Life
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Hello Friends,
Back in 2014 I left this comment on a photo posted to fb, just days after running NYC2014: For the first time ever I teared up at the end. The conditions were tough, I was so happy with my run, and knew this was my last 26.2... but seeing blind runners and a 89 year old on the course inspires me to never say never. I would love to run London.(click to read my NYC 26.2 recap).
adventure ·
France ·
Life ·
Sion ·
skiing ·
snowshoe ·
Switzerland ·
Travel
Travel: A winter holiday
Hello friends,
Snow, I found snow! In December we traveled to Vevey, Switzerland for a three week work/holiday. I adore Vevey... the entire area actually. Vevey sits on Lake Geneva and looks at France. During the week I work from our hotel residence, leaving weekends to explore. Our friends often tell us that we experience more than those living in Switzerland.
Blame wanderlust... below a story told in photos. Sharing one of my favorite places with you.
Vevey
This photo is the center of old town. Behind me is a 100 year old merry-go-round, and farmer's market. You will always find adults and children feeding the ducks, it's a gathering spot.
Vevey is quiet. I often wonder if it's the mystical nature of the lake, surrounded by the Alps.
Hello Friends,
My mother's family is from Sweden. My brother and I are half Swedish. An important fact for this post, which is half story and half Swedish tradition/folklore.
Open my freezer and you are likely to find Vetebrod. My family refers to it simply as 'bulla', a sweet bread.
A story...
Last year I became friends with a gal who was born and raised in southern Sweden. In addition to being runners and career women, we are both Swedish. We spend a lot of time together. Predawn running, discussing daily life highs/lows, books, etc.
Over the last year, I have realized I wasn't raised with Swedish traditions, and often wonder HOW is this possible?! CAN it be possible? Our friendship has created curiosity, often leading to researching a story, folklore, or tradition. My childhood memories include Limpa, cheese, lingonberries, caviar, knackebrod, lutefisk, pletta, raggmunk, meatballs... plenty of Swedish food but sadly it did not include long-standing Swedish tradition.
This brings me to yesterday. I joined my friend, and her children, to attend a Swedish Christmas Market and St Lucia celebration. I was hoping to find Dala Horses and straw ornaments. I didn't know what to expect but was surprised to see gnomes everywhere.
Read More
My mother's family is from Sweden. My brother and I are half Swedish. An important fact for this post, which is half story and half Swedish tradition/folklore.
Open my freezer and you are likely to find Vetebrod. My family refers to it simply as 'bulla', a sweet bread.
A story... Last year I became friends with a gal who was born and raised in southern Sweden. In addition to being runners and career women, we are both Swedish. We spend a lot of time together. Predawn running, discussing daily life highs/lows, books, etc.
Over the last year, I have realized I wasn't raised with Swedish traditions, and often wonder HOW is this possible?! CAN it be possible? Our friendship has created curiosity, often leading to researching a story, folklore, or tradition. My childhood memories include Limpa, cheese, lingonberries, caviar, knackebrod, lutefisk, pletta, raggmunk, meatballs... plenty of Swedish food but sadly it did not include long-standing Swedish tradition.
This brings me to yesterday. I joined my friend, and her children, to attend a Swedish Christmas Market and St Lucia celebration. I was hoping to find Dala Horses and straw ornaments. I didn't know what to expect but was surprised to see gnomes everywhere.
Hello friends,
I feel like the little boy who cried wolf as I write this post. I have completed over a dozen marathons, more if you count the solo marathons (prepping for an ultra). I'm think I'm done marathoning...
NYC marathon (2014): When I signed up for NYC, I promised my husband it would be my last one. I thought to myself, what a great way to end the marathon distance. The training season was uneventful (no injuries). The weather on race day played a major factor: 15-25 MPH winds, with frequent gusts over 40MPH. I will never forget being blown midstride several times, as I crossed the Verrazano bridge.
About a week after the run, I told someone that if I had an opportunity to run the London Marathon I would do it. Mostly as a way to visit the city. Would you believe me if I told you I have only spent 36 hours in London?
