Thursday, October 15, 2015
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Providence, RI: The Road to Leffe
Vick and I had a big goal for my Rhode Island Half Marathon: Survive it.
All we had to do was finish without straining any muscles or getting sick, and we'd be able to get on with our amazing European adventure. Our plane flight was leaving Logan for Heathrow just about 12 hours after our anticipated finish time. Thank goodness we made it through unscathed!
The Providence Half was beautiful. The weather was nicer than any of our training days, and the race took us through many nice areas of Providence. My only gripe was with the hills that plagued me through the first 5 miles. The final 8 were much more friendly. Although, the last 0.1 miles was uphill, which just seems cruel!
I finished in just over 2 hours and 16 minutes, ultimately running 10:27min/miles. Not exactly where I wanted my time to be, but considering my big goal, I think I did just fine. Another notable finisher was my friend Eung-Mi! I convinced Eung-Mi to run her first half marathon against her better judgement, and she did really well! In the first 2 miles she blew by me, not to be seen again until the finish line! Go Eung-Mi!
Now that half #9 is complete, I'm super pumped to be training already for half #10! I don't think I could have picked a better half marathon to celebrate getting to the double digits than that December 2nd Rock n Roll race in Las Vegas! I'm already signed up, training started. Let's get ready to run on the "flat and festive" strip at night!
Here's my updated map. New England, CHECK! Nevada is next!
Ok, enough about running, let's talk about my new friend, Leffe.
One of the three cities we explored in Europe was Brussels, Belgium. Oh, man, did I love it there. Belgian Waffles, Belgian Chocolate, Belgian Beer! So amazing!
One of the most amazing things about Brussels was the great selection of Belgian beer everywhere. There was always a great selection on tap at every small eatery, there were beer bars every where, and the corner store next to our hotel had a better selection than any liquor store I've visited.
Even though there were so many to chose from, I became a fast friend of Leffe. Leffe Brune and Blond were on tap nearly everywhere. Not only that, it was cheaper than getting a water or a glass of juice! (They don't sell tap water. 300ml of Leffe was often cheaper than a bottle of water). Leffe Blond is a Belgian pale ale with 6.6% abv. It's unoffensive, and by that I mean drinkable. It had more flavor than a Hoegaarden, but not a ton more. The Brune, however, a Belgian dark ale is super flavorful. I'm salivating.
I noticed that Leffe Blond was for sale, bottled, at our local liquor store, but I'm afraid of having the bottled version. What if it spoils my Belgian experience!
Look! Here we are with a Leffe and a Kwak!
Belgium is great. Let's go back!
All we had to do was finish without straining any muscles or getting sick, and we'd be able to get on with our amazing European adventure. Our plane flight was leaving Logan for Heathrow just about 12 hours after our anticipated finish time. Thank goodness we made it through unscathed!
The Providence Half was beautiful. The weather was nicer than any of our training days, and the race took us through many nice areas of Providence. My only gripe was with the hills that plagued me through the first 5 miles. The final 8 were much more friendly. Although, the last 0.1 miles was uphill, which just seems cruel!
I finished in just over 2 hours and 16 minutes, ultimately running 10:27min/miles. Not exactly where I wanted my time to be, but considering my big goal, I think I did just fine. Another notable finisher was my friend Eung-Mi! I convinced Eung-Mi to run her first half marathon against her better judgement, and she did really well! In the first 2 miles she blew by me, not to be seen again until the finish line! Go Eung-Mi!
Now that half #9 is complete, I'm super pumped to be training already for half #10! I don't think I could have picked a better half marathon to celebrate getting to the double digits than that December 2nd Rock n Roll race in Las Vegas! I'm already signed up, training started. Let's get ready to run on the "flat and festive" strip at night!
Here's my updated map. New England, CHECK! Nevada is next!
Ok, enough about running, let's talk about my new friend, Leffe.
One of the three cities we explored in Europe was Brussels, Belgium. Oh, man, did I love it there. Belgian Waffles, Belgian Chocolate, Belgian Beer! So amazing!
