I cannot tell you how excited I am right now - no more than 2 hours ago we went to Virgin superstore on the Champs and purchased an imported copy of Weeds: Season 3! This post will be short because we are just about to pop it in!
Since moving to Paris, I have found that one of the best ways to relax is by watching DVD's of some of my favorite TV shows. Sometimes I find it hard to relax by coming home and watching French TV and the only english TV we get is CNN and SkyNEWS (another European news station). For awhile I was hooked on the French MTV station because they would show the same really stupid reality shows that we are used to in the States but it would be dubbed over in French. The english in the background was still loud enough so that I could follow the show. But this meant watching such quality things as My Super Sweet 16, Run's House, JackAss, Eliminated, Date my Mom, among other various brain-rotting shows. But even this soon grew old - the best way to relax is definitely with TV series DVD's. You do not have to commit to a 1.5 - 2.5 hour session as you would have to with a movie and one show can typically be watched over dinner, which allows me to accomplish other things during the evening.
So, back to Weeds - Michelle has got me hooked on this series. For those of you who watch this series regurlarily for the past 3 seasons, please do not spoil it for me. I was so hooked on season 2 that I watched it all in one week! And the way the season ended...are you kidding me?!! There are so many story lines left dangling. I am glad that I just discovered this series or it would have killed me to have had to wait in the off-season for some closure!
For those of you who have not watched it, get on Netflix, get the first season, and thank me later!
I ran 6.25 miles in the Bois de Boulogne this afternoon. It was a really easy pace and I felt comfortable the entire time. The bottom of my right foot is a little sore, which is weird. I have never had foot issues. I hope that this is not something that will stay around for awhile. I really made an effort to keep to Jack Daniel's Easy pace because I am very scared about tomorrow's threshold run. I am hoping to have some moderately fresh legs for the effort tomorrow. Todays run was as follows:
7:24/7:27/7:25/7:24/7:22/7:22 min/mile
Ok - time to stop the suspense and watch Weeds! Later!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Sandpaper
To you ever remember the time, when shortly after you just started your first 'real' job (you know, your first job in an office, or perhaps a lovely cubicle) that, while sitting in the company bathroom you realize, "Wow, I am getting paid for this!" I remember the exact moment, place (obviously), and time when I first had that realization. It was amazing, just 2 months earlier, while still in college, I often had to request permission to exit for some "alone time" yet, here I was, a working man, getting paid with each glorious moment that passed as I sat there. This realization set off an irreversible chain of events that have, at one point or another, impacted many aspects of my life.
The first thing I had to do was to reset my schedule. No more of this pre-breakfast or before-bed routine for me. I needed to make sure my body was ready for action somewhere between 9am-5pm. This only took a few squirmy days to reset my system but it was well worth it! The money saved on toilet paper alone will probably help me retire a year earlier!
Yep, it did not take me long to realize that this was a key benefit to being a working man! In fact, I placed this priviledge right up there with the other benefits such as the 4o1k, pension plans, and health insurance! Heck, I did not even mind the big ol' reservoir engineers that went in there every day and did historical reinactments of the bombing of Hiroshima. It did not matter because I was getting paid to be there (roughly speaking, assuming a 5min "job", take your yearly salary and drop the last 3 digits. Take the number left over and divide by 25 - that is what you got paid to go to the bathroom on company time!)
After working for a while, I got my first raise. You can only imagine my exitement while shortly after while I was reflecting upon this news in my favorite stall that I realized that today, my crap was more valuable to the company than the day before! My diet had not changed, so why had my boss suddenly placed a higher value on it? (And I know it was not because I was stomping my foot with a wide stance in a public bathroom in Minnesota...these were simpler times back then!)
As I became more familiar with the lay of the land I became more savvy. I knew where I could find any section of the newspaper sandwiched between the stalls at anytime of day. If I wanted to get caught up on sports, no problem, the sports section could usually be found tucked between the middle and left stall on the 23rd floor sometime after 11:20 - 11:45 am. If I wanted to catch the movie times, that section could be found on floor 18 usually in the afternoon. And if you were lucky, the pages of the newpapers were only slightly wrinkled from the very damp and humid environment that they were so closely exposed to throughout the day.
I also became intune with the cleaner's schedule. The cleaners started at the top floor at around 10am and worked their way down. So, if I I needed a nice clean bathroom, then I could usually calculate exactly which stall would be the cleanest in the building, depending on the time of day. However, this was always the trickiest thing to master. If you got it wrong, you would often find yourself in that awkward situation where the cleaner is waiting outside your stall for you to finish. That can really ruin any exit strategy you might have had before the cleaner arrived. And sometimes the stalls can have very large gaps between the door and the post...so large infact that you sometimes find yourself making eye contact with the cleaner as he is staring intently into the bathroom with his mop in hand, just waiting for you to leave. This often leads to a hasty wipe and uncomfortable grit that can be felt with each step you take for the rest of the day.
