Monday Movers & Shakers {not really}

After the fireworks party (aka Lunar New Year's Eve) that literally went on all night long, we were slow movers today, but we did move.

To save time running errands, mrC and I hopped on the bikes and rode off to pay the rent and buy me a ferry ticket to the airport for Wednesday. I have a serious adventure coming up! Stay tuned!

After lunch we headed back out for a walk to the park. I took mrC on the same loop around the lake that I did the other day. It feels good to stick to my goal of taking more walks. The park was much more crowded with people enjoying their holiday off work and the views were as stunning as always. I love how you can see Nanshan Mountain in the distance. Yep, I climb that!

Our evening with friends was a blast and we even shook things up a little with some fireworks in their garden. Fireworks are a big part of the Chinese New Year celebration. I learned this from a friend: "The practice of setting off fireworks comes from an ancient myth about a monster named Nian, the same word for year. He came once a year and attacked and killed villagers and their livestock as the New Lunar year arrived. An old man supposedly figured out that Nian was afraid of loud noises, lights and the color red. So, each year, houses are decorated with red, and fireworks are set off to scare away the evil spirits." From what I heard last night, I think they were successful at scaring Nian away.

How are you moving and shaking things up today?

Yoga Sunday on Lunar New Year's Eve

Happy Lunar New Year! (aka Chinese New Year but celebrated all over Asia)

Today I spent the day unexpectedly entertaining myself after mrC was called into work to start the plane and came back 7 hours later! A lot of things happen quickly in China (plumbing repairs, water delivery), but sometimes airplane parts get hung up in customs.

Sunday has become my rest day. I try to give my 45 (almost) year old body a break. Something I am just accepting and learning to do.

Today it was Yoga Sunday!

I have to admit that I feel pretty darn good after a session of yoga.

Tonight we are off to celebrate the Lunar New Year with friends. I expect to see lots of decorations and even more fireworks.

I know my US friends will be spending Sunday watching the Super Bowl. That's our plan for Monday morning!

Friday 5 {a little late}

Whew! What a busy week. I love when the week is full of activity and wears me out, but I miss checking in on the blog and sharing my adventures.

So since I'm a little behind (with zero posts) this week, I thought I would pick my top 5 moments to share:

Nanshan Hike - Mountain Monday was rained out and became Massage Monday for me (and oh my muscles needed that massage!). On Tuesday a couple of us made up the rain out and headed up the mountain. It was cold and gray, but we had a good time chatting and climbing. Nanshan Mountain peak has had a bit of a trim, so the views are now unobstructed and will be nice on a clear day.

Interval Runs - I did two 30 minute interval runs this week, giving myself more non-running days in-between. The first one was on the treadmill using my phone with the Nike app. The goal is time with a slow and easy pace. It was a good workout.

For my second run, I felt it was time to run outside again. I've been nervous about my knee "giving out" again, but the runs on the treadmill have boosted my confidence. This time I used my Nike watch. I kept the same routine: 5 minute WU, 3:2 run/walk, and 5 minute CD. It was another good interval run. I think the longer break between runs was a good idea.

Booya Skinny Jean Workout - I'm constantly looking for leg workouts because I still need to re-build the strength in my left quad, but I've also noticed that my pants are fitting a little snug lately. This was a GREAT workout. There's still time to enter the Booya Fitness Valentine's Day Challenge and win prizes for doing this workout. You can't lose! (sign up here)

Yoga Camp - I'm still enjoying my 30 days of yoga and it's because of how good the poses make me feel. I'm also loving the variety and when practice matches up with Instagram challenges.

Flower Market - Some friends asked me to join them on a trip to the Dutch Flower Market in Shenzhen on Friday. It worked out perfectly for me since YogaLife is closed for the Chinese New Year and it was a perfectly gorgeous day. We enjoyed a couple of hours of walking through the rows and rows of vendors selling flowers (obvs.), Chinese New Year decorations, and animals of varying kinds (birds, hamsters, bunnies, cats, fish, turtles).

A couple more things worth sharing:

A great article about facing the struggles of workout blahs: When workouts go bad: How I knew it was time to breakup with my workout.

Good tips for all us (ahem) over-40 runners and those who are close: 4 Things Over-40 Runners Do

I love quick little killer workouts that are fun too --> like this one: Cardio Dance Party


How was your week?

I Choose...

To stick with this yoga camp thing. Besides the obvious benefits to daily yoga (think strength, flexibility, balance), I'm also gaining awareness of the power of positive thinking through daily affirmations. The one that inspired this post came from today's video session.

To get out and walk more. My goal is to learn more about my community. Slow down. Relax. The rain finally stopped and the sun came out, so we hurried out the door to enjoy a walk to the park. 

To nourish with my body with healthy foods. Like fruit. Instead of reaching for junk food. On the way back from our walk, we stopped at the store to pick up a few things and I found a large display of seedless white grapes (which are very difficult to find!).

To drink more water. This works in combination with eating healthier. Being hydrated will keep me from wanting to snack. I'm using the hint water challenge as motivation. And my Fitbit app helps me keep track.

What do you choose?

Fitness Friday: Keeping it Real

Not every run, pose, workout is perfect.

It's one of the things that keeps me going. The challenge. To be stronger. To do better. To get fitter. 

Not so perfect examples:

I did not do Yoga Camp day 6 yesterday, which actually ended working to my benefit. There was no Pilates class this week (darn Chinese New Year!), so instead of trying to squeeze it in late last night, I did both day 6 and 7 this morning. Another bonus: day 6 was a core focused session.

The different time zones make US based challenges, well challenging at times. So, after getting nice and warmed up, I got caught up on some of the #flexandflow challenge poses that I miss because they're posted during my evenings. 

Follow the photos through my lizard poses and you will see where my imperfect body is today.

The left quad. Tight as hell. And that whole knee not bending thing. Not so perfect. 

This afternoon I went to the Booya Fitness website for some cardio. I've been loving Zumba classes on Wednesday nights, so I tried the Bollywood Workout. The only problem is my China internet connection. Not so reliable. At least I was able to complete this workout with only a few spinning ball pauses.  

The point? Just keeping it real. I like to focus on the positives, the success, but I don't want to give a false impression that I don't have struggles and challenges. And I fail. 

Sometimes I get back up right away and sometimes it takes awhile to reboot. No matter what, though, I don't give up.