30-min tempo

It's the day before a holiday, and I still feel like I'm on vacation. I'm very glad I didn't have much to do today. 30-min tempo run: 10-min warm up; 12-min run, increasing every minute and a half; 8-min cool down. 10x30sec crate crunch. That was the end.

5-mi run; 10x30 sec

Today I went back to week 3 since I did not complete the whole thing last week due to being in Hawaii on vacation. Treadmill run, even though it was nearly 60* outside (I didn't get out until dark, and I didn't feel like running in the dark on Franklin Road). I was aiming for 8:20s (7.2 mph):

• Mile 1 (including warm up): 8:26
  
• Mile 2: 8:20
  
• Mile 3: 8:19
  
• Mile 4: 8:19
  
• Mile 5: 8:11 (I picked up the pace over the last half mile to make my average)
  

10x30 second manual holds, minus the manual hold:

• Lunge R, L
• Glute ham (with reps to arm's length): I don't think I used my legs at all
• Wall sit: All 5 minutes!
• Push up: All the way up on all 10!
• Curl: standing with 20-lb bar
  

Swim/Run Race; Update

While watching the sunset from Kona Inn, we saw whales! It's the black spot on the left side of the sun, pretty close to the middle of the cruise ship/sun. Oh, and please also note the beautiful sunset!

Since I've been on vacation, I've been really bad about updating this and even about working out. But I did get a few races (5K and 0.5-mi swim/4-mi bike), another ocean swim, and a bike ride up part of Mauna Kea. Plus I did most of the manual holds and a few of the 7-minute ISOs. I might end up going back to week 3--I'll have to talk to Will this week.

Hawaii was pretty much amazing. I'll add pictures here when I can, but my computer is currently not recognizing my disk with all the pictures and my camera cord is missing. Soon!

Sunday morning Mom and I went with Dad to the Peaman race that started at the pier on Ali'i Drive. Mom had said there are usually around 75 people (I think her counting is low overall), but yesterday there were probably around 200. The deal with these races is that they're free with popsicles sticks for placing at the end, you can use flippers for the swim, you don't have to swim, you don't have to run, you can do a relay, it's pretty much whatever you want, you can do it. Plus there was a PeaWee race, which was out to the 3rd buoy (we went to the 7th) and back and a 1-mile run.

So my popsicle stick that I got at the end was #76. What that means, I won't know until Mom sends me the results or tells me. I don't even know what time we started, so I don't know how long my swim was. Mom finished the swim around 4 minutes ahead of me (according to Dad's cell), so I knew how much time I had to make up on the run. I decided that whoever lost had to pay for my next trip out there (so pretty much I would make out even or ahead either way), but we never really agreed to that. :-)

On the run, I knew the route because we'd done it last Sunday. I knew where the hills were and had a good idea where the turnaround was, and I was just intent on catching Mom and passing anyone else I could see. I saw her just after she turned and just before I did and caught her within a minute or so of that. I left the transition area at 8:35, 4 minutes behind Mom for a 4 mile run. I caught her at 8:58 (I think), a bit after the turnaround. I ended up beating her by a couple minutes overall but have no idea where I finished.

The run felt really good. I pushed myself and felt like I went out too hard at the start and had to slow down slightly the last half (there were no mile markers, so I'm not really sure what my splits were), but I still finished the run in 31 minutes, a 7:45 or so pace. For a 4-mile run, I'd like to be able to get that down to 7:30 at the highest, but I just have to keep running to get there!

The sisters (me, Michelle [younger], and Robin [older]) eating at the Fish Hopper.

Me jumping off the cliff at South Point (the southernmost tip of the US) with an audience of random people. We think the cliff is something like 40 feet above the water, and you can see the bottom of the ocean from the top. Yikes.

7-min ISOs; Christmas!

We all slept in a little, and then I went to work out a bit (I also tried to organize the books on the bookshelf, but the shelf wasn't big enough and I had no labels, so I'm sure that by now everything's back to being unorganized.

• Lunge R: 2:29 plus the rest
• Lunge L: 1:29 plus the rest
• Standing extreme ham: 4 minutes first, because I forgot to reset my timer. Then I reset my timer and did the entire 7 minutes. If my hamstrings aren't longer now than they were earlier I'll be upset :-)

Late morning, we went to Altermans' to open presents.

Me, Michelle, Mike, and Cappy

Allison, Dad, and Grandpa Bob

Grandma Rita, Robin, and Jason

We ate lunch (cooked on the Evo, of course) and played a little pool.

