What the Hell Is Up

So what have the monkeys been doing all week since the move from London. Well, I'll tell you - mostly in pictures because I am feeling uninspired and very lazy.

Stonehenge: OK that was before we left the UK technically, but we had to go see it.

That blue shy is deceiving. It rained almost the whole time we were there.

Promenade de Plantee/Viaduc des Arts: So we mad it to Paris and the next day we wandered over to the Marche d'Aliglre, which is awesome. Then we accidentally discovered the amazing elevated park and walking path that is the 2.9-mile-long Promenade de Plantee, which used to be an elevated railway. It was spectacular on a sunny day!

On the walkway.

Redic.

Normandie: On Sunday, we took a loooooong bus ride out to the Normandie coast to see the WWII beaches and such with our college friend, Scott. Aside from the really early bus ride, it was pretty amazing. I need to watch Saving Private Ryan again now that I have see the beaches and the ruins. My grandpa Glaser was in northern France and Belgium during the war. I cannot even begin to put myself in his shoes to imagine what he saw over there.

The Eiffel Tower at sunrise, yes the bus ride was that effing early.

 

Ruins of the old Nazi bunkers.

Crazy stuff everywhere.

More ruins.

One of the many bomb craters.

Thanks Scott for organizing such an unforgettable trip!

What else: Well I am taking French and working (and eating a lot). Dave ditched me and went to Poland this week, whateva. Luckily (so as not to go crazy on my own in a country where I barely speak the language), I made a friend in French class and we went to dinner and drinks tonight. She was born in MENLO PARK. How funny is that! She is a chef and sommelier and we are going to a market tomorrow morning because - surprise - it is a French holiday so no language class.

Anywho, I will take more photos and let you know how it is going over here. xo

The Move

Well, the movers have packed up all our crap and left. Wow.

Everyone should have to go through their shit every 2 years. It is amazing how much ridiculous junk you collect, and how cleansing it feels to get rid of all that extra stuff.

As part of plan "get rid of shit", we played “what not to wear” the other night with two of our favorite (and very fashionable) friends. They helped us complete a clothing purge the likes of which have never been seen. It was a bit scary, but soooooo cathartic. Dave still wouldn’t dump the black fleece though, I think he hid it. That guy thinks he is like Steve jobs with the black turtle-necks......

Since we cannot make anything easy, we are taking a less than direct route home from London - including:

• 3 weeks in Paris in an apartment owned by the nicest dude ever - http://www.vrbo.com/420495
• One week in Avignon, which is quite possibly the closest place to heaven, staying here - http://www.maisonboussingault.com/
• A few days in Morris, Illinois to see my family
• And few days in Tahoe to relax and host the Tahoe Relay post-race BBQ, we have two ladies teams this year - so 14 women and Dave. Lucky man!

I'll be back at work on June 10th, as though the last 2 years didn't even happen - weird. I am hoping to see Sammy that same day. He'll either be stoked or he'll bite me, we'll see what happens. I am so video-ing the reunion. I have been looking forward to it for 2 years.

SO EXCITED to see that face!

I suppose I should be feeling really sad to leave London, but I am OK. It makes it easier that we had an awful winter after a really bad summer, and I am still waiting for spring. Besides, the Bay Area kind of rocks. And I miss hiking in the mountains, farmshare and cooking, my book club, long Saturday bike rides with friends, and of course Sammy. I even miss working and having my awesome coworkers to talk to (since I have worked alone in our basement apartment for the last 2 years in London). 

 

I will really miss all our friends here. However, I have maintained a state of purposeful denial or have been just plain busy lately, that way - I won't start blubbering. It will hit me soon enough, probably when I am wearing mascara because that is how I roll.

Anyway, I'll post some stuff about "living" in Paris. Bring on the butter and duck fat! I am so excited to go to the food markets as a customer and not just as a photo-taking tourist. Our rental apartment has a decent kitchen and a huge terrace so we can dine outside if it is warm enough.

Photos soon!

