Bike, Party, Run

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First off, a report on how my evening snack re-training is going. The answer is, GREAT! I've had zero incidents of the unwanted behavior. Granted, it's only been two evenings so far, but it's always nice to start strong. Knowing I'll be texting Michelle in the morning, knowing I'd have to write a behavior chain analysis if I do start snacking - so far, it's enough to keep me on track. Michelle has been great, texting me every morning as planned.

So last night we went over to our friends Wendy and Victor's house for dinner. Wendy likes to do running events and Victor has dabbled pretty heavily in triathlons. None of us were doing this stuff when we met some 6 or 7 years ago now. I'm hoping to get Wendy on board with a tri - I think she'd love it! Anyway, our evening wasn't about that stuff though, it was about catching up on life and enjoying a fun night together.

Wendy made pesto pasta and salad and she served a lovely loaf of olive bread with olive oil to dip it in. I was all over that dinner and ate quite a bit more than I really needed. Wendy and I managed to polish off a healthy amount of vodka sodas too. At some point the kids got out these mini mint ice cream sandwiches and if memory serves I had three of those, though I suppose it could have been four. I took a bar of chocolate over for after dinner but fortunately I forgot about it. It was nice to unwind and relax with them while sharing plenty of laughs. And when I got home I was so tired I didn't even think about snacking.

Myra making waffles with morning hair

Fortunately, despite all the vodka, I didn't wake up feeling bad. I think I ate enough to balance out the alcohol intake. The morning started with making waffles for the kids. I had a rough idea of wanting to go on a bike ride and a run but wasn't sure how it would play out. We had a mid-morning birthday party and Miguel had an afternoon soccer game. So after breakfast and a bit of chatting we came up with a plan. I'd leave the house early, go on a ride and meet up with the family at the birthday party, which was in a local park. I'd change, so as not to be standing around in spandex, and then enjoy the party. After the party, I'd change into running clothes and go for a run, eventually ending up at home. It's almost like a triathlon! Bike, Party, Run.

Pre-ride smile.

So I left the house a bit later than I'd hoped, only leaving an hour for my ride. I wasn't sure about my route but quickly decided on riding toward this good sized hill that used to scare the bejeezus out of me. The weather was lovely and there were a lot of other folks out running and cycling. That's always nice to see. In the end I rode 12.9 miles, seeking out and finding what is now not even a somewhat scary hill. It's still a challenge, it just doesn't scare me anymore. Besides...

What goes up, must come down and according to my Garmin I hit a max speed of 41.2 mph. To tell you the truth, I find that hard to believe. The fastest I'd ever gone before was around 35/36 mph so 41 is quite a jump.

Check out that max speed?!

Elevation profile. Full Garmin stats here.

One of three skunks I saw (and smelled) during the ride.

At my turn-around point. What a gorgeous day!!

After the ride I joined Miguel and the kids at the birthday party, which happened to be thrown by none other than Michelle. It was a great party with lots of yummy and healthy foods. I had fruit, a half of a mini-chocolate croissant, 2/3 of a mini-cinnamon roll, a slice of sandwich ham and a bite of Myra's cupcake. I think that's all I had but I'm not completely sure. Oh, and some coffee. I figured that couldn't hurt my run.

After the party I changed into my running clothes and bid adieu to Miguel and the kids. I ran on the same road on which I'd biked earlier, of course not making it quite as far. I turned around after a couple miles to head toward home. It had warmed up some and I found myself pleading for shade during the sunny parts of the run. My legs were not thrilled to be out there but they didn't let me down. I had half of an AccelGel around mile 4, really feeling I needed a boost.

Run splits. Full Garmin stats here.

Run elevation profile.

I finished with an average pace of 10:11 minute miles, and I was super happy with that, figuring I'd be more in the 10:30 range. If I could run 10:30 or better during the triathlon I'd be thrilled. Though I'm not setting a goal. I just want to enjoy myself during the event, not push for a certain pace.

After the run I met up with Miguel and the kids at the soccer field. And now we're home, having some quiet time before dinner. It's been a busy day and I'm feeling tired. Let's hope that translates into an early bedtime for me. And the kids are already a bit whiny. Whiny kids + tired Me = high risk for snacking. I will have to be on alert tonight, and GO TO BED instead of staying up and eating.

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I am a licensed clinical social worker with a private practice offering Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for weight loss and maintenance. I have an office in Marin County, CA and I'm also available to see people via Skype. To learn more please visit my professional website at www.michellefunez.com or email me at funez.michelle@gmail.com