My first "real" half marathon

March 30, 2014

98 minutes.  What can you do in 98 minutes?  The film Despicable Me 2 is 98 minutes.  I haven't seen it yet, so that's an option.

Or maybe I could run a half marathon.

What?  No way!  How can someone who doesn't really like running do such a thing? Generally I thought a movie more inline with my half marathon time would be something like Titanic or the Lord of the Rings Trilogy (all 3 together), but somehow, someway, I ran a Despicable Me 2 half marathon.

1:38:04.

I'd never guess that would be my half marathon time.  Last year, in my first one, my goal was to be under 2 hours (in which I was about 1:48).  This time, I was only trying to break 1:45.  I think I have a bad habit of underestimating my running speed.

Two days before my birthday (on which I turned 4 numbers higher than when I arrived in Poland), I ran my third half marathon.  However, it was the first that was not in below freezing temperatures or when I was dressed as a Spartan holding a shield and spear (which was also in below freezing temperatures).  So I call it my first "real" one.  To break the 1:45 barrier, all I needed to do was average 5 minutes per kilometer for 21 km, and I'd be set.

Since the slow Spartan half-marathon back in December (we ran/walked/chanted our way to finish in around 2 hours 20 minutes in Torun), I hadn't run more than 14 km at once (because it's boring), so my training wasn't all that good.  However, I had been doing a lot of core and leg exercises with my cross training group, and my legs and knees had been feeling good. Until recently, when I started feeling a bit of discomfort in my left ankle, left big toe, and left knee, presumably from my orthotics needing to be replaced (I've been wearing prescription/custom made insoles in my shoes to give me arch support for as long as I can remember).  I've had these particular inserts for over 4 years and recently my ankle has been making lots of clicking/cracking noises when I rotate my ankle and wiggle my toes (I can show you someday, or I might post some videos on Youtube).  It doesn't hurt, but it's one of those things that I need to do to feel some relief of the pressure.  I went to an orthopaedic doctor to get an idea of what was happening, and he suggested 1) to do a test where they check out my gait (how I walk) in order to make new orthotics, and 2) to stop running.  Actually he said (three times) "I strongly suggest getting a new hobby". Since running is not really a hobby of mine (I don't really like it), I suppose I don't have to listen to him.  But his opinion is that my feet will be in a lot of pain in 10 years if I don't ease up now.  I don't consider myself a runner though...it's not like I do it for fun every day.  I only run once in a while, for training reasons.  I tried to explain that I don't run a lot.  He asked "are you doing the half marathon next weekend?".  I said yes, and he said "that's 21 km".  Yes, yes it is.  Well played sir.

Anyway, I decided to run the race, to see what would happen.  Assuming I decide to listen to the doctor, there's a good chance it was my last one ever (well, except for when I do a half-Ironman triathlon in July), so I had to give it a good try.

A friend at work (whom I used to be faster than), told me she was going for a time of 1:40, so I felt a bit lame telling her my goal is 1:45 (she is pretty fast though, trains a lot, and IS a "runner").  But then I realized, I am not running against anyone...only against myself.  So let's just see if I can do it.  I ate a nice breakfast 3 hours before race time (peanut butter and jelly sandwich, some granola with soy milk and a banana - I'm writing this down so I remember next time), and tried to load up on BCAAs and sports drink.  This worked pretty well (in combination with a couple energy gels during the race), as I felt pretty strong the whole time.

We went down to the race site (at the National Stadium), met up with the other WITCers, and started loosening up.  I also had the plan to try to break a sweat during warm-ups by doing a lot of exercises and stretches, to be sure I was loose at the beginning.  The rationale is that the first km is always my slowest, so I had to warm up my body enough to get up to regular speed as quickly as possible.

Before the race, the weather is perfect

It was PERFECT day for a run; warm enough that I could shed my long pants and long sleeve shirt, but not so hot that I felt sweaty or dehydrated.  I gathered myself in the 1:45 pace group, turned on my custom music iPod mix (a lot of Imagine Dragons on it), and off we went.  The first couple km were pretty uneventful, but I was able to get up to my necessary 5min/km pace pretty quickly (thanks to the good warm-up!!).  Everything was feeling really good.  Then I saw Martins on the side taking pictures, and I remembered that we had a bunch of supporters there, and that would take my mind off how bored I sometimes get while running.  I waved at Martins and then noticed Asia standing next to him.  I hadn't seen her for a few months, and actually it was really nice to see her, just like at all the races she was supporting us last year.  That gave me a little boost and I actually think that 3rd km was my fastest of the entire race.

The next 15km or so was all pretty much the same, running through Old Town, along the river, through Lazienki park, trying to overtake more people than were passing me.  My average speed was around 4:40min/km, so I started doing math in my head (which is helpful because it gives my brain something to do and I stop thinking about running), and started to think that if I could hit the 11km mark in under 55 min, I could turn up the pace to 4:30min/km and finish in 1:40.  So let's go for it!

The plan was working perfectly, even after going up the steep Agrykola hill and losing a bit of juice, I was still well on pace with only about 6 km to go.  I spotted a guy in a WITC top that I didn't know (I saw him again at another 10 km race around the Warsaw zoo and we chatted a bit while running), was able to pass him, then kept going hard in case he was watching me.  This is when I started to feel the blister on the bottom of my right foot.  It happens every time I run more than 15 km.  I was wearing 2 pairs of socks, so I hoped it wouldn't happen this time, but it came back.  I would have put a protective bandaid on it before the race, but since I hadn't run more than 15km since December, there was no sign of where the blister would appear, and I didn't want to tape up the wrong spot.  Wisely (I am in my 30s, so I am very wise), I carried bandaids with me, prepared to put one on, just in case.

With about 4 km to go, I thought that I could finish without stopping to put on the bandaid, but soon after I could feel the blister getting bigger, and closer to popping with every step.  With about 2 km to go (which would still be another 8 or 9 minutes), I decided to stop and put on the bandaid.  I didn't want a massive, juicy, popped blister at the bottom of my foot at the end of the race.

I quickly stepped aside and bent down to take off my shoe.  But I couldn't do it.  My stomach muscles began to cramp up and my whole torso collapsed on itself, my shoulders being pulled towards my waist.  My left calf REALLY wanted to cramp up as well, but my compression sleeve was preventing it.  I stretched out my upper body and managed to pull off my socks.  But the blister was in such an awkward spot (the outside edge of my foot), I couldn't see it when turning my foot over.  I had to twist my leg to the outside, rather than to the inside, which caused more cramps.  I think I looked like a pretzel sitting on the side of the road. I squealed as the pain swept through both of my legs.

Then I heard someone yell "Hey! Japanese!"  I looked up and saw Luca sprinting by.  He actually forgot my name.  I hurriedly put on the bandaid, stretched for a few seconds, and put on my socks and shoe.  I jumped up, hoping the cramp would go away, and luckily it did (at least the leg part...my abs were still cramping).  I was able to get back to normal speed after 100 meters or so, and tried to catch Luca.  He was too far ahead of me, and I didn't have enough left in the tank.  I actually think I paced myself well, because even though I tried to sprint at the finish, I could NOT go any faster over the last 500 meters.  I had only one speed left, and it was the same speed I had been going the previous 10 km.

This is as fast as I can go (without touching the ground and while waving at fans)

When I see people who can sprint super fast at the end of the race, I think that although it might look fancy to the spectators, it means that they didn't run as fast as they could have for the rest of the race.  It's my way of telling myself it's OK that I couldn't run any faster at the finish.

