July 2013 - My Healthy, Happier Life

Good morning from the train!

I am heading to Paris this morning for my first customer meeting in my new role. It is very odd to say I’m heading to Paris for a customer meeting as it still seems so foreign and novel that I have the ability to take a train to Paris from Geneva! Bo and I were both up at 5am as he has a flight back to London this morning just 30 minutes after my train departs.

The main train station in Geneva is located near the city center and has 8 tracks leaving for destinations such as Paris, Lyon, Zurich, and Basel. I wasn’t sure how long it would take to get to the station from our flat so we allowed plenty of time. Turns out I can make it from door step to train seat in 20 minutes!

As yesterday was a busy day at work and a fun filled evening, I am just catching up on your comments from yesterday’s post. Thank you so much for the positive energy and motivating thoughts. Some of you are right, I don’t have to run a marathon this year and realize that it is okay to take a break. For me, the benefit to running a marathon this Fall is the opportunity to experience it with my best friend Amy and other friends who have decided to come up to Hartford for a weekend of cheering, running and celebrating together.

After work yesterday a few of us headed down to Lake Geneva for a relaxing evening at Bains des Paquis. Most of us went home first to drop off our things so it was almost 7pm by the time we met at the lake. Once again I decided to run down to the lake versus walking or taking the bus. It’s hard for me to do anything else when I know it’s just a 15 minute jog but it would take 20-25 minutes via public transportation or walking due to the location.

It was another gorgeous evening though a bit cooler than previous days due to the heavy rain that came through Sunday and Monday. In fact, Bo was the only one in our group who actually swam yesterday. It was his first time experiencing Bains des Paquis and swimming in Lake Geneva so he couldn’t turn down the opportunity.

Part of our group included two of my new girlfriends in Geneva, Sarah and Emily.

Sarah and I have met previously back in the States via work but never had the chance to get to know each other well as we worked in different cities and parts of the business. A co-worker reintroduced us via email before Bo and I moved over here. Luckily she and her fiance have been fabulous resources and friends while we were house hunting and now that we live in Geneva. While I love getting to know locals, it is nice to have an expat friend!

Emily and I actually met in person yesterday but have been talking via email for the past few weeks. She went to school with Derek, Meghann’s husband, and moved from Tampa just five days ago! As you can tell by now this is one of my favorite spots in Geneva. In both the summer and winter months Bains des Paquis is a relaxing haven for sunlovers. During the Summer months there are floating docks, diving boards, roped off swimming areas for both lap swimming and leisure, along with a bar and cafe serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. They also offer live music as the sun rises each morning in the Summer! Unlike some of the other beaches and yacht clubs in Geneva, entrance is just 2 CHF!For the views of Mont Blanc and the city alone that price is a great deal! Their food never disappoints and is reasonably priced for Geneva. After hanging out on the docks with our feet in the water and chatting for a few hours we ordered dinner and moved up towards the restaurant area where there are more tables and chairs. Our entire group ordered the Greek salad which is my favorite dinner option. Huge chunks of tomatoes are tossed with onions, olives herbs, and feta cheese then drizzled with red wine vinegar and olive oil.

We didn’t leave until past 10pm but it was a perfect way to relax after a long day and enjoy the Summer weather.

Follow:

I’ve drafted three different posts over the past week to talk about my running emotions. Each time I’ve made it about half way through the draft and then closed my computer out of frustration. I found that each post was filled with negative thoughts and energy, something I never want to pass on to my readers. It’s one things to share my emotions, whether they are positive or negative, but it’s another to pass on an unproductive, negative energy.

Instead of publishing or finishing these posts I spent my time talking with people instead. During our run on Saturday I voiced my marathon concerns to Bo. Via email I’ve talked with Theodora, Melissa Z and Gia about the negative mind games and frustrations I’m feeling and experiencing recently. Each person shared a different perspective with me which I feel has left me in a far different position and mindset today than I was just a few days ago.

Let me briefly summarize for you the thoughts I shared with each of these women.

