#can check by trying to eat banana when i do my final loop

[unlikelyapricot]

I also do very agree that its so interesting seeing what differs w different isat playthroughs!!!!

[incognetomisquito]

Oh god i have so many

Hi, 👋 just finished my freshman year and it was fantastic

I met people who /get/ me, my roommate and my boyfriend especially. Whenever i make a stupid reference there’s a 90% chance someone will join in. We spent the whole year saying Go Piss Girl whenever one of us went to pee

This was gonna be a list, but imma just share my favorite story:

My car battery kept dying (when they replaced it the first time, it was too small, and kept draining) so I kept having to ask my now boyfriend to jumpstart/fiddle with the engine) One day we were trying to figure out the issue, and he had to check something in the driver panel. So i got out, closed the door so he could squeeze through btwn my car and his. And realized… the doors were locked. We had the car running, hood popped, and locked the key inside. The spare was at my moms house.

When i tell you i died laughing

So then we googled ways to open the lock, and found the idea of using a wire hanger. I had one, but only jewelry pliers to work with. We must’ve spent like 20 minutes trying to jimmy the lock, my roommate came down, and we kept cracking aborting the car jokes. And hitting the g-spot jokes. There were a lot of jokes XD

Then the police showed up. We assured him it was indeed my car, and he asked if we wanted help. But we were determined to open that fucker on our own, so he sat back and said alright, tell me when you give up

We were so FRIKIN CLOSE to opening that thing, got the hanger in the door and everything, but we couldn’t reach the stupid window roller. So we did give up 😔. Police guy got it open super fast, he had an actual tool for it

After that, we rolled down the windows to prevent locking out again. And then i realized i could easily climb on the roof of my car, and I spent the rest of the afternoon chilling on the roof while the boyf fiddled with the engine.

But that afternoon was probably the highlight of my year. It was nice and sunny out, a Sunday, i had nowhere pressing to be, no homework due the next day. We spent it laughing and saying stupid shit, figuring out a tricky situation that was 100% my own fault. It was awesome :)

I lied, heres the rest of the list, because i cant shut up:

- i stole the bluetooth speaker from my drawing professor, and fully had control of the music during class. I renamed it in my phone, and he never turns it off, i always have access.

- i would show up before even the teacher some mornings, and i played “me party” to an empty classroom. The professor walked in on “man or muppet”

- we heard a snowcone truck from our dorm once, ran down 2 flights of stairs, and chased it a few blocks, because they were driving away from campus. Then, as we were walking back to the dorm, it passed us. Because it was doing a loop. And we didnt have to run lmao

- i climbed many many trees. And my roommate joined me. Last week, we had a dorm party, and the two of us formed a boyband in a tree. We got our RA to join the boyband, and she hung out up there with us for a bit

- roommate discovered you can scratch doodles into a bananas skin, and debuted it by carving a Poop banana. I turned that into a final project for my Socially Engaged art class and my teacher took a picture of me eating a banana with the tv behind me displaying “poop” “gay sex” and a drawing of mario and sonic making out. She loved the project, i got an A.

- joined pep band, and now a lunch worker always says “hey drummer lady!” because she saw me jumping around while playing quads

I cant say anything about the professors, it differs per school and per department. I lucked out, im going for illustration, and my schools art department is absolutely fantastic, while my roommates department isnt too great. But even with shitty professors, it can be amazing.

Good luck!

hi!! does anyone have any lovely/fun/awesome/silly/interesting uni stories they'd like to share? I'm starting uni in two months and I'm feeling pretty nervous having just come out of high school and having had a pretty shit overall experience with the education system so far!!! I'd love it if people could tell me some stuff they love/loved about uni so I can get excited for it like I want to be [:

[tirednotflirting]

does it ever drive you crazy, just how fast the night changes?

baby’s first au whaaaaaat? 

special thank you to @clumsyclifford​ for linking the prompt list i got this idea from! this was the prompt (it was a whole slew of celebrity AUs: “wait, you’re supposed to be DEAD and i just recognized you at the grocery store, turns out you just didn’t want to be a celebrity anymore” au. bella is also writing one from this list and it’s one of my most favorite lashton things i have ever read, highly recommend, 10/10, i could yell about hello, hello for ages omg

also here is the ao3 link if that’s your preferred way to read :)  

There are few things that bring Luke as much joy as his Friday night (well, Saturday morning, really) grocery trips.

He had started working the night shift at the nurses’ desk at the children’s hospital about a year prior after graduating. He had found the job through the friend of a friend of a friend who was a nurse herself and mentioned the job needed filling fast. Luke had never really considered the idea of a night job but ultimately the work wasn’t all too bad. He made coffee every couple of hours (he made an effort to never let the pot empty which got him lots of smiles from the nurses) and every once in awhile Lina, the 6 year old cancer patient whose room was just around the corner from the brightly colored desk, would wander out to ask him to check for monsters under her bed and to be tucked back in. It was pretty simple (and heartwarming) work.

However, staying up through the night for 5 nights a week made it damn near impossible to be awake during the day on his weekends off. Luckily enough for Luke, he had friends like Michael who tended to play video games all night despite working through the day (he stopped questioning how he managed it a long time ago) and his favorite grocery store was a 24 hour location.

The first time Luke had come to do his shop at around 2am, he had felt a little spooked by the parking lot and eerie silence in between Top 40 songs that played over the intercom in the store. But he soon grew to find the general atmosphere pretty calming and he made friends with the nighttime stocker (a guy named Calum who also never saw himself doing nighttime work but here they were) and it became something he really looked forward to on his Saturday (very early) mornings.

He arrives at the store just a bit after 1am. He just finished ‘a late breakfast’ (he still always finds himself giggling at the concept of eating meals at opposite points in the day as everyone else despite the obvious logic to the schedule) and has a list tucked into the pocket of his sweats. It’s a little chilly out so he grabs the first sweater he sees on the backseat - a blue cardigan - since he knows they also keep the store pretty cool in the night to make sure everybody stays awake through their shift.

As he grabs one of the smaller carts as he heads into the store, he feels his phone buzzing in his pocket. He pulls out his list first and drops it into the baby seat of the cart and then grabs his phone. Luke’s faced with the wild selfie Michael set for his profile picture and he rolls his eyes as clicks the icon to answer the call.

“What’s up, Mikey?” he answers as he starts pushing the cart in the direction of the produce section. 

“You at the store yet?” Luke can hear the clicking of the buttons on the controller in Michael’s hands.

“Yeah, just got in. You need anything?”

Michael then rambles off a short list that Luke jots down into his notes app since he doesn’t have a pen or anything with him. He assures his friend he’ll come drop off the odd collection of snacks and things (“They have to be the dinosaur shaped ones. I swear Luke they do taste better.”) once he finished up his shop of real groceries.

Luke wanders around the produce, picking out what fruits and veggies he wants to have around for the week. He takes his time finding the apples without the bruises, bananas that will be the perfect amount of ripe by midweek, some leafy bunches for the salad he’s been assigned to bring for the breakroom potluck on Tuesday. He’s checking out some strawberries that he thinks might be nice to toss into the mix too when a human sized figure appears in the corner of his vision.

It’s a man around his size (in similar cozy clothes) facing away from him. He’s got hair the opposite color to Luke’s bleached blonde. His messy black curls are pulled back into a tiny bun that mirrors Luke’s own. The other man is broad and has a tattoo of a bird across the back of his neck, just barely visible above the collar of a faded blue sweatshirt. The tattoo is one that seems oddly familiar to Luke, as though it belongs to someone he knows. The man begins to wander off toward the bakery section of the store though and Luke shrugs off the recognition, figuring it might be someone he’s seen around a waiting room in the hospital at some point. He settles on some strawberries and starts pushing his cart in the direction of the deli and meats.

As he stares at the different packages of chicken and breakfast sausages, he can’t help but think back on the man he saw though. There was something achingly familiar about him, and more than just the tattoo. He can’t shake the thought for some reason and finds himself jumping in surprise when he feels his phone buzz once again in his pocket. 

He doesn’t even have to look to the screen to know that it’s Michael calling again to add something to his list. In fact, he happens to even know the items that his friend failed to mention the first time he called. Luke presses the accept button and lifts the phone to his ear.

“Froot Loops and the character shaped fruit snacks?”

“The superhero ones, if they have them please!”

*

Luke continues around the store, grabbing all the bits from his list (and Michael’s 12 year old boy list) and eventually lands in the dairy section. He grabs the yogurt he’s been mixing granola into for breakfast lately and some butter for the cookies his mom sent him a recipe for. Only thing left in terms of food is cereal milk and coffee milk (2% and oat, respectively, of course). When he looks up from the list to make his way over to the fridges containing the plethora of milks, he is faced once again with the familiar stranger. 

Except this time, as he catches just the briefest glimpse of the man’s face, of his hazel eyes and strong jawline, he realizes this isn’t a stranger. Very much not a stranger. It’s Ashton Irwin, the host of at least three of those reality dating shows he forces Michael to watch with him on the weekends since he can’t watch them when they air live on Monday and Tuesdays. 

Or, well, he was the host of all of those shows until about two months ago.

Because Ashton Irwin has been dead for two months due to a freak heart attack while on vacation on some remote island.

Luke glances away from him for a moment in a panic. Has he completely lost it? Have the late nights finally gotten to him and he’s starting to actually see things that don’t exist? Was Calum right all along and the store really is haunted? (Though it's a little lost on him why a star TV host would want to haunt a grocery store. And not even a good one like that Whole Foods in Downtown.)

Then he realizes that perhaps he was just wrong. (Though now that he thinks about it, he very much remembers liking an Instagram picture of that tattoo on Ashton Irwin’s account a couple years back.) He’s far enough down the aisle from him that he can chance a look at the man without being caught. So, slowly, Luke turns again just slightly to look toward him.

It’s the hair that left him not immediately making the recognition. His hair has been dyed black, a stark contrast to his signature dark red but definitely a change that likely doesn’t draw as much attention. The sweatshirt he’s paired with black skinny jeans is pretty baggy and it’s a damn shame because Luke knows he has the arms of a god.

(Something Luke knows from the tabloid covers he glances at from time to time at the pharmacy and the summer version of the show that Ashton hosted, of course. He most definitely has never searched up his name + ‘biceps’ before. Never.)

But despite the obvious attempt to match the look and aesthetic of ‘2am grocery shopper’ he's still very unmistakably Ashton Irwin.

As Luke grapples with this new knowledge that apparently this person he thought was dead is not dead and also apparently goes to the same grocery as him, he fails to notice that Ashton has turned to face him and that he is still staring at him in shock. 

Very quickly, Ashton’s face comes to mirror Luke’s expression and he’s rushing toward the blonde in a state of terror. 

“Please don’t say anything,” he gasped in a hushed voice. The accent similar to his own that Luke has grown used to hearing on his TV sticks out some in his panicked words.

“How? I - uh? Are you,” Luke trips over every syllable that comes out of his mouth as he attempts to let his brain wrap around the situation. “Are you a ghost?”

The feared look of the black haired man actually fades some as he lets a quiet giggle escape (a very cute giggle, if Luke is being honest). “I’m, uh, not a ghost. No. Though I guess that does kind of accurately explain what I’m trying to be.”

Now Luke is even more confused. Based on the statement, he obviously wasn’t making up all of the tabloid stories he had seen about Ashton dying but something isn’t adding up to the present moment. “I don't-”

“Listen, if you’re going to go tell the press, can you at least give me like,” he glances down at his phone screen displaying the time. “2 hours to get back out to my friend’s place where I’ve been hiding?”

It’s now Luke’s turn to laugh. “You do realize if I go to some paparazzi or something and tell them I saw deceased Ashton Irwin wandering around my grocery store trying to decide between hazelnut and cashew milk they would just laugh in my face, right?”

The statement causes Ashton to look down at his hands to the milks in his hands. He sighs down at the cartons before tossing both of them in the cart. “Guess you’re not really wrong.”

“Is someone pulling some kind of long-winded, over the top prank on me right now? Am I being punk’d?” Luke asks, his head tilting some in a way that would normally have Michael making fun of him for the child-like behavior. “Because I know for a fact that I am not worth that much effort.”

The questions have Ashton smiling a bit again and Luke suddenly finds himself wanting to say increasingly dumb things so long as it’ll keep the hazel-eyed man smiling. “No, no. Not at all. I just,” his smile falters some, leaving his lips still turned up but his eyes drop some. “I started to get a little sick of the world and the world started getting a bit sick of me, I think.” Luke wonders if Ashton knew just how heavy his words feel.

He scoffs then, as if hearing Luke’s silent question. “Wow, sorry that was really dramatic,” Ashton shakes his head a bit before continuing. “Hi, I’m Ashton.”

Luke looks down to the tanned arm being stretched out toward him. He lifts a hand from his shopping cart and wraps it around Ashton’s. “I’m Luke.”

Ashton brightens again as he shakes his hand. “Well, Luke, you’re the first person other than my current landlord of sorts that I’ve come across since literally dying in the eyes of the media. So I guess I owe you an explanation? Since it seems like you’re familiar with that media viewpoint?”

Ashton moves to start pushing his cart in the direction of another area of the store but peers over his shoulder and gestures with his head to follow him. Luke quickly reaches into the fridge on his left to grab the rest of his dairy before catching up to him. “Well, you really don’t owe me anything. I don’t know you beyond what I see of you on my TV screen,” Luke wonders then if maybe he should have played it a bit cooler and not told the cute, presumed dead TV star that he watches his shows. “But I am a bit confused by whatever is going on and would like to hear anything you’re willing to share.”

“Cute and polite,” Ashton muses, avoiding Luke’s eye as he continues forward toward the packaged food aisles. “You’re already checking boxes, Luke.”

Some kind of intelligible noise falls from Luke’s lips as he feels a blush rush up to his cheeks because he’s flirting with him. Ashton only laughs and starts his story.

“Well Luke, you seem to be aware of what I did for a living up until about 2 months ago. I’ve been doing this job for like, about 5 years and before every new season of anything, there’s all these big network and programming meetings about production and filming and such. And every single time, I get hounded by our ratings people because I apparently don’t do enough to instigate and promote drama. Like my contract was getting threatened like three times a year because rather than trying to make peoples’ lives miserable, I just want to help them fall in love.

“And so at this particular meeting, about two and half months ago, just before the ‘accident’,” he punctuates the word with air quotations. “I got the boot. Ratings from the previous season were down by 3% and all of the uppers decided it was because of my congeniality and not the fact that the guy they chose for the season was a complete dick.

“So that night I have to host the red carpet stuff for an awards show. And I’m talking with all these glittery people who also do TV work and it suddenly hits me, harder than it ever has before, that every single person I’m speaking to would never even bother to smile in my direction if they didn’t know who I was. If I was just a plain old guy, the kind of guy I was back in school before I signed on to the shows, they probably wouldn’t pay me a single bit of kindness. So I decided, right then, as I was talking to some Grey’s Anatomy actor, that I wanted to get out.”

He turns into the chip aisle then, and Luke follows close behind. “You decided you wanted to step away from television and your first idea was to fake your own death?”

Ashton laughs as he reaches for a couple tubes of Pringles. “It was more than that,” he starts as he tosses the tubes into the cart. “I wanted to escape celebrity all together, not just the world of television. A friend from back home that I would trust with my life had this cabin kinda out in the middle of nowhere in this forest and he only ever uses it for like, two weeks in the summer and said I could camp out there until I find a way to get back to Australia undetected to live at the house I bought over there a few years ago. My manager helped with all the media stories and such. And two months later, here we are.”

“That’s insane,” Luke shakes his head as he speaks, reaching for his own tube of Pringles as he realizes it's been quite awhile since he got his hand stuck in a Pringle tube so why not?

“The journey is a bit wild, I will agree, Luke, but the life I’m living right now is much more enjoyable than faking it every damn day.”

Luke shakes his head (and ignores the fluttery feeling he keeps getting when Ashton says his name). “No, I mean it’s insane that I am somehow the first person that’s caught you.”

Ashton’s brows perk up at the statement. “Oh yeah no, I’m also pretty surprised by that. Figured I would have had to pay off a lot of people by now to keep them quiet.”

They’ve both pushed their carts up toward the self check out how and start scanning away at their items. Luke looks up halfway through his cart and catches Calum giving him a look from a little ways away. He’s got a suggestive look on his face. But thankfully it's one that reads much more as “ohhh Luke is talking to a boy” rather than “ohhh there’s a celebrity in my store”. Plus Luke knows Calum wouldn’t be the type to go rushing to media people to out the presence of dead celebrities in his grocery store at 2am so he chooses to subtly flip him off before reaching for the next item in his basket.

They’re both about done scanning and bagging up their groceries when Luke starts to realize he really...doesn’t want this little bit of time he’s spent with Ashton to end yet. And given his lack of normal human interaction during daylight hours as of recently, he’s a bit out of practice on the whole asking someone to extend a conversation beyond the grocery store aisles. He drops his bags back into his cart to roll back out to his car and as he watches Ashton perform the same action the words just sort of leap from his mouth. “Hey do you, uh, have anywhere to be right now?”

Ashton gently places a bag containing some produce into his cart before turning to Luke, a teasing smirk resting on his lips. “Luke, it’s 2am and I’m presumed dead to everyone but about 4 people,” he catches that Luke still looks somewhat nervous (something he would later reflect on to tell him just how damn cute it was) and continues. “So I’ve got just about all the time in the world.”

“Want to come to mine for lunch? We could make something and watch a show or keep chatting or something?” he asks, tentatively. 

He watches as Ashton’s face shifts a bit, obviously confused by some part of what Luke’s just said. “Why would you ask if I’m free now if you were wanting to make lunch plans?”

Luke realizes his request requires some explanation for people that live during normal human hours. “Oh, because I have lunch at about 3am. Because I work nights. So right now feels like,” he pauses a moment, trying to decide and calculate what time this would have been for him before taking his job. “It feels like about 11am-ish for me right now. So close to lunch time.”

They’re out in the parking lot now and Ashton just stops for a moment beside Luke in the middle of the lot and looks up at him for a moment, a smile spreading across his face, his dimples, ones that Luke had grown used to seeing on his TV screens over the last few years, increasingly deepen. “Lunch sounds nice.”

* 

Ashton follows Luke back to his apartment (and to the brief stop he makes at Michael’s where he ignores the comments about the man parked in the car behind his) and they park in the garage, carrying their groceries in their arms up to his unit. They each deposit their cold and frozen items into Luke’s fridge and he pours them each a glass of water as Ashton takes a seat at his kitchen counter. Luke sips from his glass as he watches Ashton glance around his kitchen and living room.

“I try to keep it cozy,” Luke explains as he reaches into a cabinet for a couple pots and pans. He migrates over to his sink to fill a pot with water to boil. “Needed it when I first started the working at night thing and I needed to find a way to force myself to sleep when the sun was up. Gonna make some pasta and chicken thing, that cool?”

Ashton smiles warmly from his place at the counter. “Sounds lovely. You mind if I use that?” he points to the opposite corner of the space where a black Keurig machine sits. “I don’t often do this whole living like normal in the night thing.”

Luke laughs at the comment on being nocturnal. “Go for it.” 

He turns back to the pan of chicken, chopping it up and moving it around some before turning to a different burner and tossing in a few things to make a garlic sauce. He can make maybe two things that qualify as meals rather than just large portioned snacks so he’s opted for one of those since he so rarely has company. 

“What do you do then that’s got you up all through the night?” Ashton asks as he opens the cabinet above the coffee machine pulling down a bright yellow mug. The color suits him, Luke thinks. “You work in tech support or something?”

“Thankfully very far off from that,” Luke starts with a giggle. “I’m absolute garbage with computers. I work the nurses’ desk for the recovery wing at one of the children’s hospitals. It’s a lot of checking and distributing charts, ordering things for the nurses, talking to parents when they want more logistical updates on their child’s care there. Sometimes I get to help entertain the kids who get to go out and about. Yesterday I let them request songs to play for awhile and then we had show and tell.”

“God, you’re like something out of some cheesy movie, huh?”

Luke turns to see Ashton smiling up at him, his arms crossed at his chest as he leans against the counter to face him, the coffee machine whirring to life behind him. Luke bites at his cheek to avoid an entirely too large smile to spread across his face though he knows he can’t help the blush painting it’s way across his nose and cheeks. “It’s a good job. Even worth the whole graveyard shift situation.”

Ashton grimaces at the end of Luke’s reply. “Night shoots used to kick my ass. There is nothing in the world more terrifying than slightly drunk women in hot pink crying over some complete asshole rejecting them after a cocktail party at 2am.”

“Was there anything about it that you liked, though?” Luke asks after he turns down the heat to let the sauce simmer for a bit. He watches Ashton stir some milk into his mug that he retrieved from the fridge.

“Of course,” Ashton answers quickly, in a tone that projects honesty rather than just being used to answering the question. “I got to travel to places I would have never made it to otherwise, meet people that I considered heroes growing up, provide for myself and my family. And for a while that’s why I just dealt with the bull shit. But I started to realize I was working my ass off for all of that good stuff I was getting. That I didn’t have to deal with things in exchange for those things that were mine because of my work.”

Luke isn’t quite sure what to respond to that. Because he’s right, the logic is obvious and sound on all of it. As he’s trying to formulate a response though, Ashton cuts in again. “Though I guess maybe that’s a pretty privileged logic I-”

“No, don’t,” Luke cuts him off. “You shouldn’t justify the unfair parts of your job like that. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice your own values about the way people should be interacting with one another for the sake of drama for good TV ratings. You don’t owe anything to anyone who doesn’t actually give a shit about you as a person. I’ve known you for like two hours and it already just baffles me why someone wouldn’t want to know who you are behind the stage makeup and scripted lines.”

