some sundays

some sundays, you sleep in.

some sundays, you watch a few episodes of "sex and the city" that you just remembered your husband got for you a few months back after you wake up.

some sundays, your face melts into puddles as you do a couple buckets of laundry.

some sundays, you go for a quick run and realize you're going to be a bit late for dinner with your khmer tutor.

some sundays, at said dinner with your khmer tutor, you are surprisingly serenaded by a random kid who tells you he is going to audition for cambodia's version of "american idol" and wants your feedback before he does so.

some sundays, your family brings you home bread from phnom penh (it's the best!) and your husband toasts a piece, which you smother in delicious butter from new zealand and honey from america and then eat so fast that you don't even get to take a picture for the random sunday blog post idea that pops into your mind when you realize that yes, in fact, you were serenaded at dinner tonight in cambodia.

some sundays are totally awesome.

movement, part two

The last two weeks -- really, the past week -- have shown me that I actually have far more mental stamina than I thought.  I've run when I didn't think I had the energy, kept running when everything was telling me to stop except for my heart, and biked farther than I ever have before and actually mostly enjoyed it.

Also, I don't want to jinx it, but I think I've done the impossible and established a pattern of exercising that my body craves. Despite being tired after a long bus ride today, I found myself one minute lying flat on the bed, fan spinning, in total relaxation - and the next, getting dressed to complete run 4A.

As I did before, I kept a record of the last few weeks of working out.  I've been suffering from some decently painful knee problems these weeks, and after some research have decided that either my gate is totally off and I don't have the right shoes to correct it - totally possible but very little I can do about it here in Cambodia - and/or my hamstrings are not quite strong enough to keep my kneecaps adjusting and moving the way they should as I run.  I spent a good amount of time resting my knees, and then stretching my knees pre- and post- run and that seems to be helping, but I would love ANY suggestions to aid in the erasure of knee pain post-running.  Much appreciated, in advance!

...............

Day 13- Workout 2C
Today was painful. Something crazy has happened and my knees are killing me.  Every single step that I took reverberated throughout my legs, into my kneecaps.  I ran in Phnom Penh today, varying between the streets and a park area. I did eight circuits of 90 sec runs and 2 min walks, but I also found myself being able to run a bit longer and further than the plan had assigned.  I ended up running past the 90 seconds five out of the eight rounds, including a nice four minute leg last!  I was staying in a hotel by myself, and it was glorious to come back to air conditioning to cool down.

Day 16- Workout 3A
After resting my knee for the last two days, I tackled the first run of Week 3 after Chris and I returned home from our respective mini-vacations.  As I checked out the schedule for this week's run, I noticed that I accidentally misread last week's- I was following a repeat 8 times plan, when in reality it is supposed to be me running for a total of 20 minutes.  I had accidentally re-wrote "repeat 8x" because that was the repetitions for Week 1 but I didn't take into account that I was adding a full minute to each leg. I should have only been repeating the leg six times, instead of 8, to hit the 20-ish minute mark goal!  Woops!

Today, my knees hurt a bit on the first running lap, but I think the Tylenol and extra stretching/loosening I did may have helped because they felt less tight.  The plan was a 90 second run, 90 second walk, 3 minute run, 3 minute walk, repeated twice ( I think?!).  I actually switched it up a bit because I noticed that my stamina has actually increased to a point where, on the first leg of running, I accidentally ran for 2 minutes without noticing or checking my stopwatch.  In that moment, I decided I would use the last leg of running- the second 3 minute one- to run all the way to where I was meeting a fellow Volunteer.  I ended up running the last leg for 6 and a half a minutes, and I honestly think I could have run even a bit more.  I ended up not getting the last 3 minute walk in, but after a chat, I did walk home, which definitely got the last bit in.

