shin splints

I am getting ready for Aunt Steph to visit and Aunt Anne and Cousin Evelyn and Cousin Joey. I'm so excited for everyone to get together. I'm finishing up grades today (hopefully I can submit them today and then have tomorrow free). I'm looking forward to a great time with family, making memories, at Disneyland and elsewhere.

I'm looking forward to my race weekend June 1st. But I'm also kind of feeling the pain of training. I guess I can be grateful that I will have a bit of time off after the Corona del Mar Scenic 5k. The next race weekend I have on the calendar is Sept 8th which is the Santa Monica Classic. But Miss Jenna, the franchise owner for Fit4Mom has suggested that maybe we take all of July off for training because of the heat and it seems these mamas don't want to get up early. So maybe we can have the Mission Inn run as our next finish line. I'll have to re-work the training plan for Session 3 of RunClub+ accordingly.

I am trying to stay on budget, but also not skimp either. I got a new hat for Albert and some new shoes for him because that little bean sprout won't stop growing. His last day at the AS Children's Center at CSUN is tomorrow and he's been going there for 2.5 years so it kind of hit me today that we're moving on from that place and I got a wee bit emotional. It's so hard when you're crying at drop off but you don't want your kid (or anyone else) to see it.

I have to say that my Mother's Day wasn't really anything special. It just felt like any other day, except my husband did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen. We went to the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens with my MIL and SIL and it had the potential to be magical but it was actually really stressful trying to chase after a 4-year old but keep up with the group. It was also pretty expensive. I think I would have enjoyed it more if were were there by ourselves, as a family of three, and we could have taken our time more and let kiddo run wherever he wanted to go instead of trying to stay together as a group of 6 adults (who didn't trouble themselves at all with doing kid-friendly stuff) and 1 wild child.

I also wanted to report that I think I have shin splints. It sucks and I don't know what to do about it. I jumped on my foam roller for 30 minutes today and it seemed to help. I had a crappy run on Tuesday because of where I'm at in my menstrual cycle. And I feel PMS moods for like 10 days before my period now, which my friends have confirmed is a symptom of perimenopause. And now I really should get back to working on grades. Le sigh!

Bike Month and Month of Mama

I’ve been adding and deleting songs from my DANCE DANCE DANCE Amazon music playlist. If the song doesn’t keep me hyped while running, I delete it. If the tempo doesn’t seem right, I move it to earlier or later in the playlist. I keep increasing the playlist's duration as I progress into longer runs. I’m almost up to 6 hours now, but I will need more bangers for the LA Marathon training.

I've been keeping a list of running items that I love so it's easier to re-buy them or to recommend them to friends. https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2QFV2N9VEFW0Q?ref_=wl_share

I do plan to bike to work on Thursday, May 16th, but it's not really necessary.

What I plan to do to celebrate Month of Mama is just to keep up with my running program. I got a book called "Master the Marathon," and it was super-readable. The author Ali Nolan talks about how she got a job as the features editor at Runner's World magazine. She has a BA in English literature and an MFA in creative writing. It shows! I loved how reading it felt like talking with a good friend. She was very candid about her first marathon experience and what a disaster it was. Because her goal was to *prove* that she belonged at Runner's World magazine by getting a Boston-Qualifying (very fast) time. She also admitted right away that she won't be the world's foremost expert in marathoning because she has only completed two, but that she was surrounded by much more experienced runners and coaches while writing the book.

I am inspired to speak to the question: Why enter a race?

I think entering a race is a great motivation to train. On the race-day, the race course is supported so you can run without carrying water. There are clear roadways and port-a-potties. More than these logistics, it's fun to run with a big group of people. When everyone is running together, something magical happens. You can vibe with the other runners and that just makes it fun. I never came from a family of runners and I kind of found it by accident. But after my first organized race, I was hooked. I realize that it might not motivate everyone, but maybe they just don't know how magical it is.

