Thursday, December 28, 2023

no resolutions

This year... I just don't have the tools to do a year in review. I would source that out to AI.

Some useful tools I found are listentoyoutube

Our year in review

CicLAvia the Valley Feb 26, 2023. We biked to it down the Reseda protected bike lanes. Changed a flat tire. Drank champurrado. Albert napped on the bike. Couldn't make it all the way back home. But it was exciting.

Amtrak to Disneyland May 14, 2023. We took the car-free vacation of our dreams. Got on a bus going the wrong direction in 90 degree heat with sleeping babies. Our strollers kept tipping over and spilled our luggage in the street. An IKEA bag was a lifesaver. We got sick of the train on the way home because it struck and killed a person.

Trainfest and Universal Studios September 12, 2023. This was an epic transit and walking adventure. We did train + subway + bus.

CicLAvia mini NoHo September 17, 2023. This was the first CicLAvia we didn't bring bikes to. We walked with a stroller and ate some doughnuts.

Holiday Lights Ride December 17, 2023. We decorated our bikes with a new set of Wheel Brightz. Albert scooted the majority of the ride and we ended up with hot cocoa.

It's been a great year and we are so blessed to have our health, our home, safety and job security.

Saturday, December 16, 2023

runcation

I see a runcation in our future. This is where your vacation is planned around a run. To extend the distance covered in my workouts, I mapped out possible courses.

CSUN runDisney training 5k - https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1lRAyXTnYRC1nJS-4xYMXE9b5cCxG9rE&usp=sharing

Topanga runDisney Training 5k - https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1VXMuw9fTsV56tawq7dtORRGs1_0Dgtg&usp=sharing

Mason runDisney 5k training - https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1KzsxlSCtFftcqmGQaE1Q59eLsIy3sa0&usp=sharing

Chatsworth runDisney 5k training - https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1qIv3rFuuqsAgwZriCePSGntBLbVy1xo&usp=sharing

Porter Ranch 10k runDisney training - https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1rBG6BKEq64goG8jPOXmxxn6BTHBEj7Y&usp=sharing

I learned that what looks good on Google Maps maybe not practical, for example some streets have no sidewalks and some unincorporated areas don't have curb cuts for your stroller.

I want to go to REI to get some Clif Shot Bloks or maybe just order them from Amazon.

Mama bear hat on Browns Creek Bike Path

I learned that the Versa 4 doesn't create a map, nor does it connect to GPS, when you set it to "walk" unless you very quickly hit the "^" on workout and change the settings. So when I did the practice of the Mason route, it didn't use GPS to track distance so I'm guessing the distances on the route sheet are all wrong.

So I think the distances I tracked on the Cue Sheet for the Mason 5k are not correct because I haven't calibrated my Fitbit by walking or running on a track. I'm having trouble finding a track (whether indoor or outdoor) to use.


I feel the winter solstice coming. The days are oh so short.

We are planning to ride the Holiday Lights Ride with Walk Bike Glendale tomorrow. It's Mikey's birthday. 

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

fun month, boring month

Our new strategy for saving money is to have one month of splurge and one month of save. We call it turning the tap on and turning the tap off. But let me tell you, after a splurge it really hurts turning the tap off.

I think we got into this pattern during May 2023 (fun), june (boring), July (fun), august (boring), September (fun), october (boring), November (fun), december (boring), January 2024 (fun!). Extending that out, it tracks that Albert's birthday and the expiration of our Magic Keys falls in a fun month (March 2024). 

Fun = Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept, Nov

Boring = Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec

Well, it's hard to have a boring month in December because of Christmas and Mike's birthday, but we have been experiencing some staffing shortages here at work so this year we are definitely planning to stay locally here. It's interesting that September 2024 is a fun month, we'll see about doing the Disneyland race that month. Maybe we won't do it. Maybe we'll do some other one. Maybe we'll just train for it and then just enjoy running for the sake of running.

