Stone Brewing Company- Liberty Station First Peek!

Tags

beer, Liberty Station, Stone Brewing

This weekend my husband and I had the rare opportunity to visit the new Stone Brewing Company’s facility in Liberty Station prior to it opening up to the general public.  I’m crediting good karma for the opportunity.  We haven’t helped any old ladies across streets recently but we must be doing something right!   My first impression on the looks of the restaurant?  Wow.  This is no ordinary bar/restaurant.

Excited much?

Those who love the Escondido location but hated the drive to North County will rejoice.  Similar in style but charming in its own right, this restaurant will appeal to the ever growing craft beer enthusiast locally and abroad.  I almost wished Ben and I could get married all over again just to have the reception here.  The realization we would never be able to afford it came about fairly quickly.  So fancy!

Main dining room

Side Dining Room

Bocce Ball!

You know that favorite unknown band you loved growing up?  Then once becoming popular to the masses, suddenly they weren’t as exciting?  Well, Stone has fallen under that category for me the last several years.  I cannot deny the impact they have had on the craft beer industry, especially in San Diego.  Stone has paved the way for all my favorite small breweries that have popped up since they has seen success.  For that they should be credited and celebrated!  They may not have started the Beer  Renaissance, but no one can deny they have been and continue to be a major contributor to it.  Although the tap list of other breweries was ever impressive, both Ben and I felt the need to stick with Stone for the day.

Stone Mixtape Ale Vol. 4- Photo Bombed!

This new facility will be great for the local San Diego economy.  The jobs alone the restaurant created is a huge plus.  The staff was very eager and plentiful.  It almost seemed like they were undergoing some sort of try-outs to make the team.  One waitress was almost in tears as she dropped a plate and a seared scallop rolled underneath our table.  Our table staff insisted on taking away and replacing our silverware after each course even though Ben relayed, “Don’t worry, she’s ghetto.”  I’m not a fancy girl.  I’d had rather the staff sit at our table to shoot the shit than constantly fill up my water cup when there is a jug already at the table.  That’s just me though.  I’m sure there are plenty out there that like to be catered to.

Overall the I would rate the food delicious, with the main entrees offering the most bang for our buck.  We ordered the quail appetizer which was described to us as being similar to hot wings.  Four pieces came out.  Hmmm…  Yes, it was becoming ever apparent this would be our “special occasion” spot and not one of our neighborhood hang outs.  I had the chicken schnitzel and Ben got the tilapia for our main dishes.  We split both and I had absolutely no complaints about either.  Very damn good.  I looked to the table next to me and I think I would have been disappointed with the Lobster Roll, but all the other dishes looked worth trying.

Almond Crusted Tilapia

Chicken Schnitzel

Blue Cheese dessert

Will we be back?  Absolutely.  For us though, it would this will be a good place to celebrate a birthday or two or bring guests to from out of town.  If we stopped in casually it would be straight to the bar since beer prices were very reasonable.  I see this place being popular and very packed so I’m thankful we had the opportunity to visit before the masses.

Pittsburgh Marathon Race Report

Tags

Marathon, Pittsburgh marathon, races, running costumes, Running Tutus, Star Wars

Happiness is… celebrating with friends after they finish their first Marathon

When it comes to running, I have this way of getting people to sign up for things they normally wouldn’t do by themselves.  I’d like to think I inspire people to try things out of their comfort zone, but it’s probably purely the peer pressure.  ”Don’t be a wuss,” goes a long way in my circle of friends.  I cannot take credit for the Pittsburgh marathon though.   That was the work of my childhood best friend who moved there a couple years ago.  She recently became a Doctor of Psychology and doing her voodoo mind magic, conned a visit from me through my love of running (love you Marissa).

Happiness is… being with this gal!

The Running Bud:  My partner in crime for the race was Marie, my best friend’s sister and in turn my “might-as-well-be” sister.   She turned 40 this year and wanted to mark the occasion by running her first full marathon.  How could I miss out?!  Running 3 full marathons in less than half a year has never been on my list of things I wanted to accomplish.  In fact, it sounds crazy.  Crazy is unavoidable when you are given the opportunity to run with some of your favorite people on races important and meaningful to them.  I was honored to be her running buddy.  She has been one of my biggest Glam Runner supporters and of course was all in when I suggested we run in Star Wars costumes.  Running enthusiast and fellow dork- YES!

