I'm going to make this one snappy, Reader, because I have fussy Internet and terrible iPad typing skills! (Read: I could turn 29 before this post is done.)
Luckily, it is a week packed with Marvelous, because I'm indeed at the conference in Montreal! It's a fascinating city and I will elaborate much more once I get back home.
1) Being in Montreal is so exciting that I keep forgetting it's marathon week! My race is on Sunday, and it has been pretty nice to be exploring a new city instead of checking the weather over and over. I am feeling happy and ready for the start line, with only a few miles left to go before we head to Mankato.
2) I did get to run this morning, and if you've ever read this blog before, you know how thrilling I find running in a new city. (Seriously, "thrilling" is no exaggeration.) It was gray and rainy until this morning, and it was great to start the day with a run under blue skies - not to mention getting a better understanding of the city's geography.
3) Book report: Finished "Swamplandia!" It felt like there was an interesting pace to the action and plot that made it often feel like I was further in the book than I actually was, but by the time the twists and tuns added up, I was glad I had stuck with it. 'Bout to start either "Life of Pi" or "The Tiger's Wife."
4) I tried something at a creperie yesterday (which my iPad autocorrects to "creep ride"!!!) with an English translation of "baked vegetable soup." This turned out to be a little pot of vegetable soup, with pieces of crusty bread and then a fab layer of cheese on top, baked until the cheese spilled down the sides of the pot and formed a sturdy little layer to chop through with your spoon. Best thing ever for a rainy afternoon.
5) I got a text from my brother this afternoon that he'd had a dream that Wish had taken a job delivering newspapers.
If that's not an item to end with, I'm not sure what is! Good night!
Monday, October 15, 2012
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Not a cathedral
Hmm! I meant to post a photo of a lovely cathedral, but the Internet/Blogspot duo aren't letting that happen today.
With "Jersey Shore" dubbed in French on in the background - a truly odd media experience - I wish you a marvelous start to the new week tomorrow. If the stars (Internet) align nicely, I will chime in with a Marvelous Montreal Monday post. This really is a fascinating city and I'm planning my first run in it tomorrow!
With "Jersey Shore" dubbed in French on in the background - a truly odd media experience - I wish you a marvelous start to the new week tomorrow. If the stars (Internet) align nicely, I will chime in with a Marvelous Montreal Monday post. This really is a fascinating city and I'm planning my first run in it tomorrow!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Bonsoir
That's right, I've made it to Montreal!
It feels far, far away from Minnesota, even though the flight was only a tidy two hours. For example, I am listening to the playoff baseball telecast in French, which is definitely new to me. I can't wait to see the city in the daylight tomorrow.
I'm off to sleep, but it seems important to record Wish's send off to me today. We were walking around the neighborhood, practicing some obedience class homework such as the "leave it!!!" command. I firmly said "leave it!!!" about the presence of a dog or squirrel or something, and my sweet pup promptly dropped a whole but dead bird out of his mouth, which I had not even noticed him pick up. I think, for the record, this occasion marks his first interaction with fauna. I, for the record, was speechless.
He knows how to send a girl off with fanfare, that's for sure.
Good night!
It feels far, far away from Minnesota, even though the flight was only a tidy two hours. For example, I am listening to the playoff baseball telecast in French, which is definitely new to me. I can't wait to see the city in the daylight tomorrow.
I'm off to sleep, but it seems important to record Wish's send off to me today. We were walking around the neighborhood, practicing some obedience class homework such as the "leave it!!!" command. I firmly said "leave it!!!" about the presence of a dog or squirrel or something, and my sweet pup promptly dropped a whole but dead bird out of his mouth, which I had not even noticed him pick up. I think, for the record, this occasion marks his first interaction with fauna. I, for the record, was speechless.
He knows how to send a girl off with fanfare, that's for sure.
Good night!
Friday, October 12, 2012
Another turning point
Well, rats. When I started my taper - and when that decline in mileage coincided with darker and colder mornings - I vowed that I had done my last early morning run for a long time. I am here to report that today was the last long morning run for a long time. Because of my upcoming travel plans, it just made more sense to squeeze in my last long run of the marathon training cycle before the weekend.
In one word: Brr!
The temperature was 31 degrees when I started, and that made for good outfit practice in case similar temps stick around for the next week or so. I ended up wearing running tights, a long-sleeved shirt, a light jacket, hat and gloves, and that was pretty good with the exception of cold hands by the end. But - disclaimer - I fully recognize and concede that in a few months 31 degrees will be nothing to shiver at.
But anyway, I got going and meandered through several St. Paul neighborhoods and the river road. I always have a little sentimental moment at the end of marathon training cycles when I notch what will be my last run for a long time with a bunch of miles on the river road. It's easy to feel that way, too, during such a pretty season.
The pink stripes in the sky this morning were out of this world!
I haven't actually partaken in many sunrises lately, so it was fun to see the pink clouds against the fall colors on the river: such an unusual color combination.