So, this was my early professional life. I was regular, I was getting paid, and I no longer had to go through the ritual of spraying deodorizer or lighting a match after I finished my biz-ness in hopes to mask the smell at home before my date arrived.
But as I got older, I found that this daily event no longer gave me the same gratification as before. Instead of revelling in the fact that I was getting paid to be there, I was thinking about all the work that I would have to make up for by taking this little break. And wouldn't I rather take a break at Starbucks, where I could enjoy the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans vs. the aroma of the day-old digested kolaches and donuts? And where is the courtesy flush? In my whole professional career, I have never heard the sweet sound of a courtesy flush.
And then the newspaper began to disappear. Instead it was replaced by printouts from the newspaper's website of just 1 or 2 key articles that the person wanted to read. I noticed that these printouts were neatly folded to fit into his pocket to (presumably) avoid the embarrasment of carrying in the whole newspaper, tucked neatly under his arm into the John. And these printouts were hunting stories!! Well, I sure the heck was not going to read hunting stories and I certainly was NOT going to be the guy bringing the newspaper in with me!
So, my little breaks eventually just turned into a 6 minute ab sessions that took place in a musty, damp, odor that you could not only smell, but taste as well. Sadly, this was still tolerable. However, I have finally reached my last straw...the cheap single ply, hold it up to a light and you can see through it, toilet paper. If you have ever gotten a toilet paper cut on your ass, then you know what I am talking about. It is time to rechange my schedule so I can use my nice double-ply, aloe-injected pillowy soft tissues here at home. The stuff they have at work is made from recycled newspaper-if you look closely I think you can still read the headlines. As I sit here typing I still feel mildly uncomfortable from my earlier wipe using the sandpaper they provide us with at work.
As for running, I ran 6 miles today through the Bois de Boulogne. I was so tired while I was running that there were a few times that I felt like I was going to fall asleep mid-stride! Lucky for me I did not and managed to have the following splits:
7:33/7:19/7:16/7:20/7:21/7:27 min/mile
AVERAGE pace: 7:23 min/mile
Total Weekly miles (so far): ~ 31.3 miles
Tranny count: 1
You boys have yourself a good Friday night!
Je suis fatigue...A+.
The first thing I had to do was to reset my schedule. No more of this pre-breakfast or before-bed routine for me. I needed to make sure my body was ready for action somewhere between 9am-5pm. This only took a few squirmy days to reset my system but it was well worth it! The money saved on toilet paper alone will probably help me retire a year earlier!
Yep, it did not take me long to realize that this was a key benefit to being a working man! In fact, I placed this priviledge right up there with the other benefits such as the 4o1k, pension plans, and health insurance! Heck, I did not even mind the big ol' reservoir engineers that went in there every day and did historical reinactments of the bombing of Hiroshima. It did not matter because I was getting paid to be there (roughly speaking, assuming a 5min "job", take your yearly salary and drop the last 3 digits. Take the number left over and divide by 25 - that is what you got paid to go to the bathroom on company time!)
After working for a while, I got my first raise. You can only imagine my exitement while shortly after while I was reflecting upon this news in my favorite stall that I realized that today, my crap was more valuable to the company than the day before! My diet had not changed, so why had my boss suddenly placed a higher value on it? (And I know it was not because I was stomping my foot with a wide stance in a public bathroom in Minnesota...these were simpler times back then!)
As I became more familiar with the lay of the land I became more savvy. I knew where I could find any section of the newspaper sandwiched between the stalls at anytime of day. If I wanted to get caught up on sports, no problem, the sports section could usually be found tucked between the middle and left stall on the 23rd floor sometime after 11:20 - 11:45 am. If I wanted to catch the movie times, that section could be found on floor 18 usually in the afternoon. And if you were lucky, the pages of the newpapers were only slightly wrinkled from the very damp and humid environment that they were so closely exposed to throughout the day.
I also became intune with the cleaner's schedule. The cleaners started at the top floor at around 10am and worked their way down. So, if I I needed a nice clean bathroom, then I could usually calculate exactly which stall would be the cleanest in the building, depending on the time of day. However, this was always the trickiest thing to master. If you got it wrong, you would often find yourself in that awkward situation where the cleaner is waiting outside your stall for you to finish. That can really ruin any exit strategy you might have had before the cleaner arrived. And sometimes the stalls can have very large gaps between the door and the post...so large infact that you sometimes find yourself making eye contact with the cleaner as he is staring intently into the bathroom with his mop in hand, just waiting for you to leave. This often leads to a hasty wipe and uncomfortable grit that can be felt with each step you take for the rest of the day.