April 24, 2016: I will be in London!
Training Program: I'm planning to use the same plan I did for NYC, provided by AMR, along with a little help from a running coach.
Goal: Make it to the start line with strong legs (no injuries please). I will train for a 4:10-15 marathon finish.
Let me know if you have you picked a fitness challenges for 2016, I would love to cheer you on!
Eat well, rest up, and treat your body kindly.
Much love, Mari
Read More
I feel like the little boy who cried wolf as I write this post. I have completed over a dozen marathons, more if you count the solo marathons (prepping for an ultra). I'm think I'm done marathoning...
NYC marathon (2014): When I signed up for NYC, I promised my husband it would be my last one. I thought to myself, what a great way to end the marathon distance. The training season was uneventful (no injuries). The weather on race day played a major factor: 15-25 MPH winds, with frequent gusts over 40MPH. I will never forget being blown midstride several times, as I crossed the Verrazano bridge.
About a week after the run, I told someone that if I had an opportunity to run the London Marathon I would do it. Mostly as a way to visit the city. Would you believe me if I told you I have only spent 36 hours in London?
April 24, 2016: I will be in London!
My 20 week training program kicks off this week. My first long run will be one of my favorite runs, along Lake Geneva. With the Noel festival underway. I'm planning to end my 8 miler at the hot cocoa stand, and will take the bus back to Vevey.
Training Program: I'm planning to use the same plan I did for NYC, provided by AMR, along with a little help from a running coach.
Goal: Make it to the start line with strong legs (no injuries please). I will train for a 4:10-15 marathon finish.
Let me know if you have you picked a fitness challenges for 2016, I would love to cheer you on!
Eat well, rest up, and treat your body kindly.
Much love, Mari
Hello friends,
My last blog post was late July. My first thought is 'I'm sorry for not posting for so long' followed by 'has it really been three months?!
In July, I mentioned being in the midst of planning an island holiday. I thought I would post a few times, but planning a holiday celebration for 26 people was a lot of work.
What were we planning?
A celebration of friendship (and Bill's 50th birthday). You may be asking yourself, 'how do they choose just twelve people'.... it started with a list of men playing a significant role in Bill's daily life. Brothers, friendships spanning 25+ years, the men we rely on to help us, guide us, challenge us. And their wives!
Where:
After researching to find the perfect destination fitting our needs, we reserved Fowl Cay A YEAR AGO.
There are three strategies for most runners on marathon day: to race, to run, to survive. Looking back on my experience, I was prepared, felt great, I was ready to run. I have one experience of surviving so I know how rough marathon day can be. I ran the 2014 NYC marathon, as planned.
The NYC marathon is in 41 days. I have just two long runs left, then I get to.... taper!
I had a few not so great things happen last week, but nothing to impede training:
One day last week I woke up with two knots, in my left calf and bum. I tried running with my compression sleeves.... the knot disappeared. After my run I sat on the brick to apply pressure to the knot in my bum... with the brick.
Today I'm knot free, whew.
Sunday morning I posted this to my running group: I run on a rock, knot and root dirt trail, in a park with a pavilion/benches where runners store water, fuel, sweatshirts, etc (honor system). Yesterday someone stole my water/refuel and GU, creating a physical challenge as I ran 12.8 miles on 8 ounces of water... climbing 1,500 ft... and an ever bigger mental challenge wondering who would do this and why.
I haven't had a bad run, blister, or muscle pull yet this training cycle... so in a strange way this was a valuable experience as I prepare for NYC. Thank you thief, this experience can only make me mentally stronger.
This week: Friday I'm driving about five hours to Cape Cod, with friends. Two of us are running the Zooma half marathon, then we will sight see, enjoy the beach, take in a sunset, bliss. I'm being kind to my body, focusing on nutrition and rest.
Miles planned: 4, 4, 3, 6, 13.1
Looking ahead: I signed up for the marathon lottery last November, a cyber Monday deal. I've spent almost a year with the idea of this run. I'm starting to look beyond November 2, to long walks, watching movies while I do cardio.
