Catching Up

I've been meaning to update the blog for several days, but I just haven't seemed to find the time. Between running and dinner parties, sorting papers and teaching those last few classes, there aren't enough hours to accomplish all I'd like to. So this morning, before tackling my sorting / packing, I've sat down with a cup of coffee to let you know what Philipp and I have been up to.

The weather has been nice here, even reaching the mid 80s last Sunday. (more about that later) On Thursday of last week, which was yet another French holiday, Philipp and I had our first lunch outside in the back garden. It made me excited for many more outdoor meals in Cincinnati this summer and --of course -- in Charleston!

That afternoon, Philipp needed to move his truck, which he'd left outside the gate of the castle. And so I got my first driving lesson (for a standard transmission) in the truck! It wasn't too difficult, and I think I'd be able to get the hang of it eventually, but I still prefer my automatic. When the lesson was over, Philipp offered to have me park the truck in front of our place, but I didn't want to take the risk of getting too close to one of the neighbors' cars, so I hopped in the back ... and did a little truck rodeo ridin'!

Sunday, I ran La Course de Timo, a 10K race in nearby Seiches sur le Loir. The weather was hot and muggy ... already over 80 degrees in the morning. I wanted to improve my time from last year's race, and I started with the 50 minute pacing group. The course includes one small loop and three big ones. Here I am after the first of the big loops.

A loop later, my smile wasn't quite so big. Shorter distances mean faster speeds, and my body prefers distance to speed. Still, I wanted to push myself and try to finish in under 50 minutes. One of the pacers stayed with me (the rest of the pace group was a little in front) for the last two loops and coached me all the way. He continually encouraged me and gave me reminders to use my arms on the inclines, catch my breath in the descent, etc. In the third loop, we were joined by another runner who took over the coaching. I was so touched by the fact that these two guys were so supportive ... and they really pushed me to keep going.

In the end, I finished with a new PR (Personal Record) for the 10K, and memories of the kindness of strangers. My time for the course was 49:53, but it seems that the course was just over 10K. According to my Garmin, my 10K time was 48:11. I'll take either one! :)

After the race, Philipp's brother Dominique (who also ran the race ... in 43 minutes!), his wife and their son Maxence -- along with Philipp and I -- were all invited to the home of some friends who live near the town where the race was held. They have a beautiful home along Le Loir river. (not to be confused with La Loire, the more famous river which also goes through the area) After showers for Dominique and me, and a delicious lunch, we piled into a canoe, two kayaks and a row boat for a gentle paddle down the river. The afternoon was absolutely lovely.

So that's been the excitement over the past week or so. Now I'm full-force into sorting papers and my stuff, deciding what comes now, what comes later, what gets given away and what gets recycled. Tuesday morning is the big departure, and I have a feeling it will come too quickly.

So ... back to my boxes!

Pellouailles - Angers 15k

Under gray skies, 513 runners took to the street this afternoon for the 61st edition of Pellouailles-Angers, a 15 kilometer race between the two towns. As always, Philipp was there to support me and cheer me on. As one of his brothers was also running (although much faster than I ran), there were lots of in-laws and nieces and nephews along the way, too. It was fun to see them all.

This is the first time I ran a 15k race, so I knew that no matter how I did, I'd set a new PR (personal record). According to my times in training, I figured I'd finish around 1 hour 20 or 25 minutes. I was sure that I wanted to avoid what happened in the Amsterdam Marathon last year ... pushing myself too hard in the middle of the race, and struggling at the end. That can even happen at a shorter distance. So I paid very close attention to my heart rate, and was careful to slow down a little whenever it got too high (and my GPS started beeping at me).

As a runner, it can sometimes be a real challenge to hold back and not allow the excitement and adrenaline -- and fear of finishing well behind your target time -- to make you push beyond your limits. So not only am I happy with my time -- 1:21:17 -- but I'm also happy with my overall performance. At a certain time, I was running alongside two other women, and although we were all at the same speed, they were both huffing and puffing. I was fine. And after a while, I pulled ahead of them and didn't see them again.

It felt great to push myself and sprint in to the finish. As I wrote above, I was proud of how I regulated my performance, and satisfied with my finishing time. And now that I have a PR for the 15k, I'll have to find another race of the same distance ... and break my own record! :)

Here are a few of the pictures Philipp took:

AMSTERDAM !

I've accomplished my goal!

5 marathons in 5 countries

Here's the recap:

1. 5/2006 - Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
2. 4/2007 - Paris Marathon
3. 9/2007 - Berlin Marathon
4. 3/2008 - Barcelona Marathon
5. 10/2008 - Amsterdam Marathon

The weather was perfect for running on Sunday morning ... cool with just a little breeze. (The wind did pick up a bit at times.) The start / finish was at the 1928 Olympic Stadium, within walking distance from the apartment Philipp and I rented. This was nice for two reasons: 1) We didn't have to depend on public transportation to get there and back, and 2) I was familiar with the last couple kilometers once we passed the apartment, so I knew just how much farther I had to go.



This was important, because the second half of the marathon was really tough for me. I knew that I shouldn't start too fast, which I didn't. I held a good pace for the first half, but wasn't overdoing it. Then, just around the halfway mark, the 3:45 pace team passed me. This was a blow to my psyche, because I'd wanted to finish in that time. I sped up a bit to pass them and stay in front of them. Unfortunately, at this point my heartrate had been just a little too high for several minutes, and this added pressure didn't help. Although I knew better, I kept pushing on at a pace just a little faster than I should. As a result, by km 30, I was hurting. I was exhausted, and despite my fueling (by eating energy gels) every 45 minutes, I was running out of steam. I saw Philipp, and walked with him for a few minutes. He was, as always, very supportive and encouraging. And I kept going.

I knew my goal of 3:45 was out the window. I'd had a goal of qualifying for Boston in 2010, and it was difficult to shake off my disappointment. I thought I might be able to beat my fastest time, but as I felt more and more tired, and was forced to take more and more walk breaks, even that didn't seem possible. I began focusing on just finishing.

