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.

gingerbread in July

Well, here it is. End of April. Last year, at this time, I was either running or still training for the Rose Bowl Half, which had been rescheduled due to the wildfires in Pasadena, and I remember thinking I did not like this. I do not like training for half a month after a marathon. This year, I got to rest my legs and my immune system.

I've been following the Fit4Mom 5k training plan A, which is just to finish a 5k. It's very accessible. Following a training plan was a great way to set goals without too much pressure. And coming up here is the Miyagithon by Jed and Ted's excellent races. I think I'm going to do the Cobra Kai 5Kai, which is the distance that is listed on the training plan that I've been following. I haven't registered yet.

I wanted to wait to register until I could see how the training cycle went. Just to see if I felt more like a 5k, 10k, or half. But honestly, with the amount of miles I've been putting in, I'm only following the 5k plan. So it's okay to just do the 5k and call it good. I was reading somewhere that underestimating the 5k is a common thing runners do. Some people feel that a 5k is a distance you can do with no training, and that's a myth.

https://riseandrunpodcast.com/ep-238

https://www.instagram.com/rundisneydpt?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

One factor in this training cycle has been the sickness that I got after the marathon. We've been having kind of a lot of stomach blues. I had stomach flu in February. Right before the marathon. We've had another round of it now in April. And of course, that complicates training a little bit, because it's hard to stay hydrated. It's hard to stay on top of electrolytes. It's hard to eat. And your body is spending a lot of energy trying to fight the virus.

Another thing that's kind of been happening is my period has been either late or early the last 2 cycles. Additionally, I've been having just a ton of pain in my feet. And I started thinking, well, if I'm having pain in my feet, maybe I just need to run less or whatever, maybe it's just something that I'm doing, that's making this painful. But now I'm also having the pain in other joints, like my shoulders, my neck, my back, my wrists, my hips, my knees. So it's like just systemic inflammation and joint pain, and I definitely. I think it's related to perimenopause. And it's so frustrating because I want to exercise in order to feel good in my body. And I do feel good in my body. I can't say that I don't.

I've been doing a little bit more cross-training than usual. I've been doing Naughty Girl fitness. I've been doing a little bit of Run Fit Mama, Royal Core 4.0. And it's helped me notice some imbalances, asymmetries, and areas of weakness.

It is easy to overlook imbalances, asymmetries, and areas of weakness if all you're doing is running while neglecting your strength training. But I have to say it is very discouraging to have such a large degree of joint pain. Like from the moment I wake up, and my feet hit the floor. I almost can't walk to the bathroom. Today I had trouble hooking my bra because my wrists and my shoulder were hurting. Do I need to go back to my doctor for my annual physical? Yes. But I'm just kind of emotionally bracing myself for her to just say, "No, there's nothing we can do." And that's all!

I'll be honest, not every run feels like flying. I rely on music to keep me moving. But today I listened to a podcast. It feels like running with a friend. Episodes 84 and 85 helped me feel gratitude for a body that moves, however cranky and slow. How different seasons of life have different motivations. How important it is to be flexible regarding your training plan. There is no such thing as a perfect training cycle, especially when you're a mom.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-84-running-a-marathon-in-residency-finding/id1765429588?i=1000762383534

I titled this blog post "gingerbread in July" because that's how crunchy and stale my joints feel.

Longer Marathon Debrief 2026

I have a bunch of screenshot that I want to write about. It's been a hard week, to say the least.

I'm proud I kept to the aerobic zone even though it was really hot.

I'm proud of my strategy. I used 2 minutes run / 1 minute walk until I met a friend who needed company walking.

I'm proud that I ran with my cousin's names and DOB- DOD who died as a result of being hit by a vehicle while running. I had their info on the back of my bib along with Jeff Galloway.

Heat Adjustment Guidelines

55–60°F: No adjustment needed to 1% slower.

60–65°F: 3% slower than goal pace.

65–70°F: 5% slower than goal pace.

70–75°F: 7% slower than goal pace.

75–80°F: 12% slower than goal pace.

80–85°F: 20% slower than goal pace.

Above 85°F: Run for fun/comfort. 

I'm proud of my entire training season. It was weird doing the Rose Bowl Half after the marathon last year. It's been a good build.

I'm proud of my splits. I know I can walk an 18 minute mile. I didn't stop at mile 18, even though the race organizers allowed it.

I'm proud that even though I knew I had a blister and some chafing, I didn't give up.

Training for a marathon didn't make me skinny, and I'm proud of myself that I exist in a larger body and as a slower runner, but still find a sense of belonging in the LARR and Fit4Mom community.

I'm proud of my fueling strategy. I didn't bring too much or too little.

I'm proud of myself for planning easy lessons for the post-marathon week. I definitely needed that BUT also I was walking pretty good with the exception of my blister and purple toenail.

I'm proud of myself for registering for 2027. It took me a week to work up the courage. But I realized that I really enjoy not only the race day but the whole experience of a season, a training plan, the discipline, the sense of purpose. Even though I had some DOMS, I missed running. I felt a profound moment while vacuuming where I realized that I should just go ahead and register again because I enjoy it.

I'm proud of planning and executing a birthday party for my child just 6 days after the marathon.

I'm not sure if we will have Spring RunClub+, this is the sign-up week. I'm proud of myself for programming it out and being ready, in case there is any interest.

Finish line is the Cobra 5Kai, 10Kai, and Half Miyagithon (along the LA River between Owensmouth and Vanalden). It's being hosted by the same group as the Clueless & Breathless race, Jed & Ted's Excellent Races. https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/CanogaPark/CobraKaiRace 

3/22 Kickoff party @ Waffle Love 9411 Reseda Blvd, Northridge, CA 91324

I got these warrior headbands https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G1B8H5BM, and I have some other gifts that I could bestow at the kickoff party.

