Kerrel: The French Connection - Stage III

Stage III The French Connection began on Sunday 4-27-08 with an early start, and a 20 minute speed walk (with two very large suit cases in tow) from my daughter’s apartment to the rendezvous point for the volleyball team’s departure from Niort, France to Albi, France for her last regular season game.

Personally my estimation of the total distance covered in 20 minutes was approximately 27 Kilometers, but I am sure that total may be slightly exaggerated. Try chasing my daughter the professional athlete down the street sometime and you will know how I felt!

During the 5 hour trek by van southerly to our destination I got the pleasure of viewing some of the prettiest country I have ever seen, and the transition for the middle portion of France to the terrain typical for southern France.

Although southern France (like northern France) is rolling hills covered with well kept farms, cattle/sheep operations and crops ranging from vineyards to wheat fields, the vertical change from valley bottom to the top of each hill is far less in the south and the valleys much wider.

Upon arriving in Albi, we found ourselves downtown in the middle of some sort of cross-country running race. I was unable to find out just how far these people were running (due to my inadequate knowledge of the French Language I am sure), but the total number of participants made navigation to the site of the volleyball game a little difficult.

Game Time!

Some months ago I made the statement that my daughter’s team was the “New England Patriots” of France (I meant still undefeated). At the time I did not know just how prophetic that statement was going to be. Unfortunately, the girls from Niort fell to Albi in their last regular season game and ended with an overall record of 19-1.

The contest was hard fought on both sides, but this was simply Albi’s day! Regardless of the outcome of this contest, my daughters team from Niort has won their region and will begin the playoffs to determine the French overall champion of their division on Sunday May 11.

Below is a picture of the 3 foreign players (non-french) on my daughter’s team preparing to receive serve from Albi in game 4. On the left daughter Lacey (USA), Middle Amsetou (Cameroon), and right Anne (Germany).

Following the contest my daughter and I were fortunate enough to get transportation from the coach of the Albi team and his wife and the President of the Albi Volleyball Club to the hotel we had reserved for the night.

Just more proof of what a small world we live in, the coaches’ wife is from Wichita, Kansas and the two of us were born approximately 50 miles apart!

My original plan had been to depart Albi the day following the game with luggage and fly fishing gear in hand (yes I always take my fly gear with me!) and head for the Pyrenees for fly fishing and exploring. Due to weather and more importantly a limited opportunity for suitable transportation the decision was made to forego the fly fishing expedition and spend the next day touring Albi.

Below is a picture of downtown Albi with the cathedral in the background (this is a massive structure) and the Tarn River. The bridge in the foreground is the Le Pont Neuf which was originally constructed on 1866, and the bridge further down stream, the Le Pont Vieux originally constructed sometime in the 11th Century! Apparently the Pont Vieux has been damaged due to high flood waters, but never completely destroyed since originally completed!

And during our walking tour of Albi I found the location for a branch office of PGS, Inc. A little modification to the sign and we are set. Ron, I think you should allow me to handle the operation of this branch of your firm.

Following a day of touring Albi, it was time to get some sleep, and start the next day on our long train/bus/taxi ride back to Paris and my return to the US on Wednesday.

Wednesday, April 30 in Paris, and it is time for me to return home. A little excitement at the airport as a bomb scare near my check-in station with Air Canada caused a few delays, but I did manage to get luggage checked, navigate my way through security. I found out later that the bomb scare had actually been real. Luckily I had made it through security before the real excitement started. Apparently the French military took control of that section of the airport for a time to dispose of the “bomb”.

As I prepare for the long plane ride home (17 plus hours) my thoughts about this particular adventure and France in general are:

Paris is gigantic, and way too big of a place for me to spend much time,
France is loaded with beautiful scenery and friendly people………….and YES the local wines are fantastic!

I have had a wonderful time on this trip to France, however, it will really feel good to be home!

If, no let me say WHEN, I travel here again I want to spend more time at Normandy, visit the Pyrenees for some fly fishing (I know fly fishing is a dirty thankless job but someone has to do it!), and if possible check out the Alps.