The last several kilometers were tougher than any of my other marathons so far. I suppose what I'd done was hit the wall, by pushing too much early on. I'm still mad at myself for this, because I know better! But I can't change what happened, so I must see this as a lesson every marathoner must learn.





And I cannot be disappointed in my performance, because despite the fatigue at the end, I managed to make a new Personal Record: 3:55:11 !





Here's a video that Philipp shot of my finish. I'm in a green top and black running skirt. I look much more energetic here than I had for the previous several miles!

And here are a couple pictures from afterward:

outside the Olympic Stadium, with my very fashionable blue poncho

(an alternative to the mylar blanket)

back in the apartment, with my medal

(and looking out the window at the half marathon runners)

And ... of course ... I offer my thanks to Philipp for all his encouragement over these past several months of training. He's a great support and cheerleader.

He also helps provide me with pre-race fuel ...

... and even gave up watching the Formula 1 Grand Prix that took place at the same time as the marathon. Here he is in his Formula 1 Wooden Shoe. ;)

August = LES VACANCES

The French take their summer vacations very seriously. Unlike Americans, most of them get four full weeks off in the summer. I've come to discover that several aspects of the summer vacation are so culturally ingrained that it's become a national pastime to analyze them.

Here are a few things I've learned:

• You can be defined as either a "juilletiste" or an "aoûtien". Juilletistes go on vacation in July (juillet) and aoûtiens go in August (août). People tend to be faithful to one month or the other.
• The French don't like to miss out on one single day of their vacation. As a result, they all leave on / come back from their vacations on the same day! Which is why certain days in the summer are classified as "green", "orange", "red" or "black" ... according to the amount of traffic on the country's highways. This weekend is supposed to be the worst of the summer, because the juilletistes are going home and the aoûtiens are heading out. They are predicting hundreds of kilometers of traffic jams on the highways. (I'll stay at home, merci.)
• Watching the news, we receive very important information for our vacations. Not only is there the traffic alert, but along with the usual weather report, there's also a special weather report just for the beaches. They give the air temperature, water temperature and wind speed.
• LE CAMPING: The French love to spend their summer vacation at campgrounds. I suppose it's an economical option, since a month in a hotel can get pricey. But before you get an idea that they're roughing it, let me explain what a French campground (un camping) is like ... because it's nothing like the simple American campgrounds that I know and love. First of all, the accomodations: some people are in tents, many others are in campers, and many are in little mobile homes. And in one campground, there can be hundreds of them. As for the entertainment: I get the impression that French campgrounds are like summer camp for whole families. There are activities all day long -- water aerobics in the pool, arts & crafts, singing contests and shows in the evening, discothèques at night. Because a lot of people like to return to the same campground year after year, they get to know their neighbors, and enjoy inviting them over to their area for a drink or a meal. [note: my observations about campgrounds have only come from TV ... I'll stick to American campgrounds where all you have is a space for the tent, a picnic table and maybe a fire circle]

So how have (or haven't) I embraced the notion of vacationing like the French? Well, for starters, I am taking the entire month of August off. "Bonjour, je suis aoûtienne." Even though Philipp and I are only going to spend three weeks in the States, I decided that I didn't need to work during the first week of August. It'll be nice to have some time to relax before our trip.

Today is the 1st of August, so I'm officially on vacation! Here's how I've spent my day:

7:00 - alarm goes off. forgot to set it for a later time. uugh.

7:02 - go back to sleep.

8:58 - wake up again. decide that I'm still exhausted but the sun is up so I should be, too. (yes, I know it was up at 7:00, too!)

9:00 - breakfast with Philipp, who is happy that I finally got up because he was starving.

9:30 - puttered around the house for a while, looked at NBC's Olympic coverage schedule online.

10:30 - went outside to work in the garden for a while. picked some more tomatoes. (we have so many!)

12:30 - lunch. inspired by my time in the garden (and our tomatoes that we grew all by ourselves!) I decided to prepare the following: homemade hummus, tomatoes and cheese cubes on Swedish flatbread. yum.

1:00 - Philipp and I took our coffees into the family room to watch the news and relax. (it had been such a strenuous morning, after all!)

1:30 - left with Philipp to keep him company and watch him kitesurf on the Loire. he was really disappointed to find that there wasn't as much wind as there seemed. not enough at all.

4:45 - on the way home, Philipp dropped me off at a park 3 miles from home. I ran 2 miles in the park, and then home for a total of 5 miles. one minute into my run, I got the hiccups! since I couldn't try my usual remedies (drinking water from the wrong side of the glass, or holding my breath ... not a good idea while running) I decided to just keep going. five minutes later, I still had them, so I had to stop and walk for a few minutes till they went away.

5:30 - got home, chatted with Philipp, drank some water and ate a yogurt.

5:45 - just before I got into the shower, I got the hiccups again. this time they were really loud ... and painful. they lasted all the way through my shower, drying off, getting dressed and lying down on the bed for several minutes. uugh.

And now ... it's 8:00. Philipp has gone back to the Loire because his friends are there and say the wind has picked up again. He was so disappointed about not having good wind to kitesurf this afternoon, I am really hoping conditions are better now and he's having a good time. I decided to stay home this time, and work on my blog. When I finish, I'll probably read for a while. We're going to have leftover linguine with tomato sauce for dinner. Oh, and I've gotten the hiccups one other time, while sitting here at my computer. They didn't last too long, though.

Well, that's about it for my first full day of vacation. A pretty full day, but relaxing. And I still have 30 days of vacation ahead of me ... :)

International Champion!

Today, I ran a 10K race called La Course de Timo. There are several children's events, a 4K and a 10K ... all to raise research money to find a cure for childhood brain tumors. The founders of the race lost their little boy, Timo, to a brain tumor several years ago. One of the sponsors of the race is the Crédit Mutuel bank of Seiches sur le Loir, where the race takes place; Philipp's brother Dominique is the director of the bank, and he's the one who got me involved.