Runcation Debrief

We had our second runcation or racecation this past weekend, if you consider our runDisney weekend the first. This trip was so relaxing. We arrived at the OC Marathon expo around the time it opened. We parked and walked through the expo about 3 times. Then our nephew (who was actually running the marathon) arrived and we walked him through bib and t-shirt pick-up. Our son actually loved the expo and had a really fun time at the fairgrounds.

$12 for parking x 2 days (expo admission free)
$97 for pre-race food (grocery store and fast food)

$60 for post-race food (food truck and in-n-out)

$5 for race-day finish-line parking

$299 for hotel 

$37 for overnight parking

$522 total (45% of the cost of the runDisney weekend)

Then we went to a couple of stores while waiting for our hotel's check in time. We picked up a few groceries but could have bought a few more. We had brought a lot of food from home, but we didn't even know if the hotel would have a fridge available. Arriving at the hotel was great, the lobby was welcoming and fancy. Parking was easy. There were luggage carts available to take our stuff to the room. The room itself was great. There was a big sliding glass door to the balcony, which overlooked a lake with a waterfall and a fountain. 

3350 Avenue of the Arts

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

2 Queen Lake View Balcony

It was super peaceful in the room. We started binging a show on Netflix. When we got bored / hungry we went out with the car and got some fast food. Using our room key, we were able to leave and come back with no issues. We watched maybe one more episode of the show while eating and then went to bed. I laid out all my running clothes before falling asleep so I could get dressed quietly in the morning. I woke up around 4am and went out to run on the marathon course while the roads were closed. 

The room had a Keurig coffee maker and we had brought our own pods. The only thing I wished we would have had were:

• half and half
• my "Tron" running vest

Other than that, I felt our packing list was complete. We used everything we brought and we didn't bring anything extra. After my early morning run, I came back to the room at 5:30am and Albert wasn't even awake yet. It was great to go and check out the prices of room service and the restaurant in the hotel and then just eat what we brought because it saved us so much money.

The expo gave us some vitamin lemonade, some sports drinks, and some energy drinks, not to mention stickers and candy. Albert wanted to go back after the race but it wasn't there anymore. I also got some awesome compression sleeves personalized with fit4mom and a running woman.

Thank you @Kia @OCMarathon @FIT4MOMhq #runclub pic.twitter.com/TeV2E42aYL

— Dr. Kayla A. Kaiser (@hamerk02) May 7, 2024

Packing List

Overnight Duffel Bag
⭐Underwear (2), clean socks (2), PJs, Regular everyday bra (2), regular clothes outfit
⭐Running outfit (shorts / top), Running belt, Running shoes, Sports bra, running socks, running undies

⭐Toiletry bags, Night bag w/ earplugs and eye mask
⭐Pull-ups (2) + wipes
⭐Stickers, bedtime books, bag of cars
⭐Three hats, Three sunglasses
⭐Park bag/purse
⭐Snacklebox: Electrolyte tablets, Salt tablets, Gu, Bloks, fruit strips, Sesame crackers

(non-insulated) Snack Bag
⭐milk, juice
⭐banana
⭐goldfish
⭐Keurig pods
⭐Honey, Starbursts candy

Insulated Cooler
⭐watermelon, grapes, blueberries, strawberries
⭐Bagels, Cream cheese
⭐Pasta (with sauce)
⭐plastic fork, knife, reusable straws

BOB stroller

Race-day Timeline

5:30am Marathon begins
6:50am elite runners pass hotel
8:50am Jack arrived @ hotel
10:45am Jack finished marathon

I'm looking forward to the second half of May. I have some big things coming up. A last trip to Disneyland. A visit from my sister and my aunt and my niece. So some major girl power.

happiness chemicals

I don't have much to say except I'm sick right now. I got caught up grading my CHEM 101L, but I'm still far behind on CHEM 422L. I have 3.5 weeks until my sister arrives, so I'm praying I feel better soon to get back on the ball and rock out the rest of the grades.

I saw this cute graphic on #chemtwitter, and it made me think of my run club.

