Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Fish out of Water

Sometimes I feel like a fish out of water. I feel more natural in the water than out of it. Of course, water is relaxing and theraputic, but it is also freeing. I can do anything in the water. I am WONDERWOMAN in the water. All of the activities that are difficult and painful out of the water, are completely possible in the water. I can run, jump, flip, lift weights, etc. all in the water. I can swim for miles with no pain or blisters or obstacles. May be I should have been a mermaid...... I don''t know... I am rather fond of seafood....lol.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The Comfort of Fractions

I've noticed that while I am training, especially on the treadmill or stationary bike, I use fractions to motivate and comfort myself. Everytime I pass a small milestone, I convert it into a fraction. The self-talk in my head sounds like," OK, 1/10 down, 1/5, 1/4, 1/3, alright I'm half way there. Only 1/3 more, 1/4, 3/10, 1/5 - I can totally do this. 1/10, almost there, 1/20....YES, I did it." I don't know why I find such comfort in fractions. You'd think I were a math teacher instead of a French teacher, though I was always good at math. I think the fractions allow me to think in terms of what I have already accomplished versus what I still need to accomplish. I do know that fractions motivate me to keep going and never quit until I've completed the WHOLE.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Geography Photo Powerpoint

Yesterday after school I was inspired, and a I whipped up a 45 slide powerpoint presentation on the geography of France. (OK, so I might have gotten a little carried away.) I used it today and it was very effective. Seeing these geographical features is so much more interesting than just hearing about them. I'll wiil try to attach it to this blog. I hope it works. I.ve never done this kind of attachment before. Here we go!.... H:\La Géographie de France

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

La Geographie de la France

Today, I taught a geography lesson on France. Already, I was able to add several interesting tidbits to the lesson because of all of the research I've done over the last 3 months preparing to write my grant with FundforTeachers. However, I was so wishing that I had more information, and more importantly that I had pictures and visuals to show. I will try to find some pictures online for tomorrow, but can you imagine how much I could add if I actually were able to win a grant and go to France. OMG, I am soooo excited and nervous. I can't wait till March 31st. J'ai besoin de la bonne chance.

A plus tard!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Walking Training Schedule

This is the training schedule for the
walking portion of
La Grosse Tournee de France.

Cycling Training Schedule

This is the training schedule for the
cycling portion of
La Grosse Tournee de France.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Good day!

Today was a good day though I must admit that I did not make it to the gym this morning after working so late last night. All of my classes went very smoothly. I graded and input several assignments. I straightened my classroom. AND... after school the French Club met to make Valentine's cards for the retirement home. They turned out so nicely. Now, it's 4:30 pm and I'm off to the gym, and eventually home. Ahhhh, home!

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Shopping for Success

Yesterday after school I went grocery shopping to get nutricious food for my training regime. I got lots of fruits and veggies (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, mangoes, clementines, squash, zucchini, spinach, and mushrooms.) I stocked up an canned goods, spices, and cooking supplies. Now, I just have to find time to cook. It certainly won't be today. I won't get home until 9pm tonight. Maybe tomorrow, though I also need to write 3 tests and grade several assignments before Friday. Progress reports are due again and we must include a test grade every 3 weeks. I have plenty of assignment grades, I just need a major grade. Oh well, it will all get done in due time.
I have to go for now...I have to teach an elementary French class from 5-6 pm, then speak to parents at the course selection fair from 7-9 pm. It is going to be a long night....Nitey-night!

Monday, February 2, 2009

Training Plan for February 2nd to February 8th, 2009

I will wake up at 3:30 am and be at the gym for 4:oo am. I will cycle on the stationary bike for 1 hour. (Don't forget padded bike shorts.) Then I will walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes. Stretch and cool down before getting ready for school.

After school, I will bike for another hour and walk for an hour. Afterward, I will alternate lifting weights (MWF) and swimming laps (ThSaSu). On Tuesday, I have to teach a class from 5-6pm and be at an open house at school from 6:30 to 9:00 pm. I would like to attend water aerobics classes on Thursday evening and Saturday morning.

Abbreviated Itinerary

Ever since I was a teenager, I have dreamed of biking and backpacking around France. Also, since I was a teenager, I have struggled with my weight. In fact, in the 15 years since I began teaching, I have gained nearly 100 pounds. After watching a documentary piece on the Discovery Health Channel, about a 400 lb. man who biked from California to Florida and lost over 100 lbs, I had a revelation. By making my dream of biking around France come true, I could also remedy my struggle with weight and my struggle with the history and literature portions of my upper-level courses. I began training immediately.

