Montreal: Eat, walk, sleep, repeat...

Hello World!

Chris and I were in Montreal last week for a little R&R -- okay, I was the only one who got that -- but, we had a great time while together. Today's title pretty much sums up what we did, minus the running on the treadmill, which is forgettable.

Anyway, this photograph is taken from the hilltop of their main park overlooking the city. You can see the St. Lawrence River snaking in the background. This park was designed by the same landscape designer as New York's Central Park, Somebody Olmstead. The park was good but not as impressive nor as beautiful as Central Park. Sorry if I've just offended someone!

The following are some thoughts in no particular order or of particular importance, just things I noticed:

1. Everyone smokes!
2. The French/French Decedents know how to eat. We ate and we ate well... Corse after corse, followed by not just a dessert but a PRE dessert. Who ever heard about that? I had no problem eating my way through it all, however.
3. HUGE underground shopping center. So many city blocks that I couldn't count on the map. I stepped inside for about five minutes and then I was out of there! Crystal City here we come.
4. Interesting zoning laws with strip clubs and 'movie' houses in nice shopping and business districts.
5. Celine Dion (sp) was married there in their Notre Dame Church/Cathedral. That building was quite impressive with its ornate architecture and Gothic decoration.
6. Has a China Town like every other city.
7. They are still gardening with what we would consider summer plants even with near-freezing --felt like it, anyway -- temperatures. We would have pulled everything up and out and only had the mum and pansy thing instead.

Okay, so that is it. Onto the most important thing, the RUNNING UPDATE!

1. Feeling great on the countdown to Steamtown. Six days and counting... The track numbers have been pretty good and the tempo run on the hotel (Montreal) treadmill was not too painful.
2. Rest and eat. Rest and eat. It sounds easy but it isn't. Going from 75 miles a week, in peak training, down to around 40 -- or less, maybe a lot less if coach tells me so -- this week makes me feel fat and lazy. Maybe I'll rearrange the kitchen cabinets and put finally put shelf liners in. See what less running does? Shelf liners, really?!
3. Did I mention that I signed up for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon on December 5th?
4. Big hug to Sharon who gave me HOMEMADE chocolate chip cookies with dark chocolate and all. Great way to start the day...
5. Still working on February and March marathons... January is the Goofy Challenge and April is the London Marathon.
6. Congratulations to my friends who are back from the Twin Cities Marathon with times from way under 3 hours to just over 3. I hope Sharon and I have the same success :)
7. Jewelry show benefitting RunningBrooke at my house on October 13th, 9:30-11:30. Seriously cute things. Check it out: http://www.stelladot.com/sites/karenwhite

That is it for now. Cheers and it is a beautiful day for a run!

RunningBrooke