MCM Training Week 10

Not much to report in terms of training for Week 10 because we left for Australia on 07/03/14. 

After sleeping off the jet lag once we arrived in Brisbane, we went for a morning run to explore the city on Sunday, 07/06/14. K and I ran together, and he even gave me a nice compliment noticing that I seemed to be in pretty good shape - so much so that he had to "stride out" a bit so that we could run together (rather than shuffling along at a snail's pace for him, I guess). We ran about 5-6 miles, mostly along the paved path on the banks of the Brisbane River. We stopped frequently to take pictures, so I wouldn't say it was much of a training run - mostly just a good way to get our bearings and see the city.

A few pictures from along the way:

Story Bridge over the Brisbane River

Sunrise over downtown Brisbane

Nice view of where we started

Entering the mangrove...watch out for crocs!

Crossed over the Goodwill Bridge to get to the South Bank

Wheel of Brisbane

Roma Street Parkland, the world's largest subtropical garden in a city centre

A beautiful oasis in the middle of the city

View of the city over a small lake in the park

Relaxing water feature near one of the main lawn areas

MCM Training Week 9

Saturday, June 28: 12 miles (road)

Still in recovery week, we were scheduled to do 7-10 miles this morning. But, Angela and I decided to do 12 since she missed the long run last weekend and I will miss the next few weeks of training. I felt fairly good overall and think I dealt with the humidity somewhat better than I have for the past few Saturday am runs. I did bring some extra Tailwind mix for the 2nd half of my run, but I still found myself taking a few cups of Gatorade at the last few water stops due to thirst. No soreness afterwards.

Sunday, June 29: 3 miles (treadmill)

Easy 3 mile recovery run at the gym.

Monday, June 30: 8 miles (treadmill)

The medium long run is starting to creep up in distance, so it's going to take some planning to make sure I have the time to get the full mileage in on Mondays. I had some major tightness in my right calf during the first half of the run, but otherwise felt pretty good.

Tuesday, July 1: OFF

Today was scheduled to be a cross-training day, but I just didn't have the time to get a workout in with my work schedule and getting ready for our trip. That's 2 weeks in a row that my cross-training workout hasn't happened. I don't like that either because I really enjoy weight training. But, life gets in the way sometimes.

Wednesday, July 2: 6.5 miles (road)

We ran the same quality workout that we did 2 weeks ago: 1.25 mile warm-up followed by 4 mile repeats at tempo pace (with 3-minute recovery between them) then 1.25 mile cooldown back to Rogue + 4 strides. I felt nervous all day today, likely for several reasons. But, I also think that I was anxious about our workout, particularly the possibility that I would not be able to hit the times that I did last time (especially since it seemed hotter tonight). But, no worries there. I ran the first lap at 8:19 then 2 laps at 7:59 with the final one at 7:56. Still way faster than I likely should be running based on the workout pace chart that Bobby gave us, but I apparently can so why not? Unless that's not the point of the workout...

Alabama Shakes Speed Group

Thursday, July 3: 5.5 miles (treadmill)

Really proud of myself that I made sure to leave some time in my schedule today to get my run in before leaving for our trip.

Friday, July 4: OFF

Week 9 Total:  35 miles

And now a training interruption for the next 2 weeks while we are on vacation...see you in week 12!

MCM Training Week 8

Saturday, June 21: 12 miles (treadmill)

I gave myself a pass on the 4:30am wake-up call for the 5:30am group run this morning. I had plans on Friday and Saturday nights, and I didn't want to be super cranky on Saturday without much sleep. And, my running buddy was still out of town, so she wasn't counting on me to be at the morning group run. So, I slept in and ran on the treadmill instead. I needed a break from that damn morning humidity, too. I probably had a better run than I would have had if I had dealt with the morning weather conditions. So, it was good for my confidence, too. But, I didn't quite learn my lesson from last Saturday's morning run about bringing my hydration mix for my 2nd water bottle during the second half of the run. Get it together, mel!

Sunday, June 22: 3 miles (treadmill)

Easy 3 mile recovery run at the gym.