November 2023 was fun. We went to San Diego. But I'm too tired to write about it today.

runner in front of christmas trees and poinsettias

I'll leave you with these two photos. First one is a selfie at the Village after I did a run that felt like 5 miles but was actually only 1.5 miles. The second one is my official school headshot. I think the lighting captured my double chin perfectly but I'm trying to just accept that it's what I look like right now and that's why I'm trying to get back into running.

headshot of professor kayla kaiser of Cal State Northridge

I recently purchased a few items that I hope will be helpful for my return to running. 
I extended my training program through to the start of next school year 2024-2025. I don't know if I'm totally nuts, but I do know that I've been wanting to do a runDisney race for a long time.

an adult in a tutu speaking to a security guard in a safety vest
Tinkerbell Half Marathon Sun, Jan 20, 2013

I got my first pair of ears and sparkle skirt from Poshmark on Dec 27 and 28, 2021. I found my second pair of ears on the ground crossing the street leaving the parks. I got two more pairs of ears on Amazon in April 22, 2023 to prepare for taking my sister and niece to the parks in May 2023.

an adult woman with mouse ears and a sparkle skirt
First mouse swag Dec 29, 2021

I guess we got our first Imagine Key Pass on Apr 20, 2022. That year Albert was 2 years old, so we only needed one pass to get in both of us. When we renewed our passes it must have been in March 2023 because Albert turned 3 and he needed his own pass. Then our passes expire March 19, 2024 unless we renew them.

Our first Disney trip with Albert May 2022

Casey Jr Circus Train with Albert

Aug 22-23 2022 + Sept 12 (Dad had a 3-day SoCal resident ticket) 1 ticket = $249


Dec 14-15 2022 (Mike's 50th Bday Extravaganza) 1 ticket = $159

Couple in front of Main St USA christmas tree

Jan 12-14 2023 (Mighty Ducks Day)

child posing for hockey photo-op

Mar 20 2023 (Albert's bday + spring break + food & wine festival) lots of rain

family riding King Arthur Carousel

May 15-16 2023 + May 22 (downtown Disney only)


Aug 21 2023 (Hurricane Hilary)


Oct 2 2023 mom's day out
Nov 8 2023 (Veteran's Day)


and that brings us up to date. So I'm also too tired to do a financial analysis of whether we got our money's worth out of the magic key. the 2022 price was $400 and the 2023 price was $450 (we bought them on Nov 16, 2022) and the so-cal resident 3-day ticket was $249. We shall see.

Friday, November 17, 2023

smart watch fail

Well it finally happened. My smart watch gave up the ghost. I don't know how long smart watches typically last, but this one only lasted 1 year and 6 months, which seems short to me.

It looks like I bought it during the Month of Mama (May) in 2022. Here's me wearing it while making my son's Halloween costume for the cargo bike.

Oct 2022

I got a few bands for it right away because I didn't like the band it came with. I prefer fabric that absorbs sweat rather than a silicone elastomer. Both wash easily with dishsoap and water. I also enjoyed the velcro closure instead of the aluminum buckle. I've lost a watch before from a bad clasp mechanism. But sometimes I wear the band that came with it.

Aug 2023

Honestly, I am lost without it. I use my watch SO MUCH to gauge the time while teaching. I loved the clock face that had really big numbers. It is called MEGA TIME. What's great is that I can set up my Versa 4 to look exactly like what I had before. Although the menus are different, at least the clock face looks the same.

The new Versa 4 with clock face MEGA TIME

Interestingly, I had just requested to download all the data from that device on November 10, 2023. Which was 3 days before it died. Looks like I used the FitBit Alta HR from Aug 24, 2018 until May 15, 2022. This is what it looks like when you get all the data from Google, which has acquired Fitbit.

I used the guided breathing mindfulness for 8 sessions. I also used the menstrual health tracker. I logged 12 periods (all postpartum). I had the premium subscription for 6 months (May 2022 - Nov 2022), but I don't remember any specific useful features. 

I guess one useful thing from the premium subscription was the readiness score, which you had to wear the watch 24/7 for it to work, but I did find it useful to know when it was "safe" to workout again. Although there's also that thing called "listen to your body" that is just as good. So I guess that's why I didn't extend the premium. Also, when I wore the tracker 24/7 I started to get a rash on my skin and it didn't smell good. That funkiness and itchiness caused me to sleep with the watch off. Therefore I wasn't able to see the readiness score, therefore I didn't use any other premium features.

