Saturday, October 17, 2020

Hiking: Aiea Loop Trail

I would have loved to explore a little on the Big Island or return to Kauai for our anniversary this year, but since inter-island travel in Hawaii is still subject to COVID quarantine, we decided to go for a hike. We have actually been checking hikes off our list, I just haven't blogged about it...until now. 

We choose the Aiea Loop Trail from the list of popular hikes for a couple of reasons: 

  • it's a loop - which I prefer over an out and back 
  • it's rated moderate - so not easy but also not hard
  • it can be muddy and since we've been in a bit of a drought on Oahu, it was good timing
It was about a 20 minute drive to Keaiwa Heiau State Recreation Area for us. As we headed up the hill through the Aiea Heights neighborhood to the parking area, it started to rain. Ha! The weather app on my phone claimed it would only last about 30 minutes, so we went for it. I admit that I was in full hiking mindset and excited to be in my hiking shoes and hiking shorts again, so a little rain wasn't going to stop me.


It was our first time to this park and we were unfamiliar with the different parking areas in relation to the trail head, so we grabbed a spot in the first lot we came to. There were public restrooms and covered picnic areas under the massive trees. mrC spoke to a nice gentleman who had just finished his trail run who pointed us in the right direction and gave us his best tips.


Our hike began with a half mile warm-up walk UP the road to the trailhead. We passed camping areas and more parking before finally seeing the start. Starting at this trail head sign takes you counter clockwise around the loop, which at the time we didn't realize made that big of a difference.


The first thing we noticed was the beautiful Hawaii red dirt. mrC explained to me that is is a result of the island being created from volcanic activity and the soil has high iron content. 


It rained lightly off and on during the beginning, so by the time we made it to the first overlook, the benches were too wet to sit on. We got a great pic of the roots before moving on. When it was raining, I was in keep it moving mode, as if that would help us stay dry! 


Even though a ton of cars drove by us when we were making our way up the road to the trailhead, we weren't seeing many people on the trail at all. 


I had read a tip on the AllTrails app to explore the short side trails when we came upon them. The first one we had to climb up a short ways, but it gave us a great view over Aiea and all the way to Pearl Harbor. You can see a tiny bit of a rainbow.


The trail at this point was mostly flat. In some places it was very wide and others it narrowed quite a bit. The drop off could be pretty steep along the edge, so I liked to hug the inside. My knee did not like that.


This hike definitely had great views of the valley. If you wondered what fall looks like in Hawaii, here it is! Not being a plant expert, I can't tell you what we saw or what we smelled but the aromas were amazing!


Great background for a selfie with my hiking buddy!


Eventually we made it to another seating area that opened up to a large view of the Halawa Valley. 


It was occupied by some young hikers and their dads having a snack, so we didn't get to sit. They did help us get a pic though.


At this point, we were trying to take in all the nature around us and stay dry between the showers. 





Right after these steps, the trail became muddier and my toes started rebelling at being in normal shoes (not flip flops) for such along period.


The highlight of the trail is the amazing view overlooking the H3 Highway. This was the turning point of the hike. We got several glimpses that kept getting better and better until we came to the main overlook.



Another highlight along this trail is the wreckage of a B-24J. We weren't sure we would be able to see it, but it was right below the trail and easy to spot.


The rest of the hike, we took in the more of the nature surrounding us. I loved seeing all the Norfolk trees and can't wait to get one for our Christmas tree this year.


We kept things moving at this point. We stopped a couple times to take in the beauty and twice for me to administer a little first aid to my toes. Hiking lesson of the day: trim toenails and apply vaseline before putting on socks. Also, carry bandaids in backpack.


A little over a mile from the end of the hike, we realized that we should have gone clockwise on the loop to avoid some major uphills at the end on super tired legs and a cranky knee. The cherry on top was the steps we had to climb to get back up to the road and walk down to where the car was parked.


Back at the car we cleaned up at the rest rooms and changed into dry clothes. I carried a lot of mud with me off the trail.


Even though I enjoyed the hike, it felt really good to take my hiking shoes off and put my flip flops on. We were both impressed that my leaf band-aid held up so well. I wish I had thought to do it sooner than I did.


Overall, this was a great hike!



Maybe this will show our age, but we were a little achey, so we sat in the hot tub for about 30 minutes after dinner, haha! 



Have you hiked the Aiea Loop Trail?





Saturday, October 10, 2020

Banana Protein Pancakes


The first time I ever had banana pancakes was at 3AM in Bali, right before we climbed up the side of volcano in the dark to watch the sunrise from the top. Haha, true story! You can read about it here ---> Two Days in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia

I'm not exactly sure how they made those banana pancakes, but they were pretty tasty and had me wanting to make my own after that. I researched lots of recipes, pulled a little from one and a little from another, and crossed my fingers. 

