Nice was Nice

I thoroughly enjoyed my solo trip to France. It was relaxing, tiring, stressful, adventuresome, and eye-opening.  Between layovers and missed flights, it took a solid 24 hours to get to my destination in Nice, which is situated in the south of France, about an 1.5 plane ride from Paris.

I chose to stay in Nice, one of the bigger cities along the French Riviera (or Cote d'Azur), because of its relative affordability and easy access to other coastal cities like Antibes, Cannes, Grasse, and the principality of Monaco.  The Cote d'Azur boasts a solid train and bus system. 

When I arrived at the airport in Nice, I knew that all of the hassles of travel were worth it.  I got so frustrated with trying to fly standby on AirFrance from Paris to Nice that I almost just gave up and decided to spend the week in Paris instead.  I am so glad I didn't. Nice was the exact opposite of the grey, rainy skies that I had witnessed in Paris.  There were palm trees waving slightly with the breeze, and skies as blue as the sea.  And it wasn't hot, it was a perfect 75 degrees.  I boarded the airport shuttle bus which took us to downtown Nice and as we flew by the Promenade des Anglais, I knew I was in love.  

I got off at the closest bus-stop to my hostel and followed the directions down a street to my destination.  I found my hostel fairly easily and checked in as quickly as I could so that I could explore a bit before sunset.  So an insert about staying in a hostel... I really didn't know what to expect here. I spent a lot of time researching a nice one to stay in, and it turns out that I did an excellent job. The place was balla for what I thought it was going to be. When you first walk in, there was a lounge/reception area with a couple of TVs and a bunch of movies, board games, and magazines.  Off to the side was kitchen and eating area with plenty of appliances, dishes, and utensils so that you can make food if you want to (conveniently enough there is a Carrefour right next to the hostel).  Breakfast was included, c'etait comme ci/comme ca.... Mais c'est gratuit, alors. There was free wifi throughout, and the staff were super nice and helpful. Overall I would definitely rank it above a dorm room, and for the price of 40 dollars a night... Pas mal.

I spent most of the first evening wandering down the Promenade Des Anglais and some back streets by the hostel.  I passed out around 21h local time, so I woke up super early the next day. I took advantage of this early rise by getting a jump start on my explorations of the city. I took a shower, ate breakfast, and was out by 8. vOf course, as I walked around I started to discover that most things don't open until 10... But it was completely fine. I still had a nice time walking around and trying to get acquainted with "my" new city. I'm absolutely terrible at reading maps (thank goodness I live in the era of GPS) so I just wandered, using important landmarks (such as Chanel, Galleries Lafayette, and the seafront) to keep my bearings.  Honestly... I spent most of the day shopping in some form. Shopping is actually a fantastic way to learn the language and immerse in the culture... I'll maintain that.   I spent a lot of time in the open air markets, as well as specialty boutiques and the larger department stores.  

They say shop till you drop but by midday, I getting a legit headache from all the bustle.   So I went around to a Monoprix, which is sort of like a big box retailer, to get some water and Advil.  Well, apparently you can only get Advil from actual pharmacies in France.  Ok that's fair.   So I went ahead and bought my water and I almost died when I went to take a a big gulp only to find that I got sparkling water. Oy.  And for my headache, the pharmacist literally laughed at my request for Advil, and then he gave me some magic French medicine.   My headache was gone in like 2 minutes.  After all that I went for a late lunch to a salad bar. I had arrugala with mozzarella balls, sundried tomatoes, roasted eggplant, and balsamic. For dessert I got a noisette (espresso with a dash of steamed milk, much like the Italian/Starbucks macchiato).  And then I walked around some more... And some more... And then I walked by a patisserie with a beautiful display of Napoleons, my favorite French pastry. I wasn't hungry but I went ahead and bought one to eat later. I decided to wait until I climbed to the top of the castle ruins parc at the end of the Promenade Des Anglais to indulge myself. All those steps were worth a Napoleon.  

While I was overlooking Nice, I asked this nice French person to take my picture.  It turns out that he was a linguistics major who was training to teach foreigners French.  Perfect.  We spent almost an hour talking in half French half English... It was a really good experience engaging in the language further. The thing with French is that I can read it very comfortably, and I can say enough to get by in a French speaking country... but I cannot for the life of me understand what French people are saying... So that is unfortunate.  One day I'll be good at this though.  

Day 2 - Grasse et Cannes

I was debating which day would be the best to visit the Cannes Film Festival. With it being a huge international event and all, I sort of shyed away from going on the weekend.  And since it was already Thursday, I saw no time like the present.  All of my reading led me to the conclusion that it would be better to visit Cannes later in the afternoon so that I could explore the city, and then stalk the red carpet around 7 in the evening.  However, I woke up at a ripe age of 5h so I needed entertainment in the meanwhile.  

After flipping through a travel brochure, I read about a small town called Grasse, which was just north of Cannes. After checking the train schedule online, I discovered that it would be perfectly easy to visit both cities the same day, as there was a train to Grasse via Cannes. C'est parfait. Alors, to the train station I went.  A modest 18 euros bought my transportation for the day. I didn't think that was too bad at all.  Plus I got a nice view of parts of Southern France I otherwise wouldn't have seen.  