He watches as Ashton lifts the mug to his lips, pink cheeks peeking out from each side (he wonders if the change in color comes from the heat of the mug or the words he’s just said). He lowers the mug and his lips lift into a lazy smile. “See now I’m starting to wonder if I’m actually dead. Your kindness is angelic.”

Luke hasn’t a single clue how to respond to that so he gives the hazel-eyed man a small smile before returning to his saucepan. Ashton shifts the conversation then, asking Luke more about his job before telling him about the gardening he’s taken up since being stuck out in the middle of nowhere on his own. He shows Luke pictures of his herb garden and points out each one as he names it. As he starts putting food into bowls, Luke offhandedly mentions how he’s always wanted to grow lavender but tending to plants when you sleep through the sunshine makes gardening difficult. He drops a fork into a bowl and when he turns to hand it to Ashton, Luke watches as he hits the “Add to Cart” option on an Amazon page for lavender seeds. His heart does some kind of funny rhythm as butterflies burst in his chest. Their eyes meet as Ashton locks his phone and looks up to him. 

“Pretend you didn’t see that, I want it to be a surprise,” Ashton whispers between the two of them, his right eye winking up at Luke as he accepts the bowl.

“So this is going to be happening again then?” Luke muses as he grabs his own bowl and walks toward the living room. Ashton follows behind him. “I should plan for future early morning lunches with a dead celebrity?”

“I know it comes with some amount of risk for both of us but,” Ashton looks down toward his feet, scratching at the back of his neck as he tries to come up with the right way to phrase things. Luke turns to face him as he hears the hesitation in his voice. “I really want to see you again. This has been nice. And not just because you’re the first person I’ve spoken to other than my mother in two months. I...want to know you, Luke.”

Luke smiles tiredly, feelings the earliness of the hour in a way that he hasn’t in quite some time. He watches as Ashton’s fingers fidget with a string hanging from the end of his sweatshirt, obviously nervous about what he’s just admitted to the man he’s only just really met, still. Luke reaches forward for his hand, tangling their fingers together as he squeezes his palm against Ashton’s. It feels nice to be close to someone like this. It’s something he didn’t realize he was missing out on while only really living in the night.

“I think you’re worth the risk, Ashton.”

He watches as Ashton looks down to their intertwined hands, Luke’s eyes following to the same place. His hands are pale from the lack of much sunlight other than what he gets at sunset when he goes out to take his walk after waking. Ashton’s is warm and tanned, likely from the sun he gets from days in his secret garden hideout. He barely knows this man, apart from the apparently highly curated version he’s seen on screen. He wants to know the Ashton that speaks like sunshine and loves love enough to lose his job over. He wants to know the steps he knows he’s skipping in his story right now that led to him faking his own death. So it’s no surprise that the next words have him smiling bright enough to light up the early morning they found each other in. 

“I think we’re worth the risk, too.”

*

[eulogy34-blog]

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Application: Apply the mask on your face (specifically on afflicted parts), and leave it on for ten to 15 minutes. Then, rinse off your face with lukewarm water. Adhering to that, clean your face all over again with cold water. -When you rinse your face with lukewarm drinking water, clean it yet again with chilly h2o a few minutes later on. This will likely tone your face and increase the firmness of the face muscles. In this financial system, why spend $thirty or more on a leg wax when you are able to do it you? I've numerous close friends who wax their unique legs and I learned a recipe for your sugar "wax" on the Double X Internet site for Gals. Editor Hanna Rosin shares her family's recipe. Selfmade honey face masks are very easy to make. Honey is perhaps mother nature's most nutritious foodstuff, containing nutrients and enzymes not even recognized by scientists these days. Honey is frequently revered to be a fountain of youth and wonder - let us find out how to implement it Combining egg whites with honey and lemon juice makes a extremely efficient Do-it-yourself egg white face mask for acne. Honey has solid antibacterial and anti-inflammatory Homes which make it incredibly successful versus acne. This mask should not be employed on presently dry skins, and it is actually a smart idea to consult a health care provider ahead of making use of this mask. So, When you are collecting the kelp you, keep away from really polluted places. Should you be acquiring it, Make certain that it truly is gathered and created in a location with as small a level of air pollution as you possibly can. 2,Q:Could I obtain a sample ahead of placing order9 A: Sorry, we couldn't deliver sample. three,Q:What exactly are the conditions of payment you offer9 A: We take payment of T/T, Western Union. 6,Q:What on earth is your warranty9 A:Absolutely free exchange and return again assurance if there include top quality problems! This face mask is black in colour and developed with ventilation holes that may help you breathe effortlessly. In addition it has an activated charcoal filter, a large proof hook and loop closure that may make certain a cosy in good shape. • Give a healthy glow in your skin by mixing three tablespoons of orange juice in 50 % a cup of natural honey and smearing this Remedy on to your face and neck for 20-25 minutes.   I am all for elegance guidelines and appreciate components which i have already got . I take advantage of coconut oil everyday to help keep my skin hydrated but will combine it with honey and avocado . Thanks for a few awesome tips ! If you can and you've got the mandatory components, then It is necessary. Nevertheless if you don't have the required ingredients or time, then ensure it is frequent although not every day. The easiest body scrub of them all, this scrubs absent dead skin cells, and softens and hydrates your skin. Mix with each other olive oil and sugar until finally it varieties a paste Skip to look We use cookies to offer you a far better on-line practical experience. By continuing to look through you acknowledge our privateness and cookies.

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Time for you to say goodbye to acne and pimples. Mix orange peel powder with oatmeal and baking soda to create the last word pimple annihilation face mask. If you'd like to use this mask once more Later on, create a new batch. All-natural face masks similar to this can generally continue to be about a week inside the fridge, but just to be Risk-free, start out fresh new every time.[four] That is used to discover distinct browsers or products when the obtain the support, and is employed for protection motives. Prepare with the mask by washing your face and tying your hair again. Use heat h2o to help you open up your pores. If you are wearing makeup, you have got to acquire it off working with make-up remover. Make use of a heavier, richer one particular throughout the Wintertime, as well as a lighter just one throughout the summertime. Take into consideration a moisturizer that contains SPF to guard your skin against the Sunlight's dangerous rays. It is best to only make sufficient for use each day but understandably, when life is busy it could be simpler to make more upfront. Rinse from the mask soon after quarter-hour, and pat dry your face by using a towel.[7] The yogurt assists with shrinking the glimpse of pores, and tightening pores. The orange juice aids with refreshing skin cells, and softening harsh skin traces. To test if you have oily skin, push a paper napkin towards your forehead. Any time you pull it away, it ought to be soaked in oils. Increase the olive oil or coconut oil. You will require 2 teaspoons of olive oil. The olive oil will moisturize your face, leaving the skin experience soft and sleek. If you don't have olive oil, You need to use coconut oil in its place, which is also quite moisturizing. [24] Use brown sugar for any gentler scrub and white sugar for a regular scrub. You can utilize any type of oil you want, but coconut oil or olive oil would function ideal. Require something stronger? Try salt! Check out a banana mask for wrinkled skin. Combine and mash a ripe banana, one teaspoon of orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of basic yogurt. Utilize a fork to create a clean and perhaps, consistency. Therapeutic massage and operate this mask on to your face, and Enable it soak into your skin for approximately 15 minutes. Now crush and powder your peels into a high-quality powder employing a foodstuff processor or blender, without incorporating any water. This content material is precise and legitimate to the very best on the writer’s know-how and isn't meant to substitute for formal and individualized information from an experienced Expert. Follow the simple fifteen min stay pack time using this mask and pat dry having a thoroughly clean towel. It's going to depart your skin experience gorgeous and clean.

5 Essential Elements For skin care

I only use standard cleaning soap when bathing. I smoke. Now I just would like to get my authentic complexion back Specially on my face. I started providing Uncooked lemon to my face for 3 days. Nothing at all happened. I want some easy recommendations to resolve this. Thanks. As I grow old I have been seeking something that could assistance sluggish the ageing system down a little. On the other hand, our skin is below assault 24/seven by quite a few aspects – ranging from involuntary publicity to damaging radiation (including the Sunlight) to eating plan. Keep away from investing an excessive amount time during the Sunshine, and often put on sunscreen when you do. Select sunscreen with a minimum of 15 SPF. You'll want to wear it each day, even in the darker, colder Wintertime months. Egg whites assistance tighten skin, earning them a powerful home treatment for reducing appearance of crow’s-toes below and close to eyes. That’s a wonderful strategy! I as well use coffee grounds & coconut oil for cellulite. I didn’t know i could freeze. I used to be maintaining a bunch of made use of grounds in a very mason jar w a dab of coconut oil in my shower. I really like the frozen version as a substitute. May function very best because it’s stored fresh new. Will test. I’ll have to help keep an eye out for them. I don’t Feel my food market carries them, but I believe I'm sure an area the place I’ll be capable of finding them. Thanks!! Utilizing a mask everyday might be a bit an excessive amount of for skin. Test https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVZ6srdJX30 out two periods each week and when it adjusts with the skin, You should utilize it around 4 situations weekly. Her buddies have been impressed at how excellent her skin appeared and pestered her for your recipes so she decided to set them on line so she could assistance Anyone. Invalid e mail deal with Subscribe to L'Oréal Paris Emails By enrolling I comprehend and agree to the privateness plan and conditions of provider, such as the use of arbitration and also the waiver of any course or team claim to solve disputes. To your skin care pure face masks, there is not any organic component that may be a reasonably near substitute for turmeric. About the milk, powder milk will function best because the mixture will only need a little quantity of water. If you use liquid milk, you won't get the good thing about milk by this minor amount of money. If you do not need to use milk,just liquefy the coffee with a few drops of water and after that include yogurt. This information was co-authored by our trained workforce of editors and scientists who validated it for precision and comprehensiveness. You may use this mask daily. Immediately after utilizing this mask, if you feel your skin remains to be dry you may apply a good selfmade moisturizer ( ) or every other moisturizer of one's option. Meditate. https://www.facebook.com/steptoremedies/posts/2088296957930240 is an historic practice that's been about for hundreds of years—and permanently rationale! Many of us find that it can help them obvious their minds and chill out.

The best Side of face mask

@ Pralad: You should choose care of one's skin consistently. Include things like the following tips is your skin care plan. Combine a person tablespoon of organic Uncooked honey and 50 percent a freshly squeezed lemon in to your bowl and utilize around your face, steering clear of the attention location. Now, Permit your skin soak up all this goodness for fifteen-half-hour (based upon how delicate your skin is). Wash away with heat drinking water, finishing with just one splash of chilly water to close your pores. Pat gently with a towel to dry. Enable your skin breathe For the remainder of the working day, or comply with up with your favorite moisturizer/serum. The #one cause of wrinkles is sun harm, so it is vital to utilize a sunscreen of at the very least 30 SPF from your early decades on even in Wintertime and on cloudy days. A great trick is to purchase two moisturizers: Just one for the night time and a person for that working day that includes UV safety. Just how much you exfoliate is up for discussion. Some Girls have skin that gets scaly swiftly. Some others glance dewy and new with minimal fuss. Dermatologist Dr. By drying out the skin and bringing each blood and oxygen into the skin’s surface, cinnamon will make a very good acne fighter. (ii) Orange juice is stuffed with Vitamin C, so operate to rejuvenate skin cells and lessens wonderful traces and wrinkles. Mix honey and cinnamon alongside one another, and use towards your face. Leave the mask on for ten-thirty minutes. The antibacterial Houses of both equally honey and cinnamon make this honey mask ideal acne-vulnerable skin. Filled with citric acid, lightens dark skin and evens out discoloration. Diminishes dark places and pimples blemishes. 3. Honey is a organic moisturiser which allows in keeping skin delicate and supple. I generally use two-three drops of purely natural moisturiser in face packs to keep the contents very well balanced so that the mask will not strip the all-natural moisture and hydration from my skin. Since it burns I am able to’t leave it on for way too prolonged. I clean it off and apply the rest of the banana and leave it on for 15-twenty min and clean it off with cold drinking water and complete off with a moisturiser. I am loving it. Perfect for troubled skin. In my view it is an effective combination for a mask to deal with acne and pimples, as a consequence of next reasons: (i) Cinnamon may help rid your face or again of acne by equally drying out the skin and, once again, bringing blood and oxygen to the skin surface. Yes, You should use banana with orange peel powder. For superior benefits include in total cream milk also and come up with a thick paste. Apply this mask on all the face, preventing eye region and go away it about half an hour. Then gently take out it with warm h2o (don’t rub your face as it can irritate your skin). I use weekly after Multanimitti with Rose water, Sandal with Rose water and experimented with Papaya fruit pulp with Banana , lemon , cucumber mask, only papaya with Besan Powder and tomoto juice with lemon. I actually fed up using this acne and oil on my fore head System: Take a ripe banana and mash it which has a spoon or a fork in a bowl until it types a smooth lump absolutely free pulp. Add 1 tsp. of honey and 1 tsp. of lemon juice and mix the substances completely. Wash your face by using a moderate cleaning soap and make use of a delicate towel to pat it dry. I by no means realized a banana could possibly be so flexible from the alternative ways You may use it. Thanks. Voted up.

A Review Of pineapple face mask

The usage of egg white face mask remedies is growing in reputation in spas all around the entire world simply because they provide a number of Added benefits into the skin with no severe side effects that ingredients like retinol and alpha hydroxy acids in some cases trigger. Nonetheless, before you decide to choose to use an egg white mask, you must understand how it'd influence your skin and regardless of whether it will have any effect on the kind of skin difficulties you’re trying to handle. Cinnamon can be harsh on sensitive skin. For those who have delicate skin, take a look at the mask around the back of one's hand initially. I've attempted lots of property facials, but I have in no way heard about, or tried a banana mask before. This really is so fascinating :). I can't wait around to test it. Many thanks for sharing, so you're images are awesome. When it’s put on the skin rather than with your belly, sugar can be a good magnificence assist. It’s moisturizing; it contains glycolic acid, which encourages cell turnover for youthful-wanting skin; and its tiny particles make a terrific exfoliant.[1] You can mix sugar with any range of ingredients to make your own personal face mask. This effortless banana face mask uses turmeric and baking soda that may help you get glowing skin and cut down pimples and blemishes. Stay acne-absolutely free with common application. Do you do a thing Odd like rubbing some thing around your face right before a date (or something vital), too? Or possibly https://en.search.wordpress.com/?src=organic&q=skin+care+tips may have A different humorous ritual? I’d enjoy to listen to about it! Leave me a remark and let me know so I know I’m not the only weirdo who does this stuff Increase all of the components in a little bowl. Use a fork to finely mash the banana although mixing the substances. If the combination is simply too thick, Be at liberty to include a few drops of drinking water. Don’t push really hard. The sugar will do its work even with Light strain, so resist the urge to press down difficult while you distribute it more than your skin. It just felt 'organic' to choose up the eggshell and dab the remaining white onto my face esp concentrating around the parts beneath my eyes.. its worked for me at any time considering the fact that withj no damaging Negative effects so try out it on your own.. :) go natural! Stay away from utilizing a sponge to exfoliate your face as these can entice useless skin and microbes, creating you extra very likely to split out. The proteins that are contained within an egg white mask support the skin enhance and retain its elasticity, which can be crucial On the subject of minimizing the looks of wrinkles. You’ll get quite possibly the most Advantages using Uncooked honey. And if you’re willing to splurge, you may’t defeat Manuka honey. This honey from your Manuka tree in New Zealand and Australia is undoubtedly an antibacterial superfood with a great deal of immunity and first-help Added benefits. will test, appears simple plenty of. can these be created in advance and just how long will it maintain for once egg white is removed from egg shell? Save the egg yolk and discard the egg white (or put it aside for another recipe). Egg yolks not merely assist nourish and moisturize your skin, However they may additionally aid minimize the appearance of blemishes. You need to use the egg white to help make a simple face mask. To learn the way to make one, make reference to the part on this page on creating a straightforward mask.

coffee face mask for Dummies

Let it dry. You may utilize a third layer of whisked egg whites soon after 5 minutes for greater skin tightening. Merge matcha powder, honey and oil in a little bowl and mix very well. (When you don’t have matcha powder, Minimize open a green tea bag and utilize the leaves.) Implement this to your face and go away it for quarter-hour right before washing off warm h2o. Honey has awesome antibacterial Qualities that enable sooth discomfort and motivate the growth of latest skin tissue. Preparing: Combine the three ingredients to acquire a high-quality, uniform mixture. Permit it stand for around ten minutes. did not point out amount, and it is floor coffee just not the moment just one, correct? as well as powder milk? can it's use something else, milk has fat : Smear the thick paste on your face & neck leaving the eye and lip location bare. Depart it on for fifteen-twenty minutes. Slowly therapeutic massage the face with heat water to gently exfoliate. Wipe the mask off which has a wash cloth after which you can splash cold water on your face. Apply your standard moisturizer. @vishnum969: Certainly, egg white is extremely successful For several skin circumstances such as acne susceptible skin and ageing skin. I loved the eggwhite, lemon and honey mask and I will utilize it twice weekly. What recipes am i able to use for day-to-day to bolster my sagging skin, lighten the dark marks below my eyes and assist my turkey neck? Just give these masks a consider. They are really pretty much free of charge and you don’t require to search the planet for getting the necessary ingredients. Briefly, you have nothing to lose except your acne. Why not give it a try? Some assert this mask removes dark circles. So I've diluted this mask with water and applied it evenly below my eyes. It did make the beneath eyes appear rather less dim. Add the dairy solution and stir right until a smooth paste sorts. You can use significantly less dairy if you like a thicker paste. Before we move on to how to create the mask, let's consider the significance of Each individual of the other additional ingredients: How it works: Uncooked milk is useful to open up up the pores of the skin. This can help the banana to purify the skin from in just. The banana helps in maximizing the glow and wonder of the skin. Sorry, we just really need to ensure you're not a robot. For ideal final results, remember to make certain your browser is accepting cookies.

banana face mask Can Be Fun For Anyone

Implement the combination in your face and neck. Using gentle, circular motions, apply the combination for your face and neck with your fingertips. No one will check out any facial products which never fetch any Added benefits. Bananas have an incredible advantage on your wellness and and also on our skin. People are: Several thanks, I stay up for attempting these masks. I make my own cheese, and wash my face with the whey - It is usually superb - I would consider combining it now with some of your respective mask substances! Many thanks Thanks a whole lot for amazing recommendations… I tried Banana + honey + Lemon combination face pack.. and its truly magic it began working on my face.. slowly my holes are disappearing and I am able to see circulation in my face…Thanks yet again Milk and Banana is among the finest combos for the face mask. Also, one of the simplest face masks being designed the banana and milk do miracles on your skin from smoothening to brightening. Technique: Have a ripe banana and mash it with a spoon or maybe a fork in a bowl till it sorts a easy lump free of charge pulp. Include 1 tsp. of honey and one tsp. of lemon juice and blend the components totally. Clean your face by using a mild soap and use a smooth towel to pat it dry. Bananas are full of iron, potassium. Honey is a purely natural healer. It had been even employed by Egyptians for managing there wounds and cuts. Following implementing face packs it is possible to often use ice cubes wrapped inside a towel to therapeutic massage your skin. This will likely pack up opened pores and forestall Dust and pollution from producing their way in. If you're able to and you've got the required components, then It's a necessity. Nonetheless if you don't have the required components or time, then make it Recurrent although not daily. Leave the mask on for quarter-hour. To prevent the mask from dripping everywhere, take into consideration laying down or sitting down in a snug chair with all your head tilted back. You may as well use this mask while in the bathtub if you are soaking or taking a stress-free bath. • Those with oily skin can implement a handmade face mask geared up by incorporating two tablespoons of environmentally friendly clay, one tablespoon of powdered milk, and slightly water in freshly squeezed orange juice taken from the medium-sized orange. Apply a moisturizer to your face and neck. Seal within the moisturizing outcomes on the scrub with all your favourite moisturizer. little herbs – I love using and recommending honey in my recipes In particular UMF Lively honey as it’s super strong like a healing, antimicrobial and moisturising ingredient. woooooow!!!!!!amazing great face masks…:D I've lots of challenges on my face like dark places,tough skin,blemishes…:( i just want to know what number of times in per week I am able to use these masks????and will i apply only banana each day???thank you…:)

