Slow and Steady on a Rainy Day

It's been raining pretty much non-stop since Tuesday. It's not fun going out in the rain here. It makes me miss having a car, but I managed to get to the fitness center as planned anyway.

I did another interval workout on the treadmill. I extended the intervals by 5 minutes from Tuesday. 5 minute WU, 3:2 run/walk for 25 minutes, and 5 minute CD (not using my watch). I did remember to pack my Nike+ watch this time and I preset it for intervals --> another reason to get the Apple Watch: settings on demand.

The earbuds might make you think I am listening to music while I run, but I'm actually listening to Season 2 of Serial. I just finished the first season and was surprised by how much I liked listening to a story.

Keeping up with my #runlovechallenge goal to do strength workouts twice per week, I hit the free weights again. I'm beginning to feel stronger and have been grabbing the 10 pound weights more.

I got to try out my brand new goggles during today's swim. They fit perfectly and were so much better. No more water leaking in and fogging things up on me. My arms were heavy today, but I swam 12 laps in 20 minutes.

I read on Athleta's blog recently that to prolong the life of your swim suit, you should always rinse away the chlorine. This makes sense. At outdoor pools, I usually rinse the chlorine off me, so why not the suit? So, now I will be taking my suit into the shower with me for a quick rinse. (and in case you're wondering, I did not shower with my phone)

Ah, the rain. I learned today why rain boots are so popular. This whole living in the city without a car lifestyle is putting a spin on my wardrobe choices.

Rainy afternoons are so much better with a bowl of soup and a sandwich. Followed by some Netflix.

More rain all day. The locals like their motorbikes and on rainy days I'm jealous. They don't need rain boots.

Rain boots are probably cheaper than a motorbike.

Follow Amy's board Rain Boots for China on Pinterest.

Workout Wednesday by the Numbers

Let me start by saying that my knee is feeling good after yesterday's interval treadmill run. No delayed pain or swelling as has happened in the past. Yay!

Today I'd thought I play with numbers.

3 - number of workouts I did today 

10 - minutes burning my inner thighs doing the Pop Sugar video

47 - degrees (F): the temperature when I went outside this morning

6, 374 - steps I took walking to chiropractor and back

2 - number of buses it took to get to Decathlon. The first one was not the right one, oops! 

1 - pair of new swim goggles purchased

30 - minutes = length of today's yoga practice

5 - number of Yoga Camp videos completed so far

¥50 - (or $7.60) cost of one hour Zumba class

342 - calories burned during class (according to my Fitbit - another reason I want an Apple Watch!)

Play along! Tell me something, by the numbers :)

Treadmill Tuesday and More

On my walk to the fitness center this morning, I decided that I was going to do a treadmill interval workout. My knee has been feeling better and my little test run a few days ago was successful.

I though it was a good sign that I be greeted by a Chinese Monkey on my way into the Hilton fitness center. 2016 on the Chinese calendar is the Year of the Monkey, and this year it's a Fire Monkey which represents ambition and adventurous character.

It's been so long since I was running regularly that I didn't even have my watch in my bag. Instead I had to use the app on my phone. (This is making me really want the new Apple Watch).

 I kept my workout nice and easy: 5 minute walking WU, 3:2 run/walk intervals for 20 minutes, and then 5 minute walking CD. It was not a cardio, speed workout. This was another test to see how my knee felt running for a longer period of time, but without overdoing it. I'm pretty happy with how it went.

After my treadmill workout I spent a little time with the weights. The Dirty Dozen workout is still my favorite. I'm excited that I have moved up in weight on a couple of the exercises. 

The last part of my fitness center workout is always in the pool. I love the cardio I get from swimming laps, but even more I love the feel of my body stretching out in the water. Today I had the pool to myself.

Back at home after lunch and a nap (this cold weather makes me sleepy!), I did Yoga Camp day 4. Today was about awakening. I want to awaken my muscles and get stronger.

How I Survived the Big Chill + Some Workouts

It seems like everyone is dealing with winter weather lately. Blizzards in the US and the coldest temperatures on record in Shenzhen. This tropical climate city even had some freezing rain! Apartments in China are not built for cold weather. We have single pane windows and tile floors. But we are one of the lucky ones who have a combination AC/heating unit.