Monday, June 23: 5 miles (treadmill)

Today marked the start of a recovery week (Monday-Sunday of the upcoming week, which is a little off from how I am recording my weeks here starting on Saturday). Easy 5 mile run at the gym. More than anything, the "recovery week" gave my mental focus a bit of a break with the shorter mileage so that was appreciated.

Tuesday, June 24: OFF

Today was scheduled as a cross-training day, which I usually enjoy using for weight-training. But, I slept terribly last night and was exhausted after a long day of work. Since it's a recovery week anyway, I took today off and tried not to feel too guilty about it.

Wednesday, June 25: 5 miles (road)

1.25 mile warm-up + cool down and 2.5 (or 3?) miles of Straights and Curves around a neighborhood block in West Austin. I was happy that Angela was back today, so I ran the workout with her.

The group resting in between 2 sets of 6 laps

3 down, 3 to go. Right, Bobby?

 Thursday, June 26: 5 miles (treadmill)

Today was supposed to only be 2-3 miles, but I opted for 5 because I'm nervous about the time off that I will be taking while we're on vacation next month. My lower legs felt super achy all day - not sure if it was because of the fast pace from last night's workout and/or because it had been my first road run in a week. So, I was prepared to only do the recovery mileage posted if my legs didn't feel up to it. But, my legs felt fine, so off I went for 5 miles.

Friday, June 27: OFF

Week 8 Total: 30 miles

MCM Training Week 7

Saturday, June 14: 10 miles (road)

Angela and I took off from Rogue a few minutes before the pack at the lovely hour of 5:30am. She was pressed for time because she was heading out of town after the run, so we started out on our own for the first mile or so before we were overtaken by the fast club. The route was hilly, which I think is supposed to be a given, and I struggled with the humidity again in the last few miles...which I am also worried is becoming a given for this time of year. I let Angela go at the halfway turnaround point since she was worried about time, and I was just worried about finishing in that awful humidity. I learned that when I am running over an hour on those Saturday morning runs, I need to bring some additional Tailwind mix with me to use after my first bottle is gone. I had to switch to pure water at mile 6 and it did not sit well in my tummy at that point. I was guilty of waterboarding myself though at that point.

Sunday, June 15: 3 miles (treadmill)

Easy 3 mile recovery run at the gym.

Monday, June 16: 6 miles (treadmill)

I had initially planned to do 7 today, but I got a later start than I had hoped so went with 6 because of time purposes.

Tuesday, June 17: Cross-training

Weights at the gym. No cardio tonight...again, mostly because of time constraints.

Wednesday, June 18: 6.5 miles (road)

Tonight's quality workout consisted of a 1.25 mile warm-up followed by 4 mile repeats at tempo pace (with 3-minute recovery between them) then 1.25 mile cooldown back to Rogue + 4 strides. Bobby had sent out a pace calculator earlier in the week based on our marathon goal time so that we could get an idea of times for the mile repeats tonight. He put us in small groups based on estimated pace. I ended up running each mile in the 8:20-8:30 range. The route included some gradual uphill and downhill, but nothing too severe. My mile splits were way faster than I needed to be running for my marathon goal time, but were fairly comfortable (even in the heat) so I'll just work on being grateful for it.

Thursday, June 19: 4.5 miles (treadmill)

Note to self - don't eat a bunch of chips and salsa before running. My stomach was not happy with me, hence not making it to 5 miles.

Friday, June 20: OFF

Massage. Tight calves as usual. Tight left hamstring, which is somewhat unusual. 

Week 7 Total: 30 miles + 1 Cross-training workout

This is the week where I noticed a huge increase in appetite. I was constantly hungry all week, even after only a short period following a meal or snack. I felt like I was eating everything in sight.

MCM Training Week 6

Saturday, June 7: 8 miles (road)

This weekend was scheduled for recovery on the training plan. So, we had the option to run 4-8 miles today. Angela and I opted to run the full 8 miles. The route was fairly flat (hallelujah!), but man I struggled with the humidity during the second half of this run. I repeatedly doused myself with cold water at the final water stop two miles out from the end. I had a much easier time on the Wednesday night workout with the heat and all those hills. Humidity + mel = no bueno.

Sunday, June 8: Cross-training

Today was scheduled to be an off day, but I opted to do weights at the gym.

Monday, June 9: 7 miles (treadmill)

I upped my Monday long run to 7 miles in an effort to boost the overall weekly mileage. Good easy run.

