cancun is cool, but that montezuma is a huge d-bag

It's been two weeks since j2 and I returned from our Cancun vacation. And in that time we've dealt with several storms and subzero temperatures. Remind me of why I live in Boston again? Anyway, the trip was mostly amazing. It was the first time I'd been to Mexico in addition to being my first REAL vacation with a boyfriend. Pretty awesome, right?

We arrived at the hotel at around 5pm on a Sunday and decided to explore the resort before grabbing a bite and settling in for an early, relaxing evening. I loved the look of our resort, it just looked old fashioned and grand. I was absolutely thrilled to be in flip flops and staring at the blue, blue ocean.

On Monday, we woke up early. Correction, due to the stupid one hour time change, I woke up early and in turn woke up j2. Somehow I convinced him to go to the gym with me before a full day of eating and sunning. We were staying at a Riu hotel, which meant we had access to the other three that were in Cancun. In the afternoon, we took a walk to one that was a few kilometers away to take advantage of their huge pool and endless sunny spots. Oh, and we had a few cocktails. All-inclusives, amirite?

On Tuesday, we were up early once again, but this time it was to head out on a snorkeling adventure off of Isles Mujeres. It was a long, but awesome day. We got to hold a shark, snorkel, wander around the island, and jump off the spinnaker. At least I'm told it was the spinnaker, and whatever it was it was rad and I was the only woman on the boat brave enough to do it!

On Wednesday morning, I got up and decided to go for a run. I had to take advantage of the good weather, didn't I? The hotel was on a peninsula with a very clearly marked path, which made it very convenient for running. There were even signs for every half kilometer, which was perfect since my watch didn't want to connect with GPS for a good portion of it. The rest of the day was fairly laid back - we relaxed at the pool, made some friends with other hotel guests, and of course, did a lot of eating -- which seemed to be the theme of the trip.

Thursday was another great day - we had booked another snorkeling trip. I was expecting to see the same things we'd seen on Tuesday but it was much, much cooler. We got to snorkel directly over reefs, and we got to see a lobster, a stingray and a huuuuuge barracuda. We took a bunch of pictures with an underwater disposable - and I'm hoping that we caught some of the amazing sights on film. I'll let you know once I actually remember to get it developed. Oops.

Friday should have been a really amazing day. j2 and I booked a 12-hour day trip to the cenotes (a fresh water sinkhole) and Chichen Itza. We woke up early in the morning and j2 wasn't feeling that great. There was some talk about skipping the trip, but we decided that he'd probably feel better as the day went on. Wrooooong. Almost immediately upon getting on the bus he started getting sick. We had been on the bus for what seemed like an eternity when we made a short stop in Valladolid. I was pretty worried about j2, who was in and out of the bus bathroom (poor guy) and couldn't keep anything down. While the rest of our tour wandered around, I asked our guide if he could take me to a pharmacy to get some medicine. A few minutes later I was back with two boxes of pills, trying to force them down j2's throat. My rudimentary spanish led me to believe that one was for nausea and the other for, ahem, diarrhea. I don't think it hurt him, but there wasn't much of a difference in how he felt after taking the pills.

By the time we got to the cenotes, we were both slightly miserable. I did spend some time exploring and wading in the water before coming back up to check on j2 and trying to get some fluids into him. There was also, conveniently, a tequila museum located on the premises. I may or may not have done some stress drinking and shopping, and came back to the bus with 50 dollars worth of booze.

A couple of hours later we were back on the bus and on our way to Chichen Itza. I was hoping that j2 would start to feel better so he could enjoy it with me, but no dice. Once we got there, I made sure he was good and went off with the tour to explore. The guide was great - very funny and knowledgable, and I learned a LOT of neat facts about Chichen Itza and the Mayan people. I'm a sucker for ruins.

When I got back to j2 I was all "CHICHEN ITZA IS AMAZING!" and he was all "they have really nice bathrooms here!". That should give you a sense of how different our days turned out to be. By the time we got back to the hotel, j2 had been able to keep down some soda and gatorade, and his symptoms were easing up. I even managed to get him to eat some crackers after I had dinner by myself at one of the hotel restaurants.

Did I mention that Friday was Valentine's day?