I did buy another one, the Versa 4. Maybe I should have taken more time to research alternatives rather than just buying a replacement for what I lost. I'm not loving the interface that Fitbit offers on the web. It's not easy to see your mile pace and splits. Maybe it's better on the app. Maybe I should have taken the opportunity to switch back to Garmin.

Interval Workout Data
Data Recorded by Interval Workout

This forum post explains adjusting the interval durations on the Fitbit Versa 3. When you open the Exercise app and choose Interval Workout, swipe up on the tiny "^" at the bottom and you will see your Goal to the left and the Interval settings to the right.  Set them on the Versa 3 screen.  Swipe up some more and you will see the other possible setting choices.  All of the other exercises have different, relevant setting options when you swipe up.

What's weird is that I can see in my data tracking that I logged many workouts via MyFitnessPal, and I used Strava on my phone to track some of the official runs. I guess it's because the Alta HR only tracks heart rate and doesn't have GPS. I figured out how to see my pace on the website; it's pretty useful. I wasn't sure what was tracked when logging an interval workout. It doesn't record a map, but it does calculate your pace. Only when you specify the workout as a "run" does it record a map.

Just for funsies I went back in time to see my mile pace for workouts and events of different lengths and durations. I'm worried because I told runDisney that I would run between a 12 and 14-minute mile, why? Because in a recent assessment, I was able to run almost a 14-minute mile without training and after 8-weeks of training, I was able to run under a 14-minute mile. So it doesn't seem completely ridiculous.

EventDateDistance (mi)Duration (H:MM:SS)Pace (min/mi)
Newport BeachJun 20230.90:16:5118.8
BodyWellMar 20231.030:13:3913.3
BodyWellJan 20231.070:15:1914.3
F4M RaceNov 20223.480:53:5215.5
Color RunJun 20223.20:59:4818.8
Body WellJul 20211.020:11:3911.4
Body WellJun 20211.070:22:3323.2
StrengthMay 20212.630:40:590.0
2/13 5kFeb 20213.240:49:330.0
Mission InnNov 20166.22:03:0019.8
OC halfMay 201513.23:22:0015.5
CdMJun 20143.20:40:2913.0
Mission InnNov 20136.41:29:0014.3
CdMJun 20133.20:39:0012.7
VerdugosMay 20136.42:16:0022.0
DowntownMar 20133.20:34:0011.0
CdMJun 20123.20:40:0013.0
DowntownMar 20123.20:28:369.2
Mission InnNov 20116.41:07:0010.8
CdMJun 20113.20:35:3011.5
RaincrossFeb 20113.20:26:448.5
Holiday HalfDec 201013.12:26:0011.0
CitrusOct 20106.41:04:0010.5
RaincrossFeb 20103.20:26:008.5
MissionNov 20093.20:37:0012.0
CitrusSep 20093.20:37:0012.0
CdMJun 20093.20:44:0014.0
RedlandsApr 200913.12:48:0013.0
RaincrossFeb 20093.20:34:0011.0

Fitbit Activities Log
View Details to See Pace and Map and HR

The annoying thing about this activity history is that you can't sort by workout type, or distance or duration. It would be great if each column would have a sorting function. Or if you could filter by date. Like if you know the date of some event, it should have the function to show only data recorded on that date. But as it is, you have to click "Load 10 more" repeatedly until you get back to that day. It's only chronological and does not have any sort function.


You can see Elevation too
Run Data: Pace, Elevation, Heart Rate, Calories, Steps

Map and Splits on Run mode
Run Data: Map and Splits

Okay so I'm re-convincing myself that the Versa 4 will work for me. At least for a bit longer. Hopefully, the Versa 4 will last longer than the Versa 3 did.

