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January, 2010:

Brew Review #13

Jan 20th, 2010
by gazelle.
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Brew Review #13 was at the McMenamin’s Barley Mill pub in SE Portland. I have to admit to not being very excited about this review, as McMenamin’s beers, while not bad, certainly, are seldom anything to write home about. I chose the Barley Mill pub because it is apparently McMenamin’s oldest pub – and I’d never been there.

The evening started off, as always, with the sampler tray. I wanted to be fair.

1. Ruby

  • The architect: better than the hammerhead
  • Amy: Bleh, my least favorite McMenamin’s beer
  • JunkMiles: my favorite beer probably EVER!
  • Cilley: a little flat tonight, otherwise fine.

2. Hammerhead

  • The architect: not as good as the IPA
  • Amy: It’s alright. Barely.

3. IPA

  • The architect: Really good, tasty, especially good this time
  • Amy: Better that usual!

4. Porter

  • The architect: I like it, but I’m not really a porter kind of guy.
  • Amy: Thick but not bad.

5. Terminator Stout

  • The architect: Not as good as the porter (this rating system seemed to be a theme for him that night!)
  • Amy: I didn’t like it until I poured in the rest of the Ruby. Rubinator is gooood.

6. Nut Brown (Seasonal)

  • The architect: I think it’s okay.
  • Amy: not nearly as good as usual, too malty-sweet.

Other beers, not on the taster tray

Nitro Nottingham

  • Mr. Pi: I like it; there’s enough flavor to overcompensate for the nitro

Nebraskan Bitter

  • Lori: My favorite beer (she didn’t clarify if it was her fave McMenamin’s or her favorite of ALL TIME!)

The verdict: Meh.

I drank an IPA & a Nebraska Bitter; the architect stuck to IPAs, Mr. Pi had his Nottingham, Lori had the Nebraska Bitter and Cilley & JunkMiles stuck to Ruby.

Other comments from the night

Pros:

  • The Morroccan coffee was tasty (according to Cilley.)
  • The decor is funky & fun

Cons:

  • Too many babies!
  • Also, I am not sure if the waiter came & announced when happy hour was ending, which always makes me like waiters a LOT more.

And now for the photographic evidence!

The next brew review will be at MacTarnahan’s Taproom. (I am so looking forward to moving on to the next letter of the alphabet!)

This place fills up, so let me know if you’re coming so I can save space for you.

February 5, 2010.
4:30 – ???

MacTarnahan’s Taproom
2730 NW 31st
Portland Oregon, 97210

Happy hour is from 3 pm – 6 pm, and includes $3.30 pints, $4 wines, and food specials for under $4.

Hope to see you there!

Training Goals – Jan. 18 – Jan. 24

Jan 17th, 2010
by gazelle.
3 comments

The recap!

Training Goals – 1/11 – 1/17

Monday: weights + elliptical. – FAIL! I totally didn’t go to the gym on Monday. BOOO!

Tuesday: Terwilliger run (4.2 miles) – SUCCESS! Fast hilly 4.2 miles with The Ambitious One.

Wednesday: Tempo run (5 miles) – SUCCESS! Kind of…I did a recovery run  instead of a tempo run, but my Garmin says five miles! I did this with The Ambitious One, Junk Miles & new(er) runners Lisa & Andrew.

Thursday: Rest day – FAIL! But the good kind, I suppose! I hit the gym for a pre-work swim with The Ambitious One (yes, I am apparently stalking her this week).

Friday: Swim + run (3-5 miles) – FAIL! But since I did my swim the day before, I think it’s only a half fail.

Saturday: Bike (15-20 miles) – FAIL! I did homework most of the day, and then accidentally relaxed too long & missed my workout window. BOO!

Sunday: Long run (9-10 miles) – SUCCESS! I ran 9 miles of rolling hills with my Sunday run group (this week, we had a number of blog-less people, as well as The Ambitious One [and Mr. Pi], Junk Miles, and Cilley) AND I didn’t barf, no matter how much I wanted to.

All in all, not a great week. I didn’t lift weights. I didn’t bike. I did, however, hit my one swim and three of the four runs. I ran over 18 miles for the week, which is my highest mileage week since the marathon. I’m still getting back into the swing of things, and am definitely feeling the tiredness. I know I’ll get used to the pace again soon; and I am DEFINITELY looking forward to that!

Training Goals – 1/18 – 1/24

Monday: weights + bike (no work! yay!)

Tuesday: Terwilliger run (4.2 miles)

Wednesday: Run (5 miles)

Thursday: Rest day 

Friday: Trail run (4-5 miles) + Weights

Saturday: Swimming Lessons (my last one!) + Bike

Sunday: Long run (10 miles)

This week, my goal is to hit all my runs and both weights sessions. I would also like to start doing about 20 minutes of yoga a couple of times a week for stretching and stress management.

I also need to reinstate my Saturday night before a long run dinner of pizza and one beer. Twenty different kinds of cheese, followed by beef tenderloin, green beans, potatoes, salad, cheese, and roasted pears with white chocolate sauce and wine, while delicious, does not make for a happy stomach during a long run!

I am so glad that I have tomorrow off work! I love four-day weekends followed by three-day weeks! YAY!

