Still in Gear!

Yup, still here, still in gear! But WOW! I cannot believe that it is already December 19th and our first semester at the International School of Bangkok is almost at an end... 

I think after 5 months of being here in Thailand we have settled in pretty well. George is very happy at school and with his mae bann; we often get out on the weekends to the beach or up into the hills; we're starting to build a circle of friends; and we're all feeling pretty happy and healthy.

2012 has been a good year for us. We started the year being lawfully wedded boyfriend and girlfriend (and still wedded a year later today...) and knowing we were leaving the dust and pollution of Beijing, for the heat and humidity of Bangkok. We had/have an awesome group of friends in Beijing and since moving here we've still been able to be close and keep in touch. I had a couple of personal accomplishments - I completed the Great Wall Half Marathon and just recently the Standard Charter Bangkok Half Marathon in November. We've taken up a new sport - Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) and Murray has found his red bike and has been chased by wild pigs...

As I look to 2013 I realized that I really like having goals - it is a good motivator for me to keep to training regime. I am not disciplined enough to make sure that I am always eating right and be motivated to have a regular training programme... I like to be lazy :) Hopefully if I keep it up for longer than 6 weeks at a time, it will become second nature to me to make better choices. 

So a couple of goals for 2013 are...

Goal 1: Participate in 2 Half Marathons
Hopefully one in the summertime somewhere in Ontario (wine country would be preferable, but I haven't seen one yet) and the second one in Angkor-Wat at the beginning of December. Jackie you up for those?

Goal 2: Participate in some 10K races
Some is a vague number I know, but I'll make sure that they are here there and everywhere... I might do the BKK 10K instead of the half as it is a nice run around the palace... But the one 10K that I am signed up for is the North Face 100 Series where they have a 100K, 50K, 25K and a 10K. Maybe the year after I'll do the 25K. The 10 should be enough as it is through hills. There is also on in Kanchanaburi - that is supposed to be a nice one as well and in September.

Goal 3: Keep tracking food
I am a visual person in some ways and I like seeing the black and white numbers of how many calories I consume and how many I burn. And I like to see that the number I burn is more than what I consume. I have used a lot of meal tracking apps and so far the one I like is myfitnesspal.com. It's great because you can track your cardio and your food. If you made  your own food, then you can enter the ingredients and it tells you what the nutritional value of your food is. Love it! Also it should help with me making better choices with food. You know me I love my food - I am weak when it comes to food... but it does something to your head when you have to write it all down... then you say to yourself I don't want to input that so I won't eat it. Or I'll only input half of it because I know what that will do to my calorie count. Plus I feel better when I eat well... this just reminds me.

Goal 4: Keep blogging
Enough said... It's nice to talk it all out sometimes and even nicer that someone out there is reading it - thanks! I know I am very random with what I say... but thanks heaps to those of you who have read one or two of my musings...

Of course and overall goal is just to be content with what life has given me. I have to awesome men in my life and a great immediate family - making sure those are always happy and healthy.

So the gears are still running and I am glad that I haven't stalled (too many times)

Have a wonderful holiday season and here's to 2013!

Rain rain rain...

Okay, I have a reason for not posting on Tuesday and going for a run... During bootcamp the day before it POURED BUCKETS of rain. We were all soaked. We were swimming on a flat surface trying to do our workout... The workout continued, and we enjoyed the rain... but we were soaked through and through... So I put my shoes out to dry hoping that they would be dry by my 4:30 am wake-up call... Nope... still soaked... so then using the power of the internet I started researching about whether or not it is a good idea to run with wet shoes...

Some sites suggested that running with wet running shoes is good for training especially for specialty endurance races like Tough Mudder where they have you running through ponds and mud etc...

However there were many others that talk about blisters and how they can form from wet shoes or lack of moisture wicking from socks and so on... Being blister shy (I had a huge one on the back of my heel) I decided to crawl back into bed... but should I have? I probably could have toughen up and done the run with squishy shoes... but it wasn't very appealing to me... I like starting off the run with dry shoes and them getting wet while I am running... but not at the beginning of the run... So I stuffed my shoes full of newspaper and waited for them to dry...

But I did get up the next morning (Wednesday) and had an awesome run (5.6 k in 34 minutes) and for the first time didn't stop or have a huge blister on my heel (just needed to pull those socks up more!) Bootcamp was hard but awesome and we didn't get rained on!

Food was alright - lots of juice in the morning... little bit of pad thai and a salad for lunch, dinner was chicken and lots of roasted vegetables...

So, so far it's been a couple of days of being on track. I didn't get up this morning for the run... very tired from the day before's exercise... but I am planning on a run Friday morning and hopefully another one on the beach Saturday and Sunday... one of those needs to be a long run... but so far I'm keeping it in gear...

Seriously!!!! It's been a month!!!

Okay, okay, okay, I have been very negligent in my blogging... Seriously, have I really been neglecting my blogging responsibilities for a whole month... no wonder I feel like I've come of track lately... No focus, no discipline, no blogs!

Well enough of that... I need to get back on track. Even though I feel as though I have made one step in the right direction of that path, there is still a long way to go... Running - I need to amp that up... General workouts - been good since I have started doing Bootcamp twice a week... Food - still a disaster! HELP!!!!

Life in Bangkok has been good. The last month or so has seen my mom leave, a weekend in Bali, lots of rain, and our first little holiday on our own. Work-wise things are going well... getting into a groove with the kids and colleagues. Parent conferences were a breeze and I'm finally feeling like I am getting to know the kids a little more. Transition wise that is a little slower... I miss my girlfriends A LOT (you know who you are) and the social relationships that I had with them. I love my husband and son to no end, but I need some girls around me. That will slowly take shape I think - it just takes time. Plus I'm in no rush as Jackie keeps showing up at my door and Elaine and Nats are always a skype away...

