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!

Looking back and looking ahead...

With 2013 winding down, I thought I'd include the text from our Christmas card this year to review where we've been and start thinking about where we're going in 2014.

Wow, what another incredible year! We actually started out 2013 happy to be home in ATX after our Xmas trip to the Canary Islands turned disastrous when our passports (and other belongings) were stolen. But, that didn't hold us back for long! We joined Kurt's brother for a ski trip to Breckenridge, CO in January then headed for the sun in Puerto Rico in February. Kurt ran the LA Marathon in March and had such a good experience that he decided he has a few more marathons left in him. We headed back to CA in May-this time to San Francisco for the Tour of California, a popular professional cycling race, and some R & R in wine country. Then, we enjoyed a fun Memorial Day weekend in CO filled with rafting, running, and relaxing. Kurt ran Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN in June where he qualified to run the Boston Marathon next year. Kurt took a month sabbatical from work in July and we were fortunate to spend 3 weeks in Europe. Highlights include Kurt running with the bulls in Pamplona, enjoying beach time on the French coast, watching the 100th anniversary of the Tour de France on Alpe d' Huez and in Paris, hiking the Cinque Terre, and spending time with Kurt's cousin in the Italian Lake District. And, that was only the first half of the year! We took a short trip to Ohio in August for Kurt's 15th high school reunion (nevermind that Melissa graduated college before Kurt even graduated high school), and he enjoyed catching up with his childhood friends and family. We enjoyed a respite from the Texas heat with a quick trip to San Francisco again in September to watch the OSU vs. Cal football game. Then, it was time to cram marathon training into 2 months before we ran the NYC Marathon in November after the race was cancelled last year. We spent the Thanksgiving holidays on the Great Wall and in megacities Beijing and Shanghai, China. We are looking ahead to another trip to Europe for the Christmas holidays to wrap up 2013. We continue to feel so fortunate to have all of these amazing experiences together. Melissa is wrapping up her 4th successful year in private practice, and Kurt is happily still being challenged at AMD after 10 years. Hope 2013 was filled with great memories for you and even better ones ahead in 2014!         -K & m


As I initially reviewed what I had written for our Christmas card, I was struck with the thought that it seemed very K-centric. Now, he did have a pretty good year in 2013, especially from an athletic standpoint. He even won the 2013 MVP Male award for Team Mac, which is a high accomplishment given all the running talent in that group. Maybe it's also because I don't want to toot my own horn as much, so I focused less on my accomplishments. But, when I pointed out my observation to K, he simply replied, "Well, do more." Hmm...

So, that thought has been rattling around in my brain as I think about my goals for 2014. I am happy with where my practice is right now. I'm happy with the growth I have seen in my therapy clients, I'm doing more testing which is my passion, I have developed some new referral sources, and I have said no more than yes when needed. From a running perspective, I need to identify a goal or target race for next year to get me off the couch now that the NYC marathon is finally behind me and holiday travel is (nearly) completed. I do need to do a better job of integrating training with my personal and professional schedules though (which means making it the priority that it deserves to be if I am really going to get serious again). From a travel perspective, we will still likely have 2 extended international trips for next year, but our shorter weekend domestic trips might end up being fewer than in the past few years due to our allotment of K's vacation days, especially for the first half of the year. This means that it is probably a good time for me to really focus on running again since I won't have a lot of training disruptions for travel until July. I'm open to any suggestions on races!

And, finally, I miss my friend group here in Austin and elsewhere (and, I know K feels this way, too). I do feel like I made an effort to make plans with folks at certain times this year, and we had our first party at our "new" house in April. But, it just hasn't been the same as it has been in the past. I know that not participating in a running group (or even making plans to join friends for runs) has limited my connections with certain folks. But, I also feel the divide growing between those that have kids and those that don't. It's certainly a challenge to coordinate getting together with my friends of young children, and I'll be honest, in some cases I have all but given up because it's been so much of an obstacle. I'm not sure where to go with this one for next year.

So, that's a wrap on 2013. Well, almost. We have one last adventure ahead of us to close out the year in style. And, then it's on to 2014 and whatever it may bring. Cheers!

NYC Marathon Take 2: Running with Gratitude

On Sunday, K and I are running the NYC marathon. This is a race that has been 5 years in the making for me. I applied for entry through the lottery in 2009, 2010, and 2011 and didn't get in; therefore, I had guaranteed entry in 2012 under the "3 times a charm" program. Finally! This was to be a significant event for me at that point, as it marked my first marathon back since I broke my ankle in January 2010. I ran my first half-marathon since the injury in January 2012 and was pleasantly surprised that I didn't have any issues with my ankle, so I was eager to test it out at the marathon distance later that year to fully see my journey back to running as complete. But, alas, that was not to be.

