Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Wine Wednesday: 1000 Stories

1000 Stories Zinfandel
ABV: 15.2%
California

On the nose, you pick up dark fruit and higher alcohol. The first sip is filled with dark fruit - plumb, raspberry, black cherry. The middle of the wine is smooth, full bodied, and starts to dry out. The wine finishes with a slightly spicy, soft lingering finish. The bourbon barrel aging helps make this a full bodied Zinfandel. It would pair well with steak and/or cheese.


Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Beer of the Week: Steeped Emperor's Lemon Saison

Steeped Emperor's Lemon Saison
Moody Tongue Brewing Company
Chicago, IL

ABV: 6.3%


The initial appearance is golden/amber with a foamy white head. On the nose there is a citrus scent - particularly lemon. The first sip gives off a mild lemon taste and distinct tartness. The lemon carries throughout the beer as the tartness fades. On the finish, there is a hit of toasted nut or pepper/spice.

Overall this is a nice spin on a saison. It is an easy drinker, and could pair well with fish or pasta and white sauce.


Sunday, April 24, 2016

The Start of 2016

2016 has been quite an exciting year so far. I haven't updated this in a bit, so here is the rundown of early 2016.


The first event was the Herb Paraons Trail Half Marathon in Collierville, TN. We were on our way to New Orleans, so I figured I may as well find a race. I was happy to set the course record that day.

NOLA!

After race/vacation, I was back in IL for the F^3 Lakefront Half Marathon. I actually forgot that I wanted to race Miami or Austin, so I stayed local. I was thrilled to walk away with a new half marathon PR of 1:13:02...it may have only been a 3 second PR, but a PR is a PR!

From there, it was time to focus on the Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham, Alabama. I was thrilled to be able to lay down a big PR. It was 28 degrees in Birmingham on race day - luckily I had been training in cold weather. 

Shoutout to this crazy one for running around and letting me know the gap to different runners through the day. He covered 7 hilly miles of Birmingham running back and forth. Happy Valentines Day!

I had planned on running the USATF Road 50k National Championship on March 6, but recovery issues and a cold kept me out of the race. So, I went over to Ohio for the Buzzard Day 50k. I wanted to use it as a last long effort before American River. I ended up setting the course record on a sloppy, and fun course.

Buzzard Day was a great tune up for the American River 50 - Folsom to Auburn, CA. I mean, it's really not hard to convince me that a CA trip is needed. I ended up finishing 4th at American River, behind Chris Denucci, Chris Wehan, and Ian Sharman. I went to run an aggressive race, and was leading until mile 42...and then the wheels fell off. However, I have no regrets, and I'm definitely excited about future races.

We then got to see Seattle...

And, Vancouver...
 
And meet an Instagram friend..,

I finally made the decision to move "home base" back to IL, so I flew out west to get my stuff and drive it back. I drove from Las Vegas to Ottawa...solo, without stopping. 25:02. I can honestly say I will never do that again.

Shortly after, I was in Southern IL for the River to River Relay. It was a great time seeing old friends and making new friends. Our team finished 2nd OA.

And then the following weekend, I was in FL for the Down to Run Endurance Challenge 50k. I am lucky to be sponsored by such a great company. South Florida has a great trail community and I was happy to get to experience it. Thank you all for a great weekend.

So now what? I have a track 1500m, 5k, and 10k coming up in May. I will tempo the Starved Rock Country Marathon, and race Dam to Dam Half Marathon in June. After that we will begin the build for the Chicago Marathon, I'm getting married in July, and I will target a November/December ultra after Chicago. It's been a crazy year, and it doesn't look like things will be slowing down.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see y'all at some races. What races do you have planned? What has the the highlight of your year so far?

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

F^3 Lake Front Half Marathon Race Report

A great morning in Chicago!

Made it to the front.

And...we're off!

Home stretch!


1:13:02 - A new PR!



The Crew!