Egypt: Part II

My last post left off on Day 4 of the incredible, but challenging trip to Egypt. I'm thankful to say that the challenges subsided and the rest of the trip was smooth sailing... quite literally, actually, since we spent the final days adrift on the Nile.

We arrived in Luxor late and they wisked us off to the Karnak Temple Sound and Light Show. I'm not the biggest fan of such shows, but it was a goodwill gesture for the travel hell we had encountered. Unfortunately a good portion of the show is set on a lake, which was mosquito heaven. I must be a delicious snack for mosquitos because I got at least 20 more bites. Nevertheless, the temple was beautiful at night.

Day 5 - We had a huge morning with a lot of ground to cover so we departed at 6am. Another reason for starting at 6am is the scorching heat in this part of Egypt, called Upper Egypt even though it's in the south. By mid-morning it was nearly 100 degrees! We went to the Valley of the Kings, an area of mountains that house the tombs of the great Pharaohs. Unfortunately no photos were allowed and I didn't even snap one of the outside because it simply looked like mountains, but believe me when I say it was beyond spectacular. Ancient Egyptians strongly believed in the afterlife and the tombs reflected the journey. Much of the art is relatively intact, even vibrant. I really enjoyed the various scenes depicting the journey through death and ultimately to the new life beyond. We paid the extra $20 or so to see King Tutankhamun's tomb even though we knew there wasn't much to see (all of the treasures are in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo), but the tomb still holds his mummy. We had yet to see a mummy on the trip so it was worth the extra few bucks. Pretty incredible.

After the Valley of the Kings we visited the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt's only female Pharoah, even if not fully acknowledged. Her story is quite scandalous and fascinating. She essentially shipped her son off to military school so she could rule the country. When he returned, he chiseled her face off nearly every statue and scene in her temple so you can still see the family rivalry thousands of years later.

I really enjoyed this temple and the mountain setting. My favorite part by far was this vibrant falcon on the ceiling in one part. It looks like it could have been painted just recently.

After we stopped to see two very big statues remaining from another temple. I try to imagine what this area must have looked like 3,000 years ago, literally dotted with temples and statues.

We ended the morning at the Luxor Temple, which was most fascinating for its grand Avenue of Sphinxes that once stretched from Karnak Temple to Luxor Temple. There is also a mosque built above a portion of the temple so while there we were surrounded by the midday call to prayer. It was incredible. And in the back of this temple there is an area where you can see three layers of history on the walls - the original Ancient Egyptians, then the Romans, then the Christians. Each one defaced the history of the other and tried to make it their own.

The moment we stepped on the boat we set sail to Edfu, which would take around 9 hours. We spent the afternoon on the sun deck watching the small villages and rural landscape pass by. It was beautiful.

We also went through the Esna Lock around sunset, where an 8 meter water level adjustment was made.

And even though we were in an industrial area, the sunset was magnificent.

Upon arrival in Edfu our guide graciously escorted us off the boat to a local shisha cafe. This was a real cafe, unlike the fancy hotel bars we'd been to. It was really great to have a chance to see a bit of a small town, mix with locals, and witness a very lively wedding celebration driving up and down the street.

To avoid making this the longest post ever, I'll wrap up the trip in the next entry!

TIA - This is Africa

We're halfway through our Egypt trip and overall it's been amazing. But as all exotic travels go, it hasn't been without its share of challenges. There's a saying mostly used in East Africa in reaction to the pitfalls: TIA, or this is Africa. It feels applicable to our situation here as well:

Day 1 - After arriving at 3am and falling asleep (passing out) at 4am, we decided to be troopers and visit the Pyramids at Giza. And I'm so glad we did.




Afterward we went to the Egyptian Museum. It was incredible but I was in such a jet lagged haze at the end I felt like climbing into a sarcophagus with a mummy. But we rallied and stopped at the Khalili Bazaar where men said colorful things to us such as, "for you, I'd kill my wife." I guess it was a compliment!