Grasse was pretty nice. I spent 3 hours there, most of which were spent climbing up the giant hill to actually get to the villa from the train station.  When they label something a "city on the hill", they aren't messing around.  I picked a bad day to wear wedges.  After about 30 minutes of winding upwards, I made it to the top of the city, where all of the action was. It seems as if I planned my visit during the rose festival, which was really pretty cool.  I should back up here and note that Grasse is the city of perfume. The reason why I was going was to visit the international perfume museum and go on tour of a perfume factory. So roses are sort of a big deal for this city. I walked through an exhibition of mixed medium (roses and other materials) fashion art before browsing the rose festival craft and flower show. 

I had a fun time stumbling back down the hill and to the train station. I boarded my train and promptly passed out for a good 20 minutes before waking up, freaking out about the possibility of passing my stop at Cannes. Luckily I didn't- I woke up just in time.  However it wasn't a good day to be groggy in Cannes. With the film festival, the city was packed, even as a Thursday. It was craziness to the max. Since I was exhausted and wanted to get out of the crowds, I cided to sit down for a nice early dinner. I went to a cafe on the Rue D'Antibes (the big shopping street). I sat by myself facing the busy street, stoked at the prime location for people watching. Sitting in cafes alone is ver common in France, bust thhere is almost an art to it that I obviousky haven't mastered, having no practice and all.  The french are so cool about it, i just felt like a dork. Whatever, i still enjoyed the ambience. After looking over the menu, I decided to go with the chef's recommendation- the poulet plat du jour. I sat in anticipation because this was the first served meal I had ordered while in France. Imagine my surprise when the steaming plate of provincial chicken was placed in front of me, only to discover that in France, they don't believe in cutting the feet off the chicken before serving. That's right, I had a plate full of chicken feet in front of me. Well, ok... Only 2 chicken feet. But still. I just had to get over it. When in France.... And the chicken was delicious.

I walked around Cannes for a while, snooping out the film festival scene. Many important looking people rushed by in tuxedos and bowties, but nobody that I recognized. I'm also not much of a film buff so I'm sure that that had something to do with it. I retreated from the crowds, heading to the seaside where another craft festival was set up. It was a lovely view: hundreds of sailboats lined up while artists were selling paintings of the same view.   

Completely exhausted, I decided to forgo the crowds of the red carpet and the public beach screening of a formerly released Cannes film winner (1962).

I passed out that night around 8.

Day 3 - The day I didn't go to Monaco

Early to bed, early to rise. However this is completely useless in the south of France as nothing opens until about 10 (and the complimentary hostel breakfast doesn't begin until 8). So I opted for laying in bed, researching my definition for the day. I settled on Monaco. In attempt to save a bit of money, I planned on taking the bus 2euro round trip versus 5euro round trip for the train). There was only one bus that left from my side of nice to Monaco and it was still a mile way. The distance itself isn't the problem, the problem lies in the increased length and therefore opportunities to get lost, which I'm good at doing. With the direct route pulled up on my iPad in hand' I set off for the bus station. Of course I couldn't find it. But that wasn't completely my fault, as it turns out the bus station was currently under construction. Ok... So I asked for directions and got some spotty French version, which I only understood half of. Directions already aren't my thing... Throw French in the mix and I'm gonna have a bad time. Then it started raining.

Luckily, I was right outside of an off-the-rack designer boutique so I peeped inside. To wait out the rain, I decided to try some stuff on. Of course I fell in love with a gorgeous Armani navy blue skirt suit. And of course I bought it. It looks great, and I'm a working lady now. I gotta look fancy to make that bank. It was only 75euro which is reasonable for a suit, and an absolute steal for Armani.

My purchase behind me, it was stilllllll raining. I walked along the street miserable for a couple of minutes (why didn't I pack an umbrella?) I almost jumped when I saw the sign for the contemporary art museum, which I had wanted to go to all along but figured I'd never make it there if i tried, also due to my lack of direction. I actually really like modern art... and this museum, although smaller and less renowned, was much more impressive than the Tate modem in London that I visited during spring break.

After the museum, and the discovery that it was still raining, I ducked into vieux ville, which is filled with touristy goods in winding, narrow alleys. I had already been here but the shops were mostly covered with terraces, making them quite an attractive option. Then, I smelled the most amazing thing ever. It was the socca stand. Now I had heard about socca.. A nicoise specialty that is sort of like a crepe made of chickpea flour. Oh my goodness, it was amaaaaaazing.

After the socca, I decided it was nap time. It was still raining and if nothing else, I wanted to change my clothes, as I was wearing a sundress and it was not sunny. I made my way back to the hostel, changed clothes, and made the 2nd veggie burger patty that was left over from dinner the other night (an experimental re-creation of the McBaguette.) while in the lounge area, I decided that this would be a cozy place to chill for a bit. I read some fashion magazines in French, watched the news, and chatted with everyone else who decided that today was a good day for vegging.

While I had the best of intentions of going back out to explore the other side of nice, I didn't. But that was perfectly ok. A group of us ran down to the Carrefour next door to buy baguettes, wine, and cheese (I also got some grilled eggplant in olive oil) and we sat around discussing life, work, school, travel, and shoes. It was a splendid evening.