The Fact About strawberry face mask That No One Is Suggesting

For hundreds of years, people have been making use of honey masks for a treatment for acne and for curing other marks, scars, spots, and blemishes. There is certainly not just just one recipe for a honey mask that treats acne, but relatively, it could be made from distinct combos of herbs along with other substances. That is utilized to discover certain browsers or devices once the obtain the service, which is used for security motives. This information is accurate and real to the most beneficial of your author’s knowledge and isn't meant to substitute for formal and individualized guidance from a certified Skilled. From time to time a slave or a felony was quickly granted the insignia and standing of royalty, only for being killed once the Pageant ended.[16] The Carnival of Venice, by which all are equivalent powering their masks, dates again to 1268 Advert.[17] The use of carnivalesque masks during the Jewish Purim festivities possibly originated inside the late fifteenth century, although some Jewish authors claim it's got generally been part of Judaic custom.[18] will surely test dis tomarow ….aaj i have to organize my chandan pack…. Kal pakka isko consider karoongi waise me tooo love having oranges a lot Caution: Aloe Vera supposedly has no Negative effects, and there aren't any stories of it getting allergenic. Even so, many people could possibly be allergic to honey. In https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Face-Masks-Using-Natural-Ingredients of your allergen history, it is best to test it in your wrist before you decide to apply it to the face. Just before source:- steptoremedies like polycarbonate have been invented, visors to guard the face needed to be opaque with tiny eyeslits, and ended up a sort of mask, as frequently in mediaeval satisfies of armour, and (such as) Outdated Norse grímr meant "mask or visor". Disguise These an artist holds a highly regarded situation in tribal Modern society due to the do the job that he or she makes, embodying not merely elaborate craft procedures but additionally spiritual/social and symbolic know-how.[27] African masks will also be used in the Mas or Masquerade with the Caribbean Carnival. There are plenty of banana face mask Rewards one just should know about which mask is finest for what skin type. For this, we have been in this article that may help you as We now have classified the face masks based on the various skin care requirements. In Roman gladiatorial tournaments masks ended up from time to time made use of. From archaeological proof it is clear that these have been not just protective but in addition helped make the wearer look much more intimidating. -They continue on to drip, even after application and can produce very a mess on your own flooring or clothing. The best face mask for acne can’t be obtained at a dear Office retailer. In actual fact, it only consists of one particular component and it’s most likely by now inside your pantry! It’s amongst my own favorites: the Uncooked honey mask. It is a thing that the many beauty industries are employing in their solutions as a consequence of it several skin Positive aspects. Fundamentally, the quantity of honey ought to be ample To combine nicely Using the pulp. Blend properly right into a uniform paste plus your apple honey mask is able to use.

yeast face mask for Dummies

Whether it is The standard really hard-boiled eggs which can be elevated into mouthwatering deviled eggs or boiled egg sandwiches, or simply creamy poached eggs with a stunning runny yolk, eggs are an very cheap and adaptable home staple. didn't point out amount, which is ground coffee just not the instant just one, appropriate? as well as powder milk? can it's use another thing, milk has Excess fat : Hi Samm! Sure You can utilize honey and minimal drops of water. But milk or milk derivatives get the job done very best in mask but I have delicate acne inclined skin (with a few new wrinkles as well :/ I'm only 27 a long time previous while) could it be Okay for me?! Can used coffee grounds get the job done In this particular recipe? I’d prefer to utilize the grounds from my espresso machine right after my morning coffee! Incorporate the olive oil or coconut oil. You will require two teaspoons of olive oil. The olive oil will moisturize your face, leaving the skin feeling smooth and sleek. If you don't have olive oil, You need to use coconut oil as a substitute, and that is also quite moisturizing. My skin is Tremendous sensitive And that i split out like crazy if I use coconut oil on my face. It seems to work great if I utilize it essentially everywhere else on my human body…go figure. Cut down your anxiety levels. Anxiety can don't just wreck havoc on your thoughts and rest, but your skin at the same time. It may result in acne, breakouts, and various skin troubles. Established real looking objectives and limits yourself, and depart time each week so that you can do things that you take pleasure in. Subscribe to America's premier dictionary and get hundreds extra definitions and State-of-the-art lookup—advert absolutely free! Mix the egg white and lemon juice. Utilizing a fork, speedily whisk The 2 substances until the egg white will become foamy and frothy. It’s loaded n antioxidants and can help your skin for getting smoother and improved. If you want for more youthful searching, wholesome skin, then as an alternative to an apply switch to an orange every day. two. Lemon juice is ability packed with all the goodness of vitamin C and is very good for oily skin. It clears blackheads and whiteheads and likewise stops new breakouts. It clears current acne likewise and lightens complexion about a time period with standard use. Lately, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go5TQBn0kf0 started out Placing coffee extract in lots of in their formulas. And permanently explanation! Wow, I can’t wait to do this! Planning to try out it tonight since I can’t hold out. Right here ’s the insane point I placed on my face. …I purchase the huge aloe leaves while in the deliver segment at Wegmans. I peel them and Reduce the insides into minimal chunks which i put in the jar and continue to keep within the fridge.

sugar face mask Secrets

This material is accurate and legitimate to the most effective from the author’s understanding and isn't intended to substitute for formal and individualized tips from an experienced Qualified. Terrific posting. It is good to grasp that there are normal components within your kitchen cupboard or refrigerator which could double up as skin nutrition for mend and wonder. Avocados and bananas are 2 of one of the most moisturizing ingredients found in face masks. Incorporate the honey and you've got the perfect mask for Tremendous dry skin. hi That is first time l,ve ever utilized egg white & witch hazel, wow wish id heard about it prior to it good , l get bags less than my eyes which has most deffo served the luggage , thanx a great deal of , if Anybody has any orther Strategies that will help bags beneath eyes id be so greatfull, thanx yet again xx Refreshing papaya mashed , some drops of lime juice mixed in helps make a nice mask for getting older skin. Papaya is higher in Enzymes. It firms the skin and allows also with sunburn. I retain it on for approximately 20 to thirty minutes . When you say Egg White, does it actually must be an genuine egg white or can I use egg white from a carton? I've an Egg white Carton and I want to ask if it is similar to making use of an Genuine Egg white Egg. Is any individual obtaining this? LOL! Chorus from speaking or smiling Along with the mask on mainly because stretching the restricted skin may possibly lead to wrinkles to appear. Inside the hour it will require to get a chemical peel, you will take a 12 months from a face. Are not able to manage the value tag to get a month-to-month peel? Check out some over-the-counter peels that operate above the study course of per month, like Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Peel (buy from Amazon). These are frequently crafted from leather-based with appendages of fur, feathers or leaves. Some cover the face, some The full head and tend to be very abstracted sorts. Navajo masks seem like inspired with the Pueblo prototypes.[33][34] The top face mask for acne can’t be purchased at an expensive Division store. In reality, it only consists of one ingredient and it’s possibly now in your pantry! It’s considered one of my personalized favorites: the Uncooked honey mask. Let it dry. You could possibly implement a third layer of whisked egg whites immediately after five minutes for higher skin tightening. In sport the protective mask will often Possess a secondary operate to produce the wearer seem much more extraordinary as being a competitor. An additional tradition of European masks created, much more self-consciously, from court docket and civic gatherings, or entertainments managed by guilds and co-fraternities. These grew away from the earlier revels and had develop into obvious because of the fifteenth century in locations like Rome, and Venice, the place they created as entertainments to enliven towns and towns. As a result the Maundy Thursday carnival in St Marks Sq. in Venice, attended because of the Doge and aristocracy also involved the guilds, together with a guild of maskmakers. @Llzziforan: It is not encouraged to keep on any face mask on overnight. Preferably you should keep on a face for quarter-hour. An individual essentially asked me about trying to keep their yogurt face mask on for The complete night time and I gave a similar reaction. You could find the remark listed here: ...

sugar face mask Fundamentals Explained

Considering that the peel is full of vitamin C, it safeguards skin from totally free radical problems, keeps acne at bay and promotes a wholesome glowing skin. The oatmeal deep cleanses your pores and drives out any Grime, grime and oil within the surface with the skin. Here's 5 efficient face packs for an acne-no cost skin. Use a ripe avocado so that it's much easier to mash it right into a lump-free of charge paste. You may also freeze, then thaw it prior to mashing to create matters simpler. Should you have a blender, use it as an alternative to a fork to swiftly and proficiently Mix the avocado into a lump-free of charge puree. If you will get the mask with your eyes, It's going to be pretty irritating. If you ingest it, the raw egg within the mask might cause food stuff poisoning. You can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in for your Hubpages account. No knowledge is shared with Facebook Unless of course you have interaction using this type of attribute. (Privacy Policy) Exfoliation may be the step many people skip in their weekly skincare regimen. But if you start correctly exfoliating your skin, you can see an Virtually fast variation. How often am i able to do the skin brightening mask? is also the mask reusable or should really I come up with a fresh new batch each time? Baking soda in this treatment can help in eliminating the surplus oil within the pores that may clog up the pores bringing about acne breakouts. Deal with yourself to an opulent wax treatment like they are doing in posh spas worldwide. Dip hands into heat wax then peel away leaving hands tender and supple. Decide on one which fits your skin kind and also you are with your approach to finding quite a few benefits of honey on your skin! An orange peel face mask may possibly audio like a strange notion, but it surely has many Advantages to supply for the skin. It is full of antioxidants and vitamin C that assistance tighten and tone the skin, supplying it a wholesome glow. @IntimatEvolution: Thank you! Normal magnificence is far safer than chemical cosmetics and I'm extremely enthusiastic about them. If whatsoever any skin issue prolongs even right after having tried out these remedies for over a stretch of time then it's best prompt to refer to a expert or a fantastic dermatologist. This is often used to gather details on traffic to article content as well as other webpages on our internet site. Unless you are signed in to your HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized. The elements expected for creating orange peel face mask for your oily skin and acne are provided below.

A Simple Key For skin care Unveiled

Who doesn’t enjoy scrambled or sunny-facet up eggs with toast for breakfast? Whether more info from stepto remedies is a hearty early morning meal or simply a late afternoon brunch, eggs can be cooked in a variety of techniques and served on various occasions. To generate powdered orange peel, simply just preserve up orange peels from the organic oranges you eat, remove the white fribrous elements on The within of the peel, and clean them in heat distilled h2o. "It can be genuinely quite exciting to learn about skincare ideas. This text helps me to overcome my dry and uninteresting skin. I'd like to understand more details on methods for dry skin."..." a lot more RT Raven Tson Gently exfoliates and scrubs skin clean. Absorbs and gets rid of impurities and Filth in the skin’s surface. Just washed it off. Skin is smother, complexion only a taaaaaaad little bit brighter (not as boring) and even. Pimples and redness equally as prominent, maybe a little bit more (believed I suspect that’s from the cinnamon’s Normally granular and abrasive texture). Raw honey by by itself is Beautiful, but you can also mix and match other food stuff-based elements to tailor your mask to your exceptional skin kind. @salamat: Use once every single 3 days and get the job done your way nearly after each and every two days. Will not use daily, as orange peel can be a strong, exfoliating and peeling component. The main element is to make use of it continually for at least per month right before getting significantly radiant and glowing skin. Disclaimer: TheHealthSite.com doesn't assure any distinct results on account of the processes talked about here and the effects may possibly differ from person to person. Skin care consists of a lot more than simply cleaning it and utilizing lotion. Furthermore, it entails using a healthful diet regime, finding enough snooze and work out, and running stress degrees. Your unique skin kind can also determine any additional therapies in addition, for example employing exfoliating scrubs or moisturizing masks. [24] Use brown sugar to get a gentler scrub and white sugar for an everyday scrub. You need to use any type of oil you'd like, but coconut oil or olive oil would function very best. Have to have some thing more powerful? Check out salt! Wow, honey is so scrumptious, and it turns out It can be incredibly valuable! It's like the most effective of both equally worlds, it is so fascinating that often the very best cures are present in character. Voted up! Because cinnamon is so impressive, I might advise only using this honey mask the moment every week at most. You should use one of many other, gentler honey masks on other times for those who’d like. When the time is up, rinse your face gently till every one of the mixture is totally gone. Pat dry with a towel. If the face is dry soon after this mask, utilize a drop of coconut or olive oil as a normal moisturizer. Egg whites don’t just perform to tighten and nourish your skin, Additionally they are extremely full of collagen and might help your skin’s elasticity. This consequently lowers the appearance of wrinkles and crow’s-feet close to your eyes.

The yeast face mask Diaries

We may perhaps use conversion monitoring pixels from marketing networks like Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to detect when an ad has properly resulted in the specified action, for instance signing up with the HubPages Assistance or publishing an write-up on the HubPages Provider. Raw honey by by itself is Charming, but You may also combine and match other foodstuff-dependent components to tailor your mask towards your distinctive skin style. Hi, pls allow me to know how frequently we must always use the mask specially for lightening the skin. is it a everyday mask or when in a week mask ? Below’s A different fantastic banana face mask for glowing skin that can even assist in lightening the overall skin tone. I wish to find a thing that aid the skin to return to a firmer point out… it just started to turn into a bit… euh… slack… at specific space. It seems honey also naturally absorbs extra oil, which will help protect against acne – and Which means amongst some great benefits of honey on skin is You need to use it rather than lots of chemical-laden in excess of-the-counter acne creams and ointments.” – from Honey Colony Should you have an American fashion coffee device, utilize the coffee grinds inside the filter; if you have an Italian style device, just unscrew and remove the particles left in between the areas of the cafetiere. (You'll be able to find and add upto five photographs in a very remark. The total measurement of all of your pictures must be lower than 1 MB. Click on button and make sure to pick all the images you want to add.) This can make it The perfect component to be coupled with banana so as to decrease the high-quality strains and wrinkles. Egg Yolk Face Masks—Egg yolks, Alternatively, are recognized for their power to moisturize and hydrate skin, leaving it using a healthier glow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrofaJlKAMk are great for individuals with dry skin. Yoghurt, as everyone knows, is actually a loaded organic source of protein as well as contains lactic acid. This causes it to be the very best component to hydrate and moisturize the dry skin. The very best face mask for acne can’t be procured at an expensive department shop. In fact, it only is made up of a person ingredient and it’s probably previously in the pantry! It’s certainly one of my personalized favorites: the raw honey mask. Thank you the two! I am thrilled to obtain my hub chosen as Hub from the Working day! It is so remarkable and it will make me particularly delighted! Thanks for your personal practical remarks! When you have underneath-eye circles, mix in some drops of olive oil and apply it to the world to notice the revitalizing impact. You might also have an interest in: How to use a Face Mask Effectively Ways to stick to:

A Review Of yeast face mask

Check out carefully If they're suitable for your skin type. If you choose some thing appropriate you'll be delighted with the results: Enable it stay for twenty to half an hour. This mask may well provide you with a tingly come to feel but before long it can fade. Don’t forget to vary your outfits before making use of this mask. Next the recommendations right here and customarily getting superior care of on your own (eating well, receiving sufficient slumber, doing exercises, controlling stress properly - there are actually article content on these subjects listed here if you want them) may help. Exercise excellent hygiene, prevent touching your face, wash your apparel and pillowcases/sheets regularly, make use of a natural laundry detergent If you're able to, and prevent utilizing dryer sheets or material softener (they will aggravate acne for a number of people). Sit for fifteen minutes while you Allow the mask do its do the job. You may use this the perfect time to soak inside a bathtub or get lunch ready. If the time is up, Carefully scrub off the mask utilizing warm water. When it’s all off, splash chilly drinking water onto your face to shut your pores. Pat dry which has a towel. As we all know that a banana is made up of Vitamin B6 so generally it can help to delay the getting older approach. In addition, it moisturizes the dry skin, as vitamin B6 also tighten the sagging skin and it guards your skin from absolutely free radicals. One more thing Every time applying this sort of masks Be sure to tie your hair again because it tends to make your hair messy and results in the sticky result. Hello I manufactured the face mask but experienced not honey so just produced it with egg and lemon I fell asleep and experienced it on the majority of the evening Once i get the job done up and squandered it off my face was sore and crimson have you any strategies remember to Don't choose your pimples. You may make the inflammation worse and you've got a way greater risk of getting a scar even following it goes away. There are a variety of fine solutions for obtaining rid of pimples in this article on wikiHow. Thanks for producing your account on EverydayMe. This information or solution has actually been added on your favorites. As I get older I are already attempting to find a thing that could assist slow the ageing approach down just a little. Nonetheless, our skin is below attack 24/seven by numerous variables – starting from involuntary publicity to harmful radiation (like the Sunlight) to diet. Incorporates more info at social media -inflammatory and skin lightening Houses. Aids fade acne scars and decreasing swelling and redness from acne. It truly is up to you. It is best to get it done immediately after washing your face, that is Ordinarily carried out each morning and night. Plenty of people use masks while in the evening, as that is once they have the most time. selling every type of oranges. Each time which i drop by the market for browsing, I don’t neglect to choose a packet of oranges to quench my really like for this favourite fruit of mine. So, by now you must have recognized that now’s publish is about how to help make a highly effective face mask for oily skin making use of this speculate fruit. Women of all ages have been applying orange because ages to pamper their skin and it is probably the insider secrets at the rear of flawless skin For most Women of all ages, who not just consume it on a regular basis, but also utilize it in a variety of kinds like pulp, juice and perhaps within the dry peel powder kind on their skin. A little warmth the honey and add it on your egg white together with the yogurt (make sure it’s refreshing).

Examine This Report on strawberry face mask

-Manuka Honey is claimed to become your best option in terms of antimicrobial Homes, And that's why Manuka Honey Masks are viewed as the simplest. • Those people with oily skin can use a selfmade face mask geared up by incorporating two tablespoons of inexperienced clay, a person tablespoon of powdered milk, and slightly drinking water in freshly squeezed orange juice taken from the medium-sized orange. I absolutely beloved reading your hub! As a youngster my mother would use egg white on her face, but I'd no idea about all another elements you could use to lighten dim spots and hydrate skin! Strategies: Use this combination three to 4 moments every week (even a day by day application is okay), but you should definitely get ready it clean each time, as it is rather straightforward to organize and handiest at that point. Keep the mask on for ten-quarter-hour. In the event the combination has entirely dried in your face, Carefully scrub it off applying warm h2o, tackling all areas of your face within a circular motion. Pat dry that has a towel and marvel at The graceful come to feel within your skin! Get ready to the mask by washing your face and tying your hair back again. Use warm drinking water to assist open up up your pores. For anyone who is carrying makeup, you will need to consider it off applying make-up remover. Warning: Lots of individuals are allergic to cinnamon and it may possibly at times deliver discomfort in individuals with an unusually delicate skin. Consequently, this mask need to be employed after screening somewhere in addition to to the face. As this mask could possibly get messy, It might be a smart idea to tie or pin your hair back. https://steptoremedies.com/dry-brushing-loose-skin/ might also want to take into consideration draping a towel around your upper body and shoulders to safeguard your garments. Make this happen prior to deciding to visit mattress and leave the mask on overnight. Rinse your face with warm drinking water the next early morning. It is recommended to do this for two months and afterwards evaluate the outcomes. Great things! The only real trouble is that I am vegan. Are you aware of anything at all within the vegetable earth which can substitute egg yolks and egg whites for face masks. Would love (and I'm absolutely sure other vegans would also) to understand what it really is! Approach: Have a ripe banana and mash it by using a spoon or even a fork in the bowl till it kinds a smooth lump free of charge pulp. Increase 1 tsp. of thick yogurt and 1 tsp. of orange juice and mix the elements thoroughly. If you feel the combination is too thick to apply, add a couple of drops of orange juice. Clean your face with a mild cleanser. Doing this will likely get rid of any Dust and buildup before you decide to exfoliate. Make sure you pat your face dry Carefully using a clean, dry washcloth ahead of making use of the sugar-baking soda combination. Many thanks to your recommend. I've genuinely used the house treatment such as you reported nevertheless it darkens my face. i similar to the Obviously home treatment as it has no chemical ingredient within but i dont want my face to generally be darkish. At first, utilize the yogurt evenly about your face and leave on for quarter-hour. If after a couple of days you feel like your pores are smaller sized and skin Over-all improved, attempt trying to keep the mask on for a longer time subsequent time.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facemask About banana face mask

Make a simple mask with honey and almond oil. In a little dish, combine with each other one tablespoon of honey and ½ tablespoon of sweet almond oil. Apply the mask towards your face, preventing the attention spot. Within a bowl, take some orange peel powder, sugar and almond oil. Ensure that the amount of sugar is equal to the peel powder and in this article you've got a simple recipe to a stunning smelling lip balm that’s successful and easy to help make. Put together to the mask by washing your face and tying your hair again. Use warm drinking water to aid open up up your pores. In case you are sporting make-up, you need to choose it off applying make-up remover. Thank you for creating your account on EverydayMe. This information or product has become additional on your favorites. Use a heavier, richer one particular during the winter, and also a lighter a single throughout the summertime. Consider a moisturizer that contains SPF to protect your skin from the sun's destructive rays. This is often what I use. I have Tremendous dry skin that flakes regardless of the(with this particular exception)even coconut oil won't get it done for me but olive oil is HG In relation to hydrating my skin it is the another thing that real leaves it glowing Whip up just two elements to produce a highly effective face scrub that exfoliates and deep cleanses pores. This material is accurate and true to the very best of your creator’s expertise and is not meant to substitute for official and individualized assistance from an experienced Specialist. Orange peel has strong Attributes that support retain troublesome pimples away. Apply https://twitter.com/steptoremedies/status/1084943307875086336 of the zit-busting orange peel face mask to deep-cleanse your pores and travel out the Dust, grime, excessive oil, and germs, all of which lead to pimples and blackheads to variety over the skin surface. You should how long till I start out viewing outcomes when I start utilizing the face mask( orange peel powder, oatmeal and baking soda) and how frequently should I utilize it in per week? Clay masks are great for controlling oily skin. Honey allows break up excess oil and hugely absorbent clay gets rid of it whilst Carefully exfoliating. Bentonite and Moroccan Purple are two of the greatest clay options for balancing oily skin. That is made use of to collect information on traffic to article content along with other web pages on our website. Unless of course that you are signed in to some HubPages account, all Individually identifiable info is anonymized. To make use of orange peel powder to be a all-natural cleanser, Incorporate it with a little drinking water to create a paste. Utilize it in your skin and go away it on until finally it dries wholly. Lastly, rinse it off with lukewarm h2o. Mix all the above elements within a bowl. Gradually include water right up until a thick paste is fashioned. Working with clear fingertips, therapeutic massage a thick coat from the combination on to your face in a mild circular motion.

