WRD: Paris Edition

Better late than never

Unfortunately I’m too late to join the fun at the Weekly Run Down Link-Up, but I thought I’d quickly recap the week and at least try to catch up with my fellow bloggers (last week I failed getting to all the blogs – I need more time in the days!).

Deborah and Kim are the amazing hosts for the Weekly Run Down! Feel free to join in as well to wrap up your week in fitness!

WEEK 31

Plan vs. Actual

Monday – 3.25KM walk, GLI gym 1 hr intake – no workout (appt w/different PT), 3.5KM biking
Tuesday – 3KM walk (office day) to and from train station
Wednesday – 3KM walk, W6R1 run, 6KM, GLI 1 hour, gym 55 min
Thursday – 2.22KM walk, gym
Friday – 2.75KM walk, W6R2 run , gym 55 min
Saturday – 2.5KM walk, parkrun in Alkmaar 5KM, 17/17 Dutch parkruns done!
Sunday 2KM walk, long run W6R3, 1.4KM w/u walk, 10KM run (!!!)

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My plans didn’t quite go as I had, well, planned.

this week in fitness
  • Biking – 20KM (two days commute + some extra)
  • Walking – 3KM, + another million kilometers in Paris
  • Running – 14KM
  • Gym – 1x (RPM Sprint + RPM)

Monday – I did manage to get Ron up and out with me early Monday morning; we wanted to do 1KM walk, 2KM run and then if he was feeling ok, then we’d double it. But… his leg and hip were really bothering him so we only managed 1 round of 3KM walking.

Tuesday – I got up around 5:30am and only managed to sort out food for the day and packing my bag for the gym. Vincent and I did back to back RPM and Marie-Jose joined us for the second session. Ron did his thing at the gym as well, but wanted to focus on strength and running.

Wednesday – I was so incredibly tired. Sleep didn’t go very well at all so I basically stayed in bed until as late as possible. I was going to run after work, got working on some parkrun stuff and it was pretty much game over after that.

Thursday – day off! Yep. I worked the last Friday of December so I got to have an extra day of in exchange for that. I got up and got dressed, ran to the park where I met Chantor (my old trainer) and then he and I went around the course that we are proposing for parkrun with his measuring wheel. Our round is a tiny bit too long so we still need to figure out start and finish points. It was good to see him (and his baby boy – who slept the entire time we were out) and chat about all things running. I ran back home after that.

of course the rain started as soon as I step foot outside…
Luckily it dried up on my way home

Friday – day off! Ron had to work from home until 12:30 so in the morning I got packed and then went to the store to pick up some travel food and a little gift for a running friend of mine in Paris would would be picking us up for parkrun on Saturday morning. I prepared sandwiches and packed fruit and some veg (celery and cucumbers) for the drive.

Bon soir, Paris!

Because we left around 1:30pm I knew we were bound to hit traffic. We made a couple of stops but of course it took the longest once we actually approached Paris. We *finally* got to the hotel around 8pm (It’s a 5.5 hour drive normally, but, Paris on a Friday night…). We checked in, dropped our things in the room, then left again to have pizza and wine around the corner from our hotel. I really though Ron was so brave after the Pizza Incident in Dusseldorf!

Saturday – currently known as parkrun day! Laurent picked us up after a bit of breakfast and we took the short drive with him to Bois de Boulogne, which is also happens to be a bit of the marathon course! There were about 60 people there, many tourists, some locals and some local expats. The weather was GREAT for running and again I ran the 5KM all in one go. Now if I can only just do that at home and not only for parkrun.

Laurent is also on his parkrun core team! We met online in 2015 and ran together in the 2016 Paris Marathon Breakfast Run

Afterwards about 20 of those participants went for a coffee by a little place around the corner from the finish of the course. It was interesting to talk to a few local people and also one expat who was from England who I thought had the most amazing french! He spoke with such ease! I always wanted to be fluent in French and then I moved to the Netherlands! Ha! Three years of French out the window. Anyway…

We went back to the hotel, showered and changed and then went out for a bite of lunch. The rest of the day was walking and just taking it all in eventually making our way down to the Seine for an evening boat “cruise”. We were early so we nipped into a bistro for wine (as you do) until it was time to get to the boat.

somehow I never tire of this view

I’ve never done a boat tour in Paris before and it was especially lovely at night! A wonderful and educational experience.

Afterwards of course we needed to eat (again) but with the transportation strike we had to eat somewhere around the Eiffel Tower and that area is just expensive (because tourists) and the food is hit or miss. We picked a place that we thought had to potential to be decent – and it was ok but nothing to write home about – made jokes about the food, drank more wine and when we were done we paid and called for an uber.

