Running for Chocolate in Zurich

We are traveling right now, and I'm posting about that on Alex's blog. But I thought I'd post a running journal entry here.

I got up early Sunday (well, Alex got me up early), so I went for a run in Zurich. I ran up a very long hill, but of course it wasn't as steep as Monte di Procida, so it was easy :) Although, my lungs were hurting a bit from the altitude. Anyway, at the top is another short hill up to an old hotel. Up there you can see back down to Zurich to the lake, but you also get a great view of the Alps, rocky and snow crested in the distance. It was really beautiful. It was cool and drizzling a bit, but I didn't mind at all. In fact I could have run 10 miles in that weather! The heat and humidity really slows me down.

The things you see while running are amazing. Aside from the kick ass view from the top of the hill, I also got to see the less spectacular side of Zurich. The city is very uptight. Everything is highly regulated and scheduled. Efficiency has its appeal, of course. Catching a train in Zurich is much easier than doing so in Naples. But all the rules and regulations would drive me mad. So, I found it interesting to see some rule breaking during my run. There was dog poop on a park bench; there was a big pile of bottles and other trash thrown over someones back yard fence; and of course, the ubiquitous graffiti everywhere. So, I guess Zurich isn't so perfect after all.

One other nice thing in Zurich was the chocolate. Everyone knows I'm a chocoholic. It's usually dark chocolate that I'm after. But my friend in Switzerland gave me the best milk chocolate I have EVER had. It is Alpine Milk Chocolate and has this wonderful cocoa taste that you don't normally find in milk chocolate. I think it usually tastes more like butter and sugar. Anyway, this bar of chocolate is awesome. I must try to find some more! Chocolate is, after all, a big reason why I run. :)

joie de vivre

I've been thinking a lot about life, about how and why things happen. Any set of events can be seen in multiple ways. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? That is true about people, art, and life in general. Perhaps there is the reality of the situation; but whatever that is, it's meaningless. One's perception of reality is the only thing that is relevant. Perception of the present will influence future choices. So, it is important to remember that you have a choice in how you see things. You always have a choice. Even years later, you can change your mind about how you see something and what it means to you. You can't change the past, or any situation, but you can change the way you see it and the way you feel about it.

You are writing the story of your life on both a conscious and superconscious level. You might not be able to control all the details, but the protagonist's internal dialogue is coming right from your pen! Is your protagonist turning the story into a tragedy by responding to events with fear and distrust, expecting worst case scenario? Or does that internal dialogue speak to the bright side of life, looking to the future with laughter, love, hope, and optimism? It is your choice.

I choose to have a fairy tale life with a happy ending. Things might go wrong from time to time, but I'll find the positive in the situation and learn from mistakes. I want my story to say that I married the man of my dreams and was still madly in love with him 60 years later. I want there to be a chapter on our beautiful family, and a chapter on our world travels. (Food will be a constant theme throughout, ha ha!) It will tell of my art and my inspiration. It will be a story of changes for the better. It will show that nothing is ever ideal, but that perfection lies in the idiosyncrasies. The plot need only be a life fully lived.

I'm suffering from the human condition. Irrationality, that is. I don't really believe we are rational beings. We think, we reason, and we rationalize things to align with our thinking; that doesn't mean we are rational.

The height of irrationality is this overwhelming desire for "purpose." What is my life's purpose? Well, that is quite impossible to know. I said to Brian the other night, "Life is hard. Well, designing the picture of your life is, anyway. It is like trying to arrange a composition, include everything you want, and still have it all balanced." First of all, we don't always know what we want. And second, as Brian pointed out, we can't always (or ever) control what happens. We can want things to be a certain way; we can have an idea of how we want our life to look. But ultimately we are not the painter, at least not on a conscious level. I believe my higher consciousness is in charge of things. I hope so anyway! My day to day consciousness if far too muddled to create anything but Abstract Expressionism.