So today was:
2 minute run
90 second walk
3 minute run
3 minute walk
2 minute run
90 second walk
6.5 minute run

Day 19
I had an unexpected haitus from my runs the past few days, as I decided to bike to a nearby town south of our site - Kampot - with some friends and Chris.   I was worried about my knees being able to bike nearly 100 kilometers (about 60 miles) and so held off on putting them through too much stress until the bike ride today.  Thankfully too, because my legs and most especially my knees were screaming post bike ride.  It was a difficult but entirely fantastic ride.  About halfway through, after battling the headwind and traversing some small but long upward climbs (Cambodia is mostly flat, so the hills were small but with the wind my thighs were feeling them!), my legs were burning and I could barely push them forward to keep pace with my traveling companions.  Chris, leading the bikers, noticed I was hurting and stopped with me, just in time.  He helped me immensely through the difficulties and I couldn't be more grateful- thank you Topher!  With a new routine of taking a break every forty minutes, the second half of the trip felt great, and passed quickly.

I'm feeling quite accomplished and can't wait to indulge in some fantastic, calorie-laden food.

Day 22
After the best of intentions to run at least one of the two days while we were in Kampot, I decided instead to take a break and let my knees rest to be ready for our bike ride back today.  We all made the decision to bike just half of the way back, and hope on some cheap transport for the first 40k or so.  The ride back was SO EASY compared to the way down!  I felt like I could've ridden forever.  The wind at our back, a nice steady pace, most of the hill-ish things behind us, and I was in bike riding heaven.  Add to it that I ate the most delicious, fresh brownie for breakfast, and it was a fantastic day. 

Day 25- Workout 4A
I finally ran today after more than a week long hiatus.  It wasn't the best run, but I pushed through my head telling me to stop.  I think I'm going to need to find a new running location after another week or so, as I find myself pacing the laps around the park where I run, which can be a bit daunting at times.  The plan for this week- week 4- is to run 3 minutes, walk half that, run 5 minutes, walk half that, and repeat twice.  I had that voice in my head telling me to walk, to stop, the entire second half of the workout, and yet I didn't listen to it.   After icing my knees and stretching really well, I'm hoping to run the last two runs for this week tomorrow- Friday- and Saturday, so that I can start fresh with Week 5 runs come Sunday.

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To Do in Cambodia: Fishy Feet "Massage"

One of my favorite things to do when people visit are dorky things that you kind of always wanted to try but had to wait to do them with people who wouldn't judge you.

This is one of those things.

A "massage" courtesy of little skin-sucking fish.

If you're in Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat, put a little time aside to pay the two dollars for thirty minutes sitting on the edge of a tank while crazy little fish with mouths like sandpaper suck on your toes and heels.

It feels pretty crazy at first.

It's hard to get used to.

But eventually you settle in and it starts to feel more like a tickle that you can stand.

And if you can't get used to it, you can pay an extra dollar for a beer and forget that it tickles.

And if you can speak a little Khmer, you might even be able to get an extra ten minutes for free while chatting with the girls who run the massage stands.

So if you're in Siem Reap: Dr. Fish next to the Blue Pumpkin near the Old Market.  And you can go grab yourself a brownie or some ice cream afterward at the Blue Pumpkin next door if you're too traumatized by the tickling.

Have you ever had fishies "massage" you before?

a personal revolution: eating

Today marks nearly three weeks of my efforts to do the simple things that make me feel good- mainly, move more and eat well.  I've detailed a little bit about how I've gone about the moving part- and will be sharing an update about that side of things next week- but I haven't dove too deeply into how I'm giving my body the energy to do a bit more every day.

To be honest, it hasn't been the biggest focus of the last three weeks -- learning how to run again has -- though it is something I'm paying attention to.  I've just found that, for me, it's about making a small choice each day that means a better food decision that I would have made otherwise.  And there have been bad decisions too, of course!

To begin with, I mentioned a long time ago that I was going to give up caffeine, and then how I failed at that.  And then I shared that I actually did give up caffeine for over two weeks.  It was actually crazy how intensely my body responded to a lack of daily Coca-cola.  I think it was a lack of that mix of sugar and the caffeine that caused me to have headaches every afternoon and evening for five days straight, and helped me realize that somehow my body had come to expect this daily onslaught of sugar and caffeine.  After not drinking it for those few weeks, I also realized how little I came to want a Coca-cola or a coffee.  Now I only get a soda when I really, really want it, or for a specific occasion, or drink coffee when I'm invited to go out with some of my co-teachers.  I'll admit, these past few days I was in Phnom Penh and also having some tummy troubles, I went back to drinking more soda than I'd like -- but it's easy for to stop drinking it or put it down once I've had a few sips, which I think is still a step in the right direction.