I didn't go to the Medal Walk and pot luck because we got sick. And I'm okay with that. Because at the end of the day, I'm a mother runner, and parenthood is a demanding job.

https://www.instagram.com/stories/dr.kayla.kaiser/3855098928212133020?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

This made me sob. Yes, of course part of the reason is hormones. But also, because every part of this video is true for me. The Disneyland 5k was my postpartum comeback race. The Galloway training plan was so doable. I learned so much from Jeff in just 2 years. He taught me a lot about coaching, especially mentoring new or returning runners. I know there are other great coaches out there, like Coach Bennett, put Jeff was really something special. He made every athlete feel like an important and valued member of the community. His techniques were so inclusive, it left us with no excuses. He had a solution for everything. The loss really hit me after finishing my goal race. Kind of how I felt last December after reaching the end of the semester and end of RunClub+ Session after my cousin died. When I got to rest a bit is when I got to process my grief. And it manifested throughout my whole body. That's how this feels.

Race Report: Los Angeles Marathon, March 8, 2026

The event itself: Where? How long? When? Weather?

The big factor in this year's race was the heat. I looked it up. It was a full fifteen degrees warmer at the starting line than last year. The race began at 7am, shortly followed by sunrise. I felt sweat dripping down my face by 8:30am. The humidity was 12%, so the water evaporated quickly.
They handed out ziploc bags of ice somewhere between miles 14-15. This totally saved my race. I put them directly in my sports bra. I also kept picking up discarded bags of ice off the ground or from the tops of trash cans, to keep packing it in. I didn't run out of ice until mile twenty-four, not coincidentally, when my core temperature started to overheat. Thank goodness they were handing out ice bags and cooling towels at the finish line.

Course description and evaluation of event logistics

As a result of all the misting, ice bags, and being sprayed by hoses and water guns, I ended up with significant chafing. I kinda felt it during the race, but I just kept going. One unusual factor of this year's race was that daylight savings began on race day. So everyone lost one hour of sleep in the annual spring forward. It was confusing for how to set the alarm clock. I went upstairs around 4 or 5pm and set a timer for 7.5 hours. I didn't want to set the alarm for some time like 2am, and have it get messed up from the time change.

How did you train for the event

I followed the Los Angeles Road Runners level 3 plan pretty well. I made >90% of my training runs, only skipping if I was sick. The training paid off. I also implemented a new rule. No long runs over 5 hours. At 5 hours, no matter the distance, I would just stop and call it a day. So I didn't do an 18 or 20 miler this year.

Gear and Nutrition

I got a new hydration bladder, 1.5 Liters. I didn't go for 2 liters because my backpack is on the small side, and more water just makes it heavier. I ended up refilling the bladder three times, and I didn't stop to use the toilets once, which tells me that I must have been sweating a lot. I drank Electrolit at each station where they were offering it. At each water station, I used the water to douse my arms and head, and used my bladder for drinking.
I'm very proud of my fueling strategy this year. I set a fifteen-minute timer on my phone. I would alternate between carbs and electrolytes. I didn't start feeling any GI distress until mile 24. This is a big improvement over last year, when I started to feel the same way at mile 17. I would eat one Gu or 3 Clif bloks and that's it, every 30 minutes. Super simple. I would chew one SaltStick FastChew every 30 minutes.

Specific experiences

I got to run with a friend through miles 14, 15, and 16. It was really nice to reset my brain and give my headphones a break. My Disney playlist came in very handy. I did exactly what I practiced in training. If I could sing along, I was going slow enough. If I couldn't sing, if I was too out of breath, I would slow down.
I have learned so much from the Rise and Run podcast. I learned how to PR in fun. Jeff Galloway was definitely looking out for me. I learned how to take pride in celebrating the back of the pack. I have learned not to get upset when the water stations run out of water or the fuel stations run out of fuel. I do most of my training runs alone, unsupported, and I brought a huge amount of fuel with me.
It looks like I was using my intervals for about the first half, until I met my friend. She was struggling, and we walked together. I'm actually happy because it allowed me to keep some energy for the last eight miles, which I walked alone. The organizers gave people the option to stop at 18, and still get a medal, which my friend did. It was the right choice for her. I felt strong and decided to keep going.
Run Club Row came through for me big time this year. I stopped at the Running Mamis tent for a hug and left with a cooling towel. That towel saved me. Lots and lots of volunteers re-wet the towel with ice water. I mean, just spectators. The official water stations dried up. Like before mile 17. Around that time, even though it was only noon, officials started telling us to get on the sidewalk. That's when I started hustling a bit because I didn’t want to be swept at mile 18. The party pacers, kind of like balloon ladies, passed me very early on. Much earlier than last year. I felt a kind of panic, but also not because the LA Road Runners coach assured us that gear check, late water stations, and medical would be available until 5 or 6pm, so I didn't feel the need to rush. I beat the garbage trucks and street sweepers, so that felt good.

Finish and associated emotion

I didn't cross the finish line with any friends, and I didn't see my coach there, but I was still very proud of my effort. I didn't cry at the end, but I did cry at mile 19 after the love from the Running Mamis. I was just so grateful for the support of strong women, especially on International Women's Day. I felt like finishing a marathon is actually easier than giving birth, and women are designed for it. I saw so many strong women out there on the course, and it was extremely inspiring. I finished only 20 minutes later than last year, despite it being significantly hotter, so I feel like I did improve.

