Islesboro Retreat

I don't know that I necessarily believe in fate, but I do think it is pretty neat that my boyfriend and I both grew up on different islands on Maine's midcoast and then ended up living 1/4 mile apart in Portland. I also happen to have family on the island he grew up on Islesboro, so it is highly likely we passed each other at some point in our childhoods. His Mom still has a house on Islesboro and invited us up to spend a few days before she rents it out for the summer. Islesboro is about 68.88 sq. miles and has a year round population of around 566 people.

Last September we took my boat up to Islesboro for a night, but I was excited to get to spend some more time there and have a car to get arounhood so the bf could show me all the sights of his child! We left Portland early Sunday morning and got to Lincolnville just in time to see the 9 am boat leaving. So we grabbed some ice-coffee and a bear claw at Dot's while we waited for the 10 am. 

It is a quick 20 minute ride over to the Island on the ferry.

My Mom and her boyfriend drove up from their island, Southport Island, to meet us for the day. The forecast was for clouds and sprinkles, but it turned out to be a lovely day. We played a fun game of tennis, grabbed some hot dogs from the hot dog cart, and then walked down by the BF's old house.

I never get tired of ocean views. 

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I had to work, but that was okay because the weather wasn't so nice. I had brought my bike hoping to get in my annual ride around the island, but it was too rainy. So instead I got in a lot of hilly runs. There is nowhere flat on this island!

When I wasn't working, or running, we enjoyed island life. Which consists of a lot of sitting around, talking,  dog petting, eating, board game playing, and rock skipping (when the rain stopped for a couple minutes). It really is a simpler life. Somehow when there are no restaurants to eat at, no stores to shop at, or any other events to be at, it is a lot easier to relax and enjoy doing nothing.

Random thoughts on Yoga

I have been really into yoga lately. I just can't get enough. It is one of the few things that helps to quiet my overactive, crazy mind. And physically it feels like such a good thing to do to my body. There are are 2 ideas in particular that have kept coming back to me in the past few weeks.

The first is that I stink at picking and sticking to a drishti, or focal point, during practice. This is suppose to help center your practice and keep you focused on yourself. It also helps with balance. I pick a drishti, and then I find something wrong with it like it is too far away, or off-center, and pick another one. And then I find something wrong with that one too. And then at some point I usually totally abandon the concept of a drishti all together and just look around the room at whatever I want.

image source

This doesn't surprise me at all. In life in general, I am always trying to do multiple things at once. I am terrible at living in the moment and appreciating what I have right now. I am always wondering if I might be missing out on something else and thinking about what might come next. I want to know what everyone else is doing and then compare myself to them. So far yoga doesn't seem to be helping me with this, just reinforcing the fact that I stink at maintaining a drishti.

The second thing, which does surprise me, is that I love the hands on aspect of yoga. I love when the teacher comes and does a hands on assist. I don't know what this says about me. That I am starved for physical affection?? Normally, I like a lot of personal space. I do not like getting close to people I don't know well. Also, I hate being corrected. I don't take criticism well, even constructive criticism. But at yoga, it is just the opposite. I love being adjusted. It is amazing how one small little change makes a pose all of sudden feel so right. I love being able to go deeper into a pose with help.

Do you do yoga? What comes easily to you? What do you struggle with?

2013 Tri for the Y

Apparently triathalon is like theater, a bad dress rehearsal means a good performance. Because I had a horrible last swim session earlier this week, but a totally awesome race today!

I did the Tri for Y for the first time last year and couldn't wait to do it again. It's a great season opener because it's a pool swim, a small race, and everyone is super friendly.

I got to the race early and got all my stuff situated. I always forget that you need so much stuff for a tri! I made a list and checked it 3 times to make sure I was ready. I was super excited to try out my new quick zip tie bike shoes and tri sneakers.

I did a better job predicting my swim time, which made me a little nervous. I was in the 8 minute heat, so if I didn't finish in 8 minutes they would pull me out. I was also in the 6th heat which was a bit of pain, because I had to sit around for more than hour before I got to start. I was glad though that I got to watch the first heat. It was the slowest swimmers and they were truly inspirational. There were people of all sizes and ages and you could just tell they were giving it absolutely everything they had. The pool was echoing with cheers and clapping. It reminded me that it isn't about being the fastest- that just finishing is amazing.