Tuesday, June 10: Cross-training

Weights + 30 minutes elliptical.

Wednesday, June 11: 7 miles (road)

We got to run the fartlek tonight that was originally on last week's schedule. But, the location was changed from Zilker to the hills in West Austin due to Blues on the Green over at Zilker. I think this was the third time that we've run a similar route - just bigger hills (hello, Scenic) and more miles this time. Even with the heat in the mid 90's, I noticed that I ran the warm-up much easier and stronger than I seemed to the last time. Once we hit the water stop at mile 2, then it was 1 minute hard followed by 1 minute recovery for 8 sets. As I was running my "hard" efforts for only a minute, all I was thinking about was how difficult running a 5k at a "hard" effort will be tomorrow night. Running hard in this heat is just plain hard. But, I got through it in a respectable manner and made another deposit in my training bank.

Thursday, June 12: 4 miles (road)

K and I ran Maudie's Margarita Run 5k for the first time tonight. I had originally planned to use this as a substitute workout for a time-trial that I thought was scheduled for this week. But, after last night's workout, I intended for this to just be a fun run...as much fun as you can have running a 5k in the evening in June in Austin. We parked near Rogue and ran a short warm-up to the start area by the Rock. It was only a little over a half mile run, but I was already drenched in sweat when this photo was taken. 

Before the race at the start/finish area by the Rock

The race started at 8pm and off we went. I didn't look at my Garmin until we approached the first mile marker, which had a clock with the gun time. I didn't have my glasses on, so I couldn't really see what it said until I was right up on it. But, I could tell that it was a few seconds past...something. So, I assumed it was just after 9 minutes. Um, wrong. It was a few seconds past 8 minutes. Well, I sure wasn't expecting that! Anybody else see a problem with the fact that I can't tell a difference in perceived effort between an 8 and 9 minute mile? I credit the heat for that - just running at all in these temps feels hard. So, I can't differentiate levels of hardness. Anyway, I decided to go ahead with my plan to get an idea of a time for 2 miles then relax for mile 3. I don't think I could have sustained 3 miles of hard effort anyway. I was pleasantly surprised with my 2-mile time estimate, and, heck, even my overall time (which included several bursts of walking in that last mile). First time in a long time that I finished in the top 25% of a race (and would have been higher if I had held it together into mile 3).


Friday, June 13: OFF

Week 6 Total: 26 miles + 2 cross-training workouts

MCM Training Week 5

Saturday, May 31: 9 miles (road)

Angela and I started a few minutes before the rest of the pack in the footsteps of a few others from our group. We ran an out and back route from Rogue that had some long, gradual uphills and downhills, but nothing as severe as our Wednesday night workout. Overall, I felt pretty good, and I think we ran pretty strong, even unintentionally dropping our pace faster than expected at times. This was my first long run using Tailwind for my hydration and I loved it. No tummy issues whatsoever. The humidity didn't seem too bad, which I think also helped me feel pretty strong. No soreness afterwards.

Sunday, June 1: OFF

I had planned to run an easy 3 miles in the evening after we got back from our quick trip to Burnet for the last of the Rogue trail series races. But, I felt super light-headed (maybe too much fun in the sun earlier) and crashed when we got home. No running for me today.

Monday, June 2: 6 miles (treadmill)

Easy 6 miles at the gym.

Tuesday, June 3: Cross-training

Weights + 35 minutes on the stationary bike - I have been doing the Stairmaster a lot over the past few months, so I thought I would do something different today.

Wednesday, June 4: 7 miles (road)

I was expecting our first speed workout tonight - a fartlek. But, when I got to Rogue and saw the route, it was not what I expected and I had to get my head in the game for what was to come. It turned out to be another hot and hilly workout with the Sole Survivors. I definitely sense a pattern here. Although, this one included 5 strides uphill after about 2 miles in. Yes, this was a tough run, but really no more challenging than what we've been doing in my opinion. I did leave the workout with my left leg quivering while I was driving home though, so I guess that says something. Getting stronger with each hill! I commented to K later in the week that I couldn't imagine hauling an extra 20 pounds up all these hills. I'm so glad I started my "marathon training" back in February to get all that extra weight off!