Overall evaluation of the event

I recommend this event if you want to see a lot of the city. The spectators didn't let me down; it was a huge party. The energy was hyped, and the vibes were off the chart. I made it a priority to post to my Instagram story each mile, and it felt like the race went by so fast. Other people were suffering, but I was having a mental sadness that it was going by too fast. I guess I can thank my training. And my coaches. I did prepare mentally by doing a 10-mile training run, one week before race day, walking the first 6 miles. That's the LA Marathon strategy. Most of the hills are in the first 6 miles, so if you can regulate your pace, then you'll have energy for the rest.

11 days until LAM

How am I feeling about the marathon today? I'm proud of my accomplishments. I had a great training cycle. We did a bunch of races in the past year. With family. With friends.

Rose Bowl Half	Apr 2025	13.1	3:09:49	14.5
CdM	Jun 2025	3.1	0:58:29	18.9
Cookie Mile	Jun 2025	1	0:11:08	11.1
Bimbo Global	Sep 2025	6.2	1:27:34	14.1
Mission Inn	Oct 2025	6.2	1:22:45	13.4
Clueless and Breathless	Dec 2025	12.66	3:05:04	14.6
Citrus	Jan 2026	6.2	2:08:54	20.8
Rose Bowl Half	Jan 2026	13.1	3:18:44	14.8
LA Marathon	Mar 2026	26.2	?	?

RBH 2025    44/47        3/18-6/7

In Summer    38/44        6/9-8/24

RunClub 6    27/32        8/26-10/19

RunClub 7    33/36        10/21-1/18

RunClub 8    21/22        1/21-2/24

Total            163/181 = 90.1%

My training was scheduled four days per week, and I count walks as well as runs. I skipped runs if I was sick or just feeling like asphalt. I'm not sure I'll do this many races next year. In fact, I haven't signed up for any except the Mission Inn Run. But I can definitely see myself doing the Citrus Heritage Run again. Rose Bowl I will do if I sign up for the Marathon / LA Road Runners again.

Hello June

Here are two blogs that I had stored in my Google Keep. They're not directly related, but what they have in common is that I didn't have time to type them out. They were all dictated using a voice-keyboard. Mostly while walking. I decided that when I got done with teaching I would subject myself to a health gauntlet and visit all the doctors that I had been procrastinating. I was confident that I would be able to convince someone to prescribe me some hormone replacement therapy (HRT). But I was unsuccessful. 

Here's what the doctor sent me. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322587

And here's what I sent back:

High cholesterol (even with fasting) and pruritus (hands, feet, and vulvar) together are perimenopause symptoms. I don't want to ignore the cholesterol issue, which concerns me. Additionally, mood swings have been severe with unexplained crying mid-cycle and 10-days of PMS now.

I have been using Ultimate Hydration Body Cream for my hands and feet, which was one of your suggestions. I've tried Bounce Back Muscle Recovery Body Butter for my legs, sometimes a lotion with cooling menthol can distract my mind from the itching long enough to fall asleep. I have tried aloe vera aftersun with lidocaine, which does not seem to help. I have even tried Moisturizing Coconut Shea Butter Lotion on my vulva when it gets bad. It's so hard to sleep when I can't get any relief.

Yes, antihistamine diphenhydramine HCl at 50 mg does help, but I worry about its long-term side effects. It carries a risk of dependence, and I am 4321 days sober as of today (one day at a time). I don't want to rely on anything that can lead to dependency. This information is relevant to my concerns.

I'm not sure which type of Estroven is recommended; several types exist. I cannot see how much black cohosh is in each tablet. A review article suggests taking up to 120 mg of the drug/day, which is actually three tablets. Some studies showed that black cohosh increased HDL and lowered LDL, but not all studies showed this. More studies showed that black cohosh had no effect on cholesterol.

Now here are some more thoughts that I didn't share with the doctor:

Since meeting with my GP, I started taking a Menopause formula as a daily multivitamin. It contains soy isoflavones. How much of that is recommended for a daily allowance of isoflavones? Is there a danger of overdose? Will these new supplements together help regulate my symptoms? I don't have time to look into all these things! 

How much calcium is too much calcium? Should I add a fish oil supplement? If black cohosh has efficacy comparable to low-dose transdermal estradiol, why can't I take estradiol instead? It seems more prudent to take regulated substances instead of botanicals not regulated by the FDA. Estradiol plus intermittent micronized progesterone had a significant impact on LDL cholesterol.

And furthermore, can we trust the government right now anyway? Why is our country being run by influencers and funding is being slashed for women's health initiatives? We can't win right now! It was a very heavy Month of Mama this year. With my units being cut at CSUN, I can't afford to hire an outside doctor right now and pay for hormones out of pocket.

Mother's Day Musings

I feel like as women we are taught to accept less. To do more with less. To work with scarcity. And create magic. And that's how we are incrementally left with nothing. The gift we want is to be left alone. We're so tired of creating all the magic for others. 

I am dictating this while wearing a bra that I bought 6 years ago that's totally falling apart. It doesn't fit well. It's not supportive. This should be totally unacceptable. Why is it that advertising can make such big promises? But in the end most garments don't even do the bare minimum in terms of fit and function. 

I was doing so well in my Motherhood Maternity era, both during pregnancy and early Postpartum. In my Kindred Bravely era. In my Latched Mama era. In my LuLaRoe era. My Levi's jeggings era. Now that I'm in my Sweatpants era, I really don't give a crap about how other people perceive me in terms of what I'm wearing. Melani Sanders or “justbeingmelani” Instagram started a WDNC club. I appreciate what I learned during my Sarah Wells era and my Ceres Chill era. And I'm ready for whatever is next.