Why do I think this is so important to my own personal health journey? It may not seem like a huge deal, and there are plenty of people who drink caffeine or soda regularly that are still quite healthy.  For me, though, I've come to see that my tie to soda was a bit like me tie to all things convenient - it was cheap, easy, and delicious.  But I know that's true of nearly all overly-processed food items, and I want to move away from relying on man-made easy, delicious foods and turn more toward the natural, real things that can be just as convenient, yummy, but also much more healthful.

Whenever I eat food that is chock full of unhealthy fats or overly loaded with sugar, I can immediately feel a dip in my energy.  Just this weekend, I chose a meal out of convenience and didn't feel like doing anything for the rest of the day. Compared to the days when Chris makes us healthy, balanced meals, it just felt terrible.  

A delicious meal: broccoli, mashed carrots, barbecue pork on a small slice of bread. And a first Coca-cola in days!

So, I've starting making a conscious decision to pick up a banana when I wanted something to snack on.  Drink water with sugar-free drink packets when I wanted to drink something sweet.  Ask Chris to buy a lot more greens and veggies for our meals and prepare them as healthfully as possible. (Which he happily does - he's far more health-conscious than me, and a far better healthy foods eater than me to begin with!)

I also began to write down what I ate, every day.  I actually started doing this more than 20 days ago, to establish a baseline of the kinds of foods I was eating to help me find small things to change and eliminate each day- it helped me figure out that I needed to give up soda after I noticed how many I was drinking each week and how it always seemed to lead to even more sugar consumption afterward.

I'm actually on the hunt for an even better online food tracking diary, one that will help me estimate how many nutrients I'm getting, as well as make general guesses at the energy I'm expending each day when I run or work on my strength.  I'll be trying out a few in the next few weeks and will be back with a full report in a few weeks, which will hopefully help others that are also a bit overwhelmed by all the fitness and food tracking devices out there.

I had wanted to share how I figured out the daily breakdown of nutrients that I should be getting, but as this is getting a tad long, I'll share that next time.  Have a fantastic day, all!

cultures of privacy

Friday night Chris and I went on a date in Phnom Penh.  After what may have been the most hilarious and longest bus ride we've had from our town to the capital city -- four hours for a normally 90 minute trip with a door that would not open and had riders climbing through the driver's window to get off at their stops along the way -- we were pretty hungry.

Chris was heading into Phnom Penh to prepare for a trip to northern province of Kratie where there are some freshwater dolphins, and I was in town for a weekend of relaxation and then some work on Monday.  To satiate our hunger without spending too much money (a hazard of time in the capital) we headed to one of our favorite places, simply called Chinese Noodle.  We split a delicious plate of homemade noodles with egg and beef, and each had our own plate of steamed dumplings for less than $5.  Yum!

Afterward, we decided to trek to our favorite movie theater to catch a movie that was released ages ago in America- Ted.  My favorite part about going to the movie theater outside of the United States is getting to choose your seats -- we looked at the screen and saw that it was pretty much an empty theater.  We selected two seats in the middle of row, at least three rows from the other 4 patrons that had purchased tickets at that point.

And then we sat down in the theater.  Slowly, people trickled in.  The first group of 4 behind us, as we'd seen.  The next 2? Directly next to us.  Not a seat away- no, directly next to us.  The next 4? Directly in front of us.  And the final 6 (a group of kids, no less), directly in front of them.

And I got irrationally frustrated.  It just boggled my mind that, upon viewing a seating screen that showed dozens of open seats, why a person would choose a seat directly adjacent to strangers.  Why?

I'm going to go ahead and make some statements about privacy and culture -- American culture and Khmer culture that is -- based on my limited fourteen months of living here and my extensive twenty-six years of living in America.

Don't be fooled. This gate isn't about privacy.

Statement 1: America and Cambodia have pretty much directly opposite cultures of privacy and personal space, especially in regards to strangers or casual acquaintances.

Substatement 1A: In America, we value privacy pretty highly.  There are regulations in place to ensure that people have privacy (if we disregard those Patriot Act things that eliminated some of that privacy...) and a big part of our culture involves honoring someone's privacy above convenience, comfort and even honesty.

