Gotta run...

Happy trails

2012-01-26T08:34:00.004+01:00

Husband and I have been working in Bulle for the past two weeks. It was easy to find a good place to run here because our hotel is next to a woods with plenty of trails. I followed the 3.9K blue train solo, with Husband, then with C.B. Each time was like being on a different trail since the ground went from being frozen, to slippery, to muddy. Yesterday I decided to try out the 6.9K green trail. It wasn't as well marked as the blue train and I somehow got off track. I stated to back track, which meant I wouldn't reach the trail head until close to dark. It was getting misty and I confess I was starting to feel nervous before I "run into" another runner (the only one I saw) who showed me a direct way back. I wonder if he is blogging about saving a runner lost in the woods!

Gotta run...

2012 Cross International de Lausanne

2012-01-19T13:43:00.003+01:00

Last Saturday was the kind of clear and beautiful day where you feel the need to get outdoors. Husband and I got down to Vidy in time to see the elite international runners finish their race. I had just enough time to warm up and say "happy new year" to friends before all us regular runners lined up. The men were running eight 1K laps, the women five. The cross-country course was flat as can be, with four logs to hurdle along the way. Fortunately, it was quite cold, so there was no problem with mud on the course. Each lap went by surprisingly fast. I was careful to count my laps. Unfortunately, against better judgment, others listened to the volunteers who told them to go around one more time. I know of at least one woman and one man who ran an extra kilometer. I was very sad for them. Husband, who had not entered the race to encourage me, waited in the cold with me for a hour before I got my fourth place prize: a big box of winter vegetables. Lots of good vitamins to keep us healthy!

Gotta run...

New year

2012-01-08T20:44:00.004+01:00

Leafing through the Swiss Athletics Guide des courses populaires 2012, I marked 22 races I plan on entering if all goes well. (That's nine more than I ran in 2011, but I was injured for two months.) Ten are Trophée Lausannois events, five make up the Tour du Pays de Vaud series, and the rest are races I've done anywhere from once to twenty times. I start with a cross country 5K down by the lake this coming Saturday!

Gotta run...

2011 Christmas Midnight Run

2011-12-20T21:27:00.001+01:00

After a very busy day, Husband and I jogged to town last Saturday evening for the Midnight Run (held once again at 11 p.m.; go figure). I was running for the fifth year in a row, Husband was there to root for me. Luckily for him the temperature was much warmer than the previous two years. I started at the very front because I knew I had a good chance of being on the podium again. I was pretty sure T. would win again in the over-50 age group, and sure enough she passed me half way through the first 2.5K loop through the old city. I had seen N. before the race, but didn't know how far back she was. Since she beat me in the last two race we competed in, I was watching for her. My pace on the second loop was a bit slower, and I was almost lapped by the overall winner, but he finished just seconds after I started the third loop. It was getting tougher to run up the steep cobblestone streets, but I didn't know if N. was on my heels, so I pushed hard. I lapped a couple a stragglers just before crossing the finish line. I was second in the Senior women category once again! I don't know how many more years I can place in this race; I guess as long as the top senior women stay home in bed!

Gotta run...

2011 One World Run Lausanne

2011-12-13T17:10:00.010+01:00

I had lots to plan and prepare last week for Saturday’s One World Run to benefit Project AIDS Orphan. I borrowed flags to mark the course, contacted my helpers to tell them what their jobs would be, tested my homemade race bibs to see if they would hold up in the rain, and searched all my drawers for sets of four safety pins. Wednesday I ran the out and back course along the lake one last time to make sure everything was in order. Friday I baked cakes for prizes and made four gallons of pumpkin soup. Saturday morning I got up early and made four gallons of hot tea and heated the soup. We loaded up our van and drove down to Vidy to get set up. I needn’t have worried about rain because the weather was beautiful. The 30-odd runners started arriving and soon it was time to start the 5K. I shouted “à vos marques, prêts, partez” and they were off. Twenty minutes later the winner crossed the finish line, then the others started trickling in. Everyone hung around for tea, soup and prizes. It was so exciting to see neighbors, church friends, coworkers, family members, students, and even a few serious runners gather together for this good cause.

For a detailed account of the race and more pictures, check out the winner’s blog.

Gotta run...

Course de l'Escalade 2011

2011-12-06T15:54:00.005+01:00

I hadn’t run Geneva’s Escalade race since I lived there in 1981-82. In the mean time the Escalade has become Switzerland’s biggest running event, with 25000 participants in 27 races beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at 6:30 p.m. I had often considered entering again, but had never got farther than good intentions until this year. In a drawing last month I won two free entries, so I gave one to Neighbor and kept the other for myself.

Saturday morning, J.W. offered me a ride to Geneva. We got to the Bastions in plenty of time to pick up our bibs, find our way to the locker rooms, and get back to the starting line to watch the 50 and over men’s race take off with C. in the lead followed by a sea of 1500 runners. By the time the leaders finished their three laps, it was time to warm up and get a strategic spot near the front of the 550 women 50 and over. It was kinda cool to be running in an all women’s race for once! It was also a change to be among the youngest runners! The canon went off (not a starter’s pistol, a canon!) and we were off for two 2.5 km laps around the old city. Three other women kept about the same pace as I did (one of them was in her 60s!). They would pass me going uphill, and I would pass them going down. But they had saved enough energy to sprint on the home stretch and I had not.

After experiencing the large crowds of cheering spectators, the friendly volunteers, and the festive atmosphere, I think I’ll be back next year.

Gotta run...

A travers Prilly 2011

2011-11-28T15:49:00.009+01:00

Six days after the marathon, I was still sore and stiff, but it was time for my next my 10K. Saturday afternoon I hopped on my bike just half an hour before race time and headed to Prilly, less than a mile from home. The shopping center where I picked up my race number was practically deserted (unlike last year when it was crowded with runners seeking shelter from the snow). I went outside and greeted friends near the starting line. T. said she wasn't in top form and that I just might beat her this time, but I told her that wasn't likely as I had just run a marathon. We were comparing marathon experiences when the gun when off. I made it to the top of the first hill on the 2-kilometer loop without too much trouble. The second, smaller hill wasn't a problem at all. The 2 kilometers were over in no time, only four more laps to go. The leader passed me half way through the second lap. So amazing to watch those first rate runners! The woman's winner passed me just as I was finishing the fourth lap. I pushed up the last hill pretending the top was the finish line, then coasted down to the actual finish line at the bottom of the hill. Ten kilometers seemed so short after last week's 42 kilometers; what will next Saturday's 5K be like!

Gotta run...

Marathon des Alpes-Maritimes, Nice-Cannes

2011-11-23T17:15:00.010+01:00

Husband and I wanted to turn our marathon experience into a mini vacation, so we booked a Friday afternoon flight to Nice. Saturday morning we picked up our race bibs and visited the marathon expo where we made quite a haul.

We found a pasta place for lunch, wondered around town that afternoon, and kicked back all evening.

Since our hotel was only 500 meters from the starting line, we were able to stay in our room until shortly before the 8 a.m. start. With only about 30 Porta Potties set up for 8000 runners, that was quite convenient! Husband set out a bit before I did to drop off our clothes bags. We thought we wouldn’t have any trouble finding each other before the race started, but we had a miscommunication about the rendezvous spot. I stood on a cinder block to search for Husband in the crowd and twisted my ankle stepping down. It hurt, but I knew it wasn’t bad enough to keep me from running. I got next to the 4-hour pace setter hoping to find Husband eventually.

It took me 3 minutes to reach the starting line after the gun went off, then we headed down the Quai des Anglais; shuffling first, then jogging before finally being able to run. Even then we were stepping on each other’s heels for the first 5 kilometers. At that point I caught up with Husband. It was great to be together! At 10 kilometers my ankle started hurting, but the pain disappeared after a few minutes and didn’t give me any more trouble until two days after the race. By the halfway mark, my thighs were getting pretty tight and I couldn’t keep up with Husband any longer. I watched him slowly pull away and eventually go out of sight. I was on my own, so to speak, from then on. Both of us had been worried that our recent shin problems might keep us from finishing; but I knew at that point that I would finish, even if I had to walk a good part of the way.