Back to working out routine... that has been totally up and down... Some weeks I can get up in the morning and go for consecutive runs... other mornings it just doesn't happen. The great thing is that I have started Bootcamp twice a week. One of my parents runs the sessions and SHE IS AWESOME! I love it! It is a great reason to get out and do some exercise and after 4 sessions I am able to do pushups again! I'm still a bit away from being a little more toned - but that has to do with food (next paragraph). I also have committed myself to the BKK Halfmarathon, having just paid my entrance fee just recently. So I am in! I need to get 21km in sometime soon! I did wake up this morning and go for a 5km run, and I did Bootcamp this afternoon and I feel great! Let's hope that it happens again tomorrow... I will commit to it! That and a blog or a post that said I did it!

Food... always the bane of my existence... it just rules me... the yummies, the lack of reasoning about how I am going to feel after... the portions... when will I gain control... I know that it tends to happen when I am working out consistently... but then I need to work out consistently and it should be something I do on a regular basis... why is this so hard... why did I have such a weakness when it came to lunch and head to the pasta line? Actually it was the first time I went to the pasta line... but that is not the point! The salad line is where I want to be! It is good there! I can do this! Bread be gone (well not totally, but it must be controlled). But the good thing is that I am getting my fruit in... regular morning shake that is HUGE but it is good that I am having it... and veggies are a plenty.... so really I have no excuses...

But the life with the George and the Murray is good. My little man is happy to be going to school and we're considering sending him 5 days a week. He just got a scooter and he's bombing around on that... It is great to see his development. He's got great language skills... Babycenter has it all wrong... My kid just doesn't say "Dog sleep" he says "The dog is sleeping on the pillow on the floor..." If you know George you know he does that...

Murray is awesome as always... giving enough motivation to get my butt in gear and keeping me laughing... He's always thinking about the next opportunity to drive his truck all over Thailand... I think this weekend we are venturing to Hua Hin...

So overall life is good, just busy, but I need to seriously get my butt in gear for this run! I'm feeling good about it... I am sure that I can get up tomorrow and run! Here's hoping for 8km tomorrow morning!

September... the Real New Year

It's funny being in education where the new year really begins in September and not January... You're more likely to start a new "plan" when it is September... there is something about it being really the beginning of a new year... It must be because it is the end of summer and usually summer vacations, or could be that most kids are back in school, the joy of all the new back-to-school supplies, clothes, etc, not to mention fall fashion season, series premiers, openings and more...

The other key motivator... working off those summer alcohol calories. How can you resist the call of a cold beer on the lake at the end of a day of digging holes (well I didn't do that this year... but I brought the beer)... or running through the forest chasing after your bacchi ball as it falls down into the lake... hmmm a lot of this has to do with the lake... but with the lake comes lots of exercise too... which was great...

But back to my original thought... all those al fresco evenings with a great bottle of wine... somehow we have to make up for all those extra calories! September brings that fresh new start to the year... new school year, new beginnings, new programme...

Now, I haven't really started a new programme, still working on the training for the BKK Half in November. But I do finally feel a little settled... almost to the point of feeling a little restless... Running has been great... eating is good (can't go too wrong when you need to avoid all street food for fear of Bangkok belly and your mae baan makes lots of veg and cuts up all my fruit...) but now it is time to find some things to participate in... Thai language courses will start soon... that will help, and there are a couple of social events that are happening that will help me get in the swing of some things... The running people are nice... it's been nice to get to know them a very little... but these things take time... and a little effort on my part... we'll see...

On another note... running has been good... I've been following the Smart Coach App by Runners world... so far it is alright right... Nice to have a plan... but right now it has me only running 3 times a week with cross training days in between... I might add an extra day to that... but so far I have done some of the speed work and tempo runs that they have suggested. When I run with the kids, that is motivating because they are quick so they push my pace up and now I can comfortably run a 6 minute km... and even do that a little faster. I beat my goal of a 5:30 minute kilometer doing the Panther Run on the weekend...so I am very happy about that... now I need to find the time to run in the morning. I can do it especially if I run on the mornings where I don't teach first block... I can run in for a meeting at 7:20... but not class... let's see how it goes this week... That will mean am runs on Wednesday and Thursday. I hope it works out for me!

Food has been good aswell... been trying to eat lots of fruits and veg and that helps when someone is making food for you... The other thing is the heat... I just can't eat something that is heavy or deep fried to much... it just sits in you. I haven't been drinking too much either... another good thing as it just slows you down and if you're not hydrated enough its not going to be a good thing! I'll have to watch out as I am heading for a very fun weekend in Bali for a friends weekend... better start building up my strength now... But overall I think I am doing alright...

82 Days until the BKK Marathon

Yup, that is right, I only have 11 weeks or so to train for my second half-marathon. At first I thought I couldn't get in shape for it, but of course my lovely boyfriend/husband told me to harden up and made me realize that I did train and complete the Great Wall Half Marathon in the same amount of time, I definitely can get this one done.

Good thing that today I also realized that I have no discipline and that I need to get my act together. The first week of work - just ate what I wanted... The food at school is great and my mae baan is an awesome cook. Not to mention my mom is here, but she's been living the life of luxury too (well deserved I might add... she's been very busy with her grandson). Last week I was limiting myself to only buying one thing at work to eat... and this week I was going to be good and only go for the salad bar unless I bought food from home. The egg salad sandwich totally temps me, but it is not necessary everyday (which is what I was doing for a while).