On Saturday morning, we packed up and made our way back to Boston. This sums up how we felt upon our departure:

The airport was a shit show, and when they announced that our flight was oversold, I may have tried to convince j2 to take the free night and voucher to stay one extra day. He pretty much told me that I could stay, but he was getting on that plane. I'm really glad that we came home, because four hours after I walked through the door of my apartment I was violently ill. Nothing like coming home from a vacation only to spend 12 hours on the bathroom floor.

Huzzah vacation!

#monthofmovement: because 31 days wasn't enough

wednesday, january 29
workout: climbing
calories burned: 430
cost: $5*

I didn't want to, but I went climbing. It had been a good, long while since I'd been to Rockspot, so I decided to tag along with j2 to climb with him and the rest of the Meetup group. I was feeling sore, and tired, and it definitely showed in my climbing. The best part of Wednesday night climbing at Rockspot is that when we're done, everyone heads to the Village Manor for food and drinks. And for a whole in the wall bar/restaurant, they have some GOOD food. Yea, so the best part of my night was my post-climbing food, what of it?

*5 pack purchased for $25 prior to the start of the challenge, so there was no out of pocket cost

thursday, january 30
workout: run
calories burned: 375
cost: free!

Julia and I made plans to run followed by dinner at a nearby-ish Mexican restaurant. Seems like exercising + eating was the theme of the week. It was a mild night (well, as mild as it can be in the middle of winter in Boston) and we got in almost 3.5 miles at a 9:55min/mile pace before making it to the restaurant. It was the perfect Thursday night. I got to catch up with a friend, get in some miles, and to eat a delicious dinner. How can it get any better than that?




friday, january 31
workout: climbing
calories burned: 560
cost: $12*

Social media has allowed me to make a lot of new friends. It's also been a great way for me to reconnect with a few of my college friends/sorority sisters. I betcha never would have guessed that I was in a sorority, or maybe that's not such a surprise? Who knows. Anyway, Kate and I have been corresponding via Twitter and Instagram. We both live in Somerville, and we go to the same places, though never, it seems, at the same time. Finally, we made plans to climb together and made it into a group hang. We caught up, did some climbing, did some chatting, and good times were had by ball. Considering I started the challenge with a run, it would have been very fitting to end it with a climb. Too bad I decided to torture myself a little more and to extend the challenge until I leave for my Cancun vacation.

*10 pack purchased prior to the start of the challenge, with no further out of pocket cost




saturday, february 1
workout: run
calories burned: 420
cost: $0

The LUNA Chix season usually goes from April to late October. This year, a few of my teammates had the great idea to hold monthly runs at Athleta to keep people going through the winter, and so far it's worked out wonderfully. We had about 15 women show up for the run and we did a 4.4 mile loop around the esplanade at a 9:30min/mile pace. It was relaxed, and it was fun - two things that are really important to me when it comes to off-season runs. I could not have asked for a better group, or for better weather. I can't even believe that I'm writing this - but I felt over dressed in crops, a tank, and a long sleeved tech shirt. By the middle of the run, I was so warm that I actually tied my long sleeved shirt around my waist. Yes, my friends, I was running through Boston. On February 1st. In a tank top. Though, don't worry. As I type this post, sleet is currently pounding the windows in the midst of the latest blizzard. So, looks like everything's back to normal.



sunday, february 2

workout: super sunday 5 miler
calories burned: 550
cost: $35

So, I registered for this race on January 2. I guess means that I technically failed at one of my rules, which was not to spend more than $10 on any activity. However, the challenge was also supposed to end on January 31, so let's just call it a draw, shall we?

I have mixed feelings about the Super Sunday 5 miler. On the one hand, I like the course, and that it's relatively close to my house. The weather is always a crapshoot, but that's not a surprise at this time of year. Also, the proceeds go to a cancer charity, which is always a god thing. There are a few things I didn't like about the race this year. The post-race party was an absolute mess. I couldn't get anywhere near the food or the drinks, which is sort of the whole point, right? They also ran out of water for the finishers, though luckily Brittany had grabbed an extra when she crossed the finish line. My biggest issue, however, was the race director and how he worded some emails that were sent out prior to Sunday. Furthermore, I was floored at how he responded to me on Twitter when I voiced my dissatisfaction. I can't support an organization that doesn't respect the views of its patrons. I don't mean to be cryptic, I just don't feel the need to go into detail about it on my blog right now. I don't begrudge anyone for participating, I have just decided that I will no longer participate in this race (or any others put on by the company).

