You would think after returning to my normal running routine after a weekend in Paris that there would be nothing interesting to blog about. Especially since I planned a basic routine 2 lap effort around my "home" course on Lacul Titan - surely it would be a ho-hum experience today. Of course you would be wrong!
I should've saw this coming.
Even before I left the states I was aware that many older Europeans have this problem. Yet, once again, I totally ignored the warning signs. As I headed under the bridge during my first lake lap everything seemed ok. It was warm today with temps in the low 70's, and as I expected, the sun worshippers were laying out at their usual spot on a raised embankment near the bridge. Everything seemed ok.
Then, on the second lap - it happened! I came out from under the bridge, rounded a sharp curve...and there he was standing proudly on the bank of Lacul Titan. Yep, you guessed it - A 50 something year old man wearing nothing but a speedo.
Somehow I stayed on my feet and remained on the path. Do they realize the kind of hazard they cause? At least the guy was in pretty good shape (did I actually think that?) but that's not the point. I just don't get it. This is a conservative culture here in Romania. Heck, the older men here hardly ever wear shorts. But as soon as they get near water, they go from long pants to speedos. Amazing.
Romanian Polar Bears?
Oh well. Besides speedo-man, the other weird sight on today's run was people swimming in that nasty pond water that can't be much more than 60-65 degrees. There was ice on it less than 2 months ago! Thankfully, I only had to see speedo man one more time, and it was from the opposite side of the Lake. Him and his speedo was last seen sliding into the nasty freezing pond water.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Parc de Monceau
Tuesday Morning in Paris.
Despite a good nights sleep, I was a bit tired today and set a modest goal of around 3 miles. It was a little different running on a Tuesday morning as opposed to Sunday in Paris. We stayed in a business oriented district, which is quiet on weekends with little traffic but very busy during the weekdays. I got out at 7:00, however, and the traffic was not too bad. My plan was to run at a nice park, Parc de Monceau, that we stopped at yesterday.
I decided warm up by running to the Arc De Triomphe before hitting the park My gps watch beeped and fussed a bit like yesterday due to the tall buildings blocking the signal. There was also some clouds and haze leftover from rain last night. Like yesterday, the temperature was in the low 50’s. The GPS calmed down when I reached the open area near Parc de Monceau.
Keep on knockin’ but you can’t come in.
I noticed the French are quite serious on locking up their parks at night. I tried one entrance to Monceau and it was padlocked. I then took a detour around the park to find the main entrance. On the way, they had some artists display tents near the gate and the security guard didn’t really like me running through it. He kept saying “Misseur, Si Vous Plait something-something-something” over and over. I decided to play the ignorant American (Yep, I’m a natural) and kept running between the artists tents to the main entrance. He didn’t tackle me from behind, so I guess my violation wasn’t serious enough.
The park is beautiful and I actually took some pics to keep you people (cough...cough… Nathan…cough…cough) happy with my assistant, of course. Enjoy!
There are lots of sculptures and other artsy stuff scattered all over the park.
In addition to the excellent landscaping of the park proper, you also notice really nice architecture on the buildings which border the park. This is not a low rent district; that’s for sure.
The surface of the trails (either hard packed gravel or clay) is also excellent for running and there were many other runners/walkers navigating the outer perimeter trail, which covers about 0.6 miles. The interior trails can be used for variety, and the only negatives are that some are narrow and have the slower folks on them. I ran 2 moderately hard laps around the perimeter before an easy cool-down through the main trail that bisects the park.
Despite a good nights sleep, I was a bit tired today and set a modest goal of around 3 miles. It was a little different running on a Tuesday morning as opposed to Sunday in Paris. We stayed in a business oriented district, which is quiet on weekends with little traffic but very busy during the weekdays. I got out at 7:00, however, and the traffic was not too bad. My plan was to run at a nice park, Parc de Monceau, that we stopped at yesterday.
I decided warm up by running to the Arc De Triomphe before hitting the park My gps watch beeped and fussed a bit like yesterday due to the tall buildings blocking the signal. There was also some clouds and haze leftover from rain last night. Like yesterday, the temperature was in the low 50’s. The GPS calmed down when I reached the open area near Parc de Monceau.
Keep on knockin’ but you can’t come in.
I noticed the French are quite serious on locking up their parks at night. I tried one entrance to Monceau and it was padlocked. I then took a detour around the park to find the main entrance. On the way, they had some artists display tents near the gate and the security guard didn’t really like me running through it. He kept saying “Misseur, Si Vous Plait something-something-something” over and over. I decided to play the ignorant American (Yep, I’m a natural) and kept running between the artists tents to the main entrance. He didn’t tackle me from behind, so I guess my violation wasn’t serious enough.
The park is beautiful and I actually took some pics to keep you people (cough...cough… Nathan…cough…cough) happy with my assistant, of course. Enjoy!