You don't matter

What I hear the medical establishment saying to me right now is your pain is not real. You're suffering is insignificant. Your problems are imaginary. This is what people have dealt with for thousands of years. We don't care about you. We don't care that you're suffering. We do not care that your life is impacted. We do not care that you're not able to sleep. We don't care about your history of substance abuse. We don't care to actually help you. We don't think you matter enough to focus on your problem. Your contributions to society are insignificant or are largely in the past. You do not have enough value to warrant our attention.

We will address each of your symptoms as individual problems, not look at the total sum of what these clues point to. We are going to dismiss your concerns one at a time, chalk it up to a lack of healthy diet, a lack of exercise, and simply a family history of high cholesterol. We're not going to look at the bigger picture and say that this is a new problem that has arisen in the last 5 years. We're going to say that your numbers are borderline anyway, therefore no action is required.

At what time do you realize you aren't going to be able to fall asleep? At what point do you cancel tomorrow's workout? When do you shut off the alarm you had set for tomorrow? At what point do you realize it's too hot in your bedroom? At what point do you start googling symptoms? At what point do you lean into online providers and telehealth? At what point do you give up? I don't want to be the person who has given up on myself. I want to keep moving forward. I want to realize I am only at midlife. I have 45 more years to go. Family tree roots run deep.

References

C. Castelo-Branco, M. Gambacciani, A. Cano, M. J. Minkin, D. Rachoń, X. Ruan, A.-M. Beer, J. Schnitker, H.-H. Henneicke-von Zepelin & S. Pickartz (2021) Review & meta-analysis: isopropanolic black cohosh extract iCR for menopausal symptoms – an update on the evidence, Climacteric, 24:2, 109-119, DOI: 10.1080/13697137.2020.1820477

Gordon JL, Rubinow DR, Watkins L, Hinderliter AL, Caughey MC, Girdler SS. The Effect of Perimenopausal Transdermal Estradiol and Micronized Progesterone on Markers of Risk for Arterial Disease. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020 May 1;105(5):e2050–60. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgz262.

On the plus side, I got results back from the pap smear (normal), the mammogram (normal), and the bone density scan (normal). I got a new eyeglass prescription but there has been a delay. The glasses should be ready for me to pick up in a few days. I am still waiting on the referral for colonoscopy.

running swaps

Hollie Sick from @fueledbyLOLZ made an instagram post that got me thinking. She was arguing that running can be a low-cost activity. You don't need a ton of fancy gear to get good at it. She noted that the rise of influencers can make you think that you need more stuff, but it's okay to start or continue with less. Or possibly that there are cheaper items you can swap for whatever is the "latest and greatest."

Do you need a fancy watch? No!

Armitron Sport Unisex Digital Chronograph Nylon Strap Watch, 45-7004 $13.65
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D2PM2TX9 

I've written before about wearable electronics such as a Nike watch and a Garmin watch, so I don't want to rehash it too much. I lost my original Garmin after the strap broke and I couldn't wear it around my wrist. Then I wore it on my handlebars of my bicycle until one day I looked down and it had fallen off. It looks like I lost the Garmin on the Chatsworth Orange Line Tour (COLT) or maybe I was using something else at the time. It looks like the Nike+ data was from 1/03/2009. I got the Garmin in June 2011, when we moved to Glendale, and used it until 6/10/2018. What I liked about the Garmin was that I could see the route and elevation profile.

I will say that I've been wearing the Samsung Watch5 since August 2024 (basically the whole school year). I like the heart rate feature, but it's not better than the Fitbit Versa. Someone gave it to me, so it was free to me. The things I don't like about them are that they're annoying to remember to charge. The Versa has a longer battery life (3-4 days), whereas the Samsung has only one day and must be charged or it will die mid-day. You can send short answers to text messages, which is nice. You can use your watch as a remote shutter for your camera, and a little preview of the photo will appear on your wrist, which is a cute feature. So far the Samsung isn't generating a map, but I think I could play with the settings and get it to do that if I wanted to. I think it's possible for the Samsung watch to track elevation but I just look at my Strava for that. 

But I have worn this cheap watch linked above about half the days now, since I got it mid-April, post-marathon. Because if you're not using the data from the smartwatch, why are you wearing it? If you just need a timepiece, then why? I still use the period tracking feature in the Fitbit app because it's scarily accurate now and helpful, even though I don't wear the Fitbit Versa watch. Also, when you think of these little computers on your wrist, you have to consider the disposal cost associated with it, how long it lasts, and how often you will want to upgrade. 

At least now they sell strap replacements, but eventually it won't hold a charge anymore, or the company will no longer update the software. Many of my Fitbits lasted only a few years. I think I still have two old ones sitting in a drawer. I guess they were the Fitbit Alta HR and it looks like we bought replacement bands in 2019 for them. I used the FitBit Alta HR from Aug 24, 2018 until May 15, 2022. I guess I must have got it when the Garmin got lost. I remember that is what I used for step counting and HR tracking during my pregnancy. I liked the AltaHR because it only needed charging once per week. I think it would last about 7 days on a single charge. But the AltaHR didn't have a mapping feature.

https://sites.google.com/site/kaiserwellnesscenter/kaiser-wellness-center-statement/fitness-awareness/available-routes  The Garmin was useful for creating maps! This was before we had smart phones, LOL. Honestly, how many times do you go for a run or walk and not bring your phone? And the smartwatch can't be a phone unless you put it on your mobile plan as a separate device with a data plan. Yes phones are bulky and heavy now, so they are kind of a drag, but the camera is fun and they also play music. You don't need three separate devices for that.

Do you need fancy massage gun / recovery boots? Not really.
Amazon Basics High Density Foam Roller for Exercise and Recovery $11.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XM2MXK8 

I have addaday roller, but you can find one on Amazon for about $10

https://www.amazon.com/IDSON-Athletes-Tools-Muscle-Massager-Tightness/dp/B015RKCWR6/

I have been doing a mobility program that uses the two items mentioned above. $30 https://www.runfitmama.net/trainingprograms/runner-mobility-program  

Run Fit Fab

Do you need a large volume of shoes? Um, no.

