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Off to Cali!
So tomorrow Ryan and I are heading off to Cali for vacation. YAY!
I’m so excited because we will be able to workout outside and may even get to go paddle boarding!
It’s sort of a tradition for us to do The Murph each time we visit.
Try it!
Paddle boarding last summer.
The Murph
For time:
Run 1 mile
You can do the exercises in any order, but all reps must be completed before running the final mile.
100 pull ups
200 push ups
300 bodyweight squats
Run 1 mile
Pictures from California
Paddle Boarding - My Man Bicep Pose
Ryan and his mom
Bike riding on day 2
That was the good…now for the bad…
My Carrot Cake Cupcakes!
The Side Street Cinnamon Roll that we ate before I could remember to take a picture.
Yummy margaritas and guacamole.
The Chimichanga that was the end of me.
And that basically outlines the entire trip aside from the lounging at the pool! 🙂
Being Primal – Easier in Warm Weather?
So Mark Sisson in his Primal Blueprint recommends that you “play” a certain amount each day. And he defines play as something active aka not watching TV. He wants you to get outside and do something that is defined as “active leisure.”
Which in theory is great.
BUT that isn’t easy in a place that doesn’t stay warm for more than two months especially if you aren’t that fond of the cold. At least I haven’t found it that easy to be extra active during the winter time, which means active play (especially outdoors) is usually restricted to the warm weather (which in Boston is about two months out of the year).
You can go skiing and try to do some indoor sports, but these things aren’t necessarily readily available in Boston nor are they necessarily easily affordable for everyone. They aren’t near as accessible as say outdoor activities are in California all year around.
Which makes me want to move to California because it is sooooo freaking easy to live an active, primal lifestyle. You can go bike riding and swimming and paddle boarding (which I’m obsessed with). You can play basketball or baseball or Ultimate (which Mark is obsessed with). Or you can simply go for a stroll outside all year around!
So I ask myself…if I love the Primal lifestyle, “Do I need to move some place that is warm all year around?” How can I be more active during the cold winters here other than just working out a ton, which I already do?
Baked Goods and Biking and Paddle Boarding…Oh My!
So yesterday I rode a real bike for the first time in like 8 years…and I got a flat tire about 5 miles into the ride. BOO!
Luckily we were down at the beach and a very short walk from the place where we were going to go paddle boarding in the harbor. Ryan, his mom and I all went. It was a ton of fun! AND Ryan’s mom stood up like two seconds into our trip! I have wonderful pictures that I’ll have to post later once I get them developed. I bought a waterproof disposable camera (haven’t used one of those in FOREVER)…it was probably a very good thing I bought one of those considering my luck with the flat tire!
After our bike ride and hour of paddle boarding, I came back and baked for Ryan’s birthday. I made Red Velvet cupcakes and Carrot Cake cupcakes. They looked BEAUTIFUL if I do say so myself! I have pictures of them also which I’ll upload later. My baked goods will keep Ryan and I from ever becoming too thin. And after a long month of dieting and a very active day, the baked goods were well deserved! 😉
And this morning, because Ryan and I are both still on East Coast time, we were up way before anyone else. So we went for another bike ride. (I’m super obsessed now with bike riding!!!) We went for a wonderful 12 mile ride around the Back Bay.
This is where we rode. BEAUTIFUL!
So now, tired after the bike ride with a slightly sore butt, we are planning to go to this DELICIOUS (and very unhealthy) breakfast place called Side Street Cafe. The cinnamon rolls are to die for and, I feel, very well deserved after the ride! 🙂
Paddle Boarding
Mark Sisson –Â you would be proud!
Mark Sisson (author of the Primal Blueprint) - our inspiration to go paddle boarding.
Ryan and I went paddle boarding yesterday which was AMAZING! We went to Kendall Square in Cambridge and rented two boards and paddles. I was a bit nervous about trying paddle boarding since it looked like it would be difficult to stand up and balance on the board (and I definitely had no desire to go swimming in the Charles River!).
To start, we both had to be on our knees to get out of the channel. Once out of the channel we had to cross over to the other bank of the river. We both stayed down on our knees to get across the river. Paddling and balancing from my knees wasn’t easy so I was super nervous about standing up . I was even more nervous because the guy at the rental place said that most people didn’t stand up till their second or third time out!
Once across we had to maneuver around the sailboats – sailboats steered by children learning to sail. YIKES! This made me even more nervous about the whole situation.
Once we had made it past the first sailboats, Ryan decided to stand up. He managed it easily and started paddling on. Since he stood up, I knew I had to try.
My heart started racing as I tried to push myself up. I felt the boat rock and I went right back onto my knees. I looked up at Ryan and said, “I can’t do it. I’m too nervous.” We both kept paddling on.
I passed a few more sailboats and looked at him standing up on his board and decided I had to stop being a chicken. Again I put my hands down in front of me and slowly pushed up. I stood up!!! Of course my board was then heading toward land and a flock of geese so I frantically had to start steering away from the shore.
Trying to balance and turn quickly wasn’t an easy task and I managed to chase the flock of geese a short distance and almost run into one. Sorry again about that mr. goose!
Finally though I made it away from the rocks and the geese and started cruising. It wasn’t easy though. You could feel all the little muscles in your legs working to keep you balanced as you went over the small waves. You could also feel your back, shoulders and core working as you paddled through the water.
It was wonderful though. So much fun and such a challenge. Paddle boarding ended up being both easier and harder than I expected.
I’m both surprised and not surprised that people don’t stand up their first time. THIS IS THE REASON TO WORKOUT PEOPLE!!! You workout so you will be awesome at any activity/sport the FIRST time you try it!
I can’t wait to go again or maybe even go kayaking next time! YAY for summer!
Man Bicep 