Florence Marathon

Another marathon is in the books!  

Nick and I were the first to arrive in Florence on Saturday morning, so we were responsible for picking up everyone's race packets.  We easily found each other at the main station, dropped off our luggage, and made our way to the expo.  As I started seeing signs for the marathon, it finally hit me: I will be running 26.2 miles tomorrow morning.  My "training" for the past seven months has consisted of 8-10km on a treadmill most mornings, with only a couple half-marathons thrown in for good measure.  I feel completely underprepared.      

The expo was arranged in a way that required us all to weave through the maze of booths before we could pick up our numbers.  There's no better way to psych myself up for a race than to pass countless booths for all the other marathons in Europe that I would like to run (the idea of running marathons is a lot more exciting than the actual process of running them).  In true Italian style, the maze hit a dead end and required everyone to do a u-turn and push through the crowds in order to go out the same way we came in.   
  
We decided that carb-loading was in order, so we stopped for pizza near the city center.  Wine was so inexpensive that we had no choice but to "hydrate" with a half-liter each.  I was nervous about food in Italy since I don't eat tomato sauce, but the waitress was completely unfazed by my request for a white pizza.   

By around 6pm, everyone else had arrived and we were en route to our villa in the countryside that we had rented for the week from Brian's aunt, who also generously offered to cook us all dinner.  The food was great and the wine was relaxing.  Yes, that's right - both meals on the day before the race involved wine. 

Pre-race dinner (with wine!)

The remaining hours before the race felt like a whirlwind:

...Sleep.  

...Wake up.  

...Shower (strike that. No hot water.  It's ok, I'm going to smell gross in a few hours anyhow).  

...Back in the car for our journey to Florence.  

...No parking near the starting line, so Brian's aunt took us up a giant hill, which had great views of the city but the impending hike after the race scared me a little.  

...Group picture time!  Yay, T-45 minutes until the race (getting a little nervous).  

Less than 1 hour before the start!

On our way to the gear check (or "cloakroom", as the Italians would say), the crowds started getting crazy and we were literally stuck in a crowd of people.  The minutes were counting down and everyone was just pushing each other to get anywhere.  Eventually, I broke through and rushed to get rid of my bag.   

What's with all the people?!? I need my space!!

I managed to squeeze my way into the starting corral with a few minutes to spare, but it was so crowded that I couldn't even stretch at all.  This was by far the most hectic race start I have ever experienced and the first few miles would have to be my stretch/warm-up period.  

Once the starting gun went off, I instantly felt more calm.  The crowd thinned out, the weather was ideal for running (we got lucky), and my legs were feeling fresh.  Around the 10k mark, I remember seeing some pacers in front of me, with their balloons bopping around in the air.  I had to look twice for it to register that I was running with the 3-hour pace group.  This was much faster than I was planning and I knew that it wouldn't be sustainable considering my lack of training.  Unfortunately, it's not so easy to just slow down in the middle of a race, so I reluctantly decided to keep going until my body decides that it has run long enough.  

We crossed the half-marathon point at exactly 90 minutes and I still felt good, but I knew that my body would break down at some point as I venture into the 18+ mile mark.  Sure enough, I started getting side cramps around the 30km point, which forced me to walk for a bit.  

For me, walking during a marathon is like breaking the seal at a bar.  Once you start, it becomes a lot more frequent.  Sure enough, my pace became a lot slower and random parts of my body started hurting.  I wish I was better at training for long-distance races but it's just so boring - especially since I am usually bound to treadmill running in most of my hotels.  

After the 30km mark, I started looking forward to each water stop for some much needed refreshment.  Florence offered some unique alternatives to the standard options, including tea (sometimes hot, sometimes luke-warm), salt water (which I never tried but was told tasted like a flavorless gatorade), wet sponge (common in European races, but not in the US), and italian biscotti.  That's right, Biscotti.  Nick snapped a picture of a well-dressed volunteer, offering some Italian pastries to the runners.  Between the biscotti and the high heels, this woman enlivens the best Italian stereotypes!