I have one main shoe that I use for running. Then, I know how many miles I have on it because I keep track of when I bought it. When I start to notice that I'm feeling achy and the shoe is breaking down, I make that my walking shoe and buy a new pair for running.

I've written a lot about shoes before, so I won't say much more. What I have done is space out my races every three months or so, and then after I finish a race, buy a new pair of shoes. That's worked pretty well so far. There are places that you can donate your old shoes (like at Fleet Feet) and they get turned into playgrounds, running tracks, track jackets, etc.

Considering what else I wear to run in, I don't wear expensive sunglasses. When they get scratched up, I get a new pair because visibility is important. I have written about the biker shorts I love to run in. I love that they have pockets. I did get a bit delulu and buy a bunch of crowned athletics but I'm trying to just pump the brakes on that and stop. Also, I love living in sweatpants now. This post discussed the crowned althetics sets that I got and why, and also compares the price of running fuel. This is another great swap you can make: from specialized running fuel to something generalized and cheaper.

I've already discussed this hat, but I wanted to also note the price point!

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

Running hats are priced between $25-100 which is kind of crazy when this foldable hat does everything I need and it's so affordable. I found it at It's A Wrap (a consignment shop) so I think I paid $2. 

Fueled by LOLZ This is the original post that inspired me to write about this. I started writing this on May 5th and am just now finishing it a month later, so that gives you an idea of how Maycember or Mayhem went for me. Just too many things in one month!

Race Report: Rose Bowl Half

It was my first time running the Rose Bowl Half, which I had registered for as part of a series of races leading up to the Los Angeles Marathon. This was their 9th annual event. 

The event itself: Where? How long? When? Weather?

Start and finish at Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, CA, with some portion along historic Route 66. Loved running along Green St and Wilson Ave along the campus of Caltech. We woke up at 3:30am, left at 4am, parked by 4:30am, and snuggled up in the car until 5:15am. Parked in lot K for free. Easy in and easy out.

The weather was ideal, low 48 and high 60 with cloudy skies. Cool breeze for most of the race. No precipitation. We had a flash flood the day before, so the air was super clean and there was only 1 major puddle left that I saw near the stadium.

Course description and logistics

The hardest miles were the first 3 and the last 3. The middle was good. Because I am a member of the LA Roadrunners, we got to warm up and stretch in the same locker room used by UCLA football players 🏈. I felt like a real athlete. The Pasadena Pacers were in the other locker room. I don't know who got the home team and who got the away team. It was nice to have flush toilets. I didn't have to use gear check because we left our stuff in the locker room. The security was strict about checking wristbands.

I'm glad we walked a 5k with bib pickup on Saturday (no race-day bib pickup without paying extra $) because we ended up walking the last 3 miles of the half marathon course in the same direction as we ran in the race. It was good mentally to know the terrain, and I was running faster on race day compared to the day before when we were walking it.

Training

Coach David made us a schedule for the half after the marathon. Normally, the marathon is the end of the season, but due to the wildfires, April was the soonest the half could be rescheduled. It was a 6-week schedule, but the first two weeks were resting and active recovery. Then there were two build weeks and two weeks of taper. Honestly, it was rough. I felt sore the entire time! I ended up with an unintentional 18-day run streak leading up to and including the race.

Gear and nutrition

I wore the race shirt, but I tailored it with my sewing machine. I'm not too impressed with races that offer unisex shirts and also don't allow people to exchange their shirts for a different size. I laid the 2XL on top of another shirt that fits well and pinned it. Probably removed 2 inches of fabric from each side. Got lots of compliments on the ensemble. I wore my wildflowers sparkle skirt for the first time, as it coordinated well with the color of the race shirt and the race theme. I mainly wore light-colored calf and arm sleeves since the skirt and shirt were so busy. And my sparkle Tinkerbell visor, of course. Haha, I had to stop after mile 11 and take off my Crowned Athletics sports bra. Felt like I couldn't breathe. Much enjoyed the last two miles without it. Wearing two bras is a good idea for a few hours, but usually I don't finish the run with both on.

I ate a trail mix containing almonds, pistachios, pecans, dark chocolate chips, and Cheerios 1.5 hours before the race. I ate a banana on the way from the locker rooms to the corrals 30 minutes before the race start. I took 3 Gu, 6 x 2 Clif bloks, 8 salt stick electrolyte fast chews during the race. My training really kicked in, and the fueling strategy I had practiced was automatic. The race organizers told us to dispose of trash in the containers provided, but trash cans were few and far between. I stashed my trash and noticed it while unpacking my vest. Nobody likes running with sticky wrappers.

Specific experiences

I took a tumble around mile 4, taking a photo while walking backwards. I did a slow-motion fall because I walked into a traffic cone. Not my proudest moment. But I didn't plan to take many photos. And that made me keep my phone stowed a lot more during the race. Also, I wanted to keep my pace up and minimize the use of technology. I wore a regular watch instead of a smartwatch because I no longer look closely at my heart rate data.

After getting dropped by the 3-hour pace group before mile 8, I found my groove with a few other runners. Due to the London Marathon, the availability of pace leaders was limited. There was no pace group between 3 hours and 3:30. That was the most fun because I wasn't in a crowd. I was going at my own pace, but I wasn't alone. I didn't realize that if I were in the middle of a big group, I probably wouldn't get any photos from the race photographers because my bib was hidden among the crowd. I was glad I brought my GymBoss and headphones so I could continue with the run/walk intervals even without the pacer. We ran 2 minutes, walked 1 minute. It took me about 3 miles to synchronize my timer with the pacer. But that was okay because the first 3 miles were the hilly ones with more walking.