Things do have a way of working out, of course. I always wanted to travel and maybe live in a foreign country. I never imagined that it would have worked out this way though. If my conscious mind had been in charge, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly. The path to foreign travel probably would have involved joblessness, hunger, and aimless wandering! :) At one point I'd bought a book "Work Your Way Around the World." It suggested all sorts of odd jobs, from music to teaching. That was before the EU, though, so I suspect it would be much more difficult these days. So the fact that Brian got a job here was really an amazing opportunity.

The story of my life is an interesting one. I've been lots of places, done different things, met lots of people. But I must admit, I do not yet see the plot. Surely there is one. I'm an artist; I like the art, beauty, and drama in things. I want to see divine synchronicity in life! I sometimes get too caught up in trying to see the big picture, though, that I overlook the little things. And most likely, it's the little things that matter. When remembering the past, the mind tends to recall specific events, seemingly pointless little things. I don't generally think of my past in a big picture sort of way. So why, then, do I insist on viewing the future that way? I imagine that on my deathbed I'll be recalling many small instances, and not revelling in the grand plot of it all.

I guess it goes back to needing to stay in the now. It is so difficult to do that. I get bored easily. Here I am in paradise for a short 4 months now, and I already feel bored. Make no mistake, I love it here. There is no where else I'd rather be living. But my brain is already thinking ahead. What grand new challenge will be next on the agenda?! What should I do? I suppose the answer is simply whatever sounds good at that moment. There is no reason to even be thinking of it right now. My only purpose is to be here right now and fully engage with whatever and whomever is here with me.

Recipe Thursday Revival!

I fell off the "recipe thursday" wagon with the move, but with all the new recipes I've been trying here, I think it is time for a revival!

This is a fast and simple dish perfect for a hot day. (Spicy foods help cool you off.)

Penne all'arrabbiata

Heat about 1/4 c olive oil in a small sauce pan. Add about 3-4 cloves of chopped garlic. Cook a couple minutes on low, but don't let it get brown. Add about a cup of tomato puree and 1/2 cup of diced tomatoes. Add 1/2 tsp (or less) crushed red pepper. Salt and pepper to taste. Add a splash of white wine vinegar (cuts the acidity of the tomatoes). As it simmers down and thickens, crush the diced tomatoes with a fork. Simmer for awhile until it reaches desired consistency. Cook pasta, toss with sauce and more olive oil. Serve with parmesan.

Almost all the restaurants here have a version of this dish. Some add onions and ham, and the spiciness varies greatly from place to place.

Sunday, I ran over 5 miles for the first time since before I got pregnant. So, yeah, it's been over 2 years! I did 9 miles and lived to tell about it. It definitely kicked my butt. I ran with a couple that lives nearby. They are probably old enough to be my parents, but are way better runners than I am. So, I was rather intimidated to go out with them. I was a bit behind the whole time, but managed to keep sight of them anyway. I didn't feel like I was running very fast, so I was shocked to see that it was only 8am when I got home. We'd left at 6:30, so that meant we were averaging a 10 min/mi pace. That is pretty fast for me. My marathon pace in '06 was 11:17 min/mi. So, I guess pushing that stroller up and down all these hills is getting me stronger and faster. The fastest I've raced was a 12K during the winter after the marathon, where I averaged 9:41 min/mi. The training program I'm using for the marathon says you can plan for a marathon pace of 10K plus 45 seconds. I don't know my 10K, so I'm using the 12K time. (I should probably find a 10K to race this summer!) So, anyway, 10:25 would be a target pace for me. That would put me at 4:33 finish time for the 26.2 miles. I think that is a noble goal. Considering I finished at 4:55 before, I'd be taking over 20 minutes off my time. That would rock. Marathon running is seriously addictive. You know how much it is going to hurt, but you have that little voice saying, "oooh, maybe I can do it faster next time." Which makes no sense when you think about it, seeing as how you are still going to be running for over 4 hours (well, I am anyway). Sunday night and Monday were good reminders of exactly what it is going to feel like post-marathon. I wasn't in that much pain, of course, but enough to remember what is to come. Let's just say I wasn't loving my stairs so much on Monday.