Slowly Sizzling Snowman Signifies Soggy Swiss Summer

You may remember that in my previous post I mentioned how I recently got the "green light" from the doctor that I can ride my road bike outside again. That was very exciting news to me -- buuuuuut, unfortunately I haven't been able to take advantage of it yet, since it has been raining almost constantly ever since then!!

I have reason to believe that I have a snowman to blame for these never-ending rainy days lately. I witnessed the deciding moment myself last week, during the annual Zurich holiday called "Sechseläuten". On this special day each year, a huge snowman is stuffed with explosives and stuck on a tall pedastal in the middle of a square in Zurich.

The snowman's name is "Böög" (which means "masked figure" and was known to frighten children - Sounds like what we'd call the "boogey man"). But isn't he cute??
The tradition is sort of like a Swiss version of the U.S. "Groundhog Day" (only this one seems a bit more violent to me since it involves exploding an innocent snowman rather than just a rodent and its shadow or lack thereof!). Here, at exactly 6pm, the pyre on which the snowman stands is lit, and the time that it all takes to fully explode determines how warm/dry this summer will be (shorter time to explosion = warmer/drier summer and vice versa).

The tradition supposedly started back in the days when laborers were expected to work until dark every night all year, even in the long evenings of the summertime, until a change was made so that they were allowed to stop working at 6pm. So after that they finally had some non-working daylight hours - Sounds like a good reason to celebrate to me! A bell tolls at 6pm to signify the end of work time. Hence the start time of this event, and it's name comes from the German for ~ "6 times the bell rings". The exploding of the snowman signifies the end of winter and the beginning of the longer (work-free daylight-full) evenings.

I met up with our Swiss friend Martina to witness this event - It's always nice to have the local "insider's scoop" for experiencing these kinds of things (plus always great to have an excuse to get together with her!). Martina obviously smiled the right way at one of the guys performing in the parade part of the event and got a nice rose out of it...
Anyway, back to the incinerating of poor ol' Frosty... This year the burning went on and on and on... As it continued, I pushed my way back thru the crowd to the nearby department store and bought all the umbrellas and raincoats they had left in stock... The resale of these (in high demand) should help fund our summer European excursions ;) (especially important since it looks like we'll have to travel outside of Switzerland to see the sunshine this summer!)
It is hard to describe just how loud the explosions were, but maybe this video will help a little... Notice how the bomb-like sounds caused the little girl near us to sob uncontrollably (did I mention they were loud?!). Also notice the horsemen with flags galloping around during the whole thing (I'm thinkin this just wouldn't even be allowed in the US)...



Finally the burning was reported to be complete after exactly 26 minutes and 1 second (Swiss precision as always).

Here's a link to another video online that captured it well (& ya gotta love the music!).
This supposedly means we are in for a rather wet and cool summertime, and Mother Nature has stayed true to that verdict so far. Still the locals celebrated after the explosion was final...parteeee....
Then right away the rain started -- No kidding!

"Braucht jemand einen Regenschirm?" (Umbrella, anyone?) :-)

As Martina mentioned in her comment, there is usually a huge barbeque party afterward, where people use coals from the burned Böög to cook their wurst. It must stay reeeeeeally hot all around the area where the bonfire was -- Take a look at her video of one brave guy fetching the coals...


Hopefully the weather will be drier at next year's event so we can experience this part of the tradition as well! mmmm.....

Healed, just in time!

I received some exciting news on Thursday -- I got a follow-up x-ray taken of my ankle... And they said it's healed! (or at least healed enough) The doc finally said I can wear shoes other than the special "sexy" supportive boots I've been wearing for 10 straight weeks now - wohoo! Actually I'll kind of miss them -- Ever since Feb. 8th I have worn these same shoes. They have been all over Switzerland with me lately...
But now my feet can finally breathe, whew!!

You can still tell that my left ankle is swollen a bit, and they said it still has a little healing left to do. But now I can finally run again and ride my road bike. So now I have some catching up to do!