• Serotonin
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2010/10/selective-serotonin-reuptake-inhibitors.html
• Dopamine
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2016/09/a-bargain-is-not-always-bargain.html
• Endorphin (endogenous morphine)
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2017/01/opioids.html
• Oxytocin
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-best-drugs.html

Fit4Mom encourages all these things: sun exposure, exercise, meditation, self-care, celebrating small-wins, eating well-balanced meals, giving compliements, volunteering and giving back and laughing out loud. No wonder it's so addictive. 

In an updated graphic from this blog post I can see that run club has brought my weight down a bit, but hopefully it will keep trending that way.

• Mashup Mom Meal Plans (Nov 2020 - Jul 2021) + Body Well
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2020/12/mashup-mom-to-rescue.html
• Commit to be Fit (HIIT) + MyFitnessPal (macros) + Eat to be Fit
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2019/04/fertility-part-8.html
• The Obesity Paradox
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-obesity-paradox.html
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2014/06/what-does-200-calories-look-like.html
• The opposite of happiness chemicals: Cortisol
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2014/03/cortisol.html
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2011/01/carbs-calcium-cortisol-oh-my.html
• Vitamin D
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2019/03/fertility-part-3.html
• Vitamin E
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2011/05/bathing-beauty.html

Coaching Run Club has got me thinking about diet and what meal plans have been effective for us in the past. Also, one of my students analyzed the vitamins I've been taking and it was weird to see it broken down into its constituents and made me re-think whether I need to be taking that or not.

• Women's Hormones
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2019/03/fertility-part-5.html
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2013/09/impatient-scientist.html
• Trouble sleeping?
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2018/01/insomnia-part-ii.html

It would be interesting to write about relaxin. I feel like there must be so few studies of lactating women who engage in extended breastfeeding and what effects there may be on hormone levels, and how that impacts weight gain or loss. It would be interesting to write about zyrtec and benadryl. One thing I noticed this past week is that going for a run the Sunday after taking benadryl on Saturday night as a sleep aid, I had an easier time breathing. It's possible that I have some seasonal allergies that are really aggrevated right now after all this rain, we're definitely having LOTS of spring flowers.

I don't even know what the point of this post was. 1) I feel sick. 2) I have no sick days. 3) I can't tell if my symptoms are from PMS or if I have a cold. 4) this cold medicine only works for 2 hours but my lab is 3 hours long. The theme of RunClub this week is nutrition so I've been rethinking my past successes and what made them successful. 

I just love this picture. Circa July 2011.

growing pains

 

This kid is such a string bean. I'm struggling to keep him in clothes that aren't ripped or stained. He has two pairs of regular shoes in size 12. We found a couple of pairs in size 13 at the consignment store called Children's Orchard and they are his emergency shoes that live in his backpack. He has one pair of Speedo shoes that are size 12/13 that he uses at his swim lessons and hopefully they will continue to fit. I was shopping for some kind of sandals for the summer. It would be great if he had a pair of shoes that he could more easily take on and off by himself.

I took my sewing machine in for repairs because the timing was off and I couldn't use it. I have a stack of pants with holes in the knees that I would like to repair but who has the time? The number of pants that are in his school wardrobe are rapidly dwindling but luckily it's spring and I'm starting to see that we need to transition to shorts soon anyway.

He's coming home with more "ouch" reports. One was a shovel that hit him in the eye. Just yesterday a kid bit him on the finger. I titled this post growing pains because he's either undergoing some serious brain development, muscle building or just getting taller again. He's so hungry all the time and sleeping deeper and longer than usual.

Every time he outgrows something that I really loved, I am sad. The pants he wore on Easter were Shaun White and a really nice color. At the start of the day, no holes. At the end of the day, huge rip in one knee. I can patch them up and keep them in the rotation or just accept that he probably will be too tall to wear them again next winter and the patches I might or might not sew on there more than likely will be worn by the next kiddo.