This morning we were up early (4AM!) to watch the Patriots vs Broncos. During half time, I warmed up a little by doing a 10 minute inner thigh video from Pop Sugar. Going to feel that one.

Since the sun was shining, I ventured out to meet the hiking group, even though the feels like temperature was only 28 degrees (F). A few layers plus a few stairs and we warmed up nicely. It was a great hike on a new peak (recap to follow).

When I got home from the hike, the obvious choice for lunch was a big bowl of chili followed up by curling up the couch for some Netflix. It wasn't long before I took a little nap.

After my cat nap, I layered on some fitness gear and warmed up with my day 3 Yoga Camp video. The cold tile floors wore me down and I had to put on a pair of Zensahs.

I also did a plank workout that I created a few days ago. My goal is to do this at least 3 times per week to try to get back my core strength. I set my gym boss timer to 30 seconds work and 3 seconds rest. I struggle through the last set of leg lifts, but that's how I'll get stronger, right? If you try it, let me know what you think.

The forecast for the rest of the week is rain, so mrC took me out for dinner when he got home from work. We spotted Chinese New Year preparations.

To give you an idea of how people here are dealing with the big chill, our favorite Mexican restaurant provided this version of indoor heating!

 Fun day!

Now we're off to watch this week's Downton Abbey!

Yoga, Yoga, Yoga!

Since I haven't been running lately, yoga has become my new obsession. I never thought I would say that, but a perfect storm of all things yoga just kind of happened...

It started with Pilates class. I started taking Pilates to try to fill the space missing from my SurfSet and Bootcamp days at TI Fitness. I fell in love with Pilates. I love that for 60 minutes I work my butt off while confined to my yoga mat and only using my bodyweight. My instructor is amazing and I can feel myself getting better and stronger. I just wish the class was offered more than once a week.

Then the SweatPink #flexandflow Challenge started on Instagram. It's a pose of the day challenge and I find these completely addictive and motivational. I love seeing everyone's photos and the different variations.

And recently I found Yoga Camp with Adriene. I signed up because it's a home-based program, FREE, and her videos are (so far) short enough to cooperate with my unreliable China internet. I'm so excited to complete the 30 day camp and improve my yoga. You should check it out here.

I used to only do yoga for stretching after a run. Sometimes.

Now, the more I do it, the more I like it.

Dragon's Back and Big Wave Bay

One thing is for sure. There are plenty of hiking options in China.

My latest hiking adventure was to the popular Dragon's Back in Hong Kong. To get there you have to cross the border. I did this at Shenzhen Bay with the rest of the group coming from the Shekou area. We take the bus to Central (¥45 and 45 minutes) and disembarked at Shun Tak Center where we catch the metro to Shau Kei Wan. This is where we met up with the rest of the group coming from Futian to catch the bus the trail head.

Seems like a lot of work to get there, doesn't it?

It's worth it.  The hike is a moderate one; long, but not an excessive amount of climbing. The climbing was mostly on flat terrain, but we came across some parts that were a little more challenging. I was told the hike was going to be 8.5 km, but I think it was longer than that.

At the top, the views were amazing. You can see where the mountain actually resembles a dragon's back. There was also a very nice place to stop and have lunch.

We came off the mountain at Big Wave Bay. The beach is beautiful and the sound of the waves is just heavenly! We enjoyed a little break here: some ladies took a dip in the water and some enjoyed a beverage from the friendly snack shack.

TIPS:

If you don't have a Hong Kong Octopus card, get one. It is accepted on HK metro, buses, and many shops and restaurants. I've even used it at the grocery. Makes traveling so much easier.

Pack a lunch. There are no (guaranteed) places to purchase food or beverages on this hiking route. If you're eating with a group, it's also fun to share food!

Bring your suit. It's a tropical climate, so even on a chilly day in January the water will be warm. Big Wave Bay has changing rooms available.

BYOTT. Bring your own toilet tissue. This is a given anywhere in China, but the toilets along the hike are what I would call for emergency only.

Wear layers. As with most mountain hikes, it's windy at the top. We were sweating one minute and freezing the next. In the summer, I would say bring lots of sunscreen and an umbrella for shade.