The best Side of strawberry face mask

Individual the whites from the yolk and conquer it nicely with a fork or by utilizing a blender (it'll finish up on the lookout like foam). Be certain to not smile or talk with the face mask on! This may stretch your skin across the mouth and eyes and actually induce wrinkles to sort. Each morning, a splash of lukewarm drinking water is all you would like. If you have Tremendous oily skin, you can cleanse your skin once again each morning. Never clean your face with hot or cold h2o (both of those may cause broken capillaries). Author Data What a awesome plan! I really like obtaining the most out of your objects I acquire, And that i always experience terrible composting nice, fragrant orange peels. Now I understand how to proceed with them! How I utilize it is the fact I blend orange peel powder along with chickpea flour, lemon n a pinch of turmeric. My face is blessed using a wonderful glow n shine You can find a superb cleanser within the drugstore. There is not any need to invest $40 on a flowery wash. Stay away from bar soaps as they have an inclination to dry out the skin. For you personally organic styles, you could cleanse skin with milk or yogurt (who knew?). Orange is extremely beneficial for the skin since it has anti-growing old, toning and astringent Houses. This citrus fruit helps boost skin texture and complexion. Your just lately seen objects and highlighted recommendations › Watch or edit your browsing history Repeat as essential. Most industry experts recommend from exfoliating over twice weekly. If you have many blackheads, you could just utilize this combination into the regions where you have blackheads. Avoid Placing on broken skin. Should you have any cuts or open acne on the face, steer clear of making use of the scrub to People spots because the lemon juice will sting them. Furthermore, the friction from making use of the scrub may perhaps make your acne worse. Combine all the above elements in a small bowl. Utilize a thick coat with the combination onto your cleanse face. Enable it sit for 15 minutes or right until it dries out. Whisk during the honey. Do that until eventually the lemon juice, olive oil, and honey Incorporate into a medium-thick Resolution. You could alter the level of honey and olive oil you employ dependant upon how thick or thin you'd like the scrub to become. This can be a definitely straightforward mask that I get pleasure from frequently. It only has 2 substances so it only requires minutes for making but the effects are outstanding.

yeast face mask Fundamentals Explained

Making use of a white face mask created with what may be clay, Grande dealt with herself into a clearing and hydrating skincare action that is frequently neglected all through fast paced moments. — Christian Allaire, Vogue Ahead of robust clear supplies such as polycarbonate were invented, visors to protect the face had to be opaque with modest eyeslits, and have been a form of mask, as generally in mediaeval satisfies of armour, and (by way of example) Aged Norse grímr intended "mask or visor". Disguise Wash your face with a delicate cleanser. In the event you have been to implement a scrub face clean it could irritate your skin. Exclusive types of masks began to emerge in pre-Hispanic The united states about 1200BC, While there is evidence of significantly more mature mask types. For additional honey Concepts, try out honey and cinnamon for brighter skin or honey with cocoa and cream to exfoliate. Banana is full of skin-beneficial nutrients and one of these is to decrease the indications of growing older.Certainly, banana will let you banish those high-quality strains and wrinkles. Masks Enjoy a crucial element in planet theatre traditions, particularly non-western theatre types. They also continue to become a significant power within modern day theatre, and their utilization usually takes many different forms. Disclaimer: TheHealthSite.com would not warranty any particular benefits on account of the methods talked about below and the final results might vary from person to person. Combine matcha powder, honey and oil in a small bowl and mix well. (In the event you don’t have matcha powder, Reduce open a environmentally friendly tea bag and utilize the leaves.) Use this to the face and depart it for 15 minutes in advance of washing off heat drinking water. Implement a moisturizer in your skin. Seal from the moisturizing effects of the scrub with your preferred moisturizer. This face mask utilizing banana, honey and yoghurt should help in balancing the organic oils of the skin and also restores the purely natural lustre of your skin. Avocados and bananas are two of essentially the most moisturizing elements found in face masks. Add the honey and you have got an ideal mask for Tremendous dry skin. to.The peppermint sugar cookies on your own are remarkable and Tremendous fluffy. They have the proper number of peppermint flavor and make for a very yummy cookie.But the white chocolate coating and peppermint Korean masks have a protracted custom connected to shamanism and later in ritual dance. Korean masks were Employed in war, on the two troopers and their horses; ceremonially, for burial rites in jade and bronze and for shamanistic ceremonies to generate absent evil spirits; to recollect the faces of good historical figures in Demise masks; and from the arts, specifically in ritual dances, courtly, and theatrical plays.

[gavins-consumption]

Day 5 - Tuesday, Jan 26

Food/Drink: Coffee, Toast, Oatmeal, Apple, Cheese, Crackers, 

I started my day as always with a cup of coffee with oat milk which I drank while reading. I also had a couple pieces of toast as I was feeling hungry when I woke up. I had another cup of coffee as I started working on school stuff for the day. For lunch, I had oatmeal with a banana, mixed berries, and granola. This is another really common lunch for me. While I really do enjoy cooking I don’t like putting much effort into lunches and this has become a staple of mine, it’s really filling and healthy and easy. Late in the afternoon, I had a snack of an apple and some cheese and crackers. My eating schedule gets a bit weird on Tuesdays and Thursdays with this evening class, so I kind of end up eating two small meals/large snacks before and after class. 

Media: Instagram, Twitter, Book, Hulu, Spotify

This morning I checked my socials in bed first thing when I woke up, which I haven’t done much and have been trying to avoid. I have mixed feelings about it. Sometimes, it’s honestly a nice way to start the day and slowly wake up as it takes such little mental effort. Bit it can also weirdly stress me out at the start of the day with such an overload of information and content. It was fine today and didn’t particularly stress me out. I’m also realizing how little I remember from social media as I write these. The content truly just leaves my head as soon as I’m done seeing it. 

I thought about skiing again this morning, but knew my body needed a break after the long one yesterday, so I read more of A Little Life before jumping right in to school. It can feel silly taking time to read for enjoyment when I have things to do, but making it a priority is important for me, or else I’ll go insane. It’s a good way to put relaxing bookends at the start and end of my day. Then from about 8:30 to noon I just worked on Spanish stuff. I hate Spanish. So much.

While I ate lunch I watched another episode of Broad City, and it was the final episode. It is remarkably sad in a sort of bittersweet sappy way that the ends of series tend to be, and it definitely affected my mood. It has me missing my friends a lot. That paired with the new book I’m reading which is also all about powerful friendships is throwing me for a loop a bit. Now that it has ended I don’t know what I’ll watch next. I then worked more on some little models for my furniture design class and listened to Erykah Badu on Spotify while I did that. 

After my Spanish class, I decided to do a little workout on the elliptical downstairs and I listened to another episode on the podcast The Bald and the Beautiful while I did. It feels good logging off of my class for the day and knowing I’m done for the day, minus this class I guess. After, I looked at YouTube but nothing really peaked my interest so I decided to just read instead, which I did until class started in the evening. I really want to keep reading, this one is getting hard to put down. After class I read more. 

a screenshot from the last episode of Broad City, very sad and sentimental. Also a post that stuck out to me on instagram today from a designer I follow. I was sort of thrown off because of the fact that it’s free - something I’m not used to in the design world, especially with high quality work like this.

[workforitandjustdoit]

It still feels surreal to think that I’ve just competed at Ironman 70.3 World Championship. While the result and the race were not what I wanted or expected. It’s hard to feel bummed about it given that it was an amazing experience. I will go in the negative and the lessons later on, but let’s focus on the positive and the experience first! I haven’t thought about what I’m going to write exactly, but I can guarantee you it will be a long read! So feel free to scroll for the pictures or just the race day recap further down, if not, grab a snack and carry on!

Pre-race

We left for Chattanooga Thursday afternoon, the plan was to land early night in Atlanta, sleep there and build my bike at the hotel before driving to Chattanooga on Friday morning. The plane was 1h30 late, so safe to say that I crashed as soon as we got to the hotel, while my boyfriend was watching the Patriots game (because we ain’t going to miss that no matter what!) Both of us forgot to put our alarm the next morning, but thanks to me not being able to sleep past 8am we were only 45min late. I got in a massive carb-loaded breakfast and we hit the road. Traffic was heavy with all the Floridian evacuating but we made it to the expo with plenty of time to check in, meet up with some friends … oh and buy a new helmet, because yes I forgot mine… I then went back to the hotel room to build my bike. (in 15minutes!! Am I a pro yet) I went for a quick spin to test everything out. Looked like it worked well, only had a little problem shifting to my easiest gear, which was 100% needed given the cat2 climb I would have to bike up the next day. I fixed it (or thought I did) and brought my bike and gear bags to the transition before went back to the room relax for the rest of the day.

  Dropping the bag and bike

The squad

Boston Airport

We walked a lot on Friday, going to and from the transition, getting everything ready … and my foot was definitely not liking it, so after we were all done I iced it and we went to dinner. Lights out at 9pm, it’s definitely an advantage to be a grandma/going to bed at 9:30pm in my daily life, because going to bed at 9pm and falling asleep was not a problem!

Race day

The race had a later start and as per usual, I was one of the last wave, with an 8:49am start. That mean waking up at 5:50 to get in my breakfast (instead of 4:30am in Maine two weeks prior!) Ate the usual banana, oatmeal, peanut butter breakfast, some water and then we walked to the transition zone.

  Tire pressure checked, power meter checked, nutrition and hydration on the bike, all good to go. I watched the women pro start before finding a place to sit down while waiting for my start and try and enjoy the moment while my nerve were getting the best of me. The emotion kicked in as I was walking towards my start, but I held everything in and found my way to the swim corral where I got to meet Rachael and Steve who managed to get my mind off the race for a second and calm my nerves! Thank you!

Swim

Looking at the swim course and pretending to be calm…

The swim course was in the Tennessee River and obviously made harder because it’s worlds. (pretty much the theme of the day for this course) We had to swim, perpendicular to the current then up current for half the length of the swim and then back to the finish. The start was a dive start, it was pretty cool. I felt like a pro until I looked at the pictures and saw that I looked ridiculous diving… oups! (order of events below, I’m in first plan diving)

  The first part was fine I kept a hard pace to warm up and catch some feet (which didn’t happen) as soon as we hit the current part I started zigzagging like never before and even though I kept a pace which was an harder effort than usual I wasn’t moving fast. I just knew by then that it was going to be a long swim and a long day in general. The sun was blinding and I could barely see the yellow buoy, thus the not so straight swim, but I kept pushing until we hit the next turn. Then it became fun and I felt like I was flying. I guess the good thing about struggling up current for 20min is going with it afterwards! I finished the swim, almost tripped on the stairs on the way out, thank god for the volunteer and ran to transition.

Somewhere out there swimming against the current

Nutrition: Pre swim, 1 gel

Bike

Again why would we go around the mountain when we can just climb it right… I jumped on my bike only to realize that my power meter was not working. I’ve never been one to actually base my race on exact number, nor am I good at it, but for the climb I wanted to have it to make sure I wasn’t burning too many matches. Well that wasn’t going to happen, second resort was heart rate, and well my watch didn’t want to give me that either… I was at around 80 beats per minute in the middle of the climb, that didn’t make any sense. Having realized that, I figure I would just go by feel, which is what I usually do. (even though I will have to learn to use those numbers in the future because they do make you race better)

After about 10-15 minutes of flat terrain we hit the first steep portion. As I was about to shift on my easiest gear my bike made a weird noise and refused to go on it. Well that’s fun I immediately told myself… Can’t go on my easiest gear and I’m about to climb for almost an hour… Let’s just say that I had to stand to pedal in certain portion because it was so steep, and I couldn’t push hard enough. The last km of the Lookout Mountain climb was really fun because the view was breathtaking and there was so many spectators cheering, playing music, and encouraging you.

Google image, but one of the view point from the climb

However, since Thursday, a week and a half ago I’ve been having pain on the bottom, exterior of my right foot when I walk, run or climb on the bike. I iced it all week, limited my walking and running and felt ok starting the race, but as soon as I started climbing I felt the pain coming back. The good thing is the pain appeared immediately but stayed consistent and did not get worse throughout the bike portion. In the first half,  I mostly drank my bottle with concentrated sport nutrition in it because it was hard to get a long enough time to chew something with all that climbing. I also got in a gel and ate half of my energy bar.

Then the descent came and it was the best part of the ride, for obvious reasons. I love going fast downhill on my bike and it was a long descent with no sharp turns, as oppose to the Austria Worlds course in 2015 where they had to put gigantic gymnastic mat to prevent people from going over the guard rail and fall hundreds of feet… The rest of the bike portion was eventless apart from a car or two that where stuck in the middle of us. Some girls took advantage of it and drafted behind them for a minute or two… I mean why not! That’s not against the rules. At around mile 45 my legs started to hurt and were lacking power and energy, I was starting to feel the Ironman 70.3 I had done 13 days ago. I knew by then it was going to be a struggle to push. I got another gel down with some Gatorade, water and base salt, as it was also getting hot. I tried my best to keep it consistent until I hit the dismount line at the transition zone. And, as I put my right foot down the pain radiated through my entire leg and from then until the end of the run it got progressively worse with pain from the foot all the way to the ankle and calf.

Nutrition: 2.5 bottles of water, 1 bottle of concentrated Gatorade, 3 gels, 1 Fastbar and a few base salt licks.

T2: I had such scary expectations about the bike and swim portion. Worried that I wouldn’t be able to do it or do very poorly, so when I reach the transition zone, it was such a relief. Plus running (even when it’s not going well) is my favorite part!

Run

Right out of Transition

The run portion was a two loop course with plenty of aid station, hills, shade, spectators and change in terrain to make it interesting. It started with long uphill past the transition zone, the finish line and under the 2 bridges we would later run on. Then we ran in an isolated and shady wooden bike path, which was nice and quiet, something I need and crave when I’m racing and suffering. We then had to run up onto a bridge to cross the river and finally come back to start the second loop. I loved the loop and even though it was challenging it was great. I wish my right foot and ankle hadn’t been in so much pain and that my body had been fully recovered from Ironman 70.3 Maine so that I could have ran the run up to my standards and fitness level, but nevertheless it was fun (Type II fun obviously).

The first loop started well I was going at the prescribed heart rate. (Yes my watch decided to work once I started running…who knows) I was drinking one cup of water and 1 cup of Gatorade at each aid station, throwing a few on my head, and eating one cliff block every 2 miles or so. After the first long uphill out of transition, I got into a good rhythm and slowly caught up on girls in my age group one by one. I always get passed on the bike and do the passing on the run, which is what happened again. (Just another reminder that I need to work on my bike this off season) My boyfriend managed to be on each of the bridges for both loops which was a nice little relief every time. As I started the second loop my foot got progressively worst and I started feeling pain in my ankle and the nerve in my calf, I slowed down a little more but tried to keep my running form as relaxed and good as possible. The hills on the second loop felt steeper and longer but I couldn’t stop smiling (ok I was probably grimacing, but smiling inside) because I was about to finish my third Ironman 70.3 World Championship, and no matter the results, the pain, I had worked hard to be there and was doing something I love.

Some well needed distraction from the speedo sandwich throughout the run!

The pain, as it always does subsided for those few moments where I could hear the spectators at the finish line. I accelerated the pace on the last bridge and turn to the finish line. The crowd lining the chute helped me “sprint” on the red carpet and I finished the race happy, tired and ready to improve and work hard for next season.

Nutrition: As much water as I could get, 1 bottle of Gatorade (approx.), 4 clif blocks

A few numbers:

Swim:    Time: 36:39       Elevation: 0                            Rank: 45th

Bike:      Time: 3:02:54    Elevation: 3442ft (1049m)  Rank: 41st

Run:      Time: 1:48:32     Elevation: 975ft (297m)       Rank: 25th

Total race time:  5:33:45        Rank: 33th/80 in AG and 1st F18-24 Canadian

The volunteer at the finish line were amazing, they were immediately in your face trying to judge if I was OK, while wasn’t even sure myself. After gathering my thoughts I managed to moan an “I’m OK”. Then a reporter with a camera twice as large as my head asked me a few questions, and to be perfectly honest I don’t even remember what they were and what I said. Apparently I was in the closing video at the banquet so let’s hope I didn’t sound or look stupid and I can get my hands on this video to be the judge of that…!

Now that I’ve had a few days to think about the race and recover, (haven’t done anything in 3 days and I’m going crazy, I don’t like off season much, but my body and head need it) a few things came to my mind. This year, Worlds was my season “A” goal and race, and I wanted to be competitive in my age group in a stack field. Even though that didn’t happen it was worth every single training day, early morning, nonalcoholic beverages at the bar and missed party.

Looking back maybe I should not have raced Maine 13 days before, I know I wasn’t fully recovered when I stepped on the dock waiting for the horn. But racing with my parents and my brother meant more to me than anything and I don’t regret it.  I also didn’t run to my potential due to my foot. Finally, the last months as been really hard mentally, with every workout grueling and requiring my entire motivation to get it done. It was a long season. With my move to Boston, grad school and the start of a new job, my triathlon training and races tested me in every possible way, but I will come back to that in my end of season blog post. In the meantime I’m going to rest and make a plan for fall and the off-season, because I really want to run another marathon.

It’s a wrap

A huge thanks to:

My parents. Although they were not able to be at this race, because they were racing (valid reason) they are always behind me 100% in anything I do. I cannot begin to tell you how lucky I am to have them and share my passion with them. And I probably will never tell them enough how thankful I am.

All of my friends who support me and encourage me in triathlon and life! The one that train with me and the one that force me to do other thing than just train.

Spencer for encouraging me each day to be my best, coming with me at my races and being the best photographer. Keeping me grounded and bringing me back to reality once in a while.

E3coaching/team and Jorge for the great year of coaching, the advice, listening to me complain about my poor workouts and helping me get better.

Thank you to everyone who makes my journey possible and for taking a minute (OK maybe 10..) to read about my journey.

Ironman 70.3 Worlds Championships – September 9th, 2017 It still feels surreal to think that I’ve just competed at Ironman 70.3 World Championship. While the result and the race were not what I wanted or expected.

[flamepoint-runner]

My first marathon: race recap

[Ridiculously long post ahead....]

Hoo boy - so one week ago I ran my first marathon - Revel Big Cottonwood.  I had signed up for the race in April, and as you know (if you scroll back through my posts) i’ve been very on-again, off-again about actually running the damn thing.  I finally truly committed to it at the start of August after some not-the-greatest training this summer, and I managed to pull it off and cross that finish line.  Here’s a recap below the cut:

Firstly, it was a long week at school leading up to the race.  It didn’t matter that our training (tapering) runs were only 2, 3, and 4 miles.  We had to get them done in the early mornings before school.  That plus after school commitments meant for some very long days leading up to the marathon.  Friday afternoon we drove in for packet pick-up and took some time to check out the out-and-back portion of the course.  I finally got home that evening close to 8pm and had to set my alarm for 2:30am Saturday.  Not a lot of time to sleep...but it is what it is.

Saturday morning: up at 2:30 to eat something, make coffee, and get myself ready.  My friend L picked me up at 3:30 to drive in - the race was about 45 min drive away from our town.  We got there and boarded one of the buses to take us up the canyon around 4:30am.  Once on the bus I was like, “okay, this is it.  You’re really committed now...!” Yikes!  It took us almost an hour to get up the canyon to our starting spot.  We were behind one of the half-marathon buses and had to wait for them to unload at their starting spot, then drive another 10 miles up the canyon.

It was cool out, but not super-cold while waiting for the race to start.  We both got in line for the porta potties right after getting off the bus.  Then we just found a place to stand along the road and kinda keep moving while waiting.  Had a banana and finished my sports drink thing (I forget what it’s called right now, but it’s supposed to help you mentally focus as well...) Got back in line at 6am for a last porta potty use - then it was time to turn in our drop bags and get ready to go!

The race officially started at 6:45am.  It was kinda weird.  No national anthem - no energizing music, and not even a countdown (that I could hear).  Just...people starting moving towards the start line, and then running once they crossed the timing mat.  

It was really crowded for the first few miles, and i had a hard time regulating my breathing.  A combination of anxiety and adrenaline I’m sure.  I ran with L until about mile 3 when there was a steep uphill part.  I knew by looking at it that I wouldn’t be able to run the whole thing - especially with my difficulty breathing at this point - and that’s where I lost L.  I was hoping to run more with her and not be so far behind at the end....but yeah, that dream died on this hill.

ANYWAYS.  So I knew from here on out, I was near the back of the pack of marathon runners.  Fine.  Deal with it.  You’re still running the damn thing, right?  After the uphill at mile 3, we did a little loop and came back down the steep road which was nice.  I saw a person carrying a big flag heading up the hill and i think this was the back-of-the-race pacer person.  I think.  So I saw that...and thought...I gotta keep ahead of him.  My main goal was to finish this race in under 6 hours, which was the official cut-off time.

The first 18 miles of this race are down and out the canyon.  Some parts are steeper, and sometimes it flattens out a bit...but it’s mostly just a gentle downhill.  Aid stations every 2 miles - I always walked through and grabbed water.  I was able to keep my pace around 11-12 mins per mile which is a bit slower but still okay I guess. I stopped once to use a porta potty but other than that I just kept moving.  I’d say I ran 95% of the canyon part - just a few short walking breaks to stretch out my back, or walking the aid stations.

