Remember how I don’t run?  Well, how I never considered myself a runner?  Turns out I am.  I am a runner.  And I a little bit like it.  I just ran a 20K.  20K?!  I’m going to go ahead and consider it a half-marathon, because, well, it’s close enough.

My aunt and I went to Paris to run the 20 Kilometres de Paris. I am now a firm believer that this is the way to run your first long distance race.  You spend more time thinking “Holy Crap I’m running in Paris” that you think “Holy Crap I have to run another 10 miles.”  It’s so different, just enough that you’re not really thinking about your legs.  You’re thinking about how beautiful it is.  You’re thinking about how the rain in your face is actually kind of nice.   You’re looking at what people are wearing, what people are eating, laughing at the orange peels on the ground and wondering if there will be baguettes at the 15 km stop (there weren’t, but in Paris, you just never know!)

For the first 15 km, I felt so good.  Incredible even!  In the 16th km it suddenly dawned on me that I was an athlete.  Something that I had never even considered for myself.  I was on a mid-run super high!  Then, just as quickly as I decided I was awesome, I decided I was over it.  From 17-19 I wanted it to be done.  Over.  Blargh.  And then it was so close to being over I pushed as hard as I could and then the finish line came into sight and then it was OVER!  And it was incredible!  2:12:47.  Holy crap.  I ran for over two hours straight and loved it!  Really loved it!

The race actually starts just underneath the Eiffel Tower, runs through town, through the park and then up & down the Seine.  It’s so beautiful!

As I’ve never run in the cold, or the rain for that matter, I had no idea that this would happen!  Apparently people wear more layers for while you’re standing around waiting for the race to start.  Then, when the gun sounds, you just take it all off and throw it on the ground. Shirts, trash bags, rain jackets, food wrappers, water bottles, all of it!

This race was nearly 30,000 people.  So.Many.People.  But my favorite was this guy… he ran 12.4 miles with an old school boom box strapped to his back.  WHAT!?

Done!  And then back to the hotel to climb into my pajamas, my robe and my bed.  I was soaked all the way into my bones and freezing!  My Aunt & I shared a bottle of champagne & macarons in bed while our bones warmed up.  It was the most perfect recovery meal