How to Recover Quickly From a Marathon

This WORKS you runners and triathletes out there! So listen up and give it a try.

I finished the London Marathon on Sunday and as of yesterday (Wednesday), I was mostly recovered. Today (Thursday) I feel like I could actually run again. OK to be fair, I did more of a walk/run this race, but it was still 26.2 miles. Anyway, I have also run a 3:36 marathon and used this same practice to recover.

So here is the secret: THE COLD PLUNGE.

I know what you are thinking, "But Amie, you hate, despise, and detest the cold." Why yes, I do! However, you have to remember the other important part of the recovery plan: ALTERNATING HEAT IN WITH THE COLD SO AS NOT TO WANT TO DIE.

Here is the sitch. On Tuesday, I went to the Porchester Spa, which costs all of £14 with my Westminster Resident Card (awesome). It is really more of a Turkish Bath, but spa has a nicer ring to it in my opinion. A photo of the cold plunge is there on the right.

Anywho, here is what you do:

1. Spend about 10 to15 minutes in a hot sauna or jacuzzi to really get your blood flowing. I like to stay in there until I just about pass out, I love hot. 
2. Get out of the heat, and hot into a cold plunge  (around 50 degrees Fahrenheit) up to you waist for at least 5 minutes (or as long as you can stand it, 5 minutes is it for me and I imagine if I had balls I'd stay in for even less time).
3. Repeat several times. 

 I am telling you, this works. After the first cold plunge, my legs felt amazing. All the soreness in my quads and hips was gone. While I still have a little residual soreness across my shins today, that is probably a function of my weird gait while walk/running and trying to keep from aggravating my sore posterior tibial tendon. The rest of me is just fine, thank you very much.

For all you Bay Area runners wanting to give this a try for yourself, here are a few places with cold plunges:

Watercourse Way in Palo Alto - see the photo there on the left. I love Watercourse. You can rent a tub room for 30 minutes or an hour and it is totally worth it.

Jin Healing for Women in San Francisco.

Hotel Healdsburg in Healdsburg (duh)

Burke Williams in San Jose - not sure about a cold plunge here, I haven't ever been to this spa. Anyone out there know?

You're welcome.

Dear Oakley - This is Not Cool

Dear Oakley,

My new sunglass case looks like it should be for tampons or something. I know it comes free with the glasses, so I shouldn't complain. But really, come on - this is pretty ugly.

I cannot in good conscience take this thing out of my purse each time I take off or put on my glasses. I'll get weird looks, and I get enough of those already.

The weird white case is going straight to Goodwill unless someone out there needs a new tampon holder.

Sheez, I expected more from you Oakley.

Love ya bye,

Amie

Victory is Mine - London Marathon 2013

Wooosh. Well, I finished. It wasn't fast, it wasn't pretty - but I did it! Thanks to everyone for your support, it really was inspiring to know you all were behind me! Battersea will get 2022 GBP thanks to you.

I came in somewhere around 5 hours 53 minutes and I couldn't be happier, considering I wasn't really even sure if I was going to do the race until just beforehand. After all, the day before was spent eating brisket and drinking gin and tonics - I'm sure that is exactly how Paula Radcliffe prepares - at a going away party some beautiful friends threw for us. Various funny business ensued:

Nice.

Better.

WTF is even happening here?

So the race started at 10:00 and there were very limited trains to the start. Of course I missed the train I was supposed to get (along with 2 other runners) and thought of just going home and having coffee while watching the stupid race on TV. But then I thought about the people injured and killed in Boston, and the fact that I am leaving London in just over a week, and all the people that were cheering me on in London and the USA - and I knew I had to get out there and try. So I hopped the 9:53 train (along with the 2 other late douches) managed to get to the Greenwich station at about 10:05. But guess what, the "start" is still about 3/4 of a mile from that train station......uphill. Fuck, sorry but that was the only appropriate word for what I thought at that exact moment.

Anyway, I fought my way to the start line through the crowds of spectators walking BACK to the train station  - feeling like a total idiot because the race had ALREADY started.