Easter went really well. Albert really enjoyed finding the hidden eggs, opening them to find the candy inside, then putting the candy back inside, then hiding the eggs again, and repeat, repeat, repeat. I had a separate set of eggs with $0.25 in each egg. I had 7 x 12 of them. Basically two rolls of quarters ($10 each) so that's 80 eggs with quarters in them. Then there were 2 with plastic tiny cupcakes inside and 2 with the quarter roll wrappings (trash). This was enough entertainment to get us through dinner without him bothering me at all. It was nice that my SIL recognized that this was the first holiday meal that Albert wasn't sitting on my lap or napping during, that he was entertained enough to leave me alone and let me eat. So that was definitely a genius idea.

I feel like I need to complete this inventory to make sure we have enough in the next size up. 4T isn't going to fit much longer! It was funny that I had a shirt for Pi day and a shirt for his birthday but I didn't have any specific outfit for Easter. Mother's day and father's day are covered. I sent him to school today in a football shirt, which I had planned on him wearing for Superbowl Sunday, but we didn't go to any football parties this year. And it only just now really fits him. It was too big during "football season" aka fall of 2023.

Clothing Item Type	3T	4T	5T
pants / jeans	12	12	5
pants / sweats	5	x	x
outerwear	19	12	2
long-sleeve T	19	8	8
shorts	9	10	5
t-shirts	37	34	18
tank tops	2	4	0
PJs	3	15

running nightmare

I had my first (but probably not last) running nightmare last night. I was doing a half marathon with my friend who I used to run with in college. She was always stronger and faster than me. We got 4 miles into the race and for some reason I was running with all this baggage. Like a vest, a belt, a wagon filled with backpacks and stuff. So we had to stop because they forgot to sing the national anthem before we started. We all filled an auditorium and had to sit there for like 45 minutes while all our muscles were getting cold and we had to wait for the choir to arrive. I was complaining to my friend all these minutes.

So the choir finally gets up on stage and the announcer calls my friend to the stage to lead the song. I felt so bad for complaining because I didn't know it was going to be my friend up on stage. So then when it was over, I stayed around until everyone left because I was for some reason cleaning up the auditorium and waiting for my friend to say goodbye to all the singers. Then we finally got going and my friend says, hurry up we gotta get back out there before it starts raining. So we ran another mile and at a water stop my wagon fell apart. We were in another state from where I live, and apparently, I was not familiar with the course. My friend lives in Wisconsin.

So I tried to put the wagon back together but I didn't have the instructions. We saw a packing and shipping place where we could put the whole thing in a box and ship it back to my house, but the cost of doing that was more than the cost of the wagon. My friend goes, hurry up it's about to start raining. So I grabbed my raincoat, left my wagon at the shipping place and started running again. I asked my friend how we were going to meet up with her husband and kids after the race and she was like, I have no idea. I asked her, don't you use Strava beacon or have some way to track each other, she's like no.

We keep running and it starts raining so we put on our raincoats and then she goes, yeah it's about to get super hilly. And at that point I guess I had enough so I woke myself up. It was one of those dreams where it feels so real, when you wake up, you're not sure if you were really in Wisconsin. So far, we have decided NOT to do the Disneyland 5k in 2025 and I have registered for the LA Marathon. I think this is my brain's way of processing a worst-case scenario.

Farewell Magic Key

Now it's time to say goodbye to all our company, M-I-C-K-E-Y........M-O-U-S-E. And it's time to say goodbye to our magic key. It's not that we didn't love it—we loved it. But our kiddo is outgrowing it. He's getting too interested in buying candy and toys, and it's getting out of hand. It's impossible to get out of the parks without a meltdown. Either that or spend more than $100 daily on food and souvenirs.

