Life in Ohio

Took the plunge!

2012-01-30T18:30:00.000-05:00

I finally did it. I finally bought an iPhone 4S. I kept putting it off, and then on Friday, my phone finally bit it. It still sort of works, but its functions are quite limited. So yesterday, we headed to the Verizon store. I was set on the iPhone. I have an iPod Touch and an iPad, so I'm really comfortable with the Apple operating system. Aside from the shitty auto-correct, I like the way it functions. (The auto-complete on the LG phone is the only thing that phone did right. It works so much better than Apple's. Apple's is dumb.)

Aaron looked at some phones, too, but he really doesn't want to spend the money right now (and after his root canal/abscess, I don't blame him). He really struggles with spending money on phones. Unfortunately the Verizon store didn't have any iPhones in stock, so I'm waiting for my phone - and hoping it arrives before I go to SF. If not, oh well. I'll survive. (I suppose I could have gone to the Apple store to buy the phone, but the guy at Verizon had spent a bunch of time with us, so he deserved the sale.)

Man, I spent some serious money last week - 32GB iPhone and 4 new tires for the Subaru. Broke now.

My first trail race!

2012-01-30T12:38:00.001-05:00

Saturday was my first trail race, and it was a prediction run. (It was part of the Dirty Trail Series.)

I predicted wrong. Oh well.

But to start off, I had planned to run 5 miles before the race and then run the 5 miles of the race. Again, I was wrong. It was snowing, so it took me longer to get to the trail on Saturday morning. So I only ran 4 miles before the race. Then, it turns out, the race was 4.something and not 5 miles. Again, oh well. It was fun!

But it was hard. I don't do much trail running - and I should totally do more - and it was messy. My Vasques are so, so dirty. I don't know when I'm going to get them out to clean them off. Sunday? In any case, trail running is HARD, and it is FUN. And slow. At the very least, I could hit the trail at Goodyear more often. There are more trail races around, so I'm definitely going to do another.

I did pretty well last week with my workout planning (and I'm still a little sore from Thursday's strength-training session - gah!). This week will be a little trickier because I'm going to San Francisco on Wednesday and coming back on the red-eye Friday night. But here's the plan:

Monday: run 4 miles
Tuesday: yoga
Wednesday: run 6 miles
Thursday: run 3 miles, in-hotel-room yoga?
Friday: run 3 miles, strength
Saturday: rest
Sunday: run 10 miles

Nice plan. Wish me luck!

Ambitious day ahead!

2012-01-27T12:30:00.000-05:00

After Sunday's atrocious run, I ended up taking two days off from running. Wednesday night, I had a great 6-mile run at Sand Run after work, and last night, I had a good easy 4-mile run mixed with weight training.

Here's how I'm doing with my weekly plan thus far:

Monday	rest or strength or yoga	rest
Tuesday	run 4 miles, yoga	yoga
Wednesday	run 5 miles	run 6 miles
Thursday	rest or strength or yoga	run 4 miles + strength
Friday	run 4 miles easy	rest (much-needed!), but maybe yoga after work?
Saturday	8k trail race for sure, but I should tack on 5ish miles beforehand to hit the long run for the week	5 miles, then 8k trail race for about 10 miles
Sunday	rest	rest or 3 miles easy

I really should try to fit in some yoga tonight. My hips are pretty tight. (And my arms are sore today! It actually hurt putting the car into first gear. Pathetic. I need to work harder.) But really, it's that plan for Saturday that could be tricky. But the stars have aligned so that I have no excuses. Our friends were going to come up tonight, but now they're coming up tomorrow - so I have no excuse for not going to bed early. The race doesn't start until 10, so I'm meeting another friend at 8:30 at the exact trail where I had planned to do the 5 miles beforehand (hope it's not too deep). The race is at a different trail with limited parking, so we're carpooling. If I get to the first trail by 7:30, I should have absolutely no trouble warming up and getting in 5 miles before meeting my friend.

It's not the ideal long run since it's split into two sections and there will be an hour and half between them, but it will definitely test my body's ability, as well as my mental toughness. So I think it's a good replacement for this week's 10-mile long run.

And if I can persuade myself to run 3 easy miles on Sunday, that would be excellent (but not necessary). Aaron may be down for that. He's been out of commission this week with an infection (he got a root canal yesterday, although he still has to go back to finish that up and then go back again to get a crown). Poor guy - so much pain!

In any case, I must take this seriously if I don't want to completely embarrass myself at the Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon in March.

Cellar Rats to distribute Black Rat Imperial Stout

2012-01-27T08:54:00.002-05:00

From the Beer Blog:

Cellar Rats Brewery in Madison will start distributing its Black Rat Imperial Stout in four-packs in mid-February. The beer — which will retail for $10.99 – has been available in bottles only at the brewery. The 9.2 percent alcohol beer also will be on draft at select bars and restaurants. Cellar Rats describes Black Rat this way: “This imperial, milk stout is big and full of flavor and may remind you of an Irish coffee with lots of cream and sugar.” The brewery also plans to start distributing Piper’s IPA in bottles in March in six-packs.

Aside from the pale ale, I haven't seen much of Cellar Rat's stuff around, but it seems like they're picking up speed. Maybe one day I'll take a pilgrimage to Madison to visit the brewery. But anyhow, I love milk stouts, I love imperial stouts, and I love local beer. So I guess I need to keep an eye out for this one! I hope Ray's has it on tap.

Review: The Future of Us

2012-01-24T09:30:00.001-05:00

The Future of Us by Jay Asher

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Super-quick read. Interesting plot and well-executed for the audience. This is a teen book, and it reads as such. I read some negative reviews about the "vapid" and self-absorbed teenagers. Why aren't they looking up the political climate? Because 1) they're teens and don't care and 2) things aren't bad in the mid-90s. Of course they're focused on themselves.

This would be a good plane book. The short chapters - where the voice goes back and forth between Emma and Josh - are easy to read and easy to start and start. The book doesn't require full attention, which sometimes is a very good thing.

View all my reviews

22 miles for the week!

2012-01-23T11:24:00.002-05:00

Let's check in on last week's training!

Monday: run 4 miles, strength-train (check)
Tuesday: yoga (check)
Wednesday: run 5 miles (check)
Thursday: rest (kind of check - should have done something)
Friday: run 4 miles (+ strength-train if Thursday is a rest day) (kind of check, didn't strength-train)
Saturday: rest (check)
Sunday: run 9 miles (and check)

So...

22 miles run
1 yoga
1 strength

Not awful. But yesterday's run sure was awful. We started out at the Towpath by the house, and it wasn't plowed at all. 1 mile there, and I was near tears. I wanted to go home and run 8 miles in the neighborhood - and, truthfully, switch from the heavy Vasque trail-running shoes to my much-lighter Saucony road shoes - but Aaron wanted to do the 8 on Sand Run. So that's what we did, and my performance was atrocious. I suppose I had quit already. At least I finished, but you could hardly call it running.

I have plenty of excuses, but let's just move on.

Monday: rest or strength or yoga (depends on how I feel after work)
Tuesday: run 4 miles, yoga
Wednesday: run 5 miles
Thursday: rest or strength or yoga
Friday: run 4 miles easy
Saturday: 8k trail race for sure, but I should tack on 5ish miles beforehand to hit the long run for the week
Sunday: rest

Ambitious, I fear. Part of me thinks I should take off Friday to do the 10-mile run. See, we have guests coming this weekend (motorcycle show is this weekend!), so getting in a run on Saturday and Sunday isn't likely. Saturday's going to be hard enough - so I need to act like a real runner and run before the 8k race.

I am not a real runner.

Failbook: Ads to Promote Reading

2012-01-19T08:38:00.000-05:00

Failbook: Ads to Promote Reading by the Milwaukee Public Library:

God knows, I love my Facebook (but I think Twitter is dumb and am not very interested in videos), but these ads are great. Now waiting for crankiness and copyright nonsense, although this is clearly satire and is not for profit.

Love them!

Wrapping Up

2012-01-17T12:30:00.000-05:00

This weekend, we went to Durham for Freeze Your Balls Off. For the second year in a row, we went sans scooters. Boo. But it was chilly, and I was glad to not be riding at night! (However, if we'd had scooters, we wouldn't have drank on Friday night and getting up Saturday morning to run would have happened. Lesson learned.)

As I've said before, this month has been a disaster as far as working out goes. I ran 11 miles last week (that's two runs) and did two strength-training sessions. I'm feeling better, and I don't have any trips - so this week should be better!

Monday: run 4 miles, strength-train (check!)
Tuesday: yoga
Wednesday: run 5 miles
Thursday: yoga or strength-train or rest
Friday: run 4 miles (+ strength-train if Thursday is a rest day)
Saturday: rest
Sunday: run 9 miles

Nothing crazy there, so we'll see how that works out. I think about rewarding myself, but any rewards I really want cost money - and I need to be a little more careful with my money. I have a big project in the VBB coming up, and I need to finish up the C70 (but hopefully I can sell that and make a little money on it). Right now I'm having a little battle about my wisdom teeth removal, but that *should* be rectified without issue.

Luckily the Stella, smallie and the Triumph are pretty much dialed in and working okay. The scooters both need a few things, but I've already have those items. Triumph is rock-solid now.

Then there's the smartphone I want to buy (probably a 32GB iPhone 4S) and the added cost of a monthly data plan. See? Lots of money, and we haven't even considered a summer trip to Denver and a winter trip to Phoenix. And tires for the Subaru. And a windshield for the Hyundai. And various house things.

So no vintage motorcycle in 2012. No new/additional motorcycle at all. 2013 might be the year I sell the Stella, although it's not like that would be a huge money-maker.

And I should probably closely evaluate any races or rallies I want to go to. Things are never as inexpensive as you think they'll be. (I'm getting over my "fear of missing out" so that's helpful as I try to stay home and stay in more.)

This is depressing.

Stupid 2012

2012-01-12T09:31:00.002-05:00

I'm going through that stage where I'm considering nixing this little blog. Since I have DailyMile and a Google Docs spreadsheet, I'm not really using this to look back at my workouts (which, in 2012, have been PATHETIC). Does this place help me think things through? Record anything? It's nice to recap races and rallies, but I've been doing a poor job of that too. (I still have pictures on my camera from Scoot-a-Que. Bad. And I still have that Punkin Chunkin post ready to go as soon as I have the pictures off my camera. I really would be better if I had a phone that took halfway decent pictures.)

In other news, I've run three times in 12 days. Terrible. I think I have 14 miles for the month. Woohoo, on course for 30 miles in January. Stellar start to 2012.

Sarcasm. But I have done yoga once and strength-training once, which isn't a terrible start. (Hoping to have time to do strength tonight before heading to Parkersburg. We'll see. I have an offsite meeting at 3 today - visiting the studio where our photo shoot's going to be! - and I might get home a little early. Here's hoping.)

Anyhow, I still have chest congestion, and mornings are largely spent coughing up gross stuff. After the requisite coughing and blowing my nose, I ran 4 miles this morning (at 11+ minutes per mile). We're hoping to do 8 this weekend in Durham - god, how early am I going to have to get up to get that done before the rally breakfast?!

Review: Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen

2012-01-06T15:26:00.001-05:00

Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I would have given the book 3 stars, but the last quarter of the book was hard to get through. It was simply too long. You can tell it was based on a blog - which is fine because, mostly, the writer did an okay job of weaving a story. It seemed like she had trouble finding the end, though.

It was a neat project, and I'm glad she recorded it. I wish I'd read her blog instead of the book - except I was a little offended at her disrespect toward her readers. It might have been a misguided response to the shock that anyone was actually following her project.

View all my reviews

Boo.

2012-01-06T10:28:00.000-05:00

2012 isn't starting out so well. I'm still sick, and in trying to rest and recover, I haven't run since Monday or done anything else since Tuesday's yoga class. I brought my stuff for the gym after work, but right now, I'm not feeling it.

I'd like to run 4 miles tomorrow and 7 miles on Sunday. I don't know if that's overly ambitious. I thought about running a couple of miles after work at the gym, on the track so I don't know how fast I'm going.

Hmmm... my 1,000-mile goal for 2012 is off to a shitty start.

And I'm sick.

2012-01-04T08:34:00.000-05:00

I'm sick, which is really annoying. I always struggle with whether to rest or push through. I tend to push through.

And I'm at work, and I wonder whether I should work from home to keep my germs at bay. I have a meeting this morning, so after that - if I continue to cough and blow my nose - I will head home. Aaron actually stayed home today, which is an extremely rare event. Makes me wonder if tomorrow is going to be much worse for me.

Would resting today help?

I also brought my stuff for the gym because, you know, I might feel up for it.

Mostly I feel okay - my throat hurts quite a bit and, as of right now, that's the extent of it.

(And honestly what I'm most afraid of is falling behind in my training for the DC half-marathon. I don't want to crash and burn. I have friends who are running the race as well, and already I am certain I will be the slowest of us. I don't want them to have to wait around a super-long time for me.)

Running in 2012

2012-01-03T06:30:00.000-05:00

I ran 737 miles in 2011. Not too shabby (although reading my recent Runners World showed me how NOT elite I will ever be! Can you imagine running 120 miles/week? I haven't even hit that in a month yet, although I suspect I will).