Ron’s Birthday

Sunday – Another early start since we had tickets for the Louvre at 9:30 and due to the strike we didn’t know how much time it would take to get there even with an uber. So up and at ’em; showered, dressed, breakfasted and in line for the Louve at 9:15am. I even had snacks and water packed and was wearing my compression socks. The 50+ year old me doesn’t mess with all day museum days anymore without compression socks!


the crowds were much much bigger later on in the day

The da Vinci exhibition was amazing and our ticket also got us into the rest of the Louvre. Of course the museum is so huge, there is no way you can do the whole thing in one day. We decided to just go up to the wing with Italian, French and Spanish painters and of course see the Mona Lisa. The only other time I’ve been to the Louvre was 25 years ago taking photos was really hard back then if you didn’t really know how to work a camera. Finally I got a close up of the tiny painting!

still not the best photo, but better than the blurry mess I made 25 years ago

Afterwards I needed some time to relax and put my feet and legs up where I could so we found one of the Starbucks’ inside the Louvre and picked an empty corner upstairs. A coffee, a sandwich and about an hour later and I was finally ready to go.

We then walked up to the Hard Rock Cafe (because we love it), and had birthday drinks and burgers for my “old” guy! Eventually it was time to get an uber again to take us back to the hotel.

Another odd week ahead

I’m still preparing for my “hormone reset” – I hope to fill you in more on that next week. Once again I also work only 3 days this week. I better not get used to it since I have no more days off (except the regular Friday) until March.

The plan for the coming week

  • Monday – drive back home (we are home as of this writing)
  • Tuesday – AM running (run/walk), PM RPM double bill
  • Wednesday – AM strength training, PM Pilates
  • Thursday – AM @home RPM, PM massage if I get appointments
  • Friday – Run
  • Saturday – RPM and Strength at home
  • Sunday – Run

How was your week? Are you still trying to get it all together or do you feel like you are on track again? Have you been to Paris? Did you study any languages? Have you been to the Louvre?

19 thoughts on “WRD: Paris Edition

  1. Happy birthday to your hubs and what a fun way to celebrate in Paris. Yay for running 5K straight again. You look happy. I was so surprised by how small the Mona Lisa was!

  2. Happy birthday, Ron!

    It cracks me up how small the Mona Lisa is. It’s just so…. incredible, but just not quite what I always pictured in my head.

    I’m so glad you had a wonderful trip! It looks like you had a blast!

    1. thanks Jenn! what’s funny nowadays are all the people taking selfies with the Mona Lisa instead of taking photos of the actual painting!

  3. Aw Paris! I’ve never been and now I really want to go. Museum days are rough. We usually go to Chicago over my stepsons’ spring break and hit up the museums. This year I’m hoping to run the Shamrock Shuffle on our trip but it’s going to really hurt afterwards to spend the day at a museum.

    1. Oh you should go! and they never stop being rough on the legs! but always worth it!! OMG when we ran Athens we actually went up to the Acropolis the next day! now THAT was rough!!!

  4. Awhhhh, I wish I could have crashed your little trip to Paris :-) I’ve never been, but hope to get there someday. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see the Louvre! I was a total art geek when I was in school, and that has not changed LOL Happy Birthday to the dude :-)

    1. omg Kim you MUST go there. You would just die seeing all the amazing famous art in the canvas flesh!! and they have so many amazing museums. You can’t go to all of them and do the museums justice! Thank you, I’ll pass on the wishes!

  5. You got a great photo of the Mona Lisa! And a Starbuck in the Louvre? I’d be in heaven. I don’t think they had one when I was there 18 years ago … and I was a Starbucks junkie back then anyway, although I would have nipped into the bistro with you! I love all you are doing with Parkrun! Such a gift to your community.

    1. yes Starbucks in the Louvre! But it must only be the last 10 years maybe? I was definitely still at the Bux when we opened in France. There are TWO of them!! And thanks – I do get frustrated trying to talk people into helping with parkrun – everyone pretty much says no without really knowing that it’s not THAT much of a commitment.

  6. Sounds like a great trip to Paris! That’s such a smart idea to wear compression socks for the museum :) I always forget how much walking that ends up being and have sore feet afterward.

    1. it was so lovely :) and oh many my feet really did hurt, but the next day it was like nothing happened! I think the compression socks really work!

  7. I went to Paris and stayed with a friend for my 25th birthday! I had a good time and my French was great after a wine or two! I haven’t been back, although not for any reason and I have been back to France. I learned French at school up until A level (so 11-17) and I’m not bad but have a terrible accent. I’m learning Spanish now and that’s not going too badly, plus I seem to be able to make myself understood, at least!

  8. What a lovely birthday trip! Happy Birthday to Ron!
    I started taking French in first grade and all the way through high school and I still don’t feel fluent! Ha! That said, they seem to understand me in Paris. Isn’t it crazy how small the ML painting is? Such crowds to get anywhere near her too. Ugh.

  9. What fun!!! I kept thinking–oh a drive to Paris! It’s just as far as it is for me to go to Door County, lol. Perspective…

    Anxious to hear all about your hormone reset. Of course, since I don’t have those anymore, it won’t be relevant. :p Just interesting.

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