The second half of the course was hillier than I had anticipated. The more my thighs tightened, the less I enjoyed the beautiful costal setting, and the more I had to slow down. By the 30-kilometer mark I was walking through the aid stations, then stopping to stretch. I knew I wouldn’t be breaking 4 hours. By 35 kilometers my thighs felt like cement blocks and I realized I wouldn’t even finish under 4:05’. By 40 kilometers I just wanted to walk. I also wanted to cry. But I didn’t do either. I made it to the finish line in Cannes where I was handed my finisher’s t-shirt and medal.

Husband and I found each other right away. We were both very happy to have finished, yet slightly disappointed with our times. We hobbled to the station and waited for the train back to Nice. After we got back to our hotel, we went up to the roof to soak in the Jacuzzi. We met and talked with some other runners from Russia and Scotland who were also trying to sooth their aching muscles in the hot tub.

We had one more day left on our mini vacation. We spent all day Monday walking around Nice before our evening flight home.

Gotta run...

Trophée du Talent 2011

2011-11-14T19:13:00.002+01:00

With the Nice-Cannes Marathon just around the corner, I asked C. how I should run last Saturday's 12K (as a sub 3-hour marathoner, he's an authority on the subject). He said not to overdo it, but to give 80%. I think I was secretly happy to have an excuse not to go all out on this challenging course. I stood farther back than usual at the starting line to avoid taking off too fast. D., my closest competitor, passed me on the first uphill stretch, then I closed the gap as we headed downhill through the woods. I held on all the way back uphill along the stream and tried to catch up on the home stretch. But D. heard me coming, put the pedal down, and pulled away. C. was happy to hear that I ran 2 minutes slower than last year and fell 3 spots in the rankings (he likes it when I take his advice), even though I probably gave closer to 90% than 80%.

Gotta run...

Englischer Garten

2011-11-04T18:04:00.005+01:00

I had a long run scheduled while visiting Daughter in Munich. Her apartment is just a couple of miles from the Englischer Garten. Since it's bigger than Central Park in New York, that seemed like my best long run option. I stuffed my jacket pockets with a package of mixed nuts, keys, a tiny city map, a 2 euros coin, a metro ticket, and a slip of paper with Daughter's address and phone number. After 20 minutes of running I was at the south entrance of the park where I stopped for a few minutes to watch the kayakers enjoying the cascades on the river. After 20 more minutes of running I started looking for a water fountain. I asked another runner where to find water. Apparently there are no drinking fountains in the whole park. I finally found a beer concession that had bottled water for sale. Fortunately it was just 2 euros. By that time I had been running for well over an hour. From there I headed into the north half of the park. I was determined to make it to the far end of the park, but ended up running in circles for over an hour before reaching it. No sense of direction, you might say, but in my defense, there are roughly 75 kilometers of paths in the park! When I finally headed south again I was out of water and nuts. I found the only bathrooms in the park that weren't locked and filled my empty water bottle. By the time I exited the park I had been running for almost 3 hours. I would have used my metro ticket to get home, but the closest stop was out of the was, so I walked back to the apartment; only having to stop to ask directions a time or two (things really do look different when you turn around).

I had planned on doing some shopping that afternoon, but took a long hot bath instead. I haven't run since.

La Tête d'or

2011-10-11T18:31:00.003+02:00

Husband and I spent last weekend in Lyon, France. We had been told that le Parc de la Tête d'or was the place to run in Lyon, and that's where our hosts took us Saturday morning. The 262 acre park was beautiful and reminded us of our runs in Madrid's Parque del Retiro a few years ago. The majority of the runners seemed to be moving counter clockwise, so we joined the flow. Based on the information given to us by the first runner we passed, we had time to go twice around the perimeter and once around the lake before meeting our hosts at the Enfants du Rhône gate. We passed scores of runners, but not one passed us. We wondered if they were all recuperating from a recent race, taking it easy in view of an upcoming race, or if they were all out for a long easy run. Maybe there was a 12 km/hour speed limit for runner! At any rate, everyone was enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of the park.

Gotta run...

Course pédestre de Renens 2011

2011-09-28T16:45:00.003+02:00

After a couple of pain free 5-kilometer training runs, I decided to enter last Saturday's 10K in the neighboring town of Renens. The course's four 2.5K laps suited me perfectly. If I felt any pain, I could just stop after the first lap; but I didn't need to! I must have repeated "baby steps" to myself a thousand times to help me concentrate on shortening my stride to avoid more shin splints. That meant I couldn't barrel down the hills as I like to. One woman in my age group had a bit of trouble keeping up with me going up the hill on the first half of each lap, then she would pass me going down hill. I decided to accelerate on the fourth lap to see if she could follow. She couldn't. I was able to leave her too far behind to catch up on the last downhill stretch. Thanks to that tactical move, I finished on the podium in my age group!

Gotta run...

Tables turned

2011-09-17T16:58:00.004+02:00

This is the first year ever that Husband has run more races than I have. The last three Wednesday evenings I was the one looking for good spots to cheer from on the course. The first Wednesday was the hardest because I was feeling discouraged about being injured, the the next times it got easier. This week in Saint-Prex I clapped for all 1000 runners at the 1 kilometer mark, then for most of them again at 5 kilometers. Yesterday I got a phone call from one runner thanking me for the encouragement. It was the least I could do. Or I should say it was the most I could do.

Just what I kneaded

2011-09-13T17:39:00.004+02:00

La Sarraz, Chavornay, Bussigny, Penthaz; all races I've had to sit out over the last few weeks due to the dreaded shin splints. I'm still not healed enough to run tomorrow evening at Saint-Prex, but I have hopes for Renens at the end of the month because of a conversation I had with a runner at Penthaz last. She told me her dad had read that you can speed shin splint recovery by vigorously massaging your shin with a rolling pin several times a day. It worked for him, so I decided it couldn't hurt to try (well, I guess it could...). After three days I started feeling the difference!

Hoping to run soon!

Now what?

2011-09-04T14:45:00.004+02:00

It's been three and a half weeks since I last ran; probably my longest non-running stretch since Daughter (age 21) was born! Other times when I was sidelined I was able to do some sort of cross training, but not this time. This week I attempted rowing, which caused immediate pain, so I gave up on that pretty quick. I manged to ride my stationary bike without pain, but that evening I had to break out the ice pack again. So far, the only exercising I've been able to do safely involves a half liter water bottle held in each hand.

Anybody want to arm wrestle?

Bad timing

2011-08-18T15:53:00.004+02:00

No sooner had I officially announced my marathon training plans when I developed shin splints. Apparently, the best treatment is rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Healing takes anywhere from a few weeks to three months!

Gotta rest...

No turning back

2011-08-11T18:20:00.001+02:00

The Nice-Cannes Marathon is just 1oo days away. Husband and I have paid our sign-up fees submitted our clean bill of health (mandatory for French races), reserved our hotel, room, and bought our plane tickets. Let the serious training begin!

Gotta run...

Going places

2011-08-06T19:02:00.004+02:00

I have never run in so many new locations in such a short period of time. I had never even visited Oregon before. Husband and I ran along the river near Portland and in the hills above Klamoth Falls. Once we crossed into California, we ran up and down the piers in Crescent City and beside the canal in Antioch. After being on the road for a week, we are in Fresno on familiar turf. So it's back to the Sugar Pine trail for now.

Gotta run...

Such a deal

2011-08-01T11:39:00.002+02:00

Besides needing a new pair of shoes, there were several reasons for me to go to the Nike store in the outlet mall just south of Portland. The weak dollar makes even regularly priced items a steal compared to Swiss prices and there is no sales tax in Oregon. I didn't bother trying on any models besides the shoe I always buy. I picked up a pair of size 8 Air Pegasus and headed to the checkout to wait my turn in the long line. The person in line behind me offered me their extra 30% employee discount coupon, so I paid less than $50 for my new shoes! How nice to be in Nikeland!

Gotta run...

Venturing out

2011-07-26T22:52:00.005+02:00

I was beginning to think I wouldn't be able to get a long run in during our 15-day camp, then on the last day, I had a few free hours in the afternoon. I took off in the same direction as usual, but went quite a bit farther than ever before. I saw some interesting signs like "Limite de partage des eaux Méditérannée-Athlentique" and was surprise to see the sign "Col de Bourlatier 1411 m."; it hadn't seemed like I had done much climbing. I was surrounded by fields and forests covering steep hills as far as the eye could see with few indications of civilization. I doubt many other runners have ever pounded that pavement.

Gotta run...