This morning I also wanted to get down and do some yoga in the morning, but I am thinking that might have to happen in the evenings, because I really should run in the mornings especially if I want to get a good workout in... however, I have been running in the afternoons with the Varsity Girls Cross Country team, and actually I feel pretty good about doing that... so maybe I'll just have to run when I can. Why keep it to a schedule. In the morning is best, but it just doesn't happen for me here... The sun doesn't come up until 6am, and I like waking up with the sun...

But I will figure it out and today was a good day to run. I ran a 5.68km run in just under 35 minutes. My pace was 6:11 min/km which was a little fast for me, but not bad - at home that would be an easy pace for me, but the heat here... yikes! It slows you down and hydration is key! Another key factor will be X-training. Making sure I get those swims and bikes in - very important to stay healthy. And even though I don't have my TCM man here (I miss you Shane) - oil massages are not far away nor very expensive....

So I am back on the programme for a race! I am stoked! Let the training begin!

Running in 5th Gear...

Well it has been almost 3 weeks now and life seems to be settling down for us in Bangkok that we're actually thinking of spending the weekend at some beach nearby - as soon as I finish writing this post...

The last time I wrote it had only been 48 hours since landing in Bangkok... Now many hours later we're feeling pretty settled into our new place. We even have a car! That independence and freedom you feel when you know you can just take off whenever you want without really arranging anything... Very exciting.

I'm also at the end of my first week of teaching just Science. Teaching the same 4 classes can get a bit monotonous - but I am excited about what will be happening in the class. The kids are great and very international - I think this is the greatest range of students that I have ever had. Of course all schools have their bumps and hiccups the first couple of days of school - but all is going well. Working with Murray of course is great... very easy going as I knew it would be. People keep teasing us because we're always together... I guess it happens.

George started his first day of pre-school today. He cried a lot. I snuck away but his nanny stayed with him. He was all excited but got a little shy when he saw all the other kids and the new environment. But that is to be expected... it takes him a bit of time to get used to a new place and new people. I guess that can't be a bad thing.

Other than that things are good all around... just miss my girls - but that is to be expected. I know they are there when I need them. The food program has been good too...All the fresh fruit and vegetables. Those who know me will be amazed that I am eating actual fruit on a daily basis... Yes it is true! I now eat fruit! Noy our mae baan is a great cook and is always making something good and healthy. I asked her to make sure that we're eating some sort of salad or vegetables and it's been great. The food at the school is not too bad either - lots of variety and choice... So it hasn't been to hard to stick to good eating... Plus with the heat you don't want something too heavy...

The exercise program has been good too - not great, but good so far... I haven't figured out when I can use the fitness room, but I have been able to at least run or swim every other day if not every day. Yoga by the pool has happened once so far so I'd like to make that more of a habit - easier in the mornings... But there is a lot of incentive to stay fit...

But life is moving on - it's been a little busy, but we've found time to relax and enjoy our home and being here... now the next phase is getting out and experiencing Thailand - and on that note I'm going to go and figure out our beach weekend...

48 hours in Bangkok...

It has been forever since I last wrote a post... But life has been busy! Before I talk about the last 48 hours I'll give a brief summary of the last 48 days...


Finished in Beijing, arrived in Vancouver, visited my family, went on a mini-break to Tofino, learned to surf, back to Vancouver, ran a 10K in sub 60 minutes, attended my sister's wedding reception, flew to Toronto the next day, did a 4 days a week/4week course on the Junior Learner, went to the cottage on the weekend, paddled my wedding canoe with George, took George swimming and finally made our way to Bangkok! Phew... It was a very busy and fast summer - actually didn't feel like summer at all, but it was nice to get to the cottage on the weekend and spend time there with Murray's family and it was awesome staying with Dave and Ruth during the week. But I am happy to be where I am at the moment... but that too has been an absolute whirlwind...


So...back to the last 48 or so hours...


We were set to leave Toronto on the 1:50 am flight to Hong Kong, but I got an email earlier in the day stating that our flight was delayed 12 HOURS! Yep and it kept getting pushed back... so a little stressful and a little overwhelming but it ended up all good and we arrived here at about 2am Sunday (the 29th). Mom's flight was outright cancelled, but she managed to arrive 12 hours after us so that was all good... Sunday we chilled out a bit, tried to get over the jet lag then the fun begins...


Our shipment arrived on Monday - that was a pretty intense day. Then it was non-stop unpacking and putting everything away. Our Mae Bahn - Noy is here and George calls her "my new ayi" and she's been cleaning and settling and we're get set up for our first dinner cooked by her...


Murray went to Ikea this morning... which is an adventure in itself as it is clear across the other side of town! And that stuff should arrive tonight... so hopefully we'll be all settled in to our place in the first couple of days before we even start working. It's a good feeling, but it has been exhausting. The bedroom still needs to be organized, but we are pretty much there...


The heat is something for me to get used to... lots of sweating happening... this is not desert heat - it is humid heat! But it is all good... the windows are open and the fan is going. I feel sticky all the time, but that will be dealt with many trips to the pool and quick showers... I haven't tried to run yet... hopefully that will happen sometime in the morning or when I can... So waking up at 4 am might not be a bad thing so far.


But we're excited to be here... there is green, foliage and just a good feeling around us... so far it is working out well...

Vegan, vegetarian, or meatless?