I'm obsessed with this woman. 

By the end of the race, my body was literally falling apart.  I had stopped to walk multiple times and everything was starting to hurt.  Somehow, I still managed to pull out a respectable 3:11 finish time but it was not easy.  After the race, I shuffled my way back to the cloak room and returned to the finish line to watch more runners come in.  The finish line was in front of the Basilica of Santa Croce, which was such a picturesque setting.  

Finish line of the Firenze Marathon

Once everyone in our group had finished, we meandered our way back up to the cars (very slowly) and shared our favorite moments from the morning.  Mine was running past the duomo because it just appeared out of nowhere and is always such an awe-inspiring sight.  I love running in Europe because the courses are always so scenic and this race certainly was no exception.  

I often wonder why I voluntarily put my body through the torture of running full marathons, but the feeling of achievement always seems to last longer than the soreness in my muscles.  The Florence marathon will remain particularly memorable because I got to experience it with five of my friends.  Now that the hard work is over, we can celebrate with a week in Tuscany.  

Florence Marathon medal 2013

Nice, France

Nice is nice. 

It also reminds me of Florida, with lots of palm trees, slightly trashy people, and tacky Christmas decorations.  I'm sure the rich tourists change the atmosphere during the summer, but in November, the locals really stand out. 

I only really got to explore the city for a few days because I was flying back and forth to Paris during the midweek, but at least my hotel was pretty and the weather was warmer than in most other parts of Europe.  

Here's my hotel in Nice during the day

...and lit up for the night. 

What is there to do in Nice on the weekend in November?  Not much, besides visiting the casinos, shopping, and walking through old town.  Of course I did all those things.  As an added bonus, there was also a tent set up on the boardwalk across from my hotel with a "chocolate festival" sign on the side.  Of course I had to try it, but I was disappointed when it ended up being just a chocolate marketplace with a cover charge.  

Naked statues can only mean one thing: I'm getting closer to Italy!

I wish I had more to share from my time in Nice, but it really felt uneventful.  Overall, I would probably only recommend Nice during the summer, since the majority of the activities revolve around the Mediterranean.  Still, it was good to get a couple short breaks from the tough project in Paris an ease into my vacation from the environment of the French Riviera.  

One of several strange statues around the city

Paris

I should love Paris.  The architecture is beautiful, the people speak a language that I understand, and the city is full of culture and history.  However, for some unknown reason, I just have never really enjoyed it as much as other cities in Europe. 

For a two week project, it is hardly a sacrifice to be working in Paris so I really don’t mind being back.  I arrived by early afternoon on Monday and was immediately thrust into the most complex project I have ever faced at work.  Part of me feels completely overwhelmed but a larger part feels excited to conquer a challenge that I have never encountered before.  Hopefully I will succeed.

My hotel is in the perfect location – literally across the street from the Louvre.  When I look out my window, I can actually see statues through the window of the museum.  Unfortunately, this is the closest I will get to the Louvre this week because I’m just too busy to be a tourist. 

Here's the view from my bedroom window

On Sunday evening, I made time to attend a Vespers service at Notre Dame Cathedral.  I always enjoyed the intimate atmosphere of the services in Cologne and London but I should have known that this place would be entirely different.  Apparently Notre Dame is 850 years old this year, so it is even more popular than usual.  So popular, in fact, that they built viewing platforms across from the façade just so people could take pictures. 

As I was waiting in line just to walk through the door, I realized that I don’t like Paris because it makes me feel like a tourist.  I’m just one of millions of people who parade through the cathedral and it doesn’t feel special anymore.  Maybe I care too much about feeling like a local but I just get bored more easily when I’m seeing a site that has already been photographed by millions of people this year alone. (Ok, that still didn't stop me from taking some pictures myself!)    