So, this was my early professional life. I was regular, I was getting paid, and I no longer had to go through the ritual of spraying deodorizer or lighting a match after I finished my biz-ness in hopes to mask the smell at home before my date arrived.
But as I got older, I found that this daily event no longer gave me the same gratification as before. Instead of revelling in the fact that I was getting paid to be there, I was thinking about all the work that I would have to make up for by taking this little break. And wouldn't I rather take a break at Starbucks, where I could enjoy the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans vs. the aroma of the day-old digested kolaches and donuts? And where is the courtesy flush? In my whole professional career, I have never heard the sweet sound of a courtesy flush.
And then the newspaper began to disappear. Instead it was replaced by printouts from the newspaper's website of just 1 or 2 key articles that the person wanted to read. I noticed that these printouts were neatly folded to fit into his pocket to (presumably) avoid the embarrasment of carrying in the whole newspaper, tucked neatly under his arm into the John. And these printouts were hunting stories!! Well, I sure the heck was not going to read hunting stories and I certainly was NOT going to be the guy bringing the newspaper in with me!
So, my little breaks eventually just turned into a 6 minute ab sessions that took place in a musty, damp, odor that you could not only smell, but taste as well. Sadly, this was still tolerable. However, I have finally reached my last straw...the cheap single ply, hold it up to a light and you can see through it, toilet paper. If you have ever gotten a toilet paper cut on your ass, then you know what I am talking about. It is time to rechange my schedule so I can use my nice double-ply, aloe-injected pillowy soft tissues here at home. The stuff they have at work is made from recycled newspaper-if you look closely I think you can still read the headlines. As I sit here typing I still feel mildly uncomfortable from my earlier wipe using the sandpaper they provide us with at work.
As for running, I ran 6 miles today through the Bois de Boulogne. I was so tired while I was running that there were a few times that I felt like I was going to fall asleep mid-stride! Lucky for me I did not and managed to have the following splits:
7:33/7:19/7:16/7:20/7:21/7:27 min/mile
AVERAGE pace: 7:23 min/mile
Total Weekly miles (so far): ~ 31.3 miles
Tranny count: 1
You boys have yourself a good Friday night!
Je suis fatigue...A+.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
My Squats are Worth 5 Bucks Each!
Being a scientist, I like it when I can quantify things, when I can break things down to their unitary value, when things can be simplified in a way consistent with the rules of the universe. It is not always possible to do such calculations (either due to lack of knowledge, information, or both) but today I was able to quantify something new - the value of my squats.
Now, we all now the health value of exercising, eating right, and generally trying to lead a healthy lifestyle. I am sure that we could calculate the cost of buying organic food, gym membership, and the cost of the time spent exercising. We could compare these costs with the value of NOT having a heart attack (or other major health problem) and with the added income generated by living longer and (because America is in debt) working longer! Ok fine, but this type of calculation is loaded with assumptions and is better left to a social scientist of some sort.
Back to my squats. Today I went to the doctor for the first time since arriving in Paris. The reason for my visit was simple - I needed a medical certificate written by a doctor stating that my physical condition was good enough to run. It turns out that you cannot enter any running event in France unless you have your doctor's permission. Now, before I get to the details of my visit, let me take the opportunity to inform you that I, infact, went to the doctor stationed at my work yesterday for the same reason. Would you believe that since he is a "work doctor" he is only authorized to approve your physical condition to run for races 20km or less. In other words, he cannot even approve me for a half marathon!
So, that leads me to today when I am trying to explain to my "family doctor" (who, can approve me to run distances greater than 20km) that I would like to run in France and I would like his permission (all done in very broken french). So, since my "family doctor" is the only person capable of granting me this wish I thought that I would be put through a rigourous regime of exercise, or I would be attached to a fancy machine that would spit out numbers that nobody would understand but we would all muster an "oh, wow!" when we saw the results. But none of that happened.
This is what happened:
Dr: Could you please do 15 squats for me?
Me: Really?
Dr: Yes. Just like so (as he demonstrates how to do a 1/4 squat)
Me: Ok (as I proceed to do my squats)
Dr: Ok...you are ready to run.