At least I didn't have to sit around doing nothing during the weeks that it was healing. Actually I could ride my commuter bike just a few days after surgery...
To be honest I really enjoy riding my commuter bike - It has nice wide tires so there's no worries about riding in the rain (which is helpful here in the wet winter/spring), plus the seating is upright and comfy (it's gonna be hard to get used to the "racing" position of a road bike again), not to mention it offers loads of room in its "trunk" for lugging stuff around...Too bad it doesn't offer what this one does though (hee heeeeee)...
Over the past couple months I did ride a "racing" bike (that's what they call road bikes here) inside sometimes, using our Tacx trainer. It's connected to a computer program, and makes your workout like playing a video game - The faster you pedal the faster the cyclist on the screen goes...You can even choose actual epic rides such as Mont Ventoux and it shows actual video of the climb as you pedal, pedal, pedal...

Here I must have been going so fast, my feet disappeared! ;)That program came in handy to still get a workout when it was cold and/or snowy outside, but still I'd always rather bike in the great outdoors. Very near our apartment is a road with an extended hill climb (as hillseekers I guess that is appropriate), going up up up... It's one of the named climbs in the Zurich Ironman triathlon, called "Heartbreak Hill", and there's writing on the street all the way up to cheer on the riders:
Little things like this pump me up and make me push myself up the hill harder... I pretend the messages are on there for me (hey Lance is my middle/maiden name after all!):So I am very thankful that I've been able to continue to be active through the winter. But I'm also thankful that I can ride my road bike and wear sandals just in time for spring here...

This picture was taken in Montreaux, in the french part of Switzerland near Lausanne. This area is often called the "French Riviera of Switzerland", and we could see why - It is gorgeous. You can see more pictures by clicking here.

I hope you are enjoying your springtime as well!

Cheers,
Becky

Our desert explorer is back!

What an exciting week last week!! It was so much fun "virtually" following Jeff's race across the desert. Thanks to all of you who followed along with me and commented on his race blog! I still can't believe he placed so high. I thought he was going to just try to survive, maybe finishing in the middle of the pack, but instead he finished in the top 50 / elite category. Unbelievable!

Just before midnight Tuesday night, the train from Geneva arrived in Zurich and a tanner and slightly thinner version of my desert-worn husband appeared on the platform, never too tired to smile...
He seemed happy to be home but at the same time missing the excitement and adventure from the previous week. Based on what he has described, it is an even tougher experience than I imagined. But also a very rewarding one, where you test your own limits and then push them even farther. He seems to thrive in challenges such as this, and enjoys it more the tougher the conditions get...
Well one good thing about challenging yourself is rewarding yourself afterward :) I figured the most appropriate welcome-home gift in Switzerland is of course a bag of Swiss chocolates, and completing a big event this big calls for a BIG bag...

You can see from the above picture that the foot blisters are not so bad, surprisingly after over 29 hours of running! (not near as bad as some on the MdS website) Besides a slightly swollen knee and ankle (he's copying me there! we're quite the limping pair now), he is practically good as new. And he didn't even lose much weight from the whole thing either. I think this shows that his body may be especially good at surviving, and even thriving in ultra-endurance events.

At least this was a good time for the body to maintain its current weight. In the past this tendency had been a problem for him. This is one of the reasons I keep saying that his results in this are "unbelievable" -- I still can't believe the big change that he has gone through over the years that we've been together.

Just over ten years ago this same guy was more than 65 pounds overweight, and wouldn't run even a minute unless he were chased! After we got married and we started working office jobs, the pounds started adding on and on...

Thankfully he eventually realized what was happening and that a change needed to be made. And boy did he make it!!

He found the method that worked for him was to sign up for an athletic event that he wasn't currently prepared to do at all, and then follow the necessary steps to become prepared for it (e.g. registering for an Ironman when he'd never run a whole mile). That way he's focused on the event (which is fun and exciting) and not on losing weight (which is not always), and the latter tends to happen as a natural result of all the training and preparation for the event.

This was a lifestyle change, not just a diet or a quick-fix. It took a while for him to get to the desired weight, and to develop the new life habits to maintain that weight. But it has worked - I have seen it with my own eyes. So I know it is possible, and this applies to anyone - If you want to lose weight and make a lifestyle change to be healthy and fit, you can do it if you make up your mind to do it! And it is worth it!!

These days he is so much healthier and happier....

And we can enjoy all the wonderful outdoor activities Switzerland has to offer even more, so I am thankful for that.


