Running Road Map

There is something about running that makes my brain a little wonky. Today I went to the 6pm boot camp. It was a run day and we started on time like good little boot campers. I was about half way through my first lap when John drove by and said "Long Route". We've been running the blue line for a while but I've never actually run the long route. So I turned the corner and saw some of the other people in front of me turning so I followed them. I managed to keep them in my sights through the neighborhood of houses before I finally lost sight of them. I just kept going straight hoping that the path I should take would be fairly obvious. I ran up this huge hill and ended up back on a street that I was familiar with. I made the turn and headed back to the start of our run route. When I passed John he said I was going too slow, that I needed to stop singing to myself or whatever I was doing and run faster. I sped up, changed my music and stopped singing. I did go faster and as I went down the giant hill I'd run up before I got the feeling that this route was really much longer than it should be. I managed to make it back to the the starting point exhausted and obviously the very last person to finish. When I looked at the ipod I realized that it was already 7:20, and I'd been running for an hour and twenty minutes. I decided that I wanted to find out how far I'd actually run, so I drove the route. It took me 5 minutes to drive it and the total distance was 4.2 kilometers. I ran it twice so that's 8.4 kilometers, which is 5.25 miles. That is the farthest I've ever run. My legs are already starting to throb and I'm sure by tomorrow morning I won't be able to move. But now I know I can run 5.25 miles, so that's something.

Thanksgiving and Sharing

Yesterday we celebrated Thanksgiving here in Okinawa. It was much different from last year when Greg was on call and we actually celebrated on Friday. This year we had a few friends over, our sponsor family and Greg's Japanese intern and his family. The McCaulley's have obviously celebrated Thanksgiving before, but this was their first Okinawa Thanksgiving. The day was beautiful and hot, probably close to 80 degrees. It was perfect grilling weather, which is how we prepared one of the turkey breasts we made. Nori and his family celebrated their first Thanksgiving, the Japanese don't have this type of holiday. Nori had lots of questions about our Thanksgiving traditions and how they differ from everyone else in America. It was really fun sharing with them. Gabriella loved playing with Luke and Yuto, although they were both younger they all played wonderfully together. Gabriella played the consummate host making sure that everyone was happy and well taken care of. The food was delicious. We served turkey breast two ways, one grilled and one made in the oven. The sides were mashed potatoes, mashed yams with marshmallows, stuffing, green beans and rolls. Everyone enjoyed the dinner and dessert was pumpkin pie and pound cake with homemade strawberry topping and cool whip. It was a great Thanksgiving.

Catching Up

Well it's been a busy couple of days and in the sense of time I'm going to attempt to catch up a little.

Sunday we went to the Churaumi Aquarium, it's in the northern part of the island and one of our favorite places to visit. Although the aquarium is much the same every time we visit I notice something new each time. For example, this time Gabriella willing touched the sea cucumber in the touch tank. She's always been apprehensive before, but not this time. We also visited the dolphin tanks, which Gabriella and I hadn't seen before. Check out the low railing in the picture, that would never exist in the states, yet no one fell in. We watched the dolphins swim and jump in their pools before heading over to the main event, the dolphin show. We've seen this show quite a few times and usually it's always the same. This time however they added a few new moves. Our personal favorite was the breakdancing dolphin, it was very very cool. The trip up and back to the aquarium was full of traffic. Monday was a Japanese holiday and apparently everyone in Okinawa was on the road on Sunday. It took us 2 hours to get home, so scrapping our original dinner plan we went out for sushi. We all went to bed early, Gabriella because she had school, me because I had boot camp and Greg because he gets up at 3 am on Mondays to watch football.

Speaking of Mondays, another one happened yesterday. There were only 3 of us at boot camp and needless to say without others to deflect some of the interest we were all front and center in John's focus. We worked on stretching and did another exercise with this blue inflatable tube. Then we got a lecture about trusting our heart to know what's right. It was a nice lesson, however my legs hurt the rest of the day.