I also ran 11 races in 2011: 5 5ks, 1 10k, 1 9k, 1 4m, 1 5m, and 2 HMs. I've gotten a tiny bit faster, but nothing consistent. My mileage increased and then decreased.

But I can do better. At 85 miles per month, I'll be over 1,000 miles in a year, so that's my goal. Of course, I only had two months last year that were over that.

In any case, I have two half-marathons in mind, and I want to PR both of them:

March - National Half Marathon - aiming for 2:10
October - Towpath Half Marathon - aiming for 2:05

(The Cleveland half-marathon will be one where I'm there more as support.)

I would really like to work on speed in 2012. I probably need a running coach, but that's out of my budget. (I could also use a personal trainer, which is, again, out of my price range.) Guess I have to rely on my own willpower.

I'm in trouble.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T14:30:00.002-05:00

So I'm a little late, but that's okay. I'm spending the day of our holiday shutdown relaxing. In between watching episodes of Buffy and reading, I managed a three-mile run in the snow.

We spent NYE at our friends' new house in Columbus. It was fun, although I accidentally drank more than I intended. This whole "not chewing" thing caused me to not eat enough. No harm done.

And now I'm chewing! I'm still a little iffy around chips or crust, but otherwise, back to normal (although I probably eat a little slower). It'd be nice if this could result in a new attitude about food. I am looking forward to a salad tonight - haven't had one in forever!

Last week, I also had the good fortune to spend some time with Kat and her boyfriend in Pittsburgh. I won an Xbox Kinect at the company's holiday party, so I sold it to her. And then we went shopping! My wardrobe is hurting big time - too many days of me wearing scooter rally t-shirts to work - so I picked up a few basics.

And I got new Chucks! I think this was the only somewhat frivolous item.

And amazingly enough, I only bought one piece of running gear (new tights from the Nike Factory Store).

Not my Christmas

2011-12-27T20:30:00.001-05:00

Run Fail

2011-12-27T15:29:00.001-05:00

I attempted my first run post-wisdom-teeth removal, and well, it didn't work very well. Immediately my cheeks began to throb so I changed my mind. I ended up doing four miles (an hour) on a hill workout, level ten. I'll try running again tomorrow, along with a weights session.

Tomorrow I'm also heading to Pittsburgh for a night or two - it's a holiday shutdown tradition. Then NYE in Columbus. Let's hope that my recovery continues.

12 Things for 2012

2011-12-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

Here I am jumping on the meme bandwagon. Off the top of my head...1. Running a lot more. 2. Mentoring the running group and helping others run their first half-marathon. 3. Growing out my hair. Again. 4. Learning to ride my mountain bike well. 5. Doing at least one track day.6. Completing a scooter race. 7. Taking on more responsibility at work. 8. Saving up enough money to buy an iPhone. 9. Reducing Subaru and student loan debt, keeping a zero balance on my credit cards.10. Paying more attention to my family.11. Keeping a strength-training program and practicing yoga. 12. Reading a lot more! Let's shoot for 50.

Apps

2011-12-26T18:54:00.001-05:00

Why is there no iPad Blogger app?

Last day of nothing!

2011-12-26T16:15:00.001-05:00

Already feeling a little better than this morning. Still not 100% by any means, but I think I'll be able to run tomorrow. I'm currently watching Crazy Stupid Love, and hopefully I can return it - via my own two legs - to the Redbox tomorrow. In thinking about goals for 2012, I'm coming up a little short with ideas. Obviously there are running goals ( maybe a two-hour half in the fall?), but I should probably look off the running path too. Getting the house on the market, figuring out what's next, etc. Spending more time in the kitchen, making meals at home will help free up money for the house. Sadly my Christmas money went to paying for my wisdom teeth basically. I used some Kohl's cash to help me buy a cast iron Dutch oven. It's not a Le Creuset, but it'll do.Also I really don't get the Ryan Gosling thing.

Virtual 10k Fail

2011-12-26T11:14:00.000-05:00

I thought for sure I'd be able to do the Virtual 10k today - in fact, I thought I'd run 3 miles yesterday and the 10k today.

But my puffy face still hurts, so it seems like a bad idea. This afternoon, I might try a walk though. I'm going a little crazy. I'm not a particularly active person, but maybe I'm turning into one. I was super-jealous yesterday when Aaron and his cousin went on a run while I laid on the couch with an ice pack and my iPad.

Gah! Off to meet Aaron for lunch (what I'll eat, I don't know) and then to drive a six-speed manual Mini Cooper S. Just for fun.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T14:19:00.000-05:00

Well, not much to say. Yesterday I got my top wisdom teeth removed, which was successful. I spent the day on the couch with kitties, DVD remote, water and meds. When I got home, I ate a pudding cup, drank some water (SO glorious - my mouth was seriously dried out thanks to the gauze), popped two Vicodin and then slept for 3 and a half hours. I woke up, made some boxed mashed potatoes, took some ibuprofen and wrapped some presents while watching a movie. But mostly I spent the day on the couch. I'm not really one to load up on Vicodin, although I will take one at bedtime.

I did enjoy a single Bells Java Stout last night before bed. So tasty, but it took me a long time to drink it. The carbonation tickled my throat so I had to drink slowly to avoid coughing. Ha.

Nothing exciting going on today. I'm a little chipmunk-cheeked, but not too bad. We got up, hit the post office and then hit Zoupworks in Kent for lunch. After picking up dessert (pie for others, vanilla ice cream for me), we're back at the house to pack up for the night. We're staying at Aaron's dad's tonight where I will watch others eat something delicious while I eat boxed mashed potatoes and swallow some boxed mac and cheese without chewing. Oh well - could be worse. (BTW, today's lunch was so nice - seemed so much more nutritious than yesterday's eats! Hope I got all remnants out of my mouth though.)

Tomorrow is Christmas at Aaron's aunt and uncle's house, so that should be good. I'm leery of chewing anything until the stitches dissolve, so we'll see what I manage to eat tomorrow. I'll be okay.

I don't need to be so obsessed with food anyhow.

I have next week off work! I imagine some cleaning, some laundry and lots of working out. We'll see how that goes. I should also do some shopping - my wardrobe is in serious trouble.

Oh, and I got a haircut Thursday night. A decent amount of hair is gone. Pics to come.

Acceptance

2011-12-20T09:30:00.002-05:00

Workouts have been sporadic lately. That's not good, but I'm not going to stress about it - I've been busy, and yet I've still been somewhat consistent. 12-15 miles running, 1 yoga, 1 strength-training. That's not enough as far as ongoing fitness goes, but it's enough for now.

This week:
Monday - off
Tuesday - 3-4 miles on the treadmill (gym date with Aaron!)
Wednesday - strength-training, 2 miles on treadmill (lunch gym date)
Thursday - 3-4 miles (outside hopefully)
Friday - 2-3 miles maybe (outside hopefully)? I have my extraction at 9 am and can't drink anything beforehand, so obviously I can't do much of a workout that morning - hydration is very important, you know.
Saturday - off
Sunday - off

And hopefully on Monday, I can go back to normal. I'm off next week - yay! - and I want to sleep in, work out, clean and do laundry. And that's about it.

I'm scared!

2011-12-19T14:20:00.000-05:00

I made the appointment to get my wisdom teeth removed. I only have the top two; the bottom two never existed. Now I'm scared.

And I'm hoping that Christmas won't be ruined. The doctor said recovery from the top two is easier than recovery from the bottom two. Hope he's right!

I can't handle the cuteness!

2011-12-14T11:58:00.000-05:00

Seal hops into home, naps on couch

I'm mad at the library.

2011-12-14T09:36:00.004-05:00

I'm all annoyed at the library, and it's breaking my heart! A couple of weeks ago, I returned three books and one DVD. One book and the DVD got checked in; the other two books did not. So now those two books are listed as "claimed returned" and are accruing late fees. If the library doesn't find the books after 6 weeks, I have to pay for them. And that pisses me off.

I am a lover of the library. One of the first things I do when I move to a new place is get a brand new library card. In fact, I want to get a new one here because the new ones have key cards! And our library system is awesome and broad and open to getting books that are requested, but I'll be damned if I'm paying for two books that I returned - especially when libraries have amnesty days where assholes can return their LONG-overdue books with no penalty.

And don't talk to me about all the benefits I've derived from the library. I am well aware of their services - more than most - and I am a staunch supporter. But I also pay my taxes and pay my fines and return my books and think about other patrons, and I'm sick of being the considerate, reliable one who gets screwed.

This may be my breakup with this library. Guess it's time to move. But seriously, I haven't been there since they marked those books as "claimed returned," even though I have requests out there. They can pull the items and then put them back. (I should probably go to the library and check the shelves, but that's not my job. Plus, they'll probably just think that I didn't return them after all. Gah, I'm pissed. I don't lose things, thankyouverymuch.)

P.S. December is a fitness disaster (well, nutritionally too - grocery shopping is a distance memory at this point). I need to get my training plan for DC (and Cleveland) printed out and shoved in front of me. Missing too many workouts and runs and my mileage is way too low - 12 miles last week? Really?

Ughhhhh

2011-12-12T19:31:00.002-05:00

Today was not a good day. Nothing particularly bad happened. Really, nothing bad at all happened. A little work indecision and stress, but nothing major. So why did I eat my feelings?! Back on track now. Run tomorrow morning, yoga tomorrow night. Better choices throughout the day. Promise!

Getting ready for next weekend's trip to my parents' house. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone, although I'm not exactly prepared for the weekend. Ideas are in progress, and I hope they're liked! On the way down, I'm hoping to see Kat for a split second so she can buy this Xbox I won (and oh my god, do I need to plan time to actually hang out with her!), and then on the way back home, we're stopping to see friends in Parkersburg for a late lunch.

Not meant to be.

2011-12-12T12:30:00.000-05:00

Well, the trailer wasn't meant to be.

We had the holiday party on Friday night, which was fun (pictures to come... eventually). We stayed the night at the Hyatt at the Arcade, which is a pretty cool building with shops and stuff.

We stayed up late, but still got up shortly after 7 am on Saturday. We were on the road by 8, which was perfect timing. We anticipated a six-hour trip. The dealer closes as 2, but would stay open later for us if necessary. With the time change in Illinois, we figured it wouldn't be necessary, and it wasn't.

We stopped a few times for drinks and food and gas, and we arrived right on time in Morris, IL. Pulling into to the dealership, we saw the trailer and it was perfect.

But it wasn't. This was a brand new trailer, yet the lid was misaligned. And it seemed too flimsy to haul our precious cargo. And just because we spent a bazillion in gas and got up early after partying - well, that wasn't reason enough to buy it. It was kind of depressing to go all that way and come home empty-handed, so we didn't. We headed to Three Floyds!

We did the tour and then a friend came down from Chicago to eat dinner with us. And drink a few beers, of course. I had three at the brewpub: the Rune Priest, a bourbon-barrel-aged stout and... I'm drawing a blank. I remember considering the Sand Pebbles, but I'm pretty sure I went another way. Maybe the Arctic Panzer Wolf?

The bourbon barrel one was good, but - and this is my fault - it had a really pronounced anise flavor, which was fully disclosed in the description; I just ignored it. The anise scent mixed with the bourbon scent was pretty appealing though. The Panzer Wolf is kind of their classic IPA, and it's pretty good - very clean. The Rune Priest is a Belgian-style pale ale, and it was good, although there was some flavor that I couldn't quite place that made me not buy more.

We also bought some to take home with us, so I had another beer before crashing hard in the hotel. The Gumballhead wheat beer isn't your typical wheat beer. Nice carbonation, although I like my wheat beers a little yeastier.

We should have bought more beer, I think! I really wish we'd brought the Alpha Klaus (holiday porter) home with us. We have a Christmas beer tasting to go to soon, and it would have been nice to bring some of that. We didn't know it was happening until yesterday afternoon. Oh well.

Holiday Parties

2011-12-09T09:53:00.001-05:00

Tonight is my company's annual holiday party. It's always a good time, although it's never a good idea to let politics become the topic of conversation. You might learn you don't like a coworker, and it's better not to know that.

2010

2009

2008

2007

We're back at the House of Blues this year, which was probably the best one we had. Hopefully this year's will not disappoint!

But first: work, run (with super-tight hips! in the cold!), shower/get ready, pack, and then up to Cleveland for the night. Should be fun!

December Ramblings

2011-12-08T09:23:00.001-05:00

I can't believe it's already Dec. 8. Doesn't everyone say things like that?

My company's holiday party is tomorrow, and I CANNOT find a dress. I didn't really want to buy anything, but I'm a little between sizes as far as stuff in my closet goes. However, I'm wearing a dress that I wore at Cocoa Beach last year, and that will have to do. At least I like the dress - and it doesn't cost me anything.

Tomorrow night, we're heading up to Cleveland for the party at House of Blues. We're staying the night at the Hyatt and then getting up super-early on Saturday to head to Illinois to buy an enclosed trailer!

Looks like scoots will go to FYBO this year!