Post-workout

Thursday, June 5: 5 miles (treadmill)

Easy 5 miles at the gym. I was expecting to feel tired or sore after last night's workout, but I felt okay. I am taking these easy days though EASY.

Friday, June 6: OFF

Massage. Right quad and calf tight...as usual.

Week 5 Total: 27 miles + 1 cross-training workout

MCM Training Week 4

Saturday, May 24-Monday, May 26

Zero. Zip. Nada.

Despite my best intentions (and a suitcase half filled with running garb), I didn't get any miles in while we were out of town for Memorial Day weekend. We spent a lot of time traveling in the car each day while in Florida, which made it difficult. But, I'm sure I could have found a way if I really wanted to. This does have me worried about our 2+ week Australian adventure in July. I did really well keeping up with training during a previous trip to Singapore many moons ago, so I know it's possible if I am really committed.

Big news from the weekend though was that I fit into my favorite pair of shorts (size 6). The last time I remember wearing them was on our honeymoon in Greece in 2008. 

Tuesday, May 27 6 miles (treadmill)

Tuesdays are supposed to be cross-training days, but I needed to get the miles in since I'm starting the week behind so I ran at the gym instead. I felt happy to be back in my routine/controlled environment with diet and exercise once we got home from our trip.

Wednesday, May 28 6 miles (road)

Another hilly run through West Austin with the Sole Survivors. The heat is definitely starting to become a factor, and I didn't feel as strong on this run compared to when we ran a similar route 2 weeks ago. No issues with my ankle though, so that was a win.

Thursday, May 29 4 miles (treadmill)

Easy run at the gym.

Friday, May 30 OFF

Week 4 Total: 16 miles (eek!)

MCM Training Week 3

Saturday, May 17: 7 miles (road)

First Saturday run that I have attended for this training program that started at 6am. That's rough for me, but the cooler temps were appreciated. We ran a fairly flat route, which I was thankful for after the hilly Wednesday workout. I generally ran with Angela, one of the girls in my training group. Fairly good pace, so it was a good run overall.

Sunday, May 18: 3 miles (treadmill)

Easy recovery run on the treadmill.

Monday, May 19: 6 miles (treadmill)

Definitely making efforts to balance my runs on the road with the treadmill. Good run.

Tuesday, May 20: Weights + 40 minutes Stairmaster

Cross-training at the gym.

Wednesday, May 21: 6+ miles (road)

Another hilly run through West Austin with the Sole Survivors. I struggled with effort and the hills on this run, but I think it was a product of the warm temperatures. It's going to be a looong summer ahead, and tonight's run was just a preview. I have been using Nuun in my water bottle for the past couple of runs, and I noticed some tummy sensitivity. So, I think I am going to switch up my hydration, and I am going to give Tailwind Nutrition a try since the trail running community has been giving it such good reviews. I will be so happy if I find something that works for me because this tends to be a big issue that I struggle with.

Thursday, May 22: OFF

Switched my off day for the week with Friday.

Friday, May 23: 8 miles (road/trail)

I made plans with Angela to get our long run out of the way before heading out of town for the holiday weekend. We ran a fairly flat route from Rogue to/from the trail then did an out-and-back on the trail. I struggled on the second half of this run - dead legs, sensitive tummy from the Nuun, and again with the humidity.

I had a massage a few hours later. Usual tightness in the right calf, but left leg was doing so much better compared to the previous session.

Week 3 Total: 30 miles + 1 cross-training workout

MCM Training Week 2

Saturday, May 10: 6 miles (road)

K and I headed up to Dallas to visit my mom for Mother's Day this weekend. We typically drive up on Saturday mornings, but opted to drive up on Friday night instead this time so that I could get my Saturday morning run done. And, what better way to do that than connect with old friends? It was great to run at White Rock Lake with some of my long-time friends from my college days. The weather was fairly warm and we had some various paces in our group, but it was a fairly good run overall.

Sunday, May 11: 3 miles (road)

We stayed near SMU for the weekend, so I took K on a short run through campus this morning. My ankle was fairly sore to start, and K observed that I looked fairly gimpy in terms of my form. So, I took it easy and had to stop and start to reduce some of the ankle soreness. But, it seemed better as I continued with the run.