Chewbacca and R2D2

The course: I did not go into the race with any expectations of the course or city.  Any person I told I was running a marathon in Pittsburgh met me with blank stares.  Even a woman at the race who lived 50 miles from the city looked confused when I told her I was from San Diego, “you flew out here to do this race?”  I’m sure the perfect weather helped, but I cannot get over how awesome the course was. Old industrial buildings with fantastic architecture, neighborhood streets, several bridges crossing the Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahlea rivers, and rolling hills (flat is sooooo boring), it was all very new and interesting for this west coast girl.

The support:  Fuel stations and medical tents were sufficient and the volunteers were diverse and friendly.  Since we weaved through neighborhoods, people parked their camping chairs on the side walks and cheered for EVERYONE who ran by.  I probably gave out more high fives than I have at any other race.  To see children’s faces light up as Marie and I ran by in our Star Wars outfits  was the best.  I played up to the crowd by doing my best robot impression to anyone who could tell which character I was. Every once in awhile Marie would do her best Wookie growl.  Good times!  Between miles 13 and 14 a fellow runner asked if I was having fun.  When I responded with an “absolutely,” he told me I must be doing something wrong.  “Why no sir, I couldn’t be doing it any better.”

Happiness is… doing the robot! Forgot R2D2 doesn’t have arms. Doh!

The Finish:  Our finish time was 5:17:43.  Great first marathon finish time for Marie!  The next day she wasn’t even walking funny, so in retrospect I think I could have pushed her a little harder.  We had not done any training runs together so it was hard for me to gauge how I should pace her.  I didn’t want her first full to be miserable.  Marissa’s husband also did his first full coming in under 5 hours.  Good job Ryan!!

Smiles for miles. 26.2 miles to be exact.

Negatives:  I could only think of one.  The full marathon clothing selection was chinsy.  There was only one cute shirt to pick from.  I tossed my race shirt around mile 1.5.  My long sleeved tech shirt use is limited in San Diego and I need to save room in my closet for stuff I’d actually wear.

Not too cute.

Do Over / Recommendation Factor: Hell yes, I would recommend this race to anyone!  If it wasn’t so far away for me I’d gladly do it again and spend more time in a city so rich in history. Great town, great race!  Thank you Pittsburgh!

The Art of Being A B.A.R.B.

Tags

Running, Running Buddy, Running Tutus

I’m a BARB (BAD-ASS-RUNNING-BUDDY).  I’ve been running regularly approaching on 9 years.  That’s correct, I started when I was 18!  Throughout the years I found myself running for various reasons.   In the beginning it was about setting and reaching goals.  Everyday was a chance to do something I had not done before.  After awhile I found myself fine tuning, making little tweaks here and there to see how my running would respond.  Every new PR was a fight to get.  In the last couple years I’ve settled into something different and all the while greatly rewarding.  I’ve had the privilege on more races and training runs than not to be someone’s running buddy and it has been nothing short of AWESOME.

I did not turn into a BARB overnight.  I learned from the absolute best.  On many occasssions I have had the company of amazing runners and friends that helped me through a mentally and physically challenging run. Through them I learned to be the best running buddy I could be.  Below are some tips if you strive to be a BARB!.

Know your limits.  Don’t offer to help someone through a run if you will have trouble covering the distance at the desired speed yourself.  If you are at the same level, be okay if it that person leaves if they are having a kick-butt kind of run.

Know your buddy’s race goals.  Does your buddy want to PR or just have fun?   If they want to PR you may not want to ask them their thoughts on our current political climate.  Talking and running are exhausting so if you hear your buddy huffing and puffing away don’t ask questions!  As having needed a running buddy, I’ve loved one sided conversations hearing about a person’s Saturday night and weekend plans as a distraction.  It’s okay to try to take their mind off the pain, just be mindful of if you are helping or hurting.

Dress Up.  This isn’t necessarily a requirement for being a BARB, but it helps by making things fun.  Yes for most of us Junior High was A LONG TIME AGO, but do coordinating outfits ever get tired?  I think not.  Most of us are never going to win, so why take things so seriously?  Even if you are in it to win it, why not win in a tutu?  Entering shameless Glam Runner plug here.

