That Time Peak Week Happened And I Stopped Blogging {Training for Philadelphia Weeks 14-17}

Well, hello everyone.  Why yes, I have already ran my marathon. And yes, I did fall down on the blogging job and forget to write about peak week and the lovely thing that is taper.

In an effort to maintain normalcy, here's a quick overview of how peak week went:

The last week in October, I was scheduled to run 40 miles.  That is the most I have ever attempted to run in one week.  I had ignored my scheduled Monday runs for the majority of October, and it was no different this week, so my weekly mileage maxed out at about 36 miles.  Still pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. 

On Wednesday, after work, I went out to Mission Bay to get in 10 miles. I am so thankful that Daylight Savings was a little later this year because 10 miles in complete darkness would not have been fun. Finishing double digit mileage on a week day after a full day of work made me feel like a badass.

On Saturday, I attempted to my longest run yet: 20 miles. I had struggled throughout October to keep things new and exciting with my running routes.  There's only so many times you can run the boardwalk in Mission Beach before you die of boredom.  I decided I would totally switch it up and run from Coronado down to Imperial Beach and back. I dropped a friend off at the airport at 6am (read: best way to get your butt out of bed for a long run) and headed over to Coronado. It wasn't even light out yet.  I had my nutrition down to a science by now. Run 18 minutes, walk for 2, eat 2 Sport Beans and a swig of Nuun. It made the miles go by pretty quickly.  Once I made it down to Imperial Beach the world was starting to wake up and I had company along the bike bath down the Silver Strand.  As I made my way back up to Coronado, the sun came out. I was not a fan. I had liked the morning clouds.  I was feeling great until about mile 17, when my feet started to hurt.  I had never experienced any pain my arches before, so I was sure that meant I needed new shoes.  Great, just what I wanted to spend some $$ on.  I walk/ran the rest of the 3 miles back to the car and downed my chocolate milk which was conveniently waiting for me in the back seat.  While I felt accomplished, I was still nervous for the remaining 6 miles on race day. 

The 2 weeks of taper that followed were just as strange as everyone had made it out to be.  I felt lazy and, as a result, unprepared. I felt tired and lethargic. I felt like I was loosing my edge. A few friends who had previously ran marathons assured me that this was normal, thankfully.  I followed the taper schedule and ran a 3-6 miles a few days each week and still went to boot camp.  I was nervous to give it my all in boot camp since I didn't want to go into race week with sore muscles so I took it easy. 

When race week came around, I was excited and ready to fast forward to Sunday!

It's........

PEAK WEEK, people!

24 Days and Counting until the Philadelphia Marathon. I can't even believe it.  I ran 10 miles last night. On a Wednesday. After a full day at work. That is not normal.  And I felt awesome.

Summer is officially over. The boardwalk is empty.

I love this time of day.

Where did the sun go??

I finished thinking, I cannot wait to run a half marathon after this is all over.  It's going to be so freakin' easy.

All this reading about taper the past few weeks for those of you running New York has me a little uneasy.  I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with myself on Saturday morning in 2 weeks when I finish my long run in an hour and a half.  I could actually sleep in!

Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves.  Still have 22 miles on Saturday.  I freakishly can't wait.  Until then....

Oh, P.S. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Serious Increases in Weekly Long Runs: Training for Philadelphia {Weeks12-14)

The beginning of October has come and gone and I can successfully say I have completed my first long run! The past two weeks of training have been awesome. While I may not have followed my weekly training schedule completely, I have made it a point to get in my long runs on Saturdays.  After an extremely busy summer and even busier September, I was excited to be home with very little weekend plans for the entire month of October. Training has definitely taken over my life, and I'm kind of OK with that.  As I get closer and closer to race day, I feel like I'm living, breathing, sleeping, eating all things running.  I love it.

So here's how it's been going:

Week 12: After, effectively, a week off, I knew I had to kick it up a notch. Fit Camp was on a break week this week, so I dedicated my time to running in the evenings after work.  I've been working hard to switch up my running routes to keep things interesting.  I ventured over to Coronado on Wednesday for my longer mid-week run.  I've done a few races in Coronado over the years and really enjoy the island.  The weather cooled in the first week of October, so it felt great! The houses on Coronado are a welcome distraction as well.