Then we sat at his desk while he wrote an elegant looking letter, complete with letter head, and a big fancy signature that only a doctor can manage that grants me the priviledge to run in France for the next year! In France, you pay the doctor for your visit either by cash or check. The visit was 45 Euros just to get a fancy Dr's note.
I would like to add a brief side-note here, one that I will not dwell on. If there are that serious about avoiding medical catastrophe during their running events, perhaps they should look at people such as Ryan Shay to realize that this "screening method" is a complete joke...but I digress.
Since the visit ONLY involved my squats, I now know their value!
45 Euros / 15 squats = 3 Euros/squat ~ $5/squat.
So, next time you are in the gym bustin' out some serious reps, stop and ask yourself, "are these squats as valuable as Minken's?" I would be impressed if they were!!
I decided to do a little 7.5 mile cooldown run from my track workout last night. I find that it is often difficult to slow my body down the day after track - it still wants to go. I tried my best to keep the reins on tonight, but the run just slipped through my fingers as I trotted through the lovely Bois de Boulogne. The run went as follows:
7:07/7:23/7:14/7:19/7:19/7:15/7:18/7:14 (last 1/2 mile) min/mile
It was earily quite in the Bois tonight. I did not even see any tranny's...I guess they are getting their beauty sleep for the weekend!
As the French would say, A+ (ah, plus)
Now, we all now the health value of exercising, eating right, and generally trying to lead a healthy lifestyle. I am sure that we could calculate the cost of buying organic food, gym membership, and the cost of the time spent exercising. We could compare these costs with the value of NOT having a heart attack (or other major health problem) and with the added income generated by living longer and (because America is in debt) working longer! Ok fine, but this type of calculation is loaded with assumptions and is better left to a social scientist of some sort.
Back to my squats. Today I went to the doctor for the first time since arriving in Paris. The reason for my visit was simple - I needed a medical certificate written by a doctor stating that my physical condition was good enough to run. It turns out that you cannot enter any running event in France unless you have your doctor's permission. Now, before I get to the details of my visit, let me take the opportunity to inform you that I, infact, went to the doctor stationed at my work yesterday for the same reason. Would you believe that since he is a "work doctor" he is only authorized to approve your physical condition to run for races 20km or less. In other words, he cannot even approve me for a half marathon!
So, that leads me to today when I am trying to explain to my "family doctor" (who, can approve me to run distances greater than 20km) that I would like to run in France and I would like his permission (all done in very broken french). So, since my "family doctor" is the only person capable of granting me this wish I thought that I would be put through a rigourous regime of exercise, or I would be attached to a fancy machine that would spit out numbers that nobody would understand but we would all muster an "oh, wow!" when we saw the results. But none of that happened.
This is what happened:
Dr: Could you please do 15 squats for me?
Me: Really?
Dr: Yes. Just like so (as he demonstrates how to do a 1/4 squat)
Me: Ok (as I proceed to do my squats)
Dr: Ok...you are ready to run.
Then we sat at his desk while he wrote an elegant looking letter, complete with letter head, and a big fancy signature that only a doctor can manage that grants me the priviledge to run in France for the next year! In France, you pay the doctor for your visit either by cash or check. The visit was 45 Euros just to get a fancy Dr's note.
I would like to add a brief side-note here, one that I will not dwell on. If there are that serious about avoiding medical catastrophe during their running events, perhaps they should look at people such as Ryan Shay to realize that this "screening method" is a complete joke...but I digress.
Since the visit ONLY involved my squats, I now know their value!
45 Euros / 15 squats = 3 Euros/squat ~ $5/squat.
So, next time you are in the gym bustin' out some serious reps, stop and ask yourself, "are these squats as valuable as Minken's?" I would be impressed if they were!!
I decided to do a little 7.5 mile cooldown run from my track workout last night. I find that it is often difficult to slow my body down the day after track - it still wants to go. I tried my best to keep the reins on tonight, but the run just slipped through my fingers as I trotted through the lovely Bois de Boulogne. The run went as follows:
7:07/7:23/7:14/7:19/7:19/7:15/7:18/7:14 (last 1/2 mile) min/mile
It was earily quite in the Bois tonight. I did not even see any tranny's...I guess they are getting their beauty sleep for the weekend!
As the French would say, A+ (ah, plus)
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
400m, or 81 seconds
Yes Alex, the question is: "What is the exact difference between having a running partner and not?" DING, DING, DING...that is correct!!