After months of putting in the miles (and, having my head in a good space), Hurricane Sandy paid the East Coast a visit just days before the race was scheduled last year. Once the race organizers had given the go ahead earlier in race week that the race was going to happen, it was still uncertain whether we'd actually make it to New York because most flights did not resume until the day we were scheduled to fly out. Thankful to be there (only to be reminded that the city was a federal disaster area at that point,) we learned of the cancellation of the race from a traffic cop as we were walking to our hotel to check-in late Friday afternoon. Denial, shock, confusion, frustration, and anger were all emotions that we experienced that weekend in New York (not about the cancellation of the race itself per se, but the manner in which it was handled by race organizers and city officials at the last minute). The lack of communication from NYRR that weekend, as well as in the forthcoming weeks, only served to heighten those feelings. This picture from our unofficial run in Central Park on race day sums it up for me (well, except for the last line):

Fast forward to this weekend. Runners from 2012 were (eventually) given the option to have their race registration refunded or receive (non-complimentary) entry into the 2013 race. K and I chose the latter option. I needed to get this monkey off my back. So, here we are again.

Unfortunately, that meant another year of training for the same event. And, my 2013 training has not been so stellar for a variety of reasons. Yes, it is entirely possible to have done the requisite 20-miler and still be undertrained. So, not only have I been harboring a lot of self-doubts about my training (and, no, this is not like me stressing about my performance on a test only to end up getting an A), but also a lot of negativity about this race in general (for some of the reasons noted above).

A couple of weeks ago while I was sharing my negative state of mind with my wonderful massage therapist, she encouraged me to try to get to a place where I can run this race on Sunday with gratitude. That was definitely a "light-bulb" moment for me and has stuck with me ever since. There are thousands of runners who did not gain entry into this year's race and would love to be at the starting line suffering through 26.2 miles in New York on Sunday. And, more personally, I need to remember that there were some really dark moments after my ankle surgery when it was far from certain whether I would be able to run again, much less run a marathon.

So, with this change in attitude, I left my Garmin at home. I'm not going to be concerned about my mile splits or overall time on Sunday (I already know it's going to be slooow, so what's the difference between a 9, 10, or 12 minute mile really going to make?). It's not my performance on Sunday that matters. Rather, it's my experience of running my first marathon back through the streets of NYC that really matters. And, then I will be free to move beyond this to whatever is on the other side. For every marathoner knows that you are never the same person when you cross that finish line as you were when you started.

Weekend in Paris...

Friday, July 19 will be remembered as one of those crazy K & m adventures. With all of my concern being paid to ensuring we got to Alpe d'Huez on time, I paid much less concern to leaving Alpe d'Huez on Friday. K had done his research into the bus schedules online in advance to the best that he could, but there is no accounting for the disruption that Le Tour causes (especially when trying to pre-plan from outside the local area).

We left the condo mid-morning and headed to what we thought was the bus station on the mountain (which had been closed since we arrived on Wednesday so we couldn't get more updated information on transportation). When we got there, it was clearly closed with a sign (possibly) indicating that it had been moved to a different location. K went to check it out, but got no further information there either because that office was also closed. Our shuttle bus driver gave us a bus timetable though, and based on what she and the schedule said, it looked like there was (possibly) a much later bus leaving late in the afternoon IF service was actually running as scheduled...and, that was a big if. And, it was also unclear if that bus would actually take us all the way back to Grenoble, and if so, it would be a super tight connection to catch our evening train to Paris. We also knew there would be traffic on the roads due to the Tour route for the day's stage, which started in Bourg d' Oisans located at the base of the mountain. There was so much uncertainty, so we were left stressed trying to figure out what to do to ensure we had the best possible chance of making our train to Paris from Grenoble.

After weighing our limited options (wait until late afternoon for a bus that may or may not arrive and may or may not get us to Grenoble in time; try to hitch a ride down the mountain; try to call a taxi which may or may not be possible in the remote mountain area and would surely be expensive; or walk down the mountain to the bus station at Bourg d'Oisans), we decided to take our fate in our own hands and walk to the bus station in Bourg d'Oisans, where K was fairly certain that we could catch an afternoon bus that should get us back to Grenoble barring major traffic. Yes, you read that right, we WALKED down Alpe d'Huez from the bus station there to the bus station at the base of the mountain...carrying all of our luggage - me with 30-pounds of gear on my backpack and shoulder bag and K with his wheeled suitcase and duffel...in the rain at times no less. We saw all 21 of those switchbacks up close and personal! K estimates that we walked about 8 miles. I had to go into marathon mode and just keep putting one foot in front of the other because it was brutal at times. Thankfully, I was in shorts and running shoes, but my toenails did not enjoy the constant downhill for hours and jamming into the front of my shoes. Unfortunately, I was in a tank top, which did not give my shoulders much protection from the straps of everything I had on my shoulders and ended up rubbing them raw. I would't be surprised if it left a scar. Once we had committed though, I knew we would make it down because really what other choice did we have at that point? I was just worried about the condition we'd be in once we got down.