Lunch on the Evo

Then we went to King Kamehameha beach downtown. I was going to go snorkeling while M&M went to WalMart and R&J walked around, but I quickly realized that the snorkels weren't in the bag with the flippers. Plus it started raining (not that I would have noticed if I'd have been in the water), so we 3 just walked around some of the little shops on Ali'i Drive.

The Christmas tree in downtown Kona

For supper, we ate at the Kona Inn.

Cousin Allison and her sushi, showing the $20 a good time

We had some hors d'oeuvres and then went out on the lawn by the beach because we heard that there were some whales out in the water.

Whale watching; Mike was ready!

We could watch the whales swim along the coast, but they were really far out. We'd see the spout, and then a few minutes later we'd see one jump. Mike caught one on camera, and I caught one also.

The sunset was amazing, and if you look closely about halfway between the sun and the cruise ship, you can see a whale jumping

We then ate some dinner, but since we'd recently ate lunch, we didn't eat much. We went back to the condo and watch Ironman.

John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
Proverbs 25:28 Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.
Proverbs 16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

Training Log; 5K

Mom, Kelsie, and me before the Jingle Bell 5K run

This morning was a 5K race down Ali'i Drive. There were at least 150 people between the 5K and 1 mile. I ended up in 4th place overall females with a time of 22:40. Not my best time by 10 seconds. I know I went out too fast, so after the first half turnaround (10:55), I slowed down and finished the second half in 11:45. Ugh! I need to run negative splits.

Dad and me leaving from Costco

Then after church, Dad and I started from the Costco here and rode up Hina Lani (aka Costco Road) to Kaloko and then climbed all of Kaloko. (Pro triathlete Bree Wee takes lots of pictures and describes the ride better than I can.)

The total elevation from Hina Lani to the top of Kaloko

It was 11.25 miles total and took 1:57 ride time to get to the top. Dad was slightly behind me, so I waited for him at the top of each of the 6 switchbacks/hard climbs. After a little break at the top, we headed down for our 20-minute descent (during which I got up to 45.6 without pedaling at all!).

I made it to the top!!!

We also got to ride along the Queen K highway, which is part of the Ironman race. That was fun! It ended up being about 30 miles. My legs were not tired at all; I felt like I could have done the entire climb again or like I could have gone much faster. Definitely tried to breathe through my nose and use my muscles to pedal up and down. My HR never really spiked.

The sunset along Ali'i Drive

(Some of this I might have just said, but I'm just copying it from my notebook; sorry for the repetition!)

Mom and I drove down to the pier on Ali'i for the free Jingle Bell 5K run and 1-mile run/walk. Dad came with for support. We met Mom's friend Kelsie. There was no registration--you just lined up, she ("Turtle") counted down from 10, and then you went out to the cone with a sign that said "Turn around" on it (there were also 2 people there handing you water if you wanted it).

I went out too fast and hit the turnaround at 10:55 and the finish at 22:40 (11:45 second half). I finished as the 4th overall female, #051 on my popsicle stick that was for my time. I got a lei with an ornament and some coffee, but Kelsie wanted the coffee so I traded with her for Macadamia Nut Fudge.

We went home, went to Solid Rock Ministries for church (100 or so people at the 11am service),

Pretty sure my arms look amazing in both these pictures...

ate lunch at Costco,

and then Dad and I got ready to climb up Kaloko on our bikes. (See above for the details; I won't repeat them here.) At home we talked to John the neighbor, had some food, and watched Psych.

Proverbs 21:21 He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor.
Proverbs 20:24 A man's steps are of the Lord; how then can a man understand his own way?
Proverbs 16:1, 9 The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

Hawaii!

Michelle cut my hair in the morning while Robin uploaded pictures

Decorating the tree Acheson-girls style...3 girls, 3 ornaments

Dad, Jason, and Mike went golfing with Grandpa Bob while Mom was at her tri group

Us girls eating at the Fish Hopper restaurant in downtown Kona

Robin was taking the picture, then me, Michelle, Cappy, Aunt Robin, Grandma Rita, and Mom at the Fish Hopper

Santa in his shorts; he said he was really hot...no kidding!

The soccer clan; they went down to the school below Altermans and roasted!

Playing ping pong at Altermans

The cow head at Altermans'; my best effort at lassoing landed between the horns

Mike taught me to shoot a bow and arrow. I hit the mark when he aimed the arrow for me.

