Back to the world

Ever have those weeks where you blink and it's gone? Our week in Disneyland and California Adventure was one of those where it felt like as soon as we arrived, it was time to go. Three straight 12 hour days for any grown adult is a stretch - not to mention 4 kids...who barely could make it 8 hours with a stroller. The key was to keep moving as much as possible. I have no idea how far we walked, but at the end of each day when I crawled into bed, it felt like my feet were going to explode.

I had 3 goals going to Disneyland - the first was by far the most important. I would not freak/stress out about the planning, trip or anything I could not control. We were going to have fun with our family and that is exactly what I was going to do.

The second and third are a bit more selfish but I honestly feel like they fold into the first one as well - life is about balance. I made a concerted effort to not only eat well but to also get in some exercise.

You might think that these are common sense and fairly obvious but the practical application of these is harder than you would think in the House of Mouse. For one, on every corner was either a caramel corn, churro or candy store...not exactly helping the matter. Fortunately, we were able to avoid snacking just because we were trying to pack in as many rides as possible, but sitting down for lunch and dinner did not always pose the most optimal food choices.

I had to put aside my penny-pinching ways as well - eating well does not come cheap. Salmon, salads, chicken and fruit were staples for the last week and always THE most expensive things on the already-bloated Disney menu prices.

Exercise - well, I can rest my laurels on the fact that we walked at least several miles per day. Not exactly Ironman training, but exercise none-the-less. I did make it to the gym one morning - rode the bike for an hour and did some weights.

So - give a holla - I went 3 for 3 while in Mouse City...we had fun, I ate well and got some exercise. Now that we're back home I've begun planning for the next phase of the summer training. We leave on June 21 for South Dakota - just another challenge that stands in my way between now and August 15 (Lake Steven's 70.3 Ironman).

Here is my run today - a good 6 miles at a reasonable pace. Slower than I wanted for 6 miles but just being back in my element and reclaiming the routine is good enough for me.