It was a sunny morning, and the 10:30 start meant that the temperature was rising. There were about 400 runners in the 10K event. We started with a small loop through the downtown, then did a longer loop three times. Unfortunately, the longer loop had a long, steady hill. The first time up, I knew that it would be tough to meet my goal of finishing in under 48 minutes. I'd been training for the race, but hadn't done much hill work. I kept pushing my pace, but was sure to keep an eye on my heartrate; if I were to stay too high for too long, I wouldn't be able to finish strong.

As always, Philipp was with me to cheer me on. It was fun to see him each time I passed near the finish line, as he watched with my sister-in-law and my niece and nephews (two of my brothers-in-law also ran the race ... I finished after one, and before the other). He also had a large American flag, which I grabbed and carried for the last few meters. They made a big deal about having an American running the race. They even interviewed me after the finish, and gave me a big bouquet of flowers. (Well, the flowers were because one of the female winners didn't stick around for the awards, and my banker brother-in-law, who was on the podium to give out awards, suggested that they give them to the American -- the other presenters didn't know we were related!)
And how did I do, you ask? Well, I was right that I couldn't make my original speed goal. But I wasn't too far behind ... 10K in 49:08. That's a new PR! (personal record) The actual course was a bit longer than 10K, though, so my finishing time (by my watch) was 50:43. I'll check the web site in a day or two for the official results. There will surely be some photos, too, so be sure to check them out!

Marathon Pictures

The race report I published the other day was to give practical info to other runners. So here's the more personal side of marathon weekend.

Here I am on Friday in front of the huge promotional poster at Placa d'Espanya. We were headed to the Expo, where I picked up my race packet with number bib, electronic chip to record my times, and some other promotional stuff. We went back Saturday afternoon for the free Pasta Party. Carbo loading!

I'm sure some people plan race strategy the night before, but Philipp and I planned a different type of strategy ... Where he would see me along the course. We sat with the map, and worked out where it would be easiest for him to go with the bus / metro, when I would run past each point, what side of the street I should look for him on ...

And here's the course :

It looks like there are a lot of runners, but compared to Paris and Berlin (35-40 thousand runners), Barcelona is small with only around 9,000. Here I am, just after crossing the start.

Unfortunately, despite the smaller number of runners, and all our planning, Philipp and I only saw each other at the first couple spots. It was frustrating and disappointing for both of us. I am always so happy to see Philipp along the course ... it restores my smile and gives me new energy! I had him with me in my heart, though.

And ... 3 hours 55 minutes and 31 seconds later ...

(32 seconds by the official chip time) This is my Garmin GPS, which I always wear to run. I know it says that I ran only 25.35 miles (not 26.2), but trust me ... I did run the full marathon. Sometimes there are glitches when satellite signals are low.

And here I am again, back in the Placa D'Espanya, with my finisher's medal and a proud smile.

I'm laughing to myself now, as I look at this photo, because I know that after we took it, I had to walk down the stairs I'm standing on, which was so painful.

But nonetheless, I was already thinking about where my next marathon will be, and what my goal time will be. (no decisions made yet, but I'll keep you posted!)

:)

Barcelona Marathon: Race Report

(photos to come soon)

What a fabulous day in Barcelona! I had an amazing time discovering this beautiful city, enjoyed a very well-organized race, and hit a new PR of 3:55:32! So now, while I’m still hobbling around, I’ll try to remember the details of this amazing experience.

Registration: Easy on-line registration in Spanish, Catalan, English or French. 40 euros, if I remember correctly, and a fairly lenient cancellation policy. No medical certificate required.

The Expo: Great volunteer support to welcome you and answer questions. Lots of staff / volunteers spoke English, but not all the exhibitors (including from Runner’s World). :( Zero lines at packet pick-up, even at peak times. Technical t-shirt. Optional name bib provided to all runners. Pasta party is free and open to runners’ family. Atmosphere very friendly. Pretty standard exhibitors – lots of European marathons to make me dream of my next one, as well as shoe / apparel / fuel vendors. There was an area set up for press conferences / presentations, but I didn’t see a schedule of events. (but I didn’t ask, either)

The Start: Map of start / finish area from web site very clear (expo was at the same site), all areas well-marked. Rather long lines at the porta-potties 30 minutes before start. They turned the fountains on along the street a few minutes before start, which was cool. I didn’t understand the announcements before the start, but I figure they were the standard welcome and introductions. I would have liked some good motivating music to get things going, but there was none, except for a couple minutes of opera. (huh?) I was disappointed by the actual start, because I missed it. I didn’t hear a 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... or a gun or anything. No applause or cheers from the runners, either. The crowd just started moving forward, and I looked ahead and saw that the clock had started. Rather anti-climatic.

The Route: We started at Plaça de Espanya, where there was a lot of crowd support. Throughout the course, there were pockets of supporters, but there were definitely places with no one, too. I think this is pretty par for the course with smaller marathons; I believe there were around 9,000 runners. There were a couple places where the route was not really marked (no blue line), but as a middle-of-the-pack runner, I had no fears of getting lost.

The actual course is beautiful. See it here. We ran past (and through) so many famous landmarks of the city ... the Olympic Stadium, Sagrada Familia, Torre Agbar, along the Mediterranean and under the Arc de Triomph. My personal favorite moment of the course was crossing a bridge around km 30-31, and suddenly seeing the beautiful Mediterranean in front of me. The breeze was refreshing, and just what I needed as the temperatures began to rise. It’s a good thing there are so many tall buildings in Barcelona, because it helped to have the shade when possible, too. Finished by running between the two towers back at Plaça de Espanya ... Magnificent!

Runner Support: Frequent water / Powerade stations, always well-stocked. (at least through the middle of the pack ... I don’t know what they were like after I passed.) Volunteers were attentive, friendly and supportive. They gave full bottles of water and Powerade, so I was almost never without a bottle in my hand. Some sponge stations, too – but one ran out before I got there, and another was so short (only 2 tables) that I missed it, thinking there were more tables ahead, but there weren’t.