Coronado Island circumnavigation

My long run on Saturday was a "quick" 12 miles. Growing tired of Mission Bay, I decided to head downtown and run along the bay. I started in Shelter Island just after sunrise and ran along the bay to Seaport Village. 6 miles out and 6 miles back.  I think I'm a fan of out and back courses as opposed to a loop.  Psychologically I can compartmentalize the distance better.  There were running groups galore along the way to keep me company. This was the first Saturday I finished feeling great. Perfectly hydrated and perfectly mastered nutrition.

Hazy early morning view of downtown San Diego

I ran home quickly and got ready to celebrate my roommate's recent engagement. Yay for 2014 weddings!

Week 13: I'm officially a fan of running in the rain. I know that sounds weird, but it's so true. It rained on Wednesday this week, the day of the week I run the longest (other than Saturdays). And I couldn't wait to get out of work to get outside in the rain for a calming, quiet run through the puddles at Lake Murray. I ran the first 3 miles by myself and then met up with a friend for the 6 miles around the lake.  I started out in a torrential downpour and with severe gusts of wind. And I loved it. Frankie managed to miss the passing storm and the rest of the run was clear (with a few rainbows).

Double rainbows and running in the rain.

18 miles.  Saturday called for 18 miles, the longest I have ran to date.  I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't scared. I was looking forward to this run, though, to try out my potential nutrition plan and intervals.  This run felt awesome. I started at Shelter Island again and basically did the same run as the previous week, just adding on a roundtrip visit on Harbor Island, and extending out to the end of the Embarcadero.  I've come to realize that my motto should be "slow and steady finishes the race". I don't worry about my speed or how many miles I've finished and have still to go. I just keep moving.  I've also realized that I love listening to country music on long runs.  Typically I'm rocking out to high intensity dance music. I think that spikes my adrenaline too much to listen to it for 3 1/2 hours.  Good thing I have headphones. Anyway, I finished this run feeling pretty great. Yes, my legs were tired and starting to get a bit tight. But I felt like I could keep going if I wanted. Good thing, since I'll have to keep going on race day.... for another 8.2 miles.

Feeling accomplished!

Week 14: I started out week 14 taking a break from my schedule Monday run to attend a running workshop.  My trainer works with the local running store and they offered to hold a clinic to answer any questions her clients might have about running.  Growing up, I've always been the non-athletic one, picked last for gym with no expectations for being good at anything.  On Monday, I realized that I am on my way to becoming an athlete, a runner. I want to learn everything I can about this sport and find it so gratifying to succeed in achieving new distances and new goals.

The weather was absolutely beautiful this week. Southern Californians are familiar with the marine layer. It's like a pesky neighbor that doesn't know when to leave. Well this week, there was no marine layer to speak of.  I ran at the beach on Wednesday night. I experienced the most beautiful sunset. It was almost a religious experience. I love San Diegans at the beach during sunset. We're not tourists or out of towners. We may even live 2 blocks from the beach. Yet, all of us, no matter what, stop what we are doing for the 5 minutes before sunset to watch it fall slowly below the horizon.  And cheer as it disappears.  Everyone on the boardwalk did this. Just a momentary break to take in the moment, and then continue along your way.  You would think this didn't happen every day.  It's not like it's an eclipse. Still beautiful, though. 

I only had 14 miles to run on Saturday.  You know you're in the thick of it with marathon training when 14 miles doesn't sound like a lot. Absolutely ridiculous.  So in anticipation (but not really) on Friday, my roommate and I carved pumpkins and consumed a ridiculous amount of wine. I may or may not have finished 2 bottles of Pinot Noir. Proper hydration, what? Of course Hocus Pocus was also involved.

#TGIF

I had the awesome idea to run from Mission Beach to La Jolla on Saturday.  It was going well all the way to La Jolla (though the Pinot decision was not ideal), but on the return trip I lost all steam.  4 miles of walking is boring. Just saying. At least it's over.

On Sunday, I got to hang out with this cute kid and her mom. Great way to end the week! 

She's still not sure about me. 

Up next: 22 miles!