Day 4 - Making it Monaco & a new obsession with Grace Kelly

After yesterday's failed attempt, I opted for the train this time... the train is more convenient and way harder to mess up.  Plus, on a round trip ticket, you can get on and off at the towns in-between if you so please. This left me the possibility of being able to stop at Eze and Ville-Franche as well.  

After I bought my train ticket I had to wait 2 hours for the next train. Must be a Saturday thing. So I ventured out for a snack, and wound up sitting in a socca cafe where I ordered socca with espresso.  Odd combination, but both delicious. (I swear you can get a good cup of espresso anywhere in France, even in a random snack shop).

Monaco was insane once I finally got there. The place is crawling with so much wealth it is ridiculous. The first thing that I did when I got off the train was walk around the Monaco Grand Prix race track, which surrounded the Monaco yacht club port.

As per usual, I decided to walk around randomly... not really knowing where I was going. I ended up in the shopping district (as it seems I always do), but a lucky turn around a corner led me to this building.. which was intriguing... 

...which turned out to be the Princess Grace style museum.  Bingo.  Monaco is actually a principality, and not a city of France.  So when American actress Grace Kelly married the prince of Monaco, she naturally became their princess.  Talk about a fairytale.  This whole museum was devoted to the beautiful and inspirational style icon. 

I then swung by the Monte Carlo casino (as if I hadn't seen enough casinos in Vegas the week before).  It was amazing to see the rich people of Europe drive up in their Rolls Royce's and Jaguars.  So. much. wealth.

Since being in Monaco was the closest I was going to be to Italia, I decided to find some good pasta.  I found a cute restaurant that served a cheap vegetarian lasagna, and it was delicious.  

Day 5 - More Nice Wanderings


Nice is a huge town and there was still much that I hadn't done.  It was sort of a dreary day so while I would have liked to have a beach day, I continued my tourism ventures by going to museums and souvenir hunting.

And before I left, I needed to find this amazing gelato place that I had read a lot of rave reviews for online.

...Which was a marvelous decision.  As it began to really pour, I went back to the hostel to rest up for my trip to Paris the next day.  I watched a couple of movies in the lounge with the other rained-in travelers.

Which was maybe an un-exciting, but a relaxing and enjoyable end to my stay in Nice.  The next day led me to Paris, which I will include in the next post....

Why I'm Travelling France By Myself

As I'm writing this, my feet are literally throbbing from 3 days spent in Las Vegas and wearing uncomfortable (for the sake of cuteness) shoes.  However, most things I could comment on about my Las Vegas experience would come off as a social critique, and I'm not in that kind of a mood right now.  (To sum it up, I probably won't be back.)

Instead, I'd rather talk about the adventure that lies ahead.  In about 36 hours, I'll be heading across the Atlantic and landing in Paris, before travelling to the Cote d'Azur.  France has always been alluring... I knew I was in love with the Parisian life at the ripe age of 2, when my all-time idol was Madeline.

It was from my initial exposure to the cartoon that I secured my first trip to France: a trip to Paris for my 10th birthday.  Memories of creamy fondue, gargoyles, the Louvre, and of course the magnificent Tour d'Eiffel resonated with me years after I left.  I'll never forget how a rainy night turned into a snow-laced wonderland after climbing the height to the top level of the Eiffel Tower.  It was nothing short of magical.

It was another 7 years before I would return to the city, this time as a junior in high school and freshly educated of the mysteres of the Lost Generation (Ezra Pound had especially made une impression).

I was determined to not only visit "the sites", but to soak up the culture as much as I could.  I tracked down Le Select cafe, where Scott F. Fitgerald would frequently spend all day writing, just so that I could witness his inspiration.  

I thrived on the Champs-Elysee, shopping through the flagship Louis Vuitton store, along with other luxury fashion houses.  And we won't even talk about the wonderstruck that occurred in Au Printemps or Galleries Lafayette.  

And of course then, I saw "the sights", revisiting the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, Notre Dame, l'Arc d'Triumphe... etc...

Paris is magical.  And apparently the rest of France is as well.  So when I developed an itch to explore the country further, and since I have already explored the cosmopolitan city of Paris, I decided on a new destination: the south of France.  It's where the French take their month long vacations in August, and it was where I wanted to take my week long adventure in May. 

I'm not calling this a vacation, because vacations are things you go on to spend time with the people that you love.  This adventure is being embarked on alone.

Ever since I made up my mind to trek the French Riviera solo, I've received a lot of inquiries as to "Why...?"

And I just can't think of a good answer, except for that I feel like truly losing myself in my own wanderings and wonderings for a week.  I can't wait to explore open-air markets, museums, and boutiques;  I can't wait to search for the tastiest patisseries and sip on cafe au laits while indulging in a good book;  and I can't wait to tip-toe on the pebbled beaches of Nice and stroll along the Promenade des Anglais.  

Not that I wouldn't enjoy these indulgences with the company of others, but there is something special about travelling alone.  There is definite value in being able to be content by oneself... And there is magic when you discover not only being content, but joyful.  If you can be happy with yourself, you can be happy with anybody.  

