Strange one

It’s a very strange feeling to go to marathon run outside Ireland being alone. Even that both of us (at the moment that is the plan) should run we are getting to Paris separately. Bozena had business meeting yesterday in Orly. So, when I writing these words, sitting in the shuttle bus heading towards Paris, she already has been enjoying capital of France for last 24 hours. My Wife probably will say that it wasn’t anything pleasant cause of the strikes in here for the last two days, time spent travelling from meeting to hotel and the weight of the suitcase. Anyways, now I’m just 75 minutes from Porte Maillot. That is just 3 km walk from our hotel. Of course I will be there before checking-in time but… yeee it is Paris. Time to enjoy the city. Neither my Wife nor me ever been to that city and now we have a chance to use the marathon as an excuse for a visit. ‘Peage’, just saw that sign over the motorway number. We are so familiar with that – paid motorway. When in Nice we always have in car change for toll (sometimes change means 10 euro). Now on the motorway to Paris. Will see if that’s the city of lovers. That marathon will be my second on French soil. Mentioning that cause would like to join Globetrotter Marathon Club in the future and to do that I need to run marathons in 10 different countries. To be provisioned for a member you need to run marathons (or longer) in at least 5 countries. At the moment it doesn’t look too simple for me. I have Ireland (obviously), France, Malta and that is it for the moment. Still in plans – Czech with Prague marathon, Northern Ireland (hopefully treated as UK or separate) with couple of runs including Belfast 12 h, Italy – Gargano if everything will go according to the plan. There is of course US with New York marathon which I’m already sign for but… additional costs are huge. And the last but not least first marathon in Szczecin. September, don’t know if that won’t collide with any other runs but I would like to running this one. Would be a pleasure to race in my hometown. That will give me 8 – if all would be a go. Still missing 2 countries. Spain, Netherlands, Germany, England if NI is treated as separate country? Relatively close, marathons should be in nice places. But that probably next year or even later. Ohh, plans and future. Now I need to focus on the run in two days. I’m still have cold, probably flu as well but… run is a run. Yesterday (Thursday) I have managed to run over 10 km on the lunch break and (another toll on the motorway now) felt good. Pace was ok. Enough for marathon, even much faster than expected. In the evening second session on the treadmill – 15.2 km. Was really hot and running inside was a struggle when breathing. Yesterday I have as well printed document needed to pickup race no. It was so funny to see predicted finishing time (given by me 10 months ago) – 3:45. Now I’m much slower cause thinking more about distance not speed but back then 3:45 would time which I was setting as average for marathons. Long way since my first marathon in Cork… still not even a year.
Can’t wait to see my Wife. Journey is quite long now. Considering that I was up at 3:15 today (in bed just after midnight) and now is already 10:25 CET I have been awake for last 6 hours (little sleep in plane but that really doesn’t count). Oh, and Thursday. Bozena was flying out to Paris. Similar time of waking up. Gave her lift to airport. So, Thursday was as long day 3:30 AM to 12:10 AM. Almost an hour into bus journey. Looking outside the window. Weather – sun behind the clouds, temperature about 17 already. If will stay like that we can prepare ourselves for tricky run. Definitely sun glasses needed. I think that slowly we are getting to Paris now. First industrial estates, tunnel, traffic getting heavier. Maybe it’s because of sickness now but I think I have deja vu. Strange feeling that I know that what is outside the bus, that I was here before. Maybe that’s just a France that I love so much? Who knows. Smog – there is no such a thing in Nice. In here you can see that from miles away. Especially now, when sun is high and shining strong. Would that be a problem during run? Don’t know yet. Just want to get out from that bus.

Just wanted to update the post and saw that changes I made are gone. Whole trip back to airport gone. Will try to recover at least something. About marathon itself I will write in another post now it’s about Paris and us. When sitting in the bus and looking outside I knew that I really like what I see. Checked the map and decided that I can take longer way and see Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysees. Our hotel was kind a cosy. Clean but small. We had nice view on the cathedral. After arriving we had decided that it will be better to get to expo on Friday avoiding crowds. We were wrong, plenty people there but could imagine how Saturday looked like. Expo was huge. Splitted into two. One part with nutriction and other marathons and second part just with running equipment. Plenty nice things you can buy. I was able to snatch one pair of Compress Sport running shorts. After 3 hours of ‘touring’ we decided to take metro and see ‘something’. We started at Concorde and walked Champs Elysees towards Arc de Triomphe. First part really nice, kinda park looking. Another part – shops and etc. Shops, regular thing but marketing shops with cars great. Citroen, Peugot, Alfa Romeo… pure marketing but done in the great way. In the evening salad and nice plate with cheese. That was a long day for me. Still sick. Felt that me running marathon maybe won’t happen. Cause I wasn’t running whole Friday I have decided that I need to go for a short spin. Just to run Paris. I have checked map. Decided that ultimate goal is to reach Eiffel Tower and tick one box on the bucket list – run under it. Via Saint Lazaret to Concorde, along the river I got to Eiffel tower. Running like that I have been able to admire the beauty of that city. Old buildings, atmosphere – pure magic. Back again on the bank of river this time other side. Passing museum of contemporary art towards Champs Elysees and then back to hotel. Nice sight seeing run, just over 12 km. I felt really alive. Sickness died out, was in Paris what you want more? Maybe walk with my Wife in Paris. That’s what we did. Together took same route towards Eiffel Tower as I was running in the morning. I was enjoying my run in the morning but that walk was giving me even more satisfaction. From there we decided to get lunch in the small Italian bistro. Very, very cosy and waiter very unpleasent. Screaming on the other co-workers, forgetting my pasta and besides us two small sitting almost trowing food at each other. Horror. Wanted to leave that place as soon as possible. Decided to go to Montparnasse visiting couple of bakeries with nice pastery. Montparnasse unfortunatelly never happened. Distracted by possible visit to Notre Dame. So, we turn toward cathedral. Huge line to access the church so what left was couple of selfies and souvenirs. Break for coffee and crepe. Then we went to see famous pyramid in front of Louvre. We got there our roasted chestnuts. That wasn’t on Pigalle as it suppose to be and was sold not by French ‘baker’. Anyway, that was good. Via Concorde again towards Madeleine and hotel with quick visit to shop to get baguette.

Next day was marathon. Great expirience. But that will be in another post.

Some pictures. Will be probably more…