After the canyon was the out and back part.  More uphill.  Along a road next to a gravel pit with trucks going in and out and stirring up dust.  Yuck.  A lot of people were walking at this point - both ways!!  So I was somewhat encouraged because I was walking most of this chunk too.  My hip hurt and I knew I had some awesome blisters on my toes and feet...but gotta keep moving.  I saw L coming back down the out and back, and i knew she’d probably finish the marathon in under 5 hours. [I am super-jealous and thus hate myself a little bit more at this point...]

Mile 20.5 was the turn-around and here I tried to take a gel.  I had my gatorade chews with me and had been having a piece or two as needed.  They seemed to be the only thing my stomach can handle on long runs lately.  But, I was really hoping I could get some much-needed caffeine from the gel here.  Tried one little sip/squirt and NOPE. Not gonna work :( Pitched it, took some more water, and headed back on the other side of the road.  Positive part: there were a good number of people behind me yet!  I got to see (and count) all these people as I was heading back towards the main road.  Felt encouraged that I wasn’t the absolute slowest person.

At this point, the clouds were moving in pretty good and i was thankful.  It was somewhat sunny in parts of the canyon earlier and i knew I would have been absolutely miserable to be running (walking) this last part in  the sun.  Clouds plus a few rain sprinkles = perfect.  The last 4 miles I would run a chunk, walk a chunk.  No specific number of minutes or distance - just whatever i felt like I could do.  Right as I finished mile 24 there was a nice downhill part again that started off kinda steep - good momentum - and then slowly leveled out.  I was able to run that pretty well which felt good.  I was also getting pretty emotional by this point - and actually trying not to cry - like, I was just overwhelmed with thoughts: “oh my gosh I’m almost done - running a freaking MARATHON!”

When I could see the finish line and hear the announcer - it was so exhilarating!  I’m almost there!  Of course...it’s little bit uphill into the finishing chute (WHY PEOPLE, WHY?) but I ran that stupid little thing and FINISHED!  Still a good number of people at the end, cheering you in, etc.  It was good.  I got a bottle of water and someone put the medal around my neck...and I’m thinking “Wow - I just ran for XX time and went 26+ miles!”  There was a bit more rain coming down now...and the finishing line festivities were kinda packing up.  I got my drop bag and went to change into my recovery sandals and some clean/dry clothes.  L and I took pictures in front of one of the cool backdrop pictures with our medals and grabbed some free mixed-soda drinks (yay sugar!) and then walked back to her car to head home.

My emotions kept flipping between glad “yay I did it” and crappy-annoyed-depressed sort of thoughts for the rest of the day and weekend.  Like...I did enjoy running down the canyon and I had some really blissful moments.  And yes, I’m proud of running 26 miles in one go.  But I’m also super-pissed that I had such a crappy finishing time (compared to L) even though I’ve got legit reasons like my hip slowing me down.  It’s super-dumb, I know, and i need to let it go and just be happy that I did a marathon.  But I kind of wish L hadn’t run it as well...so I wouldn’t have anyone to compare to (and the other teachers/friends at my school wouldn’t be able to compare us as well).  

My mindset when signing up and wanting to run a marathon was to do it just for me.  It was a BIG fucking goal and I wanted to like...prove I’m a runner by doing it.  Of course I wanted a good finishing time.  But really, any time should be good enough for your first one.  So it just kinda kills me inside that L can just decide to “oh yeah sure I’ll run a marathon, why not” more casually, and then finish a fucking hour ahead of me like...no big deal.  And her attitude just kills me as well. Because it’s easy to say “Oh our times don’t matter! No one needs to know” when you’re the one with the better time.  I used to be the better runner. I used to just LOSE her when running down the canyon for our casual runs.  But now I’m fatter and slower.  And I know she’ll never say it to my face, but I get this sense that she really enjoys beating me in every race we do and every training run we did.  And she’ll say “good job” when I catch up sometimes - and that just pisses me off more.  

YES IT’S STUPID, I KNOW.  I need to stop being so jealous and just do my own thing, and focus on myself becoming a better runner.  Which is the plan from here on out.  I’m not going to sign up for races with her.  I’ll plan out and do my own.  I’m not going to do any specific training with her.  Maybe, every once in awhile, we can run on a Saturday morning.  But not every week.  Just once in awhile so I can check in with my progress.  I’m going to beat her someday.  I have her marathon time burned into my brain, and I’m going to fucking beat it.  I know I can. [I just need to get my hip issues sorted first] - and i can train better.

I’m going to sign up for this marathon again next year.  And maybe a different one before then - who knows?  At least some other half marathons.  But definitely going to do this one again - and I’m already looking forward to it - gonna crush my time by A LOT.

If you’ve read all this...holy cow. Thanks.  Definite brain-spilling going on.

[ridingthatbike]

Turn the bike around: Peregrination in Scotland

Photo album here.

We tallied it up, and realized we’ve seen each other in person no more than five times in the last 16 years. But we are important to each other, and in the last few years, we’ve lost some important people, so when Adam asked if I would come over and ride bikes with him, it seemed like the most obvious thing in the world. Of course I will come. Let’s do it. A peregrination is a long and meandering journey, often a pilgrimage of sorts. We named our trip before I’d even bought plane tickets, knowing that we -- two fairly anxious people -- were going to do our best to be open to possibility and not be stubborn about the plan. Our initial plan was to ride a loop in the Cairngorms. Our collective anxiety was high as we took the train up to Inverness and rode to our starting point in Aviemore. A big storm cell had moved in over the Highlands, and it was going to rain there for a week straight. Anxiety crept higher and higher. We looked at the weather forecast, and finally said out loud:

What if we don't do this route? What if we don't ride our bikes in a week of nonstop rain? What if we do something lower stakes? Where can we go to outrun the rain?  ... and all of the pressure and anxiety we’d been feeling about making sure the other person had a good time just disintegrated. We took the train back home to regroup.

We cobbled together a new plan based on the Capital Trail, a 150 mile loop that starts and ends at Adam’s front door. We felt a little sad about giving up on the initial plan, and also maybe like our Plan B wasn’t very exciting or maybe wasn’t hard enough to feel like it "counted." But on the very first day, it got pretty hard, and we realized, oh, this is for real, this counts! And it’s so close to home that we can take all the risks! We can explore every dead end! We don’t have to hurry! We don’t have to say no to anything! We end up having incredible weather the entire time. Plan B is the best plan. Back in January, I set a theme for the year, which is to be unhurried. This is not Hurry-Up Life. Peregrination turned out to be the lowest-mileage, least-hurried, most exploratory bike tour I’ve ever done. I am living my goals even when I’m not trying to. There’s a lesson here.

I’m just a teenage dirtbag, baby, like you.

I am tired and feel heavy and slow as we roll through the Pentland Hills, but interestingly, I'm not stressed at all. Sometimes you push your bike. It's all just part of it. We open and push our bikes through and close about 20 gates, we sing Teenage Dirtbag out loud, and I marvel at the wool that has accumulated on every surface -- on every fence line, on every low branch, eventually on my derailleur and pedals too -- and I begin to suspect that Scotland has more sheep than people. I look it up later and confirm that it's true.

We come out into the village of Carlops, which has a bright red telephone booth and a bright red mailbox, and I can’t believe how bright and vivid they seem in the gray day. Our route takes us on the Cross Borders Drove Road, an old footpath for drovers bringing their cattle to market. It's waymarked with a cow emblem, and we love it. Follow the cow road! We find magical singletrack, a magical abandoned stone building, a magical dirt road, and a couple of sheep who have gotten out of their fields and are nervous and try to run away from us but in the same direction we're going. We don't want to stress them out, so we decide to backtrack a little and cook our dinner, sitting in the grass on the side of the road.

We roll into a perfect magical patch of woods and decide it's too lovely to pass up. We set up the tent together for the first time and I think about how cool it is to have adventured with lots of people, to have set this tent up with lots of people, and also how effortless and wordless it is to set it up with Q, my number one adventure partner. I think a lot about how possible adventuring is for me because of the stability in my life, and I feel so grateful for my partner and for my old friends and for the opportunity to see more of this big ol' world.

I have nightmares during the night, after seeing a flashlight pointed at us in the late evening but not seeing the person connected to the light. In my sleep, the person becomes a middle aged man named Kevin and he comes into our campsite and doesn't say anything, just looks around at things, and try as I might, I cannot make my voice loud enough to call out HEY! Adam gently elbows me, and I briefly wake up and fall right back asleep. Kevin is still there in my dream, creeping around. Get out of here, Kevin! You're not invited!

Spooky Wood

While packing up, we discovered that we’d been left a gift overnight: a long-legged dead bird, draped over Adam’s front wheel. Whoa. Was it a fallen hatchling? Or a failed hunt? We’d heard a lot of owl activity overnight. Or was it Kevin?

We pack up and roll into the town of Peebles for breakfast, and then hike-a-bike for several miles up a big hill, high-fiving at the top. Woof. We skip the mountain bike trails that are on the route, but deeply enjoy the waypoint labeled "top of Spooky Wood!" and refer to every patch of woods after it as Spooky Wood. We are delighted to find some huge carefully stacked cairns on a hilltop, and to ride along some beautiful old stone walls through sheep field after sheep field after sheep field.

The cloudy skies turn dark, and the search for a campsite becomes urgent. We find a patch of woods that is too dense to even enter, let alone put a tent up in. We ride along through scrubby heather-covered hills, scouting and scouting, and find a spot where two trails meet, where there is a perfect tent-sized patch of flat ground. I would not ordinarily put a tent so close to trails, but the sky is starting to spit. We lean our bikes, set up the tent in a flash, throw all the things under the rainfly that we think we might want for the evening, and climb inside. It starts raining immediately. 

Adam cooks in the vestibule of the tent, and we eat dinner inside our sleeping bags. The rain eventually stops and a glow settles on the landscape around us that seems too beautiful to be real. We look at the trails around us -- a lovely doubletrack to the left, and an alluring singletrack to the right. We don't even check which way our planned route goes. The singletrack looks too good. We gotta take it.

Singletrack for Breakfast, Hail for Dinner

We are thrilled to be riding some grand and super fun singletrack first thing, get a little too stoked, and totally miss our turn. We get deep into some steep and technical singletrack that we have to walk our bikes down … and push our bikes back up. We sing “Turn the Bike Around” to the tune of “Turn the Beat Around" by Gloria Estefan. We make our way to the end of the singletrack, down some totally bananas little steep sections with gates that are clearly not designed for bikes (this is a footpath through some sheep fields, it’s ok, we make it work), have a picnic at the junction of two beautiful dirt roads, and then cut off-route to the village of Tweedbank via the Border Abbey’s Way, another old footpath that takes us past a massive field of dandelion puffs, ready to explode at the slightest breeze, and are delighted by our choice to go offroute.

We get some coffee at the only spot in town that’s open: the takeout place at the train station. It’s chilly and a rain is coming, so we hunker down in a covered bike parking area to drink our coffee and warm up. Temperature regulation on this trip is challenging. It’s warm enough to get hot riding, but cold enough that we need to pull out our puffy jackets every time we stop for more than a few minutes or we start to shiver. It requires a vigilance that is new for me.

We roll over to the next town via an urban pathway, and back on out of town via the chain bridge, past some nosy cows, and Adam narrowly avoids calamity when he rolls over a scrap of fence wire that wraps around his cassette. It is incredible: this whole tour, we got no injuries, no flats, no mechanicals of any kind. So lucky.

We revel in the double track that dreams are made of, lined with stone walls and huge blooming gorse blobs, under a vivid blue sky with cartoon clouds. It’s impossibly wonderful. We stop in Lauder, where we find a Very Fancy Cafe and Art Gallery, where we eat several slices of cake and charge up our phones and take baby wipe baths in the bathroom to remove some sheep shit and mud and pretend we are presentable enough to sit inside this lovely establishment. Here, we decide to hop offroute altogether, because we are enjoying this footpath and want to see it to the end. It’s the Southern Upland Way, which is waymarked with a charming thistle emblem. It goes coast-to-coast. Let’s ride to the ocean! A few miles out of town in a big open field, we find a stone wall that forms a perfect circle. We stand in the center of it and look at the menacing clouds gathering substance overhead, and decide we better find somewhere to pitch the tent pretty quickly. The thunder starts to rumble as we look for anywhere that’s less exposed than the hilltop we’re currently on. We roll down the other side of the hill, pick our way across a stream, and find a flat spot nestled at the bottom of another steep hill. We throw the tent up as fast as we can, and climb inside just as a hailstorm arrives. We laugh and laugh and laugh at our good fortune. The storm passes quickly, but leaves a chill in the air.

The moors, the wind, the sea

We linger at camp in the morning, having coffee and cookies in the tent for breakfast, drying off the tent, repacking everything after the mad dash of the previous evening. We find ourselves on a heavenly dirt road in the vast expanse of the moorlands of the Lammermuir hills, lined with heather and cotton grass and positively alive with grouse. The track leads us to the top of Twin Law, where we find a matching set of cairns that serve as a memorial to twin brothers who died fighting on opposite sides of an ancient battle. The plaque on the site reads:

And they biggit twa cairns on the heather And they biggit them round and high And they stand on the Twinlaw Hill Where they twa brithers lie.

We cannot believe how beautiful it is, how incredible these structures are, how tender humans are, and we goof around and take a million pictures before descending on a joyful lumpy track with big enough lumps that I get both wheels in the air several times on the way down. It’s good to get rowdy. I am grinning the whole way.

We take some double track through woods that feel like Pennsylvania, and look for a stopping spot for a snack break, just knowing something good will turn up. We pop out of the woods and find Abbey Saint Bathans, which has a bench and a map of the Southern Upland Way. We put peanut butter on our cookies, and ask a passerby if there’s somewhere we can fill up on water … and someone comes out of the house behind us and fills up our water bottles for us. What is this magic? What wonderland are we living in?

The wind gets stronger and stronger all day. On top of an exposed hilltop, we see that we’re level with the blades of the wind turbines in the distance. They don’t put wind turbines in places that aren’t windy. This is just how it’s going to be. Find peace. We lumpity lump along some sheep fields, and I am tired from the wind and the lumps. We joke that we skipped riding the Highlands and are instead riding the Lumplands. I see that the road we’re about to cross will take us right to the sea at Cockburnspath in 5 miles of pavement rather than 7 miles of Lumplands. Adam doesn’t want to ride any more pavement than he has to, but I am cooked, and so he acquiesces. And soon, we’ve ridden our bikes to the North Sea, where we hope to find a cafe and get out of the wind, and maybe get a hotel and take a rest night, but there’s really nothing in town at all. 

We make camp stove coffee on the hill overlooking the sea and make a plan: we’ll ride the ten miles up the coast via pavement to the next town and stay there, I suppose. It isn’t very appealing. We’ve barely set out when Adam spies a dirt path that looks more fun. We take it, and it dead-ends on the beach. Rats. TURN THE BIKE AROUND! On the way back, we find a little spur trail and check it out. HOLY SHIT! It’s the most perfect secluded beautiful campsite you’ve ever seen. It’s a meadow full of blooming flowers! There’s a picnic table and a fire ring and a tree swing! There is no way in hell we’re going anywhere else.

Headwinds and pavement and castle ruins

The campsite is breezy, which means we get to pack up a perfectly dry tent in the morning. We are pretty tired, and the paved cycling route to Dunbar is brutal. Ugly. Industrial. Next to the highway. The headwind is mentally excruciating. It’s hot but cold. It’s sunny and windy. We get to town and have coffee and express our certainty that we would have cried if we’d tried to do this ride yesterday. Every choice we’ve made is the best possible choice. We eat some food, and then push hard back inland on pavement. We’ve got to get out of this wind. We’ve got to get off the pavement. This feels like a penalty day for our follies yesterday. Morale is low, even though we’ve turned onto some narrow beautiful flower-lined roads. And suddenly, when we can’t take it anymore, we are at the Hailes Castle ruin, and we have mountain bikes, so we ride down the stairs and into the castle. This is the fucking best.

The last few miles to the town of Gifford are less windy, and the hills are bigger rollers. We realize we've forgotten to eat enough, thinking only of the relatively short distance and not of the effort required to ride into a headwind all day. We eat a thousand snacks once we get to town, and get a room at the Goblin Ha’ Hotel, because if there’s a hotel called Goblin Ha’ … who would not stay here? It’s the whole reason we decided to stop at this particular town! We take glorious hot showers and lay around. I wonder what the story is behind the hotel name.

Summon the goblin army

Oh, the story of the Goblin Ha' is better than I could have hoped. Yester Castle was built by Sir Hugo de Gifford, who was something of a necromancer or alchemist or practitioner of the dark arts, and the story goes that he summoned an army of goblins to build a hall of his castle, and there’s maybe also a portal to hell. I mean, the goblins have to come from somewhere, so the portal makes sense to me. We must go there. Obviously.

We ask the woman who runs the village store for directions. She walks with me out to the street and points at the farthest building in our line of sight. “Go past that building, and cut through the opening in the fence. It’ll bring you through some houses, and then you duck off to a deer path on the right. You’ll know you’re going the right way when you pass some Highland cattle. You’ll go over a bridge with a sign that says ‘unsafe structure’ but it’s fine, we all use the bridge. You go down a steep hill and back up the other side, and you’ll see it. I don’t know if it’s the best way, but it’s better than the road, anyway.” These are the best directions I’ve ever been given in my life. We find the ruins, and immediately Adam finds a skeleton key in a cubby on the wall. Maybe it opens the portal to hell, I don’t know, I’m too scared to even look for a lock. We climb all over, enjoying the serendipity of happening upon something so terrific. What luck, what serendipity. The woods are full of blooming forget-me-nots.

We cut through a farm to get back to our original route, and get a proper scolding from a farmer who has had too many frustrating experiences with hikers to want to deal with us. It is probably pretty irritating to live next to a famous ruin, and have a bunch of people bothering your livestock and not closing your gates. I tell her I am sorry to have added to her frustration, and she softens. She directs us back to the road, past this little fenced in building. What is it? It’s a dovecot. What’s that? It’s a building full of little cubbies, for raising pigeons. It’s pronounced ducat. “You’ll get beat up if you say dove cot,” she says, and then tells us that we’ll get beat up if we try to pay for things in euros. It cracks me up, because nobody has even been a little bit salty with us on this trip. I apologize again for the trespass, and mention that it’s hard for me to tell, because where I am from, there would be private property and no trespassing signs all over. “Nobody wants to put up signs!” she protests. Well.

We head out onto the road past the dovecot and realize after a mile or two that we’ve gone the wrong direction. TURN THE BIKE AROUND. We find some pavement that turns into a great dirt road that turns into great singletrack that turns into an overgrown patch of stinging nettle and hurts our legs very much, and then suddenly a perfect little stone tower appears in the middle of the nettle. We get closer and see that it has a door. We nerve ourselves up and try it. It opens! God damn if it isn’t another dovecot, and now we know what it is and what it’s called and I laugh out loud. I would never have known if we hadn’t accidentally trespassed on Lucy’s farm. Thanks Lucy, and sorry, again.

We zigzag across some beautiful luminous golden fields of rapeseed and onto some fast pavement, and then duck through a hole in a stone wall onto an estate where Mary, Queen of Scots surrendered in 1567, and where there is a network of purpose-built mountain bike trails. How much magic is in Scotland if we’ve found so much in such a small area?

We are getting pretty close to the end of the route and it will either be some semi-urban camping, or an earlier finish than we want, so we stop in a small town and fill up our water, eat some ice cream, and re-route again: let’s go back to the Pentlands. It’s so beautiful there, and I want to go back! We cut west on a cycling route, and it’s a little hard to follow and not that fun and we are tired. It’s our biggest mileage day yet. But we make it just fine, and have a picnic dinner in the sun. Adam knows just where we should camp, and leads us to the little patch of woods I’d noticed on our first day of riding -- I’d commented “that looks like a great campsite for a quick overnighter from town!” Confirmed! It’s a great campsite! We find a flat spot among the trees, set up camp, watch sheep tv from the tent, and chatter into the night.

Sleep in among the sheep 

I sleep hard, and wake up as usual at 4:15 when it first starts to get light out. The other days, I’ve just rolled back over and gone back to sleep, but this morning I get up out of the tent and am stunned by a vivid red sunrise. I pause to enjoy it a while before climbing back into the tent and sacking out for a few more hours. There’s no rush. We make breakfast and noodle around the hills. The wind picks up and my body is exhausted. It starts to rain lightly, and we call it a day and head home. Back in college, Adam and I formed the Piss Poor Bike Gang. I put gold foil star stickers on our helmets. I think the only “rule” of the gang was that you had to wear a helmet. I was trying to learn to be more confident riding in the city. Adam was working on learning to ride clipped in. Our cooler, more bike-savvy friends guided us on easy local rides. We fell over slowly. We ate a lot of snacks. I could not have known then that we were setting the stage for a grand adventure all these years later, but looking back, it’s plain as day.

[looptheloopuk-blog]

Meet the Artisan

Welcome to our exciting new addition to Loop the Loop. We really admire and love being inspired by amazing artists and makers, so we've decided to create a space to showcase our favorite artisans, to give you an insight into how they got started and what they do. It'll be a great insight, and we hope you enjoy their stories and get to discover fabulous new products and crafts.

Mary Maddocks - Textile Artist

Our first interviewee is the lovely Mary Maddocks, a lifestyle blogger and textile artist from South East London. Mary's textile art combines a passion for woven crafts with a lifelong love of the natural world. Her inspiring Instagram feed captures her love of the great outdoors, interiors and crafts. Like ourselves, Mary loves spending time in rural landscapes, and in particular, West Wales which really influences her woven wall hangings.