Finish and associated emotions

I was looking forward to lying in the grass on the 50-yard line of the stadium, and I did it. It was everything I had hoped for. The clouds were beautiful. It was a comfortable temperature. I was relieved to have crossed the finish line without any serious incidents or injury. It felt like my body was cramping up the whole race, one muscle group at a time. Stretching was vital and comfortable in the grass. I loved watching the kids race and seeing my friend Yahaira crossing the finish line.

I had a bittersweet feeling because my son had a friend's birthday party at 11:00 a.m. Initially, I thought I could finish the race and then hurry home and make it to the party. When I realized that would be way too stressful, I canceled my RSVP for the party. So after I crossed the finish line, I called my husband and told him where the gift was. The most remarkable thing was that some of the other parents at the party said to my husband, "Your wife is in really good shape!" I had walked 6 miles at the zoo with my son and 21 of his classmates on the Friday before the race. This is part of the reason I run, to be in good shape so I can go on field trips and keep up with the 4 and 5-year-old kiddos. I'm not going to let them outrun me. They might be faster in a sprint, but I'll catch up and be able to keep going, leading the expedition.

Overall evaluation of the event

Seeing Coach David at mile 3 after climbing out of the Arroyo and turning onto Colorado Blvd was awesome. I heard his voice in my head saying, "And now the race begins!" I thought all the out-and-backs were going to be torture, but it was actually a fun way to say hello to other runners who run at different paces. So many runners cheering for each other and saying Hi! across the medians.

Overall, great route. Good vibes. Pasadena is such a pretty place. Super neat finish line. I had such feels running into the stadium and through the finishing chute. The hills didn't kill me as much as I thought they would, so I guess all my hill training was adequate. I usually plan on running alone, so it was a new experience trying to stay with a pace group for the majority of the race. I didn't train at that pace, so I didn't expect to be able to finish with them, and I knew it would be a stretch. I might do this race again. Or I might run the 5k and sign my kiddo up for the kids' race. I really wanted to finish the half in time to see the kids race, and I did!

Race Budget

Registration    $109.40 (paid on June 10th)

Crowned Athletic $139 for Luisa (Powerful Hermana), $146 for Merida (Changed Fate), $162.75 for Poisoned Heart Villan skort and Red Arabian Nights Princess bra.

Sparkle Athletic Rainbow calf sleeves $18.93

New watch $14.98

New shoes $175.55

Reward for participating in a research study $50.00

Race day transportation (gas) less than $10.

$724.11

I took all the race shirts from this season out of my leggings organizer; it really feels like the season is over now. I'm looking forward to participating in the Run Riverside Challenge, which involves three consecutive races. We've already booked our hotel for the Mission Inn Run. We're looking for hotels for the Citrus Heritage Run and the Palm Desert Half. That would be the extent of my preparation for the 2026 LA Marathon. I'd like to scale back the number of races per year so that we can allocate adequate money for each race weekend and make it a racecation. Disneyland has announced that the Half Marathon weekend 2026 will be their last event for a while, yet I still think I will skip it.

$1466 2024 Disneyland 5k (with two park days)
$284 LA Big 5k (no hotel)
$522 OC Marathon (without running the race)
$640 CdM Scenic 5k
$1063 SMC Classic 10k/5k (with no hotel)
$1075 Mission Inn Run
$1499 Holiday Half Marathon
$1366 LA Marathon and Marathon Spending
$724 Rose Bowl Half (no hotel)

$8639 for the entire "race season," wow, definitely more expensive than Disneyland Magic Keys 🤣. Hence why I am trying to cut back to only 4 races next season. And I have to cut back on my habit of collecting sparkle skirts and crowned athletic. #crownedbroke #sparklesquad

InBody Scan Progress Tracker

I will close with this. I went for an InBody scan at Nutrishop, and these metrics are still trending in a desirable direction. One of my goals for the LA Marathon was to reduce my body fat, which I have done. It's been painfully slow progress, but considering my age and hormone situation, it's remarkable. Running in graduate school and beyond helped me balance my mental health, and changes to my body composition were an unexpected benefit. Now it's the opposite. I'm running to change my body composition, and the mental health benefits are a glorious side-effect.

5 days until Rose Bowl Half

After my time trial, I feel so tired. I feel like my torso is dragging my legs along. My whole body feels achy and heavy. I feel like my hormones are all out of whack. I cried for no reason on Friday and Saturday.

I feel good because I am getting faster. On paper, I am faster. But in my body, I feel sluggish. I had planned on doing more cross-training when I finished the marathon, but training for another half-marathon right away has been tough.

I remembered I was so excited for a January race. I figured it would be cold. I had an outfit planned accordingly. Now I'm not sure what to wear. Luckily, the weather is still going to be cool, at least according to the forecast.

Okay, it's time to debut Forest print and wear it with the race shirt. #sparklesquad #teamsparkle

priorities

Yep it's cycle day 20. Luteal misery. I fell on my run this morning and cut my knee and the palms of my hands. It got me thinking about my priorities. Should I have cut back the volume of today's run considering I'm a bit sick and on a difficult part of my cycle? Should I have done a shorter workout since my husband and I overslept? Was I rushing to get home and therefore not watching my footing? Was I pushing my pace too hard? Is it too soon after the marathon to be doing speed work again?

Mom

Wife

Teacher

Athlete / Coach

Dog Mom

Friend / Sister

Human Being

Woman

Artist / Gardener

The identities listed above define my priorities. Scheduling my time and doing the most important thing first is a struggle. Minute-by-minute, day-by-day, week-by-week, etc. I do count down the weeks of the semester. I count my parenthood duties as foremost in my mind. I cannot skip these. If my child is sick with a fever, I must drop everything else and take care of him until he is well again.