Lift off from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport was successful and on time and with12 more hours of flight travel (while writing this I am somewhere over the Atlantic), it is home sweet home for me.

Cheers!

Vancouver Marathon in Eight Easy Steps

Step 1: The Lapse in Judgment

After running the Portland Marathon in October of '07 and failing to qualify for Boston I signed up to run the Vancouver International Marathon slated for May '08.

Step 2: Train Well

After taking most of November off and gaining almost 10 pounds after the October Portland Marathon it was time to get serious about training….. well, maybe. Shin problems in December forced me to take a break from running and use the bike for cardio. January and February went well but when I added speed work in late February the shin problems resurfaced. Training would be on again – off again up until taper time late in April.

Step 3: Positive Attitude

As I entered the taper phase of my training I was really feeling under trained. I just wasn't getting the big miles late in my training and yet the muscles were still feeling fatigued after even short runs. The muscles also were not recovering well and felt sore much of the time. My confidence in completing the marathon was waning and the hopes for a BQ were all but gone. Still, I kept trying to give myself pep talks and tell myself that I would be feeling strong on race morning.

Step 4: Pre-Race Prep

This I did well. The trip to Vancouver the day before the race was uneventful and relaxing. Our room at the Metropolitan was fantastic. The hotel service was great. Sue and I met up with Greg and Hayden for an early carbo load and to discuss race tactics. Mostly the talk was centered around my fear of just how bad this race was going to be for me. Sue and I later went for a lighter meal, where the talk was at least a little more positive, before retiring for the evening. I had a bit of a fitful sleep but still felt pretty rested when morning came.

Sue, Greg, Hayden, and I had a nice leisurely 1/2 mile walk to the start area and I was feeling much more positive at this point. I made some light hearted jokes about bailing but really knew that this race was going to happen and that I would finish. The starting area is such that by hanging back a ways we were able to hang with Sue and Hayden right up until just before the start. Greg and I made our way through the crowd of starters up to the 3:30 pace group for the start.

Step 5: Choose a Wise Pace – Miles 0-6

I was a bit surprised at the congestion in the first mile. There are approximately 3000 people at the start and you would expect that things would open up quicker but the first mile was slow. Once things opened up I was letting Greg set the pace and we started clipping along in the high 7's with my goal pace at 8. I was thinking that it would be nice to bank some time so I kept the pace up in the 7:50 range for these miles.

Normally I have to hold myself back early in a race but at this pace I felt like I was pushing a bit hard. My legs are feeling pretty good but I really didn't get comfortable with this pace until around mile 6. By mile 3 Greg was off on his own running something in the low to mid 7's. I really wished him a good run. The dude is fast. Somewhere in mile 3 I see the race leaders coming back towards us on the out and back stretch. This is always the highlight of Vancouver for me. Those guys are flying!

Step 6: Cruise the Middle Miles – Miles 7-20

These are always the best miles for me. I get to see Sue and Hayden cheering me on at mile 7 and I'm finally feeling good with my pace. I am actually beginning to get this small hope of actually holding this pace for the remaining 19 miles. The race winds through commercial, industrial, and residential areas, up and down hills, then along the waterfront into Stanley Park. I get to see Sue and Hayden again in mile 11. This is another cool aspect of the Vancouver Marathon; it is easy for friends and family to catch you at several locations during the race.

Mile 11 is also where the 8:30 group actually catches me. The pace groups in Vancouver do the 'Run 10 – Walk 1' thing. It works but for some reason I just don't like it. A marathon is about enduring 26.2 miles of sustained running. Not 26.2 miles of running – walking – rest breaks. I don't care how fast you run, but run damn it! Anyway, these guys really mess up my pace because when they run they run at about a 7:40 pace so that with the 1 minute of walking thrown in they end up with an average 8:00 pace. For the next few miles I was dealing with this seesaw thing where I would pass them as they stopped for their walk break and then they would pass me during their running. Every time they would pass I would end up speeding up to their pace for a while. It sucks!