Other China hiking posts I've written:

Exploring Chiwan, Shenzhen

Shenzhen International Garden & Flower Expo Park

A Non-running Fitness Back-up Plan

For the past few years, running has been a huge part of my life. I even started this blog! I started 2015 rehabbing from knee surgery and set a goal with my Moms Run This Town group to run 300 miles. I exceeded that goal finishing the year with 422 miles, but it wasn't the calendar that brought my running to a stop. It was my knee.

I've been afraid to talk about the possibility of not running, but the reality is that my running days might be numbered. At first, this was devastating on so many different levels. Running is my thing. It's how I stay fit, deal with life, vent my frustrations. It's been the focal point of much of my social time. Practically ALL of my friends run!

Obviously, I had to come up with a back-up plan.  First I needed a schedule. Any runner will understand the need to know what to do on certain days of the week. My plan needed lots of cardio to mimic running workouts and strength/stretching to increase the odds of a runner come-back. And, I figured if this is going to work, I needed a goal.

Two things were right there ready to help me with my new non-running fitness plan.

Booya Fitness: I've mentioned that I am working with Booya and created a 4 week training plan called the Chilly Challenge. This plan has everything: yoga, HIIT, strength and it is already all laid out for me. I decided to sign up and get to work!

PS: Now is a great time to try Booya Fitness and join the Resolution Challenge! You can get rewarded for sticking to your New Year's resolutions with some AWESOME prizes and a rockin' body! Learn more here.

Oiselle Run Love Challenge: I'm teaming up with Nicolasa for the next 6 weeks and our goal is to do strength workouts at least 3 times a week! We'll be hitting it all: arms, abs, legs! This challenge will give me even more motivation to stick to my plan.

My workout plan still has room for Monday hikes, Wednesday Zumba, and Friday Pilates. No need to get rid of workouts that are already in place and that don't hurt, right?

Holiday Sweat Challenge Wrap Up including Fitness in Vietnam

After my last run two weeks ago, I've been in Pouty-ville. No running, no blogging. Lots of pouting.

After a couple of days following RICE protocols to alleviate the swelling and discomfort in my knee, I was motivated to do some light strength workouts.

Dirty Dozen Arms 3x (with my new hand weights!)

Awaken the Core - Booya yoga video

And then I went to Vietnam, for Christmas, to join mrC for a few days. I would have loved to run there, especially along the beach, but honestly I was too nervous to try. So instead, we included fitness in our little unexpected holiday in other ways.

We spent a day snorkeling in the South China Sea. The boat took us to three different locations where we able to be in the water for an hour each time. It felt so good to be moving through the water.

We went on a 18K bike ride and swam in a waterfall in the Vietnam country side. The bike ride was work as we made our way through some rolling hills, but the scenery made up for it. After the ride, we hiked and climbed a couple more kilometers to the waterfall.

After returning to Shenzhen, I made a trip to the fitness center to replace Pilates that was cancelled on New Years Day.

30 minutes elliptical

Dirty Dozen Arms 2x (with 5 pound weights)

5 laps in the pool

On Sunday I woke up to rainy weather so instead of riding my bike or walking to the fitness center in the rain, I went with an at-home backup plan. I even did a workout from my Booya Fitness training plan! (click the picture below to see it for yourself).

Dirty Dozen Arms 3x - my home weights are lighter

Plank Workout 

Yoga Express --> Chilly Challenge day 1!

Overall, the Holiday Sweat Challenge had some up and downs for me, but I crushed over 3000 minutes of fitness and more than 100 servings of freggies! Now I am ready to focus on a new year and a new me. I don't know if I will be running in 2016, but I do know there will be fitness!

How are you starting 2016?

Holiday Sweat Challenge Week 5 & 6 Update

It doesn't seem like a good sign to be able to combine two weeks worth of fitness into one blog post. However, even though I was taking a break from running, I was still working on strength and anything else to make my muscles happy!

After four weeks of the Holiday Sweat Challenge and 63 days of a run streak, my legs told me to rest. I'd been treating a tight right calf knot for about a week when on my last run (day 63) I picked up on a little twinge in my left adductor.