They were really, really good. I love having them on FASTer Way Leg Days or Feast Days because I can splurge a little more on the maple syrup! Ok, maybe a lot :) 

Recipe for one big serving:

1 mashed banana (I did not mind having some lumps)
2 whisked eggs
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/4 vanilla
1 scoop protein powder - I use unflavored collagen peptides but Vega vanilla is really good too

Combine all ingredients.  The mix is very liquidity, but the protein powder can help thicken it up. I used approximately 2 tbsp scoops of batter to make smaller pancakes. It was pretty easy to flip them this way. They cooked just like regular pancakes, about 1 minute per side.



The first time I made them, I did not add the protein powder. Either way, they were really good. Almost as good as the ones in Bali, but I personally think they look a lot better!



Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Low FODMAP Acai Bowl

One thing that I absolutely love to eat is an acai bowl. We can find them in about 10 different locations in our neighborhood alone, but I also love making my own at home. 

During my first week on the low FODMAP diet, I quickly learned that I cannot have a lot of my normal go-to foods. I was super worried that I would have to miss one of my favorite break fast meals on regular macro days.


After doing some research with the Monash University FODMAP diet app and looking over my FASTer Way recipe, I came up with an acceptable solution and created my first low FODMAP acai bowl.

Base - blend together

Sambazon Acai packet

Strawberries 145g

Banana 35g

Chia Seeds 1 tsp

Almond milk 1/4 cup

Spinach 1/2 cup

My toppings:

Almonds (shaved) .03 oz

Raspberries 1.5 oz

Blueberries 1.4 oz

Oats 2 tbsp - too plain but I found a recipe to make low FODMAP granola!!

I have to admit, it was not as good as my regular bowl but it did the trick for now. I really missed my blackberries and honey which are off limits because they are too high in FODMAPs. 


What are your favorite toppings on an acai or smoothie bowl?







Monday, September 21, 2020

Sunrise and some beach fitness!

 The other day, mrC wanted to get up early and watch the sunrise at the beach. Umm, yes! 

Since the beaches just re-opened here on Oahu (well, technically for solo activities), I was in full LET'S TAKE ADVANTAGE mode. I downloaded my FASTer Way workout to my iPad, put on my bathing suit and favorite sunscreen and packed the beach bag with towels. 

We sat for awhile listening to the waves, drinking our coffees and watching the the morning walkers. There is a very large number of people who walk their dogs on the beach, so it can be quite entertaining. 

The beach might seem like a crazy place to do a workout, but I love doing mine outside. Plus the scenery was A LOT better than my normal view on our lanai. FASTer Way workouts are available through the app and can be downloaded so you can easily take your workouts anywhere. I chose a HIIT Boxing workout from the workout studio because it is ALL BODY WEIGHT ---> perfect for doing it at the beach.

After a quick dip in the water, mrC and I decided to walk the entire length of the beach. I don't know why this appealed to me on this day except that it was so beautiful out and I wasn't ready to go home!

Even though it is one long stretch of sand, the beach has a different name depending on the location: Kailua, Kalama, Dunes, Oneawa, Castle's. At the dead end, the beach becomes blocked by lava rock which is the foundation of the beach front homes that continue. It's pretty private, but there was too much seaweed.

Hawaii (at the time) had a social distancing mandate that stated, "Individuals may engage in any lawful activity (e.g., walking, running, sitting, fishing, etc.) on the beach, but only by oneself. No group use or group activities are allowed." Believe it or not, this meant that even family members couldn't be together!! 

We knew that the Kailua Police would be patrolling the beach on their 4-wheelers, so when we heard them coming, we made sure that we were by ourselves! 



We haven't had that many beach days this year, because COVID restrictions closed them for months except to access the water for exercise.

I am planning to make up for it, big time!


What has been closed in your area that was frustrating?








Sunday, September 13, 2020

Three Reasons Everyone Should Be Doing Burpees

Most people have a love/hate relationship with burpees. We hate them because they challenge us and they are sooo hard, right? We love them because they're done! Haha.


Burpees are an incredible exercise that combines strength, endurance and functionality. 

1. Strength: It targets every single muscle group, over and over, and over. Your legs, arms, chest, back and core. Everything is getting worked. Even when modified, there is no group of muscles getting out of the work on this move.

2. Endurance: The repetition of moving down and up, down and up helps build endurance. It doesn't take long at all to feel the heart rate increase and the body to warm up. Just one minute of burpees will have you breaking a sweat.

3. Functionality: The burpee can be broken down into three parts: the squat, the plank, the rise. Each part benefits the way we move in every day life. 



Squats help us to tie our shoes, pick up our children or pets, get up off the toilet, fill up your tires, pick up your suitcase...

Planks make it easier to look under the bed for something, put your carry-on in the overhead bin, stand up and sit up straight, prevent back pain, hold laundry baskets...

The rise increases our ability to get up off the ground after playing with the kids or having fallen, be ready to move quickly out of the way if needed...

I love how practical this exercise is, even though it is really hard to get excited when I see it on the workout plan. 


How do you feel about burpees?




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