For example, in America, before visiting someone at their home, a person usually arranges a meeting time a few days in advance, unless you are very close to the person and then limited unannounced drop-bys may be allowed.

In Cambodia, it's very common to simply stop by someone's house to chat without any prior indication.  Sometimes people do call us to let us know they want to visit, but more often someone calls us to tell us they are outside of our gate to come visit.

In America, the thought of squeezing four into a backseat of a car is doable in necessary circumstances but there is generally a lot of giggling, apologizing and clamoring to ensure everyone is comfortable and no one feels too crowded or overwhelmed.  We almost feel guilty when we have to take the only open seat in the doctor's office if it is directly next to another person.

In Cambodia, we regularly squeeze as many people as we can into spaces meant for far fewer bodies, without so much as a second thought.  People aren't rude, it's simply that the culture of privacy is such that there are no apologies given for asking you to move over a bit or someone resting their arm, leg, or bag on your lap given a lack of space.  My personal favorite, beyond the many vans we've ridden in chock full of 25+ bodies, was riding in a tuk tuk to visit our training host family and stopping along the way to pick up an elderly woman (a yay, or grandmother), and having her scootch me over closer to Chris to make room for her on the seat -- and ignore the completely open seat directly across from us, which remained empty for the duration of the twenty minute ride.

Many, many people in the back of a large cart attached to a tractor motor.

In America, a "personal bubble" is a common phrase we use, especially when given to telling stories about people who violate that bubble.  If someone moves too close to us during a discussion, or sits too close on a park bench, we have a cultural-born tendency to step backward or inch farther away.

In Cambodia, there is no "personal bubble."  It is completely commonplace to meet someone and three minutes later, stand with arms clasped or sit hips pressed together on a bench.  (Sidenote: this ONLY applies to people of the same sex.)  I cannot relate the number of times I engage in casual conversation with a woman and our discussion includes random arm petting, waist encircling, or leg squeezes.

In America, we discuss the need for alone time and privacy.  This is a fundamental aspect of how we relax, how we unwind, how we "are" ourselves.  So much of our culture is built upon the need to be alone.  How often have you heard that a person should travel alone to find themselves?  We talk about how siblings often reach a stoppage age for sharing a bed or a bedroom, and when this happens, bigger houses are found with more rooms for more privacy for these "aged-out" siblings.

In Cambodia, families often share one bed.  Siblings nearly always do, even as they get older.  Family life happens in the same room, and it is incredibly rare for family members to have their own bedrooms.

Substatement 1B: The relationship between privacy and directness are treated differently in American and Khmer culture.

In Cambodia, there is no privacy as it relates to certain personal information. Your salary? Fair game. Your age or weight? A common first question, as are follow up comments that relate to their surprise about those given attributes.  How much that new dress/car/pen cost? Feel free.

In America, asking someone's salary is a major gaffe, and pretty rude.  In some companies even it's forbidden to discuss your salary with your peers and fellow employees.  We typically only ask someone how much something cost if we're considering buying something similar or if they are a close friend and it is topically relevant, and we nearly always couch those questions with statements like "Do you mind if I ask..." or "Sorry to be so upfront but..."

I've discussed how so much of life in Cambodia takes place outside. I think this is a direct reflection of the culture of {lack of} privacy in my new home.  Everything and everyone is so open.  Just as we in America are used to having our personal bubbles, our hush-hush discussions about money, Cambodians are accustomed to sharing seats and discussing nearly everything.

Chris' take on my movie theater frustration is this: Cambodians are used to doing nearly everything in an atmosphere surrounded by people, often in close spaces.  Khmer people share beds with family members from birth to death, share taxis meant for five people with ten or more strangers, and share their home and food with anyone and everyone who would care to stop by, privacy gates be damned.

So me spending an entire weekend alone in Phnom Penh, sharing a hotel room with no one else? Probably completely insane to my Cambodian compatriots. Just as insane as everyone purposely choosing seats RIGHTNEXT to complete strangers in a nearly empty movie theater was to me.

Adjusting to the Cambodia's culture of privacy could prove to be a daily frustration if I let it (and it often was, those first few months living here.)  I've come to realize that what could be taken as an infuriating invasion of privacy is simply a different approach to personal space and issues, and an approach that in many ways is much friendlier and honest than the culture of which I am a part.

