AHHH Mexico....

For the next three weeks I will be traveling all over Mexico to Puerto Vallarta, Punta Mita, Los Cabos and Cancun to learn about all the new hotels I now work for. Other than Chris, my friends and the boneheads, the thing I miss the most about Hawaii is the beach. I AM A BEACH BUM. I love it. I love swimming, surfing, paddling, sitting on the beach, running on the beach (this is really the only time I love running), and playing fetch with the dogs in the ocean.
After being in Mexico City for two weeks with no sight of the beach, it is very comforting to know that for $100 and a little over an hour of flying, I can be at some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. And look baby – there are tons of good waves for surfing!

90% of my time while in these incredible places is spent working or sleeping, but the rest of the time I get to go run on the beach. No Garmin, no heart rate monitor and a watch only so I know when I have to go back to get to my next meeting.

Here is my week of beach running in photos:
My first hotel visit:

I did a full stop in front of this place. Pizza and Beer and Tacos and Beer all in one place. My heaven. And not only is it happy hour 2x1, it is happy DAY 2x1 on Tuesdays. And today is Tuesday. Coincidence or do they change the sign every day? It took a lot of effort to continue running and check this place out.


Here I am all happy before my sunrise run in Punta Mita…

I got my red shoes on and I am off…

The sunrise

Woops – I didn’t realize the waves were coming that high.

There are my abandoned shoes after the wave hit

I guess I will have to run back barefoot

They even have coconuts on the beach here too. It is almost like I haven’t left.

Here I am all finished still smiling.

One week down and two to go before I head back to Hawaii for two weeks. There will be lots more beach running pics to come! I love my job!!!

This past Sunday was the Houston Half Marathon. I was incredibly excited for this race because it is my favorite running race ever and I don’t like to run, so that is saying a lot. Well you can see from the look of pain on my face that this was not one for the record books. I got this photo from brightroom – the peeps that took the photos. Normally I am all happy smiley no matter how I am feeling, but this race was quite a bit different.



I think 2 weeks of puking, not eating and dropping 10-12lbs had taken its toll on my body. The plan was to go out with a comfortable pace for the first half at about 9 minute miles and then push it up to 8:30 or faster for the last half. The race started out great and I was right on track. Miles 1-5 were 9:02, 9:03, 9:02, 8:59, and 9:00. Right on track. I was feeling really really good. I started to think that there was something to this living at altitude thing. Then came mile 6 and 7. Mile 6 was straight up hill. Well straight up a “Houston hill” which the rest of the world would call a highway overpass. Then it hit me…My knees started to hurt, my calves were cramping and my legs felt like jello. Ok, so living at altitude helps your breathing, but the non training has really hurt the rest of the body. I started to realize what two weeks of almost nothing can do to you. I wanted to walk (people were walking because this was a mountain people!!!), but I refuse to walk unless I am injured. So I kept running and repeating “quitting is for loser pu**ys” over and over again. It helped. The times for 6 and 7 were so bad that I stopped the garmin. I don’t want training peaks to know what I did. Mile 8 – I see Dad and my Grandmother!!! Mile 8.5 – there’s MOM!!! I felt better. I wanted some cliff shots. I reached in my back pocket and there was nothing. I realized I had thrown them out when the corner of the packet had scratched a hole in my back so bad it was bleeding down my leg. Who needs calories right? The sun started to come out and it was getting hot for this race (75 way too hot for me!) and I realized that I wasn’t going to get any PRs today, so I might as well enjoy it. In all hoesty I was really having fun. I was cheering for everyone coming by and everyone that I passed. I also was really happy at the turn off when the marathoners had to keep going. I cheered for myself that I was smart enough not to sign up for the half instead of the full. As I ran the last part of the race I got to see the top men marathoners coming in so I stopped and watched the top 3 winners and cheered. Yes, I stopped. Why not? I wanted to enjoy the day.

This race wasn’t my best time, in fact it was my worst. But it was the most fun I have actually had running. And I realized what I need to work on – training at altitude. I have to force myself to keep training hard every day even if it hurts worse than it did in Hawaii. I have an advantage now – I live in altitude and plan to race most of my races at sea level. I have also resigned to the fact that this year is about running. I cant do triathlons in Mexico without a bike and I wont have my bikes here until June. I also cant swim anywhere yet since I don’t have a gym or a car to get to the gym and it is ill advised to walk around Mexico City at night without a clue, so I am going to finish Jack Daniel’s Running Formula and work at my running this year. Next weekend is a sprint till you puke (5K) that I am doing with my mom. This is my kind of distance. I am also planning the 2009 racing season. Right now all I have is this 5K, the Great Aloha Run and the NYC Marathon. I am open to any other suggestions on fun races to do.

