to J.Crew for another pair of my new favorite shorts. No Gucci, Jimmy Choo or Fendi for us ;)

Thursday - I was supposed to hike, but after waking up not feeling well, I stayed home and eventually finished my ship support work.

Friday - Volunteered all day and crashed when I got home. 

Saturday - Little bit of a lazy day (mrC got home late Friday night) until we went down to the beach to inflate the iSUP.

Daily - #30for30burpees challenge ---> my big plan was to keep track of my time, but I have only remembered twice to start the timer on my watch! Ugh, so frustrating. What I can tell you so far is that is doesn't feel any easier. In fact some days my legs are heavy and it's been downright hard.

Just an Ordinary Tuesday, Or Was it?

Today was just an ordinary Tuesday.

OK, not really because....I went for a run!

I LOVE SAYING THAT! Any day that I get to run now will be anything but ordinary.

I had sunshine, the water and a nice breeze...it was pretty much perfect. I didn't even mind the sweat getting in my eyes.

But let me back up a bit.

mrC got home from his trip in the middle of the night. While he slept in, I did my daily yoga session - you guessed it, more vinyasa flow. Does anyone else feel strange wearing shorts to do yoga or is it just me?

Since I was nice and warmed up (and feeling motivated) I got day 2 of 30 burpees out of the way. I've decided to track my time to see if there is any change over the 30 days. For the record: 2:28 and I burned 15 calories.

By this time, mrC was up and moving, so we headed out for our run. We mixed up our route a bit to do more on the flat promenade along the water. We did a couple of out and backs before heading up the big hill to our apartment for a total of 3.58 miles.

It's getting warmer around here, so I made sure to bring along some water and I love that I don't have to carry my Simple Hydration Water Bottle. See how nicely it hooks onto my shorts? Even this pair from Lululemon that has a no dig waist band can hold the bottle.

After our run, we took a cool down walk to pick up a full length mirror that I found on Discovery Bay's Facebook Moving & Selling page. It even has a nice little shelf on the bottom for the VIP shoes. I'm wearing the J.Crew finds from yesterday. This tee and these shorts. Plus my favorite recovery flip flops from Oofos.  PS - all my links are affiliate links and if you click on them I earn a few pennies, and you are not obligated in any way. I promise.

Later, I received a delivery from FedEx ---> I'm a Wearsafe Running Ambassador. I'm super excited to share this safety technology with everyone as I hike, bike and run around Hong Kong.

Before dinner we went for a walk and picked up dessert. I'm happy mrC likes these gluten free brownies as much as I do.

For dinner it was Taco Tuesday!!

What are your perfect running conditions?
Anything making your day extraordinary?
Are you a Taco Tuesday fan?