electrolytes abound

It seems like there are ads for electrolytes everywhere you look, and the more you look, the more ads find their way to your eyeballs. The interest and availability of electrolyte packets has exploded into a $40B industry. The market is projected to double by 2034. However, there are risks associated with overconsumption. A balanced diet often provides enough electrolytes. Looking at my most successful diet of all time (the IVF diet by Zita West), I was regularly getting 1000mg Na from the food, and on some days as much as 3500mg Na. The contributors to high sodium were soy sauce, capers, olives, canned green beans, and shrimp or fish fillets.

Supplements I have or still take (or haven't tried yet)

The items in bold are the things I used during the marathon.

SaltStick Chewables: 100mg Na, 30mg K, 6mg Mg, 10mg Ca, 1g carb

LMNT: 1000mg Na, 200mg K, 60mg Mg, 0g carb

Prime: 600mg Na, 400mg K, 75mg Mg, 10mg Ca, 2g carb

Electrolit: 330mg Na, 370mg K, 20mg Mg, 40mg Ca, 10g carb

Venture Pal: 500mg Na, 280mg K, 20mg Mg, 104mg Ca, 8g carb

Tailwind: 620 mg Na, 180mg K, 24mg Mg, 54mg Ca, 50g carb

Liquid I.V.: 510mg Na, 390mg K, 12g carb

Skratch: 400mg Na, 49mg K, 48mg Mg, 54mg Ca, 19g carb

Gatorade Zero: 380mg Na, 110mg K, 2g carb

Gatorade: 270mg Na, 80mg K, 35g carb

Powerade Zero: 240mg Na, 80mg K, 0g carb

Powerade: 250mg Na, 60mg K, 35g carb

Nuun: 300mg Na, 150mg K, 13mg Mg, 13mg Ca, 4g carb

Solgar liquid: 300mg Mg, 600mg Ca, 2g carb

NOW Ca&Mg softgels:  333mg Mg, 667mg Ca, 25mg Zn, per 2 softgels

365 Ca&Mg capsules: 500mg Mg, 1000mg Ca per 3 capsules

NOW Ca&Mg tablets: 500mg Mg, 1000mg Ca per 2 tablets

TUMS: 1000mg calcium carbonate

Coconut water: 50mg Na, 646mg K, 24mg Mg, 53mg Ca, 15g carb

"Astronaut Juice": 145mg Na, 12.5g carb per 8 oz serving

Coca-Cola: 40mg Na, 42g carb

Pickle Juice shot: 470mg Na, 20mg K, 2mg Zn, 0g carb

Nerds gummy clusters: 15mg sodium, 71g carb

Gu: 55mg Na, 30mg K, 20mg Ca, 23g carb

Clif bloks (3): 50mg Na, 18mg K, 24g carb

Biscoff (4 cookies): 115mg Na, 23g carb

Stroopwafel: 75mg Na, 18g carb

Clif bar: 230mg Na, 225mg K, 40mg Ca, 42g carb

McDonald's salt packet: 280mg Na

Heinz mustard packet: 65mg Na

For me, learning about electrolytes has been a trial-and-error process. When you train with a friend or a group, someone will see you suffering and lean over to whisper about their favorite bonk-breaker. I was told about Gu from a running friend when the mileage climbed above 9 miles for a long run. We would stop to take a gel at mile 7. I remember refilling a water bottle during a 60-mile bike ride in 2010, and someone quietly slipping a Nuun tablet into my bottle. At the time, I was primarily concerned with drinking water, and I thought it was enough to quench my thirst. 

Marty's Tom's Farms ride

When I was hiking in the Verdugos, I got food poisoning in 2012 from my own self. I had probably put a Nuun tablet into a hydration bladder and then let it fester. The next time I tried to use it, it was full of pests, which infested my GI tract. I vowed then and there to NEVER contaminate my hydration bladder again. I've heard people put flat Coca-Cola into their water bottles, so I've added Coke for comparison. But I'm too scared of not being able to fully wash it out to put anything other than water in my hydration vest/belt bottles. I remember examining Nuun's ingredients, and in terms of macronutrients and micronutrients, it was similar to the growth medium used to culture fungi.

The kicker for me came when I cramped during the 2024 Santa Monica Classic. I called my sister to complain, and she asked me what type of electrolytes I was taking. When I told her none, she said it was incredible that I lived in such a hot climate and that nobody had taught me about the importance of replenishing electrolytes. To be honest, every time I think about this race, it still burns me that I skipped the 10k and only finished a 5k. The course was shortened due to the heat.

I've been wanting to write a blog about salt for a long time, but it seems like I'm always staying so busy. I had to take a break from grading student work because hackers disrupted our access to the LMS, Canvas. It's been unavailable for just over 24 hours, which is pretty much the timeline I predicted. But it still sucks that I lost about 8 hours of productivity. Although it did give me the opportunity to write and read a little about salt.

What I can say is that during the 2025 LA Marathon, I took two SaltStick chews every 30 minutes and ended up feeling gross at mile 17. I adjusted that to one SaltStick chew every 30 minutes in 2026, and it was perfect. I felt amazing up until mile 25.