I normally am not so happy with poor performances, but I think the fact that I am sitting on my balcony at the St. Regis in Punta Mita having a glass of wine helps. I love my job!

Name Change

No, I am not changing my name, Chris and I arent getting married...YET. No pressure baby :). The name that is changing is my blog's. I have been in Mexico City for two weeks and I think traininginhawaii needs to be retired. I am currently on the hunt for some new names. Since technically my home is still Hawaii, and I will be back there 6 weeks over the next four months and am doing at least two races there, I can keep the name for a little bit longer. At least until I can come up with something suitable for my new city. Trainingin"El DF" just doesnt sound as fun as Training in Hawaii. One option is "trainingatmybloodynosethreshold". It happened again, and it is all because of the altitude. I am gasping for air, going 3/4 of my normal speed, and feel like I am going to have a heart attack, and then 30 minutes in...it happens. Bloody nose. Tonight it happened all over the elliptical trainer - GROSS.

48 hours from now I will be in Houston eating at one of my favorite Mexican places with some friends. The trip is twofold - 1) i am throwing an engagement party for one of my friends. Her nickname is Ellen. We used to be dates to everyone's wedding when we were single and she was Ellen and I was Portia. And we signed every wedding book that way. Now that I am attending her engagement party, I am going to have to find another Ellen to go with since Chris cant make the trip. The second reason for the trip is to run the Houston half marathon. I know these two reasons dont really go well together, but I promise I will keep it together and not have too much fun saturday night. This race I will be racing at 121 lbs. An all-time low for me. I ran NYC marathon at 132. This is partially due to the little virus I had, the fact that I have had one beer and one glass of wine since I got here, and the fact that these crazy people here only eat one real meal a day. So either I will whiz through the race or collapse from lack of nutrition.

And finally I ordered a t-shirt today. I came to Mexico with exactly 3 shirts. The shirt I was wearing on the plane, 1 of Chris's shirts to sleep in and one work shirt. I wasnt prepared. I have spent these two weeks hiding under buttoned suit jackets with little kid bras. I get to pick this up at my mom's house on friday. I thought it fitting considering my new location in the world.

Finally a run outside

Today I had an 8 mile run on the schedule. The race is in a week, so I didnt want to push the run, but wanted to get out and explore. Every Sunday the main street through the city is closed to bike and pedestrian traffic only. And with sunny skies and 18 degree C weather (not sure what that is, but I think it is about 65), it was a perfect day for an outside run.

I thought there would just be a few people out, but the street was crowded. Not so packed that I couldnt move, but just the right amount of packed.

The pace was still slower than I would like, but I am still getting used to the altitude. The legs feel fine, I just get out of breath faster. I did finish the 8 miles I was supposed to run though. For those of you that warned me not to run outside because of the smog here, I can definitely say that the air quality here is much better than I experienced in Hawaii. Here are two comparison photos. One taken in Hawaii yesterday with all the VOG and one taken in Mexico this AM. Right now I would much rather be in Mexico.
Hawaii - you can barely make out Diamond Head

Mexico City - you can clearly see the cloud in the sky

Here was my run through the lens of my camera. I started out right outside of my hotel at the angel statue.

I then ran to the statue of the Diana

Then I continued on Paseo de la Reforma until I got to Chapultepec Park where I continued through various trails until I hit my mileage to go back home. The park itself is less than a mile from my hotel I think so I just ran about 6 miles around the park seeing the different sites.
Here are some people running along Reforma where the street isnt closed off. I would not be brave enough to do this as cars are going 60km/h and have to move around these people

Here is the east entrance to the park and the Monumento a los Ninos Heroes.

Here is Chapultepec Castle. They have tours where you can walk inside the castle, but since I was doing a run I decided to wait for another day to do this tour.

And finally here is the recycling bin where I threw my water bottle away.
I hate that I have been going through so many water bottles here, but right now that is my only option. I cant drink the tap water and I dont have anywhere to boil my water, so as long as I am in a hotel, i am going to have to drink the bottles. At least the recycling situation here is way better than it is in the US.

So outside run #1 down. I might venture to do another tomorrow morning assuming that I can get up in time.

Really? This is all my body can do now?