Monday, May 12: 5 miles (treadmill)

I had a massage today, and Ann sure worked her usual magic!  I had a great 5-mile easy run on the treadmill in the evening with no ankle issues at all. Probably the best running form that I've had to start a run throughout the past week.

Tuesday, May 13: Weights + 40 minutes Stairmaster

Cross-training at the gym.

Wednesday, May 14: 6 miles (road)

Hilly run through West Austin with the Sole Survivors. Blessed with lower than normal temperatures and feeling the healing effects from my massage, I had an amazing run! I ran all of the hills - up and down - at a good easy pace. Felt really confident during the run!

Thursday, May 15: 3 miles (treadmill)

Easy run at the gym. Ankle okay.

Friday, May 16: OFF

I saw my PT today for the first time since before NYC last Fall. I felt reassured that my ankle was okay structurally, but my range of motion definitely needed to be worked out. He agreed that I need to continue to balance my runs on the road with runs on the treadmill. I was already on that page!

I had a ridiculously long and stressful day at work, which meant a much later than normal dinner and not much sleep preparing for a 6am long run the next day.

Week 2 Total: 23 miles + 1 cross-training workout

MCM Training Week 1

Once upon a time this started as a running blog. As I embark on my journey training for the Marine Corps Marathon in October, I figured this might be a good time to get back to my roots...not only with my training, but also for this blog. So, I am going to commit to a weekly post about my training, so that I can look back on the up's and down's when it's all said and done.

First, why Marine Corps? Well, after running NYC last Fall, I was worried that any other race would be a huge let-down after the interesting course, amazing crowd support, and big city environment of the weekend in general that NYC provided. I will likely apply for the lottery every year for NYC to have the opportunity to run that race again...and run it right if there's a next time in terms of training properly. I applied for the lottery again this year, and big surprise, I didn't get accepted. So, I applied for the lottery to MCM after the NYC lottery results were announced (which is the first year that MCM went to lottery) and was pleasantly surprised to get in.

Now that my race was set  it was time to get serious about training again - which only meant one thing for me...back to Rogue, especially since their recent move to the new location made it more accessible for me to get there. After reviewing the possible options, it was a pretty clear choice for me that I wanted to train with Bobby again. Quality workout on Wednesdays at 6:30pm and long run on Saturdays at way too early in the morning due to the summer heat.

Saturday, May 3: 5 miles (road)

First run of the program. Here we go!

I was happy to have the chance to talk to Bobby before the run that morning about my ankle issues. Damn trimalleolar fracture from January 2010. I was honest with him about feeling nervous to formally commit to training again...and hoping for the best in terms of my ankle being able to handle the rigors of it. At the same time though, my ankle had been feeling better in the past couple of months than it has since the break/surgery. I had been alternating 6 mile runs on the treadmill (this becomes important in a minute) with strength training + cardio at the gym since February without any problems whatsoever.

To my surprise, I had a great 5-mile run on Saturday. The weather was cool, my legs felt great, and holy cow I saw mile splits on my Garmin that I didn't know were possible anymore as an easy pace. But, the route was hillier than I was expecting, and my ankle started to feel sore with the hills and change in surface of running on the road again. Overall though, it was a great confidence booster to start the program!

Oh, and I should also make note that I have been focusing on getting back down to a good running weight over the past few months, and I was happy to see that my weight at the start of this program was within a few pounds of my wedding weight (when I was in good running shape training for my first 50k).

Sunday, May 4: OFF

Our running schedule wasn't posted yet. And even if it had been, it would have been unlikely that I would have done it because of other planned activities that day, and I was feeling the effects of the previous day's run - sore ankle and trashed right quad (which tends to overcompensate for my injured left side).

Monday, May 5: 4 miles (trail)

Running schedule wasn't posted until late in the day. Mondays will be a medium long run day moving forward. I tried to run on the treadmill at home in the afternoon initially, but my ankle was not having any of it. It was super painful, and my form was wonky because I was trying to get off it as quickly as possible. My fear was that I was only one run into the training program and I was already out because of injury. I decided to try running later that evening at the gravel trail near our house to see if that would be better somehow. Not initially...I almost packed it in and gave up when I couldn't even run .25 mile without pain. But, I stubbornly persisted, although I had to take a lot of breaks because my ankle couldn't tolerate too much distance at once. My ankle seemed to get better as I progressed and I think I built up to nearly a mile without stopping toward the end, which gave me some hope. But, there was definitely PAIN (not soreness) during this run.