I'll be gone for about a week and a half, and I'll be blogging along the way.  So stay tuned, and stay fabulous!

Hey girl, ...

I haven't written in a couple of weeks (besides that hockey post a couple of days ago - but let's face it, that wasn't me. If I ever know that much about hockey, it's because I've moved to Canada and become the all-star hockey mom).  I know that you missed me, but I was waiting for some interesting things to accumulate before I set off to writing again.  I've also been faced with a slight case of post-marathon blues and an end-of-the-semester procrastination kick in the butt.  (In all actuality, this blog post itself is a procrastination technique.  That economics of law final at 1:30 that I haven't looked at yet?  Meh.  Later.  Like after I chug this diet coke.)

So let's talk about life, shall we?

Marathon related.
Zero week was sort of all about recovery.  When I woke up Monday morning after the marathon, I'm pretty sure that my first words were "Help".  My legs just felt like bricks.  I had stayed in St. Louis that night, so I had an early drive back to school for my first class at 11:30.  Of course I was able to swing by SBucks to grab a venti cafe misto (which, you know.. everyone else just calls cafe au lait.. ne pas Starbucks).  Monday was a long day because Mondays at Truman love me.  That night I engaged in an intense and painful foam rolling sesh.

Classes were cancelled Tuesday so I went to get gelato with some fellow Cardinal Keys that also ran marathons/half marathons that weekend.  I got nutella flavored and it was amazing.  It was so fun to talk to other people about the whole ordeal and to celebrate our successes.

On Wednesday I finally decided it was time to stretch out my legs with some light cardio.  I hopped on the elliptical and went at a moderate intensity and pace for an hour.  Oh my goshhhh, this was a heaven send.  After this, I felt back to normal.

Since then, I've been doing a lot of cross training (Oddly, I missed the rec soooo much!)  I didn't go on my first run until tonight, 2 weeks later.  It was an easy 6 miler.  And now it's actually time to start training for the Red, White & Boom half marathon that I'll be doing in the Twin Cities on July 4th.  I'm so excited to run in Minneapolis!  It's supposed to be a great city for running.

School Related.

Finals are this week. Uhhhh yeah.  Finals are dumb.  BUT today was fantastic because my Target Case team presented for Target executives and we won!  Our case was to build a business strategy for Target's expansion into Canada, and we came up with some pretty shweet ideas.  And we won the $2000 prize!

My hair is nutso because I got caught in the rain right before our presentation.

Other school stuff.... yeah, it doesn't matter.  I have to finish an econ development paper, and take my econ law and consumer behavior finals.  It's really not too bad, I just don't have motivation to study as per usual.  That's why I especially loved the Target case study and spent so much time working on it, because it was hands-on work and allowed me to avoid doing other things.  

Miscellaneous Life Happenings

I'm going on an Eiffel Tower tour.  Vegas next week and France the week after that.  I'm beyond excited.  

While abroad, I want to check out a couple of grad schools.  The program I really have my eye on is "Strategic Fashion Marketing" at the London College of Fashion.  It's a school that lets you create and execute your own project as a part of your Masters thesis.  I'd be really interested in doing some work in the marketing of sustainable fashion.  I'm also looking at Cass Business School (London), the London School of Business, Hult (London), and HEC (Paris)... all of which I'd be going after a Masters in International Business.  We'll see.  The hope is that I'll feel inspired enough to write a compelling personal statement while I'm over there.  And travel time can be devoted to studying for the GMAT, which I'm taking this summer. 

Related to all of this (sort of.. at least that's how I rationalize it)... I bought an iPad!  

I had been toying with the idea for a while, and when I heard that my tax refund was approximately the same amount as this lovely gem (thank goodness the new iPad came out to help push the 2nd gen's price down...), I decided I would make the purchase.  

I'm not a "Mac Head" by any means, but I have a high level of respect for Apple as a company.  They make truly beautiful products.  And honestly, the last Apple product I purchased with an iPod classic, 4 and a half years ago.

You can really use the iPad for so much.  I already downloaded all of the apps that I'm super excited for... like TripIt (which organizes your travel reservations, plans, maps, phone numbers, etc), Epicurious (basically a cookbook), Netflix, Gmail, Chegg (for renting e-textbooks), GMAT Prep, Facebook, Linkedin, and of course.... BIG ANGRY BIRDS. 

I feel so business-y now.  Which brings me to my next point of excitement...

I can't wait to work here! It's just a month away!  

But with the approach of summer means that I'm leaving all of my friends :(  Most people will be in STL this summer.  

Shoutout to this girl for turning 21 last week!

Cardinal Key initiation last Sunday!

Huge Group of Girls.

Wahhhh.  I'll probably write a goodbye blog post to all of my graduating senior friends.  I don't want to be sad yet.  

And now.  It is time to study.  

Thanks, Ryan. 

Western Conference Semifinals Preview: Saint Louis Blues vs. Los Angeles Kings

Hi guys, it's Sarah... your all-knowing-of-all-the-things-sports lover/knower/reporter.  I haven't had time to blog in the past week because I've been busy watching all the sports.  To make up for it, I've prepared a special treat for all of you.  That I wrote all by myself.