MyFitnessPal all time data

LA Road Runners Chat #9 Dietition Serena Marie - Part 2 (10-30-2025)

https://youtu.be/f5gXdJ4i4yQ?si=KmMON9FYyumPI4ux 

LA Road Runners Thursday Night Coach's Zoom

You can calculate your sweat rate, and a dietitian who spoke to my running club explained that you should track all of this, including the weather. To convert sweat rate to sodium loss, multiply your sweat volume (in liters) by your sweat sodium concentration (typically 200–2,300 mg/L, with an average of ~950 mg/L). A typical, moderate sweat rate is 1.2 L/h, which, at an average concentration, results in ~1,000 mg (1 gram) of sodium lost per hour. I've never done it, but maybe I can make this a summer project.

Sodium to Salt Conversion: 1 gram of sodium equals ~2.5 grams of salt (NaCl).
Range: Most people lose 200–2,300 mg of sodium per liter of sweat.
Factors: Sweat concentration is mostly genetic, but sweat volume depends on intensity, temperature, and acclimation. You can use this worksheet to calculate your sweat rate, then use that to determine how much sodium you need. I don't feel like I'm a heavy sweater, but at the Naughty Girl Fitness workout, I was dripping sweat, so maybe I just don't notice it when I'm running.
https://koreystringer-institute.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3814/2024/08/Sweat-Rate-Calculator.pdf 

I am mindful that we need more magnesium as we age. I wonder how much magnesium from supplements is bioavailable. I still take a lot of supplements, pushing calcium and magnesium as I have since pregnancy and postpartum. But because of the cost, I sometimes wonder if I should stop. Also, I wonder if I'm putting myself at increased risk of kidney stones by overdoing it on electrolytes. In all, the body is pretty great at maintaining homeostasis. But I have heard of people overdosing on TUMS and ending up with stones.

I have heard of people taking salt packets from McDonald's, as well as mustard packets. Some people love Nerds gummy clusters. I guess I spent a lot on food/fuel when I was first getting started running, but now that I'm more settled on what I like (what works for me), I don't spend as much. I included fuel and all the food from the race weekend in this calculation. Someone in my running group suggested signing up for ALL the races. Like YOLO. They justified it by saying, "What is your health worth?" And that got me thinking about how much I spent on running in the past few years.

For sure, running has been crucial to my mental health, now and at various previous times in my life. The American Heart Association recommends a sodium intake of less than 1,500 milligrams per day. The form matters. Salt tabs called "buffered" seem to contain sodium citrate, not just sodium chloride. The buffer helps balance lactic acid and possibly other amino acids produced in anaerobic pathways. In fact, some athletes take sodium or potassium bicarbonate prior to intense efforts, such as sprinting.

A future post could explore branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), another fitness craze, as well as ketones such as beta-hydroxybutyrate. I feel like I'm not interested in doing fasted exercise. I'm trying to fuel while training to avoid dipping into ketosis. What I can say is that I took BCAA Complex in my smoothies this past training cycle. Not by choice. My son wanted to put them in there because he loved making a rainbow smoothie with many different ingredients. But I did feel a difference in my energy throughout the day. It felt similar to taking a high dose of B vitamins. He also put in Nature's Superfruits powder (which does have insane amounts of B-vitamins).

Looking at the literature, it seems that a lot has been discovered about metabolism since I left grad school. I remember discovering that ketones and branched-chain amino acids are produced by plants under low-oxygen stress. I'm not saying I'm responsible for these discoveries, but I remember finding these findings and reporting them, and the people in the plant hypoxia world saying it just wasn't possible. Records are being broken every day by athletes who are figuring out better fueling strategies, and I'm sure some of that has to do with electrolytes, too.

I haven't been taking my collagen powder, creatine powder, or my MCT powder supplements in my coffee. For some time now, I've been drinking it black. But I do take a creatine capsule at bedtime with all my other supplements. Not that you should take my advice. We're all out here doing the best we can. My race results: https://www.athlinks.com/athletes/85696593/results I'm not trying to win my age group. I am trying to run sustainably so I can continue doing this. It helps balance my mood, and I feel like it's helping me ease the menopause transition.

One strange thing I did notice was: I kind of feel like my belly fat is decreasing now that the marathon is over. It's been two full months now. I feel like longer walks, lower stress, and more cross-training are actually making a big difference. I started running to get rid of the belly fat and lose weight. But running long distances hasn't really lowered the number on the scale much. I'm trying to revisit the idea of cortisol. Doing workouts that raise cortisol will increase belly fat. Doing workouts that lower stress may actually have a larger impact in the direction I would like to go. 

I've been enjoying the off-season, following the Fit4Mom 5k plan A, which is really chill. I've been doing Royal Core 4.0 from RunFitMama and some workouts here and there from Naughty Girl Fitness. I am thinking that the long walks and some weight lifting are revving up my metabolic engine. I think I might need to keep lifting heavy shit. I'm in pain every day anyway, from my joints aching. Why not add some muscle soreness? Dietarily, I've tried to reduce my intake of fried foods and increase my intake of dietary fiber from fruits and vegetables.

