Run It!

{Goldfish Kiss blogger Rebekah running on the beach in Oahu}

In my effort to take my fitness and health to a new level, I've started running on the beach.  The first time I ever ran across the sand was when I participated in the Kahana Canoe Club's relay race last March.  The last leg was a mile run along the beach--and it kicked my butt.  I ran the entire mile in my bikini with bare feet.  I never stopped to walk, but my legs were burning in ways that I had never experienced when running on the road.

I was intrigued by the new challenge of running across wet sand with the surf washing across my toes (and of course, you can't imagine a prettier place to run), so I have begun to slowly incorporate it into my workouts.

After my long day of running errands and shopping on the other side, it was all I could do to talk myself into heading to Airport Beach for a sunset run. 

When I arrived, the water looked so calm, I couldn't resist jumping in for a swim.  I swam about a quarter mile to Black Rock, pulling against a strong current, before I decided to get out of the water and run the rest of the way.  I ran another quarter mile towards Black Rock, then turned back around and headed back to the spot where I got out of the water.

I was breathing ragged at this point, and I had to take a minute to walk the beach before I could continue on.  Once I got to the spot where I got out of the ocean (marked by a big, round white buoy), I snapped my goggles back into place and marched into the water.

Swimming back to my initial starting point was a breeze now that I was swimming with the current.  Even though I was breathing hard after my run, I shot through the water like a bullet.

I was done with my workout before the sunset, and I read my book on my new Kikoy Beach Towel until the sun dropped.

I came home and showered, then headed to Kahana to join a friend at her family's home for dinner (fresh mahi mahi, asparagus and potatoes).  The front yard sports a lemon and kumquat tree.  Both going off with fruit.  My friend sent me home with more lemons than I know what to do with (most of them the size of a baseball, mind you), and I brought home some kumquats so I can have the pleasure of introducing them to Bryan (who I can imagine will not like them, but I'm looking forward to seeing the faces that he'll make when he eats one).  I had my first kumquat last night, and it was definitely an interesting experience.  I have concluded that I think I like them.  I'm not entirely convinced yet.

I cut a lemon up this morning and crammed three slices into my water bottle.  Refreshing.

I have a feeling that quite a few of them will wind up in vinaigrettes.  I've been on a huge salad kick lately, and I love, love, love making my own salad dressings.  I made an arugula, radish, and green bean salad topped with one perfectly poached egg this afternoon.  The finishing touch?  Homemade honey mustard vinaigrette:

good olive oil, good wine vinegar (3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar), Bryan's beloved Ohio stadium mustard, a swirl of honey (mustard and honey to taste) combined in one small tupperware.  I screwed the lid on and then shook the dickens out of the ingredients.

Yum.

{original image from Marie Claire magazine}

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We are the Champions!

That's right, baby, that's a medal!  And it's not just any medal.  It's a medal for first place.

About two weeks ago, my coworker Strider convinced me to partner up with him for his canoe club's Season Kickoff Ocean Relay.  I'm not much of an athletic competitor, but at the time it seemed fun.

I much prefer to work out on my own, at my own pace with absolutely no witnesses to mock my slow progress.  Strider told me that his canoe club event was going to be a super friendly and low key race.  It's more of a meet and greet to start the season off in high spirits and to introduce newbies to the club and the sport and to hopefully recruit some new paddlers.

Strider and I arrived at Canoe Beach a little after 9 am.  Strider unloaded the gear from his truck, then we registered for $5 each, got our team number inked onto our legs with a permanent marker and headed to the beach.  

Around 10 am, the race organizers showed us the maps of all four legs of the race and outlined the course for us.

I told Strider that I would do the first and fourth leg: a quarter mile swim and a one mile run.  Strider would do leg two and three back to back: longboard paddling for one mile followed by a one man canoe sprint for two miles.

Standing on the beach and looking out towards the swimming buoy, I felt that their idea of a quarter mile was a lot longer than any quarter mile I had ever seen.  I started to get nervous.  I snapped my goggles into place and stood in line next to the other swimmers.

When the air horn sounded,  I plunged into the water with 25 to 30 other swimmers.  This was the first time I've ever raced in open water, and it was the first time I've swum competitively since I was in middle school.