As many of you surely know, the Los Angeles Kings are coming to Saint Louis Saturday to
begin a seven game series for the right to head to the Western Conference Finals and a chance
to go to the Stanley Cup Finals. It’s bound to be a tough fought series between two defensive
minded teams, and promises to be one of the better series of the entire playoffs. Let’s take a look
at the breakdown.

Wingers/Centers: As has been written all year, the Blues are generally thought of as a low
scoring team. However, they had more total goals this year than the Kings, and they seem, on
paper, to match up well with the Kings. Alex Steen, Andy McDonald, David Backes, and David
Perron will have to play their best against the likes of Mike Richards, Anze Kopitar, and the rest
of the Kings, but the Blues should have the advantage here.

Defensemen: Perhaps where the Blues play their best hockey, Alex Pietrangelo, Roman Polak,
Barret Jackman, and the rest of the Blues defensemen have stopped teams all year long from
scoring many goals thanks to a great forecheck. However, they don’t get much offense from
these guys, often relying solely on Pietrangelo for an offensive output from this unit. On the
other side, Kings’ defensemen have given up more goals this year, but seem to have more
offensive output than the Blues. We’ll call this a push.

Goaltending: Both Johnny Quick and Brian Elliot are studs and have been all year long.
However, it’s going to get interesting when and if Jaroslav Halak is back healthy for the Blues.
If Elliot is playing well, does he get the nod the rest of the way or does Halak supplant him when
he’s ready to go? Regardless, this seems like a push.

Special Teams: Blues have been great on the power play and penalty kill, especially recently in
the first round series with the Sharks. Kings have been just average all year. Advantage Blues.

Coaching: Ken Hitchcock has been here several times before, winning a Stanley Cup with
Dallas and leading several other teams to the playoffs in his long career in the NHL. Darryl
Sutter has also been around the bend a few times, but never getting past the second round until
2003, when he lost the Stanley Cup Finals to Chicago. Advantage Blues.

Intangibles: There is no doubt the Blues are a very young team, with many players playing in
their first or second playoffs. Los Angeles has a few more veterans lining their bench, so we’ll
give the edge to them.

Prediction: The Kings are red hot right now, having knocked off Presidents’ Trophy winner
Vancouver in just five games in the first round. Johnny Quick is one of the best goalies in the
league, and the Kings have at least an average offense. However, I think the Blues are the better
team, especially at home, and that will be made evident in the series. Blues in 6.


And there you go.  Just another one of my sports expert opinions.

Reflections on a Marathon

Saturday night, April 14th (AKA night before the marathon)...

I.AM.FREAKING.OUT.

I've had butterflies in my stomach all week, and just a general sense of unease.  I question my readiness to run 26.2 miles.  But deep down, I know that I can do this.  I followed my training plan and did everything I was supposed to do to prepare for this.  I completed my longest training run 4 weeks ago and have been tapering ever since.  I've been eating lots of healthy carbs the past few days.  And I have the perfect marathon outfit picked out... the perfect Asics socks, Brooks shoes, Nike tempo shorts, Nike dryfit tee, and an Under Armor wicking cap.  I have the perfect playlist for my baby ipod shuffle.  My number is pinned to my shirt (1188.. I like the double numbers there, or maybe I'm just clinging onto any sign of luck that I can find).

AHHHH!

Two years ago, when I finished my first half, several people told me that I would want to eventually run a full. I always said, "No way - that's crazy.  Your body isn't made to handle that.  It's just too much pressure.  And training for that would be too intense or take too long.  I'm content running the half."  Not that I necessarily disagree with all of those statements now.  I still think that the marathon is a pretty ridiculous feat, the kind that you complete just once in your life to say that you did.  Or at least that's how it starts before it pulls you into its evil allure.  I'm already guilty of the catching the marathon bug, having already signed up for the full marathon in the St. Louis Rock n' Roll series (I wanted to beat the price increase deadline...)  But still, I wouldn't think twice about dropping down to the half and eating the cost.  Why?  After training for a full marathon, the half just seems to be the perfect challenge: you know... challenging, yet reasonable and approachable.  The full?  He's a pompous, selfish jerk.  He wants too much of you.  He consumes you, he eats away at any other thoughts you might have.  And that's why I just want to kick him.   He deserves a good, swift kick.

It might sound like I hate the marathon, but that's really not the case.  Au contraire, I've enjoyed the challenge of training.  I've enjoyed learning more about myself: my limitations, vulnerabilities, and strength.  Running has given me solitude and peace: something that everyone needs to experience.  If you can handle being alone, with only your own random and weird thoughts, for hours... then you really learn who you are and what you want to do with your life.  Running has made me grow up.

When I finish the marathon tomorrow, I know it will be a great achievement, but I'm not sure how I'll feel about it.  I guess we'll reflect tomorrow :)

...

Sunday, April 15th - 4:30 a.m.


I.AM.SO.EXCITED!

This is actually about to happen! Ahhhh!

I woke up around 4 and ran around a little bit to wake myself up.  I drank (2) 16 oz. bottles of water before grabbing a couple of cups of coffee.  Bah humbug to the supposed rule that you shouldn't drink coffee before running... how can you not?  Apparently it dehydrates you, but whatevs.  I need my caffeine.  I also ate a small banana and a piece of whole wheat toast with Nutella.  Sugar&carbs, sugar&carbs, sugar&carbs!