That night we sat on the hotel terrace where I had my first shisha experience. Shisha is a flavored tobacco smoked from a hookah. We had apple and I was hooked. We also sampled some Egyptian wine.




Day 2 - We had to fly to Sharm el Sheik, but stopped at a papyrus institute on the way. Papyrus is a paper-like substance made from the stems of a plant. We each bought three depicting traditional Egyptian stories. Then we flew to Sharm and spent the evening relaxing at the shisha cafe at our resort. It was a nice hotel, but the other bars were typical resort places with a bad lounge singer and horrible drinks. We preferred the outdoor Bedouin style set up, but paid with hundreds of mosquito bites.




Then our first challenge occurred. When we got back to our room it had been invaded by small bugs. Literally everywhere. We had to be moved, which took forever, and we had the creepy crawlies so the day didn't end until 2am.

Day 3 - After a bug-free night we slept late and spent the day on the Red Sea. It was so beautiful, the entire shore is lined with coral reefs.




We snorkeled, relaxed and drank the local beer. It was a pretty great day.




Then challenge #2 happened...

Day 3 - Day 3 actually began at 9pm on Day 2 for the long journey to Mount Sinai. We were picked up in a tiny van holding 15 people and filled with horrible fumes. We drove to a gas station with wild dogs roaming the parking lot and were told our cars would get us there and take us in the armed convoy due to recent kidnappings on the Sinai. We were relieved that a different mode of transport was coming until the same tiny van, minus the fumes at least, pulled up. We ended up crammed in the backseat where a man was half sitting on me. We stopped after 40 minutes at another gas station and were stuck there for an hour because they ran out of gas. Yes, completely out of gas. We waited as a truck with a huge hose pumped gas into the ground while everyone stood around smoking cigarettes.

After we finally fueled up without blowing up (thankfully) we had another hour plus on the road with a crazy driver before arriving at the mountain around 12:30am. This is when challenge #3 struck. My stomach was not feeling well and I was sure I had eaten something bad. Sharm is notorious for stomach woes. And I had a mountain to climb. I hoped for the best and we set out in the dark at 1:15am for the climb to the top.

Walking up in the dark was surreal. Thousands of people make this trip so there are flashlights everywhere but it's still in total darkness. You can rent a camel and a Bedouin will lead you up but we wanted to walk. There are little areas to rest and buy snacks along the way so our group would stop and wait for the slower people before pressing on. The final stretch to the top is 790 "steps" made of layered stones. With all the breaks it took more than 4 hours. Without a group we could have done it in 3, but we were still in time to see the sunrise.




The journey was definitely worth the hassle. The views were incredible and the mountain has so much history as the site where Moses received the Ten Commandments. The landscape looks like something from another planet, just reddish rock and no vegetation. We were tired from being up all night but energized by the experience.




I decided to get a camel for the descent, not because I was feeling lazy, but because I didn't want to regret not doing it. When am I ever going to have the chance to ride a camel down a famous mountain? So I hopped on for the 1.5 hour ride and loved every bumpy minute of it.




After a tour of St. Catherine's monastery we had another bumpy, crazy 2-hour ride back to the hotel. By then we were both definitely sick and had to buy the local medicine. We napped and managed to stay up until about 10 after being awake nearly 30 hours. Not sleeping for 30 hours seems to be a trend on this trip!

Day 4, Today - This whole day has been challenge #4. Our stomachs were improving but still not 100% and we had a morning flight to Luxor connecting through Cairo. The flight was delayed and we should have missed the connection, but that flight was also delayed so we thought it was our lucky day until an Egypt Air agent stopped us and made us wait so long that we were unable to make it. They claimed we weren't confirmed even though we had a printed confirmation and ultimately asked us to buy new tickets. We repeatedly refused and they finally issued new tickets for the next flight - at 4:45 and it was only 12:30. Not only was the delay incredibly boring, but we missed our Valley of the Kings tour and wasted a full day of vacation.