Tuesday was stairs at boot camp and more stretching. There were only 4 of us which made going up and down the stairs quick and painful. Gabriella had a great lunch date with friends and enjoyed a Thanksgiving themed story time at the library. She was very excited to tell her friends about our upcoming trip to Hawaii. "I get to take 3 planes" she says. I had a little less fun at story time because once I sat on the floor I had a hard time getting up.

Tug of War

Today I finally feel like the holiday season has begun. I was able to procure all the ingredients I needed for Thanksgiving dinner. It only took trips to 2 commissaries, but I suppose that's tobe expected since in the states I would have gone to just as many. After the grocery shopping was finished we had a relaxing afternoon at home.

This evening we went to check out the Okinawa City International Carnival. It was on gate 2 street which is right outside Kadena Air Base Gate 2 (what a coincidence). There were food booths, taiko drum performances, and music. The highlight of today was a tug of war. They've been making this huge rope in the park that I run at for boot camp so I've seen its progress over the past few weeks. It was a huge rope and Greg was nice enough to help them move it into position. Gabriella had a chance to participate in the kids tug of war, which I believe was a draw. Greg participated in the first adult tug of war which unfortunately his side lost. I got to participate in the second adult tug of war and you guessed it WE WON!! Once again proving that I'm superior, just kidding. The whole festival was really fun. Gabriella played a fishing game and won a light up butterfly necklace and she got to bounce in a bouncy house shaped like a dragon. Greg and I got some tasty food and he even got a Rich Orion beer. The festivals on this island are amazing, they are almost always free and contain great opportunities to try new foods, play carnival games and see things that are both traditional and modern, today was no exception.

No Rain on my run day

It didn't rain this morning but there was a rather wonderful breeze at 5 am. I finally cracked the 3 lap wall I've had since we first started running the blue line. I made it 4 laps!! Which is probably a little over 4 miles. I am really proud of myself. I had a good mix of music on my ipod which helped to keep me going up and down the slight hills along the line. In fact I found myself speeding up or slowing down depending on the beat of the song. And of course like always I was mouthing the words while I run. I have no idea why I do it but I do. I sometimes wonder what people think as they drive by me while I'm running. I'm sure it's something along the lines of "that crazy girl is talking to herself or I wonder if she's calling for help because she looks like she's about to die." Neither is true by the way.

Today was a really busy day and as I write this it's still not over. Although someone up there likes me because both Gabi and Luke are taking a nap right now. I'm babysitting Luke today for our new sponsor family, he's almost a year and a half. He went with us to Gabriella's school international feast and to Hula. Gabriella has been amazing with him, holding his hand and helping him with everything from bouncing in the bounce house to showing him how to use her toys. They are quite a pair and clearly they both exhausted each other. I have my fingers crossed for some long naps and a pleasant rest of the afternoon.

Repetition is his reputation

I remember when Rachel was going through her first boot camp, she told me a story about how one morning John just made them hold the plank position the entire hour. Today I think I experienced a little of that. This morning I arrived at 4:45 am and we joined the 4 am class' workout already in progress. They were all laying on benches with red balls tied to their ankles doing leg lifts. The 5 am class started in and we did about 300 before the 4 am class ended. The 4 am class filed out and those of us who'd come early just kept going as the rest of our class came in and got settled. We just kept going, over and over and over again. We'd get to 1000 and then start over. I estimate we did over 3000 leg lifts. It was brutal, but I remembered what Rachel had said about that day she'd experienced. It's an hour of class, after that hour you'll get to go home he can't keep you there. So I occasionally (obsessively) looked at the clock knowing that at 6 am I would be released from this repeating hell. Finally we got to get some water and take off the "balls of fire". The next exercise was running in place with our hands on the bench in order to "try out our new legs". Needless to say it was painful and yet I knew I could do it because at that point there was only 15 minutes left of class and I know I can do anything for 15 minutes. We got a short lesson for the last few minutes of class where John admitted he was trying to kill us. He meant the old us, because in order to make progress you must let go (kill) the old habits, the old attitudes, and the old self. I've seen progress, lots of it in fact, so that makes letting go easier because I can see the light. I see the future me and I want to get there. I know it won't be easy and I'll probably have more days like this one before it arrives, but it will be worth it.

