Saturday, May 31, 2014

Club Medding

















This Post Is Brought To You By Club Med Mini-Club

This has been a wonderful long weekend.  Lots of fun times with the kids, but also lots of me time without them.  When alone, I mostly focused on the 3 R's (running, relaxing and reading) and the big M (missing O), we will be four again on monday!  If you are missing your hubby, the South of France is not the worst place to do it.  Merci Mini Club, for making me time possible.  













Saturday, May 24, 2014

Street Football Tourney

These two snagged front row seats for a very cool event today, they know people...



Funny Confession #286

I'm only a little jealous that O is in Stowe for a wedding that I'm dying to be at. 

mean...I have a pint of Frozen Dutch Chocolade Extra Puur, 4,000 Legos and Girls Season 3.

Friday, May 23, 2014

Funny Confession #284

As I just mentioned, I have started experimenting with running to music.  The Nike+ app allows you to pick a power song.   With the touch of a button you can kick on your power song, you know, to give you a boost if you need it.

I wasn't going to tell anyone this.  But I just can't keep it in.

This is my power song right now. 


You can make fun of my all day long, but just know this, "the cold never bothered me anyway".

And yes, I just tagged this post "art".

Running Metric

More big changes in my running...I have gone metric and I'm jamming to music.  Those are 2 things I swore I'd never do.  Change is good.  

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Gearing Up For Crazy Hair Day a L'Ecole

I don't know if they will sleep tonight, they are fired up about these wigs.  







Birthday HQ

Invite list, invites, countdown 

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Switch It Up

Speaking of running (which I have done for the last 3 posts and I promise to stop doing soon)...I took a new route home this morning...and noticed these beauties just around the corner from my house.  Funny I have never seen them before because I just get stuck in my routine.  Apparently I have no idea what I am missing out on when I get wrapped up in a repetitive routine.  I assume this rings true beyond running route repetition...hmmmm...  



I also love this little "RUN" tag job under a bridge along the Amstel river.  My kinda graffiti.  



Exploring a New Stride

Running.  I love it.  But lately I have been changing things up a bit.  If you are a running nerd, you  may care about this post.  If you are not...skip it - at least skip the middle of it...

 Despite a pretty good streak of podium results (1st and 2nd!), I have been feeling slow and haven't seen any improvement in my pace for over a year.

On Sunday, I ran a half marathon.

Coming into Sunday I was struggling to commit to a race plan.  I had done the training...


Yet the training lacked any intensity, focus or even consistency.  I knew I wasn't in top shape, I knew I wasn't a contender for podium (the race had some very fast gals - the female winner came in 20 minutes ahead of my PR...and if I had run my PR I would have barely cracked top 10.).  I was struggling to visualize or even find purpose in the run.  "Why bother running if I am not going for a podium or PR" was running through my head on repeat for days.  Plus there were logistical details to iron out, Oli is in the US and what was I going to do with the babes, etc. etc.  Several times I said "maybe it would be easier to just bail on this run".

Then I thought about normal people, who are not obsessed with racing.  People who just enjoy running races.  Hmmmm...

Then it clicked and I had a race plan.  The plan was to just run it, like a normal person.  For the first time in 15+ years (or maybe ever), I raced with no watch, no phone, no way to tell my pace or my time or my distance. I just ran "for fun".  I ran at a super comfortable pace the entire time...never pushing into that zone where you think you may be ill.

I think I really liked it.  My results were ok.  I think I was 21st female.  My time was 6 minutes slower than my PR, 3 minutes slower than October. It was respectable, but nothing awesome.  I was barely sore post race or the next day and I was excited to run.  I had plenty of energy for the kids, and the bakfiets.  I was definitely not burned out mentally or physically after the race.

And maybe I ran in a dress!  I have always wanted to do that!

Here is a video of my finish. (OK, I got a teeeeeny bit competitive at the very end when I saw that gal in pink...but honestly that was the only sprint of the entire race...for real. ).

I can't say enough good things about the race or the town of Leiden.  Starting with free babysitting and an expo in a gorgeous cathedral...and then the course through the most beautiful country side and neighborhoods of the Netherlands...plus it was flat and extremely well organized...with supporters lining the course.  I don't have many photos, since I ran phoneless...but here are a few I snapped before ditching my technology.  I'd love a chance to run this one again next year!



 Oh, and one more thing...the day ended with kids, friends, and pizza beside a canal....it was a good day.


Have you ever seen this friends clip? it is so good.  I thought of Phoebe a lot during my race.






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