Summer Camp

2011-07-21T10:17:00.002+02:00

After two 13-hour days in a row in the kitchen (cooking for 188 this year) without ever stepping outdoors, I needed some fresh air. I left my two sous-chefs in charge of straightening up so that I could take advantage of the last hour of daylight to go for a run. The cool evening air was so refreshing. I didn't come across anyone except two elderly ladies out for a stroll. Besides them, there was a tractor I raced down the hill. It overtook me on the uphill climb and the driver gave me a thumbs up as he went by. The run was just what I needed. Now to get through the second week of camp!

Gotta run...

Course Destiny 2011

2011-07-06T15:06:00.004+02:00

Last Saturday morning I biked down to Ecublens for a 10K (ok, it was really 9.78K). I ran this particular race for the first time last year when it was added to the Trophée Lausannois series. It would be difficult to compare the two races. It looked to me like the field was smaller, when in fact there were over 50 more runners this time. This year the course was modified (I didn't make any wrong turns as some did) and slightly lengthened (from 9.72K). But it wasn't nearly as hot as last year, so I ran more than 2 minutes faster. The one thing that didn't change was my ranking. I was happy about that!

Gotta run...

Athletissima 2011

2011-07-03T06:08:00.003+02:00

This year Husband and I were privileged to have excellent seats at Lausanne's Diamond League track meet. It was exciting to see star athletes zoom by on their way to the finish line. It's on to Paris next for them. Some humbler Swiss athletes had a chance to shine also. The women's 4x400 relay team beat and old (1979) national record and earned their ticket to the European Championships. You can watch a few meet highlights here.

Gotta run...

Do the math

2011-06-28T15:25:00.003+02:00

Alas, it's becoming more difficult for me to meet up with my regular running buddies. Besides C.B. getting ready to leave for the States for six months, M.B. has moved 10 miles out of town. It was so easy to schedule runs with M.B. when she lived a mile from my house right on my regular route! Last Saturday, I looked up directions to her new place and biked out there. I figured it would take me approximately three quarters of an hour, and in fact I got there in exactly 45 minutes. M.B. showed me around, then we looked at my map to find a suitable course. We saw that her village and the closest two others formed a neat triangle, so we decided to connect the dots. When I stopped my watch at the end of our run it read 45 minutes. After visiting some more and eating a delicious cookie, I cycled back to Lausanne. Another 45 minutes had gone by. I hadn't kept track of the time we spent touring the new house and chatting, but I got home precisely 3 hours after leaving that morning!

Gotta run...

Earn it!

2011-06-24T14:50:00.005+02:00

The other day, wanting to show M.E. (Son 2's girlfriend) some fun places to run, Son 2 and I were hesitating between heading to the Pontaise track and the Sauvabelin tower. I checked out the clarity of the mountains on the EPFL panoramic webcam and saw that it was a great day for the tower run. We warned M.E. that there was a 140-meter climb to get there, then another 30 meters to the top of the tower. When we got all the way up, she agreed that it had been well worth the effort. We lingered long enough to point out different mountains and monuments, and watched planes land at the Blécherette airport. Not only did we earn the fantastic view, but we also earned the 3,5 kilometers of downhill run home.

Gotta run...

A travers Romanel 2011

2011-06-18T11:24:00.008+02:00

Two things might have prevented me from running yesterday's 10K; the driving rain and the previous night's excruciating abdominal pain. But the pain was gone in the morning and the rain let up an hour before the 8 p.m. race time; so Husband, Son 2, his girlfriend and I headed for Romanel. Though Romanel often has bad luck with the weather, there seemed to be fewer runners than usual. But there were plenty of spectators. I saw many familiar faces at their usual spots along the 3-lap course. Several injured runner were there to encourage us too. Even though I was a minute slower than last year, I was satisfied with my time considering the circumstances. If anyone from the emergency room had seen me running, they probably would have thought I must have been faking the pain the night before!

Gotta run...

Where the sidewalk ends

2011-06-14T14:57:00.004+02:00

The sidewalks in our neighborhood have been torn up for weeks. But when I'm tempted to complain about how treacherous that is for runners, I try to remember that in most other places I've run you're lucky to find roads with a decent shoulder. Or there are those old neighborhoods with cement sidewalks that most runners shun to spare their knees. So if I have to watch my step for a while, that's all right. I guess I could always run in our brand new bike lanes. Those were added when they resurfaced our streets that were torn up for over a year. Run safe!

Gotta run...

No two the same

2011-06-09T08:18:00.003+02:00

We were in Ardèche, France, last week for our annual church retreat. I got out twice for my regular 8 kilometer run. The first run was on the busy holiday afternoon. It was quite foggy and I had to deal with scores of motorcycles hugging the shoulder on every curve. It was slightly stressful. My second run was early Saturday morning. The sky had cleared and I think I saw a grand total of three cars. It was very peaceful. I was relieved to get back to the retreat center the first day, and sorry I didn't have time to keep on running the second. Little things can sometimes make a big difference.

Gotta run...

Jouxtens-Mézery 2011

2011-05-29T21:24:00.004+02:00

This weekend, Son 2 and I had a choice of entering the popular 10K in Pully Friday evening, or the little-known 8.6K in Jouxtens-Mézery Saturday morning. With so much going on Friday, we opted for Saturday morning. Husband decided to enter also since he was planning on going for a training run anyway. We got there in time to watch the little kids' 1 and 2K races, and to talk to some friends (one of whom posted pictures of the course here). Around 50 of us lined up for the 4.3 and 8.6K. When we took off I didn't know who my competition was, because I had no way of telling who was doing one lap and who was doing two. I kept my eye on the four women ahead of me and eventually picked off three of them. The last woman I overtook valiantly sprinted to the finish line to catch up with me. I think she was surprised to see that I wasn't stopping. The woman in the lead was nowhere in sight, so I wasn't sure if she was done or was still ahead of me. By the beginning of the second lap, the 8.6K runners were so spread out that we were all pretty much running alone. While rounding a corner I looked back and saw one woman a little too close for comfort, so I pushed a bit harder to put a safer distance between us all the way to the finish line. Husband and Son 2 and I decided to contribute to the town's economy by ordering plates of pasta and plenty of drinks while we waited for the official results. It was fun to stand on the highest step of the podium to receive my prize. Tomorrow Husband, Son 2 and I will go to the sports store to spend my gift certificate.

Gotta run...

Tour de Sauvabelin 2011

2011-05-20T08:32:00.010+02:00

Son 2 told me he would like to participate in a few races while he is home for the summer. The first one I lined up for us to run together was last night's 4th annual Tour de Sauvabelin 5K. This was my first time trial ever. The 130 runners took off one by one every 20 seconds. I didn't have long to wait because the women over 50 started first and I was fourth in line. The course wound up and down through the woods and by the first kilometer mark I was in the lead. I must admit it was fun to be out front! I made it to the tower first and climbed the 151 steps to the finish line at the top. What a view! After lingering for several minutes, I went back down and joined uncle J. and Husband. Son 2 (in the second to last category to start) was well into the race by then. We cheered him on in the final kilometers, then made our way back to the starting line to wait for the results. I was second in my age group (the winner beat me by 4 seconds, but never actually passed me since she started several minutes after me). My prizes included a polo shirt, a technical Tee, a collapsible water bottle, a satchel bag, and assorted gift certificates. I think I'll be back next year!

10+20=30

2011-05-06T13:46:00.002+02:00

I happened to notice the same fellow 10K runner at two of the spots on the 20K course where I was waiting to see Husband run by. She told me that she was also cheering on her husband who was celebrating the 30th anniversary of the race in his own special way. After running the 10K, he joined the pack of runners for the 20K! Incidentally, he came in first in his age group for the 10K, and fifth for the 20K.

Gotta run...

Perfect timing

2011-05-03T16:12:00.021+02:00

The day before the 20Km de Lausanne, I got out my course map and marked several spots where I wanted to see certain runners go by. With friends starting in different waves, I needed my calculator to determine the exact times to expect each runner at each location (if runner A starts at 18:10 and averages 3'45'' per kilometer, and runner B starts at 18:18 and averages 4'45'' per kilometer; where will they meet on the 20 kilometer course?). Shortly after finishing my 10K race, I waited near the starting line until several friends in the 6th wave of the 20K ran by.

