Couch 2 5K

Well, I wouldn't say I am a couch potato, but more of an un-motivated fitness freak. I love working out, I love running and walking, but I am super un-motivated to do it. I love yoga and jumping rope, but alas, I am unmotivated to get off my butt and make time for it.

So, I decided (after missing 3 weeks at the gym) that I would start a new regimen. I have had various friends participate in the Couch 2 5K workout program and I have decided to take part. The fun thing about the C25K is that they have downloadable 30 minute mp3 routines that you follow (there are plenty of other resources as well if you don't like technoish dancy music for your runs). Your "coach" encourages you to keep going, to run faster, to walk and take a break. It's a 3 day a week program, each week getting a bit more difficult with the goal of a 5K run after 9 weeks. I'm pretty excited and I have done two days of the program so far and it's worked out great for Ice and I. He looooves the fact he is getting walked on a more regular basis and I love the fact I feel more motivated. I got up at 6am to go for a run this morning and it was perfect. No cars, nice and chilly (it had rained all night so it was extra chilly) and the sunrise was in-cred-i-ble.

So, so far so good. Two days of 30 minutes of active walking running. I'm going to try to run 4x a week (even though the program is for only 3x a week) and mix it up with at least one or two days of weight training at the gym, probably on Tuesdays and Thursdays since they are my more free evenings, and pay each time I go, instead of monthly. It works out to be much cheaper.

I encourage you to check it out if you have been wanting to get moving but just haven't been able to get motivated. Let's do it together! C25K style!!

Resolutions and Photos from Novo Riacheulo

Inspired by my fellow American lost in Rondônia, Titia Amor, I decided to do something I haven't done since the 2008/2009 New Year... I decided to make a New Year's Resolution. Back then, I promised myself that I would start a new chapter in my life, principally, re-discovering my spirituality and working on my health. Interestingly enough, within a few weeks, I met a man who shared many of my own opinions about what being "spiritual" means and enjoyed listening to meditation music, too! Within a year we were engaged, and today, we're married with a puppy! The whole "working on my health" part kind of fell to the wayside when I realized drinking long islands and dancing my butt off 5-6 times a week was just as effective as running and dieting... and although I have lost incredible amounts of weight since 2008 (about 25 pounds without really trying), I am still far from the body I would like to have, as I would like to increase my muscle tone. This is really hard for someone who sucks at sticking to any type of workout regimen... and endlessly frustrating when you live in a country that is insanely obsessed with how toned everyones butt and thighs are.

Anyhow, I just put down R$100 at the neighborhood gym today for their "three month for R$100" special. Their monthly rate is normally R$50, so this worked out to be a great deal, even if H and I find a new apartment (which I hope we do....) sometime soon. Of COURSE when I go in to register, the owner of the gym is one of H's old time buddies and there are also women in Lycra. There's also douchebaggy looking men staring at themselves lifting weights but hey, it's cheap, right? They're also open at 530am-Midnight. Super plus!

On another note, we've been enjoying the fact I am on vacation from the school to hang out on the farm as much as possible since we both love it (and Ice loves it even more, of course!) Ice manages to make friends wherever he goes, independent of their creed, color, or how many feet they have, or how long their tail is. When we are at my inlaw's, his friend of choice is one of the big pigs. He yanks his tail, nips his ears, basically does everything to get his attention to play. The pig loves it and eggs him on most of the time. Unfortunately, pictures have not yet been taken!

There are, however, pictures from the trip to the farm on Wednesday! Here we go!

Ice on the way to the farm

How can you say this is not the most beautiful place in the interior??
We're headed to Novo Riacheulo, about 1.5 hrs from Ji-Paraná.
There's no cell service, except on top of the mountains, and this is why I love going here. Urania (she's in one of the upcoming photos) was born in this town and her family basically runs the entire village, from the ice cream shop to the church, it's all run by her family. 

Ice and his two best friends in Novo Riachuelo. He gets sooo excited when we pull up!
They're both girls, too. He's a pimp.
Look at that tail!

"We're goin' on a hike! Wanna come??"

Checkin' out the Corn with H

This is why I live where I live.

This is what the Passion Fruit Flower looks like!

Ice with H, Urania (blonde, wife of H's cousin and my new best friend in Ji-Paraná)
and her cousin, I think... she's related to everyone in this town. 

This picture is for my Vovó! It's a "Quero-Quero"
Check out the wikipedia page in Portuguese!!! Get to translating!! 

Tuckered out after a long day of running around and patrolling. Within about an hour the other pup joined.
That's imported silk from Thailand that they are sleeping on by the way... thanks mom for the dog bed!!!

I'll take some more pictures tomorrow... as we are killing another pig for the new year. MmMmmMmMm I love me some pork. Diet? New Year's Resolution? Awww man... looks like I'm going to have to double up on my workouts and walks with Mr. Ice!

New Friends!

So, although these past few weeks have been rough for me, we've passed the 6 month mark since I have moved to Ji-Paraná, I was delighted by a package from my grandmother containing books, Reese Cups and  what else? ORGANIC FAIR TRADE CHAI TEA! It's the small things in life that make all the difference and my grandmother's packages always seem to arrive in tune with when my PMS is just starting to get out of control. Always!

Anyhow, the subject of this post is also the inspiration for this new post today. New Friends! Over the last few days I have been searching a website called gringoes.com, a site for foreigners who are living in Brazil) and managed to find ONE post about Rondonia. I quickly messaged the girl who had posted about her upcoming move to a city not too far from me and consequently I have made two new friends! The girl I sent the message to is on her way to Brazil within the next few months and she shared a website with me of a fellow American who is in Rondonia, a bit further away, but regardless, it made me overjoyed. I quickly went to her website (http://sixdegreessouthlatitude.blogspot.com/) left her a message and not even an hour later, I received a phone call from the other American currently lost in the Amazon, Jessica! We spent almost an hour on the phone talking about our lives, how they have changed since we moved here, our husbands, dealing with buracracy, working, teaching English and her new school which, although was set to open up on Monday, due to the national holiday, was moved to tomorrow. I have a feeling Rondonia's first American Social Club is starting to take root! ;)

I spent the morning planning out my next career moves and if all goes well, by the end of the month I may have some interesting news to share! Just stay tuned!

On another note, Rondonia is situated just close enough to the equator that we really don't experience much difference in weather except for the rain. There's the rainy season and the dry season. The dry season was almost unbearable at points due to all the dust in the air and the heat that never ended. I was so excited when the first few rains fell and have been announcing that I am excited for the rainy season to kick into full gear. However, little did I think this through. Mosquitos multiply in the rainy season. I've already started lighting up mosquito coils at night and am getting ready to order some Skin-so-Soft from one of my friends who is an Avon distributor. (My vovó swears that the body oil is the best bug repellant on the market!) One of the best things about the rainy season is how the landscape changes from dry to clean, crisp and green. This weekend I will take my camera along as I head off to our friend's farm to take some pictures of what I consider the most beautiful hills and mountains I have seen in Brazil. I need to do some more research on the geology of Rondonia because around her farm there are tons and TONS of big rocks. Just random huge rocks in the middle of nowhere. I'm extremely intrigued and now I want to know what type of geological past this region experienced to know why those rocks are there! If anyone knows of any books or websites, send them along!

That's all for now as it is already midnight. I went for a run tonight and am exhausted. Tomorrow I'm joining a gym. (Mind you, I have been saying this for over a week now...) I need to get some type of structure into my unstructured life and with the end of the school year not too far away (2 weeks!) I'm going to need something to entertain me!!!

Boa noite!