But hey guess what: when 37,000 people line up for a race, it takes a long time to actually "start". I casually walked into the starting chute at about 10:15 and still didn't pass the actual starting line until about 10:20. Awesome. Sometimes, the running gods are kind!

"See you at the finish", let's hope so.

A funny thing happens when running 15 minute miles in a gorgeous town, with giant crowds cheering, on a sunny day. You really enjoy yourself and take in the scenery, instead of stress over your mile splits and nutrition. I brought my Ipod but didn't even listen to it because there was so much going on with bands, DJs, people playing music from their front yards, and people joking and talking on the course.

Plus the costumes!!!!! OMG just Google it. The Brits absolutely adore "Fancy Dress".

At mile 15 I had to take a pottie break (and you go in the potties when there are giant crowds like there are in London - also, see the sign). I had to wait in line for about 20 minutes and really, amazingly no one (else) gave a crap. The runners were all so patient. I had to restrain myself and not yell, "WTF are you all doing in there, just do your business and get out and forget fussing with the damn hand sanitizer dispenser in there."

But then I realized, finishing in 5:50 or 6:30 really doesn't matter. Just enjoy the break from running, chill-the-eff-out, and sanitize your goddam hands.

View from the back! Sorry, these were all taken with my crap phone.

One of my favorite parts, crossing the Tower Bridge. Insane crowds on both sides.

I got a bit misty-eyed passing the apartment that we stayed in when we first arrived in London, it is near The Monument. OK the building is behind the ugly scaffolding on the right there, but I am a nostalgic person so it didn't matter. Commence blubbering.

Yes we are all walking and yes that guy is dressed as a chicken.

I think that guy in the giant costume beat me. At least it was interesting scenery.

So close! Big Ben in the background chimed 4:00pm as I ran by, blubbing again.

And then I FINISHED! Similar to the Barcelona Half Marathon, no pizza, bagels, burritos, pasta, blueberry cake, etc. at the end of the race. Here is your apple, an ill fitting t-shirt, and some Lucozade (Gatorade). That's it. Hit the pub if you are thirsty/hungry.

And so I did. Here I am at the pub with a Sierra Nevada (OK that's very American) and some weird apple cider vinegar crisps (those weird things were British for sure). Recovery complete!

Today I feel OK. My walk/run/Advil plan (not recommended - the Advil part, I mean) served me well. I think I will take the next few weeks to recover properly, I will be in PARIS for a month after all. The perfect place for a proper duck-fat-fueled recovery. You can hate me now.

It's Go Time - Bust out the Advil

Well sort of.

I went to the Expo. I have my number. I have my pace chart. I have a few Cliff Bars for the race. We have raised almost 2000GBP for the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home (but am still a bit short of my goal if you want to help me).

I am ready to go!

My mind is willing but my foot is just......not..... able.......to run. I have an aggravating case of posterior tibial tendonitis, probably from skiing in Zermatt in March, so don't feel too sorry for me.

It is not an injury you want to mess around with though. I swim with a hip and knee surgeon, he told me yesterday that if I ran and tore the tendon it would eff up my knee, hip, and spine. And I would be in for surgery with him in a year or so.

Shit.

But all is definitely not lost everyone. I can walk without any pain at all. I consider this a blessing, especially in light of all the effed up stuff that went on in Boston this week. To not do the race because I don't want to walk 7 or 8 hours is just plain wussy.

Therefore, I am going to finish this effing race if it is the last thing I do. It may take me forever, but that's OK. It's for the dogs, and for Boston, and to say goodbye to the city that has been my rainy home for the last 2 years.

 I will finish!

Plus, I just got a good luck email from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home with these cute photos attached (see below). And I found out that a greyhound named Shadow that I love, who was at the Battersea for 260 days, JUST GOT ADOPTED by a family in the country. All those donations fund happy homes for dogs, so give if you can.

This is Shy, he will get a new home because of Battersea.

Stop it Clem, you are so cute!!!!!