the one with my first race

this is me in the backyard before the race

race day!

i've been training for this for 6 months.

it came...

and it went!

i ran my first race ever in my whole life! i enjoyed, savored every moment of it. is that a way to say i took my time? enjoyed the scenery? yes..it is. i took it easy, and if i wasn't the last runner, i was close to the last runner. the swiss are all freakishly fit! there were old, old people walking faster than i was running. that was disconcerting, but i put myself in my "bubble" and tried to just concentrate on myself, and i got through it. i even made it up most of the way on the S.A.H.!!!! i was surprised! i did have to stop and walk a little bit, but i was able to get it back together and finish the last kilometer with energy. thank goodness the last 1/2 kilometer was doooown hill. ahhhh. when i crossed the finish line, they announced MY NAME!! ahhh! i was so surprised!

my time: 36:46. yay me!

now we're cracking open a bottle of bubbly. :-)

hope you're having a good day too.

le freak, so chic

ahhhh

freak out!

le freak, so chic!

everything i've been planning and looking forward to is coming together. everything is going to pretty much happen at once! hang on! everything is "snowballing!"

first up is this saturday's 5K. my very first one ever. i'm ready. can't wait! i'm going friday morning over to the "expo" to pick up my packet.

afer the race, the very next morning, i'm flying to virginia to get ready for #1 daughter's college graduation. but i'll be back soon - in order to attend #1 son's high school graduation! (jet lag! what's that??)

my goal for the month of may is to run at least 16 miles a week. with all the travelling it will be a challenge to stay with it, but i'm motivated and don't want to lose momentum. there's a race in bern in june...so if sign up for it, i will have more reason to keep running, right??!! it's the schweizer frauenlauf (swiss women's race), sunday june 10. i will be packing out the week after that race...maybe i really should sign up for it. the running will keep me focused instead of freaking out about all the stuff i have to do.

i ran today in the baerenreid forrest. i took it slow and easy, but made it all the way to the top of the little mountain. that's an approximate 200 feet elevation in 2 miles. i made 2.33 miles in 21 minutos, amigos. slow and steady, just like the tortoise. my legs were feeling a little tired, especially my lower calves, but i was going slow enough, i kept my heart rate and breathing at a comfortable level. i only stopped at the very top to take a swig of water, stretch out my lower back, check on miz nina....then we headed back the way we came. it was nice and cool this morning - about 50 degrees. felt wonderful. i had to stop again just before i was finished for miz nina to take an unexpected poo. ha. so..whatever. i counted in that time too.

there's lots going on for my little family. i'll post in my blog as often as i can, but it will certainly be limited due to the travelling, moving, and setting up a new household. but! before i go, i'll write about my first 5K!

hope you're having a good day wherever you are.

hornussen

so...yesterday i ran one of my usual trails, going by a spot i've gone by numerous times before and always wondered about. yesterday there were men out practicing the sport -- something i'd never ever seen before. i did a google-search on traditional swiss sports and came up with what it is! it's called HORNUSSEN and looks like a combination golf/baseball/shotput kinda event. i saw the guy holding a pole that was long and bendy like a fishing pole, and he was flinging a wad of something down field. pretty darn interesting i must say! it freaked out miz nina though. i'd love to see a full game so i'll keep checking back now that the weather is better. those crazy swiss!

photo from http://www.businesslunchclub.ch/img/hornussen.jpg

i'm registered for the 5K in the Bern Grand Prix on May 12. now it's official.

in other news, my run yesterday blew. i didn't feel well but at least i went. today i'm not going. i'm a wimp. tomorrow i'll run. tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow

another sport i'm fond of -- HURLING.

i discovered that in ireland. now THAT'S a REAL GAME!!

hurling pic:

http://images.google.ch/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tipperary.com/postcard/images/hurling.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.tipperary.com/postcard/ecards.aspx&h=480&w=640&sz=72&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=GBcgrBMFIjkKhM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhurling%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26newwindow%3D1%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DN