When I got my first glimpse of the Minneapolis skyline, by the way, everything was still dark with the lone exception of the early morning sunlight reflecting off the skyscrapers. Oooh. But here's the view from later in the morning:
And then the sun came up, and I saw something that I know has been lurking on a couple of recent mornings, but this was my first sighting of the season. Frost. Frost on the leaves! A whole new world of leaf- watching possibilities!
I also love leaves on the ground, which I don't think I've documented too extensively in the 2012 leaf cycle at Miles and Laurel. It looks like confetti to me, especially when they're all still different colors and not just crunchy and, well, on the decline.
There you have it. Next time I lace up my running shoes, I'll be on the streets of Montreal, a week out from the Mankato Marathon!
In one word: Brr!
The temperature was 31 degrees when I started, and that made for good outfit practice in case similar temps stick around for the next week or so. I ended up wearing running tights, a long-sleeved shirt, a light jacket, hat and gloves, and that was pretty good with the exception of cold hands by the end. But - disclaimer - I fully recognize and concede that in a few months 31 degrees will be nothing to shiver at.
But anyway, I got going and meandered through several St. Paul neighborhoods and the river road. I always have a little sentimental moment at the end of marathon training cycles when I notch what will be my last run for a long time with a bunch of miles on the river road. It's easy to feel that way, too, during such a pretty season.
The pink stripes in the sky this morning were out of this world!
I haven't actually partaken in many sunrises lately, so it was fun to see the pink clouds against the fall colors on the river: such an unusual color combination.
When I got my first glimpse of the Minneapolis skyline, by the way, everything was still dark with the lone exception of the early morning sunlight reflecting off the skyscrapers. Oooh. But here's the view from later in the morning:
I also love leaves on the ground, which I don't think I've documented too extensively in the 2012 leaf cycle at Miles and Laurel. It looks like confetti to me, especially when they're all still different colors and not just crunchy and, well, on the decline.
There you have it. Next time I lace up my running shoes, I'll be on the streets of Montreal, a week out from the Mankato Marathon!
Thursday, October 11, 2012
The packing list
Do you get into making lists when you're packing for a trip, Reader?
I do, and it dates back to the days when I traveled more for work in a previous job, when precious space in my carry-on bag hinged on my calculations of just how many times I could wear a sweater on the same business trip. (Luckily, I rarely saw the same people on multiple days, but if that was in the itinerary, I had to factor that in, too!)
So I planned my outfits, and then I had to plan for comfort, too. Sometimes, during long trips, the little things make all the difference in the world. I'm no super-clever traveler, and this post is not about me recommending something like bringing dental floss along so it can double as thread if you need to sew something. (Terrible example. Bring dental floss along, to floss your teeth.)
Everyone is different, right? Here are a few of my must-haves:
1) An empty water bottle. Bring it through airport security and then fill it up and use it throughout the trip. It's easy to get dehydrated when you're away from home and on the go, and when that happens to me, it's a quick path to feeling really sludgy. I love my water bottle.
2) A few packets of tea (or whatever you find soothing). On nights when I didn't get back to my hotel until late in the evening, I loved grabbing a cup of hot water from the lobby station to use with my favorite herbal tea: mint, lemon, ginger, whatever. I try to tuck a couple of packets into my purse before every trip.
3) A pair of running shoes to make a run or walk possible. You're surprised, aren't you?
4) Something cozy. I love to lounge in sweatpants at the end of the day, but it is so not practical to bring in a carry-on because of how bulky they are, so I often travel with a pair of thinner Underarmour pants that pack perfectly and are about 85 percent as good as sweatpants. Sometimes I've also brought a pair of wool socks that my grandma knitted, or even a pair of slippers once. If you're dressing business-casual all day on the road, maybe it's your softest cotton t-shirt. Maybe you even have a pair of the softest pink flannel pajama pants with squirrels on them that you like to bring along. (Totally hypothetical.) Whatever. Bring 'em.
Your turn! (Can you tell I'm leaving soon for my trip to Montreal and thus making my list?) Tell me: What do you like to pack in your suitcase?
3) A pair of running shoes to make a run or walk possible. You're surprised, aren't you?
4) Something cozy. I love to lounge in sweatpants at the end of the day, but it is so not practical to bring in a carry-on because of how bulky they are, so I often travel with a pair of thinner Underarmour pants that pack perfectly and are about 85 percent as good as sweatpants. Sometimes I've also brought a pair of wool socks that my grandma knitted, or even a pair of slippers once. If you're dressing business-casual all day on the road, maybe it's your softest cotton t-shirt. Maybe you even have a pair of the softest pink flannel pajama pants with squirrels on them that you like to bring along. (Totally hypothetical.) Whatever. Bring 'em.
Your turn! (Can you tell I'm leaving soon for my trip to Montreal and thus making my list?) Tell me: What do you like to pack in your suitcase?
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