We're just now boarding the flight to Luxor to start our Nile cruise and hopefully this is the last challenge of the day. Our stomachs are feeling better and the boat deck bar is mere hours away!

30 Hours to Cairo

Yesterday, which really seems like today since I've been awake more than 30 hours, was a blur. I woke up early and went into final packing mode for my trip to Cairo. I took a brief jog break in an attempt to recover from the 20-miler the other day. It was a struggle, but I enjoyed my last glimpse of the NYC skyline for awhile.




Then I treated myself to a ridiculously good $4 coffee.




Then at 3pm I left my apartment to start my roughly 30 hour journey to Cairo. I landed in Amsterdam, my first destination, at 12:46am EST - talk about not being rested. I think I napped two fitful hours.




I pulled myself together in the KLM lounge and hopped on the train for Amsterdam Centraal. It's been four years since my last visit and I've really missed it.




It was sunny. Then cold. Then pouring rain. Then sunny. Then raining. Then warm. Then cold. I LOVE The Netherlands! I wandered until my feet would have no more. Unfortunately I was all gimped up from the flight and barely able to move. I stopped for lunch and a little pick-me-up in the charming 9 Streets area.




Then I went in search of shoes. Any shoes would be better than my flip flops with horrible foot pain and 55 degree temps. Thank you, Sketchers.




Then the highlight of my day: stopping by my favorite beer bar in the world, Bierproeflokaal In De Wildeman. I first went there in 1996 with my dad and have been back many times over the years. It's always the same and I love that.




I sat there for nearly three hours sipping beer, nibbling smoked beef sausage and reading. I also got to catch up with a couple old friends.




In the meantime, my friend Keely has already arrived in Cairo and sent me a photo of our hotel.




I've got nearly seven more hours to go before I'll arrive there myself but as they say, it's about the journey, not the destination. I haven't slept and I'm running on fumes, but I've really loved today's long journey.

Really Good Long Run - FINALLY

Marathon training has been really hard this time around. After six months of very limited activity my fitness is at an all-time low and two months of consistent training didn't seem to be making a dent. My long runs have gotten slower and slower and everything hurts. Last week was a step down week after successfully nailing 18 miles the week before (yet slowly and painfully). I did 15 when I was aiming for 16 because I couldn't bear another step. This week I had 20 on the schedule and was terrified.

I woke up at 5:30 this morning and made my way to Central Park. It was 61 degrees and breezy after a wicked storm rolled through yesterday. My leg has been hurting a lot, perhaps from last year's groin injury, so I started out easy. I immediately regretted the arm warmers. Even though they were lightweight they soon turned into really large wristbands that I had to put up with for 3 hours. I hit the first mile in 9:47 and was feeling great, breaking 10:00 has been a challenge lately. Then the splits kept dropping, some as low as 9:15, even with the hills of Central Park. I was thrilled, but assumed it would turn to crap at any moment so I didn't prematurely celebrate.

Suddenly I was 10 miles in and still felt good. How could this be? I didn't stop moving until just before mile 13 for a bathroom break thanks to the chilly temps and lack of sweating. I'd say the break was nice, except I accidentally peed on the back of my leg. Don't overestimate the stability of your legs after 13 miles of running even if you feel good. Aside from my bathroom error, nothing went wrong. I continued tackling the hills and my splits stayed consistent. I started feeling discomfort around mile 16 and by the 17th mile I had piercing pain in my hip from time to time but was able to keep up the pace. Even at mile 19 I sped up a bit.

I was happy it was over when I reached mile 20 in 3:11:53, but for once I wasn't dragging myself miserably. It's as if my legs finally decided to show up for a run. Maybe the fitness is finally catching up. Maybe the cumulative long runs are paying off. Or maybe the pound of pasta I ate last night did the trick. Who knows, but I'll take it. I was starting to lose hope for this race, but now I'm energized.

