Running and Tennis

This morning Ananda and I woke up at 7am and did a good 6 mile run. I ran a little ahead and finished it in 57:53, which according to the pace calculator it was a little less than a 9:40 pace. That's good for me. Ananda did just about a 10 minute mile. Towards the end knowing she was right behind me kept me going faster. My mind kept playing tricks on me, telling me to go slower, but I told myself not to underestimate Ananda, she'll be right on my ass or passing me in a few seconds, so I had to go faster. And of course, she came in right behind me. It felt pretty good though. Let's not kid ourselves, it felt good after it was done. The beginning of the Lanikai loop felt pretty difficult. The wind has really picked up recently and you have to fight your way up the hill towards the Lanikai stone post or whatever that thing is. And then you think to yourself that the hardest part is over, but the wind tries to push you backwards on your way down the other side of the hill into Lanikai. That part was really hard for me. And the last hill was trying to take me down as well, but I kicked it's ass.
After we ran we pretended to stretch for a couple of minutes and then grabbed our new (New to us!) tennis rackets and headed out to the tennis courts with images of tennis stars in our heads. Unfortunately a lot of older people get out and play tennis early on Saturday so no courts were open. Well, maybe it was fortunate, because it gave us some time to practice our swings at the wall ball court. We did some competition on who could hit the ball more times in a row. I actually really enjoyed it. If my legs hadn't still felt like Jello I might have stayed for a while longer. We do need some work on the rackets, maybe some electrical tape or something for the handles. Although they are new (new to us!) they are from the Salvation Army and have probably been used a lot. The handle grips were disintegrating in our palms. It was kind of gross. We'll have to tape them up for the next time. I'm actually happy that I accidentally bought Junior rackets, because they weren't too heavy. I guess later when you get stronger and better you want to have a big, professional racket. Anyway, it was fun and I will have to get back out there. We've decided that once we can hit the ball back and forth a little we're going to challenge Joanna and Denby. I know Joanna has played before, and for some reason I feel like maybe Denby has to. If not, I'll have to pick her up a 3 dollar racket at Salvation Army and she can come practice with us.
The rest of the week was pretty good. I ate semi-healthy. I hit 135, but was back at 136 yesterday. If tomorrow and Monday I weigh in at 135 then I've met my goal. Otherwise I have to push back all my other weight goals. I have to get serious. I have been drinking a ton of water, and that has been good for me. It helps you sleep better, keeps you full, and definitely helps for the long runs. I've been drinking a lot of tea again. I think we'll be drinking a ton of it since Nate's New Year's Resolution is to not buy any beer. If I can keep the fridge stocked with other drinks it should help him out. I love making a big pitcher of tea for Nate, he actually drinks it unsweetened, which is strange to me, but it's cheap and you can make a ton of it. There is a Japanese green tea that is really inexpensive, so it's a great alternative. Plus you can't beat the antioxidant piece. Tea is really good for you. I have bought a whole ton of decaffeinated tea as well for the evening time. Thanks to Aunt Pat and Aunt Sara for my teapot. I use it all the time.