A hour, and 4 bathroom trips later, it was finally time for me to start. The guys on either side of me went out fast, but I forced myself to keep it easy to start. And what do you know? I actually ENJOYED the swim. I felt awesome and finished in 6:32. That is 30 seconds faster than last year!

My transition went smoothly. The new zip tie shoes went on so much faster than my old laces, and I was out on the road. The bike course is hilly, but it is rolling mostly. It is also really pretty- we pass fields, saltwater marshes, and ocean inlets. I felt really good and the bike flew by! I piggy-backed with another woman for the first 10 miles, but then she ended up pulling on ahead in the final 3. I thought about taking a gel during the bike, not because of the length of the race, but because of my late start. It had been a solid 4 hours since breakfast. But I ended up not taking it because I felt okay and was afraid it would upset my stomach during the run. 

I did the 13.1 miles in 46:57, which is almost exactly the same as last year!

The run transition also went well, though there wasn't much room on the rack for my bike. Honestly, I was dreading the run. My legs were pretty tired, it was warm, and the run has a big old hill. The run  is my least favorite part of the course. It isn't scenic and it is just an out and back with a small diversion up the hill. 

I didn't wear my Garmin because I think I freak myself out when I see a faster pace than I usually run. So I just chugged along and tried to convince myself short, fast running is fun. For the last .5 mile I was running with 2 other women, one of whom was the woman I rode with on the bike. I caught her! It was kind of neat because were 28, 38, and 48 years old (I love having everyone have their ages on their legs, we should all do that all the time). They really pushed me into the finish. I stayed right with them, and even took the lead for a bit, but then we had to do a little extra loop around the back of the parking lot that I was just not prepared for. They both passed me at the last second, but I just couldn't go any faster. It doesn't matter, I am thrilled with my run time.  3.3 miles in 26:07 for a 7:55 pace. Sub 8's? Me?? Crazy!

I finished in 1:31:34 which is 2 whole minutes faster than last year AND I placed in my age group. I got to go up on the podium and got a fancy little plaque. 

More importantly, I felt so good and had so much fun during this race. It's nice to know sometimes that all the training pays off!

That Time I Flashed the Lawn Guys

It went from 40, rainy, and windy to sunny and 70 here overnight. Great. Except that it meant I was way too hot running this morning. I'd just grabbed the same clothes I ran in Tuesday (is that gross??) without checking the weather.

I was sweating buckets 10 minutes into my run my long sleeve shirt. So I figured I would do what I NEVER do- run in just my sports bra. The only reason I was willing to consider it is because I was doing and out and back on an off-road wooded trail. I figured I'd leave my shirt by the side of the path and then grab it and put it back on for the last 10 minutes on the main road back home.

So I ditched the shirt and enjoyed a much more comfortable next 20 minutes. The trail ends at a big sports field complex where there is usually no one early on a weekday morning. Today however there was a huge crew of guys mowing the grass. I mean like 35 of them. And they were all totally staring at me. Straight out staring. Haven't they ever seen a girl in a sports bra???

Well when I got home and looked in the mirror before I got in the shower, I saw why. My white sports bra is apparently completely transparent when soaked with sweat. Like so bad that I can't even show you a picture here. Those lawn guys got quite a show.  No wonder they were staring.

I will not be running in a sports bra or doing that particular run again for quite awhile.

And I forgot how to swim

Remember how I went to that swim clinic to prep for the Tri for the Cure? Well apparently it made me forget how to swim....... Or maybe it is the fact that I haven't been in the pool in the 2 weeks since. Either way, when I finally got to the pool today, it totally sucked.

each length felt so.long.

Before the clinic I was comfortably doing the tri distance (325 yds) 3 times with a lap of easy swimming in between as my workout. Today I thought I felt horrible just doing it twice with a rest in the middle. Poo.

I think part of it is that I am working way too hard on my turns and push off trying to implement the tips from the clinic. Arms tight to my ears, hands out in front, push-off before I am turned all the way around, push up well under the surface of the water. My brain can't handle it all at once!!