All Sorts of Fun at Ironman Wisconsin

I spent this past weekend in Madison visiting family, gaining a few delicious pounds and cheering and volunteering at Ironman Wisconsin. Having raced the past three IMWIs it was fun to be on the other side, but also made me miss long distance racing.

We kicked things off with dinner at Brasserie V immediately upon arrival. Belgian beer, frites and an amazing local burger made me so happy to be back in Wisconsin.

After dinner we met up with an old friend and since we weren't racing for once, we went to the Essen Haus to drink the famous boot, which is two liters of German beer. Actually, we drank three (there were seven of us)...

Saturday was not surprisingly low-key due to the wrath of the boot so we just wandered town.

That night we had a special dinner at L'Etoile, my favorite Madison experience.

Sunday morning I headed up to the swim start to watch the race begin. It was emotional to see after such a tough year, but taking the year off was the right thing to do.

The best part of not racing? You get to leave the race and go do fun things like have brunch, go running and drink beer with the family.

My mom and I headed up to the finish line to see the winners, something I've never gotten to do since I'm always racing. We saw Ben Hoffman crush the course record and finish 14 minutes ahead of the next pro. Pretty amazing. My mom got to high-five him as he went down both sides of the shoot high-fiving anyone he could get to. I love seeing a pro soak in the experience rather than just plow through the finish.

Later I volunteered as a finish line catcher from 8pm to midnight, the busiest time at an Ironman finish. It was such a rewarding experience to witness the raw and incredible emotion that Ironman brings out. We saw everything from people who looked like they could keep going forever to people who could barely take another step. There were tears, joy, smiles, pain, elation, disappointment, pride and a lot of "I can't believe I just did that."

Highlights of my catching experience include having Ben Hoffman come back and put medals on all of the finishers between 11pm and midnight. I could see him shuffling from side to side, or occasionally grabbing his foot to stretch his quad. I know he's a pro and crazy fit, but he still did an Ironman that day and instead of going to bed or celebrating, he came out and volunteered. That's a true champion.

There was a bride and groom, who paused on the Capitol Square to get married during the final mile of the race. They crossed the finish line together, she in a veil and carrying a little bouquet of flowers. There was the blind athlete doing his first Ironman. The firefighter who did the marathon in his full turn out gear for the second year in a row. And we had one of the original 15 men to race the Ironman in 1978.

Lastly, but maybe the most incredible thing for me, I got to catch the final finisher at 16:59:37. His name is Matt Thomas and it was his third Ironman.

I signed up for Ironman Wisconsin 2013 at Steelhead and being at the race made me so happy to be getting back to what I love. A year off was great, but nothing compares to the Ironman experience.

Long Run Success and Catching Up

Folks, I have issues. I've had a draft post about the Steelhead 70.3 relay in the works since August 22 and haven't dedicated 15 minutes to finishing it. Between freelance work, networking, my continued job search and my various other social media sites, my blog has sadly suffered. I will finish the Steelhead post because it was an incredibly fun weekend and a great race experience.

In the meantime, marathon training continues and it's going pretty well. My feet are cooperating and I'm finally starting to feel better during my long runs. Leading up to Steelhead I was only doing 13 miles and was finding it difficult to progress, but last weekend I did 16 miles on a hot day and still felt great. It was also the first long run that I wasn't completely laid up after. Being able to walk when I got out of bed the next morning was a huge victory.

 Still slow, but getting it done!

I've also continued my strength training and am learning to make it work with the marathon training. It's not easy. But it's not impossible. I did an hour with a personal trainer Wednesday with a focus on my hips and glutes, both underdeveloped and potential sources of running injuries. I was already sore from Monday's workout and woke up Thursday feeling like my legs had been brutalized. I thought of pushing my 8-mile run to Friday, but sucked it up and did it. And you know what? It wasn't that bad. After a mile I loosened up and ultimately ended up feeling great. The strength training is for my long-term wellbeing so I refuse to give it up.

