Travel: San Francisco and San Jose

I am traveling back home today ending wonderful, long trip. This was my last time presenting the project I was working on over the last 2 years and I wanted to take the opportunity to network and have some fun. I spent ~2 days in San Francisco before heading to the conference in San Jose, then I flew to St. Louis for my mom’s 60th birthday.

I had been to San Francisco twice for a conference back in graduate school, but felt so much pressure to participate in the conference all day that I did not see much of the city. I took a ride on the trolley and had a manhattan claw chowder in a sourdough bread bowl down at fisherman’s wharf. I felt guilty doing even those 2 things.

There were peers I felt were doing better than me in the PhD program because it seemed like all they did was work, be at the top of the class and attend every session at these conferences. While a few folks and even my advisor went to the Exploratorium and the Golden Gate Bridge or even Alcatraz. I know now not to listen to those people who would say we were sent here for work not for play. My advisor was having fun, why did I not do the same?

When I arrived in San Francisco, I stopped by my hostel to drop off my things and then set off on a long walk to the Golden Gate Bridge. This meant I walked from one side of town to the other since I was staying near Coit Tower. I took the bus back though. Then I repeated the same sort of thing the next day by checking out many neighborhoods on my way to Golden Gate Park. I love exploring new places and really wanted some time to do so on my own.

The highlights of my 2 days was seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, Japantown napping in front of the painted ladies and the amazing views of the bay. In Japantown I got to check out a Daiso, peruse manga and eat an amazing bowl of ramen. I love the feeling of consuming hot broth on a cold day. I feel comforted by warm beverages and food on chilly days, its one of my greatest joys in Fall.

I took the Caltrain down to San Jose for my first session of the ASTC conference and stayed in an AirBnB near San Jose State University. I caught up with a lot of colleagues and friends, then made some connections to hopefully help out with finding jobs where we move. The sessions on sustainability, education flash talks and my group’s session were all a great time. I also got to see San Jose’s Japantown for dinner one evening.

I was so ready to see my family after a week in California. I will miss them, but thankfully I will see them again in a month 🙂 And then a 3rd time in December! 🙂

 

 

Post Bulk Update

Currently, I still feeling stronger than before the bulk, but tired from all my work trips. And although I have indulged a bit during these work trips, I have maintained weight and size since I last spoke of my bulk. My digestion feels much better from the switch to more produce than grains. The focus on protein and carbs through fruits and vegetables has me not experiencing bloating so regularly.

I have also stepped up my cardio routine and am up to running 4 miles instead of 3 every weekend. I was getting in 5-7 miles per week when I last spoke to you and now it is 6-8 miles per week. In addition I am doing a circuit of HIIT once or twice per week with my strength training.

Now with the conferences I have been able to keep up with workout out and doing yoga, but I have been also able to get in a lot of walking which likely has helped with any extra calories consumed due to the snacks provided.

I feel like I am on a good track to maintain my strength even with all the unhealthy opportunities over the past 2 weeks. However, I am looking forward to returning home today and eating as gut friendly as possible for a while. This week I am planning to consume sauerkraut, tempeh, sourdough bread, kombucha and maybe yogurt. Plus, I am going to try to not eat outside my meal times.

Hope you had a great week!

Traveling Again

Sorry, short post this week. I am amidst a lot of work travel again so I am hitting trains, planes and the road with my yoga mat and a new set of resistance bands. I will be staying with family or at AirBnBs for all my travel so I will get to prepare some of my own food as well as go out to eat. I love trying the local grub and staying active, especially when attending conferences.

Meals

Out

Confluence Kombucha: I meet up with a dear friend for a walk and gut healthy lunch. We shared a Kombucha flight and I had Kimchi and Thai Green Curry soup! AMAZING! If you love fermented food, you should try this place if you are in St. Louis, MO.

4 Hands Brewing: Guava King beer and Mussels

In Minnesota, I am not quite sure yet where I will go, please do let me know any suggestions you may have!

Home away from home meals

Breakfast: Oatmeal made with whole milk, cinnamon and dried fruit

Lunch: Tuna with flax seed and rice crackers

Afternoon snack: Mango and kiwi

Dinner: Tofu tacos or Garlic asparagus pasta

Fitness

• Walking (especially around the conference centers I will be at)
• Yoga
• Running
• Resistance band workouts, like:
  • http://www.urbnfit.stfi.re/blogs/news/the-ultimate-resistance-band-workout-guide?sf=joxaowx#aa
  • http://thelivefitgirls.com/2016/04/resistance-band-abs-booty-workout/

I’m looking forward to playing around with these bands so I can better add them into the workouts I make up myself!

Fun

While in St. Louis for a conference, I have the chance to meet up with family and friends. Then in Minnesota I get to check out a Twins baseball game and maybe a musical performance. On top of these fun things I get to visit all the local museums, which I love to do!

Check out my Instagram for travel posts!

Fit Travelers Guide – Road Trip/Airport/Station Food

I travel a lot, especially during the past 7 weeks, and it can be challenging to eat right all the time. My moto is eat as much whole, natural foods as possible so you can treat yourself to the not so healthy local fare during your visit. I typically plan out having something to eat during the transportation portion of my travel, but sometimes I need to take advantage of other options.