The other night I just had the yummiest vegetarian dinners with an old friend. He told me he has become vegetarian and the reasons for it. There are lots of pros for going meatless (especially red and white meat) and this dinner just got mer thinking of cutting back my meat intake... I guess part of this blog was to document how I felt about the food that I was eating and how it made me feel. I know I feel much better after I have eaten something fulfilling but light... Vegetables fall into that category... I feel better, healthier and just more satisfied that I didn't eat the heavy food... Plus vegetarian burgers can taste just as good! So do I make that step? Well I don't think it will be a cold turkey kind of thing, but more of a gradual decision making process. Much like the choice to not eat fried food... Well I do still a bit (yam fries are just yummy that way) but I am not opting for the fried spring rolls and such... Same thing for my love of burgers... I will eat them but only fresh made ones and not ones for the fast food place... Sandwiches and salads are key especially when topped with roasted veggies... So maybe it will be a gradual reduction of meat... I don't eat much red meat anyways and chicken can be reduced too... So this might not be a bad plan too... I don't think I will go totally vegan... I'm far too dependent on cheese and eggs... And seafood is still on the menu... But I think going meatless is a good step in the right direction... And if you happen to be in Toronto and want some yummy food, Fresh on Bloor just before Spadina has some good options that will make you think about going meatless...

Many wanderings...

So it's been a while since I have posted anything, but that is a good thing as it has been pretty busy as of late... Tofino... Awesome! My little family and I headed to the far west to experience trees, rainforests and a very long beach. It was a great family break and an attempt to unplug... We weren't too bad - but we had a lot of fun watching the little man play on the beach and run into the ocean. I learned how to surf and got up on my board a couple of times... Loved it enough that I want to do more of it when I have the chance. But it was just great to be outside! There was only one day when we were rained it, but that didn't stop the little man and me from running on the beach and dipping our feet in the ocean. The best part was just being outside and enjoying it - it was amazing. Last Days In Vancouver... A little crazy with the last minute things that we needed to do and my sisters wedding reception. Lots of family time especially with my mom. The reception was nice and the highlight of it all (besides George tearing it up on the dance floor) flash the beautiful dress that my other sister made for me. But it was a good visit and always good to be home. Now I am in Toronto taking my 4 week course so I can complete the requirements to get my teaching certification transferred to Ontario from Arizona. I'm staying with my brother-in-law and his wife who are two of my favorite people in the world. I did the commute in from Oakville to Downtown Toronto yesterday and that was an experience. It really is everything that you think it is going to be if you've heard about it. But I survived it and it isn't so bad. I probably feel that way because I know that I only have to do it for 16 days - EVER... Well we'll see... So with me being here that means that I am away from my boys and I don't like that none too much. I don't mind the freedom, i am keeping busy, but nothing beats seeing the little man and the boyfriend and hanging out with them. What is worse is that they are at the cottage and I'm in the city... So I'll commute out there to see them on the weekends... But I really miss them. So the only thing to do now is to shop (a little), workout and eat well. The nice thing about this arrangement is that I have the time and leisure to cook, but to cook simple healthy meals. I've also been good at avoiding the temptations... I've gone to the mall twice now and avoided the A&W teen burger in lieu of salad rolls and sandwiches and felt much better for it! Yay! Exercise-wise it has been good... Been getting out for runs after getting back from Tofino. I ran a 10k on the 30th and did my best time ever! 57 minutes and I am very proud of myself for doing that! Since getting to Ontario I've gotten out for a run so far and done some yoga... The yoga was definitely a good thing I need to stretch!!! So all around good so far even if a little busy...

No More Fried Food! Really!

I think I have mentioned that I have an absolute weakness for fried, yummy food... And I am very aware of the effects on me after. It is no wonder that there isn't much change in the inches or me getting more toned! This isn't helping with the holistic feeling healthier thing that I am trying to achieve! I have no discipline!!!!! I have to do better...


So this is it. No more fried food! I have to do this! This time I think I can especially since I am writing about it and if I am with any of you that is reading this and we are out for food - make sure I don't do the fried food!!! 


Also I need to eat more fruit... My mom said that to me - "You need to eat more fruit!" There was a time where I was doing it - but I do need to do more of it.


So... well no time like to present to start! I am on my way tomorrow to Tofino with my boys and we're going on a little holiday. Great opportunity to be out, tempted by yummy fried foods and saying no to it all! If I can't say no in those situations, then there is no help! So this is my pledge to stop the fried food!


The numbers...


Exercise - we went for a bike ride around Stanley Park today on bikes. That was loads of fun. Also, Murray doesn't ride bikes slowly so it was a workout to keep up!


Food - well not the greatest... I had halibut and chips for lunch and ribs for dinner... hmmm I think we know what prompted the banning of fried foods...

Shop, shop, shop...

Murray had a conversation with someone saying that it is best to get all your shopping done at the beginning of your break. That way you don't feel so bad about how much you spend, and you can enjoy the rest of your break because you've already done it all. Also you can feel good about all that spending because you aren't spending nearly as much throughout the year or during your break!


Well that is what we've been doing so far... shop, shop, shop. Granted, we never shop in China. Things are either too small, too expensive, or too everything we just don't like. Plus we are moving to a new climate - so we need new wardrobes... Yeah I know just justifying it all - I really do need another pair of lululemon shorts! Really I do! But so far we've been successful. We need to focus more on Mur as he will be up at the cottage for most of the month of July - I however will be able to go to the Eaton centre on a more regular basis... He's been pretty successful, but apparently there is still more to do...


Other than that it has been great weather for runs. Nice and cool with some breeze or rain. I went for an 8k run on Sunday (in the rain) - that was awesome... I tried to run at a faster pace for the last two kilometers - trying to train myself to move faster. Today I went for 5km run. I tried to do 1km intervalls, but that was tough! Maybe I was running to fast. I got to get faster... well not got to but I know that I can run faster for a longer distance - I just need to train for it. My run though today was a little interrupted - nature called... but once that was dealt with it was all good!


The numbers...
Exercise - 8k run on Sunday, 4.5k run today. Feeling pretty good.


