A New Running Plan and Feeling Good

I know it's only Tuesday, but I'm feeling REALLY good about this week!

At the end of last week/this weekend, I wasn't feeling very positive about my body or how I was doing. I was stressed with apartment hunting and food and in a really negative mind-space. Then, after talking to a few friends who read the blog, getting some good comments, and reading a good motivational blog post (Thanks, Jenny!), I'm feeling worlds better. Everyone is right: We're SO much harder on ourselves than we'd EVER be on anyone else and, also, my feeling inferior due to everyone's positive blog posts is probably skewed for the same reason I tend to disappear when I'm doing poorly on my journey. Need to keep that in mind before judging myself based on everyone's apparent progress on Twitter, etc. :)

That said, I've been doing SO well this week! Last Friday I had an hour to kill waiting for the bus after giving my CM2 (5th graders) their English oral exam for the Education nationale and so I sat down and plotted out my mileage goals for now until July. Since I have TONS of time until the half in October, my current goals are: 1) to safely work myself up to a weekly 10-mile LSD and 2) to try and keep myself from walking at all during my runs.

In order to accomplish Goal 1, I plotted out the recommended 10% weekly mileage starting with a base mileage of 12. This week my goal is 13 miles and so on and so forth until I'm scheduled to hit my 10-mile LDR at the week of July 4th. I'm planning on focusing on my running until then and trying to mold my calorie intake into building some more muscle and fueling properly for my runs.

For Goal 2, I'm just trying to keep a steady pace and instead of walking trying to replace that "rest time" with a slower jog before picking up my pace. So far, I have had two consecutive runs (4mi and 3mi) where I've done that and it's been great! (NB: I do stop running to avoid getting hit by cars. FYI.) Not stopping to walk really makes me feel empowered and much more proud after the run is over. All good things.

A few photos from last week's 4-miler

Pretty sunset over the Rhône

In order to keep myself running, I'm also having to brush up on my positive self talk. I'm not one of those runners who "enjoy the pain" or any of that. For me, probably 50-75% of the time I'm running I'm thinking about how hard it is and how much my body would rather be walking. I don't do discomfort well. That said, I'm trying to positively "coach" myself like Monica @ Run, Eat, Repeat mentioned in a recent bl0g post. So far, so good. I just keep reminding myself that I'm stronger than I think I am and to remember how far I've come to get here.

Speaking of running, I gotta run now to go pick my very good friend Taylor at the train station! We've been friends since high school and she's getting here today to visit for a week! I'm so excited to see her AND get some runs in with a friend! Tay was a ballerina and a cross-country runner in high school and if you'd have asked be back then if I'd ever go on a run with her, let alone be EXCITED about it, I would have thought you were crazy! Oh, how times change! :)

See? Here's us (Tay's in pink) Junior year of HS at the cast dinner for Oklahoma! :

Yep, I was the old lady.

Judith's Visit (keeping busy)

Judith's visit was exactly what I needed this weekend. Not that I feel particularly better, but it was really good to be with someone who know's me well, can give good advice, keep me busy, have a good time, and, bonus, kind of explain to me what I'm supposed to be reading for Emory. I started reading it and, after reading the introduction, understood less than when I started (seems to be a theme with me this week).

Her visit was also good since she got me to eat regularly for the first time all week. I took her to Ginette and Marcel's for tartines when she first got in and the back the next day for a dessert and tea/coffee. Seriously, if any of you visit me, Ginette and Marcel's is the first place we will go. We also checked out Avignon's Christmas market, drank vin chaud, talked a lot, and took a few walks around the city. She even treated me to dinner at Chez Ripert, a really typical French restaurant in town. Like I said, exactly what I needed.

Avignon's Christmas market is now in full swing.
Sadly I'm a) poor and b) done with most of my xmas shopping!
Judith checking out some "Santons" de provence. People here in the South of France collect them much in the way Americans make Dickens Christmas villages.



Yummy vin chaud and a treat (a small piece of pistachio bark from a nearby artisan's booth)

And, since I blog, photos of my dinner at Chez Ripert. Let's just say I got some odd looks while making these photos happen!

Entrée (which in France means 'appetizer'):
Foie Gras with spiced bread and fig chutney
Plat (main dish):
Magret de canard (duck) with mashed potatoes and sautéed green beans and mushrooms
Me, wearing a new dress J convinced me to buy that day, with my delish food
Dessert:
Poached pear with chocolate sauce and whipped cream
Obligatory after dinner (decaf) coffee
A shared bottle of delicious local wine and a funky water carafe
A photo of a drawing in the menu. For such a traditional restaurant with delicious food, I always find it funny that their menus are handwritten in the little notebooks my French kids use in class. Apparently other French people think the same thing, since (in this photo) someone has taken to writing lines in the back of the menu (the most typical punishment for French primary students)
Dinner was perfect and we spent a few hours just eating and listening to that evening's musician singing French standards (and on breaks random American songs over the radio). Like with my 36 points of beer, I tracked this whole meal too (as best as I could). I used most of my weekly points, but it was so worth it.



We also checked out Ginette and Marcel's for an afternoon "goûter" i.e. snack. I got a yummy raspberry tarte and a tea (also tracked) and Judith and I chatted a bit about everything. It's kind of embarrassing to cry (lightly) in a restaurant, but it's getting better. Plus, at least I looked good, right? I may or may not have bought the same sweater dress in tan as well...





Sadly, we both had to get back on our way Monday AM and she left to go spend the rest of the week up in Paris with the snow and ice. :( I wish she could have stayed longer, but I hope to see her when I'm home in less than TWO weeks and again when she's back in Paris in June. Again, the goal for the moment is just to stay busy!

Last night one of my British friends hosted a Mince Pie/Mulled Wine Christmas Party at her flat, so that was fabulous. More on that and today's run later! :)