There are lots of sculptures and other artsy stuff scattered all over the park. In addition to the excellent landscaping of the park proper, you also notice really nice architecture on the buildings which border the park. This is not a low rent district; that’s for sure.
The surface of the trails (either hard packed gravel or clay) is also excellent for running and there were many other runners/walkers navigating the outer perimeter trail, which covers about 0.6 miles. The interior trails can be used for variety, and the only negatives are that some are narrow and have the slower folks on them. I ran 2 moderately hard laps around the perimeter before an easy cool-down through the main trail that bisects the park.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Paris! A run for the books!
As my loyal readers (all 2 or 3 of them) know, we are in Paris this weekend. I appreciate all of you who were concerned about the riot situation. Unfortunately, the inept French government gave in to the lawless youths and the violence subsided. I was really hoping to get a picture of Maria in front of a burning car too – bummer. So fellas, this is the best I could do: 
Uh…Steve… about the run...
Oh yeah, sorry for the opening tangent. The weather for this mornings run was perfect. It had to be right around 50 F at 8 am. I started out here at the Hilton and headed down a couple of side streets. After about ¼ mile or so I came out on the Champs Elysees and headed southeast, away from the Arc De Triomphe. The pace of this run was slow; around 9 min miles for a couple of reasons: (1) my legs were beat after all the walking we did yesterday, including walking down about half of the Eiffel Tower at my daughter’s request. (2) This run was just so cool that I couldn’t help going slow and lookin’ at stuff. You have to be careful not to go TOO slow in Paris though, or this could happen:
The goal of this run was to run under the Eiffel Tower, so as soon as I started to see it, I headed in that direction. I took a right turn off the Champs Elysees and crossed the Seine at Pont Alexandre III. Just before the bridge I passed 2 big honkin’ buildings. Believe or not, they are actually not called “big honkin’ buildings”. They were museums called Palais de la Decouverte (Grand Palais and Petit Palais). After getting to the front of Hotel de Invalides (a really old building with a bright gold roof built by Louis the whatever for some injured soldiers), I turned down Rue de Grennelle which came out on Champ De Mars right in front of the Eiffel Tower. Champ De Mars looks like this:
I then proceeded to run under the Eiffel Tower (Ok, is this not the coolest run ever, or what?) and headed for home. I crossed the Seine right in front of the tower and ran along the riverfront for a while before returning to the Champs Elysees. The Sun was rising and the views of the tower were great here. When I got back to the Champs Elysees, the traffic was beginning to pick up, so I figured I’d run to the Arc and then hang a right (thus avoid crossing the huge rotary) and head back to the hotel.
However, when I approached the Arc De Triomphe, I thought “What the heck!”... I sprinted across the Rotary and run under the Arc De Triomphe also.
That was the most enjoyable 5.5 miles I’ve ever ran, and I hope you guys enjoyed this little piece of it.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Best laid plans....
Well, I had a simple plan for today's run. Like last week, I was going to run to the track near Stadiul National and do fast mile or so, and then run back for a cool down. Since I'm writing a blog entry on this otherwise uninteresting interval workout, you can probably guess that things did not go as planned.
After another horrid 1 hour commute home, I decided to get this last run in before we depart for Paris tomorrow. My first mistake was forgetting to let my GPS watch "acquire" satellites by leaving it on the balcony while I get my running stuff on (what I usually do). So, when I left the bloc I had to stand outside looking stupidly at my watch while I waited for the signal to max out. After several painful minutes waiting, I just started the timer and got going. I figured I'd just edit the route using my mapping software later (Geek alert!!! - sorry let's continue). I did make a mental note to get the next generation GPS watch for Christmas as my reward for surviving 1 year of running in Bucharest.
Hello? Hello? Anybody home? Huh? Think, McFly! Think!
Anyway, as I headed to Stadiul National I blissful ignored several signs that my speedwork at the track wasn't going to happen. The first sign was the unusual amount of policemen on the streets as I got closer to the Stadium. The second sign was nearly getting run over by a car full of flag waving Staua (soccer team - translates to "Stars") fans. The third sign was a big gate full of policemen blocking traffic on the road to the stadium - still I didn't get it, until...
I finally made it to the main street in front of Parcul National near the stadium entrance. The place was mobbed!! I finally remembered that Staua is using Stadiul National until their stadium is renovated and they are in the playoffs this year. I said to myself "Nice going Steve, but you'd think you would have put this together 1 mile ago"
Strike while the "pavement" is hot
Yeah I know. Normally the word "iron" is used, but obviously on this blog "normal" is not what you get! I did get one nice surprise at the end of this otherwise forgettable run. In order to get at least 3 miles in, I decided to head back to Parcul Titan for a quick loop of the Northern section. I entered the park in the northwest corner; it's an area that I had not run in since wintertime. I was surprised to see fresh pavement on the paths! Real smooth pavement too - not the communist kind! And it was fresh - really fresh - in fact, there was steam still coming from it. I actually ran by the paving crew and the warm "tacky" surface was sticking to my shoes. I wonder if they are going to to do all areas of the park like this - man, I hope so.