Listen.  You could learn a lot about your partner’s state if you just listen.  If I do have music on my runs, I ALWAYS keep the ear closest to my buddy unplugged.  Labored breathing 2 miles into a full marathon?  It’s time to slow the pace down.   This is also important from a safety perspective.  Cars, bikes, creeper in the bushes, it’s always a good thing to be mindful of your surroundings.

Remember it’s not always about you.  Running could be a very selfish sport.  At any given time you could lace up your shoes and make a run into anything you want or need it to be.  On the flip side, as a running buddy you have the opportunity to be selfless.  You have the chance to support someone else during a physically and mentally demanding race.  Best of all you are guaranteed to  create some crazy fun memories for you and a friend. Solidifying friendships over miles?  Yes please!

Will you take the running buddy challenge?

Starting a Happiness Ripple

Tags

Boston Marathon, Glam Runner, Running Tutus

This is my friend Allison on Heartbreak Hill during the 2013 Boston Marathon.  She is wearing the tutu I made for in the marathon’s colors for the year.  That smile wasn’t forced for the camera.  She actually runs that happy.  As with most others who ran that day, she worked her butt off to qualify.  What should have been a day full of celebration for her and many others will forever be tainted by a cruel ugly cowardice act.

I am feeling anger and sadness, both emotions I try to keep to a minimum in my life.  Life is too precious and short.  Admittedly I’m having a hard time shaking these feelings off this time.  What have I decided to do?  It’s a tiny gesture, but one I hope will start a small ripple of happiness.  Through the facebook Glam Runner page I will give away 5 Boston Marathon tutus (like the one created for Allison) to anyone who would like run their next race in honor and in tribute to those affected by the Boston Marathon bombings.

In no way am I expecting to change the world but I have to believe the little things do count, right?

Curve Ball

Earlier this year my Glam Runner partner, fellow Girls On The Run board member and friend Monika coached and paced me to a PR at the Carlsbad Marathon. That’s been pretty typical throughout the course of our friendship. She has this way of leading me to believe a better version of myself was just around the corner if I just worked hard enough. When the Marine Corp Marathon registration opened up and she signed up minutes after me, I was ecstatic. It was ON!! My plan? I would train as hard as I could and hope I could stay with her for the first 20 miles. At her pace, I figured I’d still PR even if I slowed down the last 6 miles. We would raise money for Girls On the Run (the group that made our friendship possible) and have another awesome experience we could file away in our memory bank.

Carlsbad Marathon… Good Times!!

Life had other plans. On September 21st, Monika found out the root cause of her recent headaches and exhaustion is a brain stem tumor. All her family and friends, including myself, had theories of what might be causing all the physical ailments. Vitamin deficiency? Stress? Bell’s Palsy? Thyroid woes? Never in our wildest dreams did we figure brain tumor. Shock, fear and tons of sobbing filled those next few days (at least for me). Then in Monika fashion, with grace and humor she picked herself up, dusted herself off and all of us were forced to do the same. She made it known that if there was any chance she could go to Washington DC to run MCM, she would absolutely go. Due to the scheduled biopsy and necessary recovery time, we learned pretty quickly that those chances were zero.

As women tend to do, especially Girls On the Run women, we rally together in times of crisis. Amy Jerome, Executive Director of GOTRSD, stepped up to the plate and is going to bat for Monika to run the 26.2 miles on her behalf and in her honor. With just 4 weeks to train, Amy will be pushing herself to the limits. When another bib became available, Girls On the Run coach Allison Cordes also signed up for the party. Together we will honor Monika by running for her, for Glam Runner and for Girls On the Run. Through miles, love and friendship this is our way of helping Monika battle that unwelcome squatter in her head (Die Tumor Die!!). Not only does that tumor have to fight Monika, it has to fight ALL of us.