I have titled my voyage “ La Grosse Tournée de France” (The Grand Tour of France), playing off the « Tour de France » cycling race. I am also playing off the fact that the word grosse in French can mean heavy, or even fat, thus, including the weight loss aspect into the title. My “Grosse Tournée de France” will consist of 60 days of hiking and biking through France. I will bike an average of 20 to 40 miles per day from town to town. Upon arriving at each new town or historical site, I will find lodging and store my bicycle, if necessary. Then, I will walk or hike around the area to visit castles, cathedrals, museums, ruins, and other important historical venues. Along the way, I will collect informational brochures, realia, books, videos, CD’s, and materials for the classroom. At least once a week, I will mail home a package of the educational materials I have collected.

My tour will begin with three days in Paris, where I will visit a wide variety of museums, cathedrals, and monuments. I will also take 4 guided bike tours and 2 guided walking tours, in order to learn more about the history of the city and its impact on the culture. On the Paris Day and Night bike tours, I will learn the history of the major monuments in Paris, as well as the architecture used to build them. The Versailles bike tour will give me insight into the lives of Louis XIV, Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette and their courts. The bike tour to Monet’s Gardens will broaden my knowledge of the “Father of Impressionism” and the primary source of his inspiration, his garden. I am particularly looking forward to the World War II and French Revolution walking tours.

Days 4 through 6 encompass Chartres and its cathedral, Illiers-Combray (the summer home of author Marcel Proust), 12th century Châteaudun, and Orléans, the city saved by Joan of Arc during the Hundred Year’s War.

For the next seven days, I will explore the cities and châteaux (19) of the Loire Valley, including the Château of Chinon, where Joan of Arc solicited and army from King Charles.

Days 15 to 18 include cycling up the coast of Brittany and exploring the prehistoric sites of Vannes, Carnac, and Erdeven. Among these sites are the Musée d’Histoire et d’Archéologie and the Musée de Préhistoire.

On days 19 to 23, I will ride up the coast of Normandy, visiting the fortress St. Malo, Mont St. Michel, and the D-day beaches. At Arromanches beach, I will visit the D-day Museum and view a 306˚ circular cinema film entitled “The Price of Freedom.”

For the next seven days I will explore the cities of France, including: Rouen, where Joan of Arc was tried and burned at the stake; the Victor Hugo Museum in Villequiers; Amiens, the home of author Jules Verne; Reims; Nancy; and Strasbourg, which fell under German control during both World Wars.

Days 31 to 35 will find me cycling down the eastern border of France to cities like Colmar, Lyon, Annecy, and even Geneva, Switzerland, the headquarters of the United Nations.

The next 3 days will find me surrounded by hundreds of extinct volcanoes in Le Puy-en-Velay and Clermont-Ferrand. I will even visit a cathedral built 260 steps up a very tall and thin volcano. Then I will spend 3 days exploring the prehistoric cave paintings, shelters, and gorges of the Dordogne region.

The next city on my itinerary is Bergerac, home to Cyrano Savinien de Bergerac, a 17th century playwright who was himself the subject of a famous play by 19th century playwright Edmond Rostand. From there, I will travel to Bordeaux, St. Emilion (home to an underground cathedral carved from limestone by 9th century monks), Toulouse, and Carcassonne, a fortified city famous for withstanding a siege by Charlemagne.

On day 47, I will go to Sault in Provence to admire the lavender fields and to intercept the Tour de France, since it is one of the inspirations of my tour. Afterward, I will study the ancient Roman ruins and artifacts of Orange, Nîmes, Arles, and Avignon, which is also home to the French Papal Palace which housed seven popes from 1309 to 1377.

On days 53 to 57, I will discover the Mediterranean coast and the cities of Nice, Antibes, Cannes, St. Raphael, Aubagne (home of author Marcel Pagnol), and Marseilles. Château d’If, the castle from “the Count of Monte Cristo” and “The Man in the Iron Mask” by Alexander Dumas, is located in Marseilles.

Finally, I will take a ferry to La Corse, a French island in the Mediterranean, before returning to Paris. My last quest is to exploe the castle of Fontainebleau and to hike and bike through the forests which were the playground of kings and the inspiration of generations of authors and artists.

By the end of this voyage, I will have cycled nearly 1,500 miles and walked at least 250 miles. I will have visited numerous castles, cathedrals, and ruins. I will have toured 26 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. I will have restored my fluency by speaking only French for 60 days. Finally, I will have become a better teacher and a thinner and healthier person.