My previous posts about salt:

• CalorieCount https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2011/01/carbs-calcium-cortisol-oh-my.html 
• Salt Bath https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2011/05/bathing-beauty.html
• Race Day https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2025/04/race-report-rose-bowl-half.html
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2025/03/la-marathon-race-report.html
• Immune System https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2011/10/airborne.html
• Fertility https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2019/03/fertility-part-3.html
• Supplements https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2020/07/turning-40.html
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2025/07/supplement.html
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2022/12/november-2022-thoughts.html 
• During Training https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2024/12/women-are-not-small-men.html
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2025/01/powerful-hermana.html
• Century Rides https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2014/07/independence-day-ride-report.html
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2014/10/ride-report-r2r-california-challenge.html
• https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2013/12/christmas-ride-report.html
• Kaiser Wellness Posts https://kaiserwellnesscenter.blogspot.com/2013/05/coconut-water.html
• https://kaiserwellnesscenter.blogspot.com/2019/06/fda-should-finalize-sodium-targets.html
• Astronaut Juice https://kaiserwellnesscenter.tumblr.com/post/50695781267/astronaut-juice

Other References:

The use of buffered salts as anticoagulants for the maintenance of true cell volume and for the determination of plasma proteins. Chorine, V. Revue d'Immunologie (1940), 6, 193-208.

Magnesium: Exploring Gender Differences in Its Health Impact and Dietary Intake
By: Mazza, Elisa ; Maurotti, Samantha ; Ferro, Yvelise ; Castagna, Alberto ; Pujia, Carmelo; Sciacqua, Angela ; Pujia, Arturo; Montalcini, Tiziana. Nutrients (2025), 17(13), 2226.

Magnesium in Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Type 2 Diabetes. Gabriele Piuri, Monica Zocchi, Matteo Della Porta, Gian Vincenzo Zuccotti, Luciano Pinotti, Valentina Ficara, Michele Manoni, Jeanette A. Maier and Roberta Cazzola. Nutrients (2021), 13, 320.

Perspective: Ketone Supplementation in Sports—Does It Work? Pedro L Valenzuela, Adrián Castillo-García, Javier S Morales, Alejandro Lucia. Adv. Nutr. (2020) Oct 22;12(2):305–315.

Effects of a commercially available branched-chain amino acid-alanine-carbohydrate-based sports supplement on perceived exertion and performance in high intensity endurance cycling tests
Marco Gervasi, Davide Sisti, Stefano Amatori, Sabrina Donati Zeppa, Giosuè Annibalini, Giovanni Piccoli, Luciana Vallorani, Piero Benelli, Marco B L Rocchi, Elena Barbieri, Anna R Calavalle, Deborah Agostini, Carmela Fimognari, Vilberto Stocchi, Piero Sestili. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. (2020) Jan 20;17:6.

August 2025 in Review

It's only a few days into September, but it's been a whirlwind the past couple weeks. I have to pause and remind myself that Albert has only been in Kindergarten for three weeks (as he reminded me today is day 14). I have only had one week of school so far. Since I'm teaching labs, there are no class meetings this week since it is the week of a Monday holiday (Labor Day), so that no sections fall behind. When I look back at what we did during August, I can see why I feel so whirly.

The month kicked off with the Dopey Strong 7 Dwarves Challenge. Each day, we were supposed to dress up like a different dwarf and add a few strength moves into our running plan. Then on the 7th day we were supposed to do all the strength moves. I'm not a big fan of run streaking but there were only three days in the month that I didn't at least walk a mile (Aug 8, 10, 12). Sometimes I wonder why I track everything, but then I remember that tracking helps me make sense of the pain I'm in when I can't understand or remember why my feet hurt so much.

  

There was also a collaboration between Valley Runners and the Goodr Cabana. A group of us from Glendale, Sherman Oaks, Northridge, Winnetka, Burbank (all over the 818) met in Venice Beach every Saturday throughout August.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by VRLA| ValleyRunnersLA Est. 2014 (@valleyrunnersla)

And to end the month, Crowned Athletics inspired us to dress up for World Princess Week.

I had fun with the challenge, and it got me to do some micro-blogging reflecting on what the Disney princesses mean to me.

CREATIVITY. As a mom, I get creative with my son as we paint, build, dance, cook, sing, and play. As a teacher, I find creative ways to incorporate all that into a college environment. Keeping everyone's spirits up while still enforcing safety rules and regulations. Chemistry doesn't have to be boring! I've got a dream. I want to make chemistry accessible to all students, allowing them to enjoy and learn. 👩‍🔬🥼🥽🧪 Rebel princess 👸✊ My first thought of creativity was Rapunzel, who had to pass away the hours locked away in a tower. But I think I'm a rebel princess at heart. Every day, finding creative ways to resist the empire. @crownedathletics #spacebuns #onebadmotherrunner

STRENGTH in motherhood is sometimes carrying your child, carrying your 50 lb folded stroller as you board the bus, bringing in the entire load of groceries from the car to the house in one haul. 🛒🛍️ Sometimes strength in motherhood is breaking generational trauma, escaping the unreasonable expectations of society, and giving other women a leg up. We all show our strength in different ways, and sometimes just showing up as the best version of you takes strength. 🥂 🙌 Here's a high five to celebrate all of the invisible unpaid domestic labor. Sometimes we carry the weight of the family on our shoulders, And even though every day isn't a ball, We still find big and small ways to sparkle and shine through. Thank you for being a part of my family, And thank you for helping to keep me inspired! #gratitude #strengthinmotherhood If I could add one piece to my Powerful Hermana set, it would be the Force Fighter flow tank top. 🛸💫🚀 I recently introduced my son to the Star Wars movies, and I was so inspired by Rey Skywalker. I'm not sure if she is considered a princess, but she is definitely a role model of strength. She never stopped fighting for freedom, and she never lost hope. No family is perfect, but finding your identity and drawing strength from your ancestors has always been a powerful force for me.