See Also https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2023/11/fun-month-boring-month.html

Magic Key #1 ($400)

• 5/16/22 Disneyland - Kayla
• 5/31/22 DCA - Kayla
• 8/22/22 Disneyland - Kayla
• 8/23/22 DCA - Kayla
• 9/12/22 Disneyland - Kayla
• 12/15/22 Disneyland - Kayla

Magic Key #2 ($450)

• 1/13 Disneyland - Mike + Kayla
• 1/14 DCA - Mike + Kayla

Magic Keys #3 & 4 ($900)

• 3/20/23 Disneyland - Mike + Kayla + Albert
• 5/15/23 DCA - Kayla + Albert
• 5/16/23 Disneyland - Kayla + Albert
• 8/21/23 Disneyland solo - Kayla
• 11/8/23 DCA - Mike + Kayla + Albert
• 1/11/24 RunDisney weekend - Mike + Kayla + Albert
• 1/12/24 RunDisney weekend - Mike + Kayla + Albert
• 2/9/24 Disneyland - Kayla + Albert
• 3/19/24 Disneyland - Kayla + Albert

Kayla (visited the parks 17 x $154 = $2618), which is a savings of $1,768 by having a magic key.

Mike (visited the parks 6 x $154 = $924), which is a savings of $474 by having a magic key.

Albert (visited the parks 8 x $154 = $1232), which is a savings of $782 by having a magic key.

• So, as a family, we saved $3,024 over two years.

Or you can think of it as $2,708 of unnecessary spending (giving our money to Disneyland)

• 17 x $100 = $1,700 on average daily spending (to Disneyland for treats and trinkets)
• 17 x $30 = $510 for parking (to the city of Anaheim or Disneyland) 

Not to mention the spending on Genie+ every now and then and hotels for the days that we stayed the night nearby at either Element Anaheim or the La Quinta near the GardenWalk. These calculations were done using $154 as an average daily ticket price. It could be more or less per day depending on the day of the week and the time of the year. 

The price of gas was surprisingly less than the admission, but still leaves a carbon footprint.

• 60 miles x 17 x 2 x 20 mpg x $6 per gal = $612

For my sister's visit this year, I have already purchased 2 x Ages 3+ ($275.00 each) = $91.67 per day per person for myself and Albert. Mike won't be going. Disneyland offers So-Cal Resident tickets occasionally, giving you a discount on regular ticket prices. And those tickets have fewer blackout dates than the Magic Keys. It seemed to have fewer blackout dates recently, even Fridays were available.

• Mike had a 3-day SoCal resident ticket = $249 for Aug 22-23 2022 + Sept 12 2022
• For Mike's 50th Bday Extravaganza we bought 1 ticket = $159 for Dec 15 2022
• $159 + $249 = $408, which is equivalent to 1 magic key

So I guess it would have been economical (or at least at a break even point) for Mike to have a Magic Key the first year too.

My sister and I have decided that May 2024 may be our last epic trek to Disneyland with the two cousins Evelyn and Albert. At least for a couple of years. Here is our spending from this most recent visit with just Albert and I to bid farewell to our magic keys.

• $5.50 cotton candy
• $6.99 dole whip
• $17.93 Bengal BBQ
• $12.58 cafe daisy
• $6.67 watermelon slush
• $5.92 cutie fruit 
• $7.26 lollipops 
• $30 for parking
• $10 for a new cars toy = $102.85

My dear husband encourages me to create the "Disneyland at home" experience going forward. We have a silly humidifier, as an aroma dispenser, in each of our 3 bathrooms. I have dozens of different Disney-themed scents. I have my Disneyland cookbook. We have Disney+ on the TV. And there are endless streets to walk here in the valley. I can always find something interesting to look at if that's what I need to do (lots of walking).

I always say that everyone needs a hobby. And Disneyland was kind of my hobby for awhile. Learning about it, going there, doing debriefs, researching cost-cutting measures, packing and revising packing lists. It was all kind of my hobby for a couple years. It was a great family-friendly place to go while Albert was young.

I guess I'm transitioning my hobby from Disneyland to running. Altogether, the races I have planned for the next year are just under what the Magic Key would cost, if you don't count the LA Marathon. I want to sign up for that one, at the current price, to save money, of course, but also to give me the commitment to say that I'm doing a marathon next year.

