Expat, Runner, World Traveler

Well I was going to go to Basel. I even set my alarm. I hit snooze too many times though, and next thing I know it's 10:30. Oops. Guess I'm not going much of anywhere today. Oh well.

I made coffee, had the leftover almond croissant from yesterday and also some yogurt with the last of the strawberry and orange fruit salad sprinkled with some cinnamon and muesli.

I'm not sure what I'll do now. I popped downstairs to grab a loaf of bread. I had to think about what to throw on to look presentable though; the French do not just do t-shirts and sweatpants. Also, there is always a line at noon, so I was expecting to encounter others. Black All Blacks shirt my sis got me + black yoga pants was my choice. I didn't get any lifted eyebrows, so voila, I have my loaf of "rustique."

I'm trying to work my way through the various offerings since I'm not sure what the different kinds taste like, but I'm also trying to focus on trying the ones with more whole grains like wheat or spelt. I have now looked it up, and in France, a rustique loaf is a mixture of wheat and rye flours, and takes longer to go stale. Good choice! I also got a spelt loaf the other day; the word for spelt in French is épeautre.

Maybe I'll try to go for a hike today to get some fresh air and exercise. I need to look up some trails though.

So, I'm in France right now for work, trying to adjust to the big change in pretty much everything: work schedule, eating schedule, diet... I am still amazed at how people here eat the amount of butter and bacon that they do and not fall over dead in the middle of the street.

Yum

I decided that I need to try and get in as much exercise as I can so that I don't have to deprive myself of too much of the food that's available, so in that vein I finally went running on Sunday. The area where I am is not really a huge city, but definitely more urban than I'm using to running, so I headed for the path (randonnée) along the river that runs through town then cuts over to a park area. It was just a short out and back 5K, but I did it in 37 minutes without stopping to walk, except at road crossings. Pretty good for having essentially done no running since the marathon! I have still had some pain in my knee even without running, so I was a little worried. It was a short run though, and I didn't push the pace so my knee seemed to weather things just fine.

I've been trying to keep active by walking, going to some fitness classes with my coworkers, and practicing with a soccer team once a week. Since pretty much everything is closed on Sundays, doing outdoor things like walking, biking or running is about your only choice besides stay home. I don't have a scale, so I guess I'll know I need to cut back when my pants stop fitting!

Having recently engaged in some serious intercontinental travel (Switzerland to New Zealand via Singapore), I have endured my share of long flights. On the way to NZ I watched 3 movies (Enchanted, August Rush and Juno) as well as a few episodes of various TV shows including House, The Office and 30 Rock. On the way back, I watched No Country for Old Men, Michael Clayton, American Gangster and Gone Baby Gone.

My experiences on the flights got me to thinking, which is worse: sitting near someone with too much perfume/cologne on or sitting near someone with bad body odor? I experienced both, and even I am not sure which one I would choose if given that Sophie's Choice.

Excessive perfume gives me a headache and deadens my taste buds. Of course deadened taste buds aren't always bad when faced with typical airline food. Bad body odor is just really disgusting.

What say you friends list? Which would you choose?

Well, I kept intending to write a really good race report on the marathon. You know how that goes... So here we are, over a month later and I still haven't posted one. Things got a little crazy after the race, including a move overseas for work.

In a nutshell, the race went well. The weather was better than last year, giving more overcast skies to shield us from the sun. It was misting at the start, but we didn't have any other rain during the time I was on the course. It started pouring rain soon after I got back to the hotel from the finish area.

My knee didn't bother me too much during the race. I did have problems with blisters on the inside edge of my big toes. One of them ripped while I was running at about Mile 16. That was painful, but I kept going and the pain subsided. I was doing pretty well until the dreaded Mile 19 stretch with the few hills on the course. My quads were really starting to bug me by the time I passed the Upstate NY Team in Training support crew at Mile 22. I was about ready to break down in tears. Looking at the Nike+ record, this was the low point in my pace. However, after making it through Disney Studios and seeing my mom and another friend at the exit I resolved to pick up the pace a bit. I had pretty much negative splits from the Mile 22 to the finish. Just as I was making my way around the World Showcase at Epcot, I got a calf cramp! I kept going though and it subsided. There was no way I was stopping at that point. My final chip time was just over 5:34, nearly 30 minutes off my time from last year. I was pretty happy with that.

Here's a photo of me and my mom at the TNT victory party. I'll upload some race pictures soon (hopefully!).