I guess my wife's duties are to my household and my husband. We took vows to care for each other in sickness and in health. As we strive to reach a more optimized state of health, these duties look like creating shopping lists and meal plans, cleaning kitchens and bathrooms, vacuuming and wiping down common areas, cooking and transporting food, restocking important household supplies, organizing items at the house so they can be inventoried and located, purging items that are no longer used. This is a long list. I also spend many hours per week just putting stuff away, sorting trash from treasures, and resetting areas to be useable again.

Next set of duties that I cannot skip, but also are not my top priority, are the things that I get paid for. Teaching duties, lesson planning, grading, sending emails, posting announcements, following up with absent students, etc. Writing quizzes, making copies, drawing on the board, communicating with colleagues in person and online, reading emails, and scheduling things. I put these things lower on the priority list when I need to, and then higher again when things at home are settled. I work ahead when I feel healthy and balanced, but I fall behind when other higher priorities become urgent.

My duties as an athlete/coach are sometimes higher and sometimes lower, but lately, they have been pretty high. I've let my health take a back seat to parenting and work for half a decade, and now I want to put it higher so that I don't skip workouts and backslide into more significant obesity than I currently am. I spend time creating content for YouTube to educate myself and my runClub. I program and track my workouts using spreadsheets and mileage trackers on Canva. I compare the data on my Samsung Health app to Strava Athlete Intelligence to keep myself motivated and moving forward. As Coach Bennett of the Nike Running app says, You're your best coach. Talk to yourself kindly as you would want your coach to talk to you.

I have a new identity as a dog mom again, which means that I have to fit dog walks into my life. I need to do some dog training and grooming, and remember to add her food to the shopping list, refill her water dish, talk nicely to her, and watch for her under my feet when I'm carrying something large so I don't step on her. 

As a friend, this may look like hour-long phone calls to check in on the women in my life. Or it may look like sharing something funny or motivational on Instagram messages. It doesn't have to take up a lot of time when I'm busy, but it is a steady stream of back-and-forth to let those women know they are important, significant, loved, and cared for. It's similar to sisterhood. It's curating the village. This may be a separate post, but I'm leaning into paying for my village. I paid to join the run club. I paid to join the Sparkle Squad. But I get a lot out of it too.

How the "human being" tasks ended up so far down, I don't know. This is stuff like eating, sleeping and pooping. Stuff all humans do. Getting sick, getting well, breathing, digesting, the things we take for granted when it is going well. Maybe we should also put hydration in this category. Also shopping for stuff like supplements, vitamins, and tracking macros. I mean, this could also be a separate post. I've reconsidered the supplements I'm taking. After some bloodwork before my marathon, which I begrudgingly agreed to do, I briefly stopped taking all my supplements. But since then, I've started retaking most of the supplements I had paused. 

I guess I would put "woman" in here in a general way to say self-care. Beyond friendships. Stuff like pampering. Spa time. Being alone. Thinking your own thoughts. Blogging like I'm doing now. Doing something I enjoy. The other day I heard a podcast about Disney stuff and they mentioned that Bath and Body Works was doing a line of Disney Princess fragrances. I had to go to the mall and smell it for myself. I'm not sure why this resonates with me in the category of women, but I guess princesses are women and women are taught to be conscious of smelling good, not sweaty, and having soft skin, not rough. So this type of self-care is associated with femininity. It also falls under the Wife category since it involves keeping the lotions and soaps stocked. It is Woman, though, because this dry skin due to perimenopause is something else. And I'm hoping the lotions help with that.

Artist is the last, lowest, and least of my identities. But it's still there! This may be visual with crafting, or it may be kinesthetic with roller disco and dance. I had vowed that when I finished the marathon season, I would do something else in the off-season and get back into dance or rollerskating. And then I went ahead and signed up for another marathon! Yes, I'm doing the LA Marathon 2026. But I still have a lot of semester left to finish, and most of the summer will pass by before training starts again in earnest. Naughty Girl Fitness is $14.44 a month, and it's app-based. 

I'm still paying for my Fit4Mom instructor membership, which is $9.99 per month, not even covered by the amount I get paid for coaching the RunClub. After talking with my husband over the long weekend, we may have concluded that I might not continue coaching the RunClub. I might get more out of the season if I commit fully to LARR. The good discount with Fit4Mom is that you do not have to pay for the monthly membership as an instructor and you can still attend classes. I think I was paying $69 per month for Fit4Mom, and at one time, I was paying hundreds of dollars for a monthly membership and Body Well. 

People say good things about Orange Theory Fitness, and 24 Hour Fitness, but for now I've got my Planet Fitness Membership. It's $25 per month for the Black Card membership, which includes massage chairs, hydromassage, tanning and Total Body Enhancement, which I have yet to try but I might do it soon. It's vibration combined with red light therapy. Again, this could be a topic of a future blog post. What I'm looking forward to most is the end of the semester and our trip to Nebraska. What I'm not looking forward to is the Rose Bowl Half because it seems so out of place in the season, finishing up all the work of grading and submitting grades, and the weather going hotter and hotter as we approach summer. 

Maybe I could add to Artist also Gardener. And this is the lowest priority. At the moment completely dead. But it is generally in spring where I revive our garden. Albert has shown some interest in planting stuff for spring. It will be difficult to justify since we're traveling to Nebraska early in June, but maybe if I'm clear with my husband about care instructions, the garden won't be completely dead when we get back. And I really need to work on getting stuff OUT of our house. It's so overstuffed right now it's stressing me out.