What is your favorite workout at the moment?
Do you use Fitbit (or a similar system)? I'm curious to see if the iwatch takes off.
We arrived early morning Thursday, taking a red-eye from NYC to Germany.
Hamburg is a bicycle city, women in dresses, men in suits... they bike to work. It's such an odd sight, at 7:30am, to see 50+ bicycles at a stoplight when you look out the taxi window.
After dropping off our luggage and enjoying a European breakfast, we climbed to the top of the church tower behind our hotel, a lovely 360 view.
I remember seeing Lake Alster from the tower, it looked like it was ten miles away but was less than a mile walk from our hotel.
Australia ·
Blue Mountain Adventures ·
Blue Mountains ·
Life ·
Lilianfels ·
Sydney ·
Travel
Travel: Australia (part two)
Going through my travel posts, mostly to reflect, I realized I didn't get to share our adventure in Australia.
Australia... have you been?
I was lucky enough to spend two weeks in Sydney (click here to read part one: our time in Sydney), and one week in the Blue Mountains.
The World Traveler had a few day trips for work commitments, but I wasn't able to join him (puddle jumpers), so I explored via ferry, hiked, ran. I loved everything about this place.
Sydney: I would move there in a minute, especially if we were able to live near the quay/Sydney Cove.
Our hotel was right under the bridge, giving us easy access to run across the Harbour Bridge every day, every day! There's a carnival just on the other side (you can't see it in this photo). I would then cross back, around the cove and past the Opera House, and along the Royal Botanical Gardens on the left side of this photo.
What a fun post today!
I have known Erin (from the Manic Mommies) for years and am always threatening to visit, but life is busy and we haven't found a way to make this happen... yet. I have several friends near Rochester and should plan a weekend meet up this summer.
So, how did this happen? A few weeks ago while listening to their podcast, Erin mentioned needing a guest while Kristin off to run in the Disney half marathon (go Kristin). I reached out, and they took me up on the offer.
Podcast: click here to listen, or here to listen/download as an mp3
I should have thought to ask Erin for a few favorites (fiction, memoir, historical, classic), how her book club is doing, and if she rereads books. Instead we talked about how to say my name (a common question), life, books, allowance, food issues, and dogs.
Books mentioned:
Brain on Fire (Cahalan)
Cold Antler Farm (Woginrich)
Life after Life (Atkinsen)
Lot's of Candles, plenty of Cake (Quindlen)
Million little Pieces (Frey)
Stories I only tell my friends (Lowe)
Book Love: If we had hours to talk about books, below are a few I want everyone to enjoy. I hope everyone can find something to read from this list. A solid mix of favorites, fright, page turners, and authors I have been reading for decades. (listed alphabetically)
Always at the top:
The English Patient (Ondaatje)
The Red Tent (Shreve)
The Time Traveler's Wife (Niffenegger)
Books that haunt me:
I'd know you anywhere (Lippman)
Still Missing (Chevy Stevens)
We need to talk about Kevin (Shriver)
Devoured quickly:
Goodnight June (Jio)
Helen of Pasadena (Dolan)
Love in Midair (Wright)
The Good Wife (Porter)
The Singles (Goldstein)The Underside of Joy (Halverson)
My go-to-authors:
Lisa Genova
Emily Giffin
Elin HilderbrandAudrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler's Wife, Her Fearful Symmetry)
Anita Shreve (Resistence, The Weight of Water, The Last Time we met) - LOVE her early books
Thrity Umrigar (The Weight of Water, The Space Between Us)
I know several of you are anxious for me to share my Kili story, it's coming. I did journal so I just need to take time to translate my notes into a post. I promise to share this in the next few days.
While you wait, here's a story for you.
Trekking story: WT was just talking to a good friend, bonding over the British Open when I overheard him share a story that I hadn't thought to share. He was talking about how hard the hike was (it wasn't hard physically)... one day we hiked for eight hours, starting at 13,000 feet, climbing to 15,000 and ending the day back at 13,000. We were walking around the mountain, while acclimatizing!