KINDNESS. The story of The Little Mermaid reminds us to practice kindness with our own bodies. There may be some part of your body that you wish were different. #bodypositive Ariel is doomed to want something she cannot have. She is willing to gamble her voice in exchange for the opportunity to experience her heart's desire, but only for 3 days. And if she is unable to achieve a nearly impossible task, she loses everything. The mermaid princess reminds us to appreciate everything our bodies can do. Today I am grateful for my legs. 🦵🧜‍♀️ 🐚🐠 Thank you, legs, for being my favorite form of transportation. Today I am thankful for my voice. 🎵🎶👩‍🎤 Thank you, voice, for allowing me to express myself. Staying inspired is sometimes a challenge. I have to do whatever motivates me to get out there and stick to my training plan. 

BELLA IN SELLA. is a phrase that I learned from the cycling community 🚴‍♀️ #cyclomania. It means riding a horse or bicycle and looking good while doing it. Often, I wear bright colors while riding or running for safety purposes. If you're seen, so much the better, because it lowers the risk of getting into a collision. And a close family member of mine was killed while running because she was hit by a minivan. But sometimes, like this week, I enjoy dressing up just for the fun of it. I find inspiration in the stories I grew up listening to. I wanted to represent Belle today, who didn't start out as a princess, but through her kindness, she came to love the Beast. I identified with Belle because she loved books and was a gorgeous brunette, like me. And, like her, I fell in love with a man who had a great bookshelf. 📚 # Bibliophile: I get to refresh my memory on Disney princesses, villains, and heroines by telling bedtime stories to my son as he falls asleep. He doesn't consciously remember every story, but I know he hears me. He puts princess figurines all around our bedroom for protection. Loving the energy from @fit4mom_west_sfv this morning. Showing up and being surrounded by kindness, moms supporting other moms, makes the journey of motherhood so much better. #communityinmotherhood #raisekindhumans #momssupportmoms #ourvillage #motherhoodsisterhood #worldprincessweek

GRACE. If you are newly postpartum or raising small children, you've got to give yourself grace. It's going to take time to get your energy back. Motherhood has been a powerful motivator for me. I want to be able to keep up with my son, so I keep pushing myself to stay strong and ready. Initially, when I thought of grace, I thought of Mulan. I'm not sure Princess is part of her back story, but she was a strong influence in my childhood. I was a tomboy. I ended up in a male-dominated career field. I've always tried to keep up with men and fit in among them. To be just as smart, fast, and strong. Mulan did what she did to protect her father and bring honor to her family. She was an epic failure at being a #tradwife but an epic success at leading an army. She exceeded her family's expectations and ended up with an even better match than any matchmaker would have found for her. Mulan reminds us to gracefully pursue our destiny, even if it doesn't fit with society's expectations for us. I thought about the graceful movements of a swords(wo)man. I realize that the modern military is different than the fighting style depicted in Mulan. I feel grateful for our military service men and women. Thanks to our veterans and first responders as well. ⚔️ Finally, I thought about how some workouts are tough. You have to give yourself the grace to suck sometimes. The law of averages will balance it out eventually with a workout that kicks ass in a good way. Today I felt so strong, graceful, and fast. ⚖️ Keep showing up. #ownthecrown #stronglooksdifferent

BRAVE. The brave thing I did today was bring my kid to work. His school has a holiday but my school did not. Today's theme got me thinking about various times in my life where I took a leap of faith. One of the biggest leaps I took was when I moved to California. I knew the cost of living was going to be really high. But I also knew that ultimately it was where I wanted to be. I wasn't sure how it was going to work out, but I was brave enough to go for it with the faith that I would figure it out. The second biggest leap of faith that I took was going through IVF. It was so expensive with no guarantees. It was like going through puberty again at 39 years old. I had to confront some of my biggest fears and misconceptions about becoming a mother. Thankfully for us, it only took one round. I'm so grateful that I was brave enough to take these leaps of faith. Finishing my PhD at UC Riverside was such a significant moment in my life. Training for and completing the LA Marathon (while wearing my Changed Fate set) was no big deal after becoming a doctor and then becoming a mother. If you're thinking about chasing a big goal or taking a leap of faith in the direction of your dreams, consider this a gentle push in that direction. Be brave.

STROLLER MILES. On my way to inspire the next generation of chemistry and biochemistry graduate students with my stroller and kindergartner, I dictated a lot of these microblogs while walking to and from school. Thanks to my bestie, Mykel for reminding me that it's okay to parent in public and that allowing students to see the joys and challenges of having children is a good thing. It's essential to make the work-life balancing act more visible. And this is also a post of appreciation for @bobgearus. I brought all the necessary items for my child and myself, as well as the supplies for my students. We had a fun day on campus. I love this stroller so much. I'll forever remember this as the vehicle that made all of our Disneyland dreams come true. BOB is an acronym for Beast of Burden, which is also a great song by the Rolling Stones. My Changed Fate set gives me powerful mama bear vibes when I need to remember how being a mom is my superpower. I also love how Merida was the shot caller in her story. She repairs the strained relationship with her mother and learns how to be more selfless. Even though Fit4Mom now pairs with Thule as their official stroller, I will never forget the BOB as my favorite part of strolling with my mini-me. My stroller model is BOB Revolution CE = City Edition which weighs ONLY 23 lbs.