Barcelona: If you go, plan to stay a few days, because there is so much to do, and so many sights to see! It really is a beautiful city, with wide avenues for strolling and shopping, old areas with narrow cobblestone streets, diverse architecture, the mountains, the sea, the sun, ... Transportation on the metro is easy and inexpensive; we got three-day passes that covered both metro and bus. Unfortunately, the bus was rather confusing: there are a million different lines, many of which go in little loops but not from one place to another, and we never figured out why our passes were good on the red buses but not the yellow ones. It was also very difficult to locate a map that had all the bus lines and stops labeled. The only other negative thing I can say about the city is that I was quite surprised at the number of areas in the city that smell like sewers. I don’t know if it has anything to do with the number of building sites in progress, but it was strange for what is, despite its rich history – a modern city.

Running my own race: A new mantra came out of this marathon: “run your own race”. It was my fourth marathon, and the first time I’d really trained with a specific speed goal in mind. (under 4 hours) I was really aware of my pace this time, and kept reminding myself to stay steady, and not go out too fast. When runners passed me and I wanted to speed up, I just told myself, “run your own race”. And in the end, I passed around 1,200 runners. (cool!) It helped to know that I was around three minutes ahead of goal from early on in the race. For the first 20 miles or so, this was like a safety blanket ... even if my pace slowed, I still had a buffer zone. I passed the 4 hour pace group around mile 11 (I think) and that was another confidence boost for me. As long as they didn’t pass me, I should be OK.

I was really good about hydrating, because I knew the temps were going to rise. It was a clear morning and an 8:30 start, so I could pretty much count on it being hot when I finished. I had 7 Powerbar gels with me, and I ate every one. (I was so happy to buy them at the expo, because I can’t get them in my city, and the French ones I put up with during my training are really gross.) I had the first one about 30 minutes before the start, and then one every 35-40 minutes throughout. I had one at 3:20, and found that I still had one left, so I ate it at 3:40, to give me one last boost to the end. As I headed into the last several kilometers, I started telling myself to just keep going at this pace, and I would rock my goal. It would all be over in 30 minutes ... in 10 minutes ... so just keep going. When I spotted the towers of the Plaça de Espanya ahead, I knew the finish was close. What a great motivator! The clock was at 3:59 as I crossed the finish (it’s tough to have an up-hill stretch at the end), but my chip time was 3:55:32! This cut 17 minutes off my previous PR! I’m definitely proud of this one. Now, suddenly, that BQ is starting seem more attainable! And I’m starting to think about where my fifth marathon will be.

Artichoke Diversity

There are moments in every woman's life when she realizes -- with vivid clarity -- that she is BECOMING HER MOTHER. I had one of those moments a few years ago (back in my wild single days) during an ordinary telephone call with my Mom, when we realized that we had both ... without any prior planning (obviously!) eaten the same dinner earlier in the week: an artichoke, and then some ice cream.

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Weird, I know.

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I was thinking of that this weekend when I prepared a couple of artichokes for Philipp and me. These were the artichokes that almost weren't. They had to overcome a lot of obstacles. First, they had to make it into our shopping basket and home with us. I wasn't planning on buying any artichokes, but on a trip to the store the other day, Philipp saw them and they looked good, so we picked up a pair. I wanted to cook them the other evening, but we ran out of gas, and Philipp would have to go out and get another canister of it. I'd already prepared most of the dinner, so I let the artichokes go for that night. Then I boiled them last night, but we were too full from our mass quantities of pasta to eat them. And that's when Philipp informed me that in France, "we don't eat artichokes hot".

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No hot artichokes?? That's CRAZY!!

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It turns out that artichokes are just another of the many items that are prepared and/or consumed differently here. In France, they're room temperature, and you dip the leaves in a mixture of crème fraiche (a bit like sour cream) and wine vinegar. In the States, we eat them hot and dip the leaves in a mixture of melted butter and lemon juice.

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Or do we ... ?

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I talk quite a bit about American culture with my students, and sometimes I'm not sure if what is "true" is the case for most Americans, or just true in my experience. Take the primaries, for example. I've been asked by several people to explain just what's going on with our electoral process right now, and I'm trying my best to think of educated -- and hopefully accurate -- answers. (Thanks, Mr. Turner, for all the wisdom you imparted in the 1988-1989 school year!) So I've been explaining the basics, hoping no one asks what the difference is between a primary and a caucus (I have no idea!), and so far I've been pretty confident about my answers. Until this weekend, when I learned that a few states decided to hold their primaries (or maybe their caucuses, I don't know!) on the weekend!! What's up with that?!? I've been telling everyone that elections and primaries are always on a Tuesday, and now I find out that I'm a big fat liar.

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So ... maybe the same is true with our little friends the artichokes. Perhaps what is true for me (hot with lemon butter) is not actually the norm in the States. Heck, maybe normal people don't even eat artichokes unless they're part of the (hot!) creamy goodness that is a steaming bowl of spinach artichoke dip! Who knows?!

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So am I spreading lies or truths about artichoke consumption habits of average American citizens? You tell me. You can weigh in with your vote as a comment at the end of the post. (Enquiring minds want to know!)

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As for the many other differences in food consumption habits of average American versus average French people, I'll have to compile a list when I'm a little less sleepy. I had my last long training run today ... 20 miles in 3 hours 1 minute. And now ... the taper begins!!

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And in other news ... Thank you for the outpouring of support, your thoughts, your prayers, ... it seems the hand is not broken! ;) I didn't go for x-rays, but it's finally starting to feel better. Hmm ... does it still hurt when I press on it? [Kerry pauses to press on it] Ouch! Guess it still hurts a little. But (as Philipp says) I'm a warrior!