Tuesday, May 6: Weights + 40 minutes Stairmaster at gym

Cross-training on the schedule. Relieved to give my ankle the day off.

Wednesday, May 7: 5 miles (road) + 4 strides

I emailed Bobby in the morning to update him about my ankle woes in advance of the group workout that night. I had no idea at that point whether my ankle would tolerate another road run or not. But, lo and behold, it held up okay, although the hills (up and down) continued to aggravate it. Overall, it was definitely more of soreness in the ankle joint rather than pain as it had been on Monday, so I left feeling hopeful. The other challenge was starting to acclimate to the evening heat while running. It's a hot road ahead until October.

Thursday, May 8: 3 miles (treadmill)

I continued to ice the heck out of my ankle all week. Not wanting to push my ankle with 2 back-to-back road runs yet, I opted for an easy 3 miles on the treadmill. Ankle was definitely sore, so there was some stopping and starting even with such a short run on that surface. But, more than anything, I just felt a general deadness in my legs. Ugh, already?!?

Friday, May 9: OFF

Week 1 Total: 17 miles + 1 cross-training workout

A Roman holiday...

We arrived in Rome mid-afternoon on Christmas Eve happy to be here given a precarious 2-hour flight delay in Amsterdam due to high wind conditions (40+ mph).

We took the train into the city from the airport and arrived near St. Peter's Square where our hotel was located. We were very curious as to what the scene in the Square would be like at that hour and were pleased to see that the crowds that we imagined would be descending on the Square for Midnight Mass had not started to stake out their territory (this apparently isn't like the Tour de France!). So, we found our hotel just outside of the Square, which is a charming historic palace that housed cardinals and priests since the 15th century. We then ventured out to try our luck at finding a nearby restaurant that was open on Christmas Eve and again check on the scene in the Square. Feeling fairly confident that we didn't need to get there hours and hours in advance (and, badly in need of a shower and nap at that point from our travels), we got cleaned up back at the hotel and took an evening siesta because the jet lag was wearing on us. 

The traditional Midnight mass for Christmas Eve actually started at 9:30pm. We got to the Square about an hour early and, surprisingly, still no massive crowds had formed. We enjoyed the 82-foot Christmas tree that had been transported from Bavaria, Germany earlier this month and the official Vatican nativity scene (with the baby Jesus properly covered until after completion of the mass that night). K wanted to try his luck at actually getting into the Basilica for the mass, despite my protestations that advance tickets were required and at a premium. It was a no go though. Once it became clear to stubborn K that we weren't getting in, we headed back out to the main part of the Square in front of the Basilica to watch the mass that was being broadcast onto large screens located all around the Square. I have to admit that the experience was a bit anti-climactic for me...I was expecting wall to wall crowds with more of a festive atmosphere. I'm sure the fact that the mass was in another language largely contributed to it as well (with no translations offered on the televised screens), so we generally had no clue what was going on. Toward the end of the service though, the doors to the Church opened and streams of ministers came down into the Square to serve Communion. I pushed K toward the path where they were heading so that he could try to receive Communion, and thankfully I did because when I turned around I saw masses of people coming forward as well. Afterwards when he returned to our spot, he said he hadn't expected communion to be done "Italian style" - meaning chaos. That is what we have come to expect in Italy! All in all though, it was a special experience for us to be here for Christmas Eve, and another one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences (that we are rapidly accumulating) to be present for Pope Francis' first Christmas Eve mass.

K & m in St. Peter's Square on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve Mass by Pope Francis televised to the crowds in the Square

Get ready for communion "Italian style!"

But, wait, the Christmas experience in Rome doesn't stop there! Unbeknownst to us, we emerged from our hotel on Christmas Day (after a leisurely morning sleeping in!) just in time for the procession of guards down Via della Conciliazione toward St. Peter's. And, they were bringing the people of Rome with them! So, we all congregated in the Square again; these were the crowds that I had been missing the previous night! At noon, the Pope emerged through the red curtains high atop St. Peter's Basilica to give his blessing "urbi et orbi" (to the city and the world). In contrast to the solemn atmosphere in the Square last night, he was well-received by the many cheers and claps from the crowd during his 15-minute appearance. 