One of the most amazing things about Brussels was the great selection of Belgian beer everywhere. There was always a great selection on tap at every small eatery, there were beer bars every where, and the corner store next to our hotel had a better selection than any liquor store I've visited.
Even though there were so many to chose from, I became a fast friend of Leffe. Leffe Brune and Blond were on tap nearly everywhere. Not only that, it was cheaper than getting a water or a glass of juice! (They don't sell tap water. 300ml of Leffe was often cheaper than a bottle of water). Leffe Blond is a Belgian pale ale with 6.6% abv. It's unoffensive, and by that I mean drinkable. It had more flavor than a Hoegaarden, but not a ton more. The Brune, however, a Belgian dark ale is super flavorful. I'm salivating.
I noticed that Leffe Blond was for sale, bottled, at our local liquor store, but I'm afraid of having the bottled version. What if it spoils my Belgian experience!
Look! Here we are with a Leffe and a Kwak!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Burlington, VT
Who gets sunburns in April in Vermont? Apparently, Chrissy and I do.
When I pictured our near-Canada, mid-Spring half marathon, I actually imagined cooler temperatures, clouds, maybe even rain or snow. However, when we ran today, we had near perfect weather. When we started, it was 57 degrees with clear skies. The route first wove through neighborhoods in Colchester, VT, before it traveled down a quiet bike path along Lake Champlain. It was honestly the most pretty run I've done. From the bike path, you could see strips of sandy beach, littered with trees and boulders. Across the lake were beautiful mountains. Several times, I was tempted to stop and take in the scenery.
The race was a late start. Chrissy, my TFA BMS B-track pal, and I were in the second wave, which left at 11am. By the time it was noon, the temperature had warmed up considerably. I was happy to be wearing shorts, but was a bit too warm for my t-shirt. While a tank may have been a better choice, at least my shoulders were spared from the sunburn.
The race motto was "No Frills, No Hills". Having run an extraordinarily hilly race in New Hampshire, I was very excited about the prospect of "No Hills".
I'll give them the "No Frills" part. This was the first race that I ran without chip time. A guy literally stood at the finish line and recorded and printed times with an old-school adding machine. Even though there were only 800 people running (500 in the first wave and 300 in the second), I'm sure that was an exhausting job. The best frill was the chocolate chip cookies at the end.
They'll have to work harder on their "No Hills" promise. I know it could have been much worse, but the final two miles were especially torturous, with a long, gradual uphill climb, followed by a short, steep one. I also think those last two miles covered a bit more distance than the earlier miles.
I managed to keep myself paced around 10 minute miles until those final two. Even still, I'm happy to report 10:08s. There seems to be some magically barrier between me and anything less than 10 minutes miles. Maybe next time? Seems as though I'm always saying that.
Anyway, Chrissy and I were both glad to be done, and we were very appreciative of our marvelous chauffeur, Vick. Not only did he shuttle us back and forth between packet pick-up and the starting line, and home. He also drove us to Ben and Jerry's (because we ran a race in Vermont! It seemed appropriate). Much love to Vick and Chocolate Therapy Ice Cream.
When I pictured our near-Canada, mid-Spring half marathon, I actually imagined cooler temperatures, clouds, maybe even rain or snow. However, when we ran today, we had near perfect weather. When we started, it was 57 degrees with clear skies. The route first wove through neighborhoods in Colchester, VT, before it traveled down a quiet bike path along Lake Champlain. It was honestly the most pretty run I've done. From the bike path, you could see strips of sandy beach, littered with trees and boulders. Across the lake were beautiful mountains. Several times, I was tempted to stop and take in the scenery.
The race was a late start. Chrissy, my TFA BMS B-track pal, and I were in the second wave, which left at 11am. By the time it was noon, the temperature had warmed up considerably. I was happy to be wearing shorts, but was a bit too warm for my t-shirt. While a tank may have been a better choice, at least my shoulders were spared from the sunburn.
The race motto was "No Frills, No Hills". Having run an extraordinarily hilly race in New Hampshire, I was very excited about the prospect of "No Hills".