Here are the viewing stands in front of Notre Dame Cathedral

I joined the crowd for a picture of the cathedral

I spent one morning running through the adjacent Tuileries gardens and along the Seine because the fitness room was occupied.  It is admittedly really cool to run through the arches of the palace and past statues that are probably older than my country.  I try to look like a local although I’m sure everyone probably knows immediately that I am just a foreigner, trying too hard to look like a local.

In a further attempt to live like a local, I signed up for an 8k race on Armistice Day called Les Bacchantes.  The run was organized to raise money for prostate cancer and it played up the “movember” theme by asking participants to wear a moustache for the run.  Part of me wanted to grow a mustache for the run but then I felt too ridiculous after one day of stubble, so I chickened out.  

The race started near L’Arc de Triomphe and I am familiar enough with the area to get to the starting line without a map.  Go me.  Such a local!   As I turned to jog up the Champs-Élysées, I noticed that the street was blocked for a special event and I was forced to detour.  A map would have been nice at that moment, but I tuned in my inner-compass and navigated my way back to where I needed to be. 

The race was a lot of fun and I was amazed to see that the vast majority of people were wearing a moustache (mostly fake ones).  However, one question lingered in my mind: Where did all these people find fake mustaches?!?  It’s not such a common accessory in America…  In the end, I finished in the top 2% and with a respectable time, but still far from my personal best.  Hopefully I can get my speed back up again someday.

Week #2 in Paris has been a challenge but I pushed through and motivated myself with plenty of macarons, crepes, and floating island desserts.  I don’t like French food but their desserts are pretty incredible.  This is probably one of the reasons why I am not running fast anymore but you only live once.

Unfortunately, my project remains unresolved and I learned that I must come back to Paris a few more times before the end of the year.  I already have other projects planned, so this will require a lot of juggling.  On the positive side, return trips to Paris will give me plenty of opportunities to appreciate a city that I should already love.   

Weekend in Cannes

I arrived in Cannes after a long travel day that truly involved planes, trains, and automobiles.  Weather was beautiful and I was excited for a relaxing weekend before my three week work-cation in the French Riviera.   Then, I opened my work e-mail and everything changed.  I had multiple e-mails from my office asking me to "call urgently because something came up that will affect my schedule".  Of course I called immediately, but my boss was not available to talk.  So I sat in my room, waiting for a call back and wondering what could be such an emergency. 

I couldn't help but worry about the worst possible scenarios.  Would I be forced to end my jet-setting lifestyle?  Did my company announce some big news that I missed while I was traveling?  After what felt like an eternity, I finally talked to my boss and he asked me to cancel my project in Cannes and book a flight to Paris instead.  Fortunately, I was given the approval to remain in Cannes for the weekend but I lost my Friday night to travel logistics and e-mail communications.  

Saturday morning, I woke up without an alarm (which means I woke up at the same early time as every other morning).  The weather was perfect so I went for a long run along the boardwalk.  Even in the off-season, the sidewalks along the beach are overcrowded so I couldn't even imagine what it would be like during the height of the summer.  I literally spent the entire run dodging people and traffic.  

While I was running, I kept smelling food cooking yet I couldn't see any restaurants or food trucks nearby.  Then I realized that the restaurants were actually underneath the boardwalk, right along the beach.  These Europeans really know how to maximize small spaces.

True beachside dining, with scents to entice anyone on the boardwalk!

Maybe it's the palm trees, or the weather, or simply that I don't have to work in Cannes but I truly felt relaxed and energized by the time I returned to the hotel.  After a quick shower in the curtain-less tub area, I was ready to start the day.  (Sidenote: I will never understand why Europeans do not use shower curtains??  Who teaches them how to shower without spraying water all over the bathroom?)

I figured I would get more-than enough french food throughout the next two months working in France, so I searched for a good sushi restaurant.  As it turns out, sushi is not so easy to find in France and the place I ended up trying was more like fast-food sushi.  At least I got my raw fish and, for dessert, a nutella and strawberry sushi roll.  Gross?  The jury's still out...