I tried my darndest to get through August without overdosing on ibuprofen. However, on August 31st, I finally took some ibuprofen, which relieved the pain in my feet. It was an increase in miles, too much, too soon. I forgot how school drop-off adds extra mileage to the week. But as I say, we're trying to ease into the school year, and it's okay if there are some growing pains. Albert asked me to make him a social battery indicator so that he can have time to recharge without us bothering him too much. He's always had a high emotional intelligence, and this just shows that he can ask for a way to communicate with us.

   

Another thing Albert did recently was create two paintings contrasting a poor person's house, which was small, only one story high, and made of reclaimed materials. Versus a rich person's home, which he called the Eiffel Tower, which was multilevel, taller than trees, and made of gold. And for some reason, the poor person is during the day, and the rich person is painted at night, surrounded by stars. This is likely due to my lighter teaching load, which results in less income, and we often discuss this. We tell Albert that we can't afford some things because mommy won't be bringing home as much money. We discuss how we'll need to acquire more items on Buy Nothing, as we can't purchase them. September was a "normal" paycheck, but it will probably be the last "big" one for the next 6 months.

I saw the hashtag #RecessionCore and others, such as #economytok or #costofliving, to express a theme of economic hardship and austerity. We're not the only ones affected by this change in lifestyle. #budgetfriendly #economicanxiety #savingmoney #thrift #tariffs I've never been overly concerned with being trendy, and I know I'm talking about budget here, but here are some things I did buy this summer (or last summer) that I (still) love. 

• ENERBLOOM Women's Yoga Jumpsuits Workout One Piece Rompers with Pockets Bodycon Backless Bodysuits Padded Berry Red X-Large. I wore this on a run, and someone told me I was a whole vibe. I had a SheFit bra underneath and my sequin headband. $19.99 I also wore it to the pool as a swimsuit. I don't know why they don't make more swimsuits like this.
• Neely Gracey, the mom and running coach, recommended this product as the most comfortable item for summer, and I wholeheartedly agree. I bought one of each color and walked out paying around $50. I like them a lot. I'm glad I bought them when I did. This athletic all-in-one dress trend reached Crowned Athletics, and they sold each one for $118. I know, girl math, but I feel like I saved over $300. https://www.costco.com/elle-sport-women's-active-tank-dress.product.4000293912.html
• WEBGGER 12 Pack Sequin Headbands Elastic Stretch Sparkly Fashion Headband for Teens Girls Women Hairband Sport Head Band Party Favors Multicolored now $5.94, usually $9.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Z2TH288 Honestly, these are the best for summer. The airflow through the sequins is peak performance, and the sparklyness and color choices in this variety pack make my heart happy. I didn't bring one on my trip to Nebraska this year, but thankfully, I had left one the previous summer, and it was still there for me to use while I was visiting. Honestly, lifesaver. Somehow, the sequins are a great way to keep baby hairs from straying. I can't stand when my hair tickles my neck.
• IDALOP 20 Pairs Cute & Colorful Striped Quarter Crew Women's Colored Socks, Size 9-11 $19.99 So I'm midlife. I have mostly ankle socks. But I noticed when I wear a short skirt, it looks like SO MUCH LEG all the way down to the ankle. People nowadays say that ankle socks are out. So I got these crew socks. I wouldn't care fashion-wise but I do teach college-age students and I don't want to appear too out of touch.

I also found three pairs of jeggings at ALDI this week. Light blue, dark blue, and light grey. I have some Levi's jeggings that I purchased in the Spring 2023 semester for $27 each. They're finally starting to show daylight in the inner-thigh area after 5 semesters (2.5 years). So these ALDI ones are about half the price. I can't comment yet to their durability since I haven't even washed them yet, but I will use them to teach in for several years probably. I tried on XL and L and the large I couldn't even button / zip. There was a gap in the back of the XL but I guess I can wear a belt. https://www.aldi.us/product/serra-ladies-premium-light-blue-jeggings-m-0000000000072022 $12.99

My aunt noticed my Instagram is looking more colorful these days. I appreciate all the people who inspire me to keep being expressive. I'm glad summer is over, but is it really? We just had our AC fixed today, thank goodness. I know we're in for a few more months of heat. Sometimes it's in triple digits even through the end of October. Albert and I decorated the house yesterday for fall. He was insisting that it be fall but not spooky. Which means leaves and pumpkins, but not haunted houses and jack-o-lanterns.

Albert is dedicated to being a ghost for Halloween, and I've got 3 costumes already, so that the whole family can participate. I'm not sure we're doing the Boo at the Zoo or the Enchanted Halloweekends at the Discovery Cube. We've let all our memberships go. So we need to find a trick-or-treat thing we can do for free. I'm trying my best not to buy the Bath & Body Works Disney Villains collection. I know it will sell out quickly, but do I really need more lotion and hand soap?

It's the weekend of the Santa Monica Classic and the Disneyland Halloween Half-marathon. I'll be sitting these races out and preparing for the Bimbo Global 10k on September 28th. I haven't done that one before, but registration was free, and it's closer to our house. I received a free sample of Ever&Eden Premium Mineral Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50, but I'm not impressed with it so far. These are more of my favorites that I buy again and again and use daily.