In the end, I did accomplish my goal with a time of 1:38:04, beating my last year's time by over 10 minutes (and good for something like 1,900th place out of 12,000).  I am not sure how much of that is due to being in better shape, versus the improved weather conditions, versus just knowing what to expect in a half marathon, but I'll take it.  Some of the guys in my club still beat me by nearly 12 minutes (!!), running at a speed which I cannot fathom.  Maybe it's just because I'm not a runner. Everyone else in the club did really well too.  I was really happy for everyone.  

Afterwards, in front of the route map

Finishing at the stadium (Pierre isn't in the picture because he already changed clothes, showered and went to the restaurant by the time I finished)

So 1900th place is actually not too bad?

Next time, let's aim for 1:35.  Just don't tell my doctor.

And now I gotta find time to watch the movie...

Running up lots of stairs

March 15, 2014

A couple months ago, Andy asked us if we wanted to do "Bieg na Szczyt" (run to the top), a climb of 37 stories to the top of Rondo 1.

After some careful consideration and introspection, I finally decided to give it a shot, even though it is Ernst & Young's building.  But then I found out all 500 places were filled up.  Oh well, who wants to run up 37 flights of stairs anyway?  Not me.

Juan, Andy, Alan, Shen, Maciek, Kasia and 494 other people definitely wanted to, which is why registration was full.  And suddenly this feeling of something I couldn't have made me really want it.  The event reverse psychology'd me!

Luckily, Katharina, someone whom I've never met in my entire life, said she wouldn't be able to go, and offered her spot in the competition (conveniently done via our Facebook event page, another reason why Facebook is the master of the universe).  She insisted I don't pay for the spot, as long as she got the free t-shirt.  I'm not complaining, but basically she hired me to run up some stairs so she could get a t-shirt.  When you put it that way, I sound like a sucker.

Before the race, I didn't do much stair training, other than going two flights up at work every time I had computer problems (which is often).  There are some stairs near my apartment, but they're only about 3-4 stories high, so it doesn't really work well for this kind of training.  I'd be tired after getting to the top, but then after going back down in order to go back up again, the burning in the thighs goes away.  There's a different burn if you go up 4 flights, then stop to go down, than if you keep going up, up, and more up.  Your legs just know.

Apparently there's a lot of technique involved in stair running.  I had no idea, but a couple people posted videos on Youtube.  Apparently, you can do it hands-free (hard core), with both hands pulling up on the inside rail (to ease the burden on the legs and make your arms do more work), with hands holding opposite rails (but this is for tall people with long monkey arms), or some mix.  There's also the decision as to how many steps you skip, or if you skip any at all.  I watched a few videos to get an idea, contemplating the pros and cons of each (but didn't practice them).  Like dorks, all of us first-time stair runners were asking each other "what technique are you going with?".  I went with the Double Step Double Hand Inside Rail. I'm pretty sure that's official terminology.

The race day was a pretty long event, even though it only takes a few minutes to do the actual climb.  In order not to create a massive traffic jam on the stairs (imagine when you have fire drills in your office building), each participant received a time slot, when we were herded into the starting area, starting in 15 second intervals.  This created some space between each runner, but also created a fear of "I don't want to get passed by the person behind me, because that would be embarrassing".  You can run quite far in a straight line in 15 seconds, but up stairs, it's only a couple flights.  That means you can hear the person behind you coming up, and the sound of them breathing really hard makes it seem like they're right behind you.  This is dangerous, because the key to stair running (in my expert opinion) is to keep a constant pace you can handle for the whole race.  If you start too fast because Darth Vader's heavy breathing coming from behind is making you nervous, you could burn out after just 10 stories.  This happened to a few people I talked to before I started.

So my strategy at this point was 2 hands-1 rail, skip a step, walk fast-don't run.   And look good for the video cameras on the 10th and 19 floors.

I was trying to figure out a good pace, and arbitrarily I decided 10 seconds per story would be good.  This would get me to finish the run in about 6 minutes.  I don't know why that was my goal, it just was.

I got into the herding area with the 11:35 am group, just ahead of Maciek, another WITCer who is a pretty good runner, faster than I am (Darth Vader's heavy breathing came to mind).  I asked him if he had done any training.  Not at all, he replied, except he ran up the Palace of Culture.  5 times.  If you don't know what that is, check it out.  "No training" my ass.

One last stretch before the start...

After the start gun, I resisted temptation to run.  The quick walking seemed to be going pretty well.  But after 10 floors, my arms and shoulders were in more discomfort than my legs, from pulling myself up.  Even though I thought I warmed up my arms, I didn't warm up my "pulling myself up stairs muscles", so they were really stiff.  I held the consistent pace through the first 15 floors, when Darth Vader, I mean Maciek, nearly caught up to me.  I could hear him breathing so it pushed me a little bit to not slow him down for the next few floors, but when he was ready to pass me around the 20th, I moved aside and let him go.

Floors 22-32 were a bit of a blur.  I really don't remember them, other than my legs were screaming at me.  I "woke up" when I saw 32 and started trying to do math in my head regarding how many more floors were left.  And also checking if my pace was still under 10 seconds per level. At that point, math was really hard.  The attendant at floor 34 helped a lot when she held up 3 fingers and was smiling at me...only 3 to go!  I pushed myself to finish strong (until I noticed a cute girl in front of me and slowed down a bit).  Then I decided to pass her and sprinted (or at least it seemed like a sprint, but it was probably slow motion in reality) until I got to the top.

But just like every race, there was a fake finish line before the real finish line.  After hitting the top step, I thought about falling down to the floor.  But we had to continue, weaving through a flat corridor (left - right - left - right) until it opened up to the finish line.  After I got my medal, energy drink and water, I could only fall down to the floor.  Everyone else was laying on their backs with their feet in the air against the wall, so I did the same.  Did that help?  I don't know.  But it looks goofy, which is always fun.  While laying on my back, trying to catch my breath, I smiled at the girl from the 35th floor, but she walked right past me.

Back on the ground floor, we all celebrated our accomplishment.  It's funny to have so much build up for just a few minutes of action.  We were literally at the building (Rondo 1) for 2.5 hours, for 5-7 minutes of exercise.  But we weren't complaining. Although very intense and a bit painful, it was a lot of fun (except for the strange cough that we all had afterwards...from the poorly ventilated stairwell and gross air we were violently sucking in).

I finished with a time of 5 minutes 33 seconds (the winner was around 3:20), which was 91st out of 416 men.  I guess my stair climbing ability isn't so bad (Alan finished 49th and Maciek 50th with awesome times).  Because I was running in Katharina's spot, I had her name on my race bib, which was pretty great too. Maybe that's why the girl from the 35th floor didn't smile at me.

Much respect to those around who do much more than 37 floors (even double or triple!). I think there's one up the Empire State building, which is a bit taller than E&Y Warsaw's.  But I think 37 is enough for me.

Some of us (coughing) after the race

Here's a cool video of the event from the organizers with some clips of my WITC friends.

The time the Seahawks won the Super Bowl (yes, seriously)

Feburary 2, 2014

Everyone was screaming their faces off, both Seahawks and Broncos fans, as Steven Hauschka kicked off to Trindon Holliday.  Super Bowl XLVIII (that's 48 for any non-Romans) was under way.