Ragnar Relay Napa Valley 2013: Too Much Rain & (Not Enough) Wine

Ever since a friend of a friend ran the Ragnar Relay in Las Vegas a few years ago, I have been intrigued and interested in doing one myself.  When my friend, Sheena, said she was officially putting together a team for the Napa Valley Ragnar this fall, I knew I had to do it! As the team formed, I realized that the only person I would know on this team was Sheena. I was excited and a little nervous to meet 10 new people as a part of this experience.  Especially since I was one of the slowest runners on our team.  I hoped they didn't feel like I was holding them back! Now that Ragnar Napa Valley is done and over with, I can successfully say it was one of the best things I have ever done and I can't wait to get back out there to do another.

Preparing for Ragnar
I had read blogs for weeks (months, in fact) regarding what to pack and how much to bring (or not bring).  I was nervous I wouldn't have enough or that I would bring too much.  I couldn't wait to get out those ziploc bags and put together my outfits for each of my 3 legs.  I'm such a girl.  I spent the rest of the weekend in hoodies and yoga pants. Thankfully, I threw in my sheepskin boots last minute. Having been in 90 degree San Diego weather for 3 months, I was afraid I would freeze to death the minute the temperature dropped below 55. When did I turn into such a baby? 

Ziploc bag addict.  Felt just like summer camp.

In the weeks leading up to Ragnar, Sheena and I were planning our snacks and hydration (like any good runner would do). Obviously Nuun was high on our priority list.  Along with fruit snacks and peanut butter pretzels. The meal of champion runners everwhere.

Getting There
Since I had just flown up to Northern California the weekend before for a wedding, I wasn't about to buy a second plane ticket for this weekend.  Instead, I decided to use Zimride and drive 2 unknown people to the Bay area in exchange for gas money. If you haven't used this service yet, you should look into it. I've met some of the coolest (and strangest) people. And I only paid $10 to get myself to Oakland. Good deal.  The only downside to driving: I arrived in Oakland at 2:30am on Friday morning. This left 2 hours to get some sleep before our 5am wake up call. Awesome.

The Race
Sheena and I woke up (from our short nap) at 5am. Loaded our van, picked up a team mate from the local BART station and made our way across the new Bay Bridge to Golden Gate Park to meet up with the rest of our team. 

New Bay Bridge before dawn. So pretty.

Once we all congregated at the start line in the park, things became real.  Markers to draw on the van appeared, bags of bananas and peanut butter and tubes of Nuun filled the back of the van.  I couldn't wait to get started!

I was runner 6 in Van 1. Even now that the race is over, I'm still not sure how I feel about being runner 6. Pro: You're in van 1 so you get to start off the race and you finish first. Con: You're the last one in your van to run, so you spend the whole time runners 1 through 5 are running their legs getting nervous for your leg. Pro: You finish your leg at a major exchange so both vans are there to welcome you in and celebrate your leg being over.

Our first runner took off from Golden Gate park on his first leg.  From there we followed each of our runners across the Golden Gate bridge, through Sausalito and into Mill Valley. I took off on my first leg just outside of Corte Madera.  My first leg was riddled with stop lights for the first mile.  And of course, due to Ragnar rules, all runners must stop and wait for every stop light. After I put those behind me, I finished my 4.3 mile leg on a bicycle trail ending at the College of Marin. I was welcomed by silly string from both vans. Thanks, guys! First leg was a success. I had said my average pace should be about 10:30/mile.  I was kind of nervous about this, considering my average pace has hovered right around 10:45 lately.  Adrenaline helped me out though, and I stayed right on target.

Really Nervous: Screenshot of my leg so I don't get lost.

Once I was done, we had a break for about 5 hours while Van 2 took over.  We made our way to the next major exchange in Petaluma and found a Whole Foods for "dinner". Perfect solution for 6 hungry runners. After making use of their facilities to change (thank you baby wipes), we headed over the exchange.  The next 2 hours were filled with attempted naps, stretching on the grass and tagging unsuspecting vans with our official hashtag (#bunsofsteelnv). Sorry, we're not sorry.  Official nighttime hours began, and everyone brought out their best reflective gear.  So stylish.

Sporting the new compression sleeves too.

So attractive.