Today's workout was scheduled to be the following:
2 mile warmup
5x (1200m (Interval Pace*) + Rest as Required)
Cooldown
*Interval pace = 4:10, 4:07: 4:03 min/1200meters for VDOT=58, 59, 60 (respectively)
I am still finding my running legs and getting reacquainted with speed so I have been slowly pushing my speed boundaries each week ever so careful to avoid any type of set back. I was really excited to start this workout tonight and was only slightly delayed by work before I met up with Jennie and headed to the track.
To prove that I actually ran on a track tonight - check this out! The track is located on Isle de Neilly in the middle of the Seine River, which you see on both sides - pretty cool spot to get your speed on.
Today's workout was scheduled to be the following:
2 mile warmup
5x (1200m (Interval Pace*) + Rest as Required)
Cooldown
*Interval pace = 4:10, 4:07: 4:03 min/1200meters for VDOT=58, 59, 60 (respectively)
I am still finding my running legs and getting reacquainted with speed so I have been slowly pushing my speed boundaries each week ever so careful to avoid any type of set back. I was really excited to start this workout tonight and was only slightly delayed by work before I met up with Jennie and headed to the track.
To prove that I actually ran on a track tonight - check this out! The track is located on Isle de Neilly in the middle of the Seine River, which you see on both sides - pretty cool spot to get your speed on.
So, here here are the stats:
2 mile warmup: 7:26 min/mile
1. 1200m (1:19, 1:21, 1:21) = 4:01 minutes (800m recovery)
2. 1200m (1:19, 1:21, 1:22) = 4:02 minutes (800m recovery)
3. 1200m (1:20, 1:21, 1:23) = 4:04 minutes (800m recovery)
4. 1200m (1:21, 1:22, 1:21) = 4:04 minutes (800m recovery)
5. 800m (1:20, 1:23) = 2:43 minutes
1.5 mile cooldown
Total Miles = 9.1 miles
So there you have it - the difference of not running these with Andrew is the final 400m on the 5th repeat! I was going to stop after 4 - I had convinced myself that I did a good job tonight, and that I did not want to hurt myself, and (insert other totally lame excuse here)...
2 mile warmup: 7:26 min/mile
1. 1200m (1:19, 1:21, 1:21) = 4:01 minutes (800m recovery)
2. 1200m (1:19, 1:21, 1:22) = 4:02 minutes (800m recovery)
3. 1200m (1:20, 1:21, 1:23) = 4:04 minutes (800m recovery)
4. 1200m (1:21, 1:22, 1:21) = 4:04 minutes (800m recovery)
5. 800m (1:20, 1:23) = 2:43 minutes
1.5 mile cooldown
Total Miles = 9.1 miles
So there you have it - the difference of not running these with Andrew is the final 400m on the 5th repeat! I was going to stop after 4 - I had convinced myself that I did a good job tonight, and that I did not want to hurt myself, and (insert other totally lame excuse here)
After cooling down for 800m I ramped back up and charged into the 5th repeat. But after already showing mental fragility by even considering that I would not do this final repeat, I was mentally broken from the start of this one. By 600 I was concentrating on everything but running and by 800 I packed it in. But I am not going to get overly worried - I am pretty happy with the workout and how I am feeling now. Another baby step closer back to "Runner David"!
Now, the purpose of Interval training is to stress your VO2 max (aerobic capacity). According to Jack Daniels it takes ~ 2minutes into the interval for your body to start functioning at VO2 max. As usual, I wore my heart rate monitor and am always fascinated by the interval workouts. (Heart rate is in red; pace is in blue).
To me, it always seems as though the first interval is practise. The maximum heart rate I achieve there is just scratching the heart rates acheived with the other intervals. You will also note that for most intervals my heart rate climbs very rapidly at first, then it reaches a very mild plateau, and then climbs again to a slightly higher level. The end of this plateau is usually ~ 1:35 - 2:10 into my Jack Daniels Interval workouts. I am not expert on the subject, but I wonder if this is my body entering into the wonderful VO2 max world?
Now, the purpose of Interval training is to stress your VO2 max (aerobic capacity). According to Jack Daniels it takes ~ 2minutes into the interval for your body to start functioning at VO2 max. As usual, I wore my heart rate monitor and am always fascinated by the interval workouts. (Heart rate is in red; pace is in blue).
To me, it always seems as though the first interval is practise. The maximum heart rate I achieve there is just scratching the heart rates acheived with the other intervals. You will also note that for most intervals my heart rate climbs very rapidly at first, then it reaches a very mild plateau, and then climbs again to a slightly higher level. The end of this plateau is usually ~ 1:35 - 2:10 into my Jack Daniels Interval workouts. I am not expert on the subject, but I wonder if this is my body entering into the wonderful VO2 max world?