After another horrid 1 hour commute home, I decided to get this last run in before we depart for Paris tomorrow. My first mistake was forgetting to let my GPS watch "acquire" satellites by leaving it on the balcony while I get my running stuff on (what I usually do). So, when I left the bloc I had to stand outside looking stupidly at my watch while I waited for the signal to max out. After several painful minutes waiting, I just started the timer and got going. I figured I'd just edit the route using my mapping software later (Geek alert!!! - sorry let's continue). I did make a mental note to get the next generation GPS watch for Christmas as my reward for surviving 1 year of running in Bucharest.
Hello? Hello? Anybody home? Huh? Think, McFly! Think!
Anyway, as I headed to Stadiul National I blissful ignored several signs that my speedwork at the track wasn't going to happen. The first sign was the unusual amount of policemen on the streets as I got closer to the Stadium. The second sign was nearly getting run over by a car full of flag waving Staua (soccer team - translates to "Stars") fans. The third sign was a big gate full of policemen blocking traffic on the road to the stadium - still I didn't get it, until...
I finally made it to the main street in front of Parcul National near the stadium entrance. The place was mobbed!! I finally remembered that Staua is using Stadiul National until their stadium is renovated and they are in the playoffs this year. I said to myself "Nice going Steve, but you'd think you would have put this together 1 mile ago"
Strike while the "pavement" is hot
Yeah I know. Normally the word "iron" is used, but obviously on this blog "normal" is not what you get! I did get one nice surprise at the end of this otherwise forgettable run. In order to get at least 3 miles in, I decided to head back to Parcul Titan for a quick loop of the Northern section. I entered the park in the northwest corner; it's an area that I had not run in since wintertime. I was surprised to see fresh pavement on the paths! Real smooth pavement too - not the communist kind! And it was fresh - really fresh - in fact, there was steam still coming from it. I actually ran by the paving crew and the warm "tacky" surface was sticking to my shoes. I wonder if they are going to to do all areas of the park like this - man, I hope so.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Rolling along!
Well, I just thought I check in with my audience (which I think consists of about 2...well, 3 counting my faithful wife). The weather has been great. Most days this month have had highs ranging from the mid 60's into the low 70's. My running has gotten into a nice groove and I'm now getting about 15 miles per week.
Today's Run...
With today's run of 3.56 miles, I'm now sitting at 31 miles for April!
The internet forcasted clouds and rain today, but again, the Lord had other plans. The Sun popped out this afternoon just enough for me to get this one in. The weather changes quick though, and clouds were moving in after I finished. I did not enjoy this one as much as normal though. With the rain last night and this morning, I had to do a lot of maneuvering to avoid mud and such. When you add the amount of teenagers prowling around at this time in the afternoon, the paths get a little tight.
The Long Run...
This past Saturday morning, I did a little over 7 miles with 3 full laps of the lake. I went out at around 8:30, and though is was only about 50 when I started, the Sun was shining and it warmed up nice.
As I've said before, Titan Park is a joy to run early in the morning. There were several runners out there Saturday, as well as some other folks doing calisthenics (and maybe yoga). On one hill that faces the afternoon Sun, I'm starting to see alot of sunbathers also.
I don't know if there is any truth to that runners high stuff, but I had a good time on this run. The first 6 miles where nice and relaxed even though I kept a pretty good pace. My endurance (or lack thereof) did catch me on the final lap though, and I really had to focus on the way in to keep from slowing down, but I met my goal.
What now?
Well, I hope to get you all some spring pics of the park soon. Although the weather has been good overall, it has been a little bit fickle at times. Everytime I start thinking about breaking out the camera, the clouds seem to roll in.
We also have a trip to Paris coming this weekend. I will have my running stuff, so stay tuned!
Today's Run...
With today's run of 3.56 miles, I'm now sitting at 31 miles for April!
The internet forcasted clouds and rain today, but again, the Lord had other plans. The Sun popped out this afternoon just enough for me to get this one in. The weather changes quick though, and clouds were moving in after I finished. I did not enjoy this one as much as normal though. With the rain last night and this morning, I had to do a lot of maneuvering to avoid mud and such. When you add the amount of teenagers prowling around at this time in the afternoon, the paths get a little tight.
The Long Run...
This past Saturday morning, I did a little over 7 miles with 3 full laps of the lake. I went out at around 8:30, and though is was only about 50 when I started, the Sun was shining and it warmed up nice.