I woke up just after sunrise, in my own bed - looking around and exhaling, feeling my home hug me.
After 3 1/2 weeks of travel, we couldn't have planned this any better. Greeted with cards and a few gifts to open later today, we will BBQ and have a glass of wine for dinner as we adjust to life.
There's a lot to do today... unpack six bags, laundry, baking, settling back in. I have so much to share with you but find myself overwhelmed by the events of the last month so I will let the photo's tell the story.
Today let's start with part one... Istanbul.
Have you been to Istanbul? WT told me I would love it, he was right! This was the perfect way to begin our adventure. A few days to adjust to the time zone while decompressing before heading to Tanzania.
14 million people, second largest city in the world, filled with religion, history... click here to learn more
.JPG)
.JPG)
Good mourning.
Yes, mourning not morning.
Thursday our thirteen year old dog, Sadie Monster, woke up and I knew
something was wrong… immediately.
With the holiday weekend approaching I decided to bring her
to the vet, as a precaution. I went to the vet thinking she caught a virus, maybe it was time for arthritis medication. I wasn't prepared to hear that she had a tumor rupture and was bleeding internally,
actively dying.
I drove home alone, crying while on the phone with AWP.
The queen is gone and her princesses are looking for her,
trying to reconcile what happened, where did she go? When will she come home?
.JPG)
Yesterday, in memory of Sadie, we took a
long car ride to my favorite place.
Stone Barns is a farm to table, organic, a favorite. I feel at peace when I get to Sleepy Hallow,
drive to the farm, see the chickens and pigs, rows of herbs being grown. It’s majestically
calm.
Dogs are allowed on the property, just not in the pastures
(yes, people are allowed to walk with the pigs and chickens). Sadie would have loved it there. We walked in
the rain, Jessie and Lily had hard boiled eggs at the café, I had… PB&J and a latte.
We packed up, drove across the Tappan Zee and had a quiet
night at home.
We miss you Sadie, but I know you are in heaven with Balto…
running, chasing her, driving her nuts. Don’t worry Monster, I will take care
of Jessie and Lily.
This has been a high activity week for Africa prep.
Click here to read a list of gear already purchased... $1200USD
You get what you pay for: we are paying for two opportunities to summit, staying one night in the arctic zone (18,500 ft) and our summit hike will take 3-4 hours. If we are feeling good and the weather is favorable I'm told we can stay up there for a while.
I'm shocked when I see adverts to reach the summit for $2,000 or less. I read one blogger's experience were he climbed 4,000 feet to the summit in one day, twelve hours of hiking! He only spent a few minutes at the top and mentioned how painful the hike was..
Shots received this week... 12!
Yellow Fever
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Typhoid
Rabies
Cholera
Influenza
Tetanus
Measles/Mumps/Rubella
Pneumococcal
Polio
Varicella
I walked out with six prescriptions, traveling with four:
Malaria
Ambien
Diamox (acute mountain sickness)
Cipro
Jungle medical kit
After I recover from the Yellow Fever, I will take the 'live typhoid' over four days. I go back to the doctor on June 14 for one more set of vaccines and Typhoid sign off so I have valid CDC paperwork.
Bug control isn't an issue on the mountain but is on day one while in Arusha, and when we come back down for the Safari part of our trip. We will travel with Deet, and our doctor's secret... Permetherin (an insecticide spray that works on gear for one week).
Arctic Zone gear:
- Gore-Tex jackets and pants
- Down jackets
- Mittens
- Windstopper fleece gloves
- Insultated Mountain Mittens
Other:
- gaiters
- rain poncho
- sleeping bags
- sleep pad
- trekking telescopic poles
Gear for two: $1,800 to date with about $500 to go.
Life, it's happening!
This week we are applying for our visas which means WT is grounded until we get his passport back. Prefect excuse to fly our son home for a visit ~ woohoo!