Combine the brain overload with my horrific allergies and the lack of swimming lately and it was rough. Good thing the race isn't this Saturday or anything......

What If....

I was reading an article this week about Mika Brzezinski's new book, "Obsessed," about living her life with an eating disorder. There was one thing in  particular that she said that has really stuck with me because it struck so close to home.

"Sometimes I wonder what I could be if 75 percent of my life wasn't obsessed with food."

I even over think food when I am on vacation. 

While I certainly have a much healthier attitude than I used to about food, and I don't have a "eating disorder" anymore, I do still spend what seems like inordinate time thinking about food. I think a lot about what I want to eat, what I should eat, what I am going to eat, making food, eating food, and then either feeling guilty or good about what I did eat. Along with that of course, is also the time I spend thinking about exercise. 

Some of this isn't bad. It does require a conscious effort to plan and prepare healthy meals and maintain an exercise routine. Food can be a great pleasure. But, I do also waste a lot of physical and emotional energy thinking about cravings, eating too much food that just ends up making me feel sick, and then feeling guilty. 

What if I was putting that energy into something else? What else could I have done already?

Could I have actually written the book that I have been thinking about for years? Could I have gotten better at the guitar? Could I have learned the play the upright bass like I have been wanting to? Could I have progressed farther in my career? Could I have volunteered more? Could I have spent more quality time with my friends and family?

What do you think about this quote? Do you think you devote a "healthy" amount of time to thinking about food?

DIY Friday: Patio Chairs

When I got my patio furniture out for the season, I noticed it was getting rusty.

So, I figured if I was going to spray paint it with Rustoleum, I might as well use a fun color. So I took off the seat part (not as easy as I thought it would be since the screws were all rusty), sanded down the chairs, and got to work with the spray paint. 

After 2 trips to the hardwar store for more paint (a can does not go far) my chairs were transformed. 

From tan to ........ very blue. The paint was lighter than I thought it would be.

And despite using drop cloths, I got blue paint all over the brick. 

I think this project was a mini fail. It's not terrible, but it also isn't what I envisioned. 

What do you think??

What is your biggest DIY fail??

Sounds I love

I really think about the most random things while I am running. This morning was the first foggy day we've had in a long time, so the fog horn was blowing as I ran down by Willard Beach. I started thinking about how I love the sound of the fog horn. It reminds me of being tucked in my warm bed growing up on the island and hearing it sound outside my window as I slept. Or, of foggy summers days where the fog was an excuse to build a fort and stay inside all day reading and eating cookies.

So that got me thinking about other sounds that I like.
- The sound of my coffee maker percolating in the morning.
- Bell Buoys. Another remnant of growing up on the water. I love the ringing bell sound. I even got a replica of the marker off the island where I grow up so I can ring it any time I like.
- Foot steps. I love listening to my foot-steps while I run.

And then naturally I started thinking about sounds that I don't like.
-Whispers. I am a freak, but I can't stand whispering. It sends this horrible tickle up my back, like nails on a chalkboard.
-Mouth noises. I hate hearing people (or animals) chew, swallow, lip their lips, kiss, anything mouth related. I have to sleep with a fan on now so I don't hear the dog licking herself during the night.

What random things do you think about while you run? What sounds do you like/dislike?

A grudge is the hardest thing to bear

I won't lie, a huge part of why I exercise is for cosmetic reasons. Many days what gets me out of bed and out running or to the gym is simply the calorie burn. But this week I was reminded of the other reasons why I exercise.

It had been a stressful week at work, so by Friday morning I was fried.  Thursday night I ate too much junk so I woke up with a food hang-over. The last thing I wanted to do was go to the gym, but I dragged myself there anyway. Half-way through my strength work, I realized that I was easily lifting weight that I'd struggled with just a few months ago.




I love that feeling of making progress. I also love being strong. It allows me to do so many things, like say, re-arranging my living room furniture at 3 am when I can't sleep (that happened this week.) After strength I went to a step class. We had new choreography and new music and there was such a sense of energy in the room that it totally revitalized me. I left the class with a literal bounce in my step and head full of happy tunes.