To view her collection of beautiful woven pieces and to keep up-to-date with her weaving workshops visit www.marymaddocks.com

Tell us who you are and what you do

I’m a textile artist and lifestyle blogger living in South East London. I create woven wall hangings and jewellery inspired by the natural world. I also teach weaving workshops for people who want to learn how to weave on a frame loom.

How did you get started?

I first learned to weave in school when one of my teachers brought in her table loom and taught me to use it. I loved learning to weave but sadly after finishing school I sort of forgot about it and it was only a few years later that I started to weave again. I have always loved craft and textiles in particular, but during my early twenties I trained and worked as a lawyer and so had very little time for it. Then about two years ago I bought a wooden frame loom and started experimenting with a stash of vintage wools that I had collected over the years. I began making woven wall hangings and woven necklaces and was soon completely hooked! My love of weaving has grown and grown, and I am now selling my weavings and running weaving workshops to teach others to weave.  

What inspires you?

I am constantly inspired by the natural world, and much of my weaving is informed by natural landscapes, colours and textures. I am particularly drawn to the scenery of the Pembrokeshire coastline, the mountains and beaches of the Scottish Highlands and the sun-bleached, dusty landscapes of the Greek islands, where I often go on holiday. My travels often inspire my weavings - for example, I am currently drawn to the stark, black basalt sand beaches of Southern Iceland where I spent time last year. The intricate shapes and textures of natural objects such as driftwood, shells, pebbles and tree bark often work themselves into my art - I am continually fascinated by the complexity and beauty of nature and I want my weaving to reflect this. I always carry a camera with me so that I can snap interesting things I see, in case I want to use it for a weaving later.

How would you describe your style?

Eclectic and maximalist I suppose! Our home is full of vintage and second-hand furniture, ethnic and natural fabrics and materials, collected treasures and lots and lots of plants! I don’t really have a scheme – I just go with what I like and somehow it works!  

What does your usual day involve?

My alarm goes off at 7 am and I have my first cup of tea in bed while listening to the news on the radio (and checking Instagram and my emails). I usually try to be at my desk by about 9am and then I spend a couple of hours replying to emails, planning and drafting blog posts and getting on top of other admin like planning and preparing for upcoming workshops. If I’m styling or shooting products for a blog post, I usually do this in the morning instead, as the light tends to be better earlier in the day. After lunch I sometimes go for a walk in the park round the corner to stretch my legs and get a bit of fresh air, following which I might spend some time in my shed weaving with radio 4 and a cat for company, or I’ll use the time to finish what I was doing in the morning. My husband usually gets home at around 7pm and we’ll have dinner together. I usually weave for a bit after dinner in front of the TV and I’ll be in bed by 11.30.

What are the best bits about your job?

The best bit by far is having the freedom to use my time as I wish, to set my own agenda and to determine the next steps that I want my business to take. That’s probably also the most difficult part of my job too! It’s a wonderful feeling when something you have created all by yourself is successful, and when you take a risk that pays off. I am a very domestic soul at heart so I love working from home and feel very lucky that I no longer have to tackle a London commute. Finally, I really enjoy passing on the skills that I have learnt to others, and watching them become as fascinated with weaving as I am!

What would be your advice to someone starting out?

If something interests you or you have a passion for something, absorb yourself in it as much as you can. Read about it, experiment with it, research and hone your skills as much as you possible can in your spare time. Don’t assume that you can’t do something because you haven’t been formally taught or trained – so many skills can be acquired through hard work and self-learning. Observe what others in your field are doing, but resist the urge to compare yourself – have confidence in your own style and method. If you get to the point when you don’t want to do anything else (like I did), analyse your finances carefully, and if you can manage it, take the leap. I was always more scared of not giving my own business a go than trying and failing – after all, life is short!

What can’t you live without?

Truthfully, my iphone. I dropped it down the loo last weekend and had to dry it out in a bowl of rice for two days. I felt like I had lost one of my limbs. (Oh and my husband of course – he’s quite useful).

Describe your perfect weekend.

A perfect weekend would involve waking up late and eating a leisurely breakfast of smashed avocado and eggs on toast, fresh croissants and banana smoothies accompanied by a bit of Leonard Cohen. We’d then head out of London in our campervan for a walk and a picnic, followed by a hot bath, an Indian takeaway and a film. Rock and roll.

What is your most cherished possession?

My Ruth Tomlinson engagement ring – it’s the most beautiful thing I own and it never fails to make me smile whenever I catch a glimpse of it.

What are your dreams for this year?

We’re expecting our first baby in July, so my dreams are mainly baby-shaped at the moment! I can’t wait to become a mum and also to continue growing and developing my business. I want to carry on holding workshops,  selling my weaving guides and kits, possibly developing a weaving e-guide, and creating a woven jewellery collection. How I’m going to fit all that in around a small person I’m not entirely sure, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.

[ecotone99]

[FN] Time Enough

A Vodka Cranberry with a lime. That’s what she was going to order. That’s what she always ordered, unless someone else ordered something interesting before her. Or once in a blue moon she felt a moment of inspiration and ordered something new. In a place like this, inspiration was nowhere to be found. Part of her thought that there was no way for a bartender to fuck up a Vodka Cran, but the reality was that she couldn’t really think up a choice she liked.

She could always ask the bartender for a recommendation. Or she could at least take a look at the drink menu. She had been pretending to for a few minutes, but that was more to avoid making eye contact with anyone. “A Vodka Cranberry with lime when you can, please.”

She saved her eye roll for herself for when the bartender was distracted by her drink order. “I thought I was the only person who rolled my eyes at myself...” The voice came from a few stools over and behind Rachel from the way she was sitting.

“Excuse me?” Rachel turned to look at the source of the comment, turning to see a mid-30s guy looking at her while he sipped his beer.

Brian put the beer down. “Oh sorry, just talking to myself.” He knew that Rachel had heard exactly what he said. “Can I buy you that drink? I want to beat my competition down there to the punch.” He gestured down the bar in the other direction where Rachel saw a man that had to be in his 80s washing down a handful of pills with his beer. The three of them were the only customers in the bar at 4:00pm on a Tuesday.

She looked back at Brian and chuckled. “Sure. That’s nice of you. I’m Rachel.”

“Nice to meet you, Rachel. I’m Brian. Mind if I move a little closer? I suspect my eyesight isn’t quite as good as your other suitor’s down there.” He began to stand up slowly from his stool.

“I don’t know that I’m great company, but you’re welcome to try.” Rachel moved her purse off the stool next to her and set it on the bar.

“Well someday you can tell your kids about the time a famous artist bought you a drink.” Brian smiled wide as he sat down on the newly vacated stool.

Rachel was a bit taken aback by that. “Famous artist? Would I know your work?” She shuffled a bit, uncomfortable that she might have to pretend to know about art.

“I’m not an artist at all, but your future kids won’t know that. Kids are dumb. They’ll believe anything.” Brian smiled wide.

Rachel couldn’t help but laugh at that. “How do you know that I don’t have kids and that I’m not insulted by that?”

Brian tensed his smile a bit. “Just a hunch I had. And by that laugh I got, I was right.”

She kept smiling, but looked at him a bit more intently. “Oh so you can already read me! Good to know. What else have you picked up on so far?”

Brian shook his head. “No no, I wouldn’t want to chase you away and into that gentleman’s arms so soon.” His smile showed a touch of arrogance.

“Aw, that’s no fun. Come on, show off a little.” Her smile showed more than a touch of impatience.

“Fine. You came from work, not anything social. You enjoy that you’re the only woman in this bar, but have worked hard to avoid attention from even the bartender. You don’t have kids or a boyfriend. And you live at 1795 Whitmore Rd.”

Rachel’s jaw practically hit the floor. “How the fuck do you know all that? How do you know where I live?” She naturally backed away from Brian as she said this.

“Well most of it is easy assumptions, but having your license out on the bar sure helped with your address.” Rachel’s eyes were drawn to the shiny piece of plastic laying flat next to her drink. “I mean, I’m a time traveler from the future. That’s how I know.”

“Oh. I... uh... forgot I gave that to the bartender.” She grabbed her license and clumsily shuffled it back into her purse. Rachel’s posture and lack of eye contact betrayed her sudden discomfort. She grabbed her short cocktail and chugged it quickly, stopping short of slamming the now drained glass of ice back on the bar. “Thanks for the drink.” Rachel stood up, gathered her coat and her purse, and walked briskly away.

Brian knew better than to go after her. Trying to smooth things over in the parking lot was always a swift end to his day. He had been hit by cars, had machinery crush him, gotten shot accidentally in a police standoff, and his personal favorite: choked on an olive from a martini he drank a bit too hastily. 43 times he had chased after Rachel out of the bar, and 43 times his least favorite day had restarted back to him waking up from a 2:00pm nap.

It had only taken 2 or 3 original loops for Brian to recognize that he was in a Groundhog Day situation. Some unknown power was forcing him to relive the same day over and over again, just like Bill Murray in that classic comedy. Once upon a time, Brian had counted it among his favorite movies. Not so much anymore.

Brian stuck around the bar for a few more minutes before hearing the familiar sound of gunfire in the distance and someone crashing through the main door to take cover inside.

“Get the fuck down!” The man yelled at the mostly empty bar before returning fire at his pursuers.

Brian sat up a little straighter on his stool before realizing he had miscounted by one stool. He had enough time to -

“Brian! Hello? Are you sleeping?” Brian jolted awake, looked around, and saw the conference room around him, a stark contrast to the dimly lit bar he was in a moment before.

“Damnit, 6 stools from the left not 5.” Brian stood up, no longer bothering to make excuses for his strange behavior in front of his colleagues. None of them followed him out of the meeting any of the other times he left and this time wouldn’t be any different.

He made his way out to his car, got in, and turned on the radio. At this point he had most of the stations memorized, but he hadn’t listened to jazz for a few months. Miles Davis filled the car with just the distraction Brian was looking for. He checked his phone and saw just below the clock was the number 1,546. It had taken him longer than he cared to admit to realize that his phone was counting his time loops, but he almost preferred his months of ignorance. The counter made the whole situation feel much more sinister, as if it was a test that he just couldn’t pass. He laid back in his car and started to think back to his many failures and plan his next attempt.

The very first time Brian locked eyes with Rachel, he choked to death on the banana he was eating. Feeling surprise for the first time in many, many cycles, he found Rachel earlier in his next try to see if it was a fluke. This time Brian was able to at least introduce himself before a rock shot out by a nearby lawnmower ended that cycle.

Brian had been repeating this same day for years, but only discovered Rachel in the last few months. Everything that Brian had done for those years would be reset at midnight, looping him back to his mid-meeting nap. But interacting with Rachel always led to dying early in the day. This wasn’t like the times he had killed himself himself or been gunned down by the police for going on a rampage. Approaching her felt... different. Dangerous. Like putting together a puzzle with its pieces scattered in a minefield. But her presence was the first time the rules of his curse were impacted, leading him to believe she was the key to his escape.

Brian had set a rule after a dozen or so run-ins with Rachel and the early deaths that followed that he had to take at least 1 day off for every 3 times he went after her. Only once did he find her in an “off” day, which was when he drunkenly stumbled into that shithole bar looking to relax. Instead he learned where Rachel was from 4-5pm and took a dart to the temple from the 85 year old regular.

Brian has been able to sketch out a pretty accurate timeline of Rachel’s whereabouts, with several untimely deaths to thank for it. 2-4pm Work (Accountant’s office) 4-5pm Shithole Bar 5-5:30pm Driving home 5:30-6:30pm Dinner with her live-in mom 6:30-7:30pm Relax 7:30-8pm Jeopardy 8-10pm Laundry 10-11pm Shower/Get ready But after 11pm was still an unknown to Brian. His few attempts to follow her as she left her house in a hurry had all been cut short before she reached her destination. And since he always looped back at midnight, her last hour was largely a mystery to him. But maybe, just maybe, that last hour might be key to breaking the cycle once and for all.

Tonight he placed a GPS tracker on her car while she was at the bar, then followed along on his phone from a very safe distance. A small part of his mind thought about just how easy it was to stalk someone in this day and age, but mostly he was just happy to have some forward movement. When the time finally rolled around, he followed along as her car went... nowhere in particular. A park perhaps? He drove to within eyesight of the spot marked on the map and saw Rachel on a wooden bench looking over the moonlit lake. Brian thought this was a bit anticlimactic, but was happy for the new information. He waited in his car until 11:55pm, then got out and approached her quietly.

“Beautiful night tonight.”

Rachel practically jumped off the bench. “Jesus, you scared me!”

Brian held up his hands apologetically. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to, just wanted to appreciate the view and saw you had the same idea.”

Rachel looked hesitant but took him at his word. “It’s a little chilly for my taste, but no matter how often I come here I never get tired of the lake in the moonlight. It amazes me that people take it for granted.”

Brian nodded. “It’s definitely beautiful. I admit, I’m usually one of the people that takes it for granted.”

“Well what’s different about tonight then?” Rachel checked the time on her phone as she asked.

“Good question. I’m wondering that myself. Maybe something told me this is where I’m supposed to be tonight.” Brian smiled.

“Ha! Does that line usually work?” Rachel rolled her eyes at him.

“Had to try, no?” But when he blinked, Rachel was nowhere to be seen. Neither was the lake. He was in the conference room with his colleagues looking at him quizzically.

“Had to try what? Were you dreaming or something? What are you talking about?” Brian’s boss looked puzzled.

Brian sighed. “Fuck. That would’ve been too easy.” He went straight to a bar across town and drank himself stupid. At least he knew where she spent her final hour of the day. It was time for a renewed effort at her. Brian spent a few more cycles meeting her in different situations. After a while he stopped dying quite as tragically or quite as early. But still the cycle continued.

Soon his rule about resting between Rachel cycles was tossed out the window. Every cycle was a Rachel cycle. He dove into her life and her world with the full force of his being. They had fun, they did good, they did bad, they watched Jeopardy with her mom, and eventually he even made it to the lake with her. Until he fell in and drowned at 11:45pm. He decided to fully immerse himself into what had to be the solution to his problem. It had to be her. It had to be. Nothing else mattered. No one else.

Days passed.

Weeks.

Months.

Brian died less, sure. But he would sometimes get his timing wrong. He would change up their day and find a new death. Or sometimes he was just plain sloppy.

Years passing felt like an eternity to him. He had tried everything by this point. He had asked every question, done every task, tried anything and everything with her to get the day to pass.

He checked his phone. 4,057. He had been at this for over a decade. He had been chasing Rachel around for the majority of it.

“Fuck.”

“What’s wrong?” Rachel looked away from the moonlit lake and over at him surprised.

“I can’t. I can’t. I fucking can’t. I can’t do this. I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” Brian couldn’t even look at her as he spoke.

“Me? What are you talking about?”

Brian turned and locked eyes with her. “I’ve tried everything. I’ve done everything. I’ve given you perfect days. I’ve bared my soul. I’ve been your friend, boyfriend, partner, any of them. But it never works. Nothing ever works. And every time, I have to come find you again. Every time, I have to remember a decade of what I’ve already tried and done and learned. Every time, I have to avoid a million bizarre death traps lying in wait. Insane doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel. Or maybe it did once. But now? Now, I have nothing left.”

Rachel stood up in disbelief. “I don’t know what you think this is...”

“I know exactly what it is. Every single cycle I like you less. Every single time I repeat this god-forsaken day I dread having to come find you. I can barely stand to look at you now. All the thousands of times I died, bits of my soul must have died with me. I’m empty. And I blame you.”

Brian took a pause before continuing. “You are boring. You are sad. And you are small. I don’t know what cruel demon forced us together, but every second I spend with you I am in Hell.” Brian was shaking from the release of his pent-up anger and frustration.

Rachel was in shock. She stood wordlessly for a few moments before she spoke. “How dare you. How fucking dare you. Asshole. I don’t ever want to see you again.” She got in her car and drove away in a hurry.

Brian barely registered that she was gone. He was busy staring at his phone. 12:04am. 12:04AM?!?! It still read 4,057 below the time, but now below that was a brand new 1. He had done it! He had crossed to tomorrow. Tomorrow was today. All that time and energy and experience had led him out of the day he had lived thousands of times over. But after the initial shock of his success wore off, he was left to wonder: What had finally done it? What was the lesson? And why was there a new counter on his phone?

Somewhere not so far away, Rachel drove away dismayed. Brian’s anger directed at her had shocked her more than she cared to admit. She had been on a really good streak without ever forgetting to reset him. But that’s ok, she told herself. There’s an infinite number of tomorrows I can keep from him. She smiled at the thought. She was already having so much fun, and she had an eternity to have more...

submitted by /u/obliviateme [link] [comments] via Blogger https://ift.tt/37SVmMa

[mayvelous]

Roadtrip to New Hamsphire 2019

Left around 10am Thursday morning and stopped at Dunkin for coffee and donuts. Drove to Springfield, MA and had lunch at Taste of Lebanon before heading to Hannaford for some goldfish snacks. Then we explored Dartmouth University at Hanover, NH. It felt very preppy. People were dressed in golf clothings walking around campus and eating miniature size ice cream from cups. Lots of people that tends to stare at others that walk by with inquisitive looks. Jeremy called them a bunch of psychos and that all they were missing were white wigs. Look who’s judging now...

We then drove straight to the bed and breakfast to check in at the Horse and Hound Inn in Franconia, NH. The place had a very old fashion countryside feel to it. You walk right into a living space with s fireplace. If you got further in there is library with books and games. On the other side there is a very small tavern before you get to a large dinner area. There is also an outdoor patio and green space. They had a small kitchen garden which was very cute. The only thing I didn’t like was that we were upgraded to a larger room that was right by the staircase with windows facing the roadside. Although there weren’t too many cars, we would hear them if they drove by. The good thing was that we felt as if we were the only ones there. Although we did see 2 other group of guests during breakfast the next morning. Grabbed dinner at Shillings beer brewing company at Littleton, NH that night. It was a cute small town that we would like to go back too and stay at. We had the best meal at this place. Jeremy says 5 out of 5. Jeremy said his beer was amazing. We ordered chicken maple pizza and a Mac and cheese with bacon. The pizza was indescribably delicious. Have to go back just for that! I was initially a little annoyed at the wait for the food, but the pizza was so good all was forgiven after the first bite. We then walked to the covered bridge and took in the view of the river.

Friday morning after breakfast (scrambled eggs, bacon, oj, fruit and coffee) we left around 9ish for Mt Lafayette trailhead. Due to the rain we didn’t start the Franconia Ridge Loop until 9:45 ish. \

The hike was pretty steep at some points. You go thru lots of different climate zones. It’s very cool. Parts of it reminded us of the hike in Portland, OR. Mostly because of the luscious and vibrant green moss. It still felt like forever before we reached the greenleaf hut around 12:15pm (2.9 miles in) where I got lentil soup and some baked goods for just $2 each! The baked goods were so tasty. Jeremy said the soup was unnecessary and just slowed us down. But I thought it was worth it. We restarted the hike around 12:45pm and took a little over an hr to reach Mt. Lafayette summit (1.1 miles from the hut) at 1:50pm. During this time We reached the alpine zone. It went from sweet smelling pine Christmas to no trees and most rocky terrain. When we got to the top, the wind turned from light breeze to a heavier and more forceful wind. At one point it nearly pushed me over. The wind would come and go pretty suddenly. Long sleeves wind jacket is definitely recommended here. The ridge was 1.7 miles long with the best views! This was probably the least strenuous part of the hike with awesome 360 views. We were above the clouds for almost all of this part and it’s mountain range all around. Would come back just for that. Making the hike and entire trip worth it. There were lots of wild blueberry bushes that caught Jeremy’s eyes. And yes we had a bunch! At 3:45pm we reached the falling water trail with 3.2 miles to go. The 2 hours on the ridge went by quick. Jeremy said it was a very breezy 2 hours both literally and figuratively. At this point we were extremely sore. The hike down was the most brutal! Extremely hard on the knees! Basically it was vertically straight down. Lots of climbing where I had to use my hands for support. Two third of the way down, we finally started seeing the falling water. This was a whole new battle since things got much more slippery. We had to crisscross the “falling water” on large slippery rock surfaces several times. Falling water turned into falling Jeremy when he slipped during one of the crisscross. It was like the loop wanted to body slam Jeremy before he got off. “When Jeremy fell his lightening quick reflexes perked up and he was able to land In such a way to avoid Any injuries.” By this point my left ankle was extremely swollen and my right knee was throbbing with sharp pain. At the last 30 min of the hike I was limping to the finish line. No joke! We finally reached the end of the trail at around 7pm. This was the Toughest hike since Nepal. Thank goodness there was still some daylight. The total hike was 9 hrs and 23 min with several food and photo breaks. If we removed all breaks it would probably still have taken us 8.5 hours. We then drove to North Conway (~1 hr drive) and grab a quick dinner at Dairy Queen before going to the new BnB - Darby Field Inn for the night. 

We were so sore after the hike that we decided not to do anymore hiking for the rest of the trip. So on Saturday after breakfast (frittata pancakes bacon muffin oj coffee) we went to the settlers green outlet mall. I bought a new pair of work shoes from g h bass, 2 work shirts from express outlet, a sport bra and compression leggings from under armor. We stopped at the Met cafe for lunch and got paninis and coffee. The chicken were very dry. Do not eat here. I got a heath bar latte which was very sweet and tasty. I initially read the menu incorrectly and thought it was health. Then I asked Jeremy why it was called a health bar latte when it was chocolate and toffee. Jeremy threw his head back and laughed full heartedly and said “it’s a heath bar not a health bar” and then proceeded to lecture me to go get my eyes checked when we get back. Jeremy also liked his coffee so maybe only stop there for drinks. We also made a stop at Trails End Ice Cream and got the largest kiddie size homemade ice cream scoop in a sugar cone ever! It was seriously ridonkelicious. Another 5 out of 5 in Jeremy’s book. 