For a non-running related comment, do you know what I learned last night after my last post? The following phrase is NOT foreplay: "Hey honey, I have been playing with my feet all night and now my hands smell like cheese." ... Wow, who would'a thunk it?!!
Minken, sortie.
Minken, sortie.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Vegas 21
Tonight after work Jennie met me up at La Defense (where I spent most of my glorious hours here in Paris) where we had a quick bite to eat before we went and saw 'Vegas 21'. This is the second movie that we have seen in Paris since our arrival back in March. The first movie we saw was 'There Will be Blood' (Superb!!). Now, you might ask, "Isn't the movie in French? Do you see the actors mouth moving but nothing being said (just like in any classic Kung-fu movie)?" Well, you have to look at the movie poster outside the theatre to be sure. If there is a 'VO' by the title it means 'Version Originale'; if there is a 'VF', it means 'Version Francais'. We, of course, opted for the 'VO' version!
Back to the movie - it was really good. It was a movie is 'inspired from true events' (but I have a feeling that much of it has been Hollywood-ized. It is based on a bunch of MIT nerds who use their nerdy skillz to defy "the man" but soon get in over their heads when they forget their nerdy roots and begin acting like someone that they are not. Eventually their shinanagans catches up with them but the school of hard-knocks forces them see things clearly again at the end! So, same general theme as many movies but with a different location, different actors, and slightly different edgy twists to justify the producer's salary. Indeed entertaining, but if you are looking for something to eventually add to your DVD collection, stick with Their Will be Blood! But if you are looking for something to help you forget that you are in a foreign country where you barely understand the language being spoken around you most of the time then this movie will provide the perfect distraction for you!
This morning I started the day off right with an hour session of Pilates. I have been doing this 2x a week for the past 3 weeks or so now and I am really starting to enjoy it. The classes are going a lot more smoothly for me and they are really make me work! This morning I wish I had my lifting belt handy for all my exercises involving air weights!! (Please note my typical sarcasm, but seriously - who knew that 'air weights' could be so hard!) With each lesson I am getting a better vision and appreciation for Pilates! I am really enjoying this new aspect of my training! My legs were shaking afterwards when I tried to walk up the Metro stairs!
Tomorrow I have my next speed work. As I type this, I am sure that Andrew and Scott are just getting prepared for it...I look forward to your report fellas! I, however, am not looking forward to actually running the repeats myself.
Back to the movie - it was really good. It was a movie is 'inspired from true events' (but I have a feeling that much of it has been Hollywood-ized. It is based on a bunch of MIT nerds who use their nerdy skillz to defy "the man" but soon get in over their heads when they forget their nerdy roots and begin acting like someone that they are not. Eventually their shinanagans catches up with them but the school of hard-knocks forces them see things clearly again at the end! So, same general theme as many movies but with a different location, different actors, and slightly different edgy twists to justify the producer's salary. Indeed entertaining, but if you are looking for something to eventually add to your DVD collection, stick with Their Will be Blood! But if you are looking for something to help you forget that you are in a foreign country where you barely understand the language being spoken around you most of the time then this movie will provide the perfect distraction for you!
This morning I started the day off right with an hour session of Pilates. I have been doing this 2x a week for the past 3 weeks or so now and I am really starting to enjoy it. The classes are going a lot more smoothly for me and they are really make me work! This morning I wish I had my lifting belt handy for all my exercises involving air weights!! (Please note my typical sarcasm, but seriously - who knew that 'air weights' could be so hard!) With each lesson I am getting a better vision and appreciation for Pilates! I am really enjoying this new aspect of my training! My legs were shaking afterwards when I tried to walk up the Metro stairs!
Tomorrow I have my next speed work. As I type this, I am sure that Andrew and Scott are just getting prepared for it...I look forward to your report fellas! I, however, am not looking forward to actually running the repeats myself.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Daisy Fresh
I was a little bit worried after last week's running and yesterday's 'long' run that my body might be a little tired today. I was a little bit more worried when I found myself eating snot sandwiches last night for a midnight snack. No, I am not getting sick - it's my allergies. I am been finding my breathing a little difficult this past week but normally a nice farmer's blow, or snot-rocket is all I need to keep those aveoli clear and capable of doing their job!