Still he keeps signing up for bigger and bigger events, to keep that weight off... I can't imagine what will be the next, bigger adventure/challenge after this desert one!?! Stay tuned to find out!

Cheers,
Becky

Update from the desert

Wow, I just have to share my excitement - I got an update from Jeff about his race experience yesterday, and I can't believe it - He led the main (non-elites) pack through the desert for the long (47-mile) day! You can read his personal account on his blog here.

And here's a picture they had of him on the race website:Think it's hot there or something?? Nah, must've just had something in his eye ;)

One reason I keep saying I can't believe it is because of the big change that Jeff has made over the years that I've known him. I remember a time when I used to try to get him to go jogging with me, just down the block... but he wouldn't/couldn't do it. And now...... (?!!) Quite a change! More on that later.

I've had a friend staying here with me this week, and a couple more arriving from Amsterdam to visit this weekend... So we will all be here celebrating this exciting news! Have a great weekend!

Cheers,
Becky

So far, so good...

Just a quick update that Jeff has made it to the desert and has completed Stages 1&2 so far... running over huge sand dunes in temperatures over 100-120 degrees farenheit... Sounds like a fun way to spend one's vacation time doesn't it?!
He finished the first day in the top 10% and then even higher the second day! So he seems to be feeling good... Let's hope that continues...

For more details and updates each day, including personal updates provided by Jeff, you can refer to this site: http://mds2008jeff.blogspot.com/

And another big thank you to all that have donated to UNICEF/ING Chances for Children in support of Jeff's race. I have sent messages to Jeff in the desert (using this site, he's #493) including the words of encouragement and support that you have left on the donation site, and I know he really appreciates them all. It's nice that the charity was highlighted on the official Marathon des Sables website in detail here. Some good publicity for a great cause!

And our good friend has included info about the event and fundraiser on her blog "Life on a Bike". It is a great site with some incredible pictures on there, so be sure to check it out sometime if you haven't already. I especially like this post and I think you will to, especially if you've ever experienced the magic and memories of bike rides and/or trips with friends.

Cheers!
Becky

And he's off to the races!

Jeff left this afternoon to head to Morocco for the Marathon des Sables - I still can't believe he's doing it! The past few days have been completely full with preparations for this event and the fundraiser, so he was happy to finally be packed up and ready waiting for the train. (note what his shirt says - pretty appropriate for his upcoming days!):

When using trains, it always seems to be the "hurry up, and wait, and hurry again" syndrome. We ran down the hill from our apartment for him to catch his train, only to get there early and have to wait (at least it gave us time to take the above picture).

Then when the train arrived, it stopped further down the track than we thought, so Jeff had to sprint to catch it! Quite an abrupt start to a marathon trip, with no warmup! Here he is sprinting to jump on with his suitcase...

Before he left, Jeff really enjoyed receiving all your encouraging comments on his blog as well as on the fundraiser site. Thank you all for your generosity and your support for both UNICEF and for Jeff. It is much appreciated!! If you are interested in donating to UNICEF/ING Chances for Children in support of Jeff's race and haven't already, it's not too late - you can just click here to contribute.

If you would like to follow Jeff's progress across the Sahara, stay tuned to his blog, where I'll post updates as soon as I receive them. There's also info continuously updated on the main Marathon des Sables website. Guess who was featured on that site recently? I'll give you one guess...

It is exciting to have the opportunity to bring so much awareness to such a good cause. Now I just hope Jeff's travels and his run experience are so positive as well... Stay tuned!

Happy Easter from snowy Switzerland!

How is it that it hasn't really snowed here all winter, and now starting with the first day of spring, it has snowed every day?!? It just started sticking in the backyard...Well at least it makes it easier to hide the Easter eggs... Especially if you're too lazy to color them ;) Here they sell eggs already colored at the grocery store - no kidding! Guess that saves everyone time for church and then to hit the ski slopes afterward -- Our village is totally empty today, and I think everyone has gone skiing except us.

We had originally expected to have visitors this weekend, but that didn't work out so we have some unexpected free time. Jeff is using the time to get ready for his upcoming multi-day mega-ultramarathon race, and spreading the word electronically about the related UNICEF fundraiser, and I am getting a crash-course in learning how to be a personal chef/nutritionist as I try to fix the best meals possible to power him through a week in the desert... So I guess I have to think of something other than the usual Swiss cheese fondue or wienerschnitzel huh (!)

