#TOL and #TBT - Thanksgiving Day Fitness

Happy Thanksgiving from Hong Kong!

I'm on my own again this year (mrC is on a trip - occupational hazard in his line of work), but I keep myself busy with other friends who are also not traveling and use fitness as a VERY BIG distraction.

I pulled a doubler workout today. First I was up early to get in a run. My weather app said it was 58 degrees, which sounded like perfect running temperature to me, so I threw on a pair of shorts and a tank. When I stepped outside I almost turned around and went back in for more clothes.

Thinking out loud - I think my body has adjusted to the tropical climate because 58 degrees was COLD!

Almost. I didn't want to waste time waiting for the elevator and going back up 20 floors and I figured I would warm up. Not surprisingly, I passed a lot of people at the bus stop bundled up in winter coats who probably thought I was crazily under-dressed. I actually felt pretty awesome during my run.

Thinking out loud - I don't know what made me lace up my Wave Horizon today instead of my Wave Sky. They're both stability shoes and at this point they have nearly the same amount of miles.

I ended up running a loop with a loop through the park (it's small) to finish with a Turkey Day 5K. Since I was out so early (about 6:30am) I didn't see many other runners except a group that works with the local semi-celebrity coach here in Discovery Bay. I caught up to them along the promenade, but when I went into the park, they must have headed up the hill.

Thinking out loud - I think the coach might have thought I was part of his group because when he ran by me he said, "don't let him get away!" referring to one his runners who picked up his pace. I just smiled and shrugged my shoulders. My pace, not yours, coach ;)

This run felt really good and I finished in 32:10. I'm not obsessed with my pace like I used to be, but it felt good to see it back in the ten minute range. I was also excited that I ran up the big hill at the end without stopping ---> that is seriously hard for me to do!

Thinking out loud - my body clearly likes running in the cooler weather. The last time I had a run that felt good like this, was when the temperatures dropped from the 80s to the 70s.

After a quick rinse, some coffee and a FaceTime session with mrC, I was out the door to catch the bus to my second workout of the day: GRIT Strength + Core class. It had been a long time since I did back-to-back workouts like this, but my workouts for the week had been nonexistent at this point.

The class is the perfect mix of cardio and strength with a little plyo thrown in. Today the upper body part focused a lot on the shoulders and I was ambitious with my weight choices. Thankfully, we got a break and focused on the lower body after that.

Thinking out loud - I admit that I was worried that I might be pushing my knee too hard for one day, but I knew that I could modify the exercises if I needed (and I hoped for the best). I do however, have to worry about whether I'll be able to lift my arms later.

Running this morning reminded me of all the Thanksgivings I started with some fitness. So here's a little Throwback Thursday for me you:

I have lined up with other runners to kickoff Thanksgiving Day with a race. I ran the Thanksgiving Day 10K in Cincinnati three times. I loved that race! I only stopped running it because I moved to New Hampshire.

When I wasn't able to join a run, I still got in a workout. In 2014 we had a HUGE snowstorm the day before Thanksgiving that knocked the power out for most of New Hampshire. The dog and I spent the holiday weekend in a hotel (mrC was on a trip) and I made use of the fitness center.

My first Thanksgiving as an expat was spent surrounded by SWIC friends on the hiking trails of Lamma Island. That was a great way to spend the day. They hiked in Hong Kong again today, but I wanted to run.

Do you workout on Thanksgiving?
Ever spent Thanksgiving away from home?

Today I'm Thinking Out Loud with Running with Spoons - join the link up or head over for some great reading.

Women's Five 5K - NOV 2017

Crossing the finish line of a 5K feels pretty awesome when you thought your running days might be over.

A little background: I ran my very first 5K ever in 2006 (long before I had this blog) and finished in 30:41. It was haarrrddd, but amazing. A lot of running has happened since that first 5K (improved my 5K time to a 26:38 PR and ran 13 half marathons), including a knee surgery (the kind that comes with a high recommendation to cease running). I rehabbed and ran for about a year before bam! My knee got pretty cranky.

I might be crazy (what runner isn't?), but here I am celebrating another 5K and it feels just as awesome as the first time.

The Women's Five is a new race for women only in Hong Kong. It holds two events, one in the spring and one in the fall. In addition to the race, women can sign up for a five week training program that offers training meet ups, yoga sessions and even a social movie night.

This was my first official race in Hong Kong (I did a fun Zombie 5K that was untimed) since running a 6K race in 2015. Needless to say, I was excited. I did the whole flat-runner race outfit on IG, but I'll just share here too.