To Do in Cambodia: Angkor Wat

I've been trying to figure out the ideal way to share all the adventures that I've had both alone and these past few months with visitors.  I've also recently learned that a few people back home are planning trip to Southeast Asia, and Cambodia specifically.  So I'm beginning a series that will detail the fun places and cool things that a person could do while visiting my new home, with guest stars like my parents and dear friends Paige and Michael.  Feel free to use any of these posts to begin a discussion about places to go and things to do here in Cambodia, either via comments or email!

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To kick off "To Do in Cambodia," there is likely no better place than Angkor Archaeological Park, better known as simply "Angkor Wat."  

Victory Gate

At the lake in front of Angkor Wat/Thom.

(Angkor Wat as a name for the site is technically inaccurate, as the Park contains dozens of temples (wats) and buildings, though the main and most famous is called Angkor Wat and that has become the commonly used term for the entire complex.  For simplicity's sake, I'll refer to the site as Angkor Wat or the Park and note individual temples when needed.)

What is Angkor Wat?

Angkor Wat is the one of the oldest and largest complexes meant for Hindu devotion.  Today, Cambodia's majority Buddhist population reveres it as a place for celebrating their country's history, enjoying the bas-reliefs of Apsara dancers and impressive architecture.   Many people still live within the grounds of the Park and grow rice.

Chris and the bas-reliefs.

The Park is an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and was declared so in 1992.  It is also in danger of looting and destruction, though it has been under construction for conservation for many years.  Money made from tourism has gone to help with some conservation, although currently a private organization "rents" the complex from the Cambodian government and helps oversee conservation and manages tourism for the site.

Some of the more famous temples include Angkor Wat,

Bayon Temple,

and Ta Prohm.  

Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm is where Angelina Jolie filmed Tomb Raider.  It's also my personal favorite in the whole park, and my friend Paige agrees.

Sunlight inside Ta Prohm

Angkor Wat's complex is more than 400 square kilometers, and it's impossible to see every single temple and site in just one day. 

Read more here, here and here.

Where is Angkor Wat?

Angkor Wat and the Park is in the province of Siem Reap and about 6 km from the provincial capital town of Siem Reap.

You can even ride an elephant inside if you desire, though I'm a bit concerned about potentially inhumane treatment some of the animals receive.

How much does it cost to visit Angkor Wat?

A one day pass for the complex is $20 for foreigners, or $40 for a three day pass. There is no two day pass. There is also a $60 seven day pass for the most excited, though I personally would not spend 7 days just inside the walls of Angkor Park.  

The Elephant Terrace

You will also need to put aside $10-$15 per day for travel around the complex is you choose to opt for a tuk tuk (more below), or considerably more if you plan on hiring an English-speaking tour guide.  You will also need money for water (about $1 for a large 1.5L bottle) and food if you plan on eating at one of the small roadside eateries inside the park- for this, plan on $5 per person, give or take.  

As a side note, Khmer nationals enter the park for free, which I think is pretty fantastic!

Insider Tips and General Thoughts

• Get your ticket for the park the evening before you plan on visiting.  Arrive after 5 pm and enjoy the sunset at Angkor Wat.
• You can also choose to arrive prior to sunrise and enjoy the view with other tourists who like to wake up early like you. :)
• When you arrive for your ticket, you'll get your picture taken and will need to have the ticket on hand the entire duration of your trip- it will be checked sporadically at temples along the way.
• Angkor Park is huge. You'll need to either rent bicycles (which you can do at your hotel or other places around Siem Reap town) or reserve a tuk tuk for the day.  I guess you could walk but it would be a very long day/trip.
• Check with your hotel to see if they have a good tuk tuk driver they trust. Many will have worked out deals with local drivers and they can call and reserve them for you.

My parents with our fantastic tuk tuk driver.

• It's going to be HOT.  Wear clothes that are breathable.  Buy water and drink it- we're talking 3-4 liters over the course of the day.  Travel lightly and don't try to carry too much.  Take breaks in the shade when you feel yourself getting overheated.
• Feel free to bring snacks inside with you if you don't feel like buying food inside the park, or want to be able to replenish along the way.
• There are a lot of steep stairs inside the park.  If you are traveling with someone who is a bit unsteady, be careful and know that you don't always have to go up inside the temples to get the best views and pictures.