The trailer dealer closes at 2 (their time), so that's the reason for the super-early wakeup time on Saturday. Then we're heading back east about an hour so we can tour 3 Floyds Brewery and then eat dinner at the brewpub. Even better, at least one friend is going to meet us there. We'll stay the night out there and head back to Ohio Sunday morning.

And Sunday night, I will see if Dallas can actually respond to the threat of the Giants. Given the inconsistency and the mismanagement and the penalties, I'm not hopeful.

And I can't have a post without info about running, so here it goes: I'm really trying to get my speed up this month (and next) while also reestablishing my running base. Then I'll be good to go when I hit half-marathon training full-steam... although I'm starting to get a little worried that March's Rock-n-Roll race will not be the race I PR in. After reading reviews of the Las Vegas and the Savannah races, I'm concerned about mismanagement, especially as this is the first year that RnR has taken over the DC race.

Oh, and I've already hit two yoga classes and done a few strength-training sessions (and will do another at lunch today). Progress, I hope!

Okay, where's the progress?

2011-12-02T08:58:00.001-05:00

I was feeling a little down, so I thought maybe looking at my numbers from last November would make me feel better.

Nope.

November 2010	November 2011
66.9 miles	67.55 miles
15 runs	15 runs
4.46 average length	4.5 average length
11:05 average pace	10:48 average pace
15 other workouts	5 other workouts

I'm depressed again.

November Recap

2011-12-01T18:30:00.000-05:00

In preparation for next year, I'm increasing strength-training and yoga now, so I'll have a solid base for next year. November shows that my base needs improvement in those areas particularly:

15 runs for 67.55 miles (4.5 average length)
10:48 average pace (at least that's what DailyMile says for the last 4 weeks, and that's close enough... and slow)
3 yoga sessions
2 strength-training sessions

December's numbers will be better, I hope:

16-18 runs for 80ish miles
10:30 average pace (is that too be a decrease over a month?)
4-6 yoga sessions
4-6 strength-training sessions

Believe it or not, I can already tell that the recent yoga has helped me. I'm sore from it, but I'm also feeling better, if that makes any sense. Since I've taken to the streets more often than the trails, I've been experiencing some heel pain (hello, plantar fasciitis), but it's better now. "Fancy stretching" helps!

Later on, I'll share my HM training plans. I need to merge the two plans for the DC race and the Cleveland race. There will be five weeks of overlap, and it actually is pretty nice. When I'm scaling up for Cleveland, I'm scaling down for DC. I think it'll work out nicely. Still trying to dial it in. Technically the DC plan starts the week of Dec. 12 - although my current base is greater than the plan's. My current mileage/activity is more than a month into the plan.

I like starting off ahead of the class!

In other news, November kind of sucked as far as my loved ones' are concerned. Illness and hospitalizations and death seemed rampant. Let's hope that December is FAR better in that respect.

Haven't been slacking, I swear!

2011-12-01T14:06:00.001-05:00

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted. I have a post queued up for Punkin Chunkin, but I need to get my pics off my camera for it first. I've been working, and we've moved offices:

my new cubicle

I've run the Home Run for the Homeless 4-miler on Thanksgiving - and achieved my goal! I came in just under 40 minutes.

I've celebrated Thanksgiving with Aaron's family, once with a spaghetti dinner and again with a turkey dinner. I made stuffing. It was kind of a fail - I should know better than to use something other than Stove Top as my base!

The Girls on the Run fall season ended. I'm going to miss those girls! And I have a few pictures from the 5k, but, of course, those are still on my camera too.

And I'm making running plans and trying to increase my base. The first part of next year is going to be a little crazy. I have two half-marathons scheduled - one is for PRing (the DC RnR race) and one is for mentoring (the Cleveland half).

There's also a longish trail race I'm interested (VERY interested), although I admit that I slightly fear trail running - in the winter, no less! I know that I'll need to abandon my time goals, and I tend to get discouraged when I don't see progress.

In any case, a November recap and December goals post will be next - don't want this to get unbearably long. And given how often I actually post, anything more than a sentence or two is probably too long.

Busy

2011-11-14T18:30:00.000-05:00

Well, that was a packed weekend, so I'm definitely glad we stayed in Friday night. We ate leftovers and watched Bridesmaids. I had a single beer - and way too many medications because my sinuses decided to go on the attack.

Saturday was busy:

5-mile race
stop at Fleet Feet for new laces and sport beans
lunch at Chipotle
leaves
shower
Target and Petsmart
dinner at Tremont Tap House with friends
after-dinner drink
and then in bed by midnight for ...

A busy Sunday:

GOTR 5k
shower
drive to Columbus for a memorial service
home around 7:30 where I gratefully ate frozen pizza, drank Oberon and watched football

This week is shaping up to be busy, so I hope I can stay on track (to avoid having to post another weepy race recap). I tried to figure out my schedule this week, but it's difficult (for my lazy ass, at least).

Worst Race Ever

2011-11-12T13:07:00.001-05:00

I am so disappointed in myself. I really don't know why this morning's 5-miler went so poorly, but it did. I finished in 53:28, I think, with 10:41 pace. What?! That's worse than my half-marathons. Oh my, that's basically the pace I ran in my first 5k over a year ago. Pathetic.

I am so disappointed in myself. The weather was perfect, I was dressed appropriately, the course was nice and well-marked, the race was well-organized. I can't blame this performance on anyone other than myself.

What went wrong:
* I've felt a little off all week.
* Last night, my sinuses went crazy, and I had to take two Benadryls and a Zyrtec to get them to stop.
* It appears my wisdom teeth (top only, I came without bottoms) are coming in, and they hurt (particularly on my left side - which is the same side that my sinuses were flipping out on).
* I seem to be battling dehydration this week, despite copious amounts of water (and even some Nuun and Gatorade).
* My mileage was up this week (finally), and I'm not used to it.

What went right (pretty much nothing, but I've got to come up with something, right?):
* I finished.
* Only had one beer last night.
* Went to bed before midnight, got up after 8.

This was a hard race, and I felt like I, mostly, tackled the hills well. Guess I should put that in the "what went right" category, but I don't feel like it went that well.

Seriously, after the race, I was holding back tears. I'm feeling very defeated and have no idea how I'm going to make my goal for Thanksgiving's 4-miler.

But I guess I just need to learn from this and move on. Aaron says I didn't have the right attitude to begin with, and maybe he's right (although I didn't notice I was being pessimistic).

So mad at myself. (And I realize that I'm a shitty runner anyhow, but I'm better than this.)

A Running Weekend

2011-11-11T14:28:00.001-05:00

Not much to say except I've upped my mileage this week. I have 15+ already, and I'm doing 5 miles tomorrow (race) and the GOTR 5k on Sunday. So ... boom.

And I'm very, very close to signing up for the RnR half-marathon in DC on March 17. You can save $20 on all RnR races on today (11/11/11) from 11am to 11pm, Pacific. So my decision will be made tonight.

In other news, I'm cranky so steer clear.

Facebook Woes

2011-11-08T15:58:00.002-05:00

And this is why people get mad at Facebook. I tagged a picture this morning, and then - many hours later - I tried to tag another picture and got a message that I am blocked from using this feature. I then go to the help section and find this:

"Unfortunately, Facebook cannot provide any specifics on the rate limits that are enforced. The threshold at which you are warned is not a specific number, but rather determined by different factors, such as speed, time, and quantity."

WTF?! I really doubt that tagging two pictures IN ONE DAY is really enough to trigger anything, especially as I know I - and every freakin' body else following an event - have tagged way more pictures in 10 minutes. There's clearly a bug, but - of course - Facebook doesn't recognize such things.

Oh, Facebook, you really do want to force people to leave, don't you?

Election Day

2011-11-08T09:21:00.001-05:00

I voted today. I still get a little thrill when I vote, and that's why I won't use absentee ballots unless I have to. I know it's silly, but I can't help it. It's an important election because of Issue 2, so I'm glad I was able to get out there and vote against it (and for the Akron Public Schools and the Summit DD). Truthfully, I left other items blank. I can't vote on a judge based on whose name I like the best, right?

I also managed to get my lazy ass out of bed and run this morning before work, so I accomplished a lot (for me) before getting to work. I was kind of slow, but I did several hills (which really tax my pug legs). It was a good workout. That, coupled with GOTR tonight will make for a tired Adri.

Sidenote: My right heel has been painful recently. After last Thursday's run, it hurt Thursday and Friday. The pain dissipated, and I didn't even think about it this morning. But it hurt some during the run. While Aaron was showering, I rolled it with a frozen water bottle, which seemed to clear up Aaron's plantar fasciitis pain. I'll roll again tonight and stretch really, really good. God, if my calves aren't acting up, it's something else, I guess.

But the hilly runs are good training for Thanksgiving's hilly 4-miler. I really would like to finish under 40. I'm also doing a 5-mile Turkey Trot this Saturday. I'm curious to see how long I can maintain sub-10-minute miles. Looks like the first half of the course is hilly, so that will hopefully make for negative splits - although I've never really been able to push myself that much. Negative splits happen by accident, although I am usually a pretty consistent runner.

I'm sick of saying it, but my training hasn't been very good since the Towpath Half-Marathon. Each week, I'm barely hitting double-digits in mileage. I need another endurance goal, I guess. I was thinking about doing this 10-mile trail run in early December, but a) I'm not ready and b) I can't afford it. The race itself isn't too pricey, but to really enjoy it, it would involve staying down there. Oh well.

(Don't ask me about strength-training or yoga-ing.)

But there's a half-marathon on St. Patrick's Day - a Saturday! - in Washington DC, and I'm thinking that might be the next half. Aaron's cousin wants to do it. Fees went up 10/31, so I have some time to decide before the next fee hike. Then I'd be well-situated for the Towpath half in the spring (and do the Cleveland 10k because 10ks seem to be rare, and I find that distance interesting).

Review: The Grifters

2011-11-07T10:23:00.001-05:00

The Grifters by Jim Thompson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm still not sure where I fall with this "noir" genre, but oddly enough, I keep thinking about this book. The twists are no longer new, but I imagine they were when the book was written. Only Roy is well-developed as a character, but the genre makes it easy to figure out the other characters.

I've never seen the movie, but the actors in it are not how I pictured at all. So I'm glad I didn't watch it first.

View all my reviews

Review: Oryx and Crake

2011-11-07T10:10:00.001-05:00

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had a little trouble getting into the story, but the way Atwood goes back and forth between the present and the past works for me - and I just had to know how Snowman got to where he was.

I finished the book a little confused, although mostly all of my questions were answered.

View all my reviews

Another week of excuses.

2011-11-03T08:39:00.003-04:00

I'm going to end up with fewer than 20 miles this week and no strength-training or yoga. Way fewer. I have "reasons," but they don't matter. While I'd like to get another 100-mile month, trying to do so in November or December is unrealistic (and trying to do it when I'm not actually training for anything might not be realistic either). But an 80-mile month isn't (although catching up at this point might be hard).

In any case, I think I'm still eating like I'm running a hundred miles a month, and that's ill-advised. Time to both dial back the portions and dial up (?) the running. And the strength-training. And the yoga.

Oh, the yoga. I haven't done any in forever. I am horrible at home practice, and because of GOTR, I'm missing my usual class. The fall season ends the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, so I'll be able to start back up. I'm having calf/ankle pain that I never had before, but I think it's because during my higher-mileage months, I was also getting in at least one yoga session per week.

We head out of town tonight - after running twice this week - and I hope to run once over the weekend. I'm not sure how the setup is, but I should be able to get in 3 or 4 miles. And I should be able to get in a mile with the girls tonight.

Next week, back to normal. What worked over the summer was running Monday or Tuesday morning, Wednesday night, Friday morning, and a long run on the weekend. I want to go back to that:

Monday or Tuesday morning: 4 miles
Wednesday night: 6 miles
Friday morning: 4 miles
Weekend long run: 6-8 miles (maybe more)

My mood is definitely better when I'm running more too, so those around me should appreciate that.

Random marketing talk.

2011-11-02T09:55:00.000-04:00

Old Navy Moves on with New Holiday Advertising Campaign | News - Advertising Age

The Old Navy Records campaign was just lame. Actually a lot of their campaigns have been lame lately - good thing that CMO is gone.

That said, I don't have high hopes for Funnovations. That sounds worse, but I guess we'll get our fill of it during this holiday season.

October Recap

2011-11-01T12:30:00.000-04:00

Untitled Document
Oh, October. I kind of fell apart.

13 runs
63.3 miles
1 half-marathon (PR!)
1 5k (PR!)
2 strength-training sessions - both last week, so maybe I'm on the upswing with strength-training?
no yoga

November, shall we work together to kick some ass?

I signed up for the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge and Pile on the Miles - maybe that'll help. I only have the Thanksgiving 4-miler to "train" for, so I have to motivate myself???

In any case, we're going out of town this weekend (Thursday night through Sunday night), so I'm realistically hoping that we can run once while in Delaware (for Punkin' Chunkin'!). No long run this week, though, but I ran 4 miles this morning. I think we'll have to run tomorrow morning too (instead of Thursday - the weather is conspiring against us).