Runner 12 came into the exchange right on time, and we were off again.  In addition to our official reflective gear, we also brought out some pretty awesome glow bracelets and necklaces. Have to keep things interesting! Halfway through Runner 4's leg, it began to rain.  And I'm not talking a light sprinkle.  Our 5th runner took off in the midst of an ultimate downpour.  Of course his leg was the longest leg of the night, 9.2 miles.  We checked on his 3 times throughout the leg to make sure he had what he needed.  The whole time I kept hoping the rain would let up by the time I started.  No such luck.  I started my 5.8 mile leg in the parking lot of a Vons in Santa Rosa.  I was thankful my leg was not in the middle of nowhere, seeing as it was now after midnight.  When that trusty slap bracelet made contact with my wrist, the adrenaline returned and the nerves dissipated. Somewhere around mile 1, I twisted my ankle but quickly recovered.  Hopefully, anyway.  Truthfully, I really enjoyed my night run.  It was peaceful and calm. I only encountered 2 other runners the entire leg.  As I neared the next exchange it began to pour. I passed on the bracelet to runner 7 with a cheerful "have fun!" and made my way to our van to dry off.  Even with the rain and my ankle, I held a pace of 10:40. I was doing awesome!

Soaking wet but smiling nonetheless.

While Van 2 was out on their second legs, we had 5 hours to catch some sleep. Sounded like plenty of time! Well, subtract the hour and a half we spent at Denny's eating "breakfast" or "dinner" or whatever that meal was, and the 30 minutes it took us to drive to the next major exchange in Sonoma, and the 20+ minutes it took us to find a port-a-potty once we arrived, and we were left with an hour and forty minutes to sleep.  Awesome.  At this point, my ankle was swelling and I was limping.  Amazing.  I elevated it on the dash of the van and attempted to get some sleep, dreading my last leg in the morning.  We already had one runner down in our van due to an Achilles issue and I really wanted to finish all my miles!

We woke up "in the morning" and hustled to get ourselves ready to get back on the road.  As dawn approached, runner 12 came into the exchange and runner 1 was off.  We were back on! Runner 2 had, hands down, one of the prettiest legs of the entire race. The sun was rising over the wineries as we made our way along side him on his 8.1 mile leg to Napa.

Sunrise over Napa.

Sheena rocked a double leg, filling in for our injured runner and by the time she was done the skies had opened up again.  Pouring down rain for our 5th runner.  By this point we had nicknamed him the "weatherman" since he had brought the rain twice now.  He finished up his leg and I started out for my final leg to finish Van 1.  By this point I had wrapped my ankle and threw on a compression sock (thank you, ProCompression), determined to make it through.  My final leg was 3.9 miles so I knew I could power through.  This leg was beautiful.  The rain made it even more awesome. Peaceful, quiet country roads through the wineries. Rolling hills made it even more fun, as I've come to realize that I love rolling hills.  Powering up the inclines and coasting down the descents.  My ankle was tight, but I was running on adrenaline and it felt great.  I had told my team that I would probably be holding right around 11:15 minute miles with my ankle, so they shouldn't expect anything amazing.  I ignored that, though, and finished with a 10:40 average.  Knowing I was so close to being done, I was able to kick it up.

Van 1 was done!! Once they had collected me, we decided to book it towards the finish.  We stopped for lunch at Gott's Roadside in St. Helena. This place was just what we needed.  Burgers, beer and onion rings.

Recovery.

Nothing fancy, which was perfect for us considering we looked like drowned rats.  After finishing we decided to drive into the finish line along the last few legs of the race.  Armed with our cowbell we cheered on every runner we past.  Such a great way to end.

Beautiful scenery to end the race.

Once we reached the finish area, we cleaned out the van a bit and got ready to welcome in our 12th runner.  Van 2 ripped through their last legs, well ahead of schedule.  In fact we finished almost 40 minutes ahead of schedule.  As Runner 12 approached the finish the rest of us got ready to welcome her through the finishing shoot.  And just like that, it was all over.  We got our medals, took a team photo and collected our two free pizzas from Dominos.  After realizing that all of the drinks at the finish line weren't free (come on, Ragnar, not even a free beer for all our hard word), we headed over to a local restaurant for a glass of wine to debrief.

I made it!

Van 1 Survived!

Overall, Ragnar was an awesome experience.  They know what they are doing.  The volunteers were amazing and the course support from other teams was encouraging, not to mention, the support from local police and Ragnar staff. I can't wait to do another one! Hopefully Northwest Passage will be on the agenda for next summer. Runners wanted. 