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Unfortunately, Warrior Philipp seems to have had a collision between his nose and the door of his truck this week. He's looking a little like a Roman Gladiator (the bump) with a pimple (the redness), and it's just a tad bit crooked, too. But since he's not really interested in going to a doctor to have it rebroken, and I promised he looked cute and I'd still love him even with a (incredibly minutely) crooked nose, he's just going to live with it this way.

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And I promised not to press on it. ;)

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Have a great week, everyone!

BIG LEAPS AND KARATE CHOPS (Kerry breaks a bone)

When I was 18 years old, I broke my first bone. It was my big toe ... I think it was the right one, but now I don't remember. I was in rehearsal with the ballet company I danced with, and we were preparing to perform "Coppelia". In it, there is "The Dance of the Hours", with twelve dancers. That's a lot of people, and we had limited rehearsal space. We had to do a grand jeté (a big leap) ... my right leg went forward ... Justyn's left leg went backward ... POW! She went down hard, but was fine. I broke my toe. I don't know why we weren't wearing our pointe shoes for that reahearsal; they would've protected my tender little toes.

My parents have always been grateful for my broken toe, because a week later I was due to fly down to Baltimore to audition for a dance scholarship at Goucher. I was also up for an academic / leadership scholarship. I didn't get the dance scholarship, but did get the other, which was much bigger and renewable for four years. Anything to help out. :)

I, too, have always been happy to have this as the story of the only time I broke a bone: "I kicked a girl."




So how's this for another (possibly) broken bone story: "I karate chopped a tile window sill." ?

Yes, I do realize that this requires an explanation ...

So, yesterday, I was getting ready to go out for a 16-mile training run. I got into my running clothes, and went downstairs to put on my cardio belt (a strap that measures my heartrate and sends the data to my Garmin GPS). I took my new fleece top down to the bathroom with me to put on after the belt, and then I would put my hair up and be ready to go. Maybe I was in a hurry ... or maybe I was already mentally outside, because I forgot to take into account the small size of the bathroom. I put the top over my head, brought my arms down and ... SMACK! I heard a really gross sound as my right hand karate chopped the window sill. I shouted, "AIE!" (the French version of 'ow'), followed by a French word that I definitely didn't learn in Madame Ravenelle's class. I ran my hand under cold water and watched the beginning of a bruise develop. But there was nothing else I could do, so I went out for my run. (The bruise never really developed ... if it had, I'd put a picture up for you.)

Philipp thinks it's probably broken, but I'm not sure, because it only hurts when I press on it. We'll see how it is in a day or two, and see if I go in for an x-ray. I don't know what they can do for me, and I have no desire to have a cast on my hand. Mainly because I don't want to run with it. I'm sure I'd get lots of comments on it at the marathon!

So that's the story of my second (possibly) broken bone. I'll keep you posted if there are any updates. Incidentally, the tile window sill made out fine ... just like Justyn.



One other note ... thanks to Ariana, I'm now hooked on NPR's "This American Life", and look forward to runs of over an hour so that I can listen to it (I download the podcasts). I also discovered a podcast called "The Final Sprint", and listened to an interesting interview with Mike Huckabee.

Things that make me HAPPY !!!

Today, we'll look at some little things that make me happy. (in no particular order) It's a nice, optimistic way to start the week, I think. :)

1) FUN HAIR. One of my sisters-in-law, Anne, is really good at doing braids. (the one from France, not the one from California ... actually, I don't know about the one from California ... I've never asked) Yesterday, we went to a surprise birthday party for one of my brothers-in-law, Sebastien, and I asked Anne if she would do my hair for me. This is one side of the back of my head. You can't really see, but there are two braids like headbands in the front, then two down the back (with the zigzag in the middle) and a little bun at the back. It should be fun to see what my hair looks like when I take them out. Philipp says I will look like a sheep.



2) HOT POCKETS. Need I say more??? I discovered these in one of the local grocery stores the other day. (AND they were buy one get one free!!) Reminds me of the good old days of Hot Pockets and baby carrots in the CHS teachers' lounge. Good times.

3) NEW RUNNING SHOES!

I've been devoted to Saucony running shoes for years (ever since I started running), but they're pretty much impossible to find in France. So I hit the sales at "Decathlon" (a sports super store) and tried on several pair, hoping to find something to get me through my marathon training and beyond. I fell in love with these ASICS as soon as I tried them on! PLUS they were on sale! I would have preferred a cooler color, but running shoes are one kind of shoe you can't choose based on color. At any rate, as you can see, my first run was muddy enough that soon you won't even be able to see the color!

3 1/2) NPR PODCASTS. OK, I don't have a photo for this one. But did you know that you can download NPR podcasts from the Internet? I found this out a few weeks ago, and now once a week, I download the latest episode of CAR TALK, and listen to it during one of my runs. Philipp can't understand at all why I'm listening to car advice ... some things (like Click and Clack) just don't translate!

4) WHAT'S THAT ... A MOP ?!?!?!? Yes, folks ... I have a real mop! Philipp and I went to a real el cheapo store the other day ... called King Kong! There I spotted what I thought would remain but a dream for the duration of my stay in France ... A mop of my very own. And for just 3 euros (about $4.50) I got not just a mop, but also the bucket and a cool drainer thing ... no more dishpan hands! It's amazing!! (OK, so I haven't actually use it yet, but I will soon ... I swear.) And thanks so much, Beth, for the offer to send me one. You're off the hook! ;)

5) ONE WORD ... FLEXIPAN. I finally feel like a real Cosneau woman, because I am now the proud owner of two Flexipan molds. All the female members of the family have these silicone molds (sold at Tupperware-type parties), and create mouth-watering treats in them. For Christmas, I got to pick out whatever I wanted ... Philipp dropped me off at Anne's (the hair-braiding sister-in-law), who was hosting the party, with his checkbook and free reign to pick out a Christmas present or two. I came away with this lovely flower mold, which I use primarily to make zucchini bread ... and then make the French people guess what the flecks of green are in their cake!