I'm also hoping that I can get in a mile (at least) tonight with the girls. The 5k is quickly approaching! We'll do the practice 5k next week, and then the real 5k is Nov. 13. I hope we're ready! (Of course, ALL of the girls will finish.)

P.S. I love that running over 60 miles in October is me falling apart!

Whoa...

2011-11-01T08:40:00.000-04:00

It's been a couple of days, but that's okay. I'll just do a quick recap of Friday's workplace Halloween and be done with it.

I always say I'm done with committees at work and then I am somehow convinced to sign up again. I was pretty good with 2011 - only ended up with Halloween, and that's because my two work besties had already signed up. That way, it ended up less like an episode of The Office.

But you know what being on the committee means? Participation. We planned three competitions: the costume contest, the chili cook-off and the pumpkin-carving contest. I tried, I honestly tried, to participate in all three, but I just couldn't do a pumpkin. I took one, drew on it, started to carve, screwed up and gave up.

But I made chili! I wasn't excited about it, and I wasn't even trying - my goal was to make sure there was a non-beef/non-pork option. I made chicken chili. It was just okay.

And I dressed up! I wasn't excited about, and I wasn't even trying - my goal was to have a costume on. Haha. Okay, I did buy a gogo dancer get-up - so I wasted $60 between the dress and the boots - that I didn't wear. Simply too much for the workplace. The boots were too sexy and without the boots, the dress didn't work.

So I scrambled Thursday night to find something, anything and ended up with this:

Lame attempt at dressing up like Punky Brewster

No wonder no one knew who I was supposed to be. I didn't really work. Oh well.

Well...

2011-10-27T15:29:00.000-04:00

This:

Run 20 miles.
Strength-train twice.
Do one at-home yoga session.

is going to be a big fail. The only upside? I've already strength-trained twice, but I'm only looking to get in 12 or so miles for the week. And yoga? What's that?

Weekly Recap/Planning

2011-10-24T12:30:00.000-04:00

Well, last week was a fail on the strength-training front. Shocking, I know.

I'm fine with the running front though:

Monday - 4 miles, hills
Wednesday - 4 miles, treadmill tempo
Friday - 4 miles, treadmill
Sunday - 8 miles

Not my best, but pretty much where I want to be on a regular basis (20 miles - with intention!). Two treadmill runs are not ideal, though. I heel-strike more on the treadmill, so I need to adjust for that (try to focus more on my form and not wearing my "minimalist" shoes on the treadmill).

Onto this week:

Monday: strength-train (I hope this isn't a joke)
Tuesday: run 4 miles (hills), GOTR (I'm teaching this week, so there won't be much running)
Wednesday: maybe run before work? weights after work?
Thursday: run 4 miles, GOTR
Friday: run 4 easy miles before work?
Saturday: run 6-8 miles
Sunday: rest

I didn't really set the plan very well, did I? This week is busy - after-work plans Tuesday-Thursday (including teaching GOTR), and I have to make chili for work and put together a Halloween costume for work (and for the weekend? weekend plans are not set, although we talked about Columbus... doesn't seem all that likely now, though).

Maybe my workout plans should be simpler:

Run 20 miles.
Strength-train twice.
Do one at-home yoga session.

Wish me luck!

1962 Vespa VBB

2011-10-19T12:30:00.000-04:00

When we got to Boston on Thursday night, Nate asked us if we wanted to go to shop night. Why the heck not?
Um, because I might run across something I want.

picture courtesy of Aaron

See, we'd already planned to swing by (haha) NYC to pick up another Stella engine for project to be determined later. I've now determined the project.

On Friday, we woke up to rain and decided to skip the run and just head back to the shop to pay Jason and pick up the VBB. It's like '57 Chevy blue. So obnoxious and awesome.

picture courtesy of Aaron

Of course, we didn't take a trailer out to Boston, so we had to figure out how to get the new bike home. Luckily Nate and Jenn are planning on moving to Ohio, so we were able to work out a plan: We took Nate's trailer and his very cool RD 350 home with us. I think Aaron's actually going to sell the trailer for Nate too, so it worked out.

picture courtesy of Mary

All loaded up, we headed out early on Sunday. With little traffic, we made it to NY in about 4 hours to pick up the engine. We were there for about an hour - the guy and his wife are the "oddscoot couple" and their place is its own subject. The collection was awesome - so many rare scooters that I've never even heard of. BEAUTIFUL too.

Anyhow, 11 hours after we left Boston, we were home. 30 minutes later, the garage was rearranged to accommodate the additional bikes. It's temporary - both of these will go to Aaron's dad's until Aaron is free enough to get to the VBB. (The RD will stay at Aaron's dad's until Nate and Jenn move to Ohio. Or until Aaron buys it.) Poor Aaron has so many projects right now: the C70 (which will be sold soon-after), the smallie (exhaust repair/replacement), the Stella (recabled) and the P200 (which is likely to be leaving the stable too).

I love that man.

Back to Training

2011-10-17T13:12:00.000-04:00

This was the first time in a long, long time that my DailyMile weekly report sucked - where I didn't even get any "awesome" or "gnarly" or "great."

It's pathetic that I feel it's important to mention that I actually ran 4 miles, not 3 (I probably got in a mile with the girls on Tuesday night).

This week, back to normal, although it's going to be hard to keep the distances up since there's no endurance race in the future, only the Thanksgiving 4-miler.

Monday: hill run after work (4 to 6 miles)
Tuesday: GOTR
Wednesday: intervals on the treadmill before work (4 miles)
Thursday: GOTR, maybe yoga afterward if I can get there in time
Friday: easy run (4 to 6 miles, depends on when the weekend run is)
Saturday or Sunday: 8 mile run

So I guess, we're looking at 20-24 miles minus GOTR mileage. That's where I want to be with mileage, so it's time to make it happen.

Hmmm... strength-training is missing from that list, unless I hit yoga. Let's say I plan on doing strength after GOTR on Tuesday and Thursday.

And oh, there are so many other things to post about: the trip to Boston (boo, we didn't run there), the wedding, the new scooter (say wha?). No time right now.

Founders CBS

2011-10-13T15:35:00.000-04:00

Oh, Founders CBS, you are, indeed, amazing.

Tuesday night, after a delicious burger at Metro Burger, we headed over to Lockview to drink the CBS. I'm not sure that it's really worth $38, but it's definitely one of the best beers I've ever had. And it's gotta be the best stout I've ever had.

The deal with it is that it'sCanadian Breakfast Stout is an imperial stout "brewed with a blend of coffees and imported chocolates, then aged in spent bourbon barrels that have most recently been aging pure Michigan maple syrup." It's, of course, served in a snifter, which makes it easy to get the coffee, chocolate and bourbon scents. As pretentious as this sounds, it finishes with a mild maple syrup hint. Just enough sweetness to keep the alcohol (10.6%) and bourbon from taking over.

Unfortunately for us, that's going to be our only bottle. It's pretty hard to come by. Lockview only got a case, and they're being careful with it. No bottles to go, and you can only have one. (Price-gouging is going on - check eBay to see what the going rate there is.) I think that's fair.

Towpath Half-Marathon Recap

2011-10-12T19:30:00.000-04:00

I just realized that I never really did a race recap for the Towpath Half-Marathon! My recaps aren't that thorough, so it's not like we're really missing out on much, but here goes. (There's more on the pre-race stuff than the actual race.)

This month's Runner's World had an article about carbing up. Essentially you do it more than just the night before. Starting two to three days before the race, your diet should consist of 85% (or something - read the article for details) carbs. I decided to try it, although I doubt my carb intake was that high. I like my carbs with cheese, thankyouverymuch.

But I committed to it, and it was weird! Pretty much, you have to eat constantly to avoid the blood sugar crash. I committed with a couple of beers each night, too - fat-free carbs!

Friday night, we took it easy - went out for Chinese (salty carbs - perfect for the salty sweater, following the cues from Monica's blog) and then went home. (Random, I have discovered I am definitely a salty sweater. All this time, I thought I just gathered dust, but no, it's salt.) We slept in a little on Saturday, and then headed out for breakfast (pancakes at Fred's) and some errands. We had to pick up our race packets, along with other stuff, so we took the Triumphs out for the day.

I also spent another hundred dollars at Fleet Feet. But it was a killer sale! New Saucony ProGrid Hurricanes for $35, four pairs of socks, one tech shirt, and one pair of shorts. And I got another tech shirt as a freebie. I love Fleet Feet. After shoving that into my tailbag (love the Speed Four, touring edition), we headed home (not without a stop by the Triumph dealer, of course).

Once home, we washed a couple of bikes and got ready for Aaron's cousin's party. On the way up to Cleveland, we stopped at Lockview and had dinner (mac&cheese, please) and a beer. I didn't eat anything at the party, but I did have another beer. I was home and in bed around 11 or 11:30 - not too bad.

We got to Brandywine on time Sunday morning. Unfortunately we weren't able to hook up with our friends running the half. Didn't help that I waited in line 20 minutes to pee beforehand (drank my 5 Hour Energy while waiting in line). It was cold - I was dressed in a short-sleeved tech shirt and my Under Armor shorts - but it was okay. I knew it was going to warm up a lot, so I didn't want to overdress or use the bag drop.

Once we started, Aaron and I settled into a decent rhythm. 10-minute miles for the first half or so, and then we parted ways: Aaron sped up a little, and I slowed down a bit. I felt good the entire time though. My splits were WAY better, a lot more consistent than last time where I slowed down almost a minute per mile after Mile 6.

And I really think carbing up for a few days works! My energy level felt pretty good. I walked through the aid stations, taking Gatorade every other one mostly. (I'm thinking next time, I'll run through the water stations and walk the Gatorade stations.) I had two gels, one about 4 miles in and the other about 8 miles in; there was another one stashed in my SpiBelt in case I needed it.

I was watching my watch and saw that I might make it in under 2:15. I got excited, and that motivated me to finish strong. (The lure of Great Lakes Commodore Perry didn't hurt either.) Aaron was waiting for me, and then I found my friends and it was just a lovely morning.

So, 5 minutes off my last time - aiming for 2:10 next! It'll be a while, so who knows? Maybe I can do more than 5 minutes off my time.

Next goal: The Home Run for the Homeless in under 40 minutes. It's a four-mile race on a hilly course. Time to start hill and speed training! Well, next week, that is. This week's two runs will just be recovery, easy runs.

(There are a lot of links - for me, at least - in this blog. And they are probably useless to you. Oh well.)

Post-Half

2011-10-12T09:11:00.001-04:00

Last night, I ran about a mile with the girls, and I felt fine. Because the weather's being a whore, I'm going to the gym tonight to do my first complete run. I'll take it easy, of course. I'm considering just running on the track (13 laps = 1 mile) and not paying ANY attention to time and speed like I would on the treadmill. But I kind of hate running on that track unless I make an interval workout of it. Run 1/2 mile, do some sort of strength activity, run 1/2 mile, etc. It's worked pretty well in the past, so maybe I'll try that tonight for about 3 miles. It's all very fuzzy because I lose track of how many times I've gone around the track.

GOTR was good last night. The workout involved the girls running and thinking about what they're grateful for. Silent(ish) running was a little strange, especially since the girls were pretty rambunctious during the warmup activity. I was grateful for a little quiet last night :)

Genesee 12 Horse Ale

2011-10-11T12:30:00.000-04:00

Genesee 12 Horse Ale back from glue factory | The Beer Blog

Not sure that "It’s considered by some to be the best beer ever made by Genesee Brewing" is really all that encouraging. But it's cool that they're making an occasion out of it - complete with horses and buggies!

The only thing I really know about the Genesee is that is was the only "local" beer at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo - and that's pretty pathetic. Full disclosure: I drank a cream ale there, though.

Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout

2011-10-10T18:30:00.000-04:00

Saturday night, Aaron and I went to dinner at Lockview (mac and cheese was totally required before the half-marathon). Because we go there fairly often, the bartenders know that we like to try new stuff (and that we also like to be warned if it's pricey). We found out that they have Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout, which is a very limited release, seemingly delicious beer.

Being big fans of the regular breakfast stout, we were quite interested until we learned of the $38 price tag for the 750-ml bottle. We opted out.

Flippantly, later, I said, "If I come in under 2:15 for the half-marathon, I'll buy you that bottle Tuesday night."

Well, I came in at 2:14:09, so guess who's getting CBS on Tuesday? We are!

(And yes, I realize that I don't know how to make deals at all. Shouldn't it have been "if I come in under 2:15, will you buy the CBS?" Oh well, we all still win. Review of the beer forthcoming!)

Short Smallie Update

2011-10-10T14:34:00.004-04:00

Boo is safely at home now. I'm cautiously optimistic that just the exhaust broke - would explain the air leak (not idling down) and, of course, the loudness. I already have another exhaust, so it may be time to put it back on.

Unfortunately the smallie is out of commission for a couple of weeks. We're out of town this weekend for a wedding, and then Aaron is out of town for training next week. Oh well - at least I have two other bikes to ride!

This Monday should be better.