And that was the last time Broncos fans had anything to cheer about.

Seriously.  From the very first play, when the Broncos couldn't even execute a basic snap and the ball went out of the end zone for a safety, everything went the Seahawks way...all the way to a 43-8 victory.  The Broncos only score came when it was 36-0, so even then there was nothing for them to cheer about.  I could write a billion words about the game and the experience of being AT the Super Bowl to see my Seahawks win their first Championship ever, but I will spare you.  In the end, we paid a lot of money to see one of the most lop-sided Super Bowls in history, and until next season kicks off, I will be replaying each score, each big play, each high-five with my friends, and forgetting all the painful losses and seasons since I was a baby.  This was really the best day ever (except if you're a Broncos fan, or a neutral fan who paid a lot of money to watch a "good" football game, which it wasn't).  I'm trying my best not to sound like I am rubbing it in the faces of any Broncos fans, because really I'm not.  But I can't promise I will be successful.

Seriously, I'm not trying to rub it in

Has your team ever won a sports championship?  Whether it be the NBA Finals, World Cup, or College Football championship, I had never cheered for a team that won a National (or "World", as we sometimes like to call it) Championship game.  Teams have gotten close in my time ('96 Sonics and '05 Seahawks both lost in the finals), our WNBA team has won (but I didn't follow them, except that I used to have a crush on Sue Bird), and the Huskies shared the title in 1991 (but there was no satisfaction of winning the Championship game).  When the Sonics (RIP) won the title in 1979, I wasn't old enough to know what was going on.  The Mariners haven't even come close.  So I didn't know what it's like to support a Champion. And I'm tired of my teams not winning. We sit through every season wishing and hoping, watching a lot of mediocrity, just putting up with it, because that's what we Seattle fans know.  Just once I'd like to say that my team won. And of course, it would literally be a once in a lifetime opportunity to be there when it happens.  And it finally did.  Now I'm greedy, and now we need to win EVERYTHING.

When I was planning my trip to Hawaii, I wanted to stop by Seattle and NYC on the way back to Poland, and luckily the flight prices to do this were not very expensive.  In September 2013 (the beginning of football season), there was some talk that the Seahawks were Super Bowl contenders (but when does that ever mean anything?).  The Super Bowl was going to be in NYC for the first time ever, and JUST IN CASE, I planned the trip to be in NYC during the big game.  Just.  In.  Case.  And it turned into an great decision (and not a jinx).

After we won the NFC Championship (which we watched in Hawaii and I made Igors learn all the rules), the excitement grew as we knew we'd be in NYC to watch the Hawks play.  Even though I am a big fan who has watched (at least on TV) pretty much every game since I was born, I actually didn't immediately buy tickets to the attend live in NYC.  It took a combination of many things before I woke up one day and said "Yes, I'm going".  The night before I decided to get a ticket, I actually went to bed thinking "I have better things to spend $2,000 on, I'll just watch it on TV at Mike and Patty's".  Then I had some crazy dreams, and woke up convinced I needed to go to the game.  It was something like in Back to the Future, when George McFly is visited (by Darth Vader from the plant Vulcan) in the middle of the night, convincing him to ask Lorraine to the Enchantment Under the Sea dance, or else he'd melt his brain.  BJ, Byron, Kevin, and a bunch of others convinced me to go with them, since they all bought flights to meet up in NYC.  We were able to get tickets for less than I thought, thanks to a friend (originally tickets were in the $2000-3000 range, which we avoided).  But with a face value of $1,000, it was still quite expensive (we paid more than face).  And for that much money, we were going to enjoy every single minute of it.

Hawks in NYC

Some adopted Hawks in NYC (we don't even know the guy on the left)

When Percy Harvin took the second half kickoff for a touchdown, making the score 29-0, victory was firmly in hand and I realized "yea this is worth it".

12 must have been a magic number, as during the Super Bowl, we scored points exactly 12 seconds into both the first and second halves, which never happened before (and is extremely difficult considering the rules of who gets the ball to start each half). And obviously, the number 12 represents us, the fans of the Seahawks.

12s before going in the stadium

Here we go 12s!

Obviously the game itself was awesome, and it was so great to share it with so many friends from Seattle. They thought it would be super cold and snowy, but actually it was so nice that I didn't even wear a jacket.  We lost our voices (for days), and our hands hurt from so much high-fiving.  For days after the game, I watched highlights, replays, and analysis on TV, the victory parade (and I might have shed a tear when Russell Wilson carried in the Lombardi trophy after the team introductions).  Doug Baldwin and Kam Chancellor were my favorites, but Percy Harvin,  Golden Tate, Russell, Richard Sherman (Igors bought his t-shirt), Bobby Wagner, Earl Thomas, Michael Bennett, and others....there are so many good players, and of course Malcom Smith winning MVP. Maxwell will be good too. It was really nice to see Broncos so gracious after the game - Knowshon Moreno came up to Sherman to congratulate him - I liked him after that. Sherman didn't say anything rude, unlike the 49er game, and paid tribute to all his teammates.  Oh, and I'm never washing my Russell Wilson jersey.

Winners!!

On such a high, even still!

Besides the game, it was great to see my NYC friends (Mike and Patty were great hosts as always, this time in Long Island City), and amazing that so many Seattle friends came out to the game.  We ran into a lot of friends at the game that we didn't even know would be there, including my old work softball team buddies sitting behind us in the stadium, and I saw a friend from high school on the bus home from the game that I hadn't seen in years.  He told me he reads this blog in between flying F-18s fighter jets (seriously that's what he does), so what's up Poth!.  By the way, paying $50 for the exclusive bus to and from the game, was another wise idea, rather than taking public transportation (which supposedly took hours).

Ran into Blair, whose dad is CFO of the Broncos (sorry guys)

The game was so great that everything else afterwards seemed kind of blah.  After the game we tried to go to a Seahawks bar to celebrate (Central Bar), but we were so tired from cheering our faces off, and the bar wasn't letting people in, so we just went to a quiet place down the street.  After a couple celebratory drinks, we all went home early.  The high didn't wear off though (it still hasn't) as we kept reminding ourselves of the victory.  The next night a few of us went to the Nets basketball game, which seemed super boring compared to winning the Super Bowl.  I especially didn't want to be too happy about the game since Joey (a Broncos fan) also came with us.  Sorry Joey.  But it was still good to see him.

Schwartz and her friend Jami came out to NYC from Houston as well, and we hung out around the city. Their last night they took us to a gay bar where the patrons sing Broadway tunes all night.  It was pretty fun and interesting, except for when some guy's crotch "accidentally" kept rubbing up against my legs. Yikes.

I also got to see a lot of my old PwC training crew for happy hour.  George, Saj, Dan, Justin, Annie D and a bunch of others met up near the office after work, just like the good old days.  It didn't end up at Karaoke and Chicken and Rice at 4am like it used to, but considering half of the crew has kids at home now, it's understandable.

Happy hour, just like 7 years ago (except we go home early now)

I think Igors enjoyed his first time in NYC, getting in a lot of sightseeing, and a lot of Asian food (it was my big craving so I dragged him all over Chinatown and Korea town).  He got sick of it eventually, as you can imagine.