Despite any negativity, the weather was perfect. I should have learned my lesson from the day before because, again, I was overdressed. I also hydrated a biiit too much prior to the start and I had to pee just as the race was beginning. Luckily the race course runs by a Starbucks where we knew there'd be a bathroom, so Lisa and I ducked in to quickly use the facilities. We weren't the only ones who had that idea, as another runner came in just as we were leaving. We spent the rest of the race trying to catch up to Brittany (who proved too fast to catch) and Bonnie (who we found about half a mile from the finish).

Last year, I ran this race in 51:30 (10:20 pace). Granted, I had a chest cold, but this year was significantly better. My gun time for this year's race was 48:50, and that includes the bathroom stop. I paused my watch when we stopped to use the bathroom (yea, a little cheat-y of me, but whatever), so my watch time was 46:23 with splits of 9:12, 9:18, 9:17, 9:19, 9:09 (9:14min/mile pace). Even with the bathroom stop, I technically had a PR. Hey, I'll take it.


monday, february 3
workout: bolly-x
calories burned: 475
cost: $6*

This class marked the end of my Livingsocial classes for Bolly-x. On the one hand I'm excited that I managed to use it up before the expiration date, and yet I'm sad because this class is so much fun. Though, there were parts of the hour-long class that were NOT so fun for me. I'm not sure why, but my stomach was hurting me somethin' fierce, and it made it tough to really get into the dance moves. Danielle still has two classes left on her voucher, and I'm definitely planning on going. It's only $12 for a drop-in, and they also let us know that if you can attend for free if you volunteer to check people in prior to the start of class. Not a bad trade at all, if you ask me!

* Livingsocial voucher purchased - 3 classes for $18. Regular drop-in rate is $12 per class at the Dance Complex (536 Mass Ave, Cambridge)


tuesday, february 4
workout: lunchtime run
calories burned: 500
cost: $0

You know what's really great motivation to get outside for a run? A blizzard. Bolly-x class runs from 8:30-9:30, and I wasn't able to fall asleep until late on Monday, which meant that I was most certainly not going to drag myself out of bed early to run. Luckily for me, it was warm enough to run the 2 miles each way to my Tuesday appointment in Harvard Square. I was able to get in 4.15 miles at a decent pace. It felt like a really nice way to close out week five of the challenge.

week 5 recap:
3310: calories burned
445: minutes (7.4 hours) spent working out
14: miles run
0: dollars spent out of pocket

What a fun week! There have been times along the way throughout my month(+) of movement where I've been exhausted, cranky and sore. But mostly I'm getting used to doing something active daily. Last year, I found myself getting pretty stressed at the idea of having to fit it all in. I'm always pretty active, but the last five weeks have reminded me of how happy and calm I am when exercise is a big part of my life. Though, I have to say, I am very much looking forward to getting my rest day back!

#monthofmovement: (tardy) reflections

I had so much fun during the month of January. The first month of movement challenge was all about trying new things. I was bored and needed to shake things up. I did things like trapeze and salsa and it was fabulous., exciting, aaand pretty expensive. Here's last year's calendar:

This time around was about getting back to the things I've always enjoyed. I ran a decent amount, climbed until my callouses finally came back (that's a good thing!), and got my spin on. I'm also really proud of myself that I stuck to my $10 and under threshold for the month. I used up three remaining vouchers that I'd purchased for Central Rock, Rockspot and Bolly-x that were either expired or just about to be so. Fitness can be expensive, and it was a nice reminder that there are ways to fit it into the budget. Sites like Living Social, Groupon, etc are only a good deal if you actually use them, and most cities have plenty of free fitness options if you're willing to do a little research on where to find them. For the entire month, my out of pocket costs were only 30 dollars. Not too shabby!