Mickeyminniemeandmom

The race is this Sunday! Eek! I'm runner #12894. I'm still a little wary of the race. I have been trying out some different socks, but I think I'm going to go with the beat up pair of New Balance ones that I wore for the marathon the first time around. I'm hoping to get a new pair of Race Ready shorts at the Expo. I've been training with my existing pair, but I want some in black.

I bought a foam roller. That thing hurts while you're on it, but it's like a miracle cure when you're off! Wish I had started this sooner. Too bad it's too big to take to WDW with me. I am going to have to be satisfied with the Stick.

Images

Finally, I'm very happy with what I've accomplished with my fundraising. I appreciate all the support from those who donated.

Now it's on to the race. Go Team!

13 - The date of the race, and the number of days until the race. I had a pretty good running weekend. I decided to give up on the Asics Nimbus 9s. A seam at the front was rubbing a spot on my big toe and they seemed to be causing me bruised toenails on the longer runs. I think they will still work for shorter runs, so at least I won't have to ditch them completely.

Trigon5

That means that I am now the proud owner of a new pair of my former shoe in its new incarnation, the Saucony Trigon Ride 5. Of course they had to go and change something, so they aren't quite the same, but I laced them differently in order to avoid the new loop that was substituted for the traditional eyelet.

But the best thing about them? They're PINK! And not just any pink, the kind that makes me want to put on my tiara so I can be a pretty princess. They're so obnoxious it's actually funny, so I embrace their pinkitude. I am running at Disney World after all.

I also scored a good deal on some things at Marshall's. I got the Nike+ Sport Kit Case for $12.99 and I got two pairs of Nike anatomical socks and a pair of Patagonia ultra lightweight endurance socks, each pair for just $2.99. I'm still considering trying out the Nike Elite socks for the marathon, but I'm not sure I want to spend $12 on one pair of socks. Anyone tried those before?

run santa

So, the curtailed mileage schedule continues. I only ended up doing 10 miles on Saturday, as instructed by the TNT coaches. It is very hard to get my brain to accept that this is the right course of action, especially when presented with others going 20 miles etc. Thankfully we have entered "The Taper" so now it won't be as obvious that I am hobbled. I did put in a couple of short runs on Sunday and today. I plan to do some elliptical work tomorrow so that I don't have too much pounding on my legs.

I had a wonderful massage yesterday though. I told her to go to town, and she really cranked it up on my legs. It really seemed to help, so I think I will have another about a week before the race. Hopefully I can find someone just as good in Albany.

On the fundraising front, I am still waiting for my corporate matching to come through, and when that does I will be above my goal. However, I have to fret in the meantime. It's still not too late to donate! If you want to contribute and help fight leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers, you can still do so online at my website (http://www.active.com/donate/tntnyvt/SWien) and if you do it this year, you can take the deduction on your 2007 taxes! :)

24-logo5

Dink... Dink... Dink... Dink...

24 days until the marathon!

This saturday is supposed to be our last long run before the 3 week taper. I am not sure how far I will go. I may try for 16 or 18. I'll listen to what the coach has to say and do that. I don't want to push too hard, although I'm getting nervous now only having gotten to 16. I am slightly better than last year though, and definitely at a much better level of fitness.

I've been going to PT, which seems to be helping the knee and IT band/hip, but I still have some discomfort. Of course I slipped on some ice yesterday and slightly tweaked a muscle on my left side (lower back/glute)! Any little thing now is like major drama though, so I'm trying not to let it bother me. I may bring it up to the PT today.

Tonight I'm going running with some other women through the Christmas lights in a local park. Should be much more enjoyable than sitting in a car, and the temperatures aren't as bad as they have been recently.

So that's what I'm doing right now. Maybe not to the true freak out stage, but getting close. We'll see how the run goes tomorrow. The therapy seems to be helping, although I have also reduced the mileage at the same time. I'm starting to become concerned about getting in a longer run (18-20 miles). I figure I will probably not make it to 20, but hopefully 18 next weekend.

Sesame_street_pinball

Tomorrow we are scheduled for a 12 miler, although I'm not sure what I'll manage to do. The predicted temperature at 7 AM is 12 F. TWELVE freaking degrees! We also got 8 inches of snow yesterday. So 12 miles in 12 degrees. Makes me think of that old Sesame Street song. I bet you hear it in your head right now...