Food - Sunday was good, not too much goo, but mom made a roast for Father's day and I drank a good bottle of wine so that was happy. Lunch was out at some restaurant that gets food from their farm and took just as long too. Today, not the greatest - I was at the mall so I had to have A&W! I love those teen burgers. However dinner will be lighter with some veg pasta, tomato and bocachinni salad. Yum...

Getting Back on Track...

Saying good-bye is hard... all the food, wine, hugs, tears, just the thought that it might be last time to see someone... it's not easy... bye to the woman who took care of your house and your child for the past 5 years... hard... the girls that you hang out with on a daily basis... hard... the house that you started your family... maybe not so hard... the country you lived in... not hard at all... Some people, some things, some places, I will miss... Riding my bike through Tian'amen Square and the Forbidden city, hiking on the Great Wall, sitting around a candle lit table with all my friends are all things I will definitely miss. I won't miss running around the compounds for my regular run - that is for sure...


And that just puts everything in perspective. I am now at my mom's place in Richmond, BC and she lives right by the River, close to the airport... Actually we flew over her place when we landed and George yelled out "Poh poh house is over there!" But there is a path along the dyke that goes from around her place all the way to the Richmond Olympic Oval and beyond. It's a 5km loop there and back and it is spectacular. I love running that path - you see nothing but open river and ocean ahead of you one way, and the coastal mountains when you come back. It is fabulous. But why do people look so grumpy when they are running? They have no idea how good they have it. If they only knew... in Vancouver you can run any time of the day any day of the year - the weather is good. I loved it! I truly experienced it all since I had no tunes to listen to on my run, so it was just me and my head and it did my head some good!


I also love my new Garmin Forerunner 210 GPS watch! It tracks my pace, my distance, total time and even my heart rate! I love it... totally noticed that on my first run that I was running fast! I couldn't keep it up on the return trip - but it does help. I am horrible at judging my pace when I am running. I love that thing!


I also love my new iPhone that I also got... yes more toys - but I love being connected but not too connected. I made the decision that after this summer I am going to drop my number so that it won't cost me so much money maintaining it... I'll just get a new sim card when I come back for the next summer... simple as that... but as I should hopefully be mostly in one place for the summer - I won't need a ton of numbers...


Third thing that I have done lately is sign up for a 10K run. I saw it when I was going somewhere with my sister. So when I went for my run I looked at the sign for it more closely and signed up. I didn't know what it was for or who was hosting - I just wanted to sign up for a run to keep me motivated. I later found out that it is for raising funds for SOS Children's Village BC. It is an organization that provides services and programs to kids who are in foster homes. It's awesome... it's to help support the child who are not going to grow up with their biological parents. So if you can please help donate. You don't have to donate much - but I believe in it... If I could I would foster children - everyone deserves a home and a happy one too.


To donate please click here. The run is Saturday, July 30th and I did get the okay from the sister who is having her wedding reception that day... she was the one who suggested I do it... Thanks May!


The numbers...


Exercise
Ran last night - 5km in 29 minutes... it was awesome. Ran again this morning... 4.57k in 27 minutes or so... all on runkeeper all recorded on my awesome GPS watch... love it.


Food
Well, it's been much better... despite the fact that Mom had bought BBQ duck to snack on as well as made a roast chicken for dinner the other night... Lunch at the Cactus club was a trio of butternut squash ravioli with prawns in a truffle beurre blanc sauce (so yum and that was the small portion) and I had a White Spot Legendary burger. The food overall is healthier but the two lunch options weren't the smartest... I didn't feel the greatest after the burger... but it was oh so good... But it is so much easier to eat well here. Mom made a yummy chicken salad from all the left overs - so good and so light... and I am trying not to snack too much on all the food that is around the house... but it is good...

Saying Goodbye - Part 2

My house is empty... 99 boxes of stuff - clothes, books, furniture, toys... stuff is on route to Bangkok. Hopefully all will get there no problem but it is weird to be in the house without all our things that made it our home... But it is nice to physically see it all gone - another milestone of moving/leaving... Something tangible that says - yup you're on your way out.

Yesterday was also the last brunch for a bunch of us... tons of fun and we weren't too rowdy, but it was nice just to get together one last time with some very awesome people. It's just been one thing after another of getting together but honestly it is a good thing... Or else I'd be just sitting around in my empty house killing time. I would much rather be home in Canada hanging out...

With less than 24 hours of work to go and 36 in the country - the goodbyes are coming fast and furious and it's not a good thing, nor a bad thing, because it is just a let's move on and I'll see you again soon thing.

Totally Off Track!

This week is/was my last week in Beijing and it is madness!!! You try and keep a schedule, workout routine, but it just goes out the toilet when you're about to pick up and move country. This is my third time doing it. It's never been easy, but it has never been hard. There is just a lot of stuff that needs to be done... All week I have been wanting to pack for the summer and haven't been able to - it has to be done today because the packers come on Saturday. Then I have to figure out what we are going to need to survive for the next couple days without all our stuff...because EVERYTHING is going to go! Pots, pans, plates, etc... but lucky for us we have friends who are going to feed us... If it weren't for them, it wouldn't be as "easy."

But back to my original thought for this post... Sometimes life happens and you totally get off track... food, wine, exercise... all the things that you are supposed to moderate just gets right off track. I haven't had a good workout since Monday, food has been on (trying to at least have a salad a day and there is a banana on my desk...) and wine... too much wine to "drown" my sorrows of leaving some very good friends and help with the overwhelming feeling of all the tasks that need to be accomplished. But still it is not an excuse to let these things totally make you go off track. That is the whole problem isn't it... that if you really want to look for it there is always an excuse to have that next glass of wine, that egg mcmuffin or not go for that run... and that gets into a bad habit. I do know that this time round, I will find the time to go for a run, I know that this pattern won't last and I know that at the end of the tunnel there is that nice waterfront run where the air is clean (even if the skies are grey) because I'll be back home in Canada... So yes, I have totally gone off track in the past week, but I feel the need to run, exercise and that this is just a temporary setback - I am determined this time to stay on track!