Afterward we walked around the main strip of North Conway. We bought a new soap dish holder and pine soap from Zed’s general store. A Very cute and charming vintage/retro looking store that sold a whole bunch of local products and gifts. In the back there was an inactive old local soda bar area, on the side it sold lots of chocolate and sweets. they also offered local canned foods and health and beauty products. We also checked out the front of the North Conway train station. Looks like they were having a large lawn market. But by the time we were there around 6:30pm all the shops were closed. We attempted to eat dinner at Delaney hole in the wall restaurant (looked like a fancier place) but the wait for too long so we had food at the Almost there bar which was much closer to our BnB instead. The bar had huge portions. A huge bud light was 2.5! My fish and chip barely fit on the plate. After getting back to the inn there was a lightning storm that passed thru. The thunder was very loud. After the storm passed we went downstairs to hang out at the living space. There was a table game where you try to get 2 small balls thru a maze and into the center. I was only able to get one into the center at a time. Jeremy gave up trying in 15 seconds. 

This morning we woke up around 8am had breakfast before leaving. They had a different type of meat frittata this morning. Yesterday we had the sausage, today was ham and potatoes. They also had blueberry muffins instead of the cranberry from yesterday. We also had very delicious blueberry and banana pancakes today. We packed up and left Darby inn for the ride home at 9:45am. So far we stopped at hannaford supermarkets to pick up blueberry pop and smuttynose beer. Which a day earlier, jeremy declared loudly that he would never buy a beer with the name smutty in it. We also stopped at the gas station twice got Mountain Dew and old fashion donuts. Traffic is pretty bad with lots of stop and go. Got home around 5pm.  

[mytravelaffair]

Svalbard! Yes, is Svalbard. I have never heard of this place before.

This was going to be my third marathon. If not because of this marathon, I totally have no idea where Svalbard is. OMG — my geography is so bad!

Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole. Yes, it’s about 1,600km from the North Pole. One of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas, it’s known for its rugged, remote terrain of glaciers and frozen tundra sheltering polar bears, Svalbard reindeer and Arctic foxes. The Northern Lights are visible during winter. For most of the year, it’s cloaked in in darkness but during summer from June to August, it’s the total opposite and it’s sunlight 24 hours a day — the so-called “midnight sun” phenomenon.

Honestly, it did not come to my mind to research what kind of marathon it was going to be. I was like, “Ok, it’s another marathon in summer, so it’s going to be warm and there will be many runners. I just have to complete the race before the 6-hour cutoff time.” OK, onz! Let’s go.

The race fell on Saturday, 2 June 2018. Training schedule is drafted out, and we decide to start our training pretty early this time in January – 5 months instead of the usual 3 month ramp-up. Spitsbergen Marathon But this time it’s different, we are not aiming for any PB. The idea is to run “together” for the first 21km (so we can take photos together). I will be the one to lead.

Starting from January, my daily weekend routine is always a carbo dinner on Friday night with lots of pasta, after our run is lor mee and more lor mee.

Saturday will be a long run, Sunday I will go for a 2-hour yoga session of stretching and core training. This continued for 4 months and by the time May came around, I was getting physically and mentally exhausted. And with the weather getting hotter, it was making it even more harder to complete my long runs.

Even my DIY self treatment is also become more creative… wahahaha.

It came to a point where I felt so sick of training and I just don’t feel like running. Luckily my husband, sister and brother-in-law who run and train with me, encouraged and supported me. At least, I am not alone.

As race day inched closer, I checked what Svalbard weather was like as well as the running route. PDF for Spitsbergen Marathon Program. Program_spitsbergen_marathon_2018_9 Oh man, it’s less than 10 degrees in Svalbard even during summer time. Damn, I have never run in such cold weather before. Questions like “What is the right attire to wear?”, “How many layers do we need?”, “Do we run with gloves and beanie” started to surface at the back of my mind.

Adding to the pressure, there are only 140 runners and there are the only 6 Asians which include the four of us and 2 from Hong Kong. Ohhh, what a “big event” this is going to be.

Many of my friends asked me, “Why go to such a place to run, is there no other place to run anymore?” and “You must be mad?”. LOL. For many years, our overseas trips always revolved around running. So to me, this trip is just another running event.

After all the training and preparation, finally the day has come. We decide to reach Svalbard a few days earlier to allow us to acclimatise. We are well prepared and equipped — we completed our training schedule and look at the number of bags we carried!

Our first stop is Oslo, Norway and from there, it’s a domestic 1-hour flight to Svalbard and the town of Longyearbyen. The view during the descent is so spectacular — the whole archipelago as far as the eye could see is covered in white.

When we arrived the airport, we are greeted by a big polar bear. Wow! I am excited.

When I step out the airport, I immediately feel the cold, biting wind sting my face. Oh man, it’s c-o-l-d here.

From the airport, it was a short 10-minute bus ride to our Airbnb apartment, and when we entered, I was greeted by a majestic view of the ocean framed by the gorgeous backdrop of snow-capped mountains — all from the warmth and cosiness of our living room. It was so serene, so peaceful, so beautiful — I was blown away. The view of the mountains, the calmness of the sea and the quietness of the surrounding, it was so amazing. And the bonus — an outdoor porch with our own private area of beach and outdoor jacuzzi! We are going to stay for one week. Yippppppeee!

Before the race, we kept busy by visiting the abandoned Russian mining settlement of Pyramiden and we also decided to do a 6km warm-up run to make sure we had the right running attire for the coming race. Somehow, I enjoyed the cold air while running.

On the eve of the race, we walked 15-minutes from our apartment to collect our race pack at one and only sports centre in Longyearbyen (population of just 2,000) in the evening. It’s the first time we don’t need to queue to collect our race pack! And there is only one booth selling event merchandise, that’s it. Indeed a small scale event, but enough to the get the small town buzzing.

We head back to our apartment for our final carbo loading meal — pasta mixed with vegetables and a tray of baked potatoes and breadcrumbed chicken fillets.

Before I head to bed for an early rest, I laid out my running gear for the big race.

Next day, I wake up to a dark and gloomy morning, with not much sun. Luckily, the race starts at 1030am. Why at this hour? Because it will be warmer — mornings in Svalbard can be as low as zero degrees in the morning. (see the photo below)

Indeed, this marathon is a small scale event. We walk to the start point, where a small crowd of runners and their supporters had gathered. As the weather is too cold to stand outside and with only 140 participants, we wait indoors at a nearby sports hall — no need to fight to be in the first line after all. Wahahaha, thats happens if we running in Singapore? We need to be wiggle our way to the front to be as close to the start line as possible.

I can see all the runners are well prepared, most of them from European countries where they experience cold weather but for us, I predict it will be a big challenge.

I never experience running in such freezing conditions. I have to keep in my mind that i have to run slow and try not to stop (if possible) because it will be too cold to walk.

The race starts at 1030am sharp, and straight away, we come against a steep slope but all the “ang moh” runners didn’t even slow their pace, instead they start running faster. After just 500m, we find ourselves last and bringing up the rear. I do feel pressure as we are really far away from the rest even though the race just started. However, our plan is to stick together for the first 21km (to take photos). I make sure I maintain a constant and comfortable pace of 6:30 min/km.

Well, as usual my sister, Jennifer finds a good female “ang moh” pacer big enough to block the cold, biting wind (she is to replace me, so I can conserve my energy). Our group of four fall into a line behind the female pacer and we follow her for a good 5km or more.

Along the way, we take many nice photos. This is the most beautiful race I have ever run. We soon lose our pacer as we are too busy taking photos.

and we drop even further behind the main pack of runners. I thought as long as we are maintaining a good pace we will definitely able to catch up with the rest. I was wrong. They are so good. Maybe, what we all say “ang moh” are really good in running. Hahahaha….

This race is indeed a strange, lonely experience. There are no crowds to cheer me on (not like the previous year in Kagoshima, Japan where town folk line the streets of the entire 42-km course). Around 18km, we come back to the town of Longyearbyen and there are still no crowds to cheer me… hahahaha, indeed a quiet race from the beginning.

The route then leads us outside the main town area and soon, snow mountains appear right in front of me. WOW! what a view. The snow-capped mountains are so close and so beautiful.

This is the most scenic view ever. Running along such view is so therapeutic, so peaceful but however the 2km is quite a challenge too. I was running against the cold winds. It was strong. And there are less than 3 runners keeping me company during this lonely stretch of the race.

The marathon route consists of 2 21-km loops. At 21km, there is a drinking station so I decide to eat more banana and chocolate (the only food they provide during the race). I wanted to increase my pace to catch up with some runners at the U-turn bend but honestly, I can’t catch up with any of them. No one walk in this race! My GOD! They are really good.

I maintain a good pace for the next 10km. I make sure my breathing and my heart beat is constant. I don’t feel exhausted at this point but I start to notice a tightness in my upper right thigh. Near the 25km mark, I manage to overtake my brother-in-law after we took some photos together.

. Another 5km passed without incident but at the 30km mark, during the start of a few uphill slope as we re-enter the town area, I felt myself slowing down. The upward climb made my right hamstring burn unbearably and it was becoming worse and worse. I tell myself not to stop till the end of the slope, with the reward to allow myself to rest my legs before the final 8km. Yes, I stopped to rest, and immediately regretted it. My right upper thigh started to cramp and when I tried to run again, my legs just wouldn’t listen. I start limping as I tried to run. “Oh shit, not this time!”, I tell myself. At this time, Gee Sin (my brother-in-law) overtakes me. Damn, but he motivate me to increase my pace even through I am in pain. Unbelievably, the more I ran, the pain and cramp started to fade. But, in my mind, I was thinking how long can I sustain this? I try to focus on my breathing and try not to think of the pain, so I manage another good 5km along the coastline without stopping. I saw the final drinking station and stopped to hydrate. Regretted, that’s it! There goes the final 4km. I couldn’t get started again as my legs just totally wouldn’t listen. I walked/run the final 4km

. and from my vantage point, I saw the last five runners including Jeff. As I had stopped running, I started getting cold and started shivering. I was struggling. I kept double-checking my watch to make sure I would make the 6-hour cut-off time.

Finally, I reached the final kilometre and I forced myself to run for a good finish. Still there are no crowds to cheer me up except for a few runners who had completed the race and were heading back home or to their hotels. Finally, I see the familiar sight of the finishing line (it’s the same as the start point) and I cross the finishing line. I am so happy, I feel like crying. My sister, who had finished earlier, came to greet me with a hug and we take some photos together.

.

I am not the last and I take a look at my watch: 4.15pm, 15 minutes before the cutoff time. Jeff still nowhere in sight. We all waited. Most runners had already left and the organisers were starting to dismantle poles, banners and flags. I prayed to myself, “Jeff, please make it”. Finally, we heard his name over the PA system and we are so excited, we rush out to greet him.

We all make it! YIPPPPPPEEE …

This race will stay long in my memory. Compared to the previous 2 overseas marathons in Japan, this was a stark contrast. This race had many up slopes and even some trail terrain. It was cold but luckily there was no rain. And the most strangest part is there was no one along the street to cheer you on. It was you battling against the elements.

As we slowly walked back to our apartment, I could barely walk, similar to what I had faced after the Kagoshima marathon. Both legs were cramping up, I was shivering due to the biting cold and somehow, we eventually made it back to the warmth and cosiness of our apartment. At the end of the day, it made us stronger mentally and physically. After a hot shower and a quick noodle soup for dinner, we all turned in for an early night, exhausted and grateful for a warm, cosy bed.

Am done. But will never forget you.

Spitsbergen Marathon 2018: My best and coolest ever race Svalbard! Yes, is Svalbard. I have never heard of this place before. This was going to be my third marathon.

[economistontherun]

I loved the swim! aka Who am I?

On my adventure to my first Ironman, the Philly Escape Series Olympic distance triathlon was my first race of the tri season. This is my third attempt at swimming this race. The swim was cancelled both times prior. It is in my backyard so I can bike to the start and I know the bike and run course well. My coach put my goal as a hard training day to get more experience in an open water river swim, get comfortable with my new Liv Avow tri bike and focus on perceived effort and heart rate, and finish with a strong run. I was so excited to race with my tri club friends and the great people of Philadelphia. 

Race Prep - Night Before

I find the process of making lists, collecting and categorizing my gear and finally putting it into piles and packing it my bag to be soothing to the pre-race chimp brain. I check off the items as I pile them and then cross it off when I put it in the bag. At my first No Limits Endurance Ironman Training Camp in Lake Placid, I was thrilled to know that others share my freakish organizational quality. 

I like this Training Peaks print out with the space for goals on the top :-) 

Nutrition & Breakfast

Notes for nutrition and directives for T1 & T2 in a zip lock for transition set up (I’m such a dork). 

Dinner @ 6:30 pm

2 slices of Pizza, cheese and crackers, Founders All Day IPA & water with Nuun

Breakfast @ 3:30 am 

6:30 am start for the race (more on that later) with 5:30 am transition closing 

1 plain bagel with peanut butter

1 coffee black

1 bottle of water with Nuun lime flavor

Banana at 5:00 am 

1 non-caffeine Peanut Butter GU at 5:50 am pre- swim 

- The swim start was rolling and I didn’t get in water until 7:00 am. I was hungry & I grabbed a half a banana from a table. You do crazy things when you are hungry. 

Nutrition Plan for race

Swim - 1 Gu pre race start - (this was not enough and I have to figure this out. I saw a woman taking shot blocks into the swim tucked under her wetsuit..hmmm. I will have an opportunity to try this again in the 5K OWS swim in July. I have time to get this right for IMLOU. 

T1 - Salted Carmel GU with water

Bike - 90 minute bike bottle - 4 scoops of Perpetuem and 12 oz of water for 4 3 oz sips every 20 minutes

2 bottles of water with Lime Nuun 

T2 - Salted Carmel GU 

Run - 1 Salted Carmel GU and water on course (no gatorade) 

Swim

The swim start was a 3/4 mile walk north of transition on the Schuylkill River. It was a self seeded rolling start with a downstream 1500 meter swim. The swim was organized with many canoes & even scuba divers. I felt really safe in there. Any of my anxiety from the swim melted away as I walked with my T3 tri club members and started talking to two women doing their first triathlon. I self seeded at the back of the 35/front of 40 minute group. It was wetsuit legal for my sleeveless and it was exactly the right choice for 74.8 degrees. 

I found that the cure for nerves was waiting around long enough that you just want to get in the water and swim! The swim was great. I didn’t have the shock of the water hitting me when I jumped in. I just got in (the bottom felt a bit weird on my feet) and I started my rhythm breathing from the right 3 breaths, then switch to the left for 3 breaths. I did have the sensation that I wanted to get it over fast, but I put myself back in my box of one buoy at a time. I loved that the distance on the buoys counted down instead of up. 

I wasn’t touched by anyone except when I touched another swimming trying to pass them. Yes, ME, passing someone!!! I felt myself moving into what felt like a steady effort and got better as the swim went on. 

I started out to the left of the buoys and then made my way back toward the buoy line. I even found a yellow line connecting them and followed that without having to sight as often. I swam really straight after that! There was a point that I realized how much the swims in Mirror Lake helped me to handle the water in the river. There was one section of chop and I visualized the swim that was really choppy and I calmed down and kept at it. 

It was the coolest thing to be swimming under the Columbia Bridge and seeing the college crew logos from the water that I always see them on Kelly Drive. It was so much fun!!!! 

PR for the distance: 1500 meters 32:48 (2:00/100 yards) my Garmin had 1:57/100

Reflection: In the future I would seed myself in the 30-35 minute wave. This would help me to get out of the water faster and not be one of the last athletes off the bike and on the run. (Need to figure out calories better with a contingency plan for delayed start).

T1 - Gotta speed this one up - 3:42

I knew where my bike was and had my crib sheet to get going quickly, but I had trouble getting my wetsuit off my ankles. I think I’ll be trying Pam on my ankles next time. Thinking back on it, I definitely “toodle” and in part that I treated this T1 like a 70.3 T1 and not trust that I have everything I need. 

Bike 

Got on the bike and took a caffeinated salted caramel GU. 

The bike is two loops through Fairmount Park. I know this route and the hills. This is a benefit in that I know when the hills end although I found myself looking forward to the hills, shifting into a lighter gear and keeping my HR in the desired zone. I know it is the correct approach but I really can’t stand getting crushed by people on the hills. I suspect that what is happening with my bike is what happened when I first starting training with heart rate and running. There was a disconnect between pace and HR, but now it is dialed in. The same thing will happen as I continue to train. 

This was the first race with my new bike “Louise.” I went into it wanting to reach my target HR, keep a cadence around 80-85 on average, anticipate shifting and avoid the klunk and drink and eat throughout. 

My secret goal was to finish in under 90 minutes, but that will come. I was able to take the downhills with much more control. Brake before the turns instead of in them, work the flats in aero and have one heck of a great time riding my bike outside with so many people in MY CITY! My average speed was better too! 

I got to see my biggest supporter, my husband, at the top of one of the hills! It made my day to see him there. At the second loop, he said - PUT the HAMMER DOWN. I laughed because this is an inside joke about the size of the Hammer fuel containers in our house. 

I felt like my nutrition was on point. I need to check my watch because it didn’t go off every 20 minutes and I ended up taking a sip at the end of the ride. I don’t know if this impacted my run at all. I had a GU right when I got off the bike. 

I am super stoked over my bike handling in hydration. When the front torpedo needed to be filled, I decided to fill it with the bottle behind my seat when I was going up hill. Slow enough to change the bottle, yet enough momentum to allow for balance. I did it! I even yelled “Woo Hoo!” It’s a challenge to get that bottle in the back container blind. Victory! 

This was a great bike! I had so much fun on this ride! I pushed the entire time and learned that I am totally capable of doing that! Lots of room for improvement and this ride was a view of what is to come. 

PR for Distance: 40k 1:33:24 

Louise’s first race! So much fun!!!! Photo Credit: Gerard

T2- Less thinking and more automatic moving - 2:11

Triathlon is not a glamour sport when it comes to putting your body through the paces. I was well hydrated and as soon as I got off my bike, I peed myself. Yup. Just like that. Never had that happen before. Saved a trip to the portopot. I had an extra bottle of water that I washed myself off with and away I went. I laughed as I exited run out thinking of how Maria (my fearless coach) was going to laugh at this story. 

Run

This is an out and back two loops of the 5k run right on the surface of the sun. I should be able to crush this course, but not today. I stuck to my plan taking it easy for the first mile until I got my legs under me. It took longer this time than when I remember before. I used my mantras from the “Calm the F*** Down” book to push back the heavy legs. I should be able to run faster. I managed to do a progression run and my HR was between Zone 2 & 3 but I still felt like there was part of this run that I could have mentally pushed. I counted to 100 over and over on the 2nd loop and it made it go by faster. 

It was hot (91 degrees). I kept drinking water and putting it over my head. My shoes were so wet the insole moved and if the run was any longer I would have had a blister issue. No gatorade on the run, it made my stomach flip over the idea of drinking it. I had some cramping in my belly, thought maybe it was salt or calories so I took a GU. 

I passed so many people who were doing the sprint or were barely running at this point. I just wanted to go faster and then maybe I was good with where I was. It is hard to say. I find it very difficult to go into the same pain cave I can tolerate or set my mind to endure 5K or 5 mile running race. It is a challenge to get my adrenaline to the same level during the run in a triathlon. I still have a lot to learn about this portion of the race. 

The other thing about this race is that there are athletes already on the run course when riders like me are heading into the second loop of the bike. Riders pass them on the course. The bulk of the athletes seem to be on the run course when I have about 2 miles to go on the bike. I actually said out loud - this is your race and only your race, you are going to PR today! They are all running their own races. This put me back into the driver’s seat of my own awesome day!  

Later, when I was riding home, I saw people still finishing up the run course. They were awesome! We are all awesome. We got to swim, ride bikes and run. I am always grateful and think of how my mom would love to be running again, but her body won’t let her. It inspires me. Gerard and I are so fortunate to be able to do what we love and support each other. How can we not smile? 

10k Run  - Negative Split :-) 53:27 

Total Finish Time: 3:05:30 - 6 minute PR for Olympic Distance 

Next stop - a first - a 5K swim..... In other words - “Clear Your Mind of Can’t.” 

Victories:

Great open water swim! No anxiety and was able to get to steady pace.

Safely and successfully filled front water bottle & returned back bottle into cage.

Hit my HR targets for bike and pushed through the times when my mind and body wanted to relax and settle in. 

Road over the crest of the hill & other bike skills

Ran a negative split/progression run for 10k

Kept positive even when it got tough 

Had so much fun & I am really believing in my success to become an Ironman in Louisville. 

[thejerkstorecalled]

Race Report: Ironman 70.3 St George 2018

Every time I start a race report, I think that it’s going to be short. I think this one really might be 😊 after I get through the prologue!

The preamble is that I first raced Ironman 70.3 St George in 2015 and got completely Tyson’d (“everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face”). It’s the race performance I’m least proud of, definitely for the distance and maybe ever. I debated whether or not I would ever race there again. After completing fourteen different half-distance triathlons without repeating the same race, options were fewer, especially if you’re looking to fill a certain hole in your scheduled via a North American race. Mid-season in 2017, I repeated a super-tough Olympic in the mountains that I originally raced in 2015 and was able to bike seven minutes faster and even run the super-hilly run course slightly faster. I realized it was time to return to St George for redemption.