2011-10-10T09:51:00.000-04:00

After running the Towpath Half-Marathon yesterday, today should be better. I ran it in 2:14:09 - 5-ish minutes faster than the first time! I carbed up two to three days beforehand, and it really works. I was pretty consistent and ended up with a 10:14 pace. Compared to my official results from the last one, that's 26 seconds faster (although according to my Garmin, it was 9 seconds faster, I think).

ANYHOW, I'm all riding along all happy-like, if a little stiff, when the smallframe decides to be a whore. I rode it Friday, and all was well. There was one point where I felt like it didn't idle down quickly enough, but after that, no issues, so I thought it was an anomaly or user error (like the throttle wasn't closed).

I don't think it was an anomaly.

This morning, it did it and it wasn't idling down regardless of blipping the throttle, clutching, etc. So I turned it off and pulled off to the side of the road. I restarted it, and it was idling high and loud. I thought maybe it'd go away so I went about another block - and it just kept getting louder. It sounded kind of like metal-on-metal. I actually checked to make sure the engine door and the exhaust were still on the bike because it was so loud.

I was sitting on the bike, trying to decide who to call first (my ride to work or Aaron) when two guys from the staffing place behind the gas station walked by. The one dude said it sounded like my chain broke. Whatever, but that is kind of what it sounded like. He has a 50-cc scooter and was empathetic to my situation. He said I could park it at his office, and if I needed to park it overnight, he'd lock it up for me. Luckily, Aaron is going to go home at lunch, get the Subaru and trailer, and meet me there so we can take it home.

ET3's new basket

2011-10-07T16:34:00.001-04:00

ET3's new basket
Originally uploaded by adrienna
I finally got the smallie out today! I went back and forth on it because today was our sales meeting, but in the end, I decided the sales team didn't really give a shit if I wore jeans to the meeting. It's been forever - since Bull City, maybe?

I got the basket a while back and then had it powder-coated because I love powder-coating everything. As much as I liked having the glovebox, I think the basket might be more useful because it can fit more. The glovebox is pretty small. The only downside is where do I put my gloves? I don't really just want to leave them out for the world to see. Today, they went under the seat while I was in my meeting. I felt a little weird leaving the oil exposed, but I'll get used to it. It's not like I ever locked the glovebox (or *could* lock it - no key).

There was a little concern that the basket would get in the way, but not at all. What did get in the way was the loose mirror (you can see it's angled wrong). I didn't have a wrench with me, so I just had to keep physically moving it out of the way.

I love this silly little bike.

Time to rest and carb up!

2011-10-06T10:18:00.001-04:00

This morning was my last 3-miler before Sunday's half-marathon. It was rough, mostly because my thighs are killing me! On Tuesday, we did squats at GOTR, and apparently I am really not doing enough squats. My thighs STILL hurt today. Badly.

As I've gone on and on about, I am nervous about this weekend. I am trying to prepare for it as far as hydrating, carbing, resting, etc., go. (I'm not 100% as far as my cold goes, but I pretty much knocked out that sucker in a day or two.) Too bad my mileage isn't back up. I hope I haven't lost my endurance since I already feel like I've lost any ability to move quickly.

I did realize this morning that my last few runs have been at Sand Run or in the neighborhood, and both locations are tougher than where the half-marathon is. I think that can work in my favor.

And it looks like the weather is going to cooperate nicely! I need to figure out what I'm wearing and carrying. I hate to carry water, but I need to ensure that there are enough water stops.

In other news, Steve Jobs died. Yes, it's sad, but c'mon, people. At least his family is financially supported following his death; many other people died yesterday whose families are not left well-off. Plus, his achievements - while awesome - are mostly materialistic. In any case, I just can't get that worked up about someone I don't know passing away. BTW, I do like my iPods and my iPad, and I very likely will get an iPhone in the next year or so. I'm not anti-Apple products at all. I am anti-hype, though. (I'm a terrible marketing professional because I strongly believe in substance over style... while still appreciating the cute.)

Review: Brave Girl Eating

2011-10-05T09:22:00.001-04:00

Brave Girl Eating by Harriet Brown

My rating: 0 of 5 stars

I can't be sure if it was the book or me, but I just wasn't into it. Another redundant memoir, perhaps? Maybe I'm (finally) over the genre, at least for a little bit.

View all my reviews

Crazy

2011-10-05T08:44:00.000-04:00

Last night, the girls were quite rambunctious! I can't say that I blame them. After all the rain and cold weather we've been having, this new sunshine is quite exciting. Despite my cold, I had to take advantage of it and get in a 3-mile run last night after GOTR (I was jealous that they were running, but I was teaching and doing lap-counting, so I didn't get to!).

The 3-mile run was tough, unfortunately. My breathing wasn't very good, and I had trouble finding my rhythm. Let's hope tonight's 3-miler - the last before the Towpath half - goes a little more comfortably.

I am feeling better. I slept much better last night (two beers and Nyquil probably helped), and I feel pretty good this morning. Aaron and I had coffee at Nervous Dog before work (rode the Triumph for the first time in a month!), so now I'm drinking a little OJ and lots of water. So glad to be on the upswing!

Yuengling fans rejoice; beer enters Ohio markets

2011-10-04T12:09:00.000-04:00

Yuengling fans rejoice; beer enters Ohio markets: The beer has a major cult-like following, and there are plenty of stories about Ohioans making special trips to Pennsylvania to stock up. Its arrival has elicited comparisons to Coors, which for years wasn’t sold on the East Coast.

And like Coors, it's not very good beer. At best, it's session beer. It's good when it's $2 or $3 a pint - and isn't worth more than that.

Instead of Yuengling galore, I'd love to see more Ohio beers like Rockmill Brewing in the grocery store (for Belgian-style beer made in Ohio, it's pretty damn good), and I'm looking forward to seeing Fat Head's in the store. And Hoppin' Frog, please do kegs, growlers and 12-ounce bottles someday soon.

But it's true: Yuengling is better than Coors Light, Bud Light or Miller Lite.

Why???

2011-10-04T08:21:00.002-04:00

I'm sick. Makes me cranky. I can't take off today either.

Taper Week

2011-10-03T12:30:00.000-04:00

They call this taper week, but since my mileage never really ramped back up, it's called the first week of October where I only run two or three times in preparation for Sunday's 13.1 miles.

I fear a cold is trying to take up residence, so this week will be all about hydrating and sleeping and Vitamin C. Hope those GOTR girls keep their germs to themselves this week!

I was going to go to the gym at lunch today, but I decided to take the week off from weights. Hopefully my strained? arm will be healed by next week. It probably doesn't help that I've been sleeping on it a lot - it's gotten cold, so Dallas wants to spoon.

It's lonely in my little world at work. One person doesn't regularly work in the office and won't be in at all this week, and the other two are out all week. While that should be good for productivity, too much silence gets to me and begins to distract me.

October Goals

2011-10-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

Simply put, I have been relatively consistent with my running goals, but everything else - particularly strength-training and yoga - have fallen by the wayside. No more!

I start off the month preparing for the Towpath Half on the 9th. Then it's time to refocus. I want to work on speed and hills so I will be better-prepared for the Thanksgiving 4-miler. I also really, really need to get back into yoga and strength-training. Let's aim for:

Running: 20-22 miles/week
Yoga: 1x/week
Strength-training: 2x/week

That's a big jump from what I have been doing. Plus, I strained my right shoulder in late August or early September, and it's STILL tender. I was still doing weights and push-ups on it, which - of course - didn't help the healing. I suppose I'll take it easy on the strength until after the half - it should be fully healed by then.

Yoga is tricky, though. Because of GOTR, I'll be missing my regular class until after Thanksgiving. There are Sunday classes - one even by my favorite instructor (should I say yogi?) - but I am not good at making it to the gym on the weekends. Guess I just need to decide what's really important to me. Another conflict is that I often do long runs on Sundays.

I could also cough up the cash and go to a real yoga studio. But I'd rather spend that money elsewhere (I could use personal training sessions, running coaching, etc.).

I'm really looking forward to continuing my little running journey - I just hope I don't get injured!

Jogging vs. Running

2011-10-02T14:09:00.000-04:00

Jogging versus running is a testy topic. I've read things that say if you're not a professional, you're not a runner. If you run at a certain speed, you're not a runner.

STFU. (I don't normally use initialisms, but my daddy sometimes reads. Although I'm sure he knows my language isn't always pure, I don't need to make it blazeningly obvious, right?)

If you run, you're a runner. If you take it seriously, you're a runner. It doesn't matter if you get paid for it or how fast you are.

Simply put: I think people who say I'm "jogging" and not running are trying to disparage me. I find it interesting that it's usually non-runners who try to differentiate between the two.

I don't need others to make me feel bad about myself - I do that well-enough on my own, thankyouverymuch.

Endurance

2011-10-01T11:00:00.000-04:00

I've been all about endurance this summer! Let's see...

I learned to run longer distances.
I rode the smallframe from DC to Wildwood, NJ via backroads.
I took two trips on the Triumph.
I rode the Stella to Columbus via backroads.

How nice that all three of my bikes got to go on longer trips.

But still no marathon or Iron Butts in my future!

September

2011-09-30T09:00:00.003-04:00

Not much to say about September. Between tapering for and recovering from the River Run Half-Marathon, I haven't run as much. Isn't it crazy that 68 miles isn't as much? I was pretty consistent, though - three runs per week. I'll try not to complain about the fact that I'm making progress!

Wednesday night, we did the 6 miles at Sand Run. I had about a 10:30 pace (no Garmin, so I had to use my watch - that also means there was no stopping time for lights or water, so in a way, it's more accurate). The first time I did the full 6 miles at Sand Run was President's Day. It was snow-covered and cold, and I did it with a 12:12 pace. Shoot, when I last did the 6 at Sand Run, it was June and with a 10:53 pace. Definite progress.

I'll start October off with a taper of sorts after Sunday's sort-of long run (8-9 miles). I'll run twice next week, and then I'll do the Towpath Half. Afterward, I'll start adding in more speed work (more? who am I kidding?). I'm sick of just covering the distance and having every run feel clunky. If I'm going to be slow, I should go farther, and I have no interest in doing more than a half-marathon.

In any case, I have a goal for Thanksgiving's four-mile Home Run for the Homeless: under 40 minutes. Last year I did it in 43-something, so I should be able to hit my goal, right? I'm thinking a general schedule of three to four runs per week - 4, 6, 4, long. Maybe one of those 4s will be the hills workout I need to conquer those hills in the race.

Review: Madness: A Bipolar Life

2011-09-27T14:52:00.003-04:00

Madness: A Bipolar Life by Marya Hornbacher

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Book got old. Writing got redundant. An essay on the subject would have been better.

View all my reviews

Garmin

2011-09-27T13:32:00.001-04:00

My Garmin, less than a year old, is acting wonky. I used it this morning, uploaded to DailyMile, and then plugged it into the wall outlet. Wasn't charging. Tried other outlets. Tried the computer again. Nothing. Then I tried to turn it on - won't come on.

I'm holding off replacing it - but I cannot live without it! - and hoping that it's miraculously fixed when I get home after GOTR tonight (it's plugged in now). It's been a little weird lately - the battery completely discharging and some strange screens when I first try to turn it on - but I couldn't be sure it wasn't my fault. Now I'm afraid.

There are benefits to buying a new one (it'd be my third). The prices are cheaper, and I can get something smaller with more features (not that I really need them). But I was hoping to give this one to Aaron when I upgrade.

And there's the whole issue that it should last longer than a year. It should be under warranty, so I should look into that. Is it bad that I fear being without it while it's being repaired or whatever? I'd probably buy a new one and give the repaired one to Aaron. I am pathetic.

The Ride Down...

2011-09-26T18:30:00.000-04:00

Oh, Friday, why were you so filled with rain? I got up early with the intention of running 8 to 10 miles. I ended up with 8, thanks to the rain and my lack of willpower. I was slow and cranky - and thinking ahead to the 120-mile ride down to Columbus on the Stella.

I got home where I prepared some chocolate milk and an ice bath (not really necessary for only 8 miles, but I thought it might be helpful since I was going to be stuck on a scooter for 4+ hours). Then I showered, packed my stuff for Aaron transport down, loaded up the scooter. I was probably on the road by 11:45 - unfortunately I got lost in Akron (don't ask) where I wasted a good 20 minutes between getting turned around and dealing with lunchtime traffic.

It was cold and rainy. Close to 2, I made it to Loudonville where I found a McDonald's. I ran my now-white hands under hot water for 10 minutes before they started tingling again. I hadn't eaten since my Balance Bar before my run, so I blissfully ordered some chicken strips (and then a latte to warm up from the inside) and hung out for 20-30 minutes before getting on my way again (in warmer gloves).

BTW, my gear - aside from gloves - is AWESOME. I wore my Alpinestars Stella Lux textile jacket, my Olympia Mustang riding pants and Sidi books and kept completely dry without a rain suit.

Also, I love the Alpinestars jackets so much that I am going to try their gloves. My Olympia gloves are not warm enough (and honestly, they're not that well-made), and my Shift short-cuff, warm weather gloves are falling apart after only one season. My mid-weight Joe Rocket gauntlets are good though - just not warm enough (as evidenced by Friday's white hands).