I feel like I'm a strong and accomplished swimmer, but I certainly had overestimated my abilities prior to this race.

I didn't get pushed into the bottom of the pack, but I swam hard and exhaustively to stay in the middle.  At a few points, I swiveled onto my back to catch my breath.  Even swimming backstroke I made good time and passed a few swimmers to the buoy.  I finally rounded the buoy and made the long return back to the beach.

The shore looked so very, very far away.

I managed to focus more on my form on the swim back and decided to slow down my pace.  I began to focus on using proper technique so I wasn't tiring out my arms, legs and lungs.  Once I slowed down a bit and focused on taking a deep, even breath every three to five strokes, I was able to make some better time.  I passed two or three more swimmers on the stretch back to the beach.

I had never been so relieved to see sand.  I started walking before I was really out of the water and slipped over some big rocks, so I kicked back into a few swimming strokes to land me on the beach.

I ran up over the rise and through the starting flags to tag Strider.

Strider is a beast.  He powered through his two events like it was no big deal.  On both events he sailed past fleets of our competitors.

Once he was out of the water from his second leg, I put myself in position for the beach run.

I'm not much of a runner.  I can do a mile--just not very fast.  And not after doing a quarter mile swim, but I had Strider at my back, cheering me own, so I had to push through.

I kept my pace nice and steady and passed one other runner on my first leg.  The leg back of the first lap was a little hard.  It began to dawn on me that I was already getting tired, and the last thing I wanted to do was slow down and walk, so I slowed my pace a little and kept plunging onwards.

The start of my second lap felt stronger although my calves were already burning from running on sand.  I tried to stay on the harder packed stuff along the waterline, but every once in awhile I had to inch back up into the softer sand to avoid running through water as the ocean lapped up onto the beach.

As I rounded the flag on the far end of the beach to make my last leg of the mile run, I saw Strider halfway down the beach clapping and cheering me on.  I picked up my pace and started really running for the finish line.  As I passed Strider, I pushed even harder and sprinted for the finish flag.

With our powers combined we managed to finish first among the coed teams that were competing today.

It was a great event, and it was even more fun running into so many of my friends there.  After the race, beers and snacks were provided, and everyone got to hang out for a little while.

I had a fun time, but I'm completely worn out.  Work should be fun tonight...wish me luck!!

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.4

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Zombies, Run!

As I was sitting at home in front of my computer finding ways to stall on starting a workout, I came across  this new phone app for runners.

It's called Zombies, Run.  It's a game you put on your phone to make your running workouts more interactive, motivating, and terrifying.

You plug your headphones in and a narrator will tell you how far you are running and your objective (usually scavenging for supplies in this post apocalyptic world overrun by zombies).  As you are running, there are many chances to run into zombies.  The game motivates you to pick up your pace and add mileage to your run as you pick new routes to evade oncoming hordes of the walking (running) dead.

I am totally excited about this.  I love fitness.  I love fitness technology.  And I hate running.  But I love zombies.

I use my love for zombies to push myself to run faster and further--and I do this without an app.  I just use my own dark and twisted imagination.  There are times when I get so deep into my running wild scenario that I even hear footsteps behind me that slowly get drowned out by the sound of my own harsh, ragged breathing.

But the idea of having someone else create a zombie chase scene for me is incredibly enticing.  I had to learn more.

I found this video review of the free app:

I like the idea that you can choose the type of zombie before you begin your workout.  The zombies from Romero films from the 80s have evolved into uber-zombies in today's Hollywood horror movies and no longer lurch about, but full on SPRINT in their efforts to eat your brains.

I'm not quite sure if I'm at that fitness level yet.  I can only sprint in very short doses with a long period of resting (ie: lying on the field in defeat and intense pain).  If I choose this app, I'll be picking the very slow, very dim zombies.  

I love the idea of this app--you can never go wrong when choosing zombies, but I'm not sure if I can justify adding the awesomeness of zombies to my run if I'm only going out for a mile at a time.

It is free.  Maybe I'll download it and let you know how it goes.  Hopefully I don't get so terrified by being chased by zombies that I run into traffic trying to save my brains.

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