Time for some serious rest. After two days off to start Holiday Sweat week 5 and doing nothing beyond walking and foam rolling, I pulled out the low impact workout cards. Here are some of the workouts I did:

Lower Body Blast - Amanda Miller
Happy Hips Yoga - Happy Fit Mama
Lose the Pooch Abs - Pop Sugar Fitness
Booty Hips - Amanda Miller
Hip Strength - Runner's World (July 2015)

By Sunday, I was feeling like it was time to test the legs. The only good thing about this run was that I ran. For the first .25 everything seemed ok, but then the familiar tightness in my right calf came back (although not painful). Worse though, was the painful trigger point in my left adductor, near my knee.

Needless to say, I was crushed. The weather has finally turned cool here in Shenzhen and I can't run. I knew that feeling sorry for myself wasn't going to get me anywhere, so I went for distractions. Some things that helped keep my mind off the failed return to running: a really good book and some really good tasting snacks!

Again, I started week 6 of the Holiday Sweat Challenge in rest-the-legs mode. I focused on foam rolling and yoga stretching for the first two days and then mixed up my low/medium impact workouts. Here's what those workouts looked like:

Hip Strength & Stabilty - Jasyoga
Cardio Drills - Booya
Dirty Dozen Arms - Your Path to Fit
Pilates Abs - Run to the Finish
Not So Easy Circuit - Booya

This morning I laced up my running shoes for another test of the legs. It was going ok, just a couple of twinges in the calf and adductor. I thought it was ok to run through it.

As I neared the two mile mark, my left knee kind of gave out a little. Startled, I stopped and walked a bit. Bending and flexing my left leg. It didn't hurt, so I gave it another try. A couple of steps later the same thing happened. Run over.

As I sit here typing and icing my knee, I have no idea what this means. My knee (which has had a hard life) is unstable and I need to figure out why...what can I do to help it...and how will it affect my fitness life.

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Some of the workouts I mentioned are from Booya Fitness. Booya Fitness is an online gym. Your membership gets you access to a large variety of online classes that can be done at your convenience. There are also dozens of workout training plans available for a small fee.

I have teamed up with Booya to create a 4 week training plan that is perfect for the winter months, but can be done anytime of year. It is also a great cross training option for runners as the plan has options for 30+ minute runs. Take a look here.

Are you currently following a training plan?
How do you distract yourself when you're injured?

6 Holiday Gifts for Runners

Every year my list of gift ideas for runners pretty much stays the same: store gift cards, massages, books, magazines, etc, but I like to highlight my favorite products. These are the ones you see see me using, wearing, and going ga-ga over on Instagram. Click here if you've been missing out!

All of these items are easy to order and ship online, but can probably be found in most running and sports stores in your neighborhood, too. (I've linked to my favorite brands, but I'm not being compensated for doing so.)

My faves:

Head bands: BAMR Bands - Love! So many pretty and affordable bands to choose from, plus 10% of sales goes to charity. Win, win.

Running shoes: Mizuno - I'm currently wearing Wave Rider 19s, although I've worn other styles and loved them just as much.

Running socks: Feetures - I don't know how I ever ran without these socks. They are so light, but at the same time the softness feels like a cushion.

Recovery shoes: Oofos - I wear these babies all the time. My feet and legs just bounce with happiness.

Training Log: Journal Menu - I just started using a journal to keep track of my workout details: distance, pace, weather, route. This one also has room to jot down injury notes (which in my case is very helpful) and race plans. Oh and you can design it yourself!

Water bottle: Simple Hydration - Best hands-free option out there. Holds just the right amount of water and makes hydrating during your run...simple. Just hook it on your waistband or Flipbelt.

Other favorites of mine not pictured:

Oiselle Distance Shorts $46 - These shorts are the best because of the front pocket that makes it easy for me to carry the gate fob to our apartment villa plus more in the back pocket if needed.

Athleta Relay Capris $69 - These just make me feel like a rock star...

Flipbelt $29 - Perfect for carrying my iPhone 6 and other essentials as needed.

Nike Racerbacks $25 - They fit just right and they're longer than other brands which is important since I have a longer torso. I have a lot of these because they're often on sale at sports stores.


What gifts do you recommend for runners?

Do we have any faves in common?