The Month I Became Too Busy to Blog: Training for Philadelphia {Weeks7-11}

Well hello there. Nice to see you again, blog. It's been a while.

The end of August and the entire month of September just disappeared in a complete blur.  Whether it is because it was the beginning of the semester, or the fact that I over committed myself, it doesn't matter. I was just plain busy.  While I may not have stuck to the training plan word for word, I did do a decent job.  Instead of typing out 5 weeks of extensive training recaps, here is the highlight reel:

I returned from Europe the day before our fall semester began at work.  Nothing like returning to campus with thousands of students who don't know how to drive or get to class on time.  San Diego also decided this would be prime time to push up the heat and bring in a good old fashioned August heat wave.  I was not thankful.  I spent the majority of this week running on the beach after dinner to escape the heat. Labor Day weekend typically signals the end of summer for most people.  Unless you live in southern California. For us, it usually means summer is just getting started, as September can sometimes be the hottest month.

Mission Bay long run: otherwise known as the day Fiesta Island stole my soul.

Weekly Highlights:
That time I figured it would be "fun" to do my long run around the Fiesta Island.  This was the worst idea I had ever had.  Not only was it 80 degrees with 80 percent humidity by 8 a.m., but every cyclist in San Diego decided it would be a good time to ruin my self esteem and pass me 20 times while I jogged as slow as humanly possible the 6 miles around the island. Never again. 

Total Planned Mileage: 24 
Total Actual Mileage: 20

The first week of September was hot. My long run that Saturday was supposed to be 13 miles.  Already growing tired of my normal running routes, I decided to be creative. I looked up the course for the America's Finest City Half Marathon, which takes place in August every year in San Diego.  I haven't been able to run this race because I've been traveling for work the past 2 years when it occurs, so I was excited to run it solo.  I modified the course a bit, and started in Ocean Beach.  The course runs through Point Loma, into downtown via the airport and then up the hill into Balboa Park.  Something about running from the beach to Balboa made me feel like a bad ass.

Midweek run in Mission Bay: Before and after sunset. Autumn is coming!

Started at the beach & ended at the park.

Weekly Highlights:
One of my best friends in San Diego just had a baby in August. I spent Labor Day visiting with this cutie and her mom.  I officially hold the title of Auntie, which makes me feel special since I'm an only child and this is as close as I might get to being an Aunt.  I'm obsessed with her and can't wait to watch her grow up. 

Isn't she adorable?? The baby, not me. Obviously.

Total Planned Mileage: 25
Total Actual Mileage: 21

One of my roommates from college got married during Week 9 of training. I was determined for it to not throw me off too much.  The wedding took place in Chico, where I went to college.  I was so excited to get up to Chico for a long weekend. Not only because of the wedding, but also to relive those college days.  I did a great job of keeping up with weekly mileage early in the week just in case I wasn't able to get my long run in on Saturday (the day of the wedding).  Because I knew I would not be able to run on Thursday, as my plan called for, I doubled up on Wednesday.  4 miles in the morning and 7 in the evening.  This was perfect, since I was going to be running the Ragnar Relay (spoiler alert) the following week.  I figured it would be good to get my legs ready for running longer distances back to back.  While I wasn't able to get in my 10 miler on Saturday, I did however get in 2 shorter runs with the bride on Friday and Saturday.  They were just what the doctor ordered for keeping her low stress.  And I loved being able to run in Chico.  Bidwell Park is one of the best places to run, I've decided. So beautiful, calm and quiet early in the morning.

Bidwell Park: early morning shakeout run

Reliving college days

Rehearsal dinner: pizza & beer. Best combination.

Weekly Highlights:
One of my best friends got married and I was privileged enough to be in the wedding.  Her wedding was beautiful and I may or may not copy every detail if and when I get married.

Getting ready: Beautiful bride!

Photobooth: Every wedding needs one. 