Visas: Passports will be sent in tomorrow, with a $100 check for each (plus expedite fees). The turn around is usually a month but we are trying to speed this up so Bill can get back to traveling.
Medical: With Bill's third world/ international travel he's current on vaccines. I need to set up my medical appointment to begin the vaccine process (and quarterly blood draw for Lymes status).
Shots & medication: One of these is a three part series so I will start the process this week.
Here's a list of the shots I need:
Yellow Fever
Tetanus
Hepatitis A
MMR and Polio update
Typhoid Fever
Hepatitis B
There are also a few prescription medications to travel with:
Diamox (acute mountain sickness)
Zpack (super strength antibiotic)
Anti-malarial
Shopping: The hidden costs that accompany any adventure! With the World Traveler grounded... this is the perfect time to research, shop and buy. We are buying everything online but still have to try on apparel/shoes to make sure we have proper fit.
Items purchased this weekend:
WT's hiking boots: $250 retail, found online for $140
Mari's hiking boots: $290 retail, no online deals
Six pair wool socks: $18/pair, found online for $8/pair
Two duffle bags (Sherpa's carry from camp to camp): $80 each but we found them for $30 each!
WT's solar day pack: $239
WT's convertible zip offs: $80 retail, $20 online
Mari's Convertible zip offs: $75 retail, $30 online
Retail value: $1,200
We spent $827
We are in the three month window so our focus, chatter will start to shift towards planning and preparing. I hope you will enjoy following these posts - I'm mostly posting my journey since I can't find any online journals and don't know anyone who has done this... I'm in uncharted territory and don't want anyone else to plan such a trip 'blindly'.
Time to lace up my shoes, enjoy a sunny Sunday, and get a run in!
I have been researching, planning, and doing more research to make sure I understand what I'm getting myself into...
My next adventure will test my boundaries and comfort....
I'm climbing one of the Seven Summits! Mount Kilimanjaro to be specific.
I'm in love with Africa. It's also the least rigorous of the seven, and I have breathing concerns related to elevation (my lungs burn quickly).
I have been exploring this idea for a while. Just a few months after completing the Ultra Marathon (Jan 2011) while traveling in Italy I met a gal who has climbed a few summits. She even invited me to join a climbing group in NY to learn how to climb. The commitment was to much at the time, with a six hour drive each way, but the idea stuck.
Eighteen months later I'm beyond excited to tell you that I have my eyes set on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro (summit:19,341).
More to follow as I finalize plans bookending the trek (Istanbul prior to our arrival at base camp, and a week relaxing/exploring Tanzania post summit). Yes, I have talked WT into doing this with me which makes this a 'we' challenge (one of us will over prepare, one will show the other that preparing is overrated). HA!
~ Life, it's happening!
Hello Friends,
Have you been on a cruise? Do you enjoy them?
Earlier this month, I joined my father on a seven night cruise from NYC to Southampton, to visit Oxford and London. We would sail to London (3,459 miles) and fly home. My father had double knee replacement surgery this year and I didn't want him to travel alone. He wanted to take cruise vs flying to avoid the small seats and gradual time change. Did you know that at sea they adjust an hour a day, midday?
Leading up to the trip I was anxious since there is no way off the boat, January is the known for rough seas, and the news confirmed a terrible flu outbreak on the QM2.
Cruise Highlights:
The QM2 made no stops… it was me, water, a boat, and a thousand senior citizens ~ photo to right was my uniform: headset, scarf, vest, sunglasses, ipod
I met Celia Imrie. She’s just delightful
Madame Butterfly - in 3D
The entertainment was okay. The violinist on board will be on Britain's Got Talent, he has a great spirit about him.
Satellite internet is very slow, and expensive, but kept me busy. I was able to be online everyday. I worked for a few hours each morning, keeping up with email, enjoying the view and consuming a lot of green tea.
Video Skype is amazing
My dad was a big hit! There were at least 50 widows/single ladies for every one man on board. I kept joking that I accompanied him to make sure he didn't get married.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)