The afternoon was mainly spent shopping since I barely have any casual clothes and my week-long vacation to Italy is coming up soon.  I don't think my friends need to see me wearing suits every day of the trip.  One of the more annoying parts about traveling non-stop for 4 months is that I have to be so careful about what I buy.  More shopping equates to more hassle every time I need to pack and transport my luggage.  

Weather continued to be perfect so I walked down to the pier to watch the sunset.  It was absolutely gorgeous and  I didn't even care that I was all alone, surrounded by overly-affectionate couples.  I spent a while just listening to the sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks.  I like to use moments like this to think about my life.  On one hand, it can be difficult spending so much time alone, but on the other hand, I am so grateful to have this amazing opportunity to travel the world.  

Sun starting to set - view from the marina

Sun continues to set - view from the pier/beach

On the way back to the hotel, I stopped at the grocery store and bought myself some deli meat and fruit to make a simple meal.  I know what you're thinking: vacations aren't supposed to involve cheapo, self-prepared meals.  But, for someone who eats every meal at a restaurant, a simple meal involving no oil or butter is like a dream come true.  

Sunday morning, I woke up to another gorgeous morning.  When I looked out of my window, I noticed a giant cross on the hill so I decided that I would change up the workout and jog up the hill until I got to the cross.  

The cross on the top of the hill (right side) caught my attention this morning

I didn't bother bringing a map with me because maps are for unadventurous people.  Instead, I just started running in the general direction of the cross and didn't even care if I was taking the long route.  After all, part of the fun is what I will discover along the way.  As I zig-zagged my way up, I had countless amazing views of the city, the water, and so many beautiful homes tucked into the side of the mountain. 

Views from the run

I wouldn't mind any of these as a summer home.

I finally made it to the cross and made an interesting discovery: It's not a cross at all, but rather, an abandoned observation tower!  This is a perfect example of a quest where the journey was more exciting than the destination...

Here's what the "cross" looks like from up close

I think this may be a water tower, disguised as a castle!

Running downhill is a lot more fun

For the rest of the afternoon, I walked around the city again, stopping at a couple churches, the casino, and the Cannes version of the Hollywood walk of fame that involves celebrity hand prints instead of stars.  

Julie Andrews has been here. 

Dinner was at a Thai restaurant because I can never get Thai food at my hotels.  It actually tasted more like Chinese food but, my I was ok because my expectations for food in France are always very low.  

Overall, it was a very quiet weekend.  I'm not sure if this is typical in Cannes, but I didn't get the impression that it is a big party city - especially in the shoulder seasons when no one is out on boats or tanning on the beaches.  On the bright side, I got to enjoy perfect weather, fantastic workouts, non-hotel meals, and picture-perfect sunrises/sunsets.  I feel refreshed for the week ahead. 

Here's my art deco hotel.  

Enjoying my last sunrise in Cannes on Monday morning

Frankfurt MBA Connections

I love when social media helps to connect my MBA classmates as we travel the world.  During my project in Mainz, I noticed that there was an MBA fair in Frankfurt so I sent a note to one of the admissions directors, asking if ESADE would need any alumni volunteers.  

Within an hour, I received two notes back: one was from the admissions director with information about the event and the other was from another classmate living in India, who also happened to be visiting Frankfurt for a medical convention.  Before I knew it, a group message was started to organize drinks for Thursday evening with him and another classmate who lives in city permanently.  

It was really fun to see both of them and to reminisce about life in Barcelona.  I still can't believe it has been four years since starting the MBA experience in Spain with such a talented group of people from around the world.  One of the major reasons I chose to attend an MBA program in Europe was for the international aspect of the student community.  For most MBA programs, an alumni meet-up between an American, and Indian, and a German who just happen to be in Frankfurt would be an amazing feat.  But, for ESADE, these global connections are almost commonplace.  

Two days after reminiscing about MBA life, I returned to Frankfurt for the MBA fair to speak with prospective students.  Representing ESADE were 2 alumni, a current student, and one of the the admissions directors.  Again, speaking to the international element of the program, our group consisted of four people from four different countries.  