Headed toward St. Peter's

Much more crowded today!

Papa Francesco! (AKA Pope Frank according to Bill Maher)

Then, it was time for our Christmas Day stroll through Rome to see many of the open-air sights around the city as most museums, buildings, etc. were closed due to the holiday. Our "stroll" took us all over the city, and turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the trip. 

We headed over to Piazza del Popolo, which features the northern city gate, an obelisk in the middle, and several churches on the exterior of the piazza. 
 

Piazza del Popolo

Yep, that's K riding the lion

We then took the stairs up to the gardens of Villa Borghese, which boasted stunning views of the city below. 

From there, we walked over to the area of the Spanish Steps, stopping first at the church at the top, Trinita dei Monti, then heading over to a quirky house nearby that was featured in our guidebook - Palazzetto Zuccari. It was a hidden gem that I loved - the exterior of the house was designed to form a monster's face. 

Open up and say "ah"!

From there, we descended the famous staircase that is divided by three landings and featured a Christmas tree and nativity scene for the holidays and opens up onto Via dei Condotti, which is lined with all of the fancy shops. 
 

Spanish Steps

I loved the Fendi Christmas tree made out of purses!

Then, it was time to check out the Trevi Fountain and toss in our coins to ensure our return to Rome. It's been 10 years since I've been to Rome, but hey, I guess my previous coin toss worked! 

We then found ourselves in the area of Piazza Venezia and made an unexpected stop over to Il Vittoriano, "the wedding cake building." Since we were in the area, we figured we might as well make our way over to the nearby Colosseum and Forum, particularly since the weather forecast for the next day (when we were planning to go) didn't look good. When in Rome! 

3-tiered wedding cake

K & m at the Colosseum

The Forum

By then, dusk had settled and we headed over to the Pantheon before making our final stop at Piazza Navona, which hosts a local Christmas market. 

The Pantheon

K & m at Piazza Navona

Christmas market at Piazza Navona

And, with that, we wrapped up a perfect Christmas Day in Rome!

We started out Boxing Day the same as the previous day - back at St. Peter's. This time we were visiting the Basilica. It was a rainy day, so it was a perfect day to be inside. We also made the trek up to the cupola, through very narrow and winding stairs, but were rewarded with great views of the city. 

The nave of St Peter's with the baldacchino over the high altar and sanctuary behind in the distance (over 100 meters away!)

Michelangelo's Pieta

The interior nativity scene (night view)

View down from the interior ring around the dome

Circular staircase at the top of the dome

East facing view of Rome from the dome

West-facing view of Vatican Gardens from the dome

After a late lunch, we made a last minute decision to head back to the Colosseum for an interior visit, despite the intermittent rain. We got there just in time before the ticket office closed and had just enough time for K's initial visit. We'll definitely be back for a tour of the underground and upper ring areas now that those areas have been opened for visitors. 

Lengthwise view of Colosseum

Opposite end view from ground level

 

From there, it was back to Villa Borghese; this time for the museum. Unfortunately, it wasn't my kind of art, so I was a bit underwhelmed overall. I did enjoy a few of Bernini's famous sculptures, David, Apollo and Daphne, and Rape of Persephone. 

We spent the morning of our final day in Rome (Friday, 12/27/13) at the Vatican Museum(s). K could easily spend a day there, but we only had two hours before we had to head to the airport, so it was definitely an abbreviated visit. It was a much different experience for me compared to my first time there during the summer many years ago. My main memory is that it was stifling hot inside and packed with people on a focused march to get to the Sistine Chapel, which is at the end of a long walk through other collections. This time it wasn't as crowded or hot, so I was able to take in some of the other artwork along the way. I was even pleasantly surprised to find a modern art collection featuring several of my favorite artists just prior to entering the Sistine Chapel.

And with that, we had to say ciao to Roma for now. But, remember, we tossed our coins into the Trevi Fountain so we'll be back! 

Now, onward to Turkey!