heavenly holbox

So it is a week later and we're still gushing about Holbox.  It ended up being a girls' weekend as Jamie took sick.  We took what we thought was the longer way - up via Cancun - but it ended up being 30 minutes shorter than the "short" way via Coba, and that was with a road washout.  Course, here, 30 minutes is a sneeze.  We stopped at Costco for a coffee stockup on the way out (and to get cheap hotdogs for the girls for lunner) and to break up the drive a bit.  The ferry over to Holbox was a bit of a sticker shock (even with the race discount of $90 each way) and cost more than the 1 hotel room for a night.  That said, I'd come back in a heartbeat.

We really only scratched the surface by hitting the beach all 3 days (arrival, race day and day after race day) and renting bikes ($15/hr - super cheap compared to a golf cart at $120/hr) to see more of the island.  The last day I actually was so comfortable there that I let the youngest two rent bikes and toodle around while I went for a run.  Speaking of the run, it was a bit short (9.7km by Google Earth) and I still PRd even with the extra tacked on (with assumption of same average pace).  I think it came out to 53:45 or so for the full 10K and the 9.7 was 52:22.  I was over the moon with that.  I guess consistent slow running is working finally.

It was amazingly beautiful there and I would LOVE to dump our Isla Mujeres plan for Semana Santa and go back, but that is my first triathlon of the season, we've never been to Mujeres, and if nothing else, the ferry to Mujeres is about 1/2 the price of Holbox's.  ;)  I have been awful with training lately and finally downed some way-expired parasite meds to see if that will cure the stomach woes.  Honestly, we should have been doing the every-6-month prophylaxis all along but details...  Finally got out on the bike yesterday and had a GREAT ride - great power and managed to brick a run.  So getting back into the swing with a couple weeks left for Mujeres.

Not sure what I'll do in May as the PLL is just too expensive but I'll find something.  I'm really liking having the opportunity to race so much more - gives me something to look forward to every month.

Changes in attitudes...

I'm pretty much decided not to do the PLL (Cancun to Isla swim).  I was sick during the week that the rate went up and not only lost a week of training (that according to real swimmers I REALLY needed as I'm woefully light on 10K swim training) but lost the "cheaper" rate.  Honestly the cheaper rate wasn't that good anyway.  Then Jamie got the bug and it drove him finally to Dr. Simi who prescribed abx and Flagyl (hoping, I assume, to cover both bases).  So he is at home this weekend while the girls (and their friend) and I headed to Isla Holbox. 

I have read a decent amount about Holbox and it has intrigued me but it is a little far and we just never got around to it.  When the local running event company changed their line up this year and dumped all but 1 of their normal routes and added in Holbox, it was pretty much a no-brainer for me.  I think I was the first one signed up.  :)  It has turned out to be an incredibly expensive trip though, so now I'm thinking I know why not too many people come here. 

I had planned to work in the car the entire drive but when Jamie bowed out I was left as the sole driver and work was out of the question.  I have been trying to work a little less and be present for more family stuff but it is a very hard line to walk knowing if I can work more there is more breathing room financially and it has been a heavy year so far with our immigration renewals and school yearly inscription costs...but I'm trying and being forced into not being able to work (so far) this weekend has really been lovely.  We sang and talked a lot of the way up here and work has not intruded yet on the girls' fun.  So there is that.

Now I suppose I have a run to do (the excuse that brought us here) so I should do that.  And the girls are going to want breakfast afterwards - they already gave me the menu last night.  :)   I'm really glad I didn't sign them up for the race though as last night they decided they wanted to sleep in (and this was after sleeping a lot of the way in the car.  I'm loving the idea of absolutely no concrete anywhere today for the run...now to see if the mozzies are going to carry me away...

heading over to the dark side

Back in August of last year I visited with my sister who is a huge Paleo nut.  Well, I think she is but I think maybe she's actually vegetarian.  But I could swear she was eating meat also so it's a bit confusing.  Anyway, she dropped a TON of weight (except her chest - who loses weight everywhere but their breasts???  Since I have dropped weight I rival prepubescent boys in the chest area but actually, I'm very happy with that - makes running so much more comfortable...) and looks GREAT (see, I did finish the sentence!).  Pictures above and below are calm day versus chop.

Throughout my life I have had diarrhea, constant stomach issues and eczema.  Around the time I turned 50 I removed dairy from my diet and the diarrhea and most stomach issues and eczema went away and life was good.  But I developed asthma and I still had occasional stomach issues and then began to develop itching from peanuts and one time anaphylaxis from peanuts and mangoes and had my entire face swell from mangoes.  So I took those off the menu.  About killed me to take off mangoes, especially in April when seasons starts.  Just might have to try them again this year to make sure...  and then last week I started itching with walnuts.

This is really starting to piss me off and I started looking around the interwebs to try and self diagnose (because why trust a doctor when Google is free and so much easier, right?) and found some information that asthma can be influenced by grains and magnesium.  (which reminds me to find the mag I had Jamie buy eons ago though I likely chucked it)  So I am experimenting with no grains or sugars and lots and lots and lots more veggies and protein.  Kinda like Paleo.  It doesn't hurt that there are huge weight loss claims with dumping grains and sugar and after being sick for a week and not one moment of swim, bike or run, I've gained weight.

Who gains weight with a stomach illness? That would be me.  UGH!  The entire famdamily has been under the weather with a very mysterious bug.  If it were just our family I'd be skeptical of typhoid or amoebas or something in the food but other families at the same schools have the same bug.  Girls were out of school all week.  I did Sunday and Monday's workouts and then sat out the rest of the week hoping that the rest would allow me to compete at yesterday's time trial, which, in retrospect was a HUGE waste as I'm now feeling even WORSE, GAINED FUCKING WEIGHT, and am STILL missing the time trial.  We waited until the last minute - entered a week before the event and BAM both us of down for the count with buggy tummies.

(LOVE this picture of the guys in the 2.5k swim awards)

So there's that.  Dunno why missing that time trial bugs me so much but Jamie is right pissed also.  I think it was the expectation of winning money.  We HATE missing out in winning money as it is such a novel concept and SWEET to boot.  So far I'm just 2 days into the no sugar-no grain diet and trying to figure out how to get in my maca root without Coach's Oats...  I'm going to try this for a month and then see what happens with mangoes and see if I can drop the Pulmicort and if not, I think I'll keep this diet and just add Coach's Oats daily as my only grain.  Love that stuff and now even Jesse is hooked on it.

I missed the lower price on the Cancun 10K swim and now have to figure out if I really want to shell out the increased price for that swim.  Especially since I have not been near water (or out of the palapa) for a week.  I'll make the big break today as I need to pick up immigration card so that will break my isolation and I might as well start training again.  Why does it feel so futile when you've been out of sport long?  Feels like I've lost so much fitness I may as well not bother.  Hmmm...might need some endorphins...