This morning I woke up a bit of a mess. The BF and I had a little spat last night. It wasn't anything major, and was probably partially fueled by the number of mint juleps I had at the Kentucky Derby party. So I was a little hung-over and just couldn't seem to move beyond the little fight. It was a perfect Maine spring day, bright sunshine and crisp cool air, so I headed out in my bike for a brick workout. I biked 6 miles to the Scarborough marsh, ran 4 miles on the marsh trail, and then took the long way home biking 11 more miles. I sweat out the alcohol toxins, drank clean water, and filled my body with fresh air. It was one of those times when I needed to feel physical discomfort to remind me that the silly things I was agonizing over in my head didn't matter.


On the second bike I passed a church and their big sign out front read " A Grudge is the Hardest Thing to Bear." Seriously? If that isn't a sign, I don't know what is.




For the rest of my ride, I tried to imagine any remaining resentment being forced out with every exhale and peace and happiness flowing in with every inhale. I wish I could say I got home feeling 100% better, but I am not that big of a person. I am terrible at letting things go. But, I did feel a whole heck of a lot better.

Derby Day

I spend most of my time, now that I am working from home, in yoga pants. So, everyone once in awhile it is fun to get dressed up. What better occasion than the Kentucky Derby?? We totally did it up this year- constructing our own fancy hats (mine perfectly matched my dress) and I even straightened my hair.

There were a few wine tastings going on in the Old Port, so we decided to hit those up first. It was pretty funny being the only people dressed up- we got a lot of funny looks. But then we headed to Brian Boru for their annual Derby Party, where it was strange not to be dressed up. They had a pet race out in the parking lot, which was a riot, a best dressed gentleman contest, a best ladies hat contest, a brass band, and of course betting on the horses. You could hardly tell you were in Main and not Kentucky, except for the fact that it was freezing! I should have worn a sweater.

My horse didn't win, but was a fabulous day all around.

Did you do anything for the derby??

Pin it Party

It's Thursday and it's been a long week, so I could certainly use a little party! Luckily, Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean is throwing a Pin it Party today. She is inviting us to share 5 of our own posts that we'd like to see on Pinterest. So let's get this party started- here are mine!

Coconut Lime Chicken Soup : So yummy and so easy!

My Body Doesn't Make Me Beautiful: Such an important Message

Basement Blizzard Workout: We all get stuck working out in the basement sometimes

Light Homemade Bailey's Irish Cream: Needs no description

Southport Island Triple Brick Workout: When you want to mix it up a little

Boston One Fund 5k

There are times when I am so proud and honored to be part of the running community that it brings me to tears. Last night was one of those nights. I ran in the Boston One Fund 5k, organized by the Maine Running Company.

When I first saw the race announced I almost didn't sign up because I don't really like to run at night. And then I thought about it again and told myself to get over myself. This is a race to honor and raise money for Boston victims. I am privileged to be able to run, even if it isn't my preferred time of day.

The race was held on one of my favorite trails, a dirt loop around Back Bay. It was the perfect night- warm, sunny, with a nice refreshing breeze.

There were lots of people in Boston gear and we took a moment to honor all those who ran in this year's race at the start.

Most movingly, there were 2 people who were injured. Hearing their stories made the horror even more real to me.

The whole race was pretty informal, and right before the start someone said that we ought to sing the national anthem. Someone volunteered to lead and we all sang along. This brought me to tears. 600 runners gathered at sunset to run for a common cause joined in the national anthem.

And then we were running. I knew the trail would be crowded and that I wasn't there to set a PR. I just ran. I spent some time thinking about those killed and injured, about the mass acts of violence that seem to be happening with more frequency, and then about how amazing the running community is. 

I didn't look at my watch, so I was really surprised to finish in 25 minutes. That is pretty speedy for me. But honestly, my time didn't really matter. 

The finish was also informal, but had an amazing atmosphere. Those who had finished were hugging, dancing, and going back to cheer on those who were still running. 

I am a runner and it is an honor. 

Tri for the Y Swim Clinic

Somehow the triathlon  that I thought of as months away is now just weeks ago. All that swimming I was going to do this winter? That coaching I was going to get? Yeah, that didn't happen.

So when I found out that the Tri for the Y was offering a free swim clinic before the race I pounced. And then when it fell on a Friday night after a terrible work week, I considered skipping it and going to happy hour instead. But I used my good sense for once to convince myself to go to the clinic.