In another show of support, Amy and I will be fundraising for Girls On the Run.  Monika served as head coach for many seasons in Carmel Valley and has been on the Board of Directors since 2010. We would like to fund a team in Monika’s honor. If you would like to help in our fundraising efforts, please donate here:  http://www.active.com/donate/sdsolemates/TBaize1

Monika’s biopsy is scheduled for 10/8 and potentially will not be able to run for another 6-8 weeks.  A fellow runner and friend, Trasie, came up with the idea to start a facebook page where everyone logged their miles from her surgery date to the Marine Corp Marathon and dedicate them to her.  Everyone would then get a certificate with their miles completed and would be able to send it to Monika with words of encouragement.  https://www.facebook.com/MilesForMokie

I wish I didn’t have this purpose to run. I wish I coud run for superficial reasons like fitting into my jeans, or keeping me youthful.  But sometimes you are not given a choice.  I will run for her until we could run together again.  I will be a stonger person and better friend because that’s what she needs me to be.  When life throws you a curve ball, you gotta hit it out of the f*cking park.

He Didn’t Even Get Me A Card… The TMae 5K+ Race Report

The TMae 5K+ Finish. I’m a winner!!!

The Gist: I turned 35, it made me sad. My husband likes making me happy. He not only threw me a surprise party, he threw me a surprise 5K+ fun run party! Instead of a 3.1 mile fun run, he made it 3.5 miles to reflect my 35 years of breathing. I’m still sad about entering the next race age bracket, but getting to run around being healthy with my friends and family made it so much better! It’s obvious I love to run. Sharing that joy, experiencing it with others, it really is as enjoyable to me as having a pint and a good conversation. I’ve had plenty of birthdays celebrating with beer (and I still did that of course), but throw in the 5K+ and it really has been my best birthday yet!

Happiest 35 year old EVER.

Surprise!!: The fun run fell two days after my birthday. When the Birthday morning rolled around I was pretty confused, Ben didn’t even get me a card. “Weird,” I thought. He’s normally so good about giving me a card. We went out to happy hour with friends then the next night went to dinner to celebrate again. Okay, birthday done… or so I thought. Hubby enlisted the help of our good friend Michael who has been out of commission in the exercise department until recently. He had been recovering from a surgery, so when he asked me to go on a run Saturday morning I thought, “hell yes!” Our other friend Heather who stays with us about once a month for work was also in town. She was down to run as well. When we got there the first person I spotted was my sister-in-law’s boyfriend. “That’s so odd,” I thought. Then near him I saw my coworker/friend, Sonia. Worlds colliding! Something was definitely up. It took a few minutes to register what was going on even with the “Happy Birthday” banner hanging up. What could I say? I’m a little slow in my old age.

Aaaaand we’re off!

The Course/ The Peeps:Ben put a ton of thought into this. He knew it wouldn’t be successful if he couldn’t get anyone to run. In my opinion he chose the most unintimidating course in San Diego, the short loop on Fiesta Island. Michael and our other buddy Kariem got there super early to map and mark out the course. I was stoked with everyone who was down to join in on the run.

Making our way around Fiesta Island.

My super trooper of a boss who is very open about her distaste of running finished the course as well as my parents who are in their mid-seventies!! GO mom and dad!! I tried to stay with the majority of the group. I wanted to soak up as much as I could from as many people as I could. Those who didn’t run cheered everyone on- just like a real fun run!

Signs I got to see along the course.

The Finish: What was better than finishing up the run with my best buddies in T-Rex style, was watching my folks finish with the biggest smiles on their face. I was so very proud of them!

Everyone taking on my T-Rex style running form.

Mom and Dad at the finish.

The Swag: With the help of his cousin, Ben designed a race shirt that he bought for everyone who attended. The hummingbird and plumerias come from a few of my tattoos. Then he highlighted the scenery with sights from around Mission Bay. I loved it. He even brought scissors for me to cut off my collar. I hate crew necks! My Glam Runner sister Monika made everyone race bibs. After the run she collected them on pages with personal messages and made me my own bib book onsite!

The Yum Yums: It wouldn’t be a party without food! Take a look at the goodies. The Mexican Feast of Greatness was brought to us by Tacos & Gorditas.

Afterthoughts: I think every party should start with a 5K and I really REALLY love my husband.

Craving Bitter- My Favorite Hop Heavy Delights

Lovely view…

I heard about bitter being an “acquired taste”.  I was convinced there wasn’t a chance it would ever grow on me.  Why would someone even want to like the taste of bitter?  Sip after sip of IPAs ended with the tensing of every face muscle I had (also known as bitter beer face).  To my surprised it happened.  After one marathon my husband asked me in regards to our ritual post long-run beer, “Are you craving malty or hoppy?”  There it was.  When faced with the two options all I craved was hop, Hop, HOP!  Below are my list of my favorites and must tries for any Hop Head.