After that I headed up to the Rond-Point du Mont d'Or where the course makes a small loop and spotted C. once, and Husband twice.

Next I raced over to Avenue de Tivoli and caught Husband on his way up the hill, then a few minutes later C. on his way back down. They were both right on pace.

I followed the course back down to the lake and saw Husband again at la Vallée de la Jeunesse, then at the finish line in the stadium.

We hooked up with several there and waited for the 6th wave runners to finish.

We had a little impromptu celebration right there on the field since C.B. surprised me with cupcakes for my birthday! We hung around a while longer before calling it a day and biking home in the dark.

Gotta run...

Clowning around

2011-05-01T06:58:00.012+02:00

This year's 30th anniversary of the 20km de Lausanne had a circus theme. I bought orange hairspray and a rubber clown nose; sewed pompoms on my brightest colored running shirt and buttons and clown patches on my baggiest shorts (with deep pockets that I filled with confetti); and chose miss-matched shoes, laces and socks. I had intended to wear the nose for the first and last few minutes of the 10K race, but I was having so much fun throwing confetti at the little kids along the route that I left it on, except for a couple of "breathers." Not only did I entertain the children, but the kilometers seemed to go by more quickly for me too.

Gotta run...

Been there, done that

2011-04-27T10:14:00.002+02:00

While Husband's parents were visiting, we spent hours driving around the countryside showing them various points of interest. Time after time, we found ourselves mentioning village races we have run at least once or even yearly. I'm not sure the in-laws were that captivated by our stories of scenic courses, crazy weather conditions, or nearly missed starts due to traffic jams; but Husband and I enjoyed the reminiscing.

Gotta run...

Les Traîne-Savates 2011

2011-04-11T16:53:00.002+02:00

Husband's parents, who are visiting from California, went to Cheseaux with us Saturday to experience the local race atmosphere first hand. With what may have been record heat for a 9th of April, I saw that C.B. had doused her cap with water before the race, so I poured some water on my head too. When I was already thirsty standing at the starting line of Saturday afternoon's 10.4K race, I knew I was in trouble. I started well like last year, but after a few kilometers of running in the 3 o'clock sun, all I could think about was water. Getting to the shade in the woods helped some, but what I really needed was a drink. We didn't hit the aid station until kilometer 6! I revived a bit after that, but had to slow down. My closest competitor passed me at that point looking very strong. Husband, who started the race far back in the pack, caught up with me around kilometer 8. He encouraged me to pick up the pace again and we finished together. Our prize was a running cap. Too bad they weren't handed out before the race instead of after!

Gotta run...

Parting

2011-04-05T14:11:00.002+02:00

Last night we said goodbye to this semester's Pepperdine Lausanne students. Some semesters I don't run with any students for one reason or another; we have conflicting schedules, they are too fast for me, or they would rather not run with someone their mom's age. But this semester I enjoyed weekly runs along the lake with one or two students. I'll miss you M.K and K.B. I home to see you next time in Malibu and we can run along the ocean together!

Gotta run...

Bambi 2011

2011-03-29T09:56:00.004+02:00

I asked all my regular running buddies to join me for last Saturday's 7.5K. Everyone was busy except M.K. who took me up on it. She is a competitive swimmer, but this was her first competitive run. We drove up to Chalet-à-Gobet, paid our sign-up fee, got our race numbers, talked with some friends, then moseyed over to the starting line. It was nice to mingle there with several runners I hadn't seen since last November's 12K held at this same location (both races are part of the Trophée Lausannois series; my friends had missed the last race of 2010, and I missed this year's first two races). With the staggered starts, I jumped all five times the pistol went off for the older runner, then finally the shot was fired for my age group and we were off. I felt great on the first half of the course which was slightly downhill and thought I would pay for the fast pace on the second half, but I held my own even on the uphill. Maybe all the cake I've been eating lately made the difference. M.K. finished strong and said this won't be her last race!

Gotta run...

France

2011-03-23T22:47:00.002+01:00

Twenty-three hours after returning home from the U.S., we loaded up our van for a trip to France where I spent the weekend cooking for 30 young adults. Being on my feet all day was probably the best remedy for jet lag. So instead of resting Saturday afternoon while my pizza dough was rising, I went for a run. No locals were around to point me in the right direction, but I stumbled on a decent route. After taking the overpass to the other side of the freeway, I found a quiet country lane that led up to a neighboring village. I retraced my steps and was back in plenty of time to get the pizzas ready for dinner. Now I have a nice 8 kilometer run mapped out for the next time I'm asked to cook at a retreat in Saint Albain.

Gotta run...

Michigan

2011-03-19T19:08:00.002+01:00

Michigan was the last stop on my 2-week trip. After summery weather in Florida, springlike weather in Arkansas, autumnal weather in Kentucky, it was back to winter! Sister even said ice-fishermen were still out on the small area lakes. I bundled up and headed down the dirt road that runs in front of Sister's house. All the mud, ice and potholes reminded me of last winter's trip to Ukraine; the main difference being that this time I was out in the boonies, not in town. Traffic was minimal, so I never got sprayed with mud. The scary dogs were fenced in, so I wasn't chased down the road. I turned around after a couple of miles where the road dead-ended and headed back. I was glad to have been able to fit in a short run the day before a 3-flight, 16-hour trip home.

Gotta run...

Kentucky

2011-03-15T17:49:00.002+01:00

My third stop was Paducah, Kentucky, where Son 2, his girlfriend and I pulled off our surprise visit to Brother. Between rain on Saturday morning and all the weekend festivities, there was only one opportunity for a short run before church Sunday. I couldn't get anyone else motivated to join me, but I enjoyed the solo run down Jefferson in the crisp morning air while counting my blessings.

Gotta run...

Arkansas

2011-03-08T16:34:00.003+01:00

On the second stop of my U.S. trip, I visited Son 2 at college. I stayed a few miles from campus at uncle J.'s. While there, I put in a couple of long runs by running to the school, meeting up with Son 2 and his girlfriend for a lap around the campus together, then heading back to the house. I'm looking forward to regular runs with those two when they come spend the summer with us!

Gotta run...

Florida

2011-03-05T05:40:00.000+01:00

I'm currently in the States to surprise Brother for his 50th birthday. I've been keeping a low profile to avoid arousing suspicion.

My first stop was Jacksonville, Florida, where I visited my college roommate. This was my first winter visit, at least it was winter when I left home. One day I was running dressed in several layers and wearing gloves; two days later I was in shorts and a t-shirt at 8 a.m. and suffering from the heat and humidity! The first morning, K. pointed me in the right direction and said keep turning left and you will have done a 3-mile loop. Even I couldn't get lost. I put in 18 miles in that nice neighborhood running past palm trees and blossoming crape myrtles. I could get used to this!

Gotta run...

To stretch or not to stretch

2011-02-26T13:34:00.005+01:00

An alert reader sent me a link to an article about pre-run stretching. In a recent study runners were divided into 2 groups; no matter what their normal routine was, one group was to stretch before runs and the other was not to. The study showed that runners who stretched were just as likely to get injured than those who didn't! And here's the most interesting finding:

Non-stretchers who started stretching had a 22% increased chance of injury compared to non-stretchers who stuck with their routine, while stretchers who stopped stretching had a 40% higher chance of injury.
If you switch your normal behavior, you increase your chances of injury, but we're not sure why this is.

Whatever the reason, it's nice to know that we non-stretchers are finally off the hook.

Gotta run...

Looks like rain

2011-02-22T10:02:00.002+01:00

These days more often than not I run accompanied. It's great to have several weekly scheduled runs with friends, but that means less flexibility. I don't like rain. If it's just me, and I see black clouds, I'll usually wait out the rain or just skip my run altogether. I've been known to put on my running shoes, open the door, see that it's sprinkling, and come back inside. But if someone is expecting me to show up, I can't let that person down. At least I'm not a fair weather friend! I guess it's time to invest in some rain gear.

Gotta run...

Valentine's day

2011-02-14T16:38:00.004+01:00

Running with Husband this Valentine's day morning got me thinking about how many couples hit the trail together. We have often commented on the number of couples who turn up at races. It's not just that one is running and the other cheering, often both are entered in the race. We sometimes speculate on how they met. Did he or she get into running so that they could spend quality time together? Did they meet on a track somewhere? Did they both take up running after years of married life? Were their first dates athletic like ours were? Occasionally we'll even make up a story about some couple or another just for fun.

