Oui, Oui! Paris!

This weekend I ran the Paris Marathon, seeing 26.2 miles of Paris. Despite being terribly under-trained for this running feat, I was energized by my magnificent surroundings and by the Parisians who cheered me onward by shouting out "Allez Christina". All I can say quite simply is that I absolutely LOVE Paris-- the food, the fashion, the architecture, the history. I hope that this was just the first of many more of my adventures in Paris.

During my trip, I visited the Catacombs of Paris, an underground ossuary that holds the remains of about 6 million people, the Eiffel Tower, the Hotel de Ville, Notre Dame, the River Seine, and the Louvre. I also ate lots of yummy food.

My snaps below do a pretty good job of summarizing my trip. Enjoy!

Snaps from the Catacombs:

{Looking ominous at the Catacombs}

{Underground tunnel}

{Stacked bones and skulls}

Snaps from around Paris:

{Notre Dame}

{musee du Louvre}

{Eiffeling}

 

 

 

{La Seine}

{Hotel de Ville}

{Hotel de Ville}

{Amazingly Delicious Raspberry Tart}

Post-Marathon Snaps:

{Marathon Finisher!}

{Marathon Medal!}

Running in the Rain

There is something so liberating about running in the rain. Maybe it's because everyone else on the street seems to be desperately trying to avoid the cold wet drops, struggling to keep their umbrellas upright against the wind or huddling under overhangs, and there you are out there, voluntarily subjecting yourself to it and embracing it wholeheartedly. I think people hate rainy days because they feel like it stops them from living life and traps them indoors, but when you are running in the rain, it makes you feel energized and refreshed-- like you can do anything, like you are capable of so much more than you ever thought. Needless to say, I enjoyed my run tonight in the rain.

Weekend Wrap-up

This weekend seemed to go by like a whirlwind! I started off my Saturday with the Ted Corbitt 15K in Central Park. It was a VERY cold morning and it reminded me that I need to stock up on some more cold-weather running gear asap! Anyway, this was an important race since it marks my 9th race with the New York Road Runners in 2011 and means that I have qualified to run the NYC Marathon in 2012 through the NYRR 9+1 Guaranteed Entry Program!!!

Then it was time for two Christmas parties followed by some late-night clubbing. My first Christmas party of the night was at M and T's beautiful new condo. I thought it was decorated beautifully and I particularly enjoyed their spread of snacks and three special cocktails (Kahlua Mocha, Cranberry Pomegranate, and Kiwi Lychee).

My second stop was my friend J's apartment. The highlight was her Greedy Santa Gift Exchange where featured gifts included a Shake Weight, a Jenga, a Popcorn Popper, and a Christmas Story Leg Lamp Ornament. We ended the night at 1OAK in Chelsea where we danced the night away.  I thought 1OAK's walls of stacked golden letters were just gorgeous!

I hope everyone else had a fun weekend too!

Marathoning in Paris

Every day I can think of so many reasons to skip a run and stay in my warm and comfortable bed.... But, this week,  when my alarm went off, I thought about THIS:

 

                  Source: google.com via Christina on Pinterest

And it was all the motivation I needed to pop up out of my bed and put on my sneakers.  I am signed up to run the Paris Marathon which will take place on April 15th and this week I officially began my 18-week training schedule. Paris will be my fourth marathon and I know that if I put in the work and stick to my training schedule, I can improve my time significantly. Wish me luck!

Jingle Bell Jog

Today was a chilly but gorgeous day in Brooklyn's Prospect Park for the Jingle Bell Jog put on by the NY Road Runners. The jingle bells attached to my sneakers cheered me on for all 3.7 miles. My reward was the green and red bagels, apples, and hot chocolate at the finish line. What a fun way to celebrate the holiday season!

 {post-race photo op}