The route was okay - two detours and a stint on a divided highway around Wooster. I knew about the highway; I just didn't feel like figuring out how to avoid it. I knew it wouldn't be long, so I just went with it. When I rode the Stella to Columbus a few years ago, I ended up on the highway then too (for a shorter time, though), and it was far more nerve-racking then. I'm a way more experienced rider now (though I still make mistakes - keep reading.

Detour one was short and easy, and I quickly ended up in Wooster. I didn't really believe the detour signs for the second detour. I was following Route 3, and the signs were for 36 (should have consulted the map, huh?); they're still the same road where the bridge was out, so at the last minute, I had to come up with my own detour. I had a map and the GPS, so I wasn't worried. I got to Old Route 3, which hooked up with the current one - only problem is that I didn't know which way was south. Funny how they met perpendicularly. Anyhow, I pulled over to consult the map again. As I was putting the bike in neutral, the back tire slid in in the mud on the side of the road - and I dropped the Stella.

SO, SO BUMMED. 20 miles from Caitlin's shop and I f%@& up. Not a huge deal, I know, but still makes me sad.

PRD

2011-09-26T12:30:00.000-04:00

Currently in the midst of post-rally depression. This one is worse because it my club's rally and it's the last rally for 2011.

But it was fun - so fun that I hardly took any pictures, but Stephanie and Tim (and others) did:

Cutters!

Aaron and I showing our Warriors/Cutters colors

Cutters, from the front

Jay and I dancing, likely to Pat Benatar

And yes, there were red fishnets.

Thursday

2011-09-22T14:16:00.000-04:00

Ahhhh... it's almost the weekend - and time for Scoot-a-Que - but I have so much to do before rallying time. But at least it's good stuff.

I'm in the office until 4ish when I head out to coach Girls on the Run. I hope I remember their names! I hope they like my Hello Kitty on a scooter shirt. Wonder how many of them will notice the scooter in the parking lot. Afterward, I'll head home for dinner and miscellaneous tasks, including cutting off shorts and laundry. Oh, and I need to get ice!

But I have to get up EARLY tomorrow morning for this week's long run. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet, but I'm considering getting up with Aaron and running 5 with him in the neighborhood and then doing another 5 without him. 10 miles in the neighborhood feels really repetitive, but it'll save me time. Afterward, I think an ice bath is most definitely called for - running 10 miles and then riding down to Columbus could be stiffening to my body. (That sounds dirty, huh?)

I also need to pack my clothes and toiletries for the weekend, so Aaron can bring those down. I'll only bring down Friday night clothing (probably wear riding pants for the trip down). The route is pretty easy - in fact, it's already memorized (261W to 94S to 585W to 3S, right on Hudson, left on Summit) - but the weather forecast is ominous. 65% chance of rain, pretty much the entire way down. Oh well, I'll survive.

Yes, this post is really just my to-do list. Sorry.

Cutters!

2011-09-21T18:30:00.000-04:00

This weekend is the Columbus Cutters annual rally, Scoot-a-Que. I'm now a Cutter (even though I live in Akron), so it's my rally too.

Being a remote Cutter means I haven't been able to help out for the rally, so it's important to me to get down there early on Friday so I can help set up, handle registrations, etc. That also means I have to take off Friday. No big, but unfortunately Aaron can't get the day off.

So I'm riding down, via backroads, on my own. Not a huge deal, but I think it makes Aaron nervous. Me too. It's still up in the air as to which bike I'll ride, but I'm leaning toward the Stella - it's the best for such things (larger gas tank, 66 mpg, 55 mph, storage, disk brake).

The only issue is that it tends to run a little lean (ordered a new main jet, but it's not here yet; richened up the mixture a bit in the meantime) and that it has new, non-broken-in tires. But I'll hit 10k on the trip! Excited about that.

A little more relaxed.

2011-09-21T13:08:00.001-04:00

I feel a little less stressed out today than I did last night. I think the fatigue I'm feeling might be overwhelming the stress, but whatever.

I don't know why I'm so tired. It's not like I'm training that much. It's annoying.

Perhaps 15 3rd- to 5th-grade girls are part of it! Last night was my first session with Girls on the Run. It was fun, and I think I'm really going to enjoy it - but it does stress me a little. What if they don't like me? What if they don't listen to me? What if I forget their names? We'll get through it together.

Tonight, I'm hoping the weather cooperates and that I can get in an easy run with Aaron and a friend. I did a tempo run Monday, so no need to really go all-out on speed or anything, especially with a long run on Friday morning. I'm still not sure how far I should go - I might just wing it. I hope I don't wimp out, though.

I'm still nervous about my prep for the Towpath half-marathon. I would be devastated if my time is worse than it was for the River Run. DEVASTATED. I'm following my plan mostly, but the plan isn't exactly what I would prefer to do - just seemed best to take it easy last week and to taper beforehand ('cause tapering seemed to work for the River Run).

I'm still figuring out all this running stuff.

Nerves

2011-09-20T22:53:00.000-04:00

I am nervous. Nervous that I'll ...

Be a sub-par GOTR coach
Not finish my work this week
Perform poorly in the Towpath half
Run into trouble on my ride to Columbus on Friday
Have a shitty long run on Friday

I don't like being nervous.

My boyfriend rules Italian steel.

2011-09-19T12:30:00.002-04:00

We headed to our friends' house over the weekend. The intent was for Aaron to help get the lights working on our friend's bike. Mission - and more - accomplished!

We got there kind of late on Friday, and Matthew was messing around with his fancy, Italian espresso machine.

A little teamwork by the boys, and all was good. Italian Steel: 0, Boys: 1.

After a few beers, we went to bed. Ali and I had a run scheduled. Up early to run 4 miles and back to the house for breakfast. Matthew made homemade biscuits (and sausage gravy!), Ali made eggs, and then bellies were full.

Then it was time for some work. By other people - all I did was let Ali cut my hair (which was awesome - love having a friend take care of this mess!) while the boys worked on her Lambretta. We perused a crafts fair (mostly ugh) and then came home to a lit Lammie! Italian Steel: 0, Boys: 2!

Once the boys completed their work, it was time to head to Athens for dinner. After dinner, Matthew bought Aaron a pizza (which actually ended up as breakfast yesterday).

Then we headed home where we watched Dallas win, so super-yay! (It was a touchy game and hopefully helped prove that Dallas - and Romo - can persevere. We'll see.)

Happy birthday, Dallas!

2011-09-19T08:29:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, Dallas celebrated a milestone: her 16th birthday. I couldn't be more proud - she apparently did nothing wrong over the weekend. Well, I suppose she probably threw up a meal or two, but Winston was there to clean it up.

In any case, I am so lucky to have her. She's a great, loving, sweet cat - even if she overeats.

Back to Training

2011-09-16T09:50:00.000-04:00

Since Sunday's half-marathon, I've only run once (3.25 miles). I suppose I could argue that I needed the break, but I have another half on Oct. 9, so I hate to take the time off. I've been exhausted this week - despite getting more sleep than normal. Guess the race - and the nerves surrounding it? - took a lot out of me!

But now it's time to get back at it. Tomorrow will be 4 or 5 miles with Aaron and Ali, and next week will be back to normally scheduled programming.

It's needed. Aaron noted that I seemed depressed last night - and I felt a little down too. Yesterday was a long day at work where I was working on mostly tedious things. And I have some more tedious stuff to do today, but I *must* mix in some other, more important research and writing. And we're heading to Parkersburg for the weekend where Aaron will do bike work, I'll do some admin stuff for GOTR and we'll play with our friends.

Honestly, it makes me a little nervous that I won't be running 13 miles before the next half, but I'll get over it. I don't have much time, and I want to feel strong, not fatigued. I know I can do the distance, so I should be okay. September's just crazy. After running over 100 miles in August, I can't believe that it's midway through the month, and I'm only at 31.63 miles for the month.

I just read a blog post about doing long runs by time rather than by distance. I don't think I'm a strong enough runner to do that if I'm training in particular for something, but I'm interested in trying that after next month's half. Although I am not scheduling another half after Towpath (next half will probably be in May), I want to continue doing long runs on the weekend. Maybe doing a 90-minute or 2-hour run might be the way to go?

What I am doing after Towpath is creating a training plan to prepare me for the Thanksgiving 4-miler that I did last year. I did it in under 44 minutes last year, and I want to break 40 this year. It's a hilly course, but I think I can do it! I just need to train better for hills and for speed. Without focusing on building up distances, I should be able to get stronger and faster.

A side note: One could argue that I should be cross-training more, but I'm not really interested in doing another kind of cardio on a regular basis. Strength-training interests me, although I've strained my right shoulder, so I'm giving that a break until next week. I should ride my bicycle more though; maybe after Towpath, I'll feel like I have more time. Probably not. I'm not really a go-go-go person; I need my downtime.

First Run

2011-09-15T12:30:00.000-04:00

The first run is done! As I promised to friends, I took it easy. I ran on the Tallmadge Bike & Hike Trail, which is flat and soft - perfect for getting my legs back into running. And also good for trying out my new shoes.

The run: I started off sluggish, as expected, but I loosened up about 3/4 of a mile in. Then I just cruised. I didn't look at my watch, wasn't paying attention to time or pace. I never felt fast, which was a little worrisome when I thought five or six turkey vultures were going to attack me for getting near whatever dead thing they'd claimed as their own.

The shoes: Honestly, I didn't notice much with the shoes. They're lighter and less cushy than my Nikes, so there was a little concern that it would be more fatiguing for my muscles and tendons in my feet. On this easy run, I didn't notice anything - and I consider that a good thing!

All in all, I felt like I could have gone longer and harder (haha), which is how you're supposed to feel on an easy run. So go me! And although I would like to run tonight, I think I'll save myself for a 5-miler with Ali and Aaron this weekend.

New Shoes!

2011-09-14T08:05:00.002-04:00

new rims
Originally uploaded by adrienna
Aaron installed my new tires and newly powdercoated rims last night. I am so, so glad to not be running that shitty vintage tread anymore (new tires are Michelin, btw), but I'm really excited about the pretty, pretty red.

And a lot of that "chrome" you see? Prepare to say goodbye to it too!

Cincinnati-Style Chili

2011-09-14T06:00:00.025-04:00

I like chili - all kinds. Pork, vegetarian, beef, etc. And occasionally I want Cincinnati-style chili. If you're unfamiliar, it's typically a thinner chili with a distinct cinnamon flavor, served over spaghetti (three-ways, four-ways, etc.) and on hot dogs (coneys). The chili was created by Greek descendants, which explains the unusual blend of spices. I usually go to Skyline, which satisfies any craving. I'm not from Cincinnati, so I'm not familiar with the nuances of the style.

That said, I wanted to make it, and the internet was both helpful and overwhelming - tons of recipes, theories and debates about what's right. And the grocery store was completely unhelpful! No spice packet so I could shortcut it, and no allspice.

I researched ingredients and methods. Some recipes are super-spicy (not hot spicy, just a more complex blend of spices like coriander, allspice and cloves). Some saute onions and garlic. Some saute the beef. Some use diced tomatoes. But Cincinnati-style chili is not hot; the cayenne is there to bring out the flavors and add some depth - not to make you sweat! It pained me not to add a jalapeno, but I was aiming for traditional here.

I took what seemed most traditional and went with it. My recipe turned out really tasty, so I thought I'd share it, along with what I'll do differently next time.

Cincinnati-Style Chili

1 pound-ish of ground beef - mine was 90% lean organic and I'd totally recommend it
½ can of tomato juice (the biggie - 1 quart, 14 ounces, I think)
2 cups of water (estimate - this will depend on how thin/thick you want your sauce)
½ can of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 tablespoon of chili powder
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of cayenne

In a large pot, mix tomato juice, water and tomato paste. Heat and add the beef, breaking it up as much as possible. Braise the beef until it's cooked through. While it's cooking, put together your spice mixture. Add more water if necessary. Add Worcestershire sauce and the spice mixture. Simmer as long as possible. If you can serve it the next day, it'll be even better. And if you use less-lean meat, refrigerating overnight will make it easy to remove the extra fat. With 90% lean, though, I don't feel there's any need.

Mine simmered about 2.5 hours, and it was fine. I served it with drained and rinsed red kidney beans, diced onions (for Aaron; I think raw onion is gross) and shredded cheddar cheese. Oh, and oyster crackers! I don't know why, but they're traditionally served and I like the crunch. Don't forget the hot sauce. Typically a thinner hot sauce is served. I used Tapatio and Aaron used Sriracha (which I think is too thick for this application, but I'm also sure it was delicious).

So I ate a four-way with beans (spaghetti, sauce, cheese, beans), and Aaron ate a five-way (spaghetti, sauce, cheese, beans, onions).

I really think braising the beef instead of sauteing it is key - and doing it in a blend of tomato juice and water is really nice. I suppose you could use broth instead of water, but I don't think I will. For the traditional style, I'd also stick with powdered garlic and onion - it's supposed to be a meat sauce, and I wouldn't mess with that texture.