Total Planned Mileage: 24
Total Actual Mileage: 20

Week 10, otherwise known as the week I wasn't feeling it.  The Chico Wedding Weekend knocked me out. I went to fit camp twice this week, but running just wasn't on my agenda. I did a mile on Monday before I decided I was done and walked back to the car.  I was a repeat offender on Wednesday when I went out to Mission Bay for a 7 miler around the bay and made it 2 miles before I decided I walk back while catching up with my mom on the phone. And I didn't even pretend to attempt running on Thursday, as I was driving 10 hours up to San Francisco that night right after work.  I did, however, succeed in completing my first Ragnar Relay experience.  Along with 12 other runners (only 1 of which I knew before that Friday morning) I successfully ran 200 miles from Golden Gate Park in San Francisco to Calistoga through wine country.  Running through the rain at midnight in Santa Rosa is one of those things I'll never forget.  I will, hopefully, soon forget how horrible it is to sleep in the front seat of a van. I finished on Saturday afternoon asking "when can we do this again?".

Start line in Golden Gate Park. Complete with San Francisco Fog.

Finish line in Calistoga. We made it!

Weekly Highlights:
RAGNAR RELAY! I will do a full recap of this race soon, I promise. No really.  This was such an amazing experience and everyone should do one, regardless of your running abilities.  

Total Planned Mileage: 29
Total Actual Mileage: 18 (ouch)

Week 11: Whoops. One of my favorite bands came to town this week. I'll go ahead and throw away my reputation now, and tell you that this band's name is Hanson.  Moving on.  Anyway, they were playing in San Diego and Los Angeles throughout the week and I wanted to see them every chance I could. They put on a great live show.  Because of this, I only ran on Monday night. And then again on Saturday for my long run.  I saw this week as my last hoorah before my training plan pumped up the intensity.  I hope I don't regret it later.  BUT, if you're ever wondering how to tire out your legs to simulate a week full of running, just stand on your feet at a general admission standing room only concert 3 nights in a row.  Trust me, it works.

Looking tired but happy. Concert day 3 of 3.

Weekly Highlights:
Lack of sleep and driving to and from Los Angeles twice in 2 days.  But really, it was hanging out with friends I haven't seen in months and listening to some of my favorite music.

Total Planned Mileage: 32
Total Actual Mileage: 16 (double ouch)

So the moral of the story is: Don't over plan your life. Think about what it really means to travel between southern and northern California two weekends in a row. And register for the next available Ragnar Relay. 

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Programming.....: Training for Philadelphia {Weeks 5 & 6}

I love to travel. How cliche is that sentence? Well it's true.  And for my job, I have found myself traveling internationally 3 times in the past year. India, Germany and this time France.  While it may sound exotic and wonderful, there are some strings attached, in the form of 25 undergraduate university students. During weeks 5 and 6 of my training cycle, I traveled to Paris for 9 days with 25 students. While I had lofty goals of getting up every morning before our 8-10 hour days and running the prescribed miles on my training schedule, I didn't quite make it.  I did, however, successfully walk my way around Paris over and over and over again. And at the end of week 6, I did the same thing in Madrid while visiting a friend from my year living in Germany.  Here's a quick visual recap of "what I saw on my summer non-vacation".

On Tuesday, I knew I would be sitting on a plane for 10+ hours for the rest of the day, so I woke up early before my flight and got in 3 quick miles.  Nothing fancy, nowhere fancy. Just 3 miles.

I arrived in Paris on Wednesday morning.  Due to thunderstorms in Dallas, I arrived 2 hours late. Thanks, Texas.  A few of my students waited for me at Charles de Gaulle airport to take the RER train into the city.  If you ever fly into that airport, get ready to walk a few miles to find anything (the train station, a taxi, your terminal, a bathroom).  At this point, I was low on energy due to a lack of sleep and food.  After dropping our bags at our hostel, the last thing I wanted to do was go running.  Instead, I wandered with my students to a local cafe.

Then, I went here:

Please ignore the "I just flew 6000 miles" hair.

On Thursday morning, I left our hotel in the early morning and wandered through the streets of Paris for about 3.5 miles. It was such an awesome time to be out on the streets.  Apparently it was also a national holiday, so everything was particularly quiet.  I ran down to the Seine river and looked to my right. Why, Hello Notre Dame. Such a beautiful city.  I ran back towards our hotel and happened upon the Luxembourg Gardens, running for about half a mile inside the gates. The view of the Eiffel Tower in the background was pretty amazing.  I felt so accomplished when I got back to the hotel.  All before breakfast:

View of the Eiffel tour in the background, NBD.

Our first day, we were scheduled to go on a bus tour through the city. With it being a holiday, there was no traffic and we were able to see so many of the sites.