WeekDateDistance (mi)Duration (H:MM:SS)Pace (min/mi)
110/14/20230.450:13:2029.5
110/17/20130.500:13:2026.5
110/19/20230.710:13:2018.8
210/28/20230.620:13:2021.5
310/31/20230.420:07:3318.0
311/2/20230.380:07:1519.2
311/5/20231.500:29:2019.5
411/11/20231.290:29:2022.7
411/11/20231.470:30:1320.5

I made a separate Google Sheet to track my training for Disneyland. When I registered, I said that I would do a 12-14 minute mile! Eek, so I'm trying to document my progress towards that goal. The reason why the workout duration is 13:20 a couple times is that I used 10/30 intervals with 10 seconds running and 30 seconds walking. That's 800 seconds total divided by 40 seconds, so 20 rounds. I don't know if I programmed that or if it was the default on the device. I know I did change the interval durations.

Then the second duration, 29:20 is 1760 seconds, which is 44 rounds, which for some reason is the max it would let me do. But that's fine because it corresponds to about a 30-minute workout, which is what the Galloway training plan specifies for 5k training on weekdays. I guess for a longer run, I would just restart it when it ends. Happy training! And thanks to the Rise & Run Podcast for inspiration and motivation in weekly installments.



Thursday, November 9, 2023

holidays collide


We had a fantastic day at Disneyland, doing less and enjoying more. The temperature was just about perfect. We parked at the Toy Story lot for $26.50.


We started in Tomorrowland Pretzel Cart for $7.50 because our kiddo loves driving cars at Autotopia. Then we went to Mr. Toad's wild ride for the same reason. Fantasyland Fruit Cart sold us 2 juice boxes for $5, and then we spent $21 on the grey stuff, tater tots, a lemonade, and a hot coffee. Albert didn't eat the tater tots, but he did eat the cucumber we had brought, and we used the diaper changing station there, which was great.

We found a cool spot inside the castle to watch a short film. Following the Disneyland Band from the castle down main street was so fun. We spent $13 + $29 + $31 for toys (cars, remote control Mater, and a new bubble wand) and then headed up to the Magic Key Terrace for our special lunch ($55).

We enjoyed a leisurely 1.5-hour lunch on the patio and spent $20 on special gold medallions. Then we walked through Pixar Pier and got the Magic Key exclusive FREE tote bag for Viva Navidad. We saw a show called Operation Playtime! Featuring the Green Army Patrol.

We decided to go back to Disneyland to catch some rides, and we met a lovely man who suggested we participate in the Flag Retreat ceremony. Albert dashed in and out of every gift shop in Grizzly Peak, looking for more cars; thankfully, we didn't find any. We did find Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, Chip and Dale. Albert got a wave from Dale and a hug from Chip, and he was so excited about that. We did buy a frozen fruit bar over there, and Albert ate it along with some raisins we had brought.

We went into Trolley Treats before leaving DCA ($42) and I picked up some things that will help give me the energy to finish up the semester of grading. Churro toffee! Most of the holiday eats are available on Nov 10th, but the following items started Nov 3rd, so we went ahead and brought them home to enjoy over the next several weeks.

  • Minnie Santa Hat Apple: Green apple dipped in caramel with two marshmallows ears enrobed in milk chocolate, rolled in red sanding sugar, and embellished with white M&M'S chocolate candies and a white chocolate Santa hat with a bow
  • Minnie Santa Hat Cereal Treat: Mickey-shaped cereal treat dipped in milk chocolate and decorated with red sanding sugar, green M&M's chocolate candies, and a Santa hat
  • Holiday Milk Marshmallow Wand: Marshmallows dipped in caramel and then milk chocolate drizzled with green and red chocolate

After the flag retreat ceremony, we went to New Orleans Square, where the fog was put on the Rivers of America. We didn't see any show there, but they were practicing for something. The Pirates of the Caribbean line was only 20 minutes, so we did that. Always love that ride!

Finally, we decided to get dinner at Jolly Holiday before heading home ($39). Albert had the Mac & Cheese, Mike had the Roast Beef sandwich, and I had the Jolly Holiday Combo with grilled cheese and tomato soup. I added the Pumpkin Chai cream puff to say farewell to fall. It was actually so good. Mike got a coffee from Refreshment Corner ($3) for the drive home,e and we listened to the Ragtime piano player right there on the patio. It was great to sit there with other families. All the kids were screaming, and all the parents were exhausted, and it was dark; the lights in the trees were twinkling, the balloons were lit up, and so was the Christmas tree. The joys of that visit were in the simple spending time (and money) together and having moments of stillness without having to go-go-go.