• Sun Bum Baby Bum Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen Stick - Hawaii 104 Act Compliant (Without Octinoxate & Oxybenzone) - UVA/UVB Face and Body Protection - Unscented for Sensitive Skin - Travel Size 0.45 Oz $12.50
• Eucerin Sun Sensitive Mineral Baby Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 with Zinc Oxide Protection, Hypoallergenic Mineral Sunscreen for Babies, Tear Free and Fragrance Free, 4 Fl Oz Tube $20
• Banana Boat Kids MAX Protect & Play Sunscreen Spray SPF 100, 6oz | Clear Spray Sunscreen, Kids Sunscreen Spray, Kids Sunblock Spray, Kids Spray Sunscreen, Kids Sunscreen SPF 100, 6oz $14
• Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby Mineral Sunscreen Lotion with Broad Spectrum SPF 50 & Zinc Oxide, Water-Resistant, Hypoallergenic & Tear-Free Baby Sunscreen, 3 fl. oz, 3 pk $37
• https://thinksun.com/products/think-everyday-face-sunscreen-2oz-naturally-tinted  $16.50

In my efforts to save money, I also cleaned out my cabinets and put all my backstock of personal care products in rotation. Our good friend used to work at Paul Mitchell and would always gift us products whenever we visited him. So I have some shampoos, conditioners, and gels that will be on our bathroom shelves until they're gone. I lived so frugally when I started this blog, while in grad school. I know how to do it, I just wish I didn't have to.

Finally, I realized we're only six weeks away from the Mission Inn Run. I'm totally looking forward to that. I haven't thought about my outfits for race day. But I have time to come up with something. 

Marathon Equipment

I wanted to write about this because it took me a long time to get it dialed in. The best shirt for me turned out to be the one that was given to me by the LARR. I found that running in tank tops was a recipe for chafing. I also found that full compression socks were too compressive but that calf sleeves were just right. I found that wearing two bras was better than one, but I had to put a massive amount of chamois butter underneath. 

The folding hat is amazing when you start out your run in the dark and it gets light later on in the day. Not pictured here is a neck gaiter, which I had left over from the Color Run. The sun sleeves I wore were leftover from my cycling days, but you can find something similar listed below. I think the non-slip grip in the sleeves and in the skort is really key to keeping things in place. The skort never rode up and the sleeves never fell down.

I learned that I had to wear only one headphone at a time and leave the other one charging, to have the batteries last until the end of the race. I learned that my phone wouldn't last 20 miles without the fuel rods. I learned the Feetures ultra-light gave me a blister, but the light was perfect. I put chamois butter all over my feet, in my panty line, armpits, bra line, and inner thighs. I learned that I need to put sunscreen on the tops of my hands. Marathon training aged my skin on my face, neck and hands. 

I LOVE the Crowned Athletics Skorts. Seriously, it's one of the biggest game changers in my whole marathon training. The Powerful Hermana sports bra kept riding up, and the band was too compressive. I would have to take it off mid-run because it left me feeling like I was gasping for breath. But for some reason, the Changed Fate sports bra was tight and loose enough to stay put, let me breathe, and not chafe. 

$78 Crowned Athletics Skort

https://www.crownedathletics.com/collections/athletic-skirts

$68 Crowned Athletics Changed Fate Princess Sports Bra

https://www.crownedathletics.com/products/changed-fate-princess-sports-bra

$46 Freya Women's Dynamic Non-Wired Sports Bra

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D2PBVRW9

$18.93 Sparkle Athletic Rainbow Calf Sleeves

(from Poshmark)

$9.99 ELLEWIN Unisex Baseball Cap UPF 50 Unstructured Hat with Foldable Long Large Bill
https://www.amazon.com/ELLEWIN-Baseball-Portable-Research-Foldable/dp/B01JI0XLZS

$18 Feetures Elite Light Cushion No Show Tab Ankle Socks - Sport Sock with Targeted Compression

https://www.amazon.com/Feetures-Unisex-Elite-Cushion-Medium/dp/B0D7KMZG22

$8.99 beister UV & Sun Protection Arm Sleeves for Men & Women, UPF 50+, Cooling Sport Compression Arm Sleeves

https://www.amazon.com/beister-Compression-Breathable-Basketball-Lymphedema/dp/B07S5XT7HY/

$31.74 INOXTO Hydration Vest Backpack,Lightweight Water Running Vest Pack with 1.5L Water Bladder Bag Daypack for Hiking Trail Running Cycling Race Marathon for Women Men

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BCR78S8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

$59.99 due to lightning deal. True Bone Conduction Headphones, Open Ear Earbuds with Ear Hooks, Up to 60 Hours Playtime with Charging Case, Bluetooth 5.3, IP68 Waterproof, for Running, Yoga, Gym, Sports

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DLGCHQ18?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

$39.99 for two. FuelRod USB-C Portable Charger... 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D54WTVG1?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

$25 Goodr sunglasses

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N54JGM6

Did not wear on race day, but these were essential to training

$19.89 Energizer LED Headlamp PRO... 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BN4K3PT6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

$11.95 SWEETFULL Portable Clip on Fan -... 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNJZRSLC?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

