Livingloca’s Hot Bodyblog

It seems every morning that I have been on vacation,  I have made it to the gym.  If you would have asked me 4 years ago if I would be getting up early (even on vacation) to get my butt in there, I would have told you that you were completely nuts!

Each day seems to bring me little surprises here on Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica.  I drive the little golfcarts they have equipped the homes with, and as I make it down the mountain (hill, perhaps, but in Houston we are flat, so they all seem like mountains) little orange crabs scurry across the pavement, trying to get away from the golfcart (oops… i seem to be smushing a couple of them each day).  As I was making a turn, I looked to my right and there was a white-faced monkey crossing the road! 

 I went in late today to the gym and it was empty (it was also 11 am–took a long leisurely morning) but I had the most incredible run!  Seems I had a "carbfest" yesterday which was topped off with eating some cookies (eek!!) So today I wasn’t going to go in, but the thought of those cookies on my abs… not good   Apparently, the overload of carbs yesterday did me well- lots of energy to run with!! (and yesterday I couldn’t move my legs if a burglar was chasing me! I tried and tried to get the motivation to really get some intensity in my cardio but couldn’t).  I realized that my legs were really telling me they wanted a break (i have been running everyday and doing sprints constantly and I forgot I had a big leg workout the day before that left me SORE!).  Well, I listened to them, gave them a little break (ok, so I just didn’t sprint) and today I was back with full intensity.  The little golfcart "valets" probably say to themselves  "there is that chick with the black baseball cap AGAIN".  lol. 

 So today, after I got in my cardio session, I end up going to a small, secluded beach.  Beautiful still water (no big waves) and crystal clear.  As we are sitting, EEEEK!!!!!  An iguana is behind us, shaking its ugly head.  My husband thinks its cute and tosses a piece of bread at it…. WHOAH!!!!!  A couple more come running down the tree behind us!!!  Okay, I love nature (not really, not a nature girl, BUT I LOVE THE BEACH) but those things freaked me out!  I tried to nap on my towel on the sand after having lunch (grilled chicken breast,  fat free plain yogurt and an apple, for the record) and just kept thinking about the iguanas, the ants around me, what was going to fly out of the tree over me… ha ha ha.  Peaceful and tranquil??  lol.  My girls played in the water, loving that they could see fishies in there.  You could hear the massive group of Howler Monkeys in the trees nearby yelling.  When they are in unison it sounds like a bunch of gorillas!  As we were leaving, we walked back through the path and heard a branch near us crack… we looked up– a howler monkey swinging from tree to tree over us!!  Then we saw another one…..the girls are flipping and taking pics…. I smiled, admired and decided the mosquitoes were gonna get me (note to self–bathe in repellent… bc after 10 days of being in Costa Rica, I have gotten bit in sooooooo many places, I am so tired of scratching!!) 

We make it back to the house and relieved… its nice and cool inside and I sit to notice …. a racoon outside on the patio.  The same racoon that was out there 2 days ago!!  Wildlife…. everywhere.  It went away and we went outside on the patio to admire the oceanview…. we hear more Howlers in the trees near the house and catch a glimpse of one, lazily draped over a branch.  Cute.  That is totally what I felt like doing.

So, it has been busy with all kinds of attractions around here.  Lol.  I love being at the beach but I am ready to be back home.  I will get home on Sunday to find myself leaving Thursday for Cabo with my best girlfriends for the weekend.  More sun, more fun– although Cabo won’t have but maybe a few iguanas to offer…

 Keep training hard!

A week in Costa Rica.  I arrived in San Jose, CR over a week ago to find wet weather.  Its the rainy season now (the summer) but it rains in the late afternoon and then clears up.  A day in San Jose and then we ventured to Isla Tortuguero (Turtle Island).  A drive of 3 hours took us to a town where a river began and from that point, there is no way of getting to the island except by boat.  We got on a small boat, to be suprised that we would be "flying" down the river…. an hour later, we arrived.  The only way around the island is by boat– no cars.  We spent 3 days and although it was interesting to hear the howler monkeys howling while we ate dinner, it was nice to get back to civilization.  We went back to San Jose for another evening and then drove to the Guanacaste region of CR— Papagayo Peninsula.  Where we call it "jurassic park" the gates that enter into the "compound" where the Four Seasons sits amongst private homes.  Ahhh…. the beach.  FINALLY!!!!

We have spent each day, sunning, swimming, enjoying the beach, hearing the howler monkeys in the trees surrounding the house.  On my way to the gym, driving a golfcart, there was a howler monkey in the road.  He stared at me… sat there as I drove past him…. we were having a staring contest that I thought the darn thing was going to spring at me!!  On the way back, a Coatimundi was crossing in front of me while i was driving back to the house…  and racoons that pass by our patio…. pretty neat.  The sunsets are spectacular and the only apparel during the day has been a bikini.  Twelve bikinis, actually.  LOL! 

I have worked out every day (except for a couple of days) getting my cardio in and the only thing I can’t seem to do here are my squats and deadlifts.  No squat bar!!! darn!!!!!  

I have to say, I love the beach.  However, I don’t like being gone from home more than about 10 days.  I start to miss home, my BFFs, friends and, of course, my gymrats.  LOVE my gymrats!  The intensity level of my workouts aren’t quite the same as being home and I really miss that!! 

Hope you are enjoying the first few weeks of June so far… while I was away I turned 39.  Wow.  Love my age.  I love that I don’t feel my age.  In fact, I love that I am working at not looking my age!!! lol!!

 Keep training hard!!!