Off and running again!

So I began this year with a list of New Year resolutions. One of them was to log at least ten miles a week on my Nike+ Sport Band watch. I'm happy to report that I've maintained my resolution for the most part.

Being in Paris has in a way upped the ante on the walking. I'm logging in 16-18 miles a week so far. However, it's all just been a whole lot of walking. Back in the Bay Area, I'd get my ten miles in by running the Stevens Creek trail every other day.

This morning, I got up and decided to go for a run in the Luxembourg gardens. When I was in Paris a few years ago, I could have sworn I never saw anyone running in the gardens. Now the dirt trail around the garden is flooded with Parisians. The funny thing is that they don't really seem to be running. More like a casual jog, which makes my labored canter look somewhat normal.

People watching while running here is a lot more interesting than back home. From the lady who could really use another sports bra (or two or three) to waif like girls who look like they can barely hold themselves up and are desperately searching for some fried chicken to women in full makeup and regalia casually jogging as if afraid of looking 'gauche'. And that's only the women. I have to say the Stevens Creek trail has nothing on the Luxembourg gardens. Jogging in the shade of grand oak trees, surrounded by purple and yellow pansies and dahlias, listening to the gurgling fountains, and seeing Saint Sulpice church looming in the distance, it's pretty easy to forget the trail back home.

The only problem with the gardens is that it's a mile walk from my apartment. I actually contemplated jogging in the Montparnasse cemetery, but I don't know if that's really socially acceptable.