Race #OOTD: bra (Lululemon) socks (Feetures), shoes (Mizuno Wave Sky),
water bottle (Simple Hydration), tank and shorts (Athleta), headband (BAMRbands)

The race was held in Ma On Shan which was kind of far away from me in Discovery Bay, but by hired car it ended up only taking 30 minutes. I had lots of extra time to pick up my bib, check my bag, find the toilets and mingle with the other ladies that were there early.

The start line and staging area was held on the YMCA track. There was plenty of room to warmup and stretch. After a nice big pep talk from the race director, the race started (almost) on time. I was anxious to get started and get rid of my nervousness.

The course was an out and back. After leaving the track area we followed the sidewalk down to the Ma On Shan promenade. It was not a closed course. There was a bit of dodging people out walking and running in the neighborhood and on the promenade, but it wasn't bad. Some parts were crowded and some parts were wide open.

Getting to the turn around felt like it took forever. I think it was partly because I was probably running too fast. I was excited to be running in a race and it was flat, so I think I went a little crazy. I took one walk break before the turn around and another after.

Hitting the turn around helped me mentally big time. The motion of running felt easier, as if I suddenly had gotten lighter on my feet. I was still breathing heavy and starting to feel the humidity, so I told myself to keep it steady so I could cruise to the finish.

At the finish line, they had food and water. After everyone came in, you could get your results printed out. I was pretty excited to see my time ---> better than my first 5K.

I hung around to watch the awards be handed out and enjoy some celebratory time with the other ladies.

I have spent most of the year patiently building up my running time and distance using intervals and keeping my fingers tightly crossed in the hopes that I could run 5Ks again.

I'm not ready to give up running yet because of events like this one. The energy, the excitement, the support. It is all just so addictive. I know my fellow runners know what I'm talking about, but if you are new to running I hope you get to experience the happy vibes that come from running a race very soon!

I am so THANKFUL to be able to run!


Do you remember your very first race?
New runners, when are you running your first race?
What are thankful for right now?

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

National Take a Hike Day

It's National Take a Hike Day and to celebrate I hiked our little neighborhood trail.

source

mrC is on a trip and I was expecting a delivery (that had a mandatory signature required), so I set out early to be back in plenty of time for the delivery window. This round-trip hike to Lookout Point is about 3K and takes about an hour (depending on how much time I take at the top or taking pictures along the way).

I like this trail because it is a loop that I feel comfortable doing on my own and it's challenging enough to be a good workout. The challenge is all in the beginning on the way up. I forget how many steps there are, but it is about a 200 meter climb.

Like many trails in Hong Kong, it is maintained. The steep path to the top has been reinforced with concrete to help fight the erosion process.

While I was hiking I thought about the things I love about hiking (that also sound a lot like the things I love about running).

1) The journey - Every hike that I do is a journey. It's almost always a fitness journey, but usually something else too. Maybe it's a journey to meet new people and break out of my introvert shell. Sometimes it's a journey to challenge myself to do something I didn't think I could do. Often times, I don't know what the journey is until it's over and I can feel that I've been changed in some way.

2) The solitude - When I hike alone I enjoy listening to only my footsteps, hearing only my breathing, letting my thoughts wander. It's not lonely (especially for someone like me who needs time to recover from social activities), rather it's peaceful. I like not having to worry about holding a conversation. It's an easy way to work through things that are weighing on my mind. Hiking alone can be very therapeutic.

3) Nature - I love being outside. When I'm hiking, I get a chance to see (I mean really SEE) all the things that can often become a blur when we speed by in cars or buses or when we're running: the new colors, the new blooms, the sounds, the smells. There's something strangely calming about the wildness of nature. Coming upon a waterfall, birds bursting from a tree or even a lone buffalo sitting on the trail, you just never know what you're going to see.

4) Relationships - opposite of hiking solo, it's fun to hike with a group, meet new people and get to know them. For me it is easier to bond with others while I'm doing something with them ---> maybe this comes from always being on a sports team? Working toward the same goal means we are instantly in it together and there for each other. I've made good friends this way through running, and now hiking.

5) Rewards - Of course I love what I get out of a good hike. The best rewards are the views from the top, but the views along the way can be equally breathtaking. My favorite views are of water, but there's something about looking back at how far you climbed that is just as beautiful. Then there's also the feeling of accomplishment at the end of a really hard hike. The kind of hike that leaves me feeling like I should have earned a medal for completing it. It's hard to top that feeling.