We kind of decided to let our Magic Keys go, we will not renew them when our renewal window opens. I love and enjoy being at Disneyland but also it is expensive and we're not rich. We can spend that money elsewhere for sure.

Albert has an obsession with pressed pennies. We had to buy a set of 8 near It's a Small World, another set of 3 on Main Street, and 3 in Adventureland ($11). So the money we spent that day was $300 exactly. It's not so much the cost of the Magic Keys, which are expensive, though; it's more about this additional spending for one Disney day. Even though we didn't stay at a hotel, we spent a ton of money on the treats, food, and toys, and Albert is getting even more and more into shopping. We must be careful about bringing him places or get better at saying no. I don't want my kid to end up very spoiled (and it might already be too late). We plan on doing more straightforward, free, and local things until we get our balance on the credit card back down to zero and until we can rein in our monthly expenses. We are still determining when or if any opportunity may arise to buy a condo in the current complex that we live in, but if it does, we want to be ready when that happens. If we can buy, our mortgage plus insurance plus HOA fee will be so expensive we'll have to cut corners to afford it, so we'll start now. It's hard to put a price on joy, but we can find just about the same amount of joy doing stuff like walking around our neighborhood for free.

Thursday, November 2, 2023

runDisney

9/27 - Dear Parent, We are writing to tell you that your child was exposed to COVID-19. Wear a mask until day 10 (10/6/23). Test for COVID-19 on 9/29-10/1.

10/11 - I FULLY FELT LIKE I WAS TAKING CRAZY PILLS. It is unsettling to me as a parent that there is no information posted about the status of the classroom. I am sad because Albert's classroom 130 lost Mrs. Flor around this time of year and she was not replaced for a very long time (months). I am worried about who will be responsible for rm 170. We don't know when things will go back to normal. And we aren't being given much information. I understand that everyone is doing their best with the COVID surge and the return of masking. I am not getting much solid information to make me feel like Albert is in good hands.

Albert wearing Lightning McQueen sunglasses two fisting milk and juice

10/12 - Rm 170 parent meeting. Learned the new teacher (Jody) would become the supervising teacher. I had a gut feeling that something was wrong and I asked the substitute Teacher Ana what was going on. She said that there was a parent meeting yesterday and I freaked out because I thought I missed it. After talking to DH, it turns out I didn't miss it, the notice was only sent out to some parents and not others. At this point, I felt better because we didn't have to have Albert wear a mask anymore and things appeared to be settling down. Teacher Abrams was returning and helping the children transition without Teacher Vanessa.

10/23 - Rant incoming: Sick and tired. The kid was sent home from daycare last Wednesday for loose stool. I had him all day Mon. Half Tues. Half Fri. DH had half Tues, half Weds, all Thurs, and half Fri. LO was basically home all week. No vomit. Low fever. Sneeze and nasal drip. 2.5h contact naps every day. Hoped he would go back today but low fever so kept him home for the second Monday in a row. Dunno how parents of 3.5-year-olds did any WFH during the pandemic. I thought my Mondays were for me. To do whatever, work, play, rest. It's the only day I don't teach. DH has the nerve to tell me he has banked 798 hours of sick leave. Why are we splitting this? I need my grading days!

10/26 - Rm 170 parent meeting. Thought everything was settling down. The following day we learned that there was a lice outbreak and the other teacher quit. 

11/2 - Last week I was feeling so crazy (Oct 23-27). I think it was a combination of hormones (PMS) and hormones (weaning). I tried using the Calm app and I couldn't even focus enough to do a 10 minute meditation. I kept opening up all my work and not being able to make much progress. This week has been much better. My period started on Monday (10/30) and that helped. I also was able to have Mike watch Albert since he was out sick for half of October, which allowed me to get back to catching up on grading. I won't say I'm fully caught up now.