To ease my nerves, I flipped on the TV.  I almost settled on VH1's Jumpstart but then I saw that The Color of Friendship was playing on Disney Channel.  I love that movie!  I wish they played it at times other than 4:30 in the morning...

I also remembered this morning that I forgot to fill out the emergency contact information on the back of my bib.  Since I fully plan on passing out sometime during the race, this is a horrible detail to overlook.  But that's all fixed now.

I don't have any pre-race rituals per se, except for the fact that I've worn the same sportsbra to every Go! St. Louis event.  So I guess I'll stick with what I know there.

I'm bringing some VitaCoco coconut water with me to the start line... I swear by the stuff.  It's super hydrating, contains electrolytes, has just a bit of energizing sugar, and 95 quick calories to get me started.  I am also bringing ibuprofen with me.  No shame in poppping a few right before the race starts.

Sunday, April 15th - 5:00 p.m.

OWWWWWWWWWWW.

I finished the marathon!!  I am so tired, and in quite a bit of pain.  But I couldn't be happier about this accomplishment.  Here's how the event went...

I got to the starting area of the marathon (on Market Street) at about 6:10.  I loosened my muscles a bit, sipped on my coconut water, and just took in the atmosphere of excitement.  It was here that I first toggled with my baby iPod (my affectionate naming for my little blue iPod shuffle) and realized that it wasn't working.  I vaguely remember plugging it in after I made my marathon playlist and a message popping up - saying that the iPod was "corrupted".  I didn't give it much of a thought.  But I guess that corrupted iPods don't like to play music.  Makes sense in hindsight.  So, I swallowed a pill of reality right then and there: the marathon that lied ahead would be ran music-less.  It would be just me and the marathon.

(A quick note on my running and music usage: I definitely complete some runs without listening to music.  Especially if I'm running somewhere especially pretty or if I'm just in a super internally-motivated mood.  With my previous long distance racing experience, I've always worn my iPod and used it sparingly... playing a song here and there when I need a dose of energy.  That's why I was extremely disappointed to find that I'd be running the entire marathon music-less.  I literally had a craving for music.)

I couldn't spend time being upset about the iPod fiasco, I had a race to line up for.  I headed to my corral at about 6:30 to patiently wait for the start.  While standing there, I noticed my friend Rachelle pass by.  We got to chat until the start of the race, which was great for helping to calm my nerves.

My thoughts at the start line were something along the lines of:
"What am I doing?"
"Oh my gosh, I'm seriously about to run a marathon"
"I hope I can do this"
"Shoot, better double-knot my shoes"

The national anthem was sung, followed by the start of the wheelchair marathon.  Then  the elite runners were released.  And then it was our turn!  There were about 15,000 runners lined up, and I was in corral C, so it took a while to actually cross the starting line and begin the race.  I started about 8 minutes after the official start.

Here's an idea of the race course.  And I guess we'll do a quick recap.

Miles 1-4:  Super chill!  Rachelle and I stayed together for the beginning of the race.  It's a gorgeous day, and the first few views are great.  We started on Market street, across from the courthouse, heading towards the Arch.  We made a turn and headed towards Soulard (the most fun STL neighborhood ever - they are always outside cheering for runners and playing music) and then towards the AB brewery.  Every Go! race I've participated in (well, this is just the 4th) runs by the brewery, and it's always my least favorite part.  I absolutely hate the smell of hops or whatever it is that goes on in there.  But today was more mild than usual, so that was a welcome surprise.

Mile 5:  I saw some red hair up ahead of me and had a hunch that it was my bestie, Brit.  I stalked her for a couple seconds before deciding that it really was her and screaming her name.

Mile 6-10:  Rachelle, Brittany, and I continued sailing on our way.  We dominated the hills on Olive and we were all looking and feeling good.  It was really nice to have the company of friends, especially sans music.

Mile 10:  This is where the marathon course split off from the half-marathon.  It was sort of dramatic, like I was being sent off into the wild blue yonder, away from my friends and most of the other event participants (only about 2000 people run the full marathon, the rest run the half).  I got in a separate lane and continued down (what I guess was) Market, under the hospital, and into Forest Park.

Mile 13:  "You're halfway there"... gee, thanks.

Mile 16:  This was probably my defining moment.  There's really nothing like seeing the 16 mile marker and thinking, "only 10 more miles".

Mile 17:  I saw a spectator wearing a t shirt with the flag of England on it.  Had I had my music, I probably would have just thought to myself, "Nice shirt".  Since I was getting a little bored with life at that point, I decided instead to say to him, in a British accent, "I like your shirt, chap. Very nice!" to which he responded, also in a British accent, "Cheerio!"  ... Seriously.

Mile 17-20:  I think this was about the time that we ran through the U-City loop.  That was definitely one of my favorite parts.  It's just so weird to be running down a blocked off street that is normally so busy.  Window shopping kept my mind off of the pain for at least a little bit.

Mile 20:  So apparently this is where most people hit the "wall" - the time when glycogen stores in your muscles are all used up, and your body struggles tremendously despite your mental will power.  I was dreading this "wall" but I didn't quite hit it here.