Gotta run...

A New Year

2011-01-04T17:14:00.001+01:00

Someone recently asked me if I had any running goals for 2011. That got me thinking about last year's accomplishments. My only clear objective had been to run a marathon in 2010, but so much more happened. I made several good running friends and got to know many more runners on a casual level. I even learned what it was like to be a race director (albeit on a small scale). After such a satisfying and surprising year, I'm anxious to see what 2011 has in store for me.

Gotta run...

Last run of the year

2010-12-30T13:59:00.001+01:00

Husband and I tend to consider simple things as dates. We might be eating a meal at home without the kids, or sitting on the couch watching a DVD, and one of us will turn to the other and say, "does this count as a date?" It can even be something as simple as going for a run together.

As their schedules are more flexible over the holidays, our husbands joined C.B. and me on our regularly scheduled Thursday morning run today. We ran for an hour, chatting as we went along. Does that count as a double date?

Gotta run...

After the fall

2010-12-22T23:41:00.002+01:00

With the holiday hustle and bustle, the only window of opportunity for a short run in the last few days was Tuesday morning at 7. I rarely run in the dark, but on the shortest day of the year, the sun if far from being up at that hour. On a positive note, that allowed me to enjoy the lovely view of the illuminated streets of Lausanne and Evian across the lake, with the Alps outlined in night sky as a backdrop. On a negative note, the sidewalks were icy at 7. I took a spill, but considered myself lucky not to have torn my clothes or scraped my skin. Besides some stiffness I'm none the worse. I'm thankful to have strong bones and to know how to fall.

Gotta run...

Christmas Midnight Run 2010

2010-12-19T20:51:00.008+01:00

Saturday night's Christmas Midnight Run was held at 11 p.m. Now that's just wrong, even though it's hard to stay up till midnight (much less run 7.5K at that hour) if you're not a night owl. Husband kindly offered to go pick up my race bib after dinner so that I could take a nap. Other than the "early" hour, it turned out a lot like last year. Festive, fun, and freezing. The same three of us senior women stood on the podium for the second year in a row, just in a different order (I was a bit slower this time, and last year's number 2 was a bit faster). I was especially happy to be on the podium with C.B. again, this time no longer as strangers but as friends!

Gotta run...

Good company

2010-12-14T09:23:00.005+01:00

With C.B. traveling, M.B. up to her ears in school projects, and Husband swamped with work, I've been mostly doing solo runs lately. In my many years of solitary running, I never really minded going it alone, nor had much trouble being motivated to get out there by myself. But it didn't take long to get used to having regular running buddies, and to miss them when our schedules conflict. Soon things will be back to normal (the new normal); in the mean time, I have my trusty iPod shuffle and an extensive Christmas playlist.

Gotta run...

V.I.P. treatment

2010-12-08T13:45:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago I received a letter from the Christmas Midnight Run organizers telling me that because of my excellent ranking last year I was invited to participate for free this year. There's an offer I can't refuse. What a nice early Christmas present!

Gotta run...

Neither rain nor snow...

2010-12-04T13:49:00.002+01:00

Lately, with the cold, snow and ice, when I say I'm going for a run, I get questions like: "Aren't you afraid of falling?" or "Outside?!?" Conditions were bad enough for the organizers of l'Escalade, Switzerland's biggest race of the year, to meet with Geneva city officials yesterday evening to determine whether or not to cancel today's event. They decided to go for it. I wish I could be out there with the other 25 thousand runners. I shouldn't say it, but I can't resist: "Break a leg you guys!"

Gotta run...

A travers Prilly 2010

2010-11-28T16:01:00.003+01:00

Saturday morning we woke up to a fresh powdering of snow. I love to watch the snow falling outside, and fortunately I also love to run in the snow. By mid-afternoon there was a half-foot of snow on the ground. I jogged down to Prilly for the last race of the Trophée Lausannois. The snow kept lots of runners from showing up; either because they didn't care to run in that weather, or because road conditions prevented them from getting there. So less than 150 of us lined up for the 10K (down from 220 last year). But the snowplows had done their job and the streets weren't as slippery as they might have been. With five 2-kilometer loops to run, I was quickly lapped by the fastest runner, but the last time around I was able to pick up the pace and lap a few stragglers myself. I was very pleased to learn I had placed second in my category (thanks to some of the no-shows), and even more pleased to receive my prize!

Gotta run...
See some pictures of the race here.

Part of something bigger

2010-11-22T18:16:00.002+01:00

This year's One World Run took place in 16 cities, in 10 countries, on 6 continents! Over 600 runners participated; with 250 in Paducah, Kentucky, alone. But that's not what I mean when I say the 24 runners and 5 helpers here in Lausanne were part of something bigger. I was referring to the fact that while enjoying a run together we were helping those in need. Every cent raised through this event will go directly to AIDS orphans in Kenya. Brother gives me the credit for making this a global 5K, but he's the one working behind the scenes to help these kids.

Gotta run...

2010 One World Run Lausanne

2010-11-20T16:43:00.017+01:00

If a picture is worth a thousand words, here are 12000 worth:
(actual written words to follow in a few days)

Lausanne and beyond

2010-11-16T19:40:00.004+01:00

M. and M. told me they were sorry they couldn't participate in the One World Run Lausanne this Saturday because they had a trip to England scheduled this weekend. "No problem," I told them, "you can run it there!" So M. came over this afternoon to pick up a few of last year's t-shirts to wear in London. Another friend with a heart for orphans is headed to Zimbabwe this week and will also be packing a Project Aids Orphan t-shirt. Brother was hoping someone could participate in the One World Run in South America, so I put him in touch with some students in Montevideo, and others in Buenos Aires who plan to run for the orphans on Saturday. I'm excited about this!

Gotta run...

What about Bob?

2010-11-15T14:04:00.004+01:00

I've often thought it would be a good idea to post more pictures here, but I'm technologically challenged (and a bit lazy as well). Now, thanks to Bob le coureur, I don't need to! I met Bob and his wife earlier this year, but didn't learn until Saturday that he also has a running blog. Bob has run 29 races this year, including all the ones that I have entered except the Geneva Marathon. He has posted tons of specifics about the races as well as course pictures. Check it out!

Gotta run...

Trophée du Talent 2010

2010-11-13T15:22:00.007+01:00

This morning Husband, M.B. and I drove up to Chalet-à-Gobet for a 12K race. After some very rainy days this week, including yesterday, the weather was warm and sunny. We got off to a fast start on the downhill first half of the course. We seemed to hit the 2 kilometer marker in no time, then the 4, then the 6. That's when the course started back up the hill. I remembered from two years ago that the second half of the course was difficult. I ran and ran, but no 8 kilometer marker. When i finally saw it, I looked at my watch; more than 20 minutes since the last marker! That couldn't be right! I hit the 10 kilometer marker just 9 minutes later, and the 12 only a few minutes after that. What a relief! We hung around for the awards ceremony and, even though the race was free, there were prizes for many of us. I was very pleased with my package of socks. You can always use more socks. I also had a cool race number, 800. I like round numbers.

Gotta run...

Tweaking

2010-11-06T20:36:00.007+01:00

A few weeks ago I plotted a course on Google Maps for our upcoming 5K run. Husband and I took advantage of this gorgeous fall day to bike down to the lake so that we could measure the course more accurately. Thanks to his trusty bicycle odometer, we determined just where to place the starting line. We also realized that it would be better to make a longer loop at the far end of the course instead of circling the track twice. I'm glad this is taken care of, and it shouldn't be too hard to update my Google map. Now if we could just have weather like today on November 20th!

Gotta run...

Cooking up a storm

2010-11-02T11:44:00.005+01:00

This is the second year in a row that I've been out of town with a group of teens and missed the Lausanne Marathon (I like to run the half). I hear the weather was ideal. It's also the second time in a row that I've cooked at the teen retreat and it's rained cats and dogs the entire time! We all got tired of being cooped up. Husband told the kids who wanted to go out in the pouring rain that that didn't make a whole lot of sense. I went for a run anyway and was soaked in a matter of seconds. No regrets though. I love to cook as much as I love to run, and I love to spoil those teens with their favorite foods!

Gotta run...