More than 2 months after the game, it's still awesome to think about it.  The Seahawks are a victim of their own success, since many of their free agents have scored big contracts with other teams.  But it's nice to see the true fans wishing the players well, thanking them for being sports heroes to us, rather than criticizing them for leaving.  We understand this is part of the game, and we believe in our team management to keep re-stocking the cupboard.  Now that our expectations are so high, and we know that it's possible, I just hope we aren't disappointed if we don't win Super Bowls every year.  Or we could just go ahead and win the Super Bowl every year.

Check back next year to find out. 

How do you pack for Hawaii, Seattle and Quebec on the same trip in February?

Jan 16 - Feb 8, 2014

(This post is ridiculously late, but we'll survive).

"Oh, you're bringing a guy?"

I could almost hear the disappointment in my parent's email, after I told them that Igors was coming with me to visit the US.  When said I would bring a friend, they were hoping I'd bring a hot and heavy girlfriend (which means the sooner they get grandkids), instead of a Latvian dude, especially after bringing Asia last year.  Most parents with hopes that their straight, 30-something son will get married soon, would consider "Latvian guy" as a downgrade from "Polish girl" when it comes to who he is bringing on vacation (sorry, no offense to any Latvian guys).

After only a 27 hour door-to-door journey from Warsaw, the days on Maui were filled with sun, pool, beach workouts in front of other tourists, lots of food, going to Costco (for some reason I bought 2.5 pounds of Lawry's seasoning salt), and seeing family, just like my normal trips.  Cousin Scott's daughters are getting bigger every year (funny how that works).  Kayce is 6 or 7 now, but still as silly as ever, while Tori just turned 2.  And as usual, they had toys that I wish I had myself.  When I say that, I mean I want them right now, not back when I was a kid.  They had stuffed animal husky dogs that make noises when you read a book to them.  Seriously, they are trained to bark or whine or pant or whatever, when you say certain phrases from the book.  It kept me busy for a good 30 minutes (get it at Hallmark!).  I was especially excited because one of the dogs didn't "speak" when others read to it, but it was perfectly obedient for me.  You could say we were a perfect pair (plus duh, they're Huskies).

We went snorkeling and whale watching in Molokini, and biking down Haleakala. We didn't get up for the sunrise trip, since we would have had to go up at 3:30 am, and that's normal getting-home-from-the-club-time.  The ride down was mostly downhill (obviously), but we turned around to go up hill a few times to get some exercise and feel a little "prouder" of a 20 mile ride.  We didn't have much time to explore or hike the crater, so that's something for another time.  There was also a nice Mexican restaurant on the way back called Polli's, so if you ever bike down Haleakala, don't forget to stop there.  After busy days, we got sleepy every night at 8pm (so I guess no clubs til 3:30), and sometimes a "nap" on the floor would turn into sleeping til sunrise, while my parents watched TV next to us.  I also had a few evening work calls with my boss, who was in New Zealand, and yes, I did do some work as well (although I was usually falling asleep while working).

Hanging out at Big Beach

Igors using his Go Pro

Beach sunset workout

Going down Haleakala

On Oahu we had a busier schedule, meeting more family and friends, driving around in the tiny Chevy Spark. I forgot my driver's license in Poland, and was worried I wouldn't be able to drive on the trip.  But I was able to apply online to get a replacement from the WA DOL. It allowed me to print a temporary license online without having to go to there, which was super nice.  We hiked Diamond Head with Farrah and Pillboxes with Meagan, checked out my favorite beaches and restaurants, and spent some time shopping at Ala Moana.  Igors did some swim "workouts", but I was still recovering from my boob injury so I couldn't swim much.  We had dinner at cousin Sheri's and all the little kids came too.  They are getting more tiring every year (in a fun way), and it's difficult to buy gifts for them. Kai (8) and Ryan (4) got Legos, while Sera (6) and Emi (7) got Hello Kitty and My Melody stationary/coloring books. I was just lucky that each of the girls happened to prefer the character I gave them.  I don't even know who My Melody is, I just didn't want to get them the same things. Next year I'll have to get them some Seahawks gear, puzzles - or even Legos for the girls (or iPad apps, as they all play with their iPads all day....not to mention all the grandparents have new iPhones and I still have a Blackberry).  They were all playing with these Kendama toys, where they try to make a ball, attached by a string, land on the wooden handle. I used to have one when I was a kid, but I guess they are super popular now in Hawaii, as if it took an entire generation for it to make its way out there.  Kai even had two of them.  This dude is not related to me, but he's pretty good at it.

WITC on Diamond Head

Top of Pillboxes

One of my favorite things to eat in Hawaii is Korean BBQ (Hawaiian style).  When I try to describe Hawaiian BBQ, it's hard to compare it to anything that someone in Poland could understand.  It's just SOOOO GOOD.  BBQ Chicken, short ribs, meat jun, gyoza, and with lots of rice...I couldn't stop. I think Igors got sick of it, because after a while, when we were deciding what to eat, he'd say "NO RICE!".  He also complained about the lack of sparkling water options.

No words necessary

On NFC Championship Sunday, we had breakfast at Cinnamon's (the best on Oahu) with Aunty Margie, Katie and Sean, and other cousin Naomi, who is from Seattle but lives in NYC. After breakfast we had to go back home to watch the Seahawks game, where I taught Igors the rules, and by the end of the game, he finally understood.  I was super nervous, but the Seahawks pulled it out on a great play by Richard Sherman, to send them to the Super Bowl.  A waitress named Kira at Cinnamon's was wearing a 49ers jersey and now she owes me breakfast.  If anyone knows her, tell her to contact me so I can get my pancakes!

After enjoying our last BBQs, meals, shaved ice, and sunny 80 degree days on Maui, we headed to Seattle for a few days of sweaters and drizzle.  The first thing I noticed everywhere was the abundance of green and blue and the number 12 all over the city.  The colors are those of the Seahawks, and 12 is a symbol for their fans.  We are very proud to support the team, especially when they're playing in the Super Bowl.  12 represents the "12th man", a term that comes from the fact that there are 11 players on the field at once, and the fans act like a 12th player, supporting the team and actually making an impact on the game with the noise.  Seattle is known to have the loudest stadium in the NFL, and we even set a world record for noisiest stadium during the season.  The number 12 was on buildings, cars, faces, flags, even on a Boeing jet.  It was great to be home.

Besides being super excited about the game, I was able to see a lot of friends and family in Seattle, including my brother who is sometimes travelling when I go home. I am always thankful that they make time for me when I am back in town.  It's funny how things have changed with my friends since I last lived in Seattle (almost 8 years ago).  Conversations that used to be about sports, girls, clubs, and our futures, have turned into talks about household improvements, babies, day care, and favorite toys.  I also had a sense of nostalgia when walking past Key Arena (where the Sonics used to play) after we visited the Experience Music Project (also very cool for any of you who haven't been).  As we walked past the arena, I got flashbacks of  20 years ago when I used to go to Sonics games.  I could hear the ball bouncing, shoes squeaking on the court, whistles, the buzzer, and even the announcer calling out the names of the players as the fans cheered.  For some reason "Kendallllll Gillllllllll!" kept going through my mind.  I love how a place like that can bring back such vivid memories, and those sounds seemed to real to me, even though the arena was empty, and there was no sound at all.  It makes me sad to think that the Sonics are gone.