1)  Favorite all around: Racer 5- Bear Republic- With an IBU of 65, I’d consider this the most mild on my list and one that broke me in, turned me around and gave me a good spanking.  I love this beer.  Someone once asked if I was stuck on an island with just one beer, what would I want it to be.  Heaven forbid I’d only be stuck with only one type of beer (totally okay playing Blue Lagoon with my husband on an island though), but if that were the case it would absolutely be Racer 5.  Yum, yum, in the tum-tum!

2) Favorite Local:  Pure Hoppiness- Alpine Brew Company-  (IBU- listed as Classified on the Alpine Beer Company website).  Currently my favorite hop heavyweight in San Diego, I was given a bottle of this for Christmas from a co-worker.  There are great mountain bike trails in Alpine.  The co-worker has made riding the trails and visiting the brewery a Wednesday evening ritual.  Now I feel like he’s my dealer for the sweet stuff, always handing him some cash Wednesday morning hoping he could score a couple bottles for me.  “Please sir, I want some more,” I say in my best Oliver Twist impersonation.  Piney and earthy, I found this beer to be very unique and familiar at the same time.

3) Hop Stoopid Ale- Lagunitas- (IBU- 102- YOWZA!)  Despite the high IBU, this beer is extremely easy to drink.  Hop Stoopid could be found fairly easily at local liquor stores that carry craft beer.  The price has alwasy been fairly reasonable.  Its standout aspect is the smell.  Pair with a couple of fish tacos for a great weekend lunch!

4) Maharaja- Imperial IPA – Avery- Being one of my husband’s favorite beers means I get to this tasty treat fairly often for it only being a seasonal release.  Definitely share a bottle with a friend or loved one or prepared to be useless the rest of the day.  This one packs a punch!

5) YOU TELL ME!  What do I need to try?  Better yet, send me a bottle.  Thanks.

Race RECAP: Tinker Bell Disney Half Marathon

Happiness is... being able to high-five Daisy Duck at a finish line

It’s a great time to be a woman.  No better is that reflected than in the running and endurance community.  Not long ago women weren’t allowed to enter marathons being considered physically incapable of completing them.  Definitely the more stubborn of the sexes with our “I’ll show you” attitude, women have proved not only can they complete the distance but that they are a market smart race organizers cannot and should not ignore.  The perfect example of this being the new Tinker Bell Half Marathon put on by the machine that is the Disney Corporation.

I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for all things Disney.  I’ve visited Florida on seven occasions.  Each time I’ve landed at the Orlando International Airport only to take a shuttle right to Disneyworld, never once venturing away from the parks.  Slightly pathetic, I realize this.  When Run Disney gave their facebook fans the opportunity first to sign up for the inaugural Tinker Bell Half Marathon, I had my credit card ready to go the day registration opened.

A “BIG” race that didn’t feel so big-  Like all of the Competitor RnR series races, the Tinker Bell Half prices were through the roof.  I registered early and got the “discount” price of $120, ouch!  Compared to the Rock and Roll Las Vegas Half, I found Tinker Bell to be much more worth the dough.  In an effort to wring out as much money from a race as possible, registrations are not being capped at a manageable number (as was obvious during Las Vegas).  Disney did not make that same mistake.  The course never felt too crowded or that I had to weave in and around people.  I was actually able to RUN- what a concept!

 

Running before sunrise

Disney Magic-  From the fireworks at the start to the finishers medal with a Tinker Bell that spins, everything about this race was sprinkled with a bit of fairy dust.  I think in all of my pictures I was caught with a grin from ear to ear.  This was Thu’s (my running buddy) first Disney race and she kept giggling at all the fine details that were put into the event.  Everyone got into the spirit of the event and there were probably more people in costume than regular running clothes.  If I had to guess, I probably made about 30 Glam Runner tutus for the race.  Finally a race were I fit right in!