Hope you all are enjoying your day!

February flew by!

When I broke my ankle February 8th, I expected I would have plenty of time during my recovery to catch up on all those "sedentary" tasks, including blogs... but obviously that didn't end up happening! One thing that has kept me occupied is having friends visit, which I really enjoy - Every time someone visits, I am reminded of all the little things that are different here in Switzerland than in the U.S. -- things that we have already gotten used to and didn't even realize it.

One example is the way that sandwich spreads are sold in tubes here, like giant toothpastes made of ketchup, mayo, or mustard as our friend Michelle displays below. Tomato-flavored toothpaste, mmmmm...
Our history with Michelle and her husband Kevin goes back a looooooong time. Kevin went to high school with Jeff and me, and Michelle was my college roommate while Kevin was Jeff's. All four of us got married right after college, and now they have two boys ages 7 and 11 who are our godsons. So it was great to get to spend some time with them again.

On their first day here we did a walking tour of Zurich...I was really happy to be able to participate in the walk since it had only been one week since my ankle surgery! Can't even tell, can you - those special Swiss shoes just blend right in...We were glad that they came prepared and brought their own Pop Tarts, since I haven't been able to find those anywhere around here (so it was a special treat for us too!).
Trains are definitely the way to travel around Switzerland. They bought the Swiss Pass, which provides unlimited train travel (plus trams/boats/buses & discounts on cable-cars/funiculars). It's the perfect thing for getting around the country, especially for a family, since you can move around more than in a car, and plus it's just fun to ride trains.
And not having to drive makes the parents really happy!
We took a day-trip to nearby Einsiedeln, where we found a few hills to hike up, up, up...
The view from the top is always worth all the climbing...
After that big workout, it was time for some traditional Swiss fondue. We had just bought our first fondue pot, so this was our first attempt at the famous Swiss meal...
We might a slight adjustment though, and added some vegetables in addition to the bread (don't tell our Swiss friends!).
Later in the week it was time for some skiing in the Swiss Alps. At Flumserberg, there is a cable car that takes you literally straight up the mountain to get to the ski area. Just don't look down!
One thing about Swiss ski areas is that the T-bars are much more common than in the U.S., instead of chair lifts. And it doesn't help too much when the T-bar operator is giving instructions in German: "Sitzen Sie nicht hin!" (Don't sit down!) Oops, so the first try didn't go so well...
It eventually got easier, although sometimes the bar just wouldn't cooperate...
In the end everyone survived the T-bars and enjoyed a beautiful sunny Swiss day at the slopes.
Notice Jeff laying down on the right side... Guess it's just habit after all those years of snowboarding (!)...
On another day we took a trip to Bellinzona, in the Italian section of Switzerland. There it seems you are constantly being watched by castles on the top of the surrounding hills...
We walked through one of the castles, where you could spy on the castles on the other hillside...


Just like Italy, one of the best things about the Italian section of Switzerland is the food, mmm... Buono appetit!
On our way back to Zurich we stopped at a grocery store to pick up some food for the rest of their stay. It's funny how in a foreign country, even something as basic as grocery shopping can be quite entertaining, just observing all the different foods available. Here's one that we're glad they have a picture showing what it is just in case one isn't fluent in German yet...
Kids especially notice and are entertained by all the little different things. Here's one - there are free-standing restrooms that are available in various places around here (I've also seen them in Paris), kind of like porto-lets but with running water. It looks like an elevator out in the middle of nowhere, and feels like you're in a time machine when you go inside and push the button for the door to close (especially if you're 7!). It's lots of fun to try to push your big brother back into it right before the door closes and the whole thing fills with spraying cleaner fluid (I heard a story of a friend who got stuck in one while the spray went off and it doesn't sound like a pleasant experience!).
Toward the end of their visit we spent some time looking at old pictures from our college days... Hey look, there's a picture of your mom funneling a pony keg while your dad adds more Golden Grain to the punch in the trash can... (ha ha just kidding)
It was a great visit, and we loved sharing everything here with you. Y'all come back, ya hear!