Ela, a Polish friend who was traveling in California, visited us for a couple days as well.  We went to the Boeing tour in Everett where they make the 747, 777, and 787 jets (pretty cool!) and they also did the Underground City tour. I got my fix of Red Robin, Pho Cyclo (as usual - we needed reservations for 19 this time with all the kids), Taco Time, and Fish Sandwiches at Pike Place Market.  We also tried Anthony's Bell Street Diner, rather than the fancy Anthony's on the pier next door, and it was definitely "worth" spending less money for similar quality fresh seafood (and they had a nice early bird dinner special for old people like us).  It's actually really fun being a tourist in my own city.

Space Needle at night

12th man piggie at Pike Place Market

After a few days in Seattle, Igors and I headed off to NYC, while Ela returned to Poland.  The NYC trip deserves an entry all to itself, thanks to the Seahawks historic Super Bowl victory, so you'll read about that next.

After the Super Bowl, I took a few days to visit Mike and Pascale (and Amanda, and another baby in the oven) in Quebec City.  In Poland, we didn't really have an intense winter this year, and the only snow happened when I was out of the country.  So you could say that I missed winter.  Well, after going to Quebec in February, you could say that I don't really miss winter.  It was so cold that I couldn't breathe when going outside.  I literally had to put on all of my clothes.  There was so much snow that the snow banks were almost as tall as the houses along the streets.  Blue poles stick out of the ground to identify which houses have contracts for the street cleaners to clear the snow out of.  The cars are so dirty from the snow and sand, you can't see the true color of the cars, the license plates, or even what kind of car it is.  But even with all the snow and bone chilling temperatures, it was still a fun place to visit.

Snow banks taller than me

Mike and I had to both work while there, so we didn't do much day time sightseeing (plus the Olympics were on so we watched some of that).  It was nice to hang out in their house, a 3 story palace, with lots of bedrooms (I had my own entire level with a bedroom, bathroom, living room and play room), nice kitchen and hardwood floors, and a nice yard (when it's not covered in snow).  Pascale was also at work, living the life of a partner in the QC office.  But we did manage to see some of the town.

My hosts with our canned fondue (it was awesome)

Of course I wanted to eat a lot of food there, and funny enough, my first meal included French Onion Soup. I think there's a lot of teasing that goes on between French people and French-Canadians, so I laughed about my French Onion Soup.  When Mike was in Warsaw with me, he tried to pretend he was French, and a French friend could tell he was an imposter after only 1 word out of his mouth.  So even though the language is slightly different, it's still French.  And it's strange to me that there is a place in a country that speaks mostly English where a lot of people don't speak English at all. It made me feel like I was in a different continent, not in Canada.  I mean, they don't say "a-boot" or "ehh" after everything when they speak French.  So they can't be Canadian!  I even noticed mostly Quebec flags all over the city, not any Canadian flags.  Because of this, it has a nice European feeling, including a cute Old Town.  After a while, I got used to it and stopped complaining.

The main attraction for me was the poutine.  The fries, cheese curds and gravy seem unhealthy enough to kill a man in one sitting, but I went ahead and had it twice in the span of 12 hours.  The second time also with a smoked meat sandwich at a restaurant called Brynd (very nice).  It was extremely delicious, but something you have to prepare for (and then go into detox after).  One of the places we ate at was called "Snack Bar" and the phone number for delivery from this bar is posted on the sign outside: 522-GRAS.  If you speak French, you know that "gras" means "fat".  That's all you need to know about that.

Poutine with smoked meat topping - delish

And that's when I decided to go on a diet for the rest of the trip.

Up next, the Seahawks win the Super Bowl.  And I'm there to witness it. 

The time I broke my boob muscle

October 3, 2013

"Ready....go!"  The five of us were hand in hand, two people pulling my right hand in one direction, two others with my left hand in the opposite direction.  It was like some sort of medieval torture, although, since our hands weren't gripping well enough, our hands released before there was too much pressure or pain.  The idea was that we run in opposite directions, pulling the line as if playing tug-of-war, in order to build running power.  Except we didn't have a rope, just human arms and hands.  The problem was that our hands were slipping before we could generate any power, so we weren't getting much out of it.  So, we had a brilliant idea.  And by brilliant I mean stupid.  Instead of holding hands, we decided to link elbows to get a more secure grip.  This way, we'd be able to generate more leg force before our grip slipped.  So, we linked up, Big Andy and Igors on one side, and Laurent and Martins on the other.  That's something like 200 kg on each side of me.  "Ready...go!"  We try it again, arms linked, guys pulling me in each direction, while I try to hold them together with my pecs of steel.  My right arm starts to slip out a little, so I adjust my body trying to pull it back in.  Briefly, my pride got the best of me, thinking "show them you're tough, Tristan...you can pull 200 kg with each arm!".  Except I couldn't.  As soon as I tried to flex my arms and chest to pull them closer to me, I heard the pop.  It sounded like someone pulling the zipper on a tent...kkkkkkkkkkkkkch.  Not good.  

I released my arms and tried to shake it off, hoping that it was nothing.  Except my arm was frozen into position and I couldn't feel anything.  Until it started hurting.  Really badly.   I tried to relax my shoulder and arm, but it wouldn't move.  My shoulder was nearly touching my ear, and it started aching throughout my body.

Coach Przemek called an ambulance and it came within 10 minutes.  In the meantime, everyone else at the track training kept me warm, brought me water and packed up my stuff for me.  I started to get a bit dizzy and had to sit down.  The paramedics were bald, fat, and looked like Legia fans (one of the Warsaw soccer teams - that fans of which you don't mess with), but they were very precise, quick, and pleasant. Only one of them spoke English, but they were all friendly and somehow earned my trust, even though they looked like guys you wouldn't make eye contact with in a dark alley.

Normal cross-fitness training

In the hospital waiting room, I could hear the staff having a debate.  "I think it's his first name"  "No, it's the last name" "How do you know?  It's definitely first name".  They were looking at my ID card and couldn't figure out if Sakura was my first or last name.  Finally one of them just asked me in English "Sakura is surname?".  Tak.

And that's when I saw her.

She came over and asked me what happened, in English.  I explained the freak accident, started blabbering about nonsense, talking about what I thought it might be and how I was supposed to go to an Oktoberfest party that night, and that she had a pretty smile that made me feel comfortable in the scary hospital.  Wait, what did I just say?  I blame it on the shock and pain pulsing through my body.  You know, after a traumatic experience, they say you can fall in love easily. I mean, it happened to Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in Speed, right?  Anyway, the nurse was super nice and I wanted to ask her to marry me, until I saw her wedding ring (which wasn't from me).  Ok, so nevermind.  I don't want to date someone who makes everyone at the hospital fall in love with her.  That's the worst (those sour grapes are so sour!).  She took me to the x-ray machine, and then another lady came in to help, who was not as nice (nor as easy on the eyes).  The machine shifted (not on purpose) when I stood on it, as well as during the exam, and I almost lost my balance.  I started feeling dizzy and had to hold on like I was on some roller coaster.  The mean lady grabbed my arm and started poking me, telling me to stop moving.  Ok, but don't touch me on that arm!  You can tell which is the injured arm because of the the sling on it!  I want the hot nurse back!

I was too shy to ask her to be in the picture

After that I waited to see the doctor.  I started responding to texts from guys at the workout who were writing to ask how I was.  Then some big machine the size of an office printer started rolling towards me.  There was nobody around, but it was coming down the hallway right at me.  I looked up just in time to see it ram into my leg.  The hallway was empty besides the two of us.  I seriously thought I was in the Twilight Zone.  I looked around hoping to see someone who saw what just happened.  Or at least someone who would admit to pushing a giant wheeled machine at me.  Another nurse came by and saw it, said sorry, and wheeled it away.  I thought I heard her talking to the machine.  I think Johnny 5 just attacked me.

Waiting for the doctor, the pain got worse.  I didn't have any ice or drugs, just the makeshift sling.  I was thirsty and hungry, but couldn't move.  Then I started thinking of the worst case scenarios.  First of all, it meant no Oktoberfest party that night, which was especially sad because I planned to wear my lederhosen.  Also, I wouldn't be able to run in Biegnij Warszawo with the Spartans, which was really fun the year before.  And no clubbing?  Oh no!  And no typing at work? Oh wait, no typing at work!  Woohoo!  Except I had a big project due soon and there was no way I could miss work.  I would definitely have to work, no matter what the doctor says, and no matter if I could move or not.  Darn.  Even with all these thoughts, I was never in a panic.  It was what it was, and there was no use stressing over it.  It could be broken, torn, cracked, ripped, bruised, or flambeed, but worrying wasn't going to change anything.  Laurent and Przemek felt really bad and kept texting me to apologize and check on me, but it wasn't their fault at all. Anyway, it was nice to hear from everyone that was concerned.  Igors even came by afterwards to check on me and drive me back home.

No lederhosen for me this year

And none of this either, fortunately for everyone in Warsaw

The doc called me in finally, and my non-future wife/nurse also came in with me.  While the doctor left to do something, I tried to make small talk with her, asking what she does there, as in, what is her role at the hospital.  She thought I meant "why are you in this exam room with me?".  She made a move to walk away and said "I'm here to translate, but if you don't want me here, I can leave".  I moved quickly to block the door, so she had to stay.

The doctor was unlike any doctor I've ever seen, but since I was in the Twilight Zone already, I couldn't expect anything different.  He had long, unkempt hair, like someone who sits in front of their TV all day with his hand down his shorts, or in an electrical socket, and was wearing green camouflage pants.  Was this MASH?  Are we going to play paintball later?  He wasn't exactly giving off a strong feeling of comfort or confidence.  This was especially true when he looked at the x-ray, confirmed that nothing was broken, then grabbed my arm and started pulling it in every direction.  I let out several yelps, and my eyes started to water. He didn't know what the extent of the muscle or ligament damage was, since we didn't do an MRI yet, but he still played with my arm as if I was a puppet.  I begged him not to do that again.

After I attached my arm back on, Igors drove me to the pharmacy to pick up some pain meds.  Since we were both hungry, we decided to swing by the Oktoberfest party anyway, to get some food.  Luckily it wasn't too crowded, so I was able to sit far away from people without the fear of them bumping into me.  Magically, I felt much better after the meds kicked in, but still couldn't move much.  After a quick bite, and explaining the awkward exercise that got me hurt about 10 times, we went home. Once home, I realized I couldn't take my shirt off because I couldn't lift or straighten my arm (this was hard to do for at least 4 weeks).  Brushing my teeth left handed was hard, as well as washing either armpit (one because I couldn't lift the arm up, and the other because my bad arm couldn't reach it). I guess you can guess other disgusting things that were hard to do without the use of my right hand.

The next few months were just about trying to get better.  Here's a running journal of the weeks after the injury:

First day after injury:
I couldn't sleep at all last night.  I couldn't get into a comfortable position, and even after I fell asleep, anytime I moved, I woke up from the pain.  It hurt to lay on my back, so I had to build a support with the pillows so I wouldn't move too much.

3 days after injury:
I couldn't run in Biegnij Warszawo today, but I went down to cheer for people in WITC.  I realized I'm not a good one-handed cheerer, because I couldn't clap, nor could I take good pictures.  By the time I saw anyone from the club running and tried with one hand to get my camera in position, they already passed me...more of them noticed me first, standing there in a sling, fumbling with the camera, and they came up to me to say hi. What a great supporter I am.

4 days after:
I'm able to move it a little more every day...a couple inches here, a couple more the next day.  It's a good sign of no major damage.  But at the same time, if there is no big damage, I feel like a wimp for wearing this sling everywhere!

I was finally able to schedule an MRI after a bunch of calls with no luck.  They wanted to do it after a few weeks, but what good is an MRI after a few weeks?  I need to know now!  Luckily we have a "VIP" connection at LuxMed who can hook up appointments that the regular appointments call center can't.  The problem is that the clinic that did the MRI took over an hour to get to.  And after getting the MRI, I had to call for another appointment to have a doctor look at the results (a week later).  Is it normal to wait that long?  Why isn't it coordinated by the clinic?  I also had problems with them booking appointments for the wrong week, and with doctors that didn't speak English, just adding to all the fun.

7 days after:
I picked up the MRI results, but didn't know what they said.  Still have to wait a few more days to see a doctor about it.  I translated it on Google...does this make any sense?

"muscle strain raven-shoulder and head biceps short, post-traumatic edema is also seen within the pectoralis major muscle tear in his suggesting distal. The correct tone and course of the tendon of the long head of the biceps brachii, trailers preserved pleural in the sheath".  

I can live with a 'strain', but I don't like the word 'tear'. Questions abound in my head: should my trailers be preserved pleural in the sheath? Are everyone else's? And who suggested the distal? And why am I a raven? I prefer Seahawks.

Anyway, it has stopped hurting while not moving, which is a good sign.  But the bad part is that sometimes I forget it's injured and move it suddenly, or do something dumb like try to take laundry out of the washing machine with my right arm, and shriek in pain.  I need a maid.  Or a girlfriend.

12 days after:
Finally got to see a doctor to look at the MRI results.  Turns out it was a small tear in my chest (right boob) and a strain in my bicep.

2 weeks after:
Still can't sleep the whole night without waking up from my own movements. Just getting into and out of bed is hard because I have to brace myself with my arms.  Sometimes I just roll in and out, using one arm plus my face to brace myself.  Working from home because I can't type while sitting up (my arm doesn't move far enough away from my body).  I have to work while laying on my back on the sofa.  I should still be on "sick leave", but a big project is due soon, and can't afford to take the time off.  Still wearing the sling to go everywhere, to parties, to trips to the Polish forest, etc.

3 weeks after:
Started physical therapy, and it's the best thing ever.  I was given 10 sessions of laser therapy (who knows if that works - they just put a laser over the injured area for 8 minutes, but you can't really tell if it's doing anything.  This was basically a nice 8 minute nap). The exercises are the best.  The sessions are 30 minutes, and it's a combination of stretching, simple (but difficult) exercises, and lots of massaging.  Jacek was very friendly and explained everything in very fluent and detailed English.  When he asked me to turn over onto my back, it took a few minutes because I still can't put any pressure on my right arm.  I think I drooled on the massage table while rolling over using my face as support.

4 weeks after:
I can finally function somewhat normally without the sling, but sudden movements and pressing down on anything can still be very painful.  At least once per day I do something that paralyzes me...last night, when laying in bed, I lifted my arms over my head to move the pillow and the pain was so sharp, I couldn't move for a couple minutes. Remember not to do that again.

This week I finished my original 3 prescribed PT sessions, so had to go back to the doctor to get more prescribed.

6 weeks after:
Diana (one of the therapists), told me she can give me an extra 4 PT sessions without me going back to the doctor.  YES.

7 weeks after:
I can do 2 push-ups!!!!!!!!!  Jacek, Diana and another guy who didn't tell me his name, have been really great about explaining things in English, and finding the pressure points during the massages and stretches.  The problem with not moving my arm for so long is that the muscles in my chest, arm, shoulder, and back tightened up from not working, and a lot of the therapy is to loosen those muscles.  I wince and moan in pain when they find the sweet spots, but when they asked if it's too strong, I say no, while wiping tears away.  KEEP DOING IT, IT FEELS SOOOO GOOD!!!  I am especially sure never to tell Diana she is being too rough.  Even when she finds the spot that radiates feeling throughout my entire arm, neck, and even face.  I mean, she's a girl (but she does have very strong hands!).

8 weeks after:
Tried to play basketball.  Bad idea.  There's a reason they call it a chest pass.  It uses your chest muscle, which I don't have yet.

9 weeks after:
Finished 10 PT sessions, so I went back to the doctor again to get another "prescription" for an additional 3. During PT, sometimes I feel like a dog when you are petting it and find the spot that makes it's leg shake uncontrollably, like it's riding an invisible bike.  There is one spot on my back shoulder that when they press it even a small amount, I freeze and I can't do anything but make a small whimpering sound and shake my leg (in both pleasure and pain).  It hurts so good.

The great news is that I'm up to 10 push-ups, and can do some/most of the WITC cross-training, with only a few simplifications.  But I tried swimming for even 5 strokes, and it's too painful.  Something about the swimming motion is much worse than a push-up.

3 months after:
I can do about 20 push-ups before the chest muscle gets tight, as if someone is squeezing it.  It still feels tight when doing many different exercises, and my strength is pretty low, but I'm getting there.  I finished 13 PT sessions and now the rest is up to me to stretch and build the muscles back up.  If anyone wants to massage my boob (or back and shoulder), I will gladly accept (seriously).  

I can lift coconuts, no problem!

For such a simple, stupid injury, this rehab has lasted a long time.  Let's just remember not to do that exercise ever again.

WITC awards, music videos and live performances

Crazy stuff has been happening in WITC

As you've heard about in the past, I've been a pretty active member in the Warsaw International Triathlon Club for the past couple years.  I attend the swim and cross training sessions regularly, and I participate in the Tuesday evening runs.  I help Ken organize the parties and recruit people to come for the training; for fitness, but also for the fun.  It's safe to say that this club has become a big part of my Warsaw life.  It keeps me fit, introduces me to many open minded people, and obviously got me to enter into my first (and second, third, fourth, and fifth) triathlons in my life.  Granted, my longest races are the Olympic and 1/4 Ironman triathlons, and I've never run longer than a half-marathon, but that is much more than I could say for myself just two years ago.  I don't consider myself a runner or a triathlete, but the more I train with the club, the closer I get to that.  I still don't think I like running, but the club has really improved me in a lot of areas of fitness.  I don't like racing on my bike (I'm more of a Sunday stroll kind of guy) and I dread swimming in open water with hundreds of others around me, but somehow I still do it. It's because it's such a great motivational group, with fun and supportive people, and options for everyone at every skill and fitness level.  Everyone can find something in this club.  Or you can just come for the parties.

Yes, we train together too (sometimes)

2013 Christmas party

But you know all that already.  What you might know is some of the other stuff that I've been up to with this club. 

Somehow I've become a recording artist, even though I can't sing.  Ken and I made a music video promoting the club, which was actually the second club song that I've been a part of.  Olgierd provided all the equipment and did the editing, and I have to say that it turned out really nice, except the part where I can't sing.  I think I've gotten better at it since the time we recorded this, but in this video, I must warn you, I'm no Alicia Keys.  More like Squeeky Keys (if that's a thing).  Ken did a great job with the rap part though.  If you don't understand all the words, he's talking about parts of Warsaw where we train, some of our competitors, and basically just getting people motivated to give it a try.  We've also performed this live at two separate parties, most recently on stage at our annual Christmas party in front of 100 people.  This was a dream come true for me, as you can imagine, considering my vocal prowess.  Well, actually it was.  I've always wanted to be a singer in a band, where the crowd knows the words and sings along. And you can hold the microphone out and let them sing, so you don't have to.  That's the best.  Luckily we put the words on the screen so they could sing along with us.  And there was a dancing drunk woman in the front row.  I felt like Bon Jovi.  Or at least Bon Jovi's backup singer.

The music video

From our first live performance

You can call our agent if you would like to make a booking. 

We also have our original WITC anthem, based on YMCA (one of my least favorite songs ever).  We performed this one at the 2012 Christmas party, but made a few modifications for 2013.  The 2012 version is here (for some reason it's not letting me embed it on the screen...annoying).  I'm not showing you the 2013 version because there is some male stripping, and I'll only send it to you if you ask nicely and explain why you want to see male stripping.

So it seems that we've been getting a lot of internet exposure lately, which is pretty fun. This is on top of when I was almost in a Super Bowl commercial last year.  Here's the post.

And the commercial (it never aired but was fun to do):

 

When I was caught in the middle of a film set outside my apartment:

And when I was in a celebrity gossip magazine:

And to top it all off, somehow I was selected as the WITC male mutli-sport athlete of the year for 2013.  I guess this means I do multi-sports well (i.e. triathlon, but I guess it includes other things as well?).  I am definitely not the best or fastest at triathlons, but I am very honored to be selected for the award.  Of the other 4 finalists, I would have voted for me LAST, but somehow the voters decided to pick me.  I guess it's a sign of how supportive and encouraging this group is, that I can get to this point even though it was only my second year doing triathlons, and I am not great (or even "very good") in any of the disciplines.  Or maybe it's because I am a Polish celebrity.  Either way, I guess I better plan for an even bigger 2014.  After all, the fans are waiting.

Not worthy of this

Mark's surprise birthday in Zakopane

December 13-15 2013

The 5 of us quietly got out of the car and carefully climbed the icy steps to the front door.  Peering in, we saw Mark sitting on the couch, eyes half-closed, as his head bobbed up and down fighting the temptation to sleep.  The glow of the TV was shining on his face.  He woke up to check his phone, and we worried he might have seen us.  It was after midnight, and when people turn 50, usually they'd be asleep long before this (yea I have 50 year old friends, it makes me feel mature).  But Ewa kept him awake (and fully dressed) for this moment.  Dominka, Igors, Andy, Agnieszka and I slowly went through the first door into the entry way, and kept our eyes on Mark as we tried to decide how to surprise him.  We had driven for about 7 hours from Warsaw to Zakopane, in the Polish mountains, without him knowing we were coming.  Since it was so late, our other ideas of surprising him were not feasible (for example, Ewa couldn't exactly ask him to go for a walk at that time while we waited for him in the bushes).  So instead, we did the only thing we could think of.  We opened the door and screamed.  

Mark, just before the surprise

Ewa knew we were coming in, but Mark looked up, completely shocked, and grabbed his heart.  We didn't think of the risk here, but I guess there was a small chance he'd have a heart attack.  He was caught completely off guard, and acting like he didn't pee in his pants, he put together all the lies.  "So this is really why we have a house big enough for 10 people for just the two of us?" he asked Ewa (Ewa told him that there was a mix up at the rental company and they gave them this house but they weren't allowed to sleep in the other rooms).  So that's why we took Andy's snowboard and his friend's skis (I was sure he'd get suspicious on that one).  So that's why you went outside to get more fire wood at midnight? (Ewa had to unlock the doors and gates for us).  So that's why you told me to put my pants on? (Thanks Ewa.  No explanation needed). The best line was when Mark looked at us and said "so you guys are staying here?" with the look in his eyes that said "oh no, you guys are staying here?!".  Sorry to ruin your romantic weekend, but it was Ewa's idea. 

Ewa proposed the idea of this surprise trip a couple months before, but we were not allowed to talk about it to anyone.  It was most awkward when a few of us were invited to a couple different parties that weekend, but we all had to say "we will not be able to attend", but not why or with whom we'd be.  "I can't go to your party, but I can't tell you why" sounds a bit shady, but we had to do it.  I guess it worked out because people understood afterwards.  But surprise parties really make you have to lie a lot.  Maybe that's why Ewa liked the idea so much. 

We headed out on Friday after work, Igors driving all of us.  It was quite a journey for just a couple days, but definitely a lot of fun.  On the way out there, we tried to find a good country style Polish restaurant out in the middle of nowhere.  They are quite popular outside of the big cities, and the food is usually just like a grandma makes it.  It's just sometimes unpredictable where they will be.  On the way to Białowieża a couple months ago, it was really hard to find one, and we drove around for a long time looking (then we picked a restaurant attached to a gas station with lots of trucks outside, and it was awesome).  But sometimes they are every few miles.  Generally people in the country side don't go out to eat (why would they, when they make better food at home?), so the restaurants are only for people passing through (and the truck drivers).  We stumbled upon a place called Lanckorona, a hotel off the main road.  It looked empty and dark when we pulled up, so I ran up to check if it was open.  The door was locked and all the lights were off, but an older woman turned on the lights and came running to the door when she saw me.  It was a bit scary to see a shadow in the dark coming at me, which turned into a white flash, which finally turned into a Polish Granny.  And the surprising thing was that she brought a smile with her.  It was Friday evening, around 9pm, and she invited me in.  

The place was empty but she said she would open the kitchen for us.  This is completely contradictory to my vision of Polish customer service.  She actually wanted to work for us.  She turned on all the lights, put on some music, and invited us into the empty dining room.  She must have been bored.  Then she took our orders, brought out the food, and it sounded like she was also doing the cooking.  Usually, it seems that the Polish "customer service" avoids the customer at all costs, so they have an easier time.  Even if it means losing business.  This was a nice change from that.  The only strange part was that she told us what we should eat...everything I ordered, she basically said "no you don't want that, it will take too long...you want XXX instead".  In the end, the meal was really good anyway.  She should have just brought it to me from the beginning.

Our own private restaurant

Since the drive was so long, I took a turn driving...it's nice to drive once in a while so I don't forget how.  I don't think I had driven since February in Hawaii.  It took me a while to get used to the 6 gears, with the reverse on the top left of the shifter, rather than bottom right.  But we survived without any issues.  This was another long road trip, a week after Igors, Andy and I also did a road trip the previous weekend to Torun, to do the half-marathon dressed as Santas.  I didn't end up dressing as a Santa, instead running with Spartans, since I didn't get to run with them during the big October 10 km run (right after I tore a pec muscle).  There was ice on the ground, but the sky was blue and it wasn't too cold: great running conditions considering it was December.  All the Spartans had met earlier, but I wasn't with them so I had to chase after them as they went to the start line.  Luckily I caught them just before the race started (and luckily it's easy to see them from afar).  During the run, I only slipped and fell on my face once (and put a big split in my shield), and after a few breaks and dancing Haka, we finished in about 2 hours 20 minutes.  That's about 35 minutes slower than I would normally finish the run, but I still felt really exhausted.  Good thing I didn't have to actually run hard.  You can also read about last year's 10km Spartan run here if you want to know how that went.  Anyway, sorry for the rambling.  Now back to Mark's birthday weekend.

Spartans keep warm with running pants and long sleeve shirts

Easy to spot the Spartans, even in a sea of red

After scaring Mark into possibly soiling his underwear (we should get him some adult diapers next time), we stayed up late celebrating and goofing around, enjoying the nice fireplace and rustic feeling.  It's hard to beat sitting around a fireplace in a house in the winter mountains.  When asked how he felt about the surprise, Mark said that since he was so sleepy, it took a bit of time to put together that he and Ewa had a big house that could fit several people, and that the rest of us were more people that might need a place to sleep.  He also told Ewa that it would be great to bring a big group of friends back to that house because it was so big and homey.  We were glad to grant his birthday wish.  The next morning we made Mark go shopping for us and cook us breakfast (thanks Mark, happy birthday!), and a few of the guys went skiing.  I met my PwC friend Aldona, and her daughter Lea for lunch.  Lea is barely 2, and speaks better Polish than I do.  Aldona thinks she was shy around me because she didn't understand the words coming out of my mouth.  Even when I spoke Polish????  It was fun watching her play, refuse food, eat, play some more, and basically take an hour and a half to eat 20 bites of soup and barley.

One-legged tooth brushing

Aldona, Lea and something else

Later that afternoon we all went to a spa (in Białka) for some relaxing in the thermal baths.  Sitting at the base of a ski mountain, the spa was amazing.  The outdoor pools surrounded by snow and mountains were pretty romantic (again, sorry Mark for invading on your weekend!).  They also had a really fast water slide, a wave pool, several indoor and outdoor pools, and some other things that kept us occupied (including a bar).  I was having so much fun I didn't realize my body turned really splotchy and red from getting too hot.  I had to take a break while everyone else finished up.  After 2.5 hours, we got out (it cost me about $10 after the discount for my gym benefits card, which was great) and headed to town for dinner.

No spa pictures, but here we are at our post-spa dinner

Exciting night at the post-spa bar

At the spa entrance

We like these old Polish country style restaurants

It was a long day, and everyone was too tired for a night out, so we went to bed pretty early.  After some shopping the next day, we got ready for the trip back.  Along the way, I taught the guys the Cha Cha Slide in a gas station parking lot to get our blood flowing.  A few cars came by to see what we were doing, honking and checking us out.  I'm pretty sure they were jealous. Next time we'll try to make a flash mob.

Although the trip was a fun one, a part of me stayed in Zakopane.  I had been wearing my purple "Hope" bracelet for the past several years, taking it off only to play basketball or if a doctor asked me to during a check-up.  I got it when participating in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life (over 8 years ago)...but after I left the spa, I couldn't find it.  I didn't take it off on purpose, so I guess it fell off somehow.  Maybe it was finally time to grow up a bit and stop wearing plastic jewelry.  If anyone is in Zakopane and finds something that looks like this, let me know.  I've been feeling a bit naked without it lately.

I haven't lost Hope!

During the trip we decided it would be funny to make a song for the upcoming WITC Christmas party, and the song "The Fox" was a perfect song to modify to sing about Ken, our fearless WITC leader who talks more than anyone should be able to talk.  Mark provided the high pitched voice, and everyone else supported with vocals, dancing, and ideas.  We rehearsed throughout the weekend anytime we had a few minutes...waiting to go out for a walk, before dinner, and in the car.  You can see our final performance, although we agreed that we sounded much better during rehearsals.  When singing live on stage, it wasn't easy to hear ourselves and adjust our tone with our million fans screaming their faces off.  At least that's what we tell ourselves.

In the end Mark enjoyed his birthday, and we all had a fun time.  Thanks Ewa for setting it up, and for being such a great liar.