Cooking dinner on the Evo (a huge grill)

Volcanoes for dessert, made by Robin per the suggestion of Aunt Renee; we were celebrating the grandparents' 75th birthdays

Proverbs 20:24 A man's steps are of the Lord; how then can a man understand his own way?

Training Log; 3x30 heavy

Robin, me, and Michelle at The Vista Restaurant

Being in Hawaii won't stop me from working out! Mom and Dad are members of "The Club," so I joined them this morning for RPM (which is basically spinning). It was a 45-minute class, and we did a few fun things. The 2 teachers had us climbing, sprinting, and doing a little racing. The first half, the teacher made us spin off the beat, which I hate, so I refused. We also were supposed to sit up between every song and at other times, but again I refused. Still, it was a good workout.

Then it was weights, which is my favorite.

• 1-leg squat: I forgot that last time I'd used 35-lb and started with 25 for the first set. Then I looked at my paper and saw 35-lb, so I grabbed that for the next two sets.
• Lunge: I was using different equipment than normal and was really nervous, so I did the first right-leg lunge with the heavy bar + 25 on each side, but then I took off the extra weight and did all the rest with only the bar. Because of that, I was super focused on pulling into the deepest position possible. Oh, I think part of the problem was that I was stepping with my back to the mirror; I always use the mirror to make sure I'm stepping straight, and since I couldn't see, I wasn't as confident. I probably should have just done it, because I know I can.
• Glute ham: no weight. Perhaps if I can ever find the right machine I can do this one correctly and use some weight.
• Standing ham: 45-lb plate. I really think that I could do more weight if I could hold it. My hamstrings were already really warm, and I was really trying to stretch and lengthen as much as possible.
• Curl/Pushup: light bar (because I had no one to help if I needed it) for curl and no weight for pushup (because I was using benches and had no one to put the weight on me; yes, I definitely need a training partner). 3x30 seconds curl with bar, 3x30 seconds pushup on feet, 3x30 seconds curl with bar, 3x30 seconds pushup. For the last pushup set, I couldn't push up all the way, but I at least made an effort at all of them.
• Scap pullup: body weight only, on machine. I'm really trying!

Hawaii is pretty amazing, by the way, and if you ever have the chance to visit, you should!

After working out at the club, we went to the beach, where we snorkeled and saw some great fish.

Me, Mike, and Michelle out snorkeling

We also walked around some tide pools and admired other sea creatures.

Cappy knows what almost everything is. We didn't see any dolphins or whales, but we did see a lot of turtles (which are protected and you're not supposed to touch them). We also threw the frisbee around on the beach.

Dad, Cappy, Grandpa Bob, Ally, and Grandma Rita; a few enjoyed some Hawaiian shave ice, and the rest of us were in the water!

For a pseudo dinner, we went to The Vista Restaurant, where they had free pupus (appetizers) and some music. The whole fam was at both places. then we came back to the condo and watched Psych.

Real palm trees; they look slightly larger and much greener than Phoenix's :-)

View from The Vista Restaurant

I really wish I could have someone along with me. I guess it would have had to be Will, Allison, Lisa, or Lana (or maybe Jen), because I really don't have anyone else. Even though I rarely see them during the week, I miss having at least a friend with me. Everyone else has someone: GR&GB, Mom & Dad, ARobin & USteve (who we have yet to see), R&J, M&M, and even Ally & Cappy. But the odd man out is me. Not that anyone is making me feel that way. I just do. It's kind of like being at church where you see all the cute couples with their arms around each other. I want to feel that. But I want it to be in God's timing and with the right person.I sometimes with His timing were my timing, but then I realize how much I do not know and that He knows everything, and I remember how He has worked in my life in the past. I am eternally grateful!

Proverbs 19:21 There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the Lord's counsel--that will stand.

Training Log

Mike and Michelle, Dad and Mom, me, and Robin and Jason. Jason's holding the tree at shoulder height--it was small!

I woke up this morning at 6:45. My windows were open (they all always are in Hawaii), and I could hear the sprinklers all morning. I walked around Mom and Dad's complex, and then after breakfast Dad taught me how to ride a motorcycle! I'm definitely not comfortable enough on it to take it out of the complex, but I was getting it down. It's 1,000 lbs ('84 Honda; most newer bikes are 500 lbs or so) and not the most balanced. Clutch and gears (although I was never out of first) on the left, gas and brakes (never even though about the rear [foot] brake) on the right.