I took a look back at finish times – my own at various races, and others at this race – and put together a plan to take at least 20 minutes off my 2015 time. This is what that looked like.

It helps for me to write down my goals, to maintain focus and stay honest with myself. I also like to do weird things, like when it’s time to update all my many work account passwords and I’m out of options, I use race goals. For instance: CIM310 (check) or STG525 (check, check). Of course these aren’t the exact or complete passwords, it would be silly to give way my syntax publicly on the interwebs. With this sneaky and ever-present tactic, you remember your goal every damn day and think about how badly it would suck not to hit the time that you can’t get out of your head.

Okay, onto the race!

Michael and I flew into Vegas two days pre-race, and drove to St George just in time to check in and pick up our bikes before Ironman village closed on Thursday. He noticed a new issue with his head unit, so had planned to hit up bike tech early Friday before driving some loops of the course as a refresher and doing our shake-outs. No big surprises in driving the course, mostly just subbed in a new out-and-back on the bike course.

We arrived right on schedule to Sand Hollow Reservoir where the swim and T1 (swim -> transition area) were set up to do a shakeout ride on the first five miles of the bike course and splash around a bit to remember what 60* water temps feel like. At 1.27 miles, my chain got mangled. Usually I can sort it, but this was pretty bad. Michael couldn’t get it either, so he had to ride back to get our rental van so that we could take my bike to bike tech all the way back in the town of St George where Ironman Village was.

The bike mechanics had to take apart my chain rings to get my chain sorted and let me know that I needed to replace the chain rings (after the race, this was beyond their race venue scope). This was frustrating since I’d had quite a bit of bike work done a month prior, with a full tune-up and new cabling among other things. Bike te also advised me to ride conservatively the next day. Not at all what I wanted to hear!

By this time, it was approaching 4 PM. Our bikes were due for check-in by 5 PM, all the way back at the reservoir. I did a super-short ride near bike tech in case of further issues, and tested the gearing. I was able to shift into my small chain ring, a requisite for riding a course as hilly as this one! I was still super-nervous. By this time, my goal was to ride conservatively enough to finish the bike course.

We made the bike check deadline with a bit of time to spare, and I was able to squeeze in a short run on reservoir trails and a swim to the first buoy and back. A really epic four-minute shake-out swim!

It was time to get cleaned up and eat something before bed time. For simplicity, we just decided to eat at our hotel bar knowing that it likely wouldn’t be crowded and we wouldn’t need to get very fancy or drive anywhere. We ended up having tasty bites and drinks with two guys from Normatec – one of which was the guy who raced all the Ironman events wearing fireman gear on the run and the other was a former pro who still dabbles heavily in extensions of the sport.  A fun way to shake off a stressful day.

BTW would highly recommend out hotel: Hyatt Place. It was nice and new and smelled of fancy lotions like the hotels in Vegas usually do. The staff was super-friendly and helpful. The breakfast was legit. The snack options were delicious. The gym was on point. No complaints. I’ll also share the hotel tip that I imparted upon Michael from my semi-frequent travel experience: always carry a water bottle and refill it with the cold, filtered water in the hotel gym/fitness center to be eco-friendly and cost-efficient.

Race Day!

Up at 3:30 to get to the hotel-provided race breakfast at 4 (the bananas usually go fast). Since that leaves four hours until getting in the water given where I’d seed for the swim, here’s what I ate:

Ezekiel toast with almond butter

Banana

Zest Tea’s High Octane Green Tea

Chocolate Clif Gel and water (~30-45 min before swim start)

We parked near Ironman Village so that we could access T2 and take the Ironman shuttles to the swim start. We had to turn in our run bags the day prior but pro tip (from a total amateur): get in on race morning and remove your run gear from your bag, set it up to support a faster transition from bike to run.

Bike set up went quickly and was great to hang out with Sherpa Courtney and Competitor Mike before we filed into the start chute.

The Swim

I optimistically started right around the 36/37-minute swimmers. To be fair, I’ve had swims in this range and my pool times have been solid the last few months.

I jumped in the water without hesitation and was feeling pretty good. I thought I might be passing people but then I also realized I was too far to the left…again…so this might be me and not my sleeved wetsuit 😊. There were a lot of waves splashing me in the face and I was taking in a ton of water, woof. The second half of the swim, I definitely felt like I was getting passed, and for the final 3 – 4 buoys I knew I’d been in the water a long time and was expecting to see 38-40 on my swim clock.

This is wildly frustrating. I keep putting increasing effort into my swim training year over year, and I’m see gains in my pool times and enjoy swimming so much more than in the past. What used to be my all-out-and-Im-probably-drafting 100s are now my steady-race-paced-just-slower-than-Z3 100s; I was stoked when I – two or three years ago – was able to hold this pace for 200-300 yards at a time and now I’m holding it for 1000 continuous. But it’s not translating to open water swimming; my OWS times are not moving, and may even be digressing. I’ve been obsessing over if this has to do with a certain wetsuit or whether I breathe bilaterally or if I’m not swimming straight whereby adding on lots of distance and thus time. I have no idea; the results are far too mixed with no clear patterns:

The Bike

The bike went by fast. This course has a lot of different-feeling sections that are easy to mentally parse up and digest. It was fun and scenic, and the roads were good. I wish every bike course was like this!

I had to change gears pretty gingerly and less often than I wanted to in order to avoid a race-ending malfunction. This meant that I was often not in the gear I wanted to be in or in the gear that would help me ride faster for that section of the course, but I was in a safe/lower risk gear that meant I was more likely to get to T2 and the run portion.

I was proud of myself for smiling a lot, encouraging fellow competitors and riding bravely (I’ve been riding like a real pansy in training, on my tri bike, and wasn’t sure if/how I’d be able to “race” on it). And for remembering how to use my behind-the-saddle bottle holder and take bottles at the exchanges, things I haven’t practiced in about eight months! I think I put my helmet on weirdly because I had much less front-facing visibility that I usually do, and had to pick up my head more than was comfortable or optimal for aerodynamics, to ensure I wasn’t about to roll into anyone or anything. Otherwise, a smooth ride! I was elated to dismount without incident.

Bike Nutrition:

Two bottles each containing two scoops of custom Infinit and ~5 oz of Red Bull (mixed w water obvi)

Two lightly salted Yukon Gold potatoes

I took a water bottle at each of the three aid stations, chugging some and diluting/filling my bottles with some

The Run!

I took off out of T2 trying to just get relaxed and into an easy rhythm. Most of my training runs recently have been directly off the bike or weights where I needed a couple miles or a couple minutes to feel “normal” which was good precedent for this race where you come off a hilly bike course into a run that starts with 3 miles of real climbing. During this easy start, I mentally collected myself and devised a game plan: the more miles of “up” at the outset meant the less miles of effort and pain at the end. So in my mind, it was a ten mile run since the last 2.5 – 3 miles are downhill. I like to lie to myself and I always fall for it, ha!

I also planned to manage the climbs with a strong but controlled effort and then hammer the descents, pushing the cadence and high foot turnover as hard as I could. If you’ve ever run alongside me, you know what this must have sounded like because my feet literally pound the pavement. I hammered down loud and proud! I passed a lot of guys on the descents who were putting on the brakes and being timid about pounding and rolling down the hills – I know they’re carrying more lbs than I am, but guys, your quads will forgive you in a few days!

I was actually feeling good and happy and all those weird things. I was even called out by other racers for smiling stupidly on a dead-ish area of the course, just to myself! Also: science, smiling relaxes you and makes you go faster, so sometimes I force it in the name of science. Maybe it’s because I’ve done so many tough training runs/intervals on the treadmill getting serious mental training and zero air circulation. The breeze I felt from running outdoors, even in the exposed desert sun, was quite a treat.

I wasn’t watching my splits because on a run course like this, it’s just demoralizing. I mostly record for post-analysis. My watch band actually spontaneously broke in half and my watch fell off while I was running, and I almost didn’t go back for it. What a great excuse for a new watch for a girl who still uses a 6 YO Gamin 910 that’s on it’s third(?) band!

I told myself that once I was done climbing and everything left was downhill (about mile 10.5), I could check my watch to see average page and get some motivation to cut that down with some high cadence descending. The math was much better than I expected! The last 1.5 miles were tough, I was nervous that I might collapse or pass out and not make it to the finish line. I could see my pace petering a bit and kept trying to force the turnover because I knew I was staring down a run faster than I thought possible and wanted to see how low I could get it.

Run nutrition

One 25 mg caffeine Strawberry Clif gel

Water from aid stations; usually I like Coke on the run but I could tell that my body probably couldn’t handle any more caffeine without some kind of intestinal implosion or explosion

BTW – because it was hot, a lot of spectators were out with super soakers, spray bottles, etc and there was a mister on course. I know some people avoid these because they’re scared of blisters. Guys, just get better socks. The cold water is a lifesaver! I got a free pair of SmartWool socks in the swag bag for a trail race I did a few years ago and wore them in a 50k that included multiple stream crossings. Nary a blister. I’ve bought more of these socks and wear them when I know I might want to get wet 😊

Epilogue

I was happy to come well-below my goal time for the race overall and hit a time that I really didn’t think was possible even though my swim goal was off. I noticed that it was offset by faster transitions, so while I didn’t swim a lot faster, my increased swim fitness allowed me to feel super-fresh coming out of the water and “race” the transition to kick off the bike with gusto. Secretly, I did want to break 2:50 on the bike, so rode just where I wanted to despite not doing it exactly how I would have liked due to gearing issues. I would have been happy with anything <1:50 on the run, thinking that a perfect day would yield 1:45 on this course, so am pretty stoked with the run.

For my first 70.3 of the season each of the last three years, I’ve had some specific goals I developed in the preceding off season, and always hope to race near the top of my age group. I did that at Oceanside in 2016 (dern I miss the 30-34 AG ha ha!), and had designs on doing that at Coeur d’ Alene in 2017 and now this race. In both instances, I achieved a finish time that seemed like a real stretch and one that would’ve put me on the podium the previous year. Not sure if I raced in better conditions or against stronger fields each time, but dang, can a girl get a break? Maybe next time…

[themomsandthecity]

20 Things I Do Before 7:30 AM That Should Allow Me to Go Back to Bed at Noon

Mornings have never been my favorite. I'm a big sleeper whose kids seem to be intent on keeping me in a sleep-deprived state. Left to my own devices, I would snooze until at least 8 every morning, then spend a leisurely hour drinking coffee and getting ready for my day, and for years, that's exactly what I did. Then I had kids . . . These days, I have a first grader and a preschooler to get out the door every morning, and my daughter's bus arrives exactly at at 7:29 a.m., meaning I have to be out of bed and on my game so freaking early. My mornings are bananas, and not just because I feed them to my kids because they're quicker than cutting up other types of fruit. Here's everything I did this morning, all before a time when, in an ideal world, I'd still be unconscious. Related 34 Real Thoughts Every Sleep-Deprived Mom Can Relate to, as Told by Amy Poehler * 6:30 a.m. - Wake up to internal alarm. Check the clock and decide to close my eyes for another five minutes. * 6:36 a.m. - Get myself out of bed, throw on my slippers, and brush my teeth. * 6:39 a.m. - Head into 6-year-old daughter's room to try to rouse the beast. Much moaning, whining, and playing dead ensues. Gentle appeals to get out of bed quickly turn to angry threats of losing iPad time and play dates. Eventually she rolls herself out of bed and onto the floor. * 6:42 a.m. - Make daughter's bed while she rolls around the floor and claims she's too tired to go to school. * 6:43 a.m. - Start dressing her like a baby to motivate some forward motion. * 6:48 a.m. - Daughter is finally dressed and brushing her teeth, giving me a few minutes to make my own bed, throw on gym clothes, and rinse my face, while occasionally reminding her that teeth brushing involves actually moving the brush back and forth, not just staring at herself in the mirror. * 6:55 a.m. - Attempt to do daughter's hair. She requests two small braids that join to become one big braid. Huh? We settle on a small half-back ponytail, the same style we do almost every day. She reminds me again that I am the worst hair brusher of all time, adding in the occasional yelp. * 6:58 a.m. - I remind daughter for the tenth time to get some socks so we can move downstairs for breakfast. Just as we're heading down, my 4-year-old son emerges from his room. * 6:59 a.m. - Shuttle son to the bathroom while I make his bed (that's number three, if you're counting), tidy up his room, and grab some clothes to change him into later. * 7:03 a.m. - Make one more loop upstairs to grab dirty clothes and last night's water glasses, then shuttle the kids down the stairs. * 7:05 a.m. - Pour both kids a bowl of cereal while I start a load of laundry and grab their lunch bags to pack. Remember to turn on coffee maker. * 7:08 a.m. - Add cut-up bananas and strawberries and glasses of juice to their breakfast while I start packing lunches and snacks. * 7:10 a.m. - Daughter's lunch - PB & J, grapes, baby carrots, granola bar, and juice box - packed, along with her popcorn and clementine snack. Son's lunch - turkey corn dog, Pringles, Jell-O, and juice box (he's my picky eater) - also packed. * 7:15 a.m. - Pour coffee and milk and take a quick sip. * 7:16 a.m. - Unload the dishwasher while I quiz daughter on this week's spelling words, break up fights between my kids, and remind them to eat their blueberries instead of throwing them at each other. * 7:20 a.m. - Remember to add a note to daughter's teacher about her post-school Girl Scouts meeting and her Daisy uniform to her backpack, along with her lunch bag, gym shoes, and the snow pants she'll need to go out to recess. * 7:22 a.m. - Start telling my daughter to get her shoes and coat on while I get her brother's clothes on and put on a cartoon to entertain him. * 7:25 a.m. - Two minutes before she needs to get out the door to make her bus, daughter has managed to get one sock on. Help her get her boots, coat, hat, gloves, and backpack on her body in record time. * 7:27 a.m. - Give daughter a kiss goodbye, remind her to make good choices, and watch her walk to the bus (it's not cool for me to walk with her anymore, and because it's 20 degrees out, I'm totally fine with that). * 7:30 a.m. - Wave to her bus as it drives by, take a deep breath, then go back in to reheat my coffee. http://bit.ly/2BXTaXq

[charlescandles]

First Ultra-Marathon Completed Derby 50k and loving the distance

Alright, let me start with a statement:

I have to admit that running past the 26.2 miles of a marathon is crazy business.

But hey, we are all a little bit insane, some more than others. And there is me, insane running all the way.

I knew that running my 1st 50k was going to be challenging. I have done 44 miles run, couple years ago to celebrate my birthday month so I knew I can do the distance. Prep the night before for what I was going to use. Get couple bottles ready with E-fuel, have gels ready in my hydration belt, extra banana, couple snack bars to pick from (Cliff bar, Kind and others) and my protein shake for post-event.  I am so glad I took it easy during the Skinny Turkey, the morning of the event just couple days after Thanksgiving, my legs felt great. The morning routine, as usual, hot cereal, latte and a banana to eat about 45 to 1hr before the start.

This race is very low key, about 80 runners not too much fanfare. I love it, very humble, down to earth event. Community Center at the start/finish line provided shelter from the cold and nice bathrooms. Even though it was my first Ultra, my bib said so, everyone made me feel like I was part of the community. Runners, volunteers, spectators and others that were there to support in one way or another. My friend Walt, an insane Ultra Marathoner from work, was there and got the chance to talk before the event a bit. Similar Laurie, another runner I met via Strava. She has done several and when I mean several, she is a crazy as Walt. Laurie and her friend provided helpful last minute advice. I was ready and to be honest different from Chicago and City of Oaks marathons, I was not nervous this time. It was a beautiful morning with great temperatures and great farm fields around us. After some announcements, we all head out to complete the 3 loops to complete the 50k (31 miles) event.

Loop 1: The warm up, that is what I called this loop, way before we started. My plan was to use this 1st loop as a warm-up, the second one to press the pace and the third one as a warm down. It was cold morning so I started with my jacket, a long sleeve shirt, gloves and a hat. During the first couple miles, I hang back and keep pace with Walt. When we encounter the 1st hill we walked a bit of it, similar to the second one and third hills. These were small hills, but I am glad I did that, that early in the event. It took the pressure off the running and made it ok to take it easy, hitting a 10:00 pace for the 1st half of the loop. I was feeling great, the jacket came off around mile 2 and the gloves came off about mile 6.  There was a water station at mile 4 and another one close to mile 7 ( I was not expecting them, so it was great to have those there) At this time the runners are already spread out, but still, you can see a few runners in the distance, providing a target to pursue. When I finished the 1st loop, it felt great. I quickly change the hydration bottle, drank some Powerzero and grabbed a Cliff bar to eat on the way. Sugars were holding awesome, legs were great.

Loop 2: I grabbed my phone and texted my wife, daughter, Luis, and Roland that I completed loop number one. It was so great to get their text response cheering me up and offering their support. I pressed the pace a bit as I was eating the Cliff bar and continue to sip the E-fuel water mix I was carrying every mile or so. I paid more attention to the surroundings and the farmland. The smells of manure (I know, it should not be something you want to smell during your runs, but it reminded me from the times of my childhood back in Puerto Rico where I lived near a milk farm.), the cold breeze and the silence. During each loop you will pass, fields, farmland, RV park, rural airport and in addition to the nature farmland you will get to see some solar farms as well, which provided plenty to keep your mind away from the distance. I believe I did not start my music until mile 15 or 16, maybe because I did not really need it, I was enjoying the moment. But the music was welcoming, it took off my mind of the little pain and stiffness that I was perhaps creating mentally. Sugars were doing great, I did a bolus adjustment for the Cliffbar and the E-fuel I was drinking, but not the full amount, about 25% of the normal dose. I finished the second loop and I took a bit of more time, drank more Powerzero, replenish my bottle with more liquids, walked to the finish area, talked for a few seconds and I head out for my last loop. I believe I average close to 9:28 per mile this loop.

Loop 3: My cool down loop. I texted once again that Loop 2 was done and just one more loop to go. I was so surprised at how well I was feeling, by the way, that is me in the picture just leaving the water/aid station after completing loop 2, I was so happy. But about a mile and a half later in my brain started to play games with me as I remembered that I already covered more than 20 miles to how bad should I be feeling at this time and not how good I was actually feeling. I forced myself to think about just loops. “Two loops down, and only one more to go, it is going to be easy” I kept telling myself for the next couple files. I knew that if I started to think about the distance, I was going to start feeling it. Instead, I just concentrated my mind about the loops and trying to remember what was coming up next. “I remember that mailbox.”, “Ahhh, I know that smell”, “Next there is going to be the pothole”, “Next is going to be the airport”, “Soon there is the water station, let me see if I can run until the water station”. The game was mental at this time. Legs were great, sugars great but tad low, so I took a gel. There is lots of walking, but I was very happy to say, that when I want it to start running, I was able to get my legs moving without a problem. Very different from Chicago and City of Oaks. There was more walking during this final loop, but it was ok. I was able to talk to few runners, especially the ones we were passing each other constantly. With about 4 miles to go, my watch buzzed, a text from Roland. Telling me I was doing great and that I only had 3-5 miles to go. He was right, less than 4 miles, I cracked a smile and pressed on a bit the last 3 miles, less walking and if walking it had to be fast walking. I finished strong, happy and with a huge smile. I completed my 1st Ultra.

At the finish line, there was a very warm welcome. Everyone was cheering the runners and having a great time. I got the beautiful medal, talked with a few runners that finished ahead of me, the race coordinator and other volunteers. I was great to talk to them about the event and to see how happy they were for each one of the participants. After that, I went to try out some of the spaghetti with meat sauce they were offering to the runners. They were serving plenty, but I told them to just serve me a little since I was not sure how I was going to react. I do not know if it was the miles or how tire I was, but it was one of the best post-race food I have ever had. While eating I checked my CGMS again and I was so surprised to see how well my sugars behaved during the whole event. From starting close to 200, holding steady for a little while and a drop to 90s. Holding there for a bit again and then dropping slightly close to the 80 mark. They were just getting a tad low at the end and after the event. I do not know if this was a 40 miler or 50 miler event, if just eating again was going to be sufficient to sustain the levels or maybe I will need to adjust the basals a bit. Something to consider I guess.

I talked to Walt and Laurie for a bit and thank them for the helpful advice. They asked me if I was ok and whether or not this long distance running was something for me, I responded with a solid “Yes, I loved this event and loved the distance.” Now looking forward to a decent recovery and then to focus on getting some speed back.

Month/YearEventLocationTypeTime Nov-17Derby 50kNC50k5:41:55

  Event Highlights ; Learning Points Highlights:

Course: Looped 3x coure with great ample road right of the start. Rolling hills, not challenging until last loop hill might look steeper than the begining loops. Around 85 runners. With the ample road there is no problem starting and finding a comfortable easy pace.

Venue: At a Community Center, good bathrooms and seating area to rest before and after the event. At finish, good food, plenty to drink and snacks.

Expo: No Expo.

Weather: Sunny skies, 30º at the start with 98% humidity.

T1D: Sugars with in running range and stable troughtout the event.

Fueling: Pre-Race: 1 serving Hot Cereal, latte and banana.

Race: E-Fuel two bottles, water, Powerade, Cliff Bar at T1 and a Gel during Loop 3.

Post: Spagetti wityh a protein shake with in an hour of the event.

Learning Points:

Taking it easy makes it feel like you can run forever.

Walking hills, specially early on in the event can make the difference

from First Ultra-Marathon Completed Derby 50k and loving the distance