 

 

Glam Runner Jillian in her custom Tinkertutu

 

Miles 1-5- The race started at 5:45 am.  Thu and I made it to corral A after running from my hotel with just a couple minutes to spare.  It ended up being a fairly warm day, so it was probably a good thing we started before sunrise.  The time we spent in Disneyland was in the dark, but the characters were out and park lights were on.  Running through Main Street was surreal.  I tried to take a picture using my camera phone, but it wouldn’t focus so we scrapped the stopping to take pictures idea.  By mile 5 I could feel the muscle aches from legs that had just done a full marathon the weekend before.  If my calves could talk I’d imagine they would say, “WHY?!  Why are you doing this to us?!  I hate you.”  I should probably listen to my body more before it turns on me.

 

ALL SMILES!!!

 

Miles 6-13.1- I was trying to hold out for mile 7 before I asked Thu to slow down but the request came closer to 6.  I didn’t need to dip over 10 minute miles but mentally struggled through “scenic” Anaheim.  Again, with the help of a running buddy I was able to push through.  We missed the mile 7 marker and were pleasantly surprised to see the mile 8 sign.  ”This half feels like it is going by so fast,” Thu remarked (or something to that sort).  Before we knew it we were running through Disney’s California Adventure park and I smelled the finish line.  At the end we were greeted by more characters giving high-fives.  Awesome!

 

Not my best, but not too shabby for tired legs.

At the End-  Ben said it was pretty easy to find us.  Both Thu and I run with T-Rex arms and our “unique” form can be spotted from a distance.  At the finish line I ran into another running fanatic and childhood friend, Ria.  After celebrating for a moment and snagging up post race goodies we were off to put something more substantial in our bellies.

 

At the finish with Thu and Ria!

 

Up Next-  Could it be??  A race free February??!?  YES!!!  My body and mind need a break. I believe my last race free month was December of 2010.  Now I’ll have some time to spend with my SoleMates team training for the San Diego Half Marathon in March.  Our team is raising money for the San Diego chapter of Girls On The Run.  We hope to raise enough money to sponsor an entire scholarship site!

Race RECAP: Carlsbad Marathon

Tags

Carlsbad, Marathon

Happiness is... being finished and ready for a beer!!

4:30:18- The Finish Time.  Thought I would post my time and get it out of the way.  I PR’d by almost 7 minutes from The New York Marathon in 2010.  It’s an honest time.  Last Sunday was a perfect day to run 26.2 miles.  Besides the usual jitters, I was feeling good.  This would be the first time having a run buddy dedicated to my finishing goal time, I wasn’t having any stomach issues, and the weather was brisk but dry- great running weather!  4:30:18 is true reflection of the effort I put into the race with all other factors being ideal.

4:20- The Goal. Considering my half marathon times last year have been right around 2 hours, a 4:20 finishing time in theory seemed perfectly doable.  At this point in my life I can spit out 13.1 miles and skip around afterwards without issues.  Not sure how many times I need to beat it into my head, but being in shape for a full marathon is a whole different beast than being in shape for a half.  I did not increase my weekday mileage, in fact it probably dropped.  I cannot be sure since I didn’t keep a log.  Training fail (again)!

The Running Buddy- What can I say?  Everyone should have a Monika to run and train with.  There is so many reasons why I love Girls On The Run.  One of which are the AMAZING women I now get to work with.  Carlsbad marked her 17th marathon.   The marathon prior she had reached her goal of a sub 4 hour finish and soon after decided she wanted to join the Marathon Maniacs.  Her goal for Carlsbad was  to cross the finish line, which put me in luck!  A 4:20-4:30 finishing time was a super comfortable pace for her so I could tell she was determined to get me in that range.  She kept me accountable for our long training runs and even “encouraged” no beer for the days prior (BOO!).

The color coordination was purely coincidence. =)

Carlsbad- Did I mention already how perfect conditions were?  Starting at 6am meant having to wake up at 3:30am, when some are just getting home from their night out.  That also meant getting to run during sunrise along the beach.  It was absolutely breath taking!  With just under 1200 participants for the full, the course was not crowded at all.  Even when the route met up with the half marathoners for the first time, we were put along side runners at our pace.  Awesome!  When the course met up with the half marathoners again, it was clearly marked for marathoners and half marathoners.  There was no need to weave around half marathon walkers like the poor runners who just did the Vegas Rock and Roll the month prior.

Miles 1-18-  I felt great.  Monika was there to slow me down when I ran too fast and I was able to see the 4:15 pacer about a football field away for the majority of the time.  Mile 8-9 marked the biggest “hill” of the course and after I got over the hump feeling good I was pretty confident.