We're trying a financial strategy I like to call "fun month, boring month" where we do a big trip or splurge in July (Nebraska), then stay home for most of August. Then have an expensive month in September (our AC broke and we stayed in a hotel), then stay home mostly in October, then travel in November (going to San Diego and Riverside) and stay home in December, then travel in January (for the runDisney Disneyland 5k). I used to have a lot of blogs that were race reports and I'm kind of reminiscing about some of those favorite races we used to do.

Jan (too cold?)
July (too hot)
Aug (too hot)
Sept (too hot)

Bubbles at the end of the color run
Albert's first 5k - Color Run Los Angeles - June 11, 2022

Then I guess the Disneyland 5k we are already signed up for can be January 2024 and the new Disneyland 5k just announced for September 2024 can be September. I don't think they do the Downtown Dash anymore, but that's the month of the LA marathon so maybe we should consider that. I'm not saying that I want to run a race every month out of the year but it's fun to see which ones we used to do annually and make a calendar of when they are. I don't know if we can afford to do all the Disneyland races, because they're so expensive.


I said that I wanted to run between a 12 and 14-minute mile which I am admitting now was very optimistic. That was based on last year when I did the Fit4Mom Body Well program and I was doing 14 minutes and 18 seconds in January 2023 (start of the program) and 13 minutes and 15 seconds in March 2023 (end of program). My weight was 221 lbs at the start of it and 214 lbs at the end. I just weighed myself yesterday or the day before and it was 225 lbs. So I guess if I keep training and maybe drop some pounds it will be possible.

Graph of 5 years worth of weight
Fitbit now brought to you by Google

I was so depressed because my back started hurting after going to the LA Zoo on Oct 21st. Then we did the CSUN Bike Fest on Oct 22nd and I rode the heavy cargo bike. Then my knees really started hurting after going to Fit4Mom on Oct 23rd. I was all psyched up for my training with running and I had done a few interval workouts. But I sat down to use the toilet that night and I felt like my quad was ripping at the kneecap. Well I knew I had overdone it. So I tried to tone it down and take ibuprofen and no runs that week. Then I did the stroller treating with running but no squatting on Oct 28th. I made sure to apply ice packs to both knees right after that workout. I tried a bit of light jogging this week (10/31 and 11/2) and so far no pain.

I'm not going to assume running is going to solve all my problems but what I have learned is that Albert loves his scooter and he can scoot and keep up with me while I'm doing my run/walk thing. I've used my Fitbit Versa 3 on interval training mode to do the Galloway method. I run for only 10 seconds and walk for 30 seconds. It's supposed to be good for getting me to 15:30 -17:00 min/mi. Or basically just to get started. For a 14:30 -15:45 min/mi I should be running 15 seconds, walking 30 seconds. Or for a 12:15 -14:15 min/mi (which is what I said I would be doing), I would need to run 30 seconds and walk 30 seconds. The Run/Walk method is supposed to be easier on the joints and good for a "returning athlete." 

Albert at the LA Zoo playground climbing on an alligator statue

Also the weather is turning very fall. We had some crazy Santa Ana winds over the weekend that blew down everyone's Halloween decorations. Which only made everything look more spooky. This blog post is getting long and rambly but I wanted to say that listening to the Rise and Run podcast is a ray of sunshine in my week now and it is making me remember how much I did love running when I lived in Riverside and how it was just a thing I did for enjoyment and companionship. I'm not a treadmill kind of gal, I really enjoy the experience of going somewhere.

Brooks Ghost 14 White/Purple/Coral

Finally, I got a new pair of running shoes and of course I can notice the difference. The Rise and Run podcast did an episode about shoes and another about running on a budget and it made me think about ordering last season's shoes before they are totally out of stock, because they're much less than new. I got these from the Brooks website for $89. Ghost 15 is $140 and Ghost Max is $150. I wish there was some kind of subscribe and save to get running shoes automatically shipped to you when they hit 400 miles. I used my Fitbit to estimate the number of steps since I've bought new shoes and then divided it by 3 because I bought 3 pairs last time. They're not at 400 miles according to that calculation, but they just don't feel as supportive as I would like.