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LA Big 5k 2024 Race Report

 

The LA Big 5k was great! My favorite was the last mile and the finish. It was a fast course with hills and trees. It started and ended in Dodger Stadium with views of the LA skyline at sunrise and traversed the arboretum of Elysian Park. I was grateful to a man running in front of me for the first mile who was blasting some good music. I didn't bring headphones or a speaker so I relied on the ambient noise to entertain me through the race. During the second mile, I was very aware of the uneven pavement and I was focused on not tripping. I skipped the water stop.

The event was well-organized. There were about 8000 runners in the 5k. Parking was free. The race is organized by the McCourt Foundation and Mr. Frank McCourt was the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Dodger Stadium from 2004 to 2012. In 2008, McCourt bought the operating rights to the Los Angeles Marathon. In 2019, he donated the Los Angeles Marathon to his Foundation. The post-race expo was outside, and more than 60 vendors were present. It had big marathon energy because it was part of the LA Marathon weekend.

 
The weather was great, it felt chilly at the start but was ideal while running (48-54 deg F, partly cloudy, 1-4 mph wind). I sported my new Mama shirt and new Freya Women's Dynamic Wireless Sports Bra. I had on arm-warmers and my CRZ YOGA Women's Naked Feeling Biker Shorts - 8 Inch inseam. High Waisted Workout Yoga Gym Running Spandex Shorts Side Pockets X-Large in the color they call Savannah which is kind of a terra cotta. I love the pockets.

I had my Nathan Trail Mix running belt with only one water bottle. It was handy to have the running belt to collect the post-race snacks. They gave us fruit snacks, chips, banana, electrolyte drink, Pocky, some kind of granola bar. I felt so salty after drinking all the electrolyte samples at the race expo on Friday and the chips they gave us were super salty too. Before the race, I had french toast sticks between 4-5am and then 4 egg whites between 6-7am. I didn't drink much water before the race, but I drank about 20 oz after.

Overall, I wanted to report that I tried to do too much this weekend. I almost cried today during my cross-training workout (a group fitness class with Fit4Mom). It went by so fast, I wasn't able to be fully present for any of it. I wasn't able to accurately document all of it. I was hoping to get photos of every person who attended Albert's birthday party, but it was too hard. And I don't think anyone took a photo of me, so it kind of became a blur.

I might be crazy, but I just spent the better part of today entering in mileage for my workouts for the next year. My training buddies said they might want to run the full marathon next year, and I was wondering how that would fit with the runs I already have planned. It wasn't too difficult to fit it all in, actually. But the thought of running 15 miles continuously is very intimidating right now.

I ordered another Coast-to-Coast Bounce Back Back Travel Kit from Fluffy Fizzies because I love the sugar scrub, the body butter, the massage bar, and the massage oil. If I ordered them separately, it would be the same price or more expensive than buying the bundle. And the travel kit comes in a super-cute clear zip bag. I have yet to try the bath bombs, and that's the first thing I wanted to try when I originally placed my order. The website says that the bath bombs dissolve in hot or cold water so it could be for a bath or just a foot soak. I'm not sure I would use the compressed towels on my face, but maybe on my feet after a treatment to prevent slipping and falling.

I have yet to try the Samsung Galaxy Watch that was gifted to me by a friend. I don't know what features it has that would help my training. St. Patty's Day had me thinking I need a lime green sparkle skirt. We need to bring back the Tinkerbell half!

Thank you Rise and Run Podcast for all the training tips and motivation.

https://www.womensrunning.com/training/why-you-should-write-a-race-report/

• The event itself: Where? How long? When? Weather?
• Course description and evaluation of event logistics
• How you trained for the event
• Your gear and nutrition
• Specific experiences (this might include)
  • Thoughts at every mile
  • Mantras you may have used
  • Falls (if any—always entertaining)
  • Conversations you’ve had with others
  • Conversations you’ve had with yourself
• DNF experience (if applicable) OR
• Your finish and associated emotions
• Your overall evaluation of the event