In other news, I'm back to clean eating. I didn't have any sugar or grains all week and definitely feel better. I am determined to get back to my old race weight by the end of the year so I can start next season's Ironman training on the right foot. The one thing I didn't give up? Wine. A girl has to have some indulgence in her life.

Not a Bad Week

After a massive foot setback, I approached last week with hesitation and took it easy. After getting a fresh new pair of Brooks Ghosts and a couple easy test runs of five miles or so I was feeling more confident and ended up logging just over 28 pain-free miles. Whatever happened to my foot seems to have been a one-time thing, but I'll be paying close attention to every twinge from now on.

The past week was solid. It marked my return to the pool, really consistent running and some fun culinary adventures.

I have had the great fortune of a hand-me-down CSA allocation the past two weeks which means I'm eating more fruits and veggies than ever. A regular haul looks like this and you have to use it up pretty quickly since it's super fresh and at peak ripeness.


The corn is so amazing I just strip it from the cob raw and toss it with tomato, basil and olive oil. It's divine.


This week was short since I'm headed to Michigan for Steelhead 70.3 where I'll be racing on a relay team. I'm doing the swim (hence my two big trips to the pool) and run. I had several pounds of gorgeous tomatoes and only one day to enjoy them so I spent hours making tomato sauce to freeze for winter. I started by blanching and peeling.


Then an hour of simmering to perfection.


I'll be so happy to thaw this out and taste fresh summer tomatoes when they are long gone for the season.


In other culinary fun we took a pizza making class at Pizza a Casa in Manhattan. It was my first time and I loved it!


I've never eaten so much pizza in my life.


And we got to take tons home. Talk about a perfect night.

Near Swim Fail

Seems like every time I actually try to go to the pool, which isn't very often, something gets in the way and I end up not swimming. Usually it's just my laziness, but today I had hurdle after hurdle thrown my way, almost forcing me to bag yet another swim. I wouldn't particularly care, but next Sunday I'm doing the swim and run on a relay team for Ironman Steelhead 70.3 and I've only been to the pool about six times this year.

First challenge: I waited forever for a train that never came. After sweating half my body weight on the subway platform I gave up and left. The long wait meant I'd never make it to the pool in time to swim before the noodle lady class at 12:45. So I went home to relax in the air conditioning and snack on salami and cheddar. Perfect swim fuel, right?

Second challenge: I worried if I waited I'd lose the desire so I walked to the local Y and used a guest pass I'd horded from my former membership. While getting ready in the locker room, a little girl saw I was in my swimsuit and informed me the pool was closed. Apparently there was a strong gas smell on the pool deck so they evacuated. Lovely. I remembered exactly why I cancelled that membership and went back to Equinox.

Third challenge: The noodle lady class was in full swing, but I was already a mile from home and if I went back, the mission would be over. So I hopped on the train and headed uptown to a different pool and got myself into the water before I could drum up another excuse.

Given the last time I swam was on Cape Cod over the July 4th holiday, I felt pretty good and for once, wasn't bored. Since the Steelhead swim is 1.2 miles, I figured I'd just start with that distance. No point in building up since it's in seven days. I kept it simple and did 500x4 with a very short rest in between. I had burning arms at first and sloppy form at the end, but otherwise it was actually a little faster than my swimming was two months ago.

My swimming will always be mediocre, so it almost doesn't matter if I train or not. Since I don't have to get out of the water and bike 56 miles it won't matter if I'm beat up after the swim. I'll have three hours to rest and refuel for the run while my relay partner bikes. Best of all my parents will be there since Steelhead is near the town I grew up in. Can't beat that.