$11.37 esonstyle Pack of 6 LED Light Up Band Slap Bracelets Night Safety Wrist Band for Cycling Walking Running Concert Camping Outdoor Sports

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014D4GAN4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

$25.17 Running Vest for Women Reflective Running Lights Vest for Night Runners, Running Light Gear Safety Reflective Vest for Men size XL 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3NM7PDM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

$39.37 Amphipod Hydraform Ergo-Lite Ultra 20 oz. Handheld Water Bottle, BPA-Free Hydration/Fuel Bottle, Endurance Runners & Walking

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NWZ7S91?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

my first run streak

Running is putting it nicely. Most of my June run streak was walking miles. #streakingwiththecoolkids really gave me a feeling of community, daily check-ins with like-minded people. Fun inspiration. Motivation when I needed it or wanted to give up. I don't think I will continue streaking because I did feel injured and I think cross-training is important, such as cycling. I wouldn't say I got any new besties out of it, but I did pick up some new followers on Strava.

TO WHAT EXTENT HAVE YOU MET YOUR RUNCLUB GOALS?

My stated goals were to keep up with kiddo, slim down, and balance mood. I am getting faster. I am slimming down (but not really losing weight). This I have noticed and other people have noticed too. And my moods are all over the place. But my husband noticed and I noticed too that I seem to be smiling more. As I'm learning more about perimenopause and how it interacts with running, I have learned that having protein before the workout (like collagen in your coffee) and protein after the workout can prevent a cortisol release which can therefore prevent a testosterone release, which can therefore reduce a rage feeling. https://www.instagram.com/perimenopause.nutritionist/

WHICH COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM SUPPORTED YOUR PROGRESS? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)

Daily reach-outs (WhatsApp), Weekly emails, Recipes, In-person group runs, Client guide, Weekly running journal, Coach's YouTube videos, Coach's texts/emails, F4M on demand, F4M in-person classes, The finish line (CdM Scenic 5k). 

I used the WhatsApp every day to keep in touch with my runners. I didn't get as much out of the weekly email or recipes because they weren't new. Same for the client guide and running journal. I did print out a different running journal and I'm trying to use it. I'm trying to track individual reach-outs in the future so that I can make sure to document how the runners are doing. I did enjoy making a few new YouTube videos and I think I can do a few more before next session. I used the F4M on demand a few times during Session 2 and after, but I more often used a strength program from a book. I did a few in-person workouts for strength or cross-training.

Finish line race report here 
https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2024/06/cdm-scenic-5k-2024-race-report.html 

WHAT ABOUT RUNCLUB+ SURPRISED YOU OR DID NOT MATCH YOUR EXPECTATIONS (WHETHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE)? YOU CAN SHARE YOUR GENERAL REFLECTIONS HERE.

It surprised me how much I missed the daily reach-outs after the session was over. It surprised me how much I was at the "back of the pack" for the actual race day when I had been pretty disciplined with my training cycle. I loved the day we shared photos of our family members and told how we got into running. I was shocked when Fit4Mom deleted me from the Trello but I figured out how to access the new content and there's even a Session 5 now.

MORE SPECIFICALLY, WHAT SUGGESTIONS DO YOU HAVE TO IMPROVE SESSION 3 (AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER)?

I am just looking forward to cooler weather. I'm getting more involved in other run clubs locally. I'm learning what makes our club unique: that we are women-specific, mom-specific and our routes are stroller-friendly. We encourage moms to bring their kiddos on the in-person runs. Most likely you won't be the only one bringing your child along. Also, some of the other run clubs build community by having the starting line at a coffee shop instead of a park so that they can hang-out afterwards and drink coffee and bond more. I think I had the idea that we would do a 1 hour thingy and then people would want to run home to their families. I didn't consider that they might want to stay longer and commune.

Week 1 Homework 

https://youtu.be/cfYYW4Uc5Mk?si=af17rAx3Ux_DIg-5

Apps

https://youtu.be/mTrnktVqHu8?si=FofRIKtJAHR-B1tw

CdM course 

https://youtu.be/wCooTzPxQ7M?si=cKmB9TSKGCTECbqu

Fix a Flat 

https://youtu.be/mTrnktVqHu8?si=oLOVWseiGPuaaaWK

Strava beacon pt 2

https://youtu.be/_vbEAKi4URE?si=2g4ksY_SZ6-GdHpF

Streak Stories made into a Reel

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kayla Kaiser (@hamerk02)

 

Entry into BOB Gear 30 year anniversary contest "My ______ Legacy"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kayla Kaiser (@hamerk02)

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.

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

https://ww1.listentoyt.com/

Our year in review

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8CDELb7/

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.

acceleration

It seems the semester is accelerating or maybe perhaps I am just now recovering from COVID-19 and starting to function near full capacity.

I wanted to post because I haven't been doing the microblogging that I used to do on my Bumper group over on Reddit. The active posters moved over to Discord and I just can't keep up with all the activity over there. There is an active Bumper group on Facebook as well, but it's largely photos and links and there isn't an easy way to see all my archived activity to cut and paste the text over here. So I guess I'll start posting here as much as I can or at least with the goal of several times per month.

My kiddo's word list seems like it's rapidly expanding now. He talked himself to sleep last night with an endless stream of half-nonsense and half-perceptible speech. He says funny words like butt and fart. He can say "ice cream cone" very clearly when he wants one. He says "green bike" every day as he runs to the garage to go to school. I'm so glad he finally loves the bike! 