We made it though (after a lot of brief rest stops along the way) and were relieved to see that bus service was indeed running to Grenoble that should get us there in time for our evening train to Paris. We arrived in Paris after 10pm and just crashed at our hotel near the train station (Gare de Lyon). We were wrecked from the day's journey!

I'll admit that I have a fairly blase attitude toward Paris that the city really doesn't deserve. I think it's because it's the European city that I have been to the most, but I was pleasantly surprised by our brief weekend there this time around. We have done a lot of the main touristy sights already, and we found a few things to do that we hadn't done yet that we really enjoyed.

After changing hotels to be in a better location on Saturday, July 20, we headed over to the Musee d' Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (Paris Museum of Modern Art) located across the river from the Eiffel Tower. I don't know why I haven't been there before! I highly recommend a stop there, and I think I actually preferred it to Centre Georges Pompidou which also boasts a fine modern art collection. Maybe what put it over the top for me though is the featured exhibition they were having for Keith Haring, one of my favorite artists. 

After a couple of hours there, we headed over to Eglise St-Sulpice to see the obelisk featured in The Da Vinci Code (the church also features a couple of frescoes by Delacroix). We were blown away by the size of this church practically hidden away in a classic Parisian neighborhood and the beauty of its Baroque style. Again, I highly recommend a stop here!

Then, we made a quick stop at Pont des Arts, a pedestrian bridge that crosses the Seine and is famously covered with padlocks that couples attach to the bridge before throwing the key in the river. Apparently, the locks are routinely cut off by the local gendarme though, so I'm sure ours will be long gone when we make it back there to see it again. And, K didn't want to pollute the river by throwing our key in either.

After a quick photo stop at the Louvre, we headed back to our hotel and called it a night. We were definitely feeling the effects of our previous day's journey off the Alpe and had another long day ahead of us.

Our first stop on the morning of Sunday, July 21 was to pick up our VIP passes for the grandstands for the finale of Le Tour that evening. While there, we noticed that preparations were already being made for the race route to circle the Arc de Triomphe for the first time in the race's history (the riders typically stop short of the Arc and make a u-turn on the Champs-Elysees for the final laps). People were already staking out their spots at 10am, which made me thankful that we weren't in that position (lesson learned after our first year watching this stage and being in that position).

We spent part of the afternoon at Musee Rodin - again, another museum that we somehow hadn't been to before and really enjoyed! We opted to only tour the gardens though for the sake of time (and money), so I'm sure we'll be back to tour the museum's interior at some point. The gardens were beautiful and featured many of Rodin's well-known sculptures. There's a nice little cafe in the gardens, which made a perfect gelato stop as we wandered around. 

The Thinker...

View of the museum from the back of the garden:

Les Invalides is nearby:

The Gates of Hell:

We then made a quick walk through Les Invalides, but had to save a lengthier visit to see Napoleon's tomb and other sights for another time.

And, with that, it was back to the Champs to settle in for an evening of Tour fesitivites. 

This is the third time that we have seen the Tour's final stage in Paris. And, I was reminded that this is a really difficult stage to see and enjoy in some respects. First, the boulevard is lined with poles and trees, which makes it so hard to get a good view of the peloton until they are right in front of you. Even with the grandstand seating it is still difficult for me to get a good view then because of the other spectators blocking my view. I wanted to attend this stage in particular this year though because I knew there would be a special celebration for Le Tour's 100th anniversary. But, note to self, in the future, remember that viewing this stage presents certain challenges.

The maillot jaune, Froome, on the first lap of the Champs escorted by the Sky boys:

Sagan in the green jersey at the front and Quintana in polka-dots in the middle:

Turned out not to be Cav's day when all was said and done:

Froome thanking his teammates and about to get mobbed by the photographers after the finish:

Jens stopped and sat on the barrier after the finish to reflect on, possibly, his final Tour:

Geraint Thomas, one of the Sky workhorses, finished the Tour riding with a broken pelvis:

Froome and other Tour legends receive the maillot jaune to celebrate the Tour's 100th anniversary:

Jersey winners: Quintana, Froome, Sagan

And, with that, the 100th edition of the Tour was in the books and so was our time in France. Next up is a week in Italy!