Rain Rain come and stay...

... especially on a running day. This morning was a run day and it was sprinkling and a freezing 62 degrees here. Honestly I walked out of my house this morning and debated going back inside for a jacket. I didn't because I knew I'd be hot and sweating in no time. Yesterday we had a class lecture and someone was 15 minutes late, so in order to teach the class a lesson about timeliness our class now starts at 4:45 am. So this morning I dutifully arrived at 4:45 at the Kadena Blue line ready to run. There was no one from the 4 am class, no water bottles or keys on the ground and no John. My fellow students and I decided that class must be in the gym so we drove over there and got started. I chose the elliptical machine because it's in the back of the room and I can people watch without being watched. I started the machine and off I went for 60 full minutes, never stopping only slowing occasionally to take sips of water. In 60 minutes I was able to go 5.24 miles, the longest distance I've ever gone running or on an exercise machine, with the possible exception of the stationary bike. I'm drenched in sweat even now and I'm sure that my legs will feel like jelly for the rest of the day. But it won't matter because I'll have a ridiculously happy grin on my face as I hobble around all day because of this early morning accomplishment.

Manic Monday

Since Greg worked all weekend he got today off. He and Gabriella both started their days before I did. Greg was up watching football at 3 am and Gabriella woke up from a nightmare/bathroom trip about 45 minutes later. Both of them were happily sitting on the couch when I walked out of the door to go to boot camp at 4:40 am.

Today was a big day for me at boot camp, not only because it was the start of my second one, but it was the first day I've gone without my friends. Angie has finished her boot camp although she says she will go with me on Thursdays as my friend and Rachel is in the states until after Christmas. I got in my car this morning and as if on autopilot I drove myself to the gym. Now usually Monday mornings are half exercise and half lecture, well not today. This morning started with this new exercise where we bend over with our hands on the ground then bend our knees. We did 440 before we had to start over because someone was late. All in all I think we only did 700 but they were killers. Then we hit the stairs running down the stairs, down the block then back. We did 12 laps, well I should say the fastest people did 12 laps, I did 7. But I did manage to kind of run up the stairs so that was an accomplishment. Then we went back inside and did some arm and leg work using the benches. Then back outside for more running and then thankfully a 5 minute lecture about burning fat. It was a crazy workout and I'm sure tomorrow's will be even worse.

Greg had today off as I said earlier, so he bbq'd some delicious brats for lunch and then we walked over to American Village for dinner. Although I did have a hamburger for dinner I was able to pass on Yogurtland. Greg and Gabriella managed to spend 1398 yen on two bowls of yogurt. Greg insists that Gabriella's yogurt was heavier than his, but he ended up eating a fair portion of hers in the end. I had a few bites of her fruit but that was it. The evening walk was really nice and we are going to try to take one more often.

Tis the season?

Well it's official I'm already in Christmas mode. Yesterday I pulled out some Christmas DVD's for Gabriella to watch and we've already started compiling some presents for the folks back in the states. I feel I'm already behind slightly since I think I had more presents purchased at this time last year. I'm most proud of actually ordering my Christmas cards from Shutterfly this weekend. I'm now confident that they will get here in plenty of time for me to address them and mail them to everyone in time for Christmas. It seems Christmas comes so much earlier here because all our gifts need to be mailed out by December 1st in order to guarantee their arrival before Christmas Eve. Although I'm not the only one who's getting into the spirit early, Santa was at one of the exchanges last weekend posing for pictures. Plus Starbucks already has their holiday coffees out, although sadly no eggnog latte again this year. Perhaps they will have it in Hawaii, I'll keep my fingers crossed. In my mind Okinawa has been decorated for Christmas since Halloween, but it may just seem like that because they love Christmas lights year around.