Participating in the month of movement really reminds me that I am a happier and more relaxed person when exercise is a part of my life. It's also a great way for me to stay connected with my equally busy and active friends. I do have to admit that I reeaaallly missed my rest day. Rest day, rest day, rest daaaaay. I love you and never want you to go away again. Not until next year's challenge!

For the next month I'll be focusing on preparing for the NYC half. Between the awful weather, vacation, and a stomach virus that knocked me on my ass, I haven't really been training too diligently. I did get in 8 good miles before heading off on vacation, so I'm hoping I have enough of a base to get me through the 13.1. I've done more than a dozen half marathons, so I don't know why I'm so nervous about this one. I think it's mostly because it's in New York and I'm asking my family to spectate (since we mutually missed each other during the marathon) and I don't want to end up puking in Central Park or something. Fingers crossed that the weather cooperates this weekend so I'm able to get in a long run.

So where are my #monthofmovement-ers? I know that the challenge has been done for some time, but how did you do? How did you feel? Did you have fun? Tell me all about it!

I leave you with my favorite picture of the entire challenge:

the time i turned 30 and remembered all of it (aka i guess i'm an adult now)

I'm eternally behind on blog posts, I know this. I promise to write all about Mexico. It was pretty amazing to get a tan, see one of the new seven wonders of the world, watched j2 get violently ill on our last day there, only to have me come down with the same thing 24 hours later. Soon, I promise..

Most of my birthdays have involved a lot of alcohol, and a less-than-perfect recollection of the evening's events. Back in 2009, I got so drunk that I held on to a light pole in the middle of Montreal and told all of my friends that I hated them (sorry?). These days, I'm a little less of a booze hound than I used to be. I just can't party like I used to, and no matter how much fun I have, it's usually not worth the hangover. I put a lot of thought into how I wanted to spend my 30th birthday. I knew that I didn't want to spend it at a bar, and I really hate huge group dinners because you don't get to talk to anyone and the idea of one massive bill for the table stresses. me. out. I decided to host a get-together at my apartment. That way I could talk to everyone, and if I got accidentally too drunk, it would be easy to put me to bed without a scene.

I spent Friday (my actual birthday) at j2's house, eating Indian food, watching Captain Phillips, and chatting with various family members who had called to wish me well. It was pretty perfect, actually. On saturday, I slept in and then did a "long" run. It was supposed to be about 8.5 miles but my back was bothering me so much that I cut it a couple of miles short. I was bummed slash convinced that I was going through kidney failure but there was no time to worry since I had to prepare for my birthdaaaaay partaaay. Luckily Lauren had taken care of most of the prep - I arrived home to a clean apartment and one of my two cakes ready and waiting for me - the other was baked and brought over by Lu a little bit later on. Hey, it's not a birthday party without multiple cakes, right?

I didn't have any idea who would actually show up, so I was pretty amazed when all of a sudden, I looked around and there were over 20 people in the apartment. My best friend from high school drove up from New York with her husband, one of my college roommates came in from Connecticut and it was wonderful to see them, since it had been a while (too long!). At one point, I looked around the room and had to stop for a second to take it all in. I was in awe of how many people had gathered to help me celebrate my special day. I felt cherished, and so very thankful for the relationships I have built over the years.

Thank you everyone - near and far - for being a part of my 30th birthday. I'm really looking forward to what life has to offer me as a thirty-something.

addendum

I just turned my room upside down for my eyeglasses. I looked under the bed, in the bed, in my hamper, in the closet, EVERYWHERE. I even went through my garbage pail (ew). I then proceeded to give up and throw an empty tupperware against the wall in anger. I went through the bag with my running clothing in it and what did I find at the bottom? MY GLASSES. I swear that I emptied that bag this morning and those glasses were NOT in there. My roommate wasn't very surprised by this finding and said "Well, you do have a Mary Poppins bag." True story.

But I have a different theory. My nanny (my mom's mom) was the most amazing woman in the world, and on top of that, she was super organized. She always knew where everything was at all times. And if for some crazy reason she didn't, she was awesome at finding it. So, ever since she passed away, whenever I misplace something I always do a quick "hey nan, can you help me out?". It worked when I lost a diamond hoop earring last year. After an entire day of searching my office and the apartment, I went to the fridge to get a drink and it was literally right there.

Good to know that my guardian angel is still looking out for me.