Mile 21:  Now I hit the "wall".  I'm not sure how to explain what happened here, I just all of a sudden felt very overwhelmed by this whole marathon thing.  It was both a physical and emotional wall for me.  I literally burst into tears... I'm not completely sure if it was because I was so happy, and that my goal was so close to being within reach, or if it was because I was in just that much pain.  My head was like, "Sarah! What's wrong with you?"  Needless to say, I had a lot of trouble breathing here.  For that reason, I broke my goal to run the whole thing and walked for a bit.  I had to force myself to take deep breaths.  Or not even deep breaths necessarily, just not shallow breaths.  I think this was the closest thing to hyperventilating that I've ever experienced.  It was just so odd.

Mile 22:  It was here that I found the perfect napping spot.  All I wanted to do at this point was stop running and go to sleep.  I didn't want to walk, walking hurt more than running.  But I was still dealing with my breathing thing and running was practically killing me.  There was this ever-so-tempting shady and grassy area.  Would have made the perfect nap spot.  I somehow resisted and carried on my way.

Mile 22-25:  Geez, I don't even know what happened here.  Everything was literally a blur.

Mile 25:  My 2nd breakdown of the race.  (I know, I know.. I was such an emotional WRECK.)  The culprit this time?  "We are Young" by Fun being blasted through some speakers that were set up by a volunteer station.

I was like... "Yes.  I am young.  And I'm running a marathon.  And I love this song."

Mile 25-26.2:  I finished strong, I definitely found my stride.  The finish line is visible for the last .5 miles or so, so that's definitely motivating.  I passed the 26 mile marker and then booked it in with just about everything I had left.  Since I was the only one finishing at that moment, the announcer called me out specifically ... "Sarah from Kirksville, Missouri!  Just finished the maraaaaathooonnn!"  Cue cry time number 3.

I can't explain what it is about the marathon that is so emotional.  I guess a good start is to say that when something is a conscious goal on your mind for 4 months, and then it comes to a close, it's both a joyful and sad experience.  Not that I doubted that I could do this, but.. I actually did it now.  Oh my gosh.  It's just numbing.

So, will I do another full marathon?  I honestly don't think so.  I think my body hates me right now.  Like, I just peeled two toes apart.  What the heck.  And I'm probably going to be limping up and down stairs for at least a week.  As far as purely road racing goes, I really enjoy the challenge that the half provides.  I am looking to do a Warrior Dash and/or Tough Mudder race... which is a 5k and 12 mile run, respectively.  The kicker is that they're done while running through the mud and completing various obstacles along the way, like jumping over fire and stuff.  Sounds like fun!

Words won't describe exactly what running a marathon has done for my spirit.  It was one of the most self-educational experiences.  I'm glad I did it, but I'm also glad it's over.  I'm ready to get back to different kinds of workouts besides just running all the time.  That being said, I would encourage anyone who thinks that they may even want to do it *just a little bit* to go for it!  It's a life accomplishment that will teach you about yourself and that you'll remember forever.  I'll never forget this.

Pinterest: An Ethics Trap for Businesses?

Being a typical girl who loves aesthetics, fantasy weddings, recipes involving chocolate, and inspirational quotes... Pinterest is a sort of wonderland.

Sometime last September, I received an "invitation" to join the Pinterest club, and my name was landed on a somewhat elitest waiting list before I was allowed to create an account and explore the website.

I'm not sure if the exclusivity was to create a buzz of excitement, but it didn't work on me.  I went into my Pinterest experience thinking that it was going to be about as useless as Foursquare.  You know, something you obsess over for a couple of weeks and then let fizzle.

But being the young millineal that I am, I felt obligated to give it a shot.  I finally created my account on a Friday afternoon after a brutal school week (such is as the case for pretty much every week at Truman).  I began to scroll through the website.  I continued to scroll through the website.  My mind was flooded with pure joy.  And before I knew it, it was 11 o'clock at night.  

For those of you who either A) don't know, or B) claim not to care... here is the premise of Pinterest:

1. You scroll through an endlessly re-loading board of things.  All kinds of things.  Recipes.  Interesting products.  Cleaning tips.  Decorating ideas.  Beautiful photographs of far-off places.  Movie quotes.  Workout plans.  Etc.  Etc.  Etc.

 

2. When something intrigues you, all you do is *click* on it to find more information about the intriguing thumbnail picture.  You can then navigate to the website which originally posted that particular thing: perhaps it is a link to a blog with a recipe or a retailer's website featuring a specific pair of shoes.

3. To make the experience more personal, you can create virtual pin "boards" by category and "re-pin" things of interest to your own personal boards.  For example, I have a board entitled "Scrumptious" where I post recipes that I want to try; a board entitled "Marathon" for marathon motivation and running tips; and a board called "Cats get their own board" for funny cat pictures.

(If you want to check out my boards, you can do so here)

4. After you have created your organized pin boards, you can revisit them or share them with friends.  

5. Spend hours and hours and hours on Pinterest.  

 

Obviously, I think that Pinterest is a great tool.  Lifestyle improvement and cultural advancement is the result of information sharing, which is exactly what Pinterest has enabled... in a fun and entertaining way, no less.  