Questions

2010-10-28T09:31:00.005+02:00

I have never organized a run before, so all kinds of questions have been going through my head.
What time should it start? Not too early, it's cold in November. Not too late, we don't want to monopolize everyone's Saturday. Ok, 11 a.m.
Where should the course run? We don't want the hassle of crossing streets or people getting lost. Ok, down by the lake, out and back.
Do we need an authorization? The guy at the Service des Sports said we didn't as long as we aren't selling anything. Ok, great.
How do we get the word out? On this blog. Ok, there's 10 people informed. On facebook. Ok, another 70 or so know about it. By emails sent to the students of several colleges. Ok, maybe a few won't delete without reading the message. By word of mouth. Ok, who knows what kind of a turnout we will have!
This leads to some unanswered questions.
How many volunteers do we need?
How much soup and tea do we need to serve after the race?
Have I got in over my head?
What am I forgetting?

One World Run Lausanne

2010-10-21T21:57:00.006+02:00

International 5K to benefit aids orphans in Kenya.

Saturday November 20^th at 11 a.m.

When you fill out the entry form, be sure and fill in the team name as “Lausanne” so that your t-shirt arrives in the group shipment for the Lausanne run!

IMPORTANT: sign up by Nov. 5^th to receive your t-shirt the day of the race! Those who sign up after Nov. 5^th will not receive their t-shirt until the second group shipment in January!

Cost: $18 (but you can always give more!)

Starting line and finish line at the "Pyramides" 100 meters south-east of the Stade de Coubertin

Course: from Vidy to Dorigny along the lake, 1 lap around the wood-chip loop just past the Dorigny track, then back to Vidy.

Hot soup and drinks at the finish line!

(No official timing)

Come one, come all!

He who hesitates is lost

2010-10-19T21:14:00.004+02:00

Yesterday I happened to see that registration for the 2011 Boston Marathon had opened just minutes earlier. I clicked on the link for fun, and sure enough, there was the entry form. I read over it and thought of how cool it would be to fill it out, especially the qualifying section. Today I learned that a new Boston record was set, the 26 000-plus spots had filled in one day! I went to the website again, and there in big bold letters I read: REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED. Sorry to all those who were waiting till the last minute to sign-up.

Gotta run...

Where to next?

2010-10-15T20:26:00.004+02:00

C.B. and I have run together several time since we met in July, but this week we ran on her turf for the first time. I've always felt privileged to live where I can be out of town in a mater of minutes, but C.B. has it even better. After just a few steps we had crossed the stream on a narrow footbridge and were running by fields and villas down to the lake. We ran along the water for a few miles before turning up through the vineyards and back to the village. After those 10 kilometers, we shared the delicious lunch C.B. had prepared. I'm looking forward to a run along La Venoge next time.

Gotta run...

The early bird

2010-10-09T20:34:00.004+02:00

I asked M.B. if she wanted to go for a Saturday morning run with me around 10. Unfortunately she already had plans to run 15K with some friends at 7:30, but said I was welcome to join them. Having just returned from the States, I'm still experiencing jet lag, so this was going to be a challenge. I did manage to be ready when M.B. picked me up at 7:15 and we drove up to Chalet-à-Gobet to meet the others. At first we were pretty much alone on the trail, carefully watching for turnoffs to avoid getting lost in the fog. Eventually we started seeing a few other runners and walkers. Time flies when you are having fun and before we knew it we were back at the car. Even though it was almost 10 by the time M.B. dropped me off at home, it was a full hour earlier than I had even got out of bed the day before! After a great long run I still had the whole day ahead of me!

Gotta run...

Simi Valley

2010-10-03T15:08:00.002+02:00

Of all our numerous stops on this trip, Simi is the only place I had never visited before. We were told that the canal bike route was a great place to run. My first indication that it would not be a typical city run was the stable smell. Just one block over from a busy street, we saw cattle grazing on the hillside and evidence that horses had recently been on the path. I give this run a 9 out of 10 rating.

Gotta run...

Beasore Meadow

2010-09-24T15:36:00.000+02:00

Husband and I just spent three days with his parents at their cabin high in the Sierras where Stop signs give way to No Trespassing signs (violators will be prosecuted). We ran up and down the hills where Native Americans camped long ago (Father-in-law has jars full of tooled obsidian at the cabin). Besides the occasional pickup, it was just us and the critters. Very peaceful, and a nice change after running in six different towns so far on this trip.

Gotta run...

Just what I needed

2010-09-20T18:30:00.005+02:00

Husband went to the store and came home with two prizes for me; a box of frosted brown sugar and cinnamon PopTarts and the October issue of Runner's World. Now wasn't that sweet of him!

A few days later Husband slept in instead of accompanying me on my morning run. As I was running I started craving donuts. When I got home I was told to wait on breakfast because Husband had gone to the donut store :)

Gotta run...

Two in the hand

2010-09-17T06:04:00.004+02:00

When we come to the States every few years, we always have a long list of items to purchase that are unavailable or much more expensive in Switzerland. The list includes running shoes. Not only did Sports Authority carry Nike Air Pegasus 27s, but they were $10 off and available in two different colors. I bought one of each. I'm wearing the purple shoes and saving the blue one for later. So I'm good to go till our next trip.

Gotta run...

A run down memory lane

2010-09-10T16:32:00.004+02:00

Husband and I are in Abilene, Texas, where we met in college. We are spending our time meeting friends for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Needless to say we have some extra calories to burn; so this morning, despite the heat and humidity, we ran the parameter of campus for old times sake. Much has changed in 30 years, and much is the same. I came for my 25th reunion, but Husband had not been back for over 20 years. The students keep getting younger and younger. We are older than many of their parents! We may be a bit slower than before, but we're still running.

Gotta run...

Follow the leader

2010-09-06T15:34:00.002+02:00

S. and T. were our gracious hosts for our overnight stay in Nashville. The royal treatment included a guided run through their present and previous neighborhoods not far from Vanderbuilt where T. is a department chair. He talked non-stop, pointing out interesting houses, streets and parks. If T. ever gives up teaching, or decides to moonlight, he would make an excellent running tour guide.

Gotta run...

Mark your calendars

2010-09-03T02:09:00.000+02:00

Husband and I are in Paducah, Kentucky, visiting Brother and family. We've been talking about this year's One World Run. The third annual 5K will be held on the 20th of November at Nobel park and beyond. It's an international 5K in that you can sign up and run it wherever you are around the world. Last year it was a family affair for us, but we hope to organize a Lausanne extension event this fall with as many fellow runners as we can round up. Proceeds go to support aids orphans in Kenya, so come join us. The good news is...it's easy to help.

Gotta run...

Serendipity

2010-08-30T22:13:00.000+02:00

Last week C.B. and I met for a run followed by lunch (some women shop and do lunch, others run and do lunch). It was our first chance to talk for more than a few minutes. Here's C.B.'s account of our chance meeting a month ago:

Yesterday I ran into a runner. No, it’s not what you think. I wasn’t out on a jog, I was at a shopping center. It was someone I’ve been wanting to meet because we enter many of the same races in our region, are the same age and run very similar times. I knew her name and face because we were on the podium together at last year’s Midnight Christmas Run in Lausanne, she in first place and I in third (among the “senior dames”). So when I walked by her in the mall, I got very excited and introduced myself. It turns out we have even more in common than I thought!

She’s American and has lived in Switzerland for 40 years (for me it’s been 30). Running is a family sport, like it is with us. Her three kids are my three kids’ ages. Her husband is from Fresno! [C.B. is from Bakersfield] I’m sure we’ll find more parallels as we get to know each other. We’re already Facebook friends :-)

And we did find more things we have in common! I'm looking forward to our next run together, even if it will have to wait until after our five-week trip to the States.

Gotta run...

Say “cheese”

2010-08-26T14:11:00.000+02:00

Husband and I have been in Gruyères all week. Last night I had to choose between running the third leg of the Tour du Pays de Vaud and having dinner with our coworkers. Having chosen the latter, I went for a long run up the sentier des fromageries, past the alpine chalet where we had had fondue the night before, and on up to a spot with a fantastic view of the whole valley 700 feet below. By dinner time I was quite hungry. The meal and the company on the terrace of the Fleur de Lys were excellent. I knew I had made the right choice.