I also got these little molds for making hors-d'oeuvres or sweets. I can now make little appetizers along with the best of 'em. And it's so easy!! So far, I've made these varieties: marinara and cheese, mushroom and thyme, smoked salmon, crab and dill, and pesto and cheese. Yum!

So ... I realize that I am truly becoming an old married woman, because several things that make me happy have to do with cooking, cleaning, etc. But that's fine with me. Mostly, these are things that make my life easier, and who doesn't want that?

And now I must get ready for bed, because I told myself I would get to bed early all this week. I need my energy for a big running week ahead. Still in training for the Barcelona Marathon on March 2nd. I'll try to keep you posted on how things are going. Til then ... Have a great week!

Takin' it to the Streets

Brr ...


What is that chilly breeze blowing through town? Has Hell actually frozen over? That is a distinct possibility, because something has happened in France that I never thought I'd see in my lifetime ...

FRANCE HAS BANNED SMOKING IN ALL PUBLIC BUILDINGS !!!

Although the law came into effect on January 1st, they made a big deal of how they weren't going to enforce it until the 2nd, so that New Year's revelers could enjoy a few more puffs at the end of their evenings.


Although this trend has been spreading across the US for several years now, I never thought this country of Gauloise-loving*, café-clope-addicted* nicotinis (eew ... sounds like a really bad cocktail!) would ever jump on the band wagon.


Philipp likes to tell the story of how when he was at university, he was one of three students (out of a few hundred, I believe) who didn't smoke. On a routine visit to his doctor, he was told that he really should give up smoking. Philipp responded by explaining that his fellow students consistently puffed away until they reached the door of the lecture hall, and just the final exhalation and smoke remaining in their clothes was enough to give him a whopping dose of second-hand smoke. Yuck.


Oh, and I have a little story, too, which I think is a bit amusing. On one of my Sunday-morning long runs, I was heading down the sidewalk of Boulevard Foch ... the main street in Angers. I passed a group of waiters and waitresses having a café-clope at one of the outside tables before the lunch crowd showed up. As I passed, a waitress had just stood up and was walking over to the gutter to toss her butt. She asked me if she could join me. I just gave a smile and told her she'd have to give up smoking first. As I continued down the sidewalk, I heard laughter from the group at the table. (one point for me)


So this morning, being Sunday, I headed out on another long run. It was not too cold, but the humidity and imminent drizzle gave the air an extra chill. As I looked down the road in front of me, I was a bit surprised to see group of people standing in clusters at various spots along the sidewalk. It only took running through the cloud of smoke hovering around one of them to realize why they were out there. We were all outside on a rather yucky Sunday morning, but for very different reasons.


So I don't know how this law will really affect my everyday life. I fully support it, and look forward to sitting in a café when I want (not that I do it very often) and not come out smelling like an ashtray. But will I be able to walk or run down the streets without getting a lungful of smoke? Time will tell ...



*Gauloise: a popular brand of French cigarettes
*café-clope: slang for "coffee and a cigarette"

My Own Personal Turkey Trot

HAPPY THANKSGIVING !

I hope everyone is enjoying lots of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, peas, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie! Alas, here in France, these are not on the menu today. As you certainly are aware, Thanksgiving does not exist in France. It's just a normal Thursday.

Nevertheless, I decided to celebrate in my own way. No, I'm not cooking a turkey. (If you're wondering, tonight I'm making eggplant marinated in balsamic vinaigrette served over couscous with feta cheese.) No, I decided to do what I would be doing if I were in the States today ... besides eat. I ran my own Thanksgiving Day 10K! I was thinking of all the races being held all over the country today, and it made me feel a little left out. So I headed out for a run with my "virtual running partner" on my Garmin GPS (ooh ... this is starting to sound a little sad, isn't it ...). I wanted to finish in 54 minutes, but I came in a little slow ... 54:51. I probably would have gone faster if I'd had the music and crowd support that will be present along the hundreds of miles of courses around the country today. But even though I was a little slow, I felt great and enjoyed the time out there on my own.

So if you're running today, or supporting a runner, have a great time out there! Enjoy the excitement and energy of the runners and the crowd!

And to everyone ... Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Memories of Berlin

It's been a week since Philipp and I arrived back in Angers, and I figured it was about time that I got my act together and updated my blog. So let's travel back to six weeks ago, when we packed our bags (Philipp did his in an amazing flurry in just 30 minutes!) and took the night train to Berlin!

Although I've travelled all over Germany both with Up With People and on my own, I'd never been to Berlin. Philipp was there over 20 years ago, when the city was obviously much different. For him, that trip had been in the making for ten years, because it was then (30 years ago!) that Philipp's parents welcomed their first international students into their home. Two young Germans -- Gerd and Alfred -- came to study French, and in the process became a part of the Cosneau family. We were so happy to have the opportunity to spend time with Gerd, his wife Gabby and their daughter, Danielle.


We arrived in Berlin, tired from the train ride but ready to explore the city. In the course of our four days there, we explored several areas of the city, visiting monuments and parks, taking a boat ride, and discovering (or rediscovering) a beautiful and dynamic city. I was very impressed with the greenness of the city, and how calm it is. Gerd and his family live in the city center, but their street is as calm as any rural neighborhood.


Our hosts were gracious from the very beginning, when Gerd met us at the train station and took us back to their flat for a delicious German breakfast. We stopped for fresh bread and basil on the way. I love German bread! And I loved having the excuse of fueling up for the marathon to eat a lot of it! Gabby had prepared an amazing feast: breads, croissants, jams, honey, Nutella, turkey salami, cheeses, tomatoes with balsamic vinegar, fresh mozzarella and basil, coffee, tea, ... I thought it interesting that they always started with the sweet toppings for their bread and had savory toppings after, because I preferred it the other way round. But one time, I ate so much bread and cheese that I didn't have any room for bread with Nutella. They told us that they didn't usually eat such an extensive breakfast, and I understand why ... it was so good ... I always wanted to eat more!