I crossed the halfway point with a time of 1:44:26, which is right where I want to be. I also begin to notice blisters developing on my feet at this point. This isn't good but blisters have never really been a limiting factor, just an annoyance, so I wasn't really worried….. yet. The hills through Stanley Park are much bigger and more often than they appear on the race profile sheet but I knew this from last year's race. I continue to hold my 8:00 pace through the park and then along Pacific Ave. up to the Burrard bridge in mile 17. I get to see Sue and Hayden again here, always good to have 2 beautiful women cheering you on! Then it's up and over the bridge and into the Kitslano and Jericho Beach neighborhoods and more hills. I cross the 20 mile mark at 2:39:46, right on target!

Step 7: Reserves for a Strong Finish – Miles 21-26.2

I am really beginning to feel the effects of running 20 miles at just under an 8:00 pace average. I fight to keep my pace at or at least near 8:00 through mile 20 and the turnaround point. Just short of the turnaround I meet up with Greg coming back the other direction. We give each other high fives as we pass. Damn, I was really hoping he could hold his fast pace all the way to the finish. My legs hurt as I make the turn and head back on the last leg. I'm still on pace at mile 22 but it's getting hard to keep focus and it feels like I have to speed up just to hold the same pace. In mile 23 I begin to feel myself losing the battle to hold 8's I also see Greg up ahead. I catch Greg in mile 24 and we run together for a bit talking mostly of how much this sucks and how we just want it to be over.

Something I came to realize in this race is that I suffer way better alone. I was still holding 8-somethin's when I caught Greg but I realize that I was subconsciously thinking that once I caught him I could slow down. That was a stupid, big mental blunder. By the time I caught Greg I was off my pace though and would have to average 8:00 pace for the remaining 2 miles just to make the 3:30:59 that I would need for my Boston. I tested my legs a couple of times and there just wasn't any 8:00 miles left in them.

Mile 25 was really bad with a few episodes of full ham cramps and averaging a 10 minute pace. Interestingly, uphill wasn't as bad as downhill at this point. I did OK going up over the Burrard Bridge one last time. Loved the guy's sign that said "put your big girl panties on and deal with it"! Gave him a big thumbs up as I passed but as I started down the other side those damn hams just kept locking up. 1 mile remaining. Greg passes me on the downhill and off he goes while I struggle with my cramps. I knew I should down another gel but my stomach was warning me that it might not be a good idea. I took a Gatorade at the final aid station and pushed on. As the grade flattened my legs began to feel a little better and I was able push the pace up just a tad.

As you enter the finishing stretch you really remember why it is you torture yourself. The combination of the suffering, all the chemicals produced by the body, the crowd screaming for you to finish, the knowledge that you will soon be able to just stop, and the overwhelming sense of accomplishment all flooding the emotions is something that very few people ever get to experience. I see Sue and Hayden yelling encouragements as I near the finish. I wave and yell back at them as I fight back tears and get huge lump in my throat. I cross the finish line at 3:36:09. Damn. I lost over 6 minutes in the final 4 miles. I feel good though as they hang my finisher medal over my neck and there's Greg to meet me! We give each other a huge congratulatory hug and I feel tears well up again and run down my cheeks…. Maybe it's sweat? It's hard to tell at this point.

Step 8: The Recovery

After the finish they take the chip off your shoe and shuffle you through the chutes and into the BC Place coliseum where we get our finishers shirt and some badly needed recovery fuel. Once done here we meet with Sue and Hayden for some more congratulatory hugs and then head back to the hotel to get cleaned up and take a nap. After the nap we meet up with Greg and Hayden again to begin the real recovery process, massive amounts of beer and food! It must have worked because after only a couple of days off I am actually thinking that a nice recovery run this evening is in order. Now it's on to Portland in October for another attempt at a Boston qualifying time. Boston or bust, baby!

Cheers!

Kerrel: The French Connection - Stage II

Stage II of my trip to France began with an evening dinner with Thierry Bonet and Bridgette Turgis, who are great people, and wonderful hosts. This couple is my daughter’s adopted French family, where she lived for a time.