Next time I will definitely add a half of a teaspoon of allspice and a half of a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder - I think it'll make the flavor more complex and interesting. And maybe a touch more cinnamon, although mine is probably old, so if you're using newer cinnamon, a teaspoon is probably good. And I might shred my own cheese next time - a nice blend of sharp cheddar and colby would be tasty. Other than that, I think it's good!

River Run Recap

2011-09-13T18:30:00.000-04:00

I had all these grand goals of treating my body well - good food, lots of sleep, not too much beer. I kind of failed:

Wednesday night: four pints of Oktoberfest, burger & fries for dinner
Thursday: Aaron and I split two pitchers of beer, and I ate pizza & wings for dinner
Friday: BBQ for dinner followed by two beers out and then splitting a 150ml of Rare Vos at home

And not nearly enough sleep!

Saturday's food choices were better, at least: grilled chicken salad for lunch, one latte and no caffeine after that, spaghetti (no meat) for dinner with one beer. I think I was asleep by 11 or 11:30 and then up around 5.

Before I went to sleep, I had gathered everything I needed for the race - Power Bar for breakfast, clothing, gels, Spi Belt, iPod, Garmin, hat, etc. - so I didn't need to do much in the morning aside from wash my face, put in my contacts, brush my teeth and get dressed. I ate most of the Power Bar before the race, but I have trouble eating an entire one for some reason. The dishrag texture doesn't help, I guess.

We arrived at Rocky River High School around 6:30, which gave us time to pin on our bibs and get to the bus for transportation to the starting line. The River Run is a point-to-point race, and the high school is nearer to the finish line. It took FOREVER to get to the starting line, and we both had to pee. Aaron eventually took advantage of being a man and peed outside, but I still had to wait for the Port-o-Potty.

While waiting for the restroom, I saw our friends from Pittsburgh, so it was nice to see them prior to the race. Once I was done, it was almost time for the race to start. We found our running group and started with them.

I felt good. The first 6 or 7 miles went well. I ran with one of the coaches. She took a bathroom break at mile 6 and ran the rest of the way with another girl in the group - that meant I was on my own for the second half of the race. Honestly, I kind of needed someone because I started fading. The second half - especially the last quarter - was tough. I kept moving forward, only walking through water stops. I did a gel at 5, Gatorade at 8, and another gel at 11. Aid stations were every two miles, which was awesome and I definitely took advantage of them.

I remember at mile 10 seeing that I was at 1:45. I was so excited knowing that I could do 12-minute miles for the rest of the way and get to my 2:30 goal. I had pretty much stopped looking at my watch by that point because my pace was depressing me. I'd held a 10-minute pace during the first half, and watching it slip was too hard. I actually held fairly steady and finished with 2:19:45!

Under 2:20! Officially I had a 10:40 pace, but the course, of course, was a little long. According to my Garmin, I had a 10:30 pace. Who cares?! I finished in under (barely) 2:20, and I got this:

Towpath Half-Marathon

2011-09-13T09:25:00.001-04:00

I don't have much time to rest before my next half-marathon. A friend is doing his first, and Aaron and I told him that we'd do it with him. Unfortunately for me, the date is Oct. 9, which doesn't leave me much time to recover and train for PR. (And that date also interferes with scootering activity, but this running thing is clearly pretty important to me.)

(I'd love finish the Towpath Half at 2:15, but it doesn't seem likely that I'll be able to PR so soon.)

That said, I've put together a little training plan that I hope will help me complete the Towpath successfully. And I'm really trying to believe that "successfully" doesn't mean beating my time on the River Run half.

Click for better detail, although I wouldn't recommend that anyone follow my training plans!

So you can see my plan for this week - just two easy runs (in my new shoes!). I figure I'll work it hard next week and the week after and then taper prior to the half.

I've also cut back on the strength-training because I somehow strained my right shoulder. I did it a while ago, but I haven't really given it a chance to heal. Let's put it this way: I did pushups last Wednesday, and my arm is still sore - that's from more than pushups.

And you know what, I'll get that River Run recap up tonight! It's not like I'm really all that descriptive about it anyhow. I came, I ran, I drank beer and ate biscuits and gravy.

ETA: Here's the plan that Smart Coach from Runner's World came up for me:

I'm thinking I'll follow it, starting next week. This week, simply put, just has to be easy.

Little Sumpin' Wild

2011-09-12T12:30:00.000-04:00

OMG, I ran a half-marathon yesterday! In under 2:20 (just barely, of course). Recap coming later because I have work to do and because I'd like to give it a little more thought than usual.

And I'm still evaluating the aftermath :)

In the meantime, enjoy this crappy cell phone picture of a delicious beer: the Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Wild, which is a Belgian-style strong ale first enjoyed at Lockview and then at home after procuring our own six-pack from 101 Bottles.

BTW, the reviews of 101 Bottles are interesting. I've never once felt the staff was condescending; mostly they've been really helpful or pretty clueless... but maybe I'm a beer snob these days? Nah, I drank Sam Adams Oktoberfest last night and Miller Lite last week.

New Shoes!

2011-09-09T16:30:00.001-04:00

I bought new shoes yesterday, and I'm super-excited to wear them. Unfortunately, I won't be wearing them until next week.

I bought the Women's ProGrid Mirage, which is kinda, sorta a minimalist shoe - so much less cushy than my Nike Vomeros.

They're really lightweight (and snazzy, which just makes me happy), but they will not be for longer runs yet. Because they're less cushy, tendons and muscles in my feet that don't normally work will be working - so they'll be a great training tool. And as I get stronger, maybe I'll want to use them all the time. In the meantime, my Nikes have some life left and will be used for longer runs. When they're done, I'll probably buy the Mizuno Waves - those felt like running on clouds!

A Dolores O'Riordan album?

2011-09-09T12:30:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Borders and its 70-80%, I now own No Baggage by Dolores O'Riordan.

I didn't even know she had a solo career, and this is the second album. It was released in 2009.

As a proud 90s girl, I couldn't NOT buy this thing, especially for less than $5. I haven't listened to it yet, although I am not super-optimistic about it. Seems like I would have heard about it if it were really good, but who knows? I listen to NFL Radio or my iPod.

Bull City Rumble

2011-09-08T11:05:00.001-04:00

We are back from the Bull City Rumble (and back to real life - working and training), but let us remember the fantastic weekend!

When we arrived in Durham on Friday, we immediately got to celebrating Dr. G*! While there was some High Life, the spotlight was on the champagne.

Then we ate some authentic Mexican food and headed out for night 1 of the Rumble. Those motorcycle people are much more "scheduled" than scooter people. The itinery was followed pretty closely throughout the weekend. We took it easy on Friday because we knew Saturday was going to be a long day.

Aaron, Ali and I started the weekend with a run (GREAT decision, even if it wasn't the best run in the world). We witnessed a car accident (lots of auto damage, but luckily the people were basically okay). Aaron and I got in 8 miles and then headed back to Margaret's house to get ready for the bike show.

Once we got there, we quickly found some food (lunch at Parker and Otis). Before shopping for vintage clothing (no luck for me, unfortunately), I took some pictures.

Click it to see more pictures - there were some beautiful bikes.

And we saw a V7, which is likely to join my stable one day.

There were a couple of Speed Triples and one Street Triple, but no Speed Fours. Guess the streetfighters stayed home.

Afterward, we headed home to get ready for Saturday night. Vietnamese for dinner, and then we were off. We largely missed the bands and burlesque - too busy socializing, which is also why I have hardly any pictures. But I do have this pretty one:

And lots of Pippin!

Sunday was spent hanging out, riding, eating Thai and just generally enjoying Durham. I love it there.

Dressing like a grown-up

2011-09-07T15:13:00.002-04:00

Dressing like a grown-up
Originally uploaded by adrienna
The best thing about conferences is wearing my cute stuff. I love this dress and these shoes, and I don't wear either very often (though the shoes get more use).

I should get the dress shortened a bit though.

All right, back to the learnin'.

Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power

2011-09-07T07:49:00.002-04:00

As part of my conference, we had an opening reception last night at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (I did this after running 4 miles on the treadmill at the gym - go me!)

Always a favorite spot of mine, the Rock Hall is a great place for my introverted self. I did my best to chat while drinking my Great Lakes Burning River and eating a snack. I also came back hungry - or at least unsatisfied. Anyhow...

My favorite exhibit was the Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power. I could have spent even more time watching the interviews and the performances. The focus on the history was great (Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Wanda Jackson, etc.), but the newer artists profiled - like Gaga or Britney - just don't do much for me. When the artist is more about style or image than substances, I get bored and annoyed. Gaga apparently is a great piano player; too bad she thinks she can't make it without being shocking (also, too often her outfits are clearly derivative).

Now it's time for my first full day of the conference.

2011-09-06T10:30:00.000-04:00

This weekend was awesome, but I don't have time to recap right now. Just know that mods and rockers can hang out peacefully.

This week: marketing conference, tapering, Girls on the Run prep. Sunday is my first half-marathon, and my second half is next month!

August!

2011-09-01T12:30:00.001-04:00

Average Temp: not sure, cooler than July
Miles run: 104.5 (16 runs, 6.53 miles per run)
Runs missed: 2
Highest mileage week: 28.5 (last week)
Other workouts: 8
Yoga: 1.25 hours
Average pace: 11:00 (10 seconds faster than last month!)
Races: 1 - Race for Maggie's Place 9k (10:26 pace)

August is over, and I've ended with 104.5 miles running! Amazing. My speed increased a little, and I had a 5-mile run with a pace of under 10-minute per mile (overall, my shorter runs are getting more consistently under 10:30). Unfortunately, my other stats aren't quite so nice: exactly one yoga session and six strength workouts. Oh well, it's a new month, one that I've started off with a pre-work strength-training session. I considered running this morning, but after running two days in a row, I figured it's better to give myself a break.

But I hate that I won't have a run in September until Saturday! September's mileage won't be as great since I'll be tapering for the half (luckily the taper is the same time as my conference).

The half-marathon is coming up quickly - 10 days! Then I'll need to make a training program for the Towpath Half-Marathon (we're not 100% sure that we're doing that, though). I'll probably just repeat August. Then what, I don't know. I don't want to lose my endurance because it was so hard to get here.

Long weekend coming up!

2011-08-31T17:30:00.001-04:00

Big fun weekend coming up! And I somehow have to fit in 8 miles. During a rally. I am nuts.

Last night's run wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. Can I really still be tired from this weekend's running? I just want to lie on my back with my legs up in the air (no dirty thoughts, please!), but I can't right now. And I have to run 6 miles tonight after work. And I'm thinking about how I can work out tomorrow - not ready to commit to any plans though.

I also still have to figure out how I can become a mod for the weekend.

source: Honolulu Magazine

The Walking Dilemma

2011-08-31T07:00:00.001-04:00

When I go for a run, I don't walk during it - even when I suspect walking for 30 seconds would result in a faster overall time. For example, I don't walk up hills, even when they're really hard. (During races, I will walk through water stops because otherwise, they're useless to me. I cannot run and drink water.)

But I wonder why I am this way. I have my theories: I'm afraid one walking break will lead to another. I'm afraid of huring my endurance. I'm afraid of not getting enough experience running in tough conditions.

Confession: When people ask me, "You run the entire time?" I like saying, "Yes." Responding with an "I walked about minute in there" just isn't the same. (But, but, but. Those people asking such questions aren't walking or running anyhow, so really, I should be all "Shut the F up. What are YOU doing?!" I've never had a runner say to me, "Do you really run for 2 hours?" Never.)

A couple of weeks ago, during our group run, one of the girls walked a few times because of a hurt knee. I didn't walk at all. She completed the run before I did. Normally, she and I are similarly paced - or I'm faster. This was the first (and only, so far) time she finished before me. It makes me wonder about how she was so speedy between the walking breaks. I didn't have a particularly bad run that day either. Makes me wonder about those walking breaks...

I read a lot of blogs, and most are pro-walking when you need to. One even has walking breaks still built in even though she's running super-long distances now (and I'm sure she doesn't *need* to walk every 10 minutes). But the blog that sticks out is the girl who is fast, but was walking up hills. Then she started running with a new group and found that she was doing herself a disservice by walking up those hills - she wasn't getting used to it.

How do you know when you *need* to walk versus when you're just feeling lazy or tired and *want* to walk? I don't want to want to walk.

So I don't walk. I run so damn slow sometimes, but I don't walk. To work on speed and consistency, I'm trying to use my watch more. (I've actually been praised for my consistency, but I fear it's often laziness - it's hard to push yourself.) On shorter runs, I don't want to see 11-minute miles at all, and for the longer ones, it's 12 I'm avoiding. I used to be afraid to look at my watch because I thought it would be de-motivating, but now I know, if I'm going to get better, I have to push myself more.

Juice Beauty

2011-08-30T16:30:00.001-04:00

Ever go through those stages where you feel like you're spending money like crazy? I'm in one.

I get a good promo code for a t-shirt from VaVaVroom, so I have to buy one. And I ended up screwing that up. First, the website wasn't updated so the shirt I wanted was actually out of stock. Instead of taking that as a sign to cancel the order, I ordered a replacement. It was cute - but too big. Of course, I'd already cut off the tags when I realized that. It just didn't seem worth it to ship it back. Thanks to the great promo code, it was only $15. I'm hoping it'll shrink, but you know how it goes - things you want to shrink never do.