The Beginning of the End...

It's June... and for an international teacher with an end date in June it means the beginning of the end... For me, school is out on June 12th and we fly out on the 13th... I can't believe that the end of 6 years in Beijing is coming to an end... A good end, but none the less an end...


It is the beginning of the end...


Last night was probably my last night out with the girls going for dinner on the town. It was a great night... the weather was reasonable, we could sit outside and of course the company was great. We took a picture of the four of us and it reminded me of one of the last outings I had with my 3 friends at the time in Vancouver. Those girls are still friends, our lives just have changed and we have grown... This group of friends are very dear to me and will continue to be. In a way they are very unique because I don't know when we will all be living in the same city let alone the same country again... We'll always have summers at cottages and so on... but it won't be the same as living and working together...


Today was the last time I will ever have to go to IKEA in Beijing... If you don't know, IKEA in Beijing is a unique experience. Murray and I were always the 0.1% that actually enjoyed going on the weekend during the hight of the madness... People everywhere, sleeping in beds, having meals on tables etc. There is a weird fascination with IKEA here in Beijing, and it was the last time we will have to be there... well never say never, but I don't anticipate going there any time soon... But again another thing that we probably won't ever do again...


Like going to a bar in Lido for beer and pizza. This was a cool little place - the Irish Volunteer... Irish pub with Canadian roots... I remember watching all the playoff games on the weekends there when the Canucks were making their run in 2011... very few places serve Moosehead Pale Ale at 10 am in the morning...


So yes it was the beginning of the end... but doesn't mean it throws food and exercise out the window... The weather was crap today, but hopefully it will be nice enough in the morning to go for a run... This week actually is dedicated to Jackie and doing her workout routine... Hopefully I'll find the time to get that done... Food has been crap, but for the times that I can control it I should... like salads at lunch and so on... it is the beginning of the end, and I am trying not to cook too much, but I will need to so that at least my son will have healthy meals all the time...

No More Pasta!

Today I had a lemon butter cream sauce with capers and smoked salmon fettuccine... yum yum yum... I knew it was an indulgence but hmmmm pasta... I try not to eat pasta too much - but today I just wanted some... but oh boy did it not agree with me later... when am I going to learn? I just can't eat the yummy, creamy, food that appeals to me... Oh well... it's not that I am just giving in, but it is just an attitude adjustment on many levels... 

1. My metabolism just can't do it any more... Sure I could train it... but there are some things that just change over time.
2. The foods that you love sometimes can be more harm than good. According to Ayuveda Medicine I am a Kapha - I like the warm, comfort food, full of flavor, warmth and of course a lot of butter. To be more balanced I need to eat less fried, more fresh  foods - like cucumber, lettuce. And to be honest it feels good after I do eat food like that - more light, more energized - but sometimes... hmm the call of the rich indulgent food...
3. On that note... I have to change what I think is yummy and indulgent. It is not that I don't like salads. My favorite salad is roasting mushrooms and other vegetables and putting over a nice crisp bed of greens... nice light olive oil dressing and some balsamic vinegar... hmmm - that might need to be dinner tomorrow...

So in the end it really just needs some time... and a little more effort on my part - part of the reason I had pasta today was because I was out and I ordered it... I rarely eat it at home because I just don't make it... but the salad yummmmmmm

No exercise today but needless today this day was all about food... nice cool weather came through tonight but I hope it was enough to clear out the air... would love to go for a run in the morning...

On another note - living room purged - that is a good feeling...it doesn't look like it is purged but it is... it is all that stuff that hides and you don't know that it is there - got rid of it! yay! now it is time to attack the toys... 13 more days to go...

Saying Goodbye - part 1

I was going to write my post about the runner's nod... that acknowledgement you give to people you cross when going for a run... Everyone was out this morning for a run... it was quite possibly the most beautiful day in Beijing that I have ever seen in the 6 years that I lived here. The air was cool and clear and it remained clear and clean all day... It is so nice to give a nod or a wave to some complete stranger when you meet them going in the opposite direction when going for a run... there is than kinship you feel and you are saying to them "Yeah, I feel what you are feeling and it is great to be finally out for a run..."


Today was also a crazy day for me as I was fielding a lot of concerns of parents about the placement of their child for the following school year in math. It's a process and I am quite happy to meet with parents who have concerns... the fact that they are taking the time out of their day to meet with a teacher to discuss their child's future is great. Regardless of their reasons, it is just nice to know that they are in their child's corner. But it does take a lot of effort out of you.


The day ended off with our grade level end of the year farewell dinner. There are 5 of us leaving from this team. 3 of us that are core teachers, two mentoring teachers. One that has been for 17+ years and the rest of us around 6 or so years. This was a great group of people to work with. There may have been ups and downs but at the end of the day we all enjoyed working with each other. I've had my teaching partner Iain for 6 years. He's been great. Elaine (who is also leaving) she's been with Murray for 6 years and she's also one of my best friends. I'm also leaving behind another two best friends, Nats and Jackie... it was just so great to be hanging out on Nats bed and just chatting as if we were all teenagers, but yet all mature women... I am going to miss those girls... Just the amount of fun that we have, the closeness we feel. Its like we're trying to cram in as much time together as possible together just so that we can keep alive the great times that we have together that we know we'll find the time in the future but it won't be quite the same because we aren't all living in the same city/country anymore... Tonight I cried just when I was saying thank you to my colleagues just because I felt that as I looked at all of them I found friends - friends enough that if and when I see them in the future I would be quite happy to know how they are doing...