He says "ka-kee" for cupcake, "tee-kaa" for tic-tic. He says "cow" for milk and "ka-koo" for popcorn. He is trying to say something for chicken nuggets but I can't really distinguish it. I'm not sure what he says if he wants just string cheese but he definitely says "hot cheese" for mac & cheese. He doesn't want to be called baby Albert anymore, just Albert. He lets me know about things that are fast by saying "beez" which I think means Blaze. He says "Gook" for both Goofy and his scooter. He says "chee No" for chicken nuggets.

When we're getting dressed, he is starting to have opinions about what color shirt he gets. I ask him for the color of the day and he tells me. "Led" is red. "Gold" is orange. "Lello" is yellow. "Geen" is green. "Boo" is blue. "Pup" is purple. "Gee" is grey. "Back" is black. "White" is white. He is refusing to wear a long-sleeved shirt over his t-shirt even though the temperature is in the 60s on the way to school.

Every day he wants to "pick car" which means going to a store that sells cars, looking at all the cars, taking about 30 minutes to touch each car and comment on it, and then ultimately buying one (or not). He loves to "choose" for himself. "Buy ka-kee" is also a recent hobby which is to go to the store and buy 12 cupcakes, and eat only the sprinkles off the top of every single one.

He says "cup" instead of cut. He talks about getting a haircut. He loves going swimming, he says "pool wa" which means he wants to go in the pool water and swim. Swimming is totally fun now, Albert climbs in and out of the pool using the stairs. He jumps off the side of the pool and tries to grab his floating cars. He is very independent and can motor himself pretty well from one area of the pool to the other. One day he even was doing a backfloat on his own, which he rarely allows.

I'm thinking about Halloween already, it's not too soon. In 2021 we represented three of the four Hogwarts houses. Albert was Gryffindor, I was Hufflepuff, and Mike was Slytherin. That was our first year of trick-or-treating at the LA Zoo. I think the only thing I bought for that costume was a onesie for Albert and a patch for Mike. In 2022 I bought two pairs of PJs from Old Navy. One was a doctor and I made cardboard cutouts of an ambulance to camouflage the BOB jogging stroller. The other was a firefighter and I made cardboard cutouts to dress up our cargo bike as a fire engine.

We went on a costumed bike ride which was on campus at CSUN. It was cool to see everyone that dressed up but unfortunately, the pace of the ride was so fast, we got dropped almost immediately. This year, I got Disney PJs of a racecar driver for #95 Lightning McQueen ($30). I plan to make cardboard cutouts of a racecar and attach them to our beach wagon. I bought a steering wheel that makes sounds (Disney Pixar’s CARS 3 LIGHTNING MCQUEEN Rev N' Roll Steering Wheel by eKids, $15). I got two "pit crew" t-shirts for Mike and me to wear to coordinate and support Albert ($20 each, Kohl's). So I guess I really went in this year. I am ordering decals to be color-printed to make the racecar more realistic and I was considering buying spray-paint to make the red car and yellow lightning bolt quicker to paint.

My husband thinks it is time to take another formal family photo for our Christmas cards. I'm not sure. I actually love the photos they take at Disneyland for free. Well, it's free to get your photo taken. You have to get Genie+ to download the digital version. I dunno.

I kinda feel like it's time to buy running shoes again. I am loving my Lularoe shirts that I wear for work. I am loving my pull-on skinny jeans. I don't care that skinny jeans are going out of style, they're practical for biking to work. Signature by Levi Strauss & Co. Gold Label Women's Size Totally Shaping Pull-On Skinny Jeans. I wear and wash them every night after lab. I went by the size chart and measured into a size 20. Disregard what Amazon recommends based on your other orders. I feel so grateful that I have a wardrobe I can just walk in there and grab something without overthinking it.

I'm struggling to set a date to go back to Disneyland. I definitely want to go at least once per month so I guess I just need to set the date and commit to it. Spirit Jersey: peach ($43), blue ($64), purple ($35). Minnie ears ($19), running skirt ($15) via Poshmark and Facebook Marketplace. I found out that if you're in Anaheim but not at the park, you can go to Target or Walmart and find Disney merchandise for much cheaper, I think I got this shirt for $6.

I did buy myself a bunch of mom appreciation gifts (and one dad appreciation gift). Instead of buying $1000 of clothes to get these incentives during World Breastfeeding Week 2023, I just bought the incentive gifts. I think the color-changing cup is 100% fun and I love it. I love the phone grip and the keychains. I'm not wild so far about the twist-front nursing tank and the ribbed nursing tank but maybe they'll grow on me. I also got a pair of LM leggings ($26) with no pockets. They are more comfortable than the leggings I got from Amazon.

I got a legging organizer from Amazon but I'm finding it more useful to organize my son's outfits. I can roll up together his shorts and shirt that match and he can see them and pick/choose what he wants to wear. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BMYV21TN/ 

We're trying to be on a spending freeze and we're crossing our fingers about the student loan forgiveness. I should be eligible now, but the repayment for all borrowers is resuming next month, so there is certainly a flurry of activity as borrowers try to get loans forgiven or in forbearance. They are saying it will be 30-90 days until my paperwork is processed.