After nearly a week of not working out, 5 days of almost zero eating, and 3 days of a stomach bug I tried my first workout. It was sad to say the least. All of these issues compiled with the enormously high altitude (we are at 7400 feet people!)=pansy(or another term) workout. I should have known it would hurt after I got an altitude induced bloody nose this AM. I started out on the treadmill warming up. HR started to rise and fast. Hmmm, starting to feel like I am gonna pass out. I looked down. I am running 8 minute miles with a HR for my sprints. I stopped. I didnt want to embarrass myself on my first workout and pass out. Who brought this chick into Mexico from Hawaii? Send her back! Then I got on the bike. I felt better but still was breathing in hard, had a dry nose and was getting tired fast. I did this for about 40 minutes and decided that an hour on my first time back was enough. Yes I am a wimp. No I don't care right now. I am starting to think that Mexico is better suited for eating and drinking tequila.
But I know me, and I know I will go back tomorrow...
The good news is I have this at my disposal for free for as long as I work here, and in Feb a heated pool opens up for me to swim in!


No it is not the same as running diamond head, but I was able to watch the BCS game while suffering and that helped just a little bit. Plus Houston is flat, sea level and the race next weekend is such a fun race. Stomach virus weight loss and living and "training" at altitude = PR in Houston right???
I also was able to leave work at 8, get in the gym by 8:10 and be back with room service by 9:15 (the beauty of living and working in the hotel). This weekend I am checking out places to live until Chris moves down here, and then after that I am finding a running club - I have been told there are tons here. Hopefully I will be used to the altitude by then. Otherwise I will be the slow ass chick in the back and if that happens i will retire to the nearest margarita bar.

Not really starting out the way I had planned

2009 has not been that good to me yet. Training-wise I have logged 14 miles. And that was on one day. With packing and seeing all my friends before I left, I didnt really have time to run any more than that in Hawaii. I was ok with that because I knew when I got to Mexico I would have plenty of time to train, although it would all be on a treadmill. Well I left for Mexico City on Sunday. 10 hours of barfing on a plane (yes I got a stomach bug an hour after we left Honolulu), I was in Mexico City. 1 hour after that I was safely in the hotel room bed. It is Wednesday and I finally feel alive again. I have survived on 12 grapes, 1 pear, 1/2 an apple, 4 crackers and a few bottles of water. That is all I have been able to handle. Today I feel better. Not hungry yet, but better. I have not left the hotel room yet and my only exercise has been from the bed to the computer to check email and read blogs. People keep asking me about the weather and I honestly have not looked outside yet, it is really sad. But today I start work and am really excited about it. If I am able to eat I will get a light treadmill session in before I really start again tomorrow. Pictures will start coming soon as well. I have never ever ever had a stomach bug (I think the last time I threw up was when I was 2) and I dont intend on getting one again. It was awful! So I am ok taking it easy.
11 days until the half marathon in Houston. I was excited about being sick ONLY because I knew I might lose a little weight and who doesnt mind that? Any extra weight off is less weight to carry running and that is always a good thing. Well I stepped on the scale yesterday and I had only lost 5 lbs. Really? 10 hours of puking and 4 days of no eating and that is all I lose? I will gain that back in one meal!

Happy 2009!

Happy new year - this is me explaining new year's to Liko right before he got so scared of the fireworks he crapped on the lanai.

I guess since it is January 2nd, it is about time that I reflect on 2008 and make some 2009 resolutions. Every year starts out with a big bowl of these:

I have been told by my mother that it is good luck to have black eyed peas for new years day. It is something that I have always done, and so far they have worked. However, when I tell my friends about it, they look at me like I am crazy. It must be a southern thing. Or at least a Texas thing. 2008 was a good year. I got to spend it with this guy - the best support team in the world!

Thanks for helping me out this past year babe. Not only were you an amazing cheerleader during my races, but you helped me in so many other ways I can't even count.
I also completed my two resolutions - Complete NYC marathon and complete Honu. Both have been checked off, although my finish times pretty much sucked. But I can have times be part of my 2009 resolutions.
So here they are my 2009 resolutions. I am sure more will be added, but here are the ones I can come up with in my week long celebration head.
1) Enjoy Mexico as much as I have enjoyed Hawaii. I really want to make sure that I have fun there. It is not every day that a company will move someone to another country and I want to be sure I make the most of it. When I was moved to Hawaii for work, I jumped right in and really took every advantage of living here and I plan to do the same in Mexico.
2) Have a training plan and stick to it. I have spent the past year training in my own way. Pretty much whatever I wanted to do that day I did. Next year I think I need a plan in order to get better.
3) Beat my times in Honu and NYC marathon. I think with #2 this will be doable.
4) Be flexible in Mexico. Since I wont have a bike until May and I am not sure what the swim situation is there, I may have to stick to running races. But I plan to take advantage of whatever comes my way.
5) Continue the no sugar diet. It has worked well so far.

So here is wishing everyone a Happy 2009.