Over the past 3 weeks any run beyond four miles has felt like work.
Running alone is not fun, regardless how gorgeous the scenery is.
My body, primarily back and shoulders, are very sore due to my temporary bed in Geneva. The mattress is the hardest and most uncomfortable thing I’ve ever laid on for an extended period of time.
I haven’t run further than 9 miles in more than a month.
My marathon is 10 weeks and 4 days from today.

Last week was the worst week of training I’ve experienced mentally in years. Every run felt like work. My back and shoulders were in so much pain that it hurt to run even five miles.

Instead of enjoying the gorgeous sunrise, cool temperatures and beautiful scenery my mind filled with doubt and anxiety during each run. I would spend almost the entire run calculating the number of weeks until my marathon and trying to figure out whether going from 8 miles to 26 was even possible.

I drafted an email to my best friend Amy, who is running the marathon with me as her first, explaining that I needed to drop down to the half marathon. I thought about the post I would write to share the news with readers.

Then, during our run together on Saturday, Bo provided me with some much needed advice that changed things.

Give my body and mind two weeks of positive thoughts, nutrition, sleep, support, and workouts before making a marathon decision.

I immediately asked Gia to review my training and put together a plan for the week. Bo and I spent time dreaming of great long run routes for this week’s long run in London. I made a new playlist filled with a variety of music. I downloaded some Jillian Michael podcasts based on recommendations from Theodora and Melissa Z. I spent time thinking about what I loved most about running in New York City. Last but not least, I found another Geneva running buddy. As if someone was listening to all my fears, a fellow runner moved to Geneva on Friday and emailed me to see if I’d be interested in running together. She went to high school with Meghann’s husband and this morning we enjoyed a great run together, talking the entire time. Wouldn’t you know that these were the easiest 4.75 miles I’ve run in 3 weeks. Our pace was right on target and I even pushed myself all the way up the final hill towards my flat.

Sometimes, all that is needed is a change of attitude. I’ll check in after my long run this week to let you all know how things are going and whether the change in attitude and getting out of my own head helps.

Follow:

Greetings from London! If you follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram you may have seen that yesterday I left Geneva for my first weekend in London! After 11 days apart I was more than a tad excited to see Bo! He said goodbye to New York City yesterday with a one way ticket to Heathrow Airport where I met him around 10pm!

As I’ve mentioned before, when Procter & Gamble offered me the expat assignment in Geneva Bo and I had a tough choice to make as there weren’t any options in Geneva that would allow him to stay with his employer or further his career based on his current work. By sheer luck, there was an opening on his same team with Barclay’s in their London office, where Barclay’s is based. Through an internal interview process he was offered the role! Therefore, Bo and I will be living in separate cities Monday through Thursday each week. But, each weekend we will be together either in one of our home cities or another European city. While for some, this may be hard to fathom, but keep in mind we have been together for ten years. Over the course of this time we’ve been in different cities for four of the years. The key for us has always been constant communication via email and phone along with seeing each other as often as possible.

Luckily, Bo has already visited Geneva a few times so he is familiar with my network of friends and colleague. Beginning today, I’ll have a chance to begin meeting his colleagues here so I can become more familiar with the people he will work with and spend time with each day. This familiarity and our choice to not prioritize one of the cities as home base will help ensure each city and flat feels like home for us!

We kicked off our morning in London with a run along The Thames. Unfortunately it wasn’t the most scenic or easy run until the end as running from Canary Warf westbound towards Millennium Bridge doesn’t have a constant running path. But, regardless of scenery or ease enjoying 5-6 miles through the streets together is our favorite way to begin discovering any new city!

We ended our run in a perfect spot, Borough Market! Located in the London Bridge neighborhood, this large outdoor market has existed in some form since the year 1014! Today it’s filled with local vendors sourcing the freshest produce, game, fish, and culinary creations!

Today is Bo’s 29th birthday so we’re going to spend the rest of the day doing anything he wants! So far this includes fish & chips for lunch and walking around two of our potential neighborhoods taking in the sights and the lovely, cool London weather together.