First Option: Pre-Pack

As I said I typically prepare an extra meal or snack to take in the car or on the train/plane so I can save money and my digestive system from not-worth-it junk food. I like to bring:

• Leftovers from meals I made during the week
• Simple sandwich (PB&J, turkey & swiss, etc.)
• Trail mix (a mix of unsweetened dried fruit and nuts)
• Nuts
• Whole 30 approved bars (since they do not contain added sugar)
  • RXbars
  • Larabar
• Fruit with nut butter
• Veggies with hummus

When I traveled home to St. Louis, MO to see my family a couple weekends ago, I pre-packed a snack and dinner to eat on the train. I brought a Pumpkin Spice RXbar and a serving of zucchini and sweet potato hash that I had been eating for dinner that week. I also made sure I had enough water to drink on the train. I usually take a train after work so I always end up sleeping toward the end of the few hour journey, but not having to eat the stale looking sandwiches or nuked White Castle sliders is a blessing!

Zucchini and Sweet Potato Hash (Caramelized red onions + Sweet potato + Zucchini + Egg + Avocado)

Second Option: Grab on the Go

This is much pricier than just preparing something to bring with you, but it happens sometimes that I do not have enough food to put together something to bring with me or things are just so crazy leading up to my trip that I just lack the time to do so.

You could stop by the grocery store to grab something pre-made if you have time. I live near a Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. They ALWAYS have easy healthy on the go options that are ready to eat. I love the falafel and chicken curry salad from Whole Foods. Trader Joe’s has some great prepared salads with the dressing on the side. Again, sometimes there is just not time for this! So you have to look at the options around your mode of transportation.

I know my airport and its food options pretty well, but I usually need to research the visiting airport I am flying into. For my Tampa trip last month, I found a tuna and veggie box at one of the convenience stores in my airport and then the Tampa airport had a Qdoba. Places like Qdoba are nice because you can put together your own meal to work for you. I like to get a tequila lime chicken salad bowl (lettuce + tequila lime chicken + grilled fajita vegetables + diced jalapeños + pico de gallo + salsa verde – salsa is much more likely to not have added sugars like dressing). Convenience stores can have some decent options among all the junk they also offer and they are getting better about this.

In the end, if you have a week where you do not eat the best, do not stress. Focus on eating only until you are full and enjoy every bite! One week will not kill you. Just get back to eating right as soon as possible and keep up your workout routine.

Do you plan out food options when you travel?

Out of Town Fitness Routine

Throughout September, I was out of town every weekend (plus many week days) and yet still was able to get in all my workouts. Since I workout at home, this is not too challenging to keep up while out of town on business or for pleasure, but it does change up a bit depending on what is available to me. For instance, sometimes an area I am in is not pedestrian friendly so I am unable to go out for a run and usually weights are unavailable. Thankfully, its usually easy to do a circuit training/HIIT workout like those from the Bikini Body Guide (BBG) when both running and weight lifting is not an option.

Since dietary needs are challenging to meet all the time when out of town, keeping up with my workouts is essential for me. Working out keeps my energy up and can help my digestive system move even when it have been given food it can not digest. Here is a breakdown of my September weekend workouts:

Milwaukee and Green Bay, WI

We stayed at an AirBnB that was in a neighborhood with a 1 mile loop for me to run around a few times and the apt had a weight rack.

• Day 1: 4.5 mile run + 30 mins of lower body circuit training with weights
• Day 2: walking and standing around for tailgating and the football game
• Day 3: 2 mile run + 30 min total body workout with weights
• Day 4: a lot of walking + 30 min of yoga

Austin, TX

The hotel we stayed at had a few treadmills, loads of weight machines, free weights and medicine balls.

• Day 1: Active REST day = loads of walking
• Day 2: Morning walk + 45 min of yoga
• Day 3: 3.5 mile treadmill run + 20 min lower body weight training + loads of walking
• Day 4: Active REST day = loads of walking + swimming in the hotel pool
• Day 5: 3.5 mile treadmill run + 20 min upper body weight training

Indiana

Did some at home workouts and a BBG (Bikini Body Guide) workout while visiting my partner. I also love running a local trail in the area.

• Day 1: 5 mile run + lower body circuit training
• Day 2: REST day! I just chilled at home with my partner on the couch most of the day.
• Day 3: 2 mile run + total body circuit training
• Day 4: Morning walk + 30 min of yoga + BBG W1 Legs and Cardio

Tampa, FL

Again I stayed in an AirBnB near the Bayshore Fitness path and there were a few weights in the apt. On the path I was able to do a 2 and 5 mile run along with some workouts using the stations set up all along the trail.

• Day 1: Active REST day = loads of walking
• Day 2: 5 mile run + lower body circuit training
• Day 3: Abs + lower body circuit training + 30 min of yoga
• Day 4: 2 mile run + total body circuit training
• Day 5: 2 x 30 min of yoga