I'll give them the "No Frills" part. This was the first race that I ran without chip time. A guy literally stood at the finish line and recorded and printed times with an old-school adding machine. Even though there were only 800 people running (500 in the first wave and 300 in the second), I'm sure that was an exhausting job. The best frill was the chocolate chip cookies at the end.
They'll have to work harder on their "No Hills" promise. I know it could have been much worse, but the final two miles were especially torturous, with a long, gradual uphill climb, followed by a short, steep one. I also think those last two miles covered a bit more distance than the earlier miles.
I managed to keep myself paced around 10 minute miles until those final two. Even still, I'm happy to report 10:08s. There seems to be some magically barrier between me and anything less than 10 minutes miles. Maybe next time? Seems as though I'm always saying that.
Anyway, Chrissy and I were both glad to be done, and we were very appreciative of our marvelous chauffeur, Vick. Not only did he shuttle us back and forth between packet pick-up and the starting line, and home. He also drove us to Ben and Jerry's (because we ran a race in Vermont! It seemed appropriate). Much love to Vick and Chocolate Therapy Ice Cream.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
#91 Schmaltz Hop Manna
Have you ever had one of those weeks where each day runs into the next without a break? Even though your head technically hits the pillow for a few hours, your mind screams with to-do lists. You wake up, and instead of feeling refreshed, your heart is pounding and your brain is already planning six moves ahead.
Last week was one of those weeks for me. I got through each day purely on adrenaline. Nothing terrible happened. Work was busy, but completely tolerable. There was just enough stuff going on outside of normal work hours that I felt like I couldn't stop. All week long, I was humming, "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming." Wake up at 5am, busy until midnight, repeat.
I was lucky to have finished the bulk of my to-do lists by Friday at 5pm. I was ready for my mind to settle down and go into weekend-mode. What better way is there to settle your brain than with a nice, hoppy IPA and a beer-buddy?
I haven't posted about a specific beer in a long time, but Schmaltz Hop Manna inspired me get writing. Sarah and I met Aaron at Highland Kitchen on Friday evening. They had a special of Buttermilk Fried Chicken Wings and their Beer of the Moment was Hop Manna. We also ordered Ricotta and Mozzarella Fritters.
I felt like I was cheating on my husband. Cheese and fried chicken are two of Vick's favorite foods. And while he doesn't care for beer all that much, it felt sort of mean to be imbibing while he was at home, walking and feeding the dogs. The cold, refreshing taste of hoppy beer went down so easily, and it didn't fill me up. So, even though I felt guilty, I could keep eating fried cheese and chicken. What's a wife to do?
There was only one way to remedy this cruel situation. To make things right again, I brought Vick to Highland Kitchen the next night. Buttermilk Fried Chicken Wings were still on the specials menu and our marriage was saved. Also, the Hop Manna was just as good the second night as it was the first. And so were the fried cheese balls.
Last week was one of those weeks for me. I got through each day purely on adrenaline. Nothing terrible happened. Work was busy, but completely tolerable. There was just enough stuff going on outside of normal work hours that I felt like I couldn't stop. All week long, I was humming, "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming." Wake up at 5am, busy until midnight, repeat.
I was lucky to have finished the bulk of my to-do lists by Friday at 5pm. I was ready for my mind to settle down and go into weekend-mode. What better way is there to settle your brain than with a nice, hoppy IPA and a beer-buddy?
I haven't posted about a specific beer in a long time, but Schmaltz Hop Manna inspired me get writing. Sarah and I met Aaron at Highland Kitchen on Friday evening. They had a special of Buttermilk Fried Chicken Wings and their Beer of the Moment was Hop Manna. We also ordered Ricotta and Mozzarella Fritters.
I felt like I was cheating on my husband. Cheese and fried chicken are two of Vick's favorite foods. And while he doesn't care for beer all that much, it felt sort of mean to be imbibing while he was at home, walking and feeding the dogs. The cold, refreshing taste of hoppy beer went down so easily, and it didn't fill me up. So, even though I felt guilty, I could keep eating fried cheese and chicken. What's a wife to do?