As I've said before, Titan Park is a joy to run early in the morning. There were several runners out there Saturday, as well as some other folks doing calisthenics (and maybe yoga). On one hill that faces the afternoon Sun, I'm starting to see alot of sunbathers also.
I don't know if there is any truth to that runners high stuff, but I had a good time on this run. The first 6 miles where nice and relaxed even though I kept a pretty good pace. My endurance (or lack thereof) did catch me on the final lap though, and I really had to focus on the way in to keep from slowing down, but I met my goal.
What now?
Well, I hope to get you all some spring pics of the park soon. Although the weather has been good overall, it has been a little bit fickle at times. Everytime I start thinking about breaking out the camera, the clouds seem to roll in.
We also have a trip to Paris coming this weekend. I will have my running stuff, so stay tuned!
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
"Ah, it's spring is it not?"
--Pepe Le Pew
The last 3 weeks has been a transforming time here in Bucharest. The weather 3 weeks ago was cold, dreary, windy - awful. Today was another gorgeous day of around 72 degrees. I left work too late today and was rewarded with a brutal commute and took the family out to eat instead of running. Dana had a burger, Maria had fried chicken, and I had a Mexican style pizza all at the same place. I guess we sufficiently covered the fast food department. I did get a good run in Parcul Titan yesterday, so that's what I'll blog about today.
"Alright darling. Enough is becoming enough. Let us proceed." -- Pepe Le Pew
Spring has come in so fast here its amazing. Every day it seems a different tree is blooming, budding or putting out leaves. I appreciate spring so much more here as opposed to SC, where the winters really aren't cold enough to bother you too much. Spring is no big deal there other than adding some flowers. I try to get some Spring pics of the Park soon.
After getting some advice from "coaches" Nathan and Ashley, I decided to put off the track work for at least another week or 2. So, I decided to do my typical route with 2 laps of Lacul Titan. Then, I actually remembered I had a gps watch (incidentally that I paid $100 bucks for) - I can run anywhere and still know the distance. So I headed out on a meandering run all over Parcul Titan. This run had it all - hills, trail, asphalt, cobblestones, concrete, grass - every surface was covered.
Parcul Titan is really a potpourri of activity now that the weather was improved. The sights of yesterdays run included kids playing, dogs being walked, people drinking and chatting at the restaurants, old men playing backgammon and chess, young adults in rowboats (with beverages - oh boy) and of course the young and in love.
"You know, eet ees not just a case of physical attraction. I admire her mind too."
--Pepe Le Pew
So, what exactly is the protocol for a runner who approaches a couple engaged in extra-curricular activity? I've been wondering about this a lot lately. The Romanians use 2 words for "excuse me". One of them, "Pardon" is borrowed from the French and seems more appropriate. What do you think?
I'll end with this last quote from my favorite cartoon skunk:
"One nice thing eez, the game of love eez never called on account of darkness." --Pepe Le Pew
The last 3 weeks has been a transforming time here in Bucharest. The weather 3 weeks ago was cold, dreary, windy - awful. Today was another gorgeous day of around 72 degrees. I left work too late today and was rewarded with a brutal commute and took the family out to eat instead of running. Dana had a burger, Maria had fried chicken, and I had a Mexican style pizza all at the same place. I guess we sufficiently covered the fast food department. I did get a good run in Parcul Titan yesterday, so that's what I'll blog about today.
"Alright darling. Enough is becoming enough. Let us proceed." -- Pepe Le Pew
Spring has come in so fast here its amazing. Every day it seems a different tree is blooming, budding or putting out leaves. I appreciate spring so much more here as opposed to SC, where the winters really aren't cold enough to bother you too much. Spring is no big deal there other than adding some flowers. I try to get some Spring pics of the Park soon.
After getting some advice from "coaches" Nathan and Ashley, I decided to put off the track work for at least another week or 2. So, I decided to do my typical route with 2 laps of Lacul Titan. Then, I actually remembered I had a gps watch (incidentally that I paid $100 bucks for) - I can run anywhere and still know the distance. So I headed out on a meandering run all over Parcul Titan. This run had it all - hills, trail, asphalt, cobblestones, concrete, grass - every surface was covered.
Parcul Titan is really a potpourri of activity now that the weather was improved. The sights of yesterdays run included kids playing, dogs being walked, people drinking and chatting at the restaurants, old men playing backgammon and chess, young adults in rowboats (with beverages - oh boy) and of course the young and in love.
"You know, eet ees not just a case of physical attraction. I admire her mind too."
--Pepe Le Pew
So, what exactly is the protocol for a runner who approaches a couple engaged in extra-curricular activity? I've been wondering about this a lot lately. The Romanians use 2 words for "excuse me". One of them, "Pardon" is borrowed from the French and seems more appropriate. What do you think?
I'll end with this last quote from my favorite cartoon skunk:
"One nice thing eez, the game of love eez never called on account of darkness." --Pepe Le Pew
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