Harry Potter and Trail Running and Alexis

 While the children were on holiday from school, I lost my temper once with Alexis.  He'd lost and/or had broken most of a box of expensive artist crayons.  I wouldn't have minded if he'd actually used them to draw/colour with, but he didn't. Anyhow, something strange happened afterwards.....Alexis started to read, yes, probably to get back into my good books, he actually picked up Happy Potty 1 and read it, amazing for a little boy who doesn't read much.
It doesn't end there, when he had finished the first book, he asked for the second (had to buy it in the end, could find it, even though it's somewhere here).
On Friday, Alain bought the third one home and Alexis' reading it.  He came home from school, had a snack, and he's in his room.  
Lets hope that after Harry Potter, he'll be more tempted to read other books, he's fussy so it should be fun.  He likes funny books and he's read all of Roald Dahl's, he liked A Diary of a Wimpy Kid and those Monsieur Scknock books, well he loved them.

Another new passion of Alexis is running with us.  Sunday we ran just 6 kilometers (remember last time Alexis cracked after 5 kilometers)...well this time, he cracked again, this time after the first kilometer...too muddy he said, he slipped all over the place and needs some trail shoes if he's going to continue.  We managed 6 kilometers, but it was a little slow (because of Alexis and a little, the mud).
Who got the muddiest?  

10 km with Alexis

Alexis has been wanting to come for a run with us for a while and yesterday he did.  The plan was to run 10 km but with the possibly to cut it short if Alexis became tired.

Alexis was fast, too fast and Alain and I ran faster than we would usually, especially me, normally the first five kilometers are the worst for me mentally. 

There was a 1 km up hill stretch to conquer  around the 7km mark and I hate this bit, but ran better than usual and once at the top I realized that Alain and Alexis were lagging far behind and when I looked at my watch I knew I could finish in less than an hour so I left them to it and ran.

I did it, 10,91km in 59.22 minutes. 

You can't see on the photo, but my trainers are really dirty from a ankle deep muddy puddle that I couldn't avoid. 

Alexis and Alain arrived back about ten minutes later, Alexis was tired out, but wants to run again but he'll keep to 5km in the future.

21 km trail still in the Vexin

Sunday morning, Alain and I ran for 21 kilometers for the first time ever and it was amazing.

We left in the quite early, and boy it was colder than the week before (3°c), Alain laughed because I chose to wear shorts, but after the first couple of kilometers I was glad I did.

Oh and those socks, Alain has some too, really helped me during the effort.

 We ran through some lovely countryside and some pretty villages in the Vexin, first La Chartre a small hamlet, then after a little hard uphill running, we got  to go down the GR2 (I love descends) which takes us through a forest.  Still on the GR2, we cut across Oinville (really pretty village) and then up again, but worth the effort, as we had amazing views of The Seine Valley, then onto Seraincourt, another typical Vexin village, oh so pretty. After Seraincourt we had a couple of kilometers that was tough on my legs (even with my socks!) but overcame that mentally and reached the highest plateau realizing I'd left Alain behind. I waited and admired the view and noticed we'd almost reached Gaillon sur Montcient, because of the golf course below, there were hoards of golfers. Alain told me later that a lot of them come from Paris to play here, and I can understand why.  

The last leg of the run was fantastic, because we knew we'd done it, yes us, who three or four months ago couldn't run more than three or four kilometers without nearly dying.  

We even managed a sprint at the end.  

Our goal was to finish between 2h18 and by the latest 2h30 but we managed it in 2h10.

One day later, I feel it a little still in my legs, but can't wait to go for a run tomorrow, and as for Alain, he cycled to the train station this morning, it's all down hill, but tonight he's going to suffer coming back up I think

Random thoughts and happenings

Things have been a little busy around here, what's new.  Added to that, I've got a few mum worries which is hard for me as I'm unable to go the UK unless absolutely necessary, which thankfully isn't just quite the case as my family over there, are all pulling together to help my mum who's convalescing at home.

Secondly, eldest son who tells me that he's grown up and can do things on his own, has just proved the opposite.  He's late applying for his post A levels choices (schools, universities, prepas et cetera) and just has no sense of organization at all. Hence the fact, that we have taken over, printed charts for him to fill out with cut off dates for inscriptions, place of exams, and for some, the fee just to sit the exam and the enormous cost if he were accepted.  We have already paid nearly 200 euros so he can sit the exam "pass" and tonight we have the double to paid out so he can sit the sesame exams.

On to brighter subjects, Alexis, has been excited for ages to go on school camp in the Auvergne region here in France, and today was D day, I'll miss him, but I'm so happy that Alexis' with his friends and his class and his wonderful teacher Mr B. He'll come back wiser and with lots of fond memories (I hope) and let's not forget, some Fourme d'Ambert cheese. He's got thirty euros pocket money and  four stamped addressed envelopes packed ready for him to pop some postcards in and send back to us, mamie and papy and grannie...will he remember?

On the house front, we have started the top floor bathroom...more to come soon (camera is downstairs and I'm feeling lazy)

Saturday evening, Alain and I went to see Ubu Enchâiné starring Eric Cantona at the Athénée theatre in Paris, wow what an evening (photos to come, this time on my phone, which is downstairs too)

Finally, we went for a run on Sunday, this time building on endurance.

13.6 kilometers in 1hour 28 with a couple of minutes in that when I had to drink and Alain had the water, yes, it was really warm yesterday (today too). 


Our target is to be able to complete a 33 kilometer trail competition this summer (pre inscribed) and not be last and try to finish in less than four hours.

Finally, mudroom finished

After fifteen months of living here  I am happy to announce that we have finished our mudroom. You'd think that a small room like this  just wouldn't make a difference to the  organization in our home, well that's what I thought, but no.  Now we have freed up the entrance, no more muddy shoes to trip over, everything  has its place, it's so much tidier too.  

I have commissioned Gaby to complete a canvas (see above) that depicts what one might find in a mudroom and when she's finished it will be placed in front of the electricity meter which is rather ugly.

The two trail shoes here were drawn by Marie-Kate, Gaby wasn't too happy when MK actually smeared some soil from a plant pot below them, but in reality it looks great.

Gaby's work a long with a mouse that she says is a rat.

This is the door to the MR that's leads off the entrance, a lick of Charlotte's locks to liven it up a little

I used chalk board paint so we could write memos down, especially for stationary shopping as the children always need stuff and tell me after I've been shopping!

I bought some sky planters for the window (see the blinds have gone), I really like these.

I made the coat rack you can see, initially I wanted to just an old pallet (I think I talked about this in another post) but in the end opted for new wooden planks, two different sizes that are screwed onto a wooden frame.  I used all of my left over Farrow and Ball paints (Charlotte's locks, Arsenic, Brinjal) and one yellow paint

And I bought some new plastic baskets for gloves, hats et cetera...

This is where the children hang their coats, unfortunately coatless today as they're all at school

There's a door behind those shelves that we never use, but rather rush and block it completely, we've insulated it and put some tongue and groove in front and then shelves.  I need to find a little mirror or something for the space above the last shelf.

Next to the shelves is cupboard where we keep all the backpacks (for now), the doors have been painted with chalk board paint too. If you turn after the plant, you'll find a welly rack and then the door for the basement.

Well that's it, our tiny 5 square meter mudroom finished and crossed off the to do list.

Time for me to rest, I'm sick with a sinus infection and am feeling very sorry for myself.  I did manage though, before becoming ill to run 8 kilometers, it was really muddy and very cold. Alain came too and I used a i phone application called Runtastic that is great and for one of my split I ran an average of 19 km per hour, this is fast for me.