There was only one way to remedy this cruel situation. To make things right again, I brought Vick to Highland Kitchen the next night. Buttermilk Fried Chicken Wings were still on the specials menu and our marriage was saved. Also, the Hop Manna was just as good the second night as it was the first. And so were the fried cheese balls.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Tempe, AZ
Yahoo! I finished my 7th half marathon in Tempe, AZ!
It was a whirlwind of a weekend, but so much fun. Vick and I woke up at 4am on Saturday for our flight to Phoenix Arizona, and made it there somewhat awake. We got picked up at the airport by the fabulous Laura and Michael Ritzler, who were our amazing hosts for the weekend. They brought us to the race expo which was our first glimpse of how HUGE the P. F. Chang's Rock and Roll Half Marathon would be. Even though I know that there would be 10s of thousands of people running, I didn't really have a concept of what that meant. The race expo was only the first time in the weekend that we'd be herded through an area like livestock. Where's Temple Grandin when you need her?
After the expo, we got to hang with the Ritzler four-legged, fuzzy children. Tallie has grown into quite the silly dog since our days in Redondo Beach. Isis and Boobaloo were super cute and sweet. All three were so BIG compared to our teeny children. Next we carb-loaded at Gasper's with Laura and Mike, and our food coma was perfectly timed for 8pm.
Weather-wise, race day was absolutely perfect. When we left Laura's house it was in the upper 40s. It was in the upper 50s when we stopped running. It was cloudy, which is great for translucent people like myself.
With so many people in corrals at the start line, it took us nearly 25 minutes to begin. The freight train crossing after the first corrals left didn't help anything. Once we did get by the start line, there was still the matter of passing people or being passed. In every race I've run, thus far, after a mile or two, the pack thins as the herd stretches out. For this race, the people were plentiful, and it seemed as though we had to bob and weave around runners for the entire race.
The terrain was interesting. Arizona is way more flat Massachusetts, and since the trees are few and far between, it feels like you can see for miles. And yet, the course still steadily gained elevation for several miles in the middle. The awesome part about that? The last few miles were a gradual decline. Sweet.
Arizona was the first place I've raced with cacti. One cactus of note looked as though it had two arms, mid-clap. Vick nearly stopped us to ensure that I saw it. He's a silly boy. Although, at mile 8, we needed any applause we could get.
We finished the race in 2:13:25. That means that we were 11 seconds/mile away from of my goal of running 10-minute miles. Since I didn't tell Vick that was the goal until the day before the race, I think we did pretty well!
After finishing, racers were treated to bananas, frozen yogurt, jamba juice, bagels, water, and snack bars. This all would have been extraordinarily nice if there weren't thousands of us trying to leave the finish chute. We were fenced in, and the fences funneled inwards as we got closer and closer to the exit. People were sweaty and hot. I felt like I was going to pass out from claustrophobia, and then my husband started mooing. Oy. They should call in Temple Grandin for expert advice before their next race.
Once we had finally exited, we met up with Laura and Mike, who were nice enough to take us for pancakes and waffles, then back for much needed showers and video games. Before our red-eye back to Boston, they brought us to an eat-in movie theater with super-comfy chairs. All-in-all, it was a fantastic race day. Many thanks to the Ritzlers for such a great weekend!
Now, back to sleep!
It was a whirlwind of a weekend, but so much fun. Vick and I woke up at 4am on Saturday for our flight to Phoenix Arizona, and made it there somewhat awake. We got picked up at the airport by the fabulous Laura and Michael Ritzler, who were our amazing hosts for the weekend. They brought us to the race expo which was our first glimpse of how HUGE the P. F. Chang's Rock and Roll Half Marathon would be. Even though I know that there would be 10s of thousands of people running, I didn't really have a concept of what that meant. The race expo was only the first time in the weekend that we'd be herded through an area like livestock. Where's Temple Grandin when you need her?