My F***ing Foot

For the past three years I've been plagued with foot issues, the worst of which was tearing my plantar fascia right before my first Ironman in 2009 (I did the race anyway). That foot has healed beautifully, but the opposite foot has become a chronic pain. My comeback in 2010 was pretty incredible and I thought I was on the right track, but then 2011 felt like a struggle to survive. Every run felt like it could easily be the last, and Ironman Wisconsin in September was the last. After several months off I was ready to go and things seemed fine... until last Friday.

My marathon training has been pretty spotty so I buckled down and stopped skipping workouts. I had a really solid week, logging 23 miles by Friday with no issues at all. But after Friday's long run, I spent hours on my feet packing and getting ready for a weekend trip, then ran for a train in flip flops carrying three big bags. When I stood up after the train ride I could barely walk. I always hobble a little after a long run, but this was ridiculous. I almost couldn't even handle a limp. It was only marginally better by Saturday and reduced to my usual stiffness by Sunday. Things were looking up.

Plantar fasciitis has been my standard ailment, but this pain was different. It was along the bottom of my foot, but more toward the outside and clustered toward the front. Wiggling my pinkie toe was excruciating. I did some self massage and manipulated my foot in an attempt to rule out a bone issue vs. soft tissue. My money is on soft tissue, particularly as I'm the queen of soft tissue injuries.

I bought new shoes and eased back in yesterday with an easy 4 miler, then followed it up with a 6 miler today. Both went well and I'm still on my feet. I'm using the foam roller liberally on my calves and hamstrings and bought a Trigger Point ball for some foot work.

One day I dream of stepping out of bed in the morning and actually being able to walk. I dream of running day after day with nothing more than sore muscles to complain about. Until then I plan to keep fighting. I have refused to let this chronic injury stop me so far, and I don't plan to any time soon.

My Weekend in France

Last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France, to celebrate Mark's successful ascent of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps.

 It was a quick trip. I arrived via Paris and Geneva early Thursday afternoon and made the multi-leg journey home beginning Sunday morning, but even though brief, it was well worth the effort. Chamonix rests in a valley between the looming Mont Blanc and a smaller, yet incredibly beautiful mountain called the Brevent. So regardless of where you look, you're greeted with stunning views.

 The village was incredibly charming. It's a lively ski town in the winter, and filled to the brim with mountaineers, hikers and outdoor enthusiasts in the summer. I was one of the few people in town just to enjoy the food, wine and scenery, which is fine by me. Had Mark not just summited a massive mountain, I might have packed hiking gear to explore a bit. But we were in recovery mode, enjoying some really spectacular foods and wines of the Haute-Savoie and Rhone-Alps regions. And of course, we had a decent amount of Champagne. When in France!

 I did manage to fit one nice run in while there. I love running while traveling, it's the best way to explore. It was fairly hot, but we had an 11-course dinner booked and I needed to build up an appetite so I headed out with absolutely no idea where I was going and discovered a series of trails along the Arve river, a rough, silty, freezing cold glacial river that runs through town.

 I started on a path that took me away from the river and into the woods, at times on single track and at times on a gravel path. It was so beautiful with the mountains all around me. The altitude in town isn't severe at roughly 3,500 feet, but it was enough for this sea level New Yorker to feel a bit of sting in the lungs. I made my way back toward the river and chose another path that ran right alongside it. Apparently flooding is a risk!

The air blowing across the glacial water was like air conditioning. I couldn't have been in a more perfect place on a hot day.

The run was brief, but it helped prepare for the incredibly meal that followed. I think I could live on the bread, butter and cheese in France. And the wine, of course.

Saturday was rainy so we relaxed all day in our beautiful hotel. I read for hours while lounging in a robe, we sipped champagne on our terrace overlooking the mountains. It was beautiful to slow down and do nothing for a day. Especially in such a perfect place. I almost never do that.

Upon returning I had to stop procrastinating and start training for the NYC Marathon. It was tough to dive in with the jet lag, but I'm already enjoying it. After so much unstructured down time it's kind of refreshing to have a schedule. I guess taking a break was definitely the right thing to do.