The clinic was held at the Freeport Y (which is way nicer than Portland BTW). We spent the first 30 minutes in a conference room where they described the logistics of the swim (divided into heats by projected time, 2 swimmers per lane, 325 yrds.) I really wished I'd gone last year, my first year doing the race, because it made everything super clear.

pool, you are not my friend

Then it was time to hit the pool. They had us all swim a few laps while they analyzed our strokes. I was shocked that they said my stroke was generally pretty darn good. I lift my head a little high when breathing, which is probably because of doing a lot of ocean swimming). The one thing they had me work on is my turn. I can't do a flip turn, so we worked on touch turns.

Grab the wall with one hand
Partially turn and lift both feet up and plant them on the wall
keep your top arm close to your head
push off the wall with both feet, don't worry about being fully turned around, your body will naturally do this as you push off
keep your hands together out in front of you
you should be about 2 body widths below the surface to reduce drag

This was hugely helpful- keeping my arms together and staying further under the surface of the water really helped reduce drag and I found I was getting much farther off each push off.

Then they offered to time us if we wanted to do a time trial. Despite my goggles filling up with water and then completely falling off, I finished in 6:19 which is more than a minute faster than the race last year!

I still can't say that I love swimming, but this definitely helped me feel more comfortable.

How do you feel about swimming? Do you have any good tri swim tips?

DIY Friday: Driftwood Key Rack

I don't know if it is spring, or the fact that the BF is moving in, or what, but I am majorly nesting lately. I have  a million and half things that I suddenly decided I want to do to my house. A lot of them I either can't afford to do, or don't have the skills/time to do, so I decided to start small.

I am forever losing my keys. So I hung a single stick-on hook by the door. But I had outgrown my hook. I had not just my car keys, but my house key I take running, my extra car keys, keys to BF's car and house, and of course his keys too. I needed a key rack.

At Easter I was walking on the shore at my Mom's house and found some cool pieces of driftwood. I asked myself what I could do with them and the wheels started turning- key rack!

This was the easiest DIY project ever. I let the driftwood dry in the sun for a week.

I bought some little screw hooks. I used a ruler to measure so my 4 hooks would be equally spaced (this was the hardest part, I was having a major unable to do easy math moment) and then drilled 4 holes with a drill. I screwed the hooks into the holes and then mounted hangers on the back and hung it on the wall. Easy peasy diftwood key rack for less than $3.

Gratitude

With all of the horror and sadness last week, I am trying to take time this week to focus on the positive. Truly, I have so many wonderful things in my life and I don't stop to appreciate them nearly often enough.
Here are the things I am most grateful for this week.

and now that he like to ski, he is even better!

1. My boyfriend. I don't really talk a lot about our relationship on the blog because this is a running/healthy living (or something like that, is it bad I don't really have more a focus for my blog??), but it is wonderful. I have never had a relation that felt so natural, easy, and wonderful. I love this guy. It's the first time I have ever felt like this about anyone, and it's pretty darn amazing. I am turning in a romantic schmuck. In fact, we recently made the decision to move in together and I can't wait.

2. Dixie dog. The dog came with the boyfriend and I love having her in my life. Because of his crazy schedule, I get to have her a lot. It gets lonely working at home alone all day and it seems so much less crazy to talk to the dog than to myself. Plus at night, it's totally legit not to move from the couch for 3 hours because you don't want to disturb the dog. And she is just so darn adorable.

3. Where I live. Moving back to Maine was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Seeing the ocean every day makes me a happier person. I love that I can go to the beach or Portland Head Light and walk at lunch. The beauty of the Maine ocean never fails to move me. I love my city too. Last Saturday I just walked around Portland for a few hours by myself. Portland has such character, great food, and lots of fun, funky, artsy, and active events.

4. Spring. Spring has been slow in coming this year and we've had quite a few regressions back to cold and snow. But, at the very least I don't have to deal with sub zero temperatures and snow and ice covered roads. It is that perfect time of year for running and skiing. Lots of snow still on the mountains, no snow on the roads, and warm enough to be comfortable but not too warm.

What are you grateful for this week?