After the expo, we got to hang with the Ritzler four-legged, fuzzy children. Tallie has grown into quite the silly dog since our days in Redondo Beach. Isis and Boobaloo were super cute and sweet. All three were so BIG compared to our teeny children. Next we carb-loaded at Gasper's with Laura and Mike, and our food coma was perfectly timed for 8pm.
Weather-wise, race day was absolutely perfect. When we left Laura's house it was in the upper 40s. It was in the upper 50s when we stopped running. It was cloudy, which is great for translucent people like myself.
With so many people in corrals at the start line, it took us nearly 25 minutes to begin. The freight train crossing after the first corrals left didn't help anything. Once we did get by the start line, there was still the matter of passing people or being passed. In every race I've run, thus far, after a mile or two, the pack thins as the herd stretches out. For this race, the people were plentiful, and it seemed as though we had to bob and weave around runners for the entire race.
The terrain was interesting. Arizona is way more flat Massachusetts, and since the trees are few and far between, it feels like you can see for miles. And yet, the course still steadily gained elevation for several miles in the middle. The awesome part about that? The last few miles were a gradual decline. Sweet.
Arizona was the first place I've raced with cacti. One cactus of note looked as though it had two arms, mid-clap. Vick nearly stopped us to ensure that I saw it. He's a silly boy. Although, at mile 8, we needed any applause we could get.
We finished the race in 2:13:25. That means that we were 11 seconds/mile away from of my goal of running 10-minute miles. Since I didn't tell Vick that was the goal until the day before the race, I think we did pretty well!
After finishing, racers were treated to bananas, frozen yogurt, jamba juice, bagels, water, and snack bars. This all would have been extraordinarily nice if there weren't thousands of us trying to leave the finish chute. We were fenced in, and the fences funneled inwards as we got closer and closer to the exit. People were sweaty and hot. I felt like I was going to pass out from claustrophobia, and then my husband started mooing. Oy. They should call in Temple Grandin for expert advice before their next race.
Once we had finally exited, we met up with Laura and Mike, who were nice enough to take us for pancakes and waffles, then back for much needed showers and video games. Before our red-eye back to Boston, they brought us to an eat-in movie theater with super-comfy chairs. All-in-all, it was a fantastic race day. Many thanks to the Ritzlers for such a great weekend!
Now, back to sleep!
Heading in a Different Direction
A beer-tracking tragedy occurred about 4 months ago. I had thought that sending Vick a text each time I drank a new beer would ensure that I would never lose my beerdata. I allowed several months to go by before updating my spreadsheet, knowing that all of my beerinformation was safely stored on two devices. My foolproof beer-collecting system failed when both my cell phone and Vick's cell phone died in the same week.
Disgruntled by the loss, I stopped recording my beers all together. I'm fairly certain that I had over 20 beer names that are lost forever. So, I've decided to go in a slightly different direction.
While I still make a commitment to drink good beer (rather than yucky beer), I'm ending my attempt to finish a certain number in a certain time. I'm not going to give up beer forever, though. As I continue to run a half marathon in each state, I will do my best to record and blog about excellent beers.
Like the Pretty Things Jack D'Or that I had at 10 Tables in JP last month. I'm pretty sure that was an excellent beer, or at least it paired well with fantastic food! Or how Opa Opa IPA goes so well with Thanksgiving dinner. Anyway, I'll get back to recording, but this time with less ambition. Ambition is for suckers.
Disgruntled by the loss, I stopped recording my beers all together. I'm fairly certain that I had over 20 beer names that are lost forever. So, I've decided to go in a slightly different direction.
While I still make a commitment to drink good beer (rather than yucky beer), I'm ending my attempt to finish a certain number in a certain time. I'm not going to give up beer forever, though. As I continue to run a half marathon in each state, I will do my best to record and blog about excellent beers.
Like the Pretty Things Jack D'Or that I had at 10 Tables in JP last month. I'm pretty sure that was an excellent beer, or at least it paired well with fantastic food! Or how Opa Opa IPA goes so well with Thanksgiving dinner. Anyway, I'll get back to recording, but this time with less ambition. Ambition is for suckers.
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