Advent officially starts in 2 weeks so really the Christmas Season is right around the corner, in fact just thinking of that makes me a little nervous. I still have so many gifts to buy and ship.

Before and After

Today was a run day and my God was it hard. We did this very short loop that included climbing up 4 flights of stairs and sprinting up the hill. I call it the hill because it's the same hill I sprinted up a while ago. This time the hill was not the problem, the stairs were the killer. I managed to do 7 laps in an hour. I have no idea how far it was but judging by the amount of sweat pouring off me I know I was working hard. In fact my heart was still racing even after I drove home, showered and laid back down in bed. This was the first time all week that I went back to bed after boot camp. I feel like I could go back to sleep right now and I might after Gabi goes to school.

This was a great workout and a good way to end my first 12 weeks of boot camp. I've come a long way in 12 weeks, I'm 30 pounds lighter, I can run without being chased, I choose to exercise and feel great after I do. I've also changed mentally, taking time to appreciate little accomplishments as much as big ones and I'm happier with myself and my life. This has been a great class and I can't wait to see what the next 12 weeks brings.

Veteran's Day BBQ

Yesterday was Veteran's day and as a rare treat Greg had the day off. We celebrated by throwing a bbq. Of course it wouldn't be a bbq without a last minute grocery store trip. Actually there were 3 stops on our last minute shopping trip. The first was Jusco, Greg wanted to check out the Japanese beer selection and I wanted to get some non oil marinade. We found out the Greg is very handy at Jusco because of his ability to read some Japanese. I can't wait to take him back and made more use of this skill. Our next stop was the shopette where Greg stocked up on 2 six packs of beer for the party. Unfortunately there was no Newcastle, but he did get some Stella which is better than a sharp stick in the eye. Our last stop was the commissary which was thankfully open on the holiday. Once we were all stocked up we headed home for a quick chat with the Montoya's on the computer and then I got down to the serious business of cooking. We served turkey burgers, hamburgers and brats. I made some fresh salsa and guacamole and a veggie tray for appetizers. The party was a great success and I think everyone had a nice time. I also managed to unload a substantial amount of candy from my pantry.

This morning in boot camp we used some very cool equipment, boxing gloves. It was a hard Ab workout but at least I had fun wearing the gloves and punching the air. I think I'd like to try a combat fitness class sometime. It seems like it would be a good work out and the opportunity to punch anything sounds intriguing. Later today is Cardio Funk, it's bandana Thursday so I'll be heading to the 100 yen store to pick one up to match my outfit.

So, I weighed myself today and I lost 1.5 pounds since the last time I weighed myself which was before vacation. I'm kind of astonished. I didn't stick with my exercise plan while I was in California and I certainly faltered slightly on the healthy eating plan. I'm happy I'm still loosing although it makes me think how much could I have lost if I'd stuck to the plan. Oh well, I don't have a time machine so I suppose I'll never know.

Another Week Begins

At the request of my brother in law I will try to keep the blog from becoming exercise-centric. Yesterday was my first day back at boot camp and although the workout we did was hard it wasn't mind numbingly terrible. My legs are sore today, but that's to be expected. We did get some cool recipes, one which I'm cooking in my oven right now. Anyway Gabi and I ran a lot of errands yesterday after school. We had to return some pruning shears, get some groceries at the commissary and pick up some eggs from the mini mini. I now feel like I'm back in the groove, my fridge is stocked, my calendar is updated and finally I'm back to working out. I can't believe how much I missed it. Gabi and I also went to the sushi go round for lunch, it was so delicious. I think that's what I'm going to miss most when we move.

Today I expected a hard work out because we don't have class on Veteran's day. But instead of a hard workout we got sent to the baseball stadium to run. However, in a decision I'm sure to regret later Rachel, Angie and I ditched the stadium and went to work out at the Lester gym on our own. Rachel because her knee is hurt, Angie because it was "raining", and me because I'm a lemming. I got a good work out on the elliptical machine and even did some sit ups. I'm sure I'll get an ear full at Cardio Funk tonight about our little disappearing act, but it was worth it.

