Back on Track After My Wedding

Things got really crazy during the first half of 2017 — I moved into my own apartment, I got married, my mom visited me for a month, I got my Brazilian residence visa finally, I was working, doing an internship, and planning a wedding all at the same time. Since those things are over now, and I'm only working a few hours per week, I've been able to work out almost daily!

After a week of training, I was surprised at how fast I could jump back into a 5k after almost no running for the past four months (I do walk 5-10k per day though, just in my normal commuting... and live on the 4th floor of a building with no elevator... welcome to São Paulo). The downside of getting back into shape is feeling like I am out of shape and comparing myself with when I was running 8k on a daily basis. The upside of getting back into shape is watching how fast I make improvements.

For example, I did this 9-minute body weight workout from the NY Times. The first time I did it, I had to take long breaks between each set, and I was totally winded. The second time I did it, just a week and a few runs later, I could do the whole thing on 1' intervals of rest between sets and I did 20' of yoga as well. I love watching my body respond quickly to discipline.

I was feeling so inspired and full of health that I decided to sign up for the São Paulo Venus 15k. I was debating between the 10k and the 15k, because while I know I can run a 10k with inconsistent training, a 15k will take some disciplined work. A friend convinced me to choose the longer distance because "you've already conquered a 10k", and I decided she was right. So between now and September 3, I need to be running consistently, listening to my body, figure out how to keep my blood sugar levels up for that long of a distance, and keep up all around good health/strong runner habits.

2016 so far

This year is drawing to a close, and I'm already planning my race schedule for 2017. I haven't done any races in 2016.

At first I spent a lot of time getting back into running shape after taking nearly a year off (2015) because I was intimidated by the hills in São Paulo and I didn't want to buy a gym membership.

Finally I sucked it up and got a membership at a gym across the street from me. A few of the trainers milling around and giving unsought advice were cool, a few of them were not. But what was really insufferable were the people who worked out there. Stuck-up, rude, vain, rude, self-absorbed, rude... A lot of times I run because I am grumpy and angry, then I get a dose of endorphins and all is right in the world. But it got to the point that the people at the gym made me angrier than before I started running!

During the last month of my membership (May), I did some squats a little too low or I had a weird position or something... and injured my right knee. This was right before I went on vacation to Arizona for a month in July (yeah yeah, you try running in AZ in July if you are on vacation and don't want to wake up at 3am), so I stopped running for two months.

After I got back, I got a gym membership at a different gym with people who don't annoy me to the moon and back, so I've been strength training (once a week) and running more frequently (2-3 times a week).

I'm finally at the point (hello November, you eleventh month of the year!) where I am ready to start looking into racing races. There are a few 10ks left this year, but I'm not sure about signing up. They are kind of expensive and all the photos from previous years make it look like the course is really crowded. São Paulo has gained a lot more runners in the past year due to the expansion of dedicated bike lanes throughout the city. On the one hand, that's really awesome, but on the other hand, races get really full. A few races I saw are completely full and there are still a few weeks to go before the gun goes off.

Training is going really well, I'm just itching for something to train for.

Looking ahead to 2017, the São Paulo half marathon is on February 19 and the full marathon on April 9. Silas gave me some good advice and told me to sign up for the half, and after I see how that goes, I can sign up for the full. So some of my next paycheck will probably end up there.

Do you have any more races on the calendar this year? Are you planning your schedule for next year already?

I am not a sell-out.

I haven't run in over a month because:

• My plan of taking a bus to a flatter area and running there really sucked. I tried it three times and hit a bunch of road blocks that included: literal road blocks as the path is still under construction, the bus only coming 2-3 times per hour so I spent more time at the bus stop than actually running, and heavy traffic really didn't make things better. A 30 minute run turned into a 1.5 hour ordeal that included breathing noxious car fumes the whole time. Awesome right?
• It's summer! Even running in the early morning left me with a splitting headache from exposure to the sun and heat.
• I got lazy and then sick and then a little depressed.