So to my fellow Grade 6 Team colleagues at ISB - thank you for a great 6 years.


Exercise today - 30:16 (521 cal) Same loop as Monday, better time. Felt great and loved the pace I was running at... Was strong for the first 10 minutes then tapered off... But the weather was so great how could you not love running in the morning - especially a morning like this in Beijing - one in a million...


Food: totally irrelevant because it was a dinner and there was lots of booze... I was so wired up at the end of the day that it took half a bottle of champagne to calm me down... then there was more wine... But it was all had with great company so totally worth it.

The Last Massage...

I have a massage guy. Living in China it's not hard to have one... but this guy is special. He's also a friend. The cool thing about him is that a) he practices Traditional Chinese Medicine, b) he's Canadian, and c) he's just a good person... The first time I went to him was to do some rehab on my much inflicted left knee after tearing the ACL for the second time in my life... I saw him off and on for the last 6 years, the most recent block was while I was training for the half-marathon. Not only were the massages/treatments meant to heal the body his ability to make one at ease while in his presence helps heal the soul. So thanks to my massage guy Shane - couldn't have completed the half without you and gotten through some of the crazier parts of my life in Beijing... You are much appreciated and valued... Good luck in future endeavors... 


Exercise today: 30/30 workout plus a 10 minute run at a 10kph pace. Felt really good, still feeling strong.


Food:
Breakfast - a little bit of indulgence: egg, sausage, bacon and a small hash brown... but yummy
Lunch - tuna sandwich wrap with cheese and cucumber... good go to meal... the salad looked to plain
Dinner - chicken vindaloo curry with sweet potatoes and zucchini on couscous. I am trying to use up some of the canned food that is in my cupboard and only buy what I need because I only have two weeks to go...


More about leaving later... not ready to deal with that one yet...

Indulgence....

I took the week off... I was so impressed with myself that I got that half marathon done I just didn't work out... well I tried a couple of days of it but then I just needed to rest and if I am going to rest I am going to rest hard!

Three days of pure eating, drinking and just plain fun was needed I guess... but I am feeling the effects. By the end of the week I was saying to myself I need to get back in an exercise groove... so I went for a run and what a run that was!

I started off my run at what I thought was a nice leisurely pace, but when I looked at my time and the checks it seems that I was running faster and stronger than I ever had! AWESOME! I beat my regular time by 2 minutes and ran a little longer. It was great and such a great feeling to feel strong...

So yes indulgence is good, but not too much... I really do want to discipline myself with my eating habits and limiting the amount of carbs that I am eating... either not having them for a couple of days or just having them in the morning. Another trick is having carbs and veg together or veg and protein together at meals but never carbs and meat together... that helps too. So I'll try to stick to one of those...

Workout plan... the run was great but now it is getting back in that general groove. It's going to be tough with only 2 more weeks to go in China... but it's got to be that way... I can't just let it all go for two weeks... I think the important thing is to get up early and do something... If I can't run, then spin, or do yoga or hit the gym with Nats... as long as I am active 6 days of the week... that should help...

So I guess  now it is time to indulge back in health and feeling healthy - do all the things that make me feel great. :)
 

Let's Get Together for Dinner

I love how food brings people together... You use going for drinks or dinner as an excuse to get together and visit with each other, spend time with people and of course eat.

Last night I had a fabulous dinner with Lulu. She used to live here in Beijing and comes every year for the ANZAC dinner at the Great Wall. She is so much fun to hang out and just a great friend. I may not stay in constant contact with her but when I see her all is good (that seems to be a theme with many of my good friends out there...). We had a great time despite the fact that those two mojitos that I had before dinner didn't agree with the half bottle of wine that went with dinner... But dinner was fab! Ceviche, scallops,risotto with fois gras and lobster TWICE - it was delish and at my favorite restaurant in Beijing. The company was great and so was the food...

Tonight is my final bookclub meeting. Every month 8 of us get together to discuss a book of our choice and have dinner. Dinner is always good and full of fun conversation. This will be the last one for this group of girls because half of us a leaving to new adventures. So it will be sad but fun to get together to just enjoy each others company...

So it is a little bittersweet couple of days, seeing old friends and saying goodbye to others... Good food, good company, and good wine always go hand in hand...

Yeah I skipped the workouts today...

Recovery...

So I didn't really know that I was supposed to lay off the running for a little big... but I thought that a nice easy run would be what I needed to loosen up my thighs... NOT. I practically fell off the treadmill. Yes, yes, for those of you who live in Beijing - it was a gorgeous day outside, but I am glad that I was inside... it was easier to adjust my pace and just run for 10 minutes instead of 30. But it was not fun. Who knew that you were supposed to wait two weeks before regular training should begin? Who knew that you should probably lay off any kind of running for a day or two? I don't want to rest! I want to run! I miss it! I want the exercise! I need to work off the one dish that Eurest makes that is yummy - oh yeah there is that...


I am not a fan of our cafeteria food. I walk to the salad bar and am bored, even though there is lots of goodness there, but none of it appeals to me. The rest of the food is just covered in grease, or is just plain bland. But there is one thing that Eurest (the company that makes the food at the school) does well - it's the Korean-Kimchee rice goodness. First there is the rice (which I always ask them to give me half the amount), then the fried egg with the sauteed mushrooms and shredded carrots and some bacons. Then there are the sides, the kimchee (which I never get), the spinach (yummy), and bean spouts (okay addition). Then to top it all off is this wonderful thick spicy red sauce that just makes everything taste oh-so-good! I am sure that it is not healthy for me - but I tell myself (in the last two weeks of me living in China) that I will get it when it is there! And it was good...