Mom and me on the bike

My major struggle was making sure NOT to give it gas while applying the brake. I would, then I would let the clutch out, and then it would die. Mom took pictures and video--Dad is running behind me and it looks like I'm learning to ride a bicycle!

Me and dad on the bike

M, M, R, and J went to the beach (where R got stuck by sea urchins), and Mom and I went to the club. Today was a fun workout. I went to The Club with Mom and we met up with a group to go running. Only we didn't run at all. We power-walked up Palani and then down to King Kamehameha Hotel and a little grassy patch in front. There we did drills like I'd done with Will at D1! Mary was leading us in lunges, over/under steps, lateral lunges, hamstring toe-touches, push ups, and super legs (24 squats, 24 squat jumps, 24 lunges--12 each leg, and 24 lunge-jumps--12 each leg). Then we sprinted to the pier, from where we went to swim in the ocean.

We swam out to the 6th buoy (along the way, I saw a cool ball of fish) and then back, supposedly 1/4 mile. That was fun!

Mary, me, Jill, Noelle (front), Mom, and Gird after our walk/drills/swim trip

We all went to get the tree that Mom though was really big but was really only about 6.5 ft tall and super narrow. It fits just right in the condo.

Mom, Ally, Dad, Cappy, ARobin, Michelle, Mike, me, and Jason on the top of Kaloko at the Christmas tree farm

The tree far was up Kaloko Mountain (4,500 ft), where it was rainy and cloudy but still 60*+. ARobin, GR&GB, Ally, and Cappy met us up there.

We went grocery shopping and had lunch/dinner at Costco, made a WalMart run, and then played Euchre back at the condo.

Shopping in Costco...Robin got a wheelchair because of the sea urchins

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

Training Log; 10x10sec (w/o manual hold)

I got up early to work out before Aunt Renee picked me up to take me to the airport (Hawaii, here I come!).

Everything I took; my suitcase was almost entirely full of Christmas presents!

Here's a quick recap.

• Wall squat: 3 sets
• Glute ham (with reps to arms' length and slight assistance from arms): 3 sets, but the last 3 reps of the last set I used mostly my arms.
• Lunge: 2 sets each leg. Even without the manual hold, it was hard! Perhaps because it was third?
• Curl: 3 sets, light bar

We left at 6:05am for the airport. All my flights were on time, thankfully. I had a lot of connections and was going to be on a lot of planes. Nancy was praying for me all day, and knowing that helped me to relax and not worry about what might happen; God has everything under control!

My boarding passes for every leg of the trip out there...it was a long but safe day!

1. Nashville to Denver. There was snow in Denver!
   
   
   Snow on the way to Denver
   
   
2. Denver to Phoenix. There were a lot of palm trees in the middle of the airport lot and mountains all around the city.
   
   
   I took a picture of the palm trees for Will; he told me to look out for them.
   
   
   It was really amazing-looking--even though I didn't get outside, just because of the out-of-doors I could totally live there--but very brown.
3. Phoenix to San Francisco. My plane into Phoenix arrived slightly late, but it was the same plane we took out of the airport to San Fran, so no problems there. In San Fran, when you're landing, it looks like you're going to land in the water. That was a weird feeling! I met up with M&M in San Fran.
   

   
   Flying into San Francisco
   
   
4. San Francisco to Kona. We had seats next to each other on the plane. It was a long flight, but Mike had his PlayStation, M and I read, and we played a couple games they had brought.
   
   
   M&M in the plane...love the shade, Mike!
   
   
   The time went sort of quickly, but none of us really slept. In Kona, you disembark outside and walk into the wide-open terminal. The palm trees there actually looked alive...everything was so green!

We were greeted by Mom and Dad, GR&GB, Aunt Robin, and cousins Ally and Cappy, who gave us leis to welcome us to Hawaii.

Me, Mike, Michelle, Mom, and Dad; we finally made it, after an entire day of travel!

R&J came in a couple hours after us, so Dad and I waited at the airport for them (we could have gone back; they live only 15-20 minutes from the airport. However, we didn't know how long they'd be delayed and didn't want to miss them).

Jason and Robin made it, too! Now the whole family is together for almost 2 weeks!

Then we went over to Mom and Dad's condo to sleep. By that time, all us kids had been up for about 24 hours! It was a long day, but God kept us all safe. Thank you!