Not even the steepest stairs we encountered.

• At many temples, you will encounter monks or men and women who work at temples who will offer you incense, a brightly covered bracelet and a blessing in exchange for a dollar or two. Feel free to take them up on this.  You simply take the incense, and kneel in front of the Buddha.  If you want to be very polite, bow three times to the statue, pressing your hands to the ground and lowering your head each time.  Make a wish/prayer on the incense and then place the incense in the pile with the others you'll see burning. Back away- never turn your back on the Buddha.  Accept your bracelet and blessing with your hands in a polite prayer gesture (hands pressed together in front of your chest.)  You'll most likely be receiving a blessing for a long life, health and happiness. 
• Don't be ashamed if you can't see EVERY temple in one day or if you end up going back earlier than you planned.  It's beautiful and mesmerizing but after a time, many pieces of architecture can begin to look the same. :)
• We've stayed at two budget-friendly guesthouses and loved them both.  Check out Seven Candles Inn and Golden Temple Villa.

I loved visiting Angkor Park, and I'm looking forward to returning again for a race in December, as well as sometime next spring before I head home to America.  Though, I'm not sure I'm looking forward to getting that sweaty again!

a personal revolution: movement

Earlier I shared that I have spent the last few weeks getting my head on straight in regards to all this being healthy business. Along the way, I've been jotting down my thoughts post each run (can we call them "runs" if its more run/walks?) as a bit of record for myself and for you.

Because it seems that no one ever really writes about the process of a before becoming an after.  Somehow, miraculously, blogs are began after the after and we're all left in wonderment about the pain and sweat that went into it, but mostly just energized by the fact that someone did it! So we can too!

Well, here are the words of a 26 year old, jumping on board the fitness train all over again.  And its kind of painful. But we're chugging along.  And some months down the road, I'll have this little record of the very beginning, the beginning of the real shift, and I'll be glad I remember how little I could do and how grateful I was for silly programs that taught me how to run again.

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Week One - Workouts: 60 seconds of running, 90 seconds of walking. Repeating 8x.

Day One, Workout 1A
So today was the first real step, after fulfilling my obsessive-compulsive need to create a colorful workout plan, in the direction of following my own personal revolution.

As I wrote the plan, I kept saying to myself "this is going to be great- easy even!" I imagined that I might even be able to go beyond the daily workouts and hit the first goal of three miles and the final goal of six miles earlier than was planned.

After this afternoon, I am reminded how far I still have to go. Workout 1A was the 5 minute WUW (warm up walk), following by eight repetitions of a sixty second run and ninety second walk. Chris ran the first leg with me and pointed out my fast starting pace. I kept it up pretty well until the last three legs. WOW were those challenging. Chris again slowed down to join me for two of them, and I was pushing through it: breathing out a near-cramp, urging myself to move just a little bit faster, and counting each step as my calves and quads tightened with each one.

So, final day one verdict? A long twenty minutes, that I KNOW I'm going to feel tomorrow. And quite possibly the best beginning to a very healthful change. 

Day 3- Workout 1C
Today was one of those great workout days. I followed the run/walk plan, but found myself running more than was allotted because it felt good actually. I can’t say that I’m to the point where I crave running or that I hit an exercise high, but it feels more good than bad.

Day 5

Day 5- Workout 1E
I could have gone either way today. It would have been so easy to not run but a friend was staying with us and somehow we all three found ourselves out the door at our nearby running park. In the end, it was a great running day overall. Halfway through, someone began to burn a giant pile of leaves, which made a quarter of the “track” incredibly difficult to breathe through. Once through, my mouth and breath tasted as they did during that one week where I was a smoker. I figured that I am averaging a ten minute mile pace, completing two miles during the twenty minute run, not including the warm up or cool down. Right on track!

Week Two - 90 seconds of running, 2 minutes walking. Repeat 8x.