Then it was mystery shirt day at Woot, so I got one of those. Then I had to buy some Triumph parts. And some scooter parts. And additional running gear (and I still need to buy new shoes before my discount at the running store expires). And race entry fees. A rally fees.

And skincare products. Juice Beauty has a great deal going on right now - free concealer with purchase! (Join their email list because they often have GREAT promotions.)

I started with the skincare line (am eagerly awaiting my cleansing milk, the blemish serum and the moisturizer that I ordered recently), and when they started carrying makeup, I was thrilled. And thus far, I love it. I've been using the foundation and have been eager to try the concealer - perfect opportunity! So I just placed an order for more foundation, the spot treatment and the freebies. Now I just have to wait.

And I think I also need a second job so I can pay for all this stuff!

Ice Baths

2011-08-29T19:30:00.004-04:00

Well, I did it - I had my first ice bath.

I've been reading about them , and so many people swear they are essential to recovery and remaining injury-free. Since I knew we had the 9k race on Saturday and 13 miles on Sunday, I thought this might be the perfect week.

After talking about ice baths with one of our running coaches, Aaron agreed.

Sunday's 13.1 miles were long and hard, but it's so nice to know that I can run a half-marathon (I've signed up - it's on!). On our way back to the house, we stopped and bought two bags of ice.

The plan was for Aaron to go first. He showers in the basement, but the upstairs bathroom has the better tub. So, the plan was for him to ice-bath first, then shower. While he showers, I'll ice-bath.

While Aaron was preparing the ice, I made us chocolate milk (for the recovery!). Then I heard the noises from upstairs. Eventually Aaron made it into the bath where he sat for 10-15 minutes while reading a magazine (he's wearing boxers!).

Then it was my turn. Sorry, no pictures. But lots of squealing until I finally settled in with my book.

The ice bath was both horrible and not that bad - and will likely become a common occurrence for long runs.

Weekly Recap

2011-08-29T12:36:00.013-04:00

It's Monday, so it's time to recap the last week in fitness:

Monday: weights
Tuesday: run 5 miles
Wednesday: run 5 miles
Thursday: weights and cross-training
Friday: rest
Saturday: run 9k
Sunday: run 13.1 miles

All in all, I ran about 28.5 miles last week - about 18.5 of that was on Saturday and Sunday. Which leads me to this week:

Monday: REST (much-much-needed)
Tuesday: run 4 miles, weights
Wednesday: run 6 miles
Thursday: weights, maybe a short run if there's time? This is a lunchtime workout so running then is difficult.
Friday: travel to rally
Saturday: rally, rally, rally
Sunday: run 8 miles (I hope - doing this will mean I am a runner!)

Yesterday's 13.1 miles were HARD after Saturday's race. It wasn't the best performance, but it does give me hope that I'll finish the half-marathon in 2:30.

I didn't push super-hard at Saturday's race (finished with under 10:30 miles so I'm happy with that). It was at the Cleveland Zoo, and it was kind of hilly. The hardest hill wasn't nearly as bad as everyone made it out to be. I didn't walk at all, so I'm happy with that. (Walking is something I want to write about, though.)

I have a busy week ahead of me, so the workouts are a little scattered. It's kind of a pre-taper week. After work on Thursday, we're heading down to Parkersburg for the night and then onto Durham Friday morning. It's almost time for the Bull City Rumble!

I will be taking the smallframe, but I won't be riding it this week - need to use the kickstarter as little as possible since we won't be able to change it before Durham. It's always something.

Have you lost weight?

2011-08-26T12:36:00.009-04:00

This question. It baffles me.

In the past year, I've lost about 10 pounds - nothing dramatic - but apparently it's starting to be a little noticeable. This is good, right? So why do I feel so offended when people ask me if I lost weight? I can't help but think, "how bad did I look before?"

In any case, with me, it's more weight shifting, maybe better muscle to fat distribution. And it's been a really slow (and steady? and sustainable? if I keep running 20+ miles per week - which isn't unreasonable) weight loss.

And, really, if I'm honest, I need to lose another 20 pounds (and aside from the running - which really isn't that helpful for weight loss - I'm not doing much to facilitate weight loss).

When I've noticed that someone has lost weight, I try not to compliment that vague aspect. "Losing weight" isn't necessarily a good thing anyhow. What if they've lost weight because they're sick or super-stressed or something? But I do try to compliment people regularly, but focus on something specific like how toned their arms are. (Or in the case of one weight-losing friend, encouraging her to buy clothes that fit!)

I don't know. It's hard. I never want to insult people, but I do like to applaud hard work. (So congratulations, self. You've been sticking with your half-marathon plan and have been increasing your endurance - and your speed is starting to follow suit.)

Oh, and I'm NEVER going to comment on a near-stranger's weight. I'm just not. That's weird. You don't know me - I could be going through something horrific that's causing me to lose weight. Thanks for bringing it up.

But mostly I'm being overly sensitive. I know that generally people mean well and have good intentions. So thank you for noticing the changes that are coming from my hard work. I hope I can keep it up.

Mid-Week

2011-08-25T16:58:00.001-04:00

Last night's run wasn't quite as good as Tuesday night's, but it was still good - my pace was under 10:30. Maybe there's hope for me yet.

Tonight is a little cross-training on the elliptical or bike followed by some lifting. Tomorrow's a rest day. Saturday is a 9k race, so Sunday's 13-miler will be more about finishing and feeling good than anything else.

Notice what's missing? Yeah, totally bonked on yoga this week. And the studio's closed next week, so I'm definitely going to have to explore home practice more.

In scooter-related news, I fear my kickstart lever on the smallie is bent. Aaron says the high compression is probably to blame. Not sure if the lever's bent or if it's the quadrant. Hopefully just the lever; Aaron shall investigate when I get home. (And let's all hope that I get home without having to push-start it because that could go really poorly.)

Chorizo-Stuffed Peppers

2011-08-24T15:30:00.001-04:00

What do you do when friends give you a bunch of peppers? You stuff 'em!

Ingredients:
5 links of locally produced turkey chorizo
4 Hungarian hot or sweet peppers (not sure)
1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
3 jalapenos
handful of parmesan
handful of bread crumbs
1 egg
black pepper (several grinds)
garlic (teaspoon or so, minced)

Directions:
Slice peppers in half, except for the jalapenos. Remove the seeds and the ribs. Hopefully the Hungarian peppers are not too curly. For the jalapenos, cut off the top and use a paring knife to remove the ribs and seeds from inside. (Afterthough: I could have added the seeds to the sausage mixture.)

Take the chorizo out of the casings. Add the parm, bread crumbs, egg, garlic and pepper; mix with your hands because it's stupid to use a spoon. Some fresh or dried herbs could be nice, but this chorizo is unknown to me so I didn't want to overseason.

(A smart cook would have taken a tiny bit of the chorizo and fried it up in the pan to test its seasonings. THEN that very smart cook would have make the stuffing and then tested it again. I am not smart, so I winged it.)

Get out a glass baking dish and lightly oil the bottom. Start stuffing the peppers. Make meatballs out of the leftover stuffing. I put plastic wrap over the dish and stored the peppers in the fridge for the next night's dinner.

When it's time to cook, preheat the over to 425 degrees. Then find yourself some tomato sauce (homemade is better, but not necessary; if I were making the sauce specifically for this dish, I would use a jalapeno in the sauce to make it spicy) and shredded cheese (a freshly shredded mix of mozz, provolone and parm/romano/asiago would be nice, but use whatever you have). Heat sauce in a pan (maybe add some crushed red pepper). Sprinkle cheese over peppers (a nice layer, like you would layer a pizza).

BTW, if I were doing this all in one night, I would add some sauce to the bottom of the baking dish, then layer the stuffed peppers, then add sauce on top, then the cheese, and then bake. But since I split this up, I would just bake them off with a spoonful of sauce on each pepper. I would serve a side of sauce at the table because a spoonful of sauce is never going to be enough for me! Also have extra sprinkle cheese and crushed red pepper.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes. You should be able to tell when it's about done. Remove foil and turn broiler for 5 or 10 minutes to brown the cheese. Mmmm... carmelized cheese.

Disclaimer: I am not a very good cook, and I just know what I like and what works for me. I take the easy way out A LOT. That said, I've seen recipes that call for cooking the sausage beforehand, but that's unnecessary (and results in overcooking the meat and/or undercooking the peppers). Copy recipe at your own risk!

And note to self: If I'm going to type up recipes, I should probably start measuring stuff.

Speedy progress?

2011-08-24T08:33:00.001-04:00

Oh my gosh, last night's run went well! I didn't think I felt all that good, but I just tried to keep my pace at just uncomfortable. Negative splits the whole way through, including my last mile at 9:07. It was really hard though. (If you'll notice, it says 50 - it was actually UNDER 50, as indicated by the pace. UNDER 50. Amazing.)

I feel pretty good. Iced both calves for good measure. I hope this is a good indication of how Saturday's 9k will go.

Wonder if tonight's 5 miles with the group (likely in the rain) will go as well. We'll see.

Beef Burgundy

2011-08-23T19:15:00.001-04:00

Last night, I was a cooking machine: beef burgundy (what I do isn't worthy of the name "beef bourguignon"), stuffed peppers, and banana bread. The banana bread was the only thing I used a recipe for, although I used butter instead of shortening and whole wheat flour instead of white all-purpose. I also used mini chocolate chips because that is the only size acceptable in bread. And the bread's good, so I declare that a winner.

But I have to say that the beef burgundy turned out well. I took a tip from Anne Burrell and marinated the beef (not as long as she suggests though; I am also sure her recipe results in a WAY better dish) and winged it from there:

Beef Burgundy

Step 1: Put a pound-ish (no clue how much was there) of stew meat into a bowl, add garlic, steak seasoning, extra black pepper, and cover with red wine (I used a shiraz that I opened recently to make pasta sauce). Let that hang out while you do other stuff around the house.

Step 2: Chop up some bacon and throw into a pot with black pepper. Cook until brown. Move to towel for draining.

Step 3: Take beef out of wine, reserve wine. Dry off beef with paper towels.

Step 4: Season about a cup of whole wheat flour with steak seasoning. Add beef.

Step 5: Heat up olive oil in the pot you cooked the bacon in. Brown beef in batches. This takes FOREVER, but is worth it to properly brown - and not steam by over-crowding the pot - the meat.

Step 6: Deglaze pan with reserved wine. Boil wine for a few minutes. Add more wine. Add a couple of glasses of water.

Step 7: Season wine/water mixture with a pinch of dried thyme, pinch of dried rosemary, a sprinkle of mesquite seasoning, more black pepper. Taste - it should be good. If it's a little too alcohol-y, add some more water.

Step 8: Add meat back to pan. Lower heat and allow it to thicken up.

Step 9: After it's pretty thick, remove meat and then strain the sauce. This is important - lots of flour ends up in the sauce and it's kind of icky. Put the beef, bacon and sauce back in the pot, along with a sprinkle of dried mustard (add some parsley while you're at it; I used the frozen cubes because that's what I had).

Step 10: Let beef burgundy (shiraz?) simmer while you boil up some egg noodles (al dente).

Serve beef over noods on a pretty plate if you're feeling fancy. I serve the sauce on the side. A sprinkle of fresh parsley would be great here, but I didn't have any. I served the dish with a size of roasted green beans tossed with olive oil and steak seasoning.

I should have taken a picture because it was actually picture-worthy. There weren't any leftovers because Aaron and I are piggies.

Mods vs. Rockers, Cleveland-style

2011-08-23T12:30:00.003-04:00

Year 2 for Cleveland's Mods vs. Rockers was a success, I'd say. Decent weather, great turnout, good events.

We, unfortunately, missed the ride. We had to run 11 miles beforehand, so getting up to POC by 11 am was impossible. In fact, getting to the Spitfire by 1 was also impossible. We got there after 3. By that time, a lot of people had left to do other Cleveland-y things (Happy Dog, vintage car show). That's okay - we stuck around for a few hours, looking at what was left, having our single beer, chatting with friends, and getting covered in rubber from burnouts.

There were a couple of cool bikes left, especially this hot tangerine Speed Four.

Speed Triple, DRZ, Speed Four:

Also loved this Ducati, although I suppose you could argue that the exhaust is quite wrong (too modern):

We also were able to present a friend with her very own "Just Let it Happen" shirt:

One thing that was nice about this year is that there were more scooters (vintage!) thanks to the Cutters and PVSC/the Pressure. Here are a few:

Recognize that kitty smallframe? The white Lambretta to its right, owned by a Pittsburgh scooterist who is also with the Pressure, won best vintage. Again.

And no trip to the Spitfire is complete without the Beerzooka. I wish I'd caught Wally's face better - he looks like he's beaming!

It's dark, but here's the Beerzooka in action:

After the Spitfire, we hung out with some friends before heading over to Now That's Class for the evening festivities. I took no pictures by that time, which is a shame because there was some funny, some cuteness and some silliness going on that night.