Tuesday, October 28, 2014

My first Swiss race

Bonjour everyone! How are things?  I know that I've been slacking on the blog posts lately.  I suppose that I've been either busy or just not really feeling like blogging?

Last week was fairly uneventful for me.  Aside from regular work stuff, the most notable thing that happened was that I had a coaching lunch where my coach (another American expat) encouraged me to do some soul searching to figure out what path I want to put myself on when my two years is up.  This was a semi-stressful conversation to have.. not only do I feel like I have only just arrived in Geneva, but I also have no clue what path I want to follow in 2016!  I know that in a way, he is totally right, I do need to think about things like that, but honestly, I just don't want to!

On to happier topics...

The weather has been really pleasant lately!  We hit a cold snap last week that made me definitely think that I do not have warm enough clothes, but then things turned for the warmer, and though it has been chilly in the mornings, the afternoons have been really pleasant.

Sunrise view from my apartment balcony

I bought a BuyClub (similar to a Groupon) for a yoga studio that was highly recommended by a friend.  I went to my first class there last Thursday  night (after grocery shopping of course!), and I loved it!!  My schedule this week is a bit nuts, so I don't know if I will make it back to another class this week, but I have already penciled in a class next week.  I am so excited to get back into a yoga studio!!

Friday night, my friend Lauren had some people over for fondue.  This was my first time ever having homemade fondue, and it was awesome!  Way more delicious than any fondue I had ever had before.  We ate it with bread and boiled potatoes, with some cured meats and pickles on the side.  A super fun evening, but in typical Swiss fashion, her neighbors were banging on the pipes to tell us to be quiet shortly after midnight :(

Mmm cheese...

Yesterday, I ran the Lausanne Half Marathon!  I had signed up for this race ages ago, thinking that it would motivate me to do some serious running when I moved here.  Unfortunately, that didn't really go according to plan, but since I was already signed up, I didn't want to bail on the race!  I took the train over to Lausanne (about 45 minutes away), picked up my bib, and then enjoyed the sunshine until it was race time!  The half marathon didn't start until 1:45pm, and my corral didn't actually start until about 2pm, so it was nice to run in the warm sunshine!  The course was beautiful, going along the lake, the Lavaux wine region, and through some cute cobblestone streets.

View from the train.. blue skies!!

Lovely Lausanne



And we're off!!

There were loads of spectators, as the course took us by people's homes, along the river, and through villages.






The Lavaux vineyards are actually a UNESCO World Heritage site!

As for the race itself, it wasn't my best!  I think that the longest I've run since moving to Geneva is 3.5 miles, so to say that I wasn't well prepared is definitely an understatement.  And of course, I felt it on the course.  After the first 10K or so, I had to take walk breaks fairly often, but I was in good spirits mentally, and I finished the race in 2:29!  Not bad for zero training haha.

This week is a bit hectic for me.  Tonight I have French class, tomorrow night we are welcoming a new expat by going out for burgers, Wednesday night I am travelling to Yverdon to teach a training there on Thursday, and then Friday, I leave for Munich!!  I am so excited to see Stephanie!  Have a good week my friends!



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