Anyhow, I took off after work today and decided to just go by feel and not look at my watch. I was feeling great out there and my legs and (more importantly my mind) were feeling 'daisy fresh'. The miles were just clicking away when I realized I was going a little faster than Jack would recommend. I ran 8.5 miles at the following paces:
7:26/7:17/7:17/7:17/7:11/7:02/7:16/7:09/7:23 (last 0.5) min/mile
AVG. PACE: 7:15 min/mile
It was at mile 6 where I finally took a look at my pace and tried for the rest of the run to back-off. It is hard for me to slow down and run a 'true' (according to my VDOT) easy run because my legs are feeling relatively fresh and the training is just beginning. I am sure after this weeks speed and threshold sessions I will have no issues getting back to a 7:30 avg. pace! Andrew, I need you here to run with to help me keep tabs on these kinds of things! More importantly, I will definitely need you on Wednesday for my next interval workout.
Tomorrow is my off day. I will be swapping my running for my Pilates class instead. So instead of burning by trannys in the park I will be spending my time doing such things as the 'elephant', the 'cobra', and the 'plow' pose while barefoot and in spandex...how Euro! (Also, in trying to keep this post PG, please refrain from the very obvious comments that could be made by anything stated or insinuated in this paragraph!) That being said - I saw 3 'ladies' out tonight!
Tranny Total: 15
Well, it looks like Jennie is almost done cleaning up after dinner, so I can stop pretending that I am actually doing work and get on with my day now!
Later!
Anyhow, I took off after work today and decided to just go by feel and not look at my watch. I was feeling great out there and my legs and (more importantly my mind) were feeling 'daisy fresh'. The miles were just clicking away when I realized I was going a little faster than Jack would recommend. I ran 8.5 miles at the following paces:
7:26/7:17/7:17/7:17/7:11/7:02/7:16/7:09/7:23 (last 0.5) min/mile
AVG. PACE: 7:15 min/mile
It was at mile 6 where I finally took a look at my pace and tried for the rest of the run to back-off. It is hard for me to slow down and run a 'true' (according to my VDOT) easy run because my legs are feeling relatively fresh and the training is just beginning. I am sure after this weeks speed and threshold sessions I will have no issues getting back to a 7:30 avg. pace! Andrew, I need you here to run with to help me keep tabs on these kinds of things! More importantly, I will definitely need you on Wednesday for my next interval workout.
Tomorrow is my off day. I will be swapping my running for my Pilates class instead. So instead of burning by trannys in the park I will be spending my time doing such things as the 'elephant', the 'cobra', and the 'plow' pose while barefoot and in spandex...how Euro! (Also, in trying to keep this post PG, please refrain from the very obvious comments that could be made by anything stated or insinuated in this paragraph!) That being said - I saw 3 'ladies' out tonight!
Tranny Total: 15
Well, it looks like Jennie is almost done cleaning up after dinner, so I can stop pretending that I am actually doing work and get on with my day now!
Later!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
le premier Juin
First, I need to give a well-deserved shoutout to my main man The K. for setting a new 5km PR in the Impact a Hero 5km. Now Scotty, I really like those splits. I love how you started with no fear, and (presumabably) knocked all the little children out of your way as their parents were trying to get that perfect photo of them on the starting line. Then I like how you maintained and finished with the standard The K. finish (I might add that this finish is identical in nature to Ryan D's finish...he does it for the girls though, I guess the Texan cheerleaders were there?!) Just to keep you motivated though, and hungry for that next PR, I just need to let you know (actually, Jennie wants you to know) that Jennie still has a faster 5km PR... ;)
Also, I need to address your comment Andrew. You made it sound like I was going to try to secretly bail out of today's long run. Well, I did not bail - I laid out 12.2 miles in the sun and near perfect conditions (again) in Paris. Even to get myself extra pumped I got on Itunes and downloaded some new sweet, sweet tunes to keep me juiced throughout. The run started with some new Brittany and ended with Rob Zombie...with that kind of motivation, my splits were a little faster than intended, but oh well!
7:21/7:17/7:21/7:22/7:16/7:19/7:14/7:16/7:17/7:14/7:04/7:01 min/mile
Average Pace: 7:16 min/mile
Here is the lovely Bois de Boulogne as well - see, you can run for miles in here and barely repeat a step! Also if you notice the island in the River Seine, that is called Isle de Neilly and that is where there is a 400m track for the track sessions.
Also, I am very excited to say, that I broke the 50 mile mark for the first time since early 2008. My total weekly mileage is 50.37! I am still not feeling 'great' about my running, but each run gives me a little glimpse back to the old David!
Last night, Jennie and I went to an Argentinian Party. It was really cool and extremely authentic as it was being hosted by, you guessed it, Argentinians! My highlight was, of course, the food. They had these delicious little pizza pocket looking things called 'empinadas'. These are little pastry pockets filled with hamburger and loads of garlic. I enjoyed them so much I decided not to brush my teeth when I got home so that I could enjoy their sweet, sultry flavor all day today as well. Yummy!