Our evening began with an “apero” (pre-dinner drink) meaning a social time in their living room area complete with Garlic Bread for snacks and generously filled glasses of Bastilles-Ricard, Pineau and Porto, all “powerful adult beverages”. This followed by more conversation at the supper table, vegetables, and “Foie Gras” with bread (Foie being duck liver), and of course a shared bottle of Bordeaux and ???? (by now the type of wine in the second bottle we were drinking did not seem to matter!). The main course was a delicious mixture of turkey and mushrooms in a cream sauce served with rice and more vegetables, topped off by a very rich chocolate cake (gateaux in French).

Through prior arrangement with Thierry (during the “apero”) it was now time for the “Digestif”, consisting of a glass of Cognac and then some home brew Calvados (hard liquor made from apples, estimated by Thierry at 65% or 130 proof!). Believe me, the Calvados is potent stuff!

It may seem hard to believe, but I did survive it all, and arrived back at my daughter’s apartment a little after midnight amazingly feeling no ill affect of any of the evening’s festivities.

One day later I found myself off to Normandy for a visit to the invasion area and a two night stay in Bayeux, France.

Day one was traveling from Niort to Bayeux and a visit to the Tapisserie: a museum with a 70 meter long tapestry on which is the embroidered pictorial story of William the Conqueror and the before, during and after events of the Battle of Hastings, following which William became the ruler of England. Then a short night sleep and off to the Normandy invasion site.

The photo below is Omaha Beach. The rock to the left of the picture is approximately the dividing line between American Sector Easy Red and Fox Green. If any of you have seen the movies “The Longest Day” or “Saving Private Ryan” this is the spot where the actual landings portrayed in those movies took place.

In the picture below two remaining German bunkers can be seen (directly inland from the picture above) with the dunes where the American forces took cover in the foreground. I have always wondered what the distance between the opposing forces was on that day. From the American point of view, if you were lucky enough to survive crossing 200 to 300 yards of wide open beach (at low tide) under fire and make it to the dunes the distance appeared to be approximately 200 yards from the Dunes to the lower bunker, and approximately 300+ to the upper (round knob to the left of the lone tree).

Below is a picture of Point de Hoc.

For you “The Longest Day Fans” this is where the American Army Rangers shot grapples from the beach below to the top of the cliff, and then climbed the cliff with the aid of ropes. Apparently this is one of the only places where the landscape has been left completely untouched since 1944. Bomb craters from the pre-invasion naval bombardment are still visible, along with the remains of a German artillery position in this photo.

After viewing more beaches, other German positions and the locations of feats of heroism on both sides, we went to the town of Carentan. This town was of strategic importance as it was one of the few places that the forces from Utah and Omaha beaches could link up, (consequently it was of equal importance to the German forces) and was the scene of heavy fighting.

For any “Band of Brothers” fans out there, the photo below is the actual monument (in place during the invasion) where “Easy Company” finally grouped up together in France (yours truly in full re-enactment mode of that event).

For all of you aspiring “I am going to visit the Normandy invasion site” people, my recommendations are as follows:

Bayeux, France is a great launching point for your tour, with many good hotels, restaurants, and filled with friendly people. (Beware of the “here comes an American Cowboy” guy outside one of the local taverns!).

I only allowed one day for this particular part of the trip, and in hind sight should have allowed for two whole days.

Take a tour on the first day. There are many ranging from large buses to the Band of Brothers and/or the Overlord tour. The latter two being a maximum of 8 people per van, and a little more “hands on” attention from the tour guides. (I was on the Overlord tour)

Then on day two I would recommend renting a car, motorcycle, or for the ambitious a bicycle and return to the main invasion beaches of your choice to explore, take more photos, and reflect more on the total sacrifice of both sides that was experienced during this particular event in history.

Tomorrow (Sunday, 4-27-08 I think, I seem to have lost track of time), we are off to Albi, France located in the southern part of the country for my daughter’s last regular season volleyball game, more relaxation and touring, then travel north to Paris and a flight home to the U.S. via Toronto to complete this journey.

Sante!