Week 2

This week didn’t start on Sunday as planned due to travel and tiredness from celebrating the night before. I’ll attempt a double workout and will add in a second strength workout on one of the rest days to make up for it. I’m also going to also really focus on truly eating well this week. Last week wasn’t terrible but I want to look up what food groups/grams of each nutrient I should be eating, my resting metabolic rate and begin averaging the calories I burn on each workout to keep better track of what’s going into my body and how I’m expending energy.

Day 8: Workout 2A & 2B:
Because I skipped yesterday, I did a combo of my running and strength training. The strength training wasn’t as awesome as I would have liked but was still about 15-20 minutes of using the resistance bands and my own weight to push my arms and legs. I’m pooped.

Day 10: Workout 2C:
As I began to do my first leg of running, I could tell today would be one of those workouts where I wasn’t overly fatigued but I just wasn’t feeling it. All of my best songs played as soon as I began the walking portions, and I couldn’t seem to find my stride perfectly. The best consolation was that it wasn’t overly challenging- sure I was tired but I felt like I could have given it a bit more. Which means that I have more stamina, more strength than I thought. I can do this.

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I can do this.

a personal revolution

Today, I washed a pair of my socks for the first time in over a year.

I know that sounds terribly disgusting but it actually isn't- I hadn't worn the socks but twice or three times and for no longer than thirty minutes each time.

These socks directly correlate the amount of true-blue-pushing-myself-body-movement I've given myself in the entire fourteen months of living here in Cambodia.

And these past ten days, I've worn them four times and pushed myself to a sweaty, messy limit each time.  And those other days? I mostly exercised in my undies inside my house, sans-socks, but still sweaty and messy those times too.

I'm having a revolution of sorts. A personal revolution.

I have felt it coming on for a few months now (really, a few years if we consider all the yo-yo up and down eating/exercising plans I've been "following" inconsistently for the last five years.) There must have been a tipping point and I think I reached it, and I tipped. Fell, more like?!

Something feels different this time?  Something feels like I actually want to be a more healthful person. Not just thin, like I was in college, but strong. I want to have the strength of mind to conquer my lazy, squishy body, the strength of soul to do it even when it's hard, and the strength of hundreds of muscles working together to carry me forward every single day for many years to come.

Part of it has to be the confluence of a desire to have children sometime in the next few years, and the need to possess a strong, flexible, healthy body to do so. 

Part of it must be the realization that with one year left in Cambodia, I'll never have this time in my life again, where I have a very self-driven work schedule and ample free time to more than just exist- and if I don't spend a little bit of time, every single day, trying to improve myself, I'm wasting it. 

Part of it was the last weeks spent with Paige and our talks in the pool and over dinner revolving around that same timeline we have for ourselves for babies, and families, and the few roads to happiness we're excited to take, and seeing her having used the last few months to build that strong, healthful body that can carry her across the finish line in a half marathon and look forward to do it again. 

And part of it is a plethora of fantastic inspiration of powerful blogging women, who remind me that it's never too late to become the muscular, fit woman that I was as a girl.

Whatever it is, its something I'm loving every minute of- every single drop of sweat, every single soaking sports bra I peel off after a good "run," every single second that I push my legs to carry me forward just one.step.more.

I've been keeping a daily log of sorts of how the first ten days have felt. I'll be back later today with that story, and tomorrow with the nutrition side of this personal revolution- because it's not just about the movement I'm making, it's also about what's powering my muscles to do so.

You with me?

minty fingernails and things to do so that you don't notice that you're sweating.

When Paige came to visit, she brought along the most fantabulous mint green nail polish.  It has gotten quite a few rave reviews here in Cambodia and therefore I like to pretend that it would garner the same attention in America.  

Most especially I love how my minty green nails contrast against the glossy black finish of a Canon Rebel DSLR.  Oh, how my minty green fingernails possess the fantastic power to press that shutter button so firmly!  Oh, how these minty green fingernails...

Nevermind. It was getting kind of creepy there.

I spent two days stealing around with a friend's camera. And I loved it.

I LOVE it.

I always knew I was meant to do this.

To use these minty green fingernails to take pictures with a camera like this.

This week, Chris made one of our favorite meals here in the 'bode- a delicious chicken, vegetable and rice soup.  He makes a giant batch of it and it lasts us for days.  With some chewy baguettes and water mixed with our new lime drink mix, it's a perfect meal.