One thing I do not understand though, and I think it must be a "lost in translation" thing, but why are the Europeans so bad at coordinating events, disseminating pertinant information required for the success of the event, and providing useful knowledge that could potentially reduce large amounts of frustration? This question was first asked when I went biking with JKD and Michelle. The place we rented the bikes from was out in the middle of nowhere where public transit was not available and the "taxi's" were family cars that may or may not be available depending on whether or not "Jimmy" needs to go to town or not. Again, last night, we all agree to meet to get to this place way out in the 'burb's together. The journey required walking, train, and bus. Jennie and I decide to leave at a respectable midnight from the party but the bus stopped running at 9:30. Now, this would be classified as "useful information" when making plans to attend this party. Lucky for us, someone else from the party picked us up in their car and drove us home. Otherwise, I think Jennie and I would still be walking...anyhow...
To finish the day, Jennie and I went for a walk in Parc Monceau (close to our place) then went for beer and ice cream! If you chased each swig of beer with a spoonful of ice cream you could secretly enjoy your own little beer float without having to actually see how disgusting those two things combined would propably look, and hence lose your appitite and motivation to combine two great things into one!
Oh yeah, Michelle, Jennie and I are done the second season of Weeds...season 3 is on sale this week. We cannot wait...Jon - be expecting a package from Amazon shortly...and seriously, I will need you to send that over here ASAP!! I will talk more about this subject later..but good stuff! (And by good stuff, I mean seriously twisted, how the heck did the storyline ever get here? kind of stuff)!
Later Dudes!
Also, I need to address your comment Andrew. You made it sound like I was going to try to secretly bail out of today's long run. Well, I did not bail - I laid out 12.2 miles in the sun and near perfect conditions (again) in Paris. Even to get myself extra pumped I got on Itunes and downloaded some new sweet, sweet tunes to keep me juiced throughout. The run started with some new Brittany and ended with Rob Zombie...with that kind of motivation, my splits were a little faster than intended, but oh well!
7:21/7:17/7:21/7:22/7:16/7:19/7:14/7:16/7:17/7:14/7:04/7:01 min/mile
Average Pace: 7:16 min/mile
Here is the lovely Bois de Boulogne as well - see, you can run for miles in here and barely repeat a step! Also if you notice the island in the River Seine, that is called Isle de Neilly and that is where there is a 400m track for the track sessions.
Also, I am very excited to say, that I broke the 50 mile mark for the first time since early 2008. My total weekly mileage is 50.37! I am still not feeling 'great' about my running, but each run gives me a little glimpse back to the old David!
Last night, Jennie and I went to an Argentinian Party. It was really cool and extremely authentic as it was being hosted by, you guessed it, Argentinians! My highlight was, of course, the food. They had these delicious little pizza pocket looking things called 'empinadas'. These are little pastry pockets filled with hamburger and loads of garlic. I enjoyed them so much I decided not to brush my teeth when I got home so that I could enjoy their sweet, sultry flavor all day today as well. Yummy!
One thing I do not understand though, and I think it must be a "lost in translation" thing, but why are the Europeans so bad at coordinating events, disseminating pertinant information required for the success of the event, and providing useful knowledge that could potentially reduce large amounts of frustration? This question was first asked when I went biking with JKD and Michelle. The place we rented the bikes from was out in the middle of nowhere where public transit was not available and the "taxi's" were family cars that may or may not be available depending on whether or not "Jimmy" needs to go to town or not. Again, last night, we all agree to meet to get to this place way out in the 'burb's together. The journey required walking, train, and bus. Jennie and I decide to leave at a respectable midnight from the party but the bus stopped running at 9:30. Now, this would be classified as "useful information" when making plans to attend this party. Lucky for us, someone else from the party picked us up in their car and drove us home. Otherwise, I think Jennie and I would still be walking...anyhow...
To finish the day, Jennie and I went for a walk in Parc Monceau (close to our place) then went for beer and ice cream! If you chased each swig of beer with a spoonful of ice cream you could secretly enjoy your own little beer float without having to actually see how disgusting those two things combined would propably look, and hence lose your appitite and motivation to combine two great things into one!
Oh yeah, Michelle, Jennie and I are done the second season of Weeds...season 3 is on sale this week. We cannot wait...Jon - be expecting a package from Amazon shortly...and seriously, I will need you to send that over here ASAP!! I will talk more about this subject later..but good stuff! (And by good stuff, I mean seriously twisted, how the heck did the storyline ever get here? kind of stuff)!
Later Dudes!
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