Disneyland and family reunion debrief

The second half of May was epic and fantastic. I've barely had time to process or recover but I do feel like I need to post this debrief to try and capture some of the magic 🪄 ✨ before it totally evaporates like the June Gloom.

Friday, May 17 

7:30am Kayla took Albert to Daycare 

11:20am Kayla picked up Albert from Daycare, drove to airport

Steph arrived BUR 12:45pm

Food Truck Friday on Chatsworth St

We got to road test the Mountain buggy double stroller.

Saturday, May 18 - 

9-11am month of Mama celebration class

4-6pm Reseda Art Walk  

Another opportunity to road test the stroller.

Sunday, May 19 - Kayla 3 mile training run 

Holleigh Bernson Memorial Park Pick up Fitlicious

Packing for Disney 

Zoom call with grandparents

Monday, May 20 (Disneyland) - Rope drop Jungle Cruise

Tuesday, May 21 (DCA) - Rope drop Little Mermaid

Wednesday, May 22 (Disneyland) Rope drop Pirates of the Caribbean

Thursday, May 23rd - 

7-9am Campus walk 

Disney unpacking 

2-3pm pool

Family dinner with Anne

Galactic Grill Salads 

This day Albert tossed my phone in the pool.

Friday, May 24th

8am Yoga

9-11am campus walk 

Goddess Salad lunch 

Group nap

3-4pm pool time 

Family dinner - Chicken fried rice stir fry

Saturday, May 25th 

7am strength training 

8:00am Kayla apply for unemployment

IKEA and it's a wrap day

Family dinner - Tacos

Too good to go - Leo's Superfood Vegan Cafe

Sunday, May 26th -

3 mile run / Northridge park 

Pym test kitchen bread pud

Pick up Fitlicious

Beach day in Ventura

Too good to go Fish Grill lunch

Pedicures (tarball removal)

Family dinner - pasta

 

Monday, May 27th - **MEMORIAL DAY**

Major cooking day 

Family dinner - baked potato

Bengal BBQ 🥓

Troubadour tavern 🥔

Our cousin Joey came over and got to spend some time with us and the little ones.

Tuesday, May 28th -

Cinnamon rolls 

LA County Arboretum 

Galactic Grill Salads

Steph packs suitcase

Found out that if you have a membership for two adults, only one of the adults needs to be named on the membership. So we all got in for free. And we arrived around 8am to beat the heat and take advantage of early hours for members only.

 

Wednesday, May 29 (Departure 1:30pm) Steph’s date of departure

Red rose 🌹 Grey stuff 

11:30am Drive to the airport

SWA 6017 Steph departs BUR at 1:20pm, arrives 7:55pm OMA

Non-Disney Day Ideas that we didn't do 

Wi spa (kid-friendly) https://wispausa.com/  

Open 24h

$30 regular daily admission fee

2700 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90057 (drivetime 35 - 80 minutes)

Grand spa https://www.grandspala.com/services 

Open 24h

$30 general admission

2999 W. 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90020 (drivetime 35 - 80 minutes)

LA Zoo / Griffith Park / Traveltown 12 month membership started on May 24, 2023

Open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m https://lazoo.org/plan-your-visit/reservations/ 

$22 for adults, $17 for kids over 23 months

5333 Zoo Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027 (drivetime 35-55 minutes)

Kidspace Museum in Pasadena / Rose Bowl 

Open 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Tuesday-Sunday (closed Monday)

$15.50 general admission https://kidspacemuseum.org/visit/hours-and-admission/ 

480 N Arroyo Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91103 (drivetime 35-65 minutes)

Discovery Cube LA

Open 10:00 am – 5:00 pm https://www.discoverycube.org/los-angeles/visit/ 

$18 for adults, $16 for kids, Children ages 2 and under are free. $17 for seniors (age 62+)

11800 Foothill Blvd, Sylmar, CA 91342 (drivetime 22-40 minutes)

Ventura / Underwood Farms / Beach* https://underwoodfamilyfarms.com/somis/ 

Open 9:00am - 6:00pm

Admission to enter the fields and pick is $3.00/person. Under 2 free.

5696 E Los Angeles Ave, Somis, CA (drivetime 45 - 70 min)

Aquarium of the Pacific / Beach / Huntington Dog Beach* parking $8

Open 9am - 6pm https://www.aquariumofpacific.org/visit 

$44.95 adult, $41.95 senior (age 62+), $29.95 child (age 3+)

100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802 (drivetime 55 min - 120 min)

Malibu / Zuma Beach*

Venice Beach

CA Science Center (free tickets via library) / Blue Line / Metrolink

La Brea Tar Pits (free tickets via library) / Miracle Mile https://www.lapl.org/explorela 

Downtown LA / Grove / Beverly Hills Public Library (storytime, free)

Universal Citywalk / Bus

Totally Toddlers / My Gym / Local*

Bike Ride / Orange Line Bike Path*

LA Dodgers game - a friend has season tickets! Children 3 and under can enter the stadium free, provided they sit on a parent's or guardian's lap. Should the parent or guardian want a child aged 3 and under to have their own seat, a ticket must be purchased.

Honestly, I would not have changed a thing about the experience. We had a lot of May Gray. Nobody got sick except Mike. The LoveSac couch made a nice bed in our living room. It was a good decision to clear out the downstairs closet for our guests. I think it made it much easier for them to see their clothes Inventory and know what was clear and dirty. We did laundry almost every day. We ran the dishwasher more than once per day. I showed them the bunk beds so they know they have options for future visits.

Our landlord showed us the empty unit that will be up for sale soon. It seems small but maybe that's just because it was empty. It would be wild to be homeowners. And wild to vacate this unit after we have made so many memories here.