This week, the training of new Volunteers comes to a close with their Swearing In.  Our hometown and province will return to us, and it's a bit sad to say goodbye to the hustle and bustle of a busy season and the flurry of new people swirling around.  It's been kind of amazing to be a part of the new group's training and I think I am going to miss being so busy.  I have that procrastinator disease where I'm generally more productive the busier I am - the less I can put off, the better.

I've also spent this week focusing on a new activity that I'm hoping will keep me busy and provide some long term positive effects to boot. I'll share more about that next week.

And it isn't just watching Father of the Bride, Part I and II. Though I did that, and it was fantastic too.

I'm off to peruse Amazon and dream about my future life where I own a beauty just like this, and use it to take fantasmic photos.

pizza and pasta and fruit shakes, oh my!

i've been holding out on you, friends.

a few weeks ago, our town got a new little western restaurant.  it's the first legit one to open during our time living here (there was a little place that supposedly sold some western food but it was always "out" of whatever people ordered and it closed up shop about two months ago) and we're pretty excited.

we had heard rumors and whisperings of an italian place opening, to be run by a wife of one of the doctors at our hospital (whom chris tutors), but we just couldn't believe it. it seemed too good to be true.

and then it appeared. a quaint little cafe that sells pasta, burgers, pizzas, amazing fruit shakes (including the avocado- so good!) and french fries to boot.

our first trip, chris nearly cried when he got his burger. grilled onions? fresh, perfectly grilled beef? and my pasta carbonara was delicious- super creamy and very worth the food guilt.

last night, we even took our host family to the new restaurant. i had mentioned it a few weeks ago, then last week, and then solidified a date and time with my older sister and mother on sunday night.    and all day long the little children were chanting "pizza! pizza!"  there was excitement in the air, i tell you!

we called in our order a few hours before to be sure there would be enough food, and when we arrived, they had set up a table with placemats and sauces all ready for us.

we dined on fried rice (just in case!), chicken pizza, shrimp pizza, tomato and basil spaghetti, french fries, a cheeseburger, spaghetti carbonara and fruit shakes galore.

surprisingly, after all that excitement about pizza, our youngest host-niece refused to try some. oh well!

by the end of the evening, the food was all gone, so i'd call the trip a success!

chris and i are already seeing how having this delicious place in our town (and only three blocks away!) is going to prove very tempting as we try to save money and our waistlines!

a game of sorts

in the game of "throw back one genetic trait," i'll happily keep my oversized rib cage, splindly fingers, and super-long-KISS-style tongue.

but i'm torn if i'd rather ask the universe for:

a face that does NOT get bright red at the first step of exercise and remains thus so for an hour post-workout, 

or a chin that is nice and NOT doubly-wubbly no matter my size/weight/fitness state.

as i've inherited both of these from my mama, i asked for her vote.

"get rid of that red face, the chin can be easily fixed by doctors these days!"

so there we have it.

any one thing you'd happily throw back?

playing tourist

rabbit rabbit!

***

in every place, there is the opportunity to be a tourist.

growing up in idaho, school trips included visits to the craters of the moon and remnants of the oregon trail.

it wasn't until i moved far away from the rocky mountain west that i realized how rare and significant my home was.

living in DC, i frequently played tourist in my first two years of college, soaking up americana at my favorite smithsonian, or losing myself in a myriad of flowers, and even paddle boating in front of the jefferson memorial.  

those touristy trips lessened though in the last two years, as i promised myself i could always do it next summer, or in the years to come, as i planned on living in DC as long as possible.

and then when i lived in baltimore? ha. teaching left no time for enjoyment of the harbor, neighboring wineries, or the like.

and so.

it was marvelous to spend a summer playing tourist in our new home country: navigating the waters of customs, using my legs to walk, walk and walk some more, pausing only to take in the CAMBODIAN!NATIONAL!LIBRARY!,

and doing fantastically dorky things like take pictures of myself on empty streets outside the royal palace (see first photo), and feed the terrifying, disease-carrying pigeons by the riverside.

i'm grateful i got the chance to see cambodia through fresh eyes again, and do all those things that you can often feel silly doing after living somewhere for a year.

have you played tourist in your town?