Sunday morning, we got up and out to the starting line for the Berlin Marathon! I was a bit nervous, as I always am before a race. And as is usual for me with marathons, I begin to wonder why I got myself into this situation ... thinking about the hours of running that are ahead of me. But soon the excitement takes over and pushes out all my anxiety. The music ... the people ... the idea that 40,000 runners and a million spectators are all coming together to celebrate this event is overwhelming.


The race itself was fabulous. I found that Berlin was better prepared for the crowds of runners than Paris, where some water stops had run out, and at times we were forced to walk when the roads narrowed and the runners created a traffic jam. The avenues were wide, lined with so many supporters! Apparently a lot of Danish runners do Berlin because there were Danish flags everywhere. (I only saw two American flags during the whole race.) My supporters were in two teams: Philipp and Gerd, and Gabby and Danielle. In all, I think I saw them about seven times throughout the race, as they dashed on metro and bikes to spot me at various places throughout the city. I wrote the miles on my arm so I'd know at what point to look for them. This was a huge support for me. It was emotional to run through the Brandenburg Gate just before the finish line. Here's a picture of me, just before I finished (in 4:19:48) --

Our entire long weekend in Berlin was wonderful. Danke Shoen to Gerd, Gabby and Danielle for making it so memorable!

Where in the World is Kerry ???

I'm sorry I haven't written anything in so long! I've been travelling (Angers - Berlin - Paris - Cincinnati - Virginia - South Carolina - Cincinnati). I've been running (4:19:48 in the Berlin Marathon!). I've been going to weddings (Vivian and John on October 7th, Jodi and Neil on October 13th). And I've been preparing (Philipp and I will have our American wedding on November 3rd). So although I'd love to show pictures of my adventures, tell stories of all I've seen and done, it will have to wait until things calm down a bit.

Thanks for visiting my blog ... be sure to check back ... but not too soon. ;)

The Magic Number ... 3

As I started out on my long run yesterday, I suddenly (and inexplicably) thought of the expression "everything happens in threes". Because my mind has a tendency to wander as I run, I decided to let it. And here's what I came up with:

• Philipp and I were invited to a birthday party Saturday night. I was a lot of fun, with great food and wine, but we got home at three o'clock in the morning. Uugh ... I'm too old for this!
• While running through town, I saw George Clooney three times. You may have seen the Nespresso coffee maker commercials he's done? Well, this week, there have been large print ads of him all over Angers. They always make me smile as I go by ...
• Sunday was my last long training run. I ran to the Lac de Maine, around three times, and then back home. I'll be in Berlin on September 30, and it will be my third marathon. I'm definitely getting excited! (I'm also excited that yesterday's 18-miler was my last long distance before the big day!)
• As of yesterday afternoon, Philipp and I have three vehicles! I finally have my SMART car back! It had been sick for a while, but is all fixed now. Yeah! Also, Philipp bought a new (to him) truck last week, which will be very useful for his upcoming castle renovation. It's bright yellow ... very easy to spot as he drives through town!
• On Friday, I started my third job! I've been work for the Chamber of Commerce and Ecolangues since the end of May, but this week I started at one of the universities here in Angers. I'll have to write another post soon, to tell more about my jobs.

Hmm ... what else??? That's it for now, I guess. Sorry I have no photos this time. I'll try to do better next time. :)

It's fall in France!

As I run through the streets and along the wooded paths of Angers, I whiff that well-known smell of dried leaves on the ground. Is it possible that fall is already here? Knowing that so many of you back in the States are still enduring soaring temperatures, I know I shouldn't complain about the cool temps and rain here. But it's hard to believe that summer has come and gone. I still have some summer clothes in my closet that I never wore. They'll make the trip back to America with me in October, to be replaced by sweaters and long pants.

I must admit, though, the weather has been great for running! I don't have to plan around midday heat ... I can run at noon if I want! And with the distances I'm doing these days, I often find myself still running at noon if I don't get going early enough in the morning.

I've started my final month of training for the Berlin Marathon, which I'll run on September 30. I'm getting excited ... mainly to be running again! It's been a tough couple months, with back and knee pain that kept me from running for more than three weeks. So I'm catching up on my training, happy to still get one 18-miler in before the big day. (usually I do two 18-mile runs in my training)

Last week, I had a couple of those experiences where you have to just laugh. First, there was the day when, running down a popular wooded path, I nearly swallowed a bug; as a reflex, I spat it out, but the older ladies who were walking toward me were not amused by my apparently rude behavior. But Wednesday's experience takes the cake for embarrassing moment of the week. As I was running down the sidewalk of a fairly busy street, the ground must have jumped up at my feet, because next thing I knew I was on the ground. I didn't just fall ... I fell and ROLLED! When I finally stopped, I was sure that the people waiting in their cars at the light were looking at me (and having a good laugh) but I didn't dare look at them, for fear of making eye contact. I was mostly fine, except for the blood pooling on the heel of my left hand. I was mostly put-out because I'd only gone a few miles, and I'd planned to do 8 that day. So I walked across the street to the "Pharmacie" to see if they'd clean me up. They were very nice, and didn't seem to mind that I was sweaty and had no money. They cleaned my hand, bandaged it up, and sent me back out to finish my run. I was impressed by their kindness.

It's beginning to become real that soon I'll be running another marathon. I'm getting so excited ... I love the energy of the event! I've even started learning a little German, mainly so that I can communicate with Philipp's friends that we'll be staying with. The husband and daughter speak English and French, but not the wife. It'll bring me back to my Up With People days of weeks and weeks of wonderful German host families!

I couldn't post without including a photo, so here's the route I ran Saturday morning. I LOVE my GPS for many reasons, but one is that when I get home, I can connect it to my laptop, and see exactly where I ran on a satellite image. On this run, I left from the northeast side of the city, ran across town to Chateau de la Plesse to meet up with Philipp and have an energy gel (mmm ...) and some water. The straight dotted line is a bit that I did in Philipp's truck (but it isn't counted in my mileage) and then I ran back to the starting point. Oh, and the big blue space at the bottom of the photo is the Lac de Maine, around which I run often. (That's where I nearly swallowed the bug.)