For the remainder of this post, I maintain my belief that Pinterest is a great tool... but I have to ask: who is it really a tool for?  

Originally created for consumers (consumers of products, ideas, lifestyles), Pinterest used to be more of a consumer-to-consumer recommendation forum.  As a pinner, I felt like I could truly trust the recommendations and reviews given on Pinterest.

However, when a great opportunity presents itself, it would be silly for businesses not to move in.  What I've noticed lately on Pinterest is the addition of business-ran accounts and blatant product promotion.  As an economics and marketing student, I understand the marketing opportunity from a business standpoint.  Being a consumer who values ethics and fair judgment, I question the ethics of marketing on Pinterest.  Which leads to the some questions about Pinterest:

How do you guarentee the authenticity or neutrality of the recommendation?  

Where is your information coming from?  

Should you even have to question where your information is coming from?  

Are we allowed to enjoy any part of this world without messages from marketers?

I'm not saying that businesses shouldn't be allowed to use Pinterest.  But there should be guidelines.  Social media expert Brian Honigman agrees, giving businesses the following tips: "keep your profile community-based and not just a promotion center for your assets and products.  Repin and like other content that suits your community, which will help strengthen your reach in the long-term.”

Personally, I see Pinterest as a valuable website because I can log on and get ideas from people similar to me, in an honest consumer-to-consumer situation.  But as business participation on Pinterest grows, I have to be weary of marketed products.  Since Pinterest seems to have an almost subliminal effect (you literally can process hundreds of ideas on this website each minute), slanted advertising can easily be interpreted as peer consumer influence.  For example, consider a hypothetical caption underneath a hypothetical jar of peanut butter:

"Oh my gosh, this is the best brand of peanut butter I've ever tried!!  And only 120 calories per serving?  A must-buy next time at the store"

Might seem convincing if coming from a peer consumer.  But what if it's really coming from the peanut butter's manufacturer?  And what if it's actually the worst peanut butter ever?  

The role of a marketer should be to communicate value to its consumers, to display an "offer".  That is why I see nothing wrong with businesses using Pinterest in the following way:

...Where information is simply being provided.

However, an opportunity exists on Pinterest for marketers to easily pose as a consumer peer and promote a certain agenda.  

And that's the part that I'm not OK with.  

Unfortunately, there is little that can be done to control this.  It is the responsibility of a business to be ethical, if they so choose.  So even though I'll continue my journey as a pinner, I'll do so with more caution and less enjoyment.  For me, the social medium has already been tainted.

My 2 Personalities Aren't Getting Along

I've always been a little bit of an overachiever.  This usually works in my favor, but not when I'm a junior experiencing a heavy wave of senioritis, you know, that thing typically reserved for seniors.  Time to pull back on the reigns.

I've always been a fairly strong Type-A personality.

I'm a planner, so I like to know where my life is headed.  I like to have a "safe" backup; I don't like surprises.  

But then there's another side.

I'm also a dreamer.  I always want more: more excitement, more thrill, more challenge.  I like a chase.  I like the fear of uncertainty and risk.

Confusing, right?  Completely different.  

Normally, Type-A Sarah dominates herself.   She's in charge.  She's a bossy.  She likes to push herself.

But as of late, Hippie Sarah has been taking over. 

Hippie Sarah wants to forget all responsibility. She wants to get lost in 1000 Hills and spend all her money to travel across Europe while staying in random hostels.  She wants to work for a micro-financier in Bangledesh.  She wants to listen to Iron & Wine all day with the windows open and a peppermint candle lit (in April).  She wants to walk around barefoot.  She wants to climb trees.

These two have got to learn to live with each other...  But then again, maybe they already do.  Maybe they actually need each other to survive the crazy world of Sarah.  

I'm a dreamer, I let my mind wander.  I'm never content.  And if that were the end of it... I'd be successful only at being a pessimistic bum.  Instead I refuse to accept this discontent, I fight against it.  And it's just starting to all make sense.  Hippie Sarah actually ignites Type-A Sarah... and Type-A Sarah gets its soul from Hippie Sarah.  

Teamwork.  Harmony.

Where did all of this start?  Well, from thinking about my future.  Life directly after college, specifically. 

I thought that getting a competitive internship and (likely) proceeding job offer would make me feel accomplished.  I would graduate, start working at a decent salary, get my MBA a couple of years later, move up the corporate ladder... Everything I've been working for.  But as soon as I get it, I don't know if I'm content anymore.

The marathon is another example.  I'm literally more scared for the after-effects of my upcoming marathon than for the marathon itself.  When it's is over, how am I going to feel after I've worn out the excitement and sense of accomplishment?  I'm terrified that I'll just feel disappointed that I actually completed something I never thought I could do.

And it's been like this with everything in my life.  I'll set a goal.. work stupidly hard at achieving it.  Bask in the joy of accomplishment.  And then be discontent and yearning.  

Of course, I don't like failing, but success is a double edged sword.  After the initial excitement wears off, where are you left?  Feeling unchallenged, or stressed by the idea of finding new, more rigorous challenges.  I guess that feeling of discontent is what drives me.  

In conclusion.. sigh.  I don't know.  I'm going here: