What Do You Miss in France?

People in the States often ask what we miss while living in France. We usually answer -- the kids. Having been her a few weeks now, we're reminded that we don't see them that frequently even when we're here.
My lame answer is Starbucks, but it's true -- sweet, frothy coffees in a cup as I take walk with friends. I can take walks with friends in France, but it's considered strange to walk with a coffee cup and the closest we have to a Starbucks is a coffee truck that arrives on Wednesday and Saturday during the market.

Au P'tit Plaisir with a line for coffee.

He makes a white mocha, but it's made with syrup rather than thick white chocolate and isn't topped with whipped cream. It's a joy, but it doesn't replace my longing for Starbucks' coffee milkshake.
I think about other friends who have asked me to bring them things from the States, what do they miss? Kris and Derrick want Levi's, only because they're cheaper here. Lou wants graham crackers. Teresa wants cream of tartar.
What do I miss in France that I can get here in the States?
This morning, as I was running in 32 degree weather (that's 0 Celsius) suddenly, my heart soared and a bubble burst from me: "Oh my, I really love running!" and that's when a recent conversation came back to me and I realized that the thing I miss in France is belonging to a gym, where I can lift weights or climb on an elliptical machine or stationary bike.
When I was at the YMCA on New Year's Day, as I got dressed after our water fitness class, a woman came in from the workout room. She was asking everyone how the fitness class was, and I mentioned that I had already run four miles that morning but that I would probably feel the class the next day. She couldn't believe I had run outside and then gone to fitness class.
"I love exercising," I said. And I do. Walking, bike riding, yoga class. I always feel better afterwards.
In our small town in France, there isn't a gym, per se. There's a twice a week exercise class, but that's pretty constricting. The next town over has a yoga class twice a week. There isn't a place to go on my own to work out.
Twenty-two years ago, a trainer taught me how to use the weight machines and said that lifting weights would increase my metabolism, so I started a workout by lifting weights, then moved on to an aerobic workout, feeling certain I was getting a bonus calorie burn.
Sixteen years ago, as I was training for a marathon, I tore my ACL. After surgery, the physical therapist drummed into me how important it was to lift weights so the muscles surrounding my knee were strong to prevent future injuries.
Since I moved to France, I haven't been lifting weights, and I rarely mix up my workout routine.
Luckily, I've been able to join the Y for the time I'm here, piggybacking on Spencer's membership.
Earl and I went to workout yesterday, and I saw a plan for a bodyweight workout that I can do when I return to France.

A future workout plan -- but I hate burpees

Not belonging to a gym is a small sacrifice. I can continue to run in the mornings, surrounded by beautiful mountains and gorgeous sunrises.

The three quills of Quillan early in the morning. 

I can ride my bike 10 miles, stop and have coffee or a drink and ride back home. I can walk and discuss the world's problems with friends close by.
I guess I'll live with not having Starbucks or a gym, but having France instead.

Boy to Man

My oldest son, my second child, turns 17.
I snapped a picture of him, still bleary-eyed, straight out of bed this morning, before I left for work.

I figure that someday when he's my age, he might want to look back at that picture and be amazed at the outline of each muscle.
He works out every day, playing basketball, lifting weights, running around the track. Then he comes home and drinks milk sprinkled with protein powder and two peanut butter sandwiches. He is trying to put on weight, to add more bulk to the figure that crouches under the basket ready to rebound.
Some people say they hate to see their boys changing into men. I'm amazed.
How could that chubby, curious boy in velcro tennis shoes turn into this muscled man?

And I wonder what he will become.
I wonder if he'll be obsessed with exercise like my older brother, continuing to work out and eat protein-rich foods.
I wonder if he'll be obsessed with sports, like my dad who plays golf five days a week and watches every other sport on TV.
I wonder if he'll find a career he loves that answers his philosophical questions and gives him the chance to explore things with his hands.
I wonder if he'll find a wife who appreciates how fiercely he loves.
For now though, I fetched Long John donuts and chocolate milk for a sugar laden breakfast. I let him open a present that he might want to wear to school. He can never have too many Ohio State shirts.

We'll meet him and Tucker at the local burger joint for hamburgers and shakes before Earl rushes off to work. And this evening he'll head to the gym again for basketball practice, hoping each jump stretches him out just a little taller, each lope with his long legs adds a bit more muscle.
Happy Birthday, Spencer.

Christmas Break Exercisorama

I was going to call this post The Biggest Loser because that is where the idea came from. I had never watched the television show The Biggest Loser but only seen the commercials when I cattily pointed out a huge man at a swim meet. I said to my friend Pat, "That man is nearly big enough to be on The Biggest Loser."
"Oh, he is," Pat assured me. Turned out he watched the show. He explained that it was different from other competitive shows because everyone really rooted for each other. They knew they all needed to stay. I got curious and watched the show a few times. Last week was the weight loss finale and the winner lost more than 50 percent of his body weight. I'm not sure how long that process took, probably 6 months to a year, still it seemed extreme.
The thing about the biggest loser is that these overweight people exercise all the time. That's why I decided that Christmas Break will be my exercisorama with a lot of working out. I have three weeks before classes start again and I intend to get back into shape so I can run 10 miles without lugging extra pounds around.
The fact that my kids have Christmas Break swim practices everyday except Christmas and New Year should make it easier for me to keep my pledge. Sometimes they have two-a-day practices. When they're in the pool, I plan to be on the treadmill or the bicycle or the stairstepper or lifting weights.
So far, most of my friends have refused to join in, but one of the swim moms says she'll be in the gym with me.
So I started this morning with a 45-minute run. It's longer than my runs have been this fall as I rushed to get back to prepare for class or grade papers. I plan to follow up with a walk tonight and then tomorrow I'll extend my run to 60 minutes.
I do have one concern. I think when I trained for the marathon, I messed up my metabolism. My body thought we needed to horde fat and calories for those long runs. Don't you think that will happen again? If I exercise like crazy, will my body start to store fat again?
In addition to getting in shape, I've promised myself the present of a new song from iTunes for everyday I work out. So I'm going to need your help with some suggestions. I need good, fast running music. Tucker seems to pick music that I always enjoy, mixing alternative and pop. This morning, my favorite song on my run was "The Great Escape" by Boys Like Girls.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGPgxoIPY6Q
Any suggestions?