Gotta run…

Genolier

2010-08-20T14:10:00.001+02:00

Neighbor had warned me that this week’s leg of the Tour du Pays de Vaud wouldn’t be a picnic. The first few kilometers of the 8.5K course were downhill and at the gunshot we took off like rabbits with hounds on our heels. I knew I would have to pay for the fast pace in the final uphill kilometers. Sure enough, runners I had passed last Wednesday shot by me this time. Even though I had a tough race, it was fun to see so many friends. Besides those who were at Saint Prex, I saw and old friend I’ve known for over 35 years and a new friend I met just three weeks ago!

Gotta run…

Smart Coach

2010-08-18T07:13:00.002+02:00

Husband and I are toying with the idea of attempting the Beaujolais Marathon again this November. So just for fun, I went to the Runner’s World website and clicked on Smart Coach. I entered all the pertinent information; weekly mileage, recent race time, training intensity. A 13-week training plan popped up instantly. Smart Coach is confident I can run a marathon in 3 hours 47 minutes and 57 seconds! That’s over 7 minutes faster than I ran the Geneva Marathon! And with “moderate” (3 weekly runs totaling up to 50 kilometers a week) training! So I don’t think I’ll take Runner’s World up on it’s $29.99 offer for a 16-week “Break 4:00 Marathon Plan,” which features 5 weekly runs totaling as much as 80 kilometers per week! That makes me a Smart Runner.

Gotta run…

Go jump in the lake

2010-08-13T17:32:00.002+02:00

The first leg of this year’s Tour du Pays de Vaud was held Wednesday evening in Saint Prex. Husband, Son 2 and I got there in plenty of time to warm up and talk with friends. We were glad C. and B. had decided to make the hour-long drive from their house. Almost 800 runners lined up for the 9.1K race. I was glad I knew the course from last year and gunned it the first few kilometers to avoid the bottleneck in the woods. After the race, B. talked us into taking a dip in the lake. I think more races should finish just a few hundred meters from the lake.

Gotta run…

p.s. Have a good year at college, Son 2, we’ll miss you!

Final resting place

2010-08-11T14:48:00.001+02:00

Speaking of stationary bikes, Husband maintains that a relatively small number of these bikes have actually come off the assembly line. According to his theory, the same few machines make the rounds, going from home to home as one owner after another gives up on this form of aerobic workout. (By the way, there’s no need to actually buy a stationary bike since people will all but pay you to take their practically new one off their hands.) The manufacturers are aware of this phenomenon and don’t even bother to make their stationary bikes durable. That’s why I completely wore out the first two bikes I was giving. The one I have now originally belonged to a semi-pro cyclist. You can tell it’s a pro bike from the seat. It’s not one of those sissy seats, like on those old three speeds, it’s a sleek racing seat, the torture kind. It will probably be years before this machine gets put to rest.

Gotta run…

Row, row, row your boat

2010-08-06T10:19:00.001+02:00

The same friends who had given us two stationary bikes in the past recently offered us a rowing machine. Daughter was the most excited about it, but Sons 1 and 2 have used the rower too. I was waiting for the bad fall weather to try it out. Little did I know summer would end the first week in August! So earlier this week I put on an episode of Monk (the one where he is practically paralyzed by all his phobias, but manages to solve the case anyway) and rowed for 42 minutes. Husband was sure I had overdone it and would be sore in all kinds of places the next day. I thought I had got off pretty light, with only slight stiffness between the shoulder blades, until I ran some sprits the next day. Lets just say rowing is an excellent abs workout. At least it only hurt when I sprint, not when I laugh!

Gotta run…

Comeback

2010-08-02T22:53:00.001+02:00

Switzerland hadn’t won a gold medal at the European Track and Field Championships in 24 years (anyone else remember Werner Günthör? the giant shot putter who for some reason always made me think of William Tell). Then yesterday, Viktor Röthlin won the Championship marathon. Not exactly an unknown, Röthlin won silver at the 2006 European Championships and bronze at the 2007 World Championships before winning the 2008 Tokyo Marathon in 2:07’23’’, setting a Swiss record. But Röthlin suffered a nearly fatal double pulmonary embolism a year and a half ago, and more recently underwent surgery on his heel, so his win yesterday was quite a comeback and a fitting way to celebrate Swiss Independence Day!

Gotta run…

Cheaters never prosper

2010-07-31T18:43:00.000+02:00

Looking for a way to make your college application more impressive? Several dozen Chinese students thought they knew just how. Since physical aptitude counts for extra credit in the “gaokoa,” China's university entrance exam, some students hired faster runners to carry their time-chips for them in the Xiamen Marathon. They were caught when organizers discovered on video footage that one runner would register two or more results when passing the finish line. The fact that several hired the same runner to compete for them might indicate they weren’t really college material.

Gotta run…

When honor trumps usefulness

2010-07-23T14:47:00.008+02:00

I tried out my new Camelbak at camp this year. It came in handy because our camp is situated in Ardèche, the least populated region of France where villages, and therefore fountains, are few and far between. The Camelbak was my prize for finishing the Geneva Marathon back in May. I'm pleased to have the hydration system, but what I really wanted was a t-shirt to wear proudly as proof of having completed a marathon. I feel a little jipped because several weeks ago I saw a runner wearing a Geneva Marathon t-shirt from a previous year. I did receive a medal that is hanging in our hallway, but I don’t think I’ll wear it much.

Gotta run...

Tour de France

2010-07-18T15:18:00.001+02:00

As we drove up to summer camp, we saw that the road running along camp property had just been repaved; a dead give away that the Tour de France was passing through! Friday was the big day. We made sack lunches for all the campers who walked down to the road early enough to see the caravan go by. (The caravan consists of tour sponsor vans from which all kinds of goodies are tossed to the fans.) When it was almost time for the actual race to come through, I put on my Nikes and ran down to the road. The first group of campers applauded when the saw me coming. I stopped and talked with them for a few minutes before heading to the top of the hill several miles away to join the older campers. It was odd to see this normally deserted stretch of road lined with thousands of people. In fact, the road was so crowded I missed my group and had to backtrack about a mile to find them. We heard and saw the helicopters first, then the breakaway group sped by. A few minutes later, the pack whizzed by. It was awesome to get a glimpse of the yellow jersey and the Swiss champion! As I headed back to camp, many of the onlookers cheered for me, whereas they had completely ignored me on the way up. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience!

Gotta run...

Excuses, excuses

2010-07-15T21:40:00.003+02:00

For several weeks I blamed the heat for my sluggish running. Now I'm at camp where it's not so hot and I'm still moving slowly, but the elevation is quite a bit higher. That's my excuse now. I'll have to be creative and find a new excuse after I get home. Maybe the fact that I will have just spent two weeks cooking for 180 people... Yeah, that could work.

Gotta run...

Here today, gone tomorrow

2010-07-11T06:17:00.005+02:00

I miss M.B. Since meeting back in January, we've been running together about once a week, but now she's away for the summer. We'll be playing tag team because a few days after she gets back Husband and I leave for five weeks. In that short window of opportunity between her unpacking and me packing, M.B. and I plan to fit in at least one good run.

Gotta run...

Getting to know you

2010-07-05T20:24:00.002+02:00

In the past 14 weeks, I’ve entered 7 races. They have been evenly spread out at 2-week intervals (except for a 3-week break after the Geneva marathon, then just 1 week before the following 10K). It was quite cold on March 27th for that first race, but I suffered from the heat at this past Saturday’s event even though it took place 9:30 am. As the season has progressed, I’ve talked to more and more fellow runners, learning all kinds of interesting things about them; like why this one guy always wears a t-shirt that says, “Jesus in coming back.” So you see, the weather is not the only thing that has warmed up.

Gotta run…

Schwag

2010-06-30T17:17:00.003+02:00

I know race directors do their best to come up with useful prizes, but the Digital Calendar Penholder we received for finishing the À Travers Romanel 10K looked so lame, some runners handed theirs back. At least last year we got a nifty shoe bag with the race logo on it! But on closer examination, the 2 batteries included with this year’s prize were enough to cover the signup fee. Besides a calendar, there is also a time and temperature display. Just the thing I needed to replace my kitchen clock.

Gotta run…

To catch a thief

2010-06-25T14:37:00.001+02:00

Many people of my parents’ generation considered exercise for exercise sake a waste of time. “If you want some exercise, go pull weeds,” my father would say. But husband came home the other night and said all his running had come in useful. He interrupted a robber who had broken into our car and was making off with his iPod. This made Husband angry, so he chased the man down, tackled him and kept him in a judo hold till the police got there. He would have made Dad proud.