On Friday, we found ourselves on a guided tour of the Louvre. For anyone who doesn't know, you could spend a few years wandering through this museum and still not see every part of the collection.  We saw of the few highlights, including this older women:

Mona, behind bullet proof glass.

We then headed over to Pont Neuf for a boat tour on the Seine River. This was my 3rd time in Paris, but my first time with the opportunity to take one of these tours. It presents a different view of the city. If you find yourself in Paris for more than a few days, I would recommend adding it to your itinerary.

Saturday morning we visited with a representative from the French Red Cross. I have to say that I have learned more about health systems throughout the world in the three years I have been in this position than I ever thought I would learn in my lifetime. I feel like I almost take more away from these visits than my students.  After our tour, we headed over to Montmartre for a walking tour through the neighborhood.  I love this area of Paris. I also really love guided tours.  This was our 3rd tour of the week and I love how detailed they are. Montmartre has the feel of a small village nestled in the city.  Artists and musicians are everywhere.

On Sunday, we took a tour of the palace at Versailles.  Talk about tourists.  Thousands of people from all over the world were swarming the front gates of the palace when we arrived.  I was so thankful for our tour guide.  After a quick but thorough tour, we were left to our own devices in the gardens. Or should I say forest.  We saw runners in the gardens as we explored. I thought about how amazing it would be to run through the gardens at Versailles for a training run. Walking would have to do for now.

Optical illusion: objections in front of gates may seem skinnier

Monday afternoon after our activities, a few students and I hopped on the RER train to Disneyland Paris! We had to check it out! Considering my love for Disneyland here in California, I was excited to see the park. We took so many pictures! It was almost surreal to be in a Disney environment in Europe. Completely different from all my previous travels.

Our hostel was right around the corner from the famous Catacombs.  Tip: If you're planning to visit the Catacombs, go early! They open at 10am, and only let in about 200 visitors at a time.  Since it's an approximately 2km path underground, the line moves slow.  Our group showed up about 8:30am and there were about 30 people in line ahead of us.  By the time 10am rolled around, the line wrapped around the traffic circle. Unbelievable. The visit was really interesting. Pictures don't even do it justice, but I'll give it a try:

On Wednesday, I was determined to get in at least 1 more run, since I'd obviously been failing. With a "free day" scheduled for the students, I had more time to myself.  I ran down a different boulevard, Tobiac, to the Seine. Note to self: the road on the map is longer than it seems. I started my run about 8am.  A little bit too late, unless you want to be running in amongst commuters briskly walking to work.  Even still, Paris is such a great city for runners.  The Seine offers literally miles of running paths along the river with beautiful views.
We finished off our day with an adventure to the Garnier Opera House, which is now hope to the Paris Opera Ballet.  I wish we had had the opportunity to see a performance.

In the late afternoon, we did as Parisians do, and sat on the grass in the Luxembourg gardens with a snack.  People watching at its best.  A great way to end a solid week in a beautiful city.

The students left me on Thursday and I was off to my next adventure: Madrid.  I've only been to Spain once previously, so I was excited to explore a new city.  I was especially excited because one of my best friends from my year abroad lives in Madrid.  It's always fun to see a city as one of the locals.  The weekend was filled with tapas and tinto de verano. Exactly what I needed after a jam-packed week with students.

Afternoon perfection.

Jamon, anyone?

On Sunday morning before I headed to the airport, my friend Ben assured me we would get out and run some miles.  I was so excited to run in a new city.  While most Madrilenos are flooding out of clubs at 6 in the morning, we were out the door headed to the Buen Retiro Park.  We ran down to the park and did a full loop before heading back home.  Now, I may not be the fastest runner. I'm the first to admit it.  But, these miles were killing me.  I could barely keep a 12 minute mile pace.  Horrible, considering I was keeping about 10:30's the week before I left for Paris.  My confidence was thrashed, until I remember Ben saying that Madrid is one of the highest cities in Europe at 2,200 feet above sea level.  That may not seem too high to some people, but to me that's crazy.  San Diego sits at sea level, especially where I typically run.  So, basically, I should work on that.

After our run, I packed my things and made my way to the airport for my 24 hour journey home.  I was so excited to see my bed when I got home on Sunday morning.  And truthfully, I was extremely excited to get back into my normal training cycle.