One nice thing about hiking close to home is that you don't need much. Even though it's November, it was still 74 degrees at 7am, so water and a sweat towel are a must. I like carrying lighter hiking gear in my Athleta drawstring bag (affiliate).

Will you be hitting a trail today? If so, where?

I'm linking up with Lacey and Meranda and Rachel for the Friday Five 2.0!

What's in the race SWAG Bag?

I don’t know about you, but I think race SWAG bags are kind of a big deal, especially after receiving  one with really good stuff in it. I love getting a nice tee, but my favorite SWAG bag had feetures socks, a water bottle and a yoga mat!

What's in that bag can kick race day off with a bang!

Most of the race swag bags I’ve received have been for bigger races and are usually handed out at an expo - where you can pick up even more goodies, right? The race I ran in Dubai did not give out a bag, but I got a nice finisher’s medal. My Shenzhen, China race gave out a drawstring bag with Chinese snacks inside and then another goodie bag after the race.

I’m about to run my second race in Hong Kong (Women's Five 5K) and had to pick up my race bib and SWAG bag a week prior. (I don’t remember having to do this in the US, but maybe I did). The first race I did gave out goodie bags after the race. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to share what was in my Hong Kong SWAG bag.

There was the usual hodge-podge of assorted sponsor goodies. Some very useful dry shampoo. Some tea packets. A de-stress ball. A magazine.

I always find some things that I like more than the others.

Like, a headband that can be worn multiple ways.

A tea light candle (this was on my shopping list) plus 100HKD to spend in the shop on more.

A free yoga class pass (that I really hope I use because the studio is in Central and would probably take as long to get there as the length of the class).

The drawstring bag itself is for bag drop on race day and can be re-used. I like that.

Notably, my race bib was NOT in my bag. Turns out that certain numbers were not ready for pick-up. Fortunately, it wasn’t a wasted trip and I was still given the SWAG and I can get my bib on race day.

What’s the best thing you ever found in your race SWAG bag?

Hiking: Lantau Trail Stages 3 and 4 (Lantau Peak)

It was time to cross more Lantau Trail sections off my to-do list and this time it was going to be some hard hiking.

My most recent hike on the Lantau Trail (stages 9 & 10) was long but easy. No real climbing involved. My very first hike (stages 1 & 2) was a mix ---> one stage involved climbing Sunset Peak, the second highest peak in Hong Kong, but the other was an easy walk.

I wasn't sure if I was ready for stages 3 & 4, but I also knew I would suffer from FOMO if I didn't go for it. I hadn't done a hard hike in a few months, so I didn't know how my body would react. It's a lot like returning to the long run: you have a solid base, but it's been awhile since you upped the mileage.

Anyway, I went for it and here's what happened:

1) There were three solid climbs. THREE. Every time I looked up, I thought we only have a little more to go, it's straight UP, but we're almost there. Then another climb would appear. Actually, having the 600 meter climb from Pak Kung Au broken into parts like that gave us built in walking breaks along the way.

2) I stood on the second highest peak (934 meters or 3064 feet) in Hong Kong, Lantau Peak. The views from the top are just breathtaking. Even the overcast, slightly hazy day didn't take away the magnificence of what my eyes could see.

And behind us, was Sunset Peak (the third highest peak in Hong Kong) on stage 2 of Lantau Trail. Been there, done that, I thought to myself. I could also see the airport from the top, so I texted mrC since he was there doing some database work in the airplane.

3) Making our way down toward Ngong Ping and the end of stage 3 was easier on the quads, but harder on the knees. The challenge is that the man-made rock steps are not the same distance apart. As we got further down the mountain, we started passing large groups of hikers making their way up from the other side (the harder side if you ask me).

The archway marks the end of stage 3.

4) At the start of stage 4 is the Wisdom Path (right past the large archway). 38 wooden columns line a path forming the symbol for infinity. Each column is inscribed with a verse from the Heart Sutra prayer. We took a short rest/snack break here.

The trail continues to Ngong Ping cultural village where the Tian Tan Buddha Statue sits. The village was crowded with visitors, which is probably why we found a lone buffalo hiding out in a quiet spot. I don't know why these big creatures fascinate me, but they do.

The rest of stage 4 has been diverted a couple of times by landslides, so the end of the hike is simply following Ngong Ping Road to Sham Wan Road. Nothing picture worthy from there, so here's one of the group that stood on Lantau Peak that day.

This post is part of the Friday Five 2.0 link up with Lacey and Meranda and Rachel. Head over to check out some more awesome posts.


If you're a hiker, what is the highest peak you've climbed? I think my highest peak is Mt. Batur in Bali.