I have been eyeing a very chic looking gym that is literally across the street from where I live. I'm attracted to its architecture, its proximity to my house (because I don't have a car and live in a hilly area, this is key), its air conditioning, and its hours. A lot of gyms around here have surprisingly inconvenient hours, and some don't even open on Sundays at all. So yesterday I saw that this chic gym was extending a Black Friday sale, and with the sale, its prices became about the same as all the other gyms, and you know, it's just so close.... I took the plunge and bought a six-month gym membership. First time ever!

I know that buying a gym membership goes against my minimalist exercise mindset ("You can do bodyweight stuff! At home! For free!"). But honestly, I did try to find something that worked for me and I wasn't able to. My physical health, and more noticeably, my mental health suffered. I'm not being a sell-out. It's just that good health is higher on the list of importance than minimalism principles.

I'm giddy about it. My membership includes all the classes that I want, and they have classes throughout the whole day (exciting because I usually teach classes when gyms are giving classes). Today I was just happy to run on a treadmill.

Okay. I know so many "real runners" hate treadmills. And yeah, the scenery is kind of dull on a treadmill... but I'm going to listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and nab a machine that faces the aerobics room instead of the spinning room (n00b mistake that I made today). The endorphin high is worth it.

When I lived in Dubai I ran on a treadmill. It had a good oceanfront view. Running on a treadmill for a year gave me the self-confidence that I needed to run outside. It also was there for me when I felt like doing 10 minutes of sprints and calling it a day. It's great when you have a BM 25 minutes into your run (don't tell me that doesn't happen to you). It's good for trying elaborate running sets that you see online but in no way are going to remember without a detailed post-it note.

So, I'm pro-treadmill. What are your favorite treadmill workouts, blogs, or other resources to keep things interesting?

Life Update! Or, how hills are ruining my life

I moved from Dubai to São Paulo in January 2015. Four months later and I'm feeling more settled in, getting a hang of the language, and am comfortable with my job. Unfortunately though, I haven't exercised with much consistency.

I've run a handful of times, and each time I felt blaaahhh afterwards. Remembering that feeling doesn't help when I'm deciding to stay inside and read or go out and run.

Also, my neighborhood is known as being hip and cool, and pretty crime-free compared to most of São Paulo. Why is that? because IT'S FREAKIN HARD TO RUN HERE! So hard that most robbers are all, 'Damn, I don't wanna run up that hill!' I can't blame them, cuz I don't either. I'm either running knee-pounding downhills with crooked sidewalks that hurt my ankles (and even my knees when I walk a lot), or lung-busting uphills that can compete with the best San Francisco has to offer.

Aw, a beautiful rainbow that, oddly enough, mimics the topography of the neighborhood it is shining on.

I've considered a few options to avoid the hills and find somewhere more 'Alisa Approved.'

1. Walk to a park about 25 minutes away
   Pros: Awesome paths, free exercise machinery, no cars inside the park
   Cons: It takes 25 minutes to get there, and then I will run, and then walk UPHILL back. 1:30+ for a workout is not my idea of convenient.
2. Run downhill to a bike path along the Pinheiros River; take a bus back
   Pros: The sidewalks along this route are mostly wide and flat, pretty river scenery
   Cons: The bus costs money, the river stinks, and the bike path is adjacent to a super noisy highway.
3. Run in a flat business district after I finish teaching morning classes
   Pros: It's flat, and easy to access since I'll already be there
   Cons: It's a business district and is congested with people and traffic. There's also construction in the area. I usually feel devoid of energy after morning classes.

Don't be deceived. Were this facing the other way, you would see sheer cliff.

Option #3 is looking the most attractive at this moment, but that means I'll need to get my life a lot more organized. I'll need to go to bed earlier so I have enough energy after class. I'll need to eat food before I leave for work and pack a post-class snack and a post-run snack. I'll need to stay on top of my laundry so I have clean workout clothes for the days that I need it. Aaand uhhh deodorant. I'll need to pack that.