Yomitan Village Festival

There are a lot of festivals here on Okinawa. Realistically one could probably find one every weekend. This weekend was the Yomitan Pottery Village Festival. We took our new sponsor family to check it out. The festival was full of food booths and games for Gabriella to play. We got a lot of tasty treats including slushies, gyoza, and draft beer for Greg. I was even able to buy some more Okinawan Sea Salt. There was entertainment of course. We saw the sign language choir, the prefectural orchestra and the biggest draw was the giant boat play. It's called the Play of Taki, which commemorates that Yomitan was instrumental in opening trade between the Ryukyu Islands and China. The boat is huge as the picture attests to and there were Eisa drummers and stick dancers. It was a really fascinating and impressive display. Jet lag eventually caught up with Gabriella so we called it a night. On the walk out she was able to win a giant Stitch for the giant Pearl she already had. It was a great festival one that we highly recommend.

Back on Schedule

Yesterday Gabriella was up at 6:45am. She was ready to get her day started even though she had been in bed for a mere 8 hours. I on the other hand was completely not ready to get up, but I was overruled. Breakfast was a pretty relaxed affair, cereal for her an egg for me. We walked to school like we normally do and she was thrilled to see all of her friends. When I picked her up a few hours later she was sweaty and happy to tell me all about her day. I asked her if she was up for going to hula or if she wanted to take a nap. "Hula!" was her response. So after a quick lunch of peanut butter and jelly we went to hula. Once again Gabriella's boundless energy prevailed and she made it through the class with no signs of exhaustion. On the other hand I was trying not to fall asleep while reading my book. After hula we had one more stop to make the dreaded Toys R Us for a birthday present. I felt like a Navy seal, I just wanted to get in and get out without anyone noticing. Before we even walked into the building I informed Gabriella that we were just buying a present, not looking for anything for her and to keep the asking to a minimum. She readily agreed and off we went. The trip to the store was blessedly short and an awesome birthday gift was found with in the first few feet of entering the store. Gabriella tried out a few of the little computers and some of the musical instruments but not once did she ask me to buy her anything. At least I don't think she did, by that point my ears were already asleep. The drive home felt long, I was using all my concentration to keep myself on the right side of the road. The relief I felt as we pulled into our parking spot and opened our front door was intense. I collapsed on the chair in the living room and just relaxed. I didn't sleep though because I had email to check. One such email was Greg informing me that there was a movie and pizza night at the chapel. I certainly wasn't interested but it did sound like something Gabriella would like. So later that evening Greg and Gabi walked over to the chapel for pizza, ice cream and the incredibles. I went to bed a little after 7 being too tired to even cook myself anything to eat for dinner. I woke up just after 6 in the morning and feel much better. Ready to face the day, starting with a cardio funk class.

California Dreaming

My poor blog has been forgotten on this trip but since I only have one more day in California I thought I would take some time and do a post. Today I drove 120 miles on 6 different freeways to visit 3 sets of friends. I honestly forgot what it was like to drive here. Not that I haven't been driving the whole trip, it was just today that I realized the differences between driving here and in Okinawa. I saw more cars today then I have probably seen total on the island, heard more horns, saw more middle fingers thankfully none were pointing at me. I'm starting to miss my quiet island life, my kitchen, my simple days and my island friends. I've loved seeing all my family and some of my friends while I've been here. I've been remiss in not being able to see all of them on this trip and for that I'm truly sorry. I think today I even missed boot camp a little, just a little bit and the feeling quickly passed but it was there and deserves to be acknowledged. This has been an amazing trip, I've been blessed to see my family, share in many celebrations and remind myself how lucky I really am. But now I'm ready to go home. I think back to a year ago when I considered California home, now Okinawa is home to me. What a difference a year makes.