Gotta run…

Competitors, 2

2010-06-21T15:54:00.005+02:00

Not all runners share the attitude I mentioned in my last post. At the “À Travers Romanel” 10.2K last Friday evening, I saw another cometitor who always finishes ahead of me. Well, that’s not entirely true, there was that one time I somehow beat her. She must have remembered that because she stayed right behind me during the first lap of the race, then passed me early in the second lap. I tried my best to hang on, but as we started the third and final lap, I knew this was not the day I could beat her again. She finished 17 seconds ahead of me. But as I neared the finish line, Husband (who had run the race much faster than I had) was there, shouting for me to pick it up because another woman was closing in on me. I had just enough energy left to keep her from passing me too.

Gotta run…

Competitors

2010-06-15T10:58:00.001+02:00

A woman my age (and almost always a bit faster than I) passed me in the final half kilometer of my last 10K. We talked after the race and she told me that she was hoping we could cross the finish line together. I was touched. When I told Husband about it, he reminded me that I had done the same for her in a 10K back in April. I had forgotten about that. The word “compete” comes from the Latin competere: to seek together, to come together, to agree. I like that definition more than “to rival”!

Gotta run…

It’s dynamite!

2010-06-11T15:51:00.003+02:00

My sports drink of choice is Ovomaltine (known as Ovaltine in English speaking markets due to a spelling mistake). This Swiss product, a mixture of eggs and malt, was invented in the mid 1900s by a pharmacist in order to fight rampant malnutrition. As early as the 1920s, Ovomaltine was advertised as a sports drink. Many top Swiss skiers have endorsed the brand. I thought you might enjoy this vintage commercial:

Gotta run…

Course à Dingler

2010-06-07T15:10:00.002+02:00

Saturday afternoon I hitched a ride with Neighbor to Savigny for a 9.7K run. We got there two hours before race time, so I spent quite a bit of time lazing in the shade of a tree. Runners kept going by me on their way to the track to warm up. I tried to convince a few that with temperatures in the 80s for the first time this year there was no need to warm up. No one listened. I was glad that I had kept cool before the race because even though most of the climbing was in the woods, and I drank plenty of water at the midcourse aid station, and I stood under the mister at the finish line for a long time, I still had a headache till the next morning. I’m going to stick to morning or evening runs for a while.

Gotta run…

Jouxtens-Mézery

2010-06-03T11:38:00.004+02:00

The village I run through three times a week held its annual 8.6K last Saturday. It’s so much of a local affair that I almost felt like I was crashing a party. Similar to attending a party, I was relieved to know a few people there I could talk to. It was fun to chat with M.B. before and after the race. My doctor was running too, so I told him how much better my leg was and that I had done quite well in the marathon.

About 50 of us, ages 14 and up, lined up for the race. Some were doing one 4.3K loop, the rest of us were doing two. As a first race after a marathon, the distance felt incredibly short!

Gotta run…

Le Semi Marathon de Genève

2010-05-26T15:26:00.003+02:00

A marathon and its half marathon counterpart are not typically held simultaneously, but the Geneva half marathon started just minutes after the marathon winner crossed the finish line. The 13 milers did one lap, whereas we 26 milers did 2. Somewhere around 30K I came face to face with the last wave of half marathoners who only had a few kilometers under their belts at that point. The half winner passed me at 35K (13.5K for him). When C. passed me about 5 minutes later it really gave me the boost I needed. Soon after that, runners started passing me by droves, but I didn’t mind because that helped me pick up the pace in the final kilometers.

Gotta run…

Le Marathon de Genève, 4

2010-05-21T08:49:00.001+02:00

I usually don’t talk to strangers, but on marathon morning I made quite a few exceptions. First I went up to some volunteers and asked if they would share their coffee with me (I had left home at 6 a.m. without a java fix and my blood pressure was dipping). I struck up a conversation with several other first time marathoners in the locker room (ok, this was my second marathon, but the first one was in another life, 17 years ago). I talked to random runners at the starting line. Between kilometers 26 and 28, I chatted with a man from Finland who was running his 31st marathon! At the finish line, I met a young woman from Atlanta who had noticed my Harding t-shirt (but she approached me, so I guess that doesn’t count). A bit later I saw last November’s Beaujolais marathon women’s winner and wanted to go talk to her, but that didn’t happen even though we made eye contact. I guess by then I had used up all my outgoingness for one day.

Gotta run…

Le Marathon de Genève, 3

2010-05-17T20:18:00.002+02:00

One thing that helped me break 4 hours in the marathon was hearing so many people shouting my name. It was a really nice touch to have our first names on the race bibs! The 2-lap course was roughly shaped like an 8, with most of the spectators bunched around the central Mont Blanc Bridge. The four times we crossed the bridge, dozens of people encouraged me by name. Believe me, it makes a difference! There were 2 spectators who knew my name without reading my bib. B. had told me she would be present to cheer me on, and I was thrilled to see a friend from Lausanne there as well. But the farther we got from the bridge, the more sparse the on-lookers. Besides the deserted 5-kilometer stretch at one end of town, there was a very lonely 5-kilometer stretch along the lake on the opposite side of town. I might have done even better if the whole course had been as crowded as the center of town!

To be continued…

Le Marathon de Genève, 2

2010-05-13T15:51:00.001+02:00

My goal was to break 4 hours in the marathon. So logically, my strategy was to follow the pace setter with the 4-hour white balloon. There were a few dozen of us who seemed to have the same plan. I tried to stay pretty close, but realized after just a few kilometers that white-balloon-guy’s pace was too fast. Besides that, he wasn’t saying a word to encourage us. So I let white-balloon-guy go and little by little the gap widened between me and him. By the time he hit the halfway mark and started the second loop, he was more than 6 minutes ahead of schedule. I lost sight of him soon after that. That’s when I noticed that nothing looked familiar. My eyes had been riveted on white-balloon-guy the first time around. Now I was on a 5-kilometer stretch of the course that zigzagged through a part of the city where the only spectators were a few scattered volunteers. I was virtually alone. In fact, I was completely alone when I made a wrong turn! I saw my error pretty quickly and backtracked, but I was not happy to have added an extra couple hundred yards to my marathon! I caught up with and passed white-balloon-guy 3 kilometers from the finish line. My official race time was 3:55.36. I’m proud to say that makes me a Boston qualifier!

To be continued…

Le Marathon de Genève, 1

2010-05-10T20:49:00.002+02:00

There were times last week when I wished I hadn’t signed up for Sunday’s marathon. After 3 days of sciatica pain and fretting I finally decided I would just hope for the best, but if I had to stop half way through the race or walk the last 10 kilometers, that would be ok. Then by Saturday evening I was miraculously feeling better (thank you to those of you who were praying for my healing!). Sunday I was up at the crack of dawn and on the train to Geneva at 6:15. I’m pretty sure this was my first ever morning race. The city was pretty quiet when nearly 500 of us took off at 8. By the time I crossed the finish line just before noon, there were many more spectators out than runners. Not only had I done it, I had had a great race! As Mom would have said, “worrying works, 95% of the things I worry about never happen.”

To be continued…

On the one hand…

2010-05-07T12:02:00.000+02:00

On the one hand, I’m nervous; on the other hand, I’m well trained for this weekend’s race. On the one hand, it’s supposed to be cold and rainy; on the other hand I’ve paid my entry fee (by far the highest race fee I’ve ever forked over before). On the one hand, SIATICA!; on the other hand, the pain is manageable if I take shorter strides, and I do have plenty of Ibuprofen. Also, I’ve been carbo-loading all week on carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. That’s what I ate just before running my fastest 20K ever (we’re talking by several minutes). A few days ago I got my signup confirmation with my race number: 555. Now, is that a cool number or what? I think it’s a good omen.

Gotta run…

The last shall be first

2010-05-04T11:46:00.005+02:00

I did some cross-training this past weekend (cross-training: anything you do that makes muscles you were never aware of before ache). We went to Shaffhausen for an indoor soccer tournament between churches. Teams from five different countries came to be a part of this annual event. Lausanne competed in the amateur bracket, meaning at least one woman and one child under 12 had to be on the court at all times. The fellowship was great and we had a blast! It’s really true that the important thing is to participate, so I guess there’s no need to mention how we placed.

Gotta run…