Weekend in Quimiac and Piriac

Philipp and I had a lovely weekend on the shore in Quimiac. It is a small town in the department of Loire-Atlantique, but very close to Brittany. Philipp helped some friends strip and paint some wooden shudders, and I spent my time running and walking along the shore. There is a path between Quimiac and the port town of Piriac. I took lots of photos. Check them out at this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/kpfarner

I hope you enjoy my photos!

Weekend at the Beach

Summer has finally arrived in France! Well, it was here for a few days, anyway, and now we're back to cool, rainy weather again. But it was a lovely weekend.

On Friday morning, Philipp and I headed to Ste. Marie sur Mer, a little town near Pornic (a slightly larger town) on the Atlantic shore. Click here for some photos of this beautiful coastal town.

Philipp's parents have a house near the beach, and throughout the summer, you can count on encountering various groups of the family there at any given time. This weekend, there were Laurence & Jérôme, Anne & Laurent, Matthieu, Louis, Clément, Joséphine, Romain, Maxence, Philipp & me. Whew! Seven adults and five kids (ages 1 - 8 1/2) As always, we had a great time! Philipp did some work around the house, the kids played, I went for a run along the path by the shore, we played on the beach and took out the boat for tubing and boarding. The water was pretty warm, the waves aren't too big, there are lots of jellyfish, but only out away from shore.

One highlight of the weekend was when Josephine (age 14 months) finally said "Tata" for the first time! Laurence and I (two of her aunts) have been trying for a long time to get her to say "Tata" (the French word for "aunt") ... and it finally paid off! I definitely heard her say it on at least three occasions. Now if only she'd say "Papa", Laurent would be happy!

So what are the most important things for you to know about Pornic and the surrounding area??? First of all, there is the faïencerie. This is where ceramic pottery is made with traditional patterns. Everyone in the family has bowls for their breakfast cereal / hot chocolate / coffee with their names on them. So last year, I surprised Philipp by ordering bowls for the two of us. We use them every morning.

It's impressive to walk (or run) along the path by the shore, because in a few places, there are still old German bunkers from World War II. Here is a photo of one near where I run:

One thing about living in France, is that history really is all around you. I am fascinated by places (homes, old town centers) that have a strong aura of the people who once lived there. This area is no different. It is easy to imagine this same area, more than sixty years ago, and the war that was tearing it apart. Perhaps my sense of this time period is hightened right now, because I just read a powerful book by Joanne Harris, entitled "Five Quarters of the Orange". (click here for info) It takes place in an imaginary town near Angers in present day and around 1942. Go check it out at your local library ... it's a great read!

The other VERY IMPORTANT thing about going to the shore is stopping by the town of St. Michel-Chef-Chef. (don't ask me why there are two chefs ... no one has been able to tell me) This is where the cookie factory is!! You know how Hershey, PA smells like chocolate ... well here, the air smells of butter, sugar ... only good things! This is where we get Philipp's all-time FAVORITE cookie ... Roudors! It means "wheel of gold", and you can probably guess why ...

They are so delicious. How could they not be, with all that butter, sugar, etc.? Philipp can go through an entire package of 12 in an afternoon, which is why I'm a little worried that we just brought home 3 kilos of them!!! (they had a special ...)

But Philipp assures me that as soon as we get some more wind, he'll work off all those cookie calories. Last week, he bought a new kite!! (before you think he simply bought a new little toy, like his remote control helicopter, let me explain ... this is no child's toy) Philipp loves to kite surf. If you're not aware of what this is, look at this photo I took of Philipp a couple years ago with his old kite.

You can see his blue and white kite, which is like a sort of long narrow parachute, with inflated "ribs". It is attached with thin ropes to the harness, and also to the bar he uses to move the kite for steering and speed control. His feet are in straps on a sort of small surfboard. Philipp absolutely loves kitesurfing! He describes it as being pulled on a skateboard behind a sports car, and you've told the driver to accelerate ... brake ... turn ... do what he wants. I understand the adrenaline rush he gets, especially when he manages to jump and be carried in the air for several seconds and meters. I tried it once, on the beach, with Philipp right behind me, but I got nervous at the idea that if I did something wrong, this huge, powerful kite could pick me up, drag me, cause me serious pain ... I try to not think of that when Philipp kitesurfs, because he knows what he's doing! (I, on the other hand, did not) So I'm satisfied to watch. I just hope we get some wind this week, because I know how excited he is to get out and try his new kite! I'll try to get some photos of him.

So, most of our weekend was spent at Ste. Marie. We came back Sunday morning, because we were invited for lunch by some friends, who were celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary. We had a lovely time with them and their other guests. The weekend was over too soon! But the good news is that another one is just around the corner ...

HAVE A GREAT WEEK !!

Running Woman

After running the Paris Marathon (April 15) and Cincinnati Flying Pig Half Marathon (May 6), I took a few weeks off running. It was nice to be a bit lazy, and my body appreciated the break! But I've been feeling like I need to get back into my training, especially because I have my sights set on the Berlin Marathon on September 30. (It's official! I registered this morning!!)

This past weekend, Philipp and I went to Ste. Marie, where his parents have a beach house. We were helping move some furniture, but we also managed to take a little time to relax, play on the beach, and enjoy being at the sea. On Monday morning, while Philipp mowed the grass, I went for a run. Since it was my first in a while, I took it easy as far as speed, and I walked after climbing some of the bigger hills. It's such a lovely path, along the sea, I felt envigorated. I ended up doing 10.5k, so a little more than 6 miles. Then I took off my shoes, and waded into the cool water to soothe my tired muscles. Aaahhh ...

Path along the shore, Ste. Marie