Miles 19-26.2- I felt like complete poop.  I hate that dreaded “wall”.  I wish it were a person so I could stomp on its big toe.  I don’t know how it’s possible to go from feeling fantastic to craptastic in just a few steps.  Chugging along progressed to wanting to crawl into a grass pile and nap.  My heart broke when I saw the 4:30 pacer zoom by me.  Thank goodness Monika was there to glue it together and do the math to realize he was more on track to be under 4:20.  How cruel is that?  If you read this Mr. 4:30 Carlsbad pacer man, I’d call you “Wall Jr.” and stomp on your little toe.  Humph!

Left our smiles at mile 18

I saw many familiar encouraging faces in the last few miles which REALLY helped me cross the finish line.  Christian, Lisa and Trasie- thanks for being out there and cheering everyone on!  You’ve inspired me to do the same.  It really does help!

18 seconds- I missed the 4:30 mark by 18 seconds.  Boo-hoo-who-cares!  I still PR’d!  If I ever get my training and diet down, maybe I’ll have higher expectations for myself.  Today, I’m just going to be happy with exactly where I am and what I’ve done.

Baize PR day- I wasn’t the only one to PR that day.  Even with FIVE pee breaks, my ridiculously awesome husband also posted a PR by over 20 minutes!!!  He has come so far from the guy who I signed up to run his first half at Carlsbad 5 years ago.  He was all smiles afterwards and that’s always a beautiful sight.

GLAM RUNNERS-    Shout out to a couple of my Glam Sisters!  It is always nice to see our supporters out on the course.  Look at how happy, strong and beautiful they are!  Silly too, but what’s life without a little silliness?

Marie and Michelle rockin' the tutu

UP NEXT- The new Tinkerbell Half Marathon is this weekend.  I’m doing this one for fun and plan on taking it easy.  I’ve made a ton of tutus for this race and can’t wait to see everyone running around in them!

BEER Spotlight: Rogue Bacon Maple Ale

Tags

Bacon beer, Rogue

I come from the mind frame that everything really does taste better with bacon.  Naturally when I first saw the piggy pink bottle of Rogue’s Bacon Maple Ale posted on KnB’s facebook page, I knew I had to try it.  I have a healthy respect for the Rogue brand, yet wasn’t quite sure what to make of a Bacon Maple Ale.  I love sweet.  Yes.  I love salty.  Yes.  I love bacon. Yes.  I love beer.  Why hell yes!  Combined into one bottle, I was left with doubt.  Can Rogue really get this right?

I’ve been putting way too much thought recently on beer styles and enjoying them in the right context.   Right time, with the right food, and even with the right company, it all comes into play.  I’ve been trying to put myself in the brewer’s head.  What does he/she envision for this beer?  Brewer’s are thoughtful people.  I just want to be a thoughtful consumer.  Since it sounded like breakfast in a bottle, 9:30 a.m. seemed like the most obvious time slot!

Now before any of you start trying to organize an intervention for me, let me explain that morning a little more.  This was a race day.  Not only a normal race day but one I had to set up a booth for prior to runners arriving.  My alarm was set to 4 a.m. and I was out the door by 5:30.  After a quick 15K and taking down the booth, I found myself back at home 5 hours after waking up.  That’s lunch time for a normal person, and a perfectly acceptable time to crack open a beer.

That justification was for any reader who may have judging eyes (hi mom and dad- I love you).  For beer lovers who get me, hooray for breakfast beers!

I thought this would be like many other novelty beers.  With ‘maple’ and ‘doughnut’ on the label I automatically assumed it would be sweet.  I purposely avoided reading the back of the label prior to tasting.  The first whiff and the smell of doughnuts pops through making my mom come to mind (she worked at Winchelle’s for 10+ years while I was a kid).  First taste and I instantly pick up on smokiness.  The flavor was not over-bearing like some “smoked” beers I’ve had in the past.  Overall it was very well balanced.  The maple and bacon were present but not at all in a “in your face” sort of way.  Paired with Turkey Spam and white rice, this was a breakfast of champions.

Did I like this beer?  Any beer that makes me think of my mom, has a place in my heart.  I think Rogue could repackage and market it to appeal to a larger population.  Great job Rogue.  This was a winner!