See I have this thing with food... same thing happened with dinner... Murray is out of town on our annual China Link trip to Shanghai - so that means I tend to sneak in all the lovely food that I don't usually eat like fried jaozi. But because I indulged for lunch I would have the left over salad and chicken from dinner last night. But the jaozi called to me... so instead of frying them I boiled them - they were delish! But I clearly ate too much food... What is this need to always eat what I desire, the need to eat the savory? I always find the excuse to eat the fried, juicy, saucy food that I want when it is in front of me... Why can't I resist? Because I love it! But I feel it not always agreeing with me with the health of my body... I feel a little ill, bloated, and I wonder why  - this is why! I must moderate! There is no way I can cut it out... but I definitely moderate... it needs to happen if I want to see results and keep the engine running efficiently...


Positive thing today - I was a happy eater and I drank water to curb a lot of my hunger. So that is a start. I do make sure that I only eat 3 meals a day and not snack throughout - I'm not a snacker... But food, my relationship with you needs to change in a positive way!


Exercise: 5 minute walk @ 6 kph then 10 minutes light running at 7.5 kph then 5 minute walk @ 6 kph. Burned a whopping 211 calories... Taking it easy is providing a great opportunity for me to incorporate other forms of exercise and get back into my yoga groove...


Food: Well I guess it's all about the food...

The Journey Begins...

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Exercise: 30/30 workout - I do an exercise for 30 seconds then rest for 30 seconds... I continue to do that working my way through 30 exercises; 10 upper body, 10 lower body, and 10 core exercises. I learnt how to do this during the Health and Physical Education course that I took in the summer. I lost the sheet that they gave me so I came up with my own exercises... I remember that workout being really intense, but I realized after talking to Nathalie about it that it was because I was in a room with 20+ PE teachers who are all super competitive... so that might be why I pushed it...
Time: 30 minutes  Avg HR: 110     Calories burned:  250 approx (I know I shouldn't count the calories, but I wear an HR monitor and I get a little bit of satisfaction seeing how many calories I burn during a workout... I try to aim to burn at least 500 per session... might have to adjust that mindset this week - I do feel like I could have done a little more...)


Food:
Breakfast - scrambled eggs and a sausage with a non-fat latte... not the breakfast of champions, but I was craving the salt... Coffee - I didn't have my tea with me today... but it was a nice indulgence...


Lunch: Barbacoa Beef Salad Bowl from the Avocado - I forgot to saw no sour cream... but not much was added... the salad was good - yummy!


Dinner: BBQ Chicken thighs coated with Thai Red Curry paste and a salad (zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, and left-over potatoes). I might have had too many little potatoes and was trying to go without carbs today... but they were leftovers and I didn't want them to go to waste... I also probably had one more piece of chicken that I shouldn't but I took off the skin and it was very juicy...


Treats: Beer - big Heineken... hmmm Murray went out to get some... Two chocolates that we got from lunch yesterday... they were very yummy...


So what is the philosophy with food? Well I am trying to control my portions - for me that is a big deal because if food is in front of me I just eat with no control! It's awful! So I'm trying to stick to this plan of as much fruits and veg as I want with modest serving of protein every day, carbs like pasta/potatoes/bread every third day. It's not easy but I find that I can get through breakfast and lunch without it and then when dinner comes around I don't feel like having a pasta dinner. The week before the marathon was fun though... I ate bread and rice... but on a regular basis I'm trying not to eat too much of it and so far it is working out well...


Another thing I am trying to cut down on is cheese. I love cheese too... but I find if you don't have it in the house you don't eat it! Trying to reduce these things and have them in moderation I have found that my body is adjusting and feeling better for it... all about keeping the fuel good...

So Now What?!?!?

I did it! I have just completed the Great Wall Half Marathon on Saturday, May 19th with a time of 3:15:01. I am so pleased with myself! It was the first time that I trained and completed something like this in my life. I ran at least 5 times a week,I gradually increased the weekly kilometers and have completed 3, 20km+ runs prior to the race on Saturday and lost 3kgs. I am so happy that I did it!

So now what?

I loved training for this run. It was such a tangible goal that it was easy to keep focus. The fact that it was my first half marathon was also a huge motivation factor for me. I had to train my body to run longer than an hour. Before this I could barely run for 45 minutes. But am I always going to need a race to train for to keep me in shape? I hope not, but it did make it easier for me to stay focused... I have learned a couple of things about myself during this training process...

1. I like publishing my runs/workouts/exercises - Using runkeeper was great for that. Mapping out the run, writing how I felt and having it followed by the few people that saw it on Facebook. It helped! That is why I read other people's posts when they put it up there!

2. It is all about food! Food has this power over me - I like food, I love food! I can't stop myself when I am eating something I love! But I am finding that my body cannot keep up anymore. I feel my tummy grumble after I eat something yummy and saucy and full of rich goodness... but it just does not agree with me later. I feel ten times better when I am eating fruits and vegetables - although bland at times, I can make it yummy and healthy.

3. Writing it down isn't good enough - I used to do all this writing in a journal... nice and private and the only person that really knew I was doing that was my lawfully wedded boyfriend. And even then I wouldn't really let him see it - but he knew what I was writing about. But that isn't the same... it's one thing to admit something to yourself, it is another thing to admit it aloud to other people. That one simple act make it real and makes you accountable not just to others but to yourself in a more real way.

So this is it... This is where I am going to keep it in gear - with or without a race at the end of the tunnel, because it is a life long journey. There are a lot of things that will happen along the way and hopefully you'll join me in the journey...

Just one note of thanks to Uzay - you inspired me to have the courage to start writing this all out... Thanks!

So let's get into first gear...