It is amazing how quickly five years had passed and how much my life has changed since I was attending MBA fairs and considering my own options for where to pursue my degree.  Back in the fall of 2008, I was interested in pursuing only the top programs outside the United States.  My goal was to embark on a global career and I was convinced that a European MBA would help to make that happen.  Throughout the MBA journey, I faced challenges of a terrible economy in Europe and companies that were resistant to sponsor candidates without European Union citizenship.  

When I graduated and accepted a job offer, I thought I was “settling” to work in the United States.  However, two years later, I am in the exact job that I didn’t even know I wanted and which was only possible as a result of the ESADE MBA.  The road may not have been what I dreamed about but the end result could not have been better.  

Mainz, Germany

My most recent project was in the small German city of Mainz.  If you haven’t heard of it, you are not alone.  The city is only about 40 minutes west of Frankfurt, but it is often overlooked because of its much smaller size.  Fortunately for me, Mainz has all the German charm that Frankfurt lacks.  It really is a fantastic place to soak up the crisp fall weather in a fairy-tale setting.

Seriously, could this place be any cuter?

For the first week of my project, I was working with three colleagues from Chicago.  Whenever I work with my American counterparts, this means we will be snacking all day long, catching up on news from the office, and eating our meals at some of the best and most unique restaurants we can find. 

I was pleasantly surprised by the dining options, which were much better than I would have expected from a small German city.   My favorite place was Citrus Restaurant, which had a really trendy atmosphere and good food without absurd prices.  If I lived in Mainz, I would be a Citrus regular.

Another restaurant I would recommend for the atmosphere alone is called Heilig Geist Restaurant.  It is actually in an old church that has been completely renovated.  Have you ever eaten venison with sour cherry sauce and dumplings in an old European church?  It's pretty much the best thing ever.  And, if this environment doesn't excite you, there is a Croatian restaurant called Konoba, which serves incredible seafood that will make you feel like you are on the coast.  At the end of the meal, they send a shot of honey-flavored liquor to the table which must be pretty nice in the winter. Actually, it's pretty nice any time.   

We also had the good fortune of being in town for Mainzer Winzer, which happens in early fall each year when something happens with the wine (I'm not sure if this is when the grapes are harvested, wine is barreled, bottled, or something else).  Wine producers set up kiosks around town and people stand around hollowed-out barrels to enjoy the excessively sweet wine.  The alcohol content is more similar to beer, but at only 4.50 per bottle, it’s hard to complain. 

Locals enjoying some wine...at 11AM on Saturday morning

For me, the most charming aspect of the town is that the central square hosts a different market every day of the week.  One day, carnival rides.  The next day, produce market.  Every day, wine and brats.  We are still in Germany, after all...  

Huge fruit market one morning.

Anyone want some fresh eggs?

Produce vendors interact with customers

The cathedral was the centerpiece of the town and I was intrigued by its unique design because it has altars in both the front and the back.  It’s almost like the architects could not decide where the priest should stand, so they created two options and put the main entrance along the side.  (I tried looking up more information about this but it turns out no one documented a clear rationale 1000 years ago when the cathedral was built).  By the way, I'm not exaggerating about the age of this cathedral - it really was built in the 900's.  

View of the incredibly old Mainz cathedral

My hotel is located along the river, which made for some really nice morning running, not to mention relaxing views from the room.  I also love hotels that incorporate modern designs into historic buildings and this hotel has turned an old fort into the bar area.  The rooms are located in a much newer adjacent building, but it's nice to be in Europe and actually feel the history all around you.  

Here's a view of my hotel, including the gates from Fort Malakoff

At first, I was not so excited to spend three weeks in a German town that I had never heard of.  However, it ended up being an ideal place to enjoy autumn in Europe.  Mainz doesn't have many tourist attractions to visit but the city is so full of life that it is absolutely worth a visit.