Change of plans

Jan 13th, 2010
by gazelle.
2 comments

I was going to do a long post about how a computer virus nearly RUINED MY LIFE yesterday, what with the virusy-ness and the inability to check my email or do computer work at work.

But in light of recent events, I think it might be better to just suck it up and deal with my first-world problems (also, computer totally fixed today) and just point out to everyone that in a country as poor as Haiti, every little bit of support you can give will help.

So, if you can, please help.

There are a lot of organizations that are rushing to provide disaster relief, but I do prefer the ones that will stick around after and help with the rebuilding. Whatever organization you choose to go through, though, just remember that even a few dollars can provide clean drinking water (which becomes so crucial and less available after a natural disaster in a low-infrastructure country) for survivors of this devastating earthquake.

Training Goals – 1/11 – 1/17

Jan 10th, 2010
by gazelle.
5 comments

But first, the recap!

Training Goals – 1/4 – 1/10

Monday: rest – SUCCESS! You guys, I totally rock those rest days. I am a CHAMP!

Tuesday: weights + elliptical – SUCCESS! 45 minutes of weights + abs & 20 minutes on the elliptical

Wednesday: run – 5 miles – partial SUCCESS! I ran 3.15 miles instead of 5, because I am a pansy & it was cold & windy.

Thursday: weights + elliptical – partial FAIL! I took a rest day (which I am going to address in this week’s goals, BUT I made the important part of this workout up.

Friday: run – 5 miles – partial SUCCESS! Again, I didn’t hit the distance (damn you, cold & wind!), but I did run 2.65 miles.

Saturday: swim lessons + bike if I’m not dead after my swim coach is done with me. – SUCCESS! I did a 30  minute swimming lesson, and then later that afternoon, I hit the gym for 45 minutes of weights + abs & 20 minutes on the recumbent bike.

Sunday: run – 8 miles – SUCCESS! I ran 8.22 miles, and although I am still not as fast as I’d like, this time I came in at under 12 minute miles (and since I didn’t have my auto-pause on, some of that time was waiting for red lights). I also didn’t need nearly as many walk/cough breaks. Yay!

Training Goals – 1/11 – 1/17

Monday: weights + elliptical. I realized that although I really like take Mondays as my rest day, I inevitably take Thursdays, too. By Thursday, I’m wiped out from the week of work + school + workouts, and just want to chillax when I get home. SO – I am going to start the week out right by hitting the gym Monday before work (see you at 5:30 AM kick-ass neighbor).

Tuesday: Terwilliger run (4.2 miles)

Wednesday: Tempo run (5 miles)

Thursday: Rest day

Friday: Swim + run (3-5 miles)

Saturday: Bike (15-20 miles)

Sunday: Long run (9-10 miles)

YAY!

Exercise is HARD!

Jan 9th, 2010
by gazelle.
6 comments

This week really represented my return to the world of working out consistently. I’ve done pretty well (as you’ll see with the wrap-up tomorrow), but HOLY CRAP am I tired! Between working (four whole days in a row! The humanity!), school work, and working out, I’ve been exhausted. I slept for almost 12 hours last night, and honestly, if I were a napper, I would be back in bed napping right now, instead of fitting in a quick post before hitting the gym for some strength training.

My mileage isn’t quite where I was hoping this week, but I’m not stressing about it, since I am just getting back into the routine, and although I’m not making the planned mileage, I am hitting all my workout days. I ran 3 miles Wednesday evening, and then a 2.65 bridge loop yesterday. And it’s really the bridge loop – or the preparation to run – that I want to talk about.

Yesterday morning, I had a doctor’s appointment. And it was awesome. I’ve been missing a good lady-bits doctor since leaving LA and my doctor there refusing to move to Portland with me. So, I tried someone new yesterday, and she was awesome! She is, however, really, really far away, but that’s okay, since she rocked!

Since I would be driving near downtown Portland on my way home, it worked out that I could do a lunchtime run with a new friend and her friends. I got to downtown about 30 minutes before I was scheduled to meet them, and scored a primo parking spot. I still had to change, however, and wasn’t sure where to go. There is a public restroom under the Hawthorn Bridge, so I decided that I could change there. I kind of wish I’d mentioned this strategy to ANYONE ahead of time, because every time I’ve told this story since, and mentioned that bathroom, the looks of the faces of people was priceless.

There are two bathrooms under the bridge. One of the no longer had a handle, so it was more difficult to open (something that had apparently been remedied by kicking in the bottom of the door and pulling it open with a foot) and the other had recently hosted a serious pot smoker. I was unable to get bathroom #1 open, so I went with pot bathroom.

Every surface in this bathroom was wet. Seriously, every surface. And, like magic, I managed to pee & then change out of my jeans & sweater into my running capris, sports bras & 2 running shirts without anything touching any surface in that bathroom. (Well, the bottom of my shoes touched the floor – I am not quite THAT magic.)

It was a  nice run, although if I meet up with them again, I think I’ll do a second loop – 2.65 miles is just not quite enough for a Friday run. As soon as it dries up a bit again in the spring, I’ll be back on the trails on Fridays, and I can’t wait!

Yesterday evening was brew review, and I’ll have that post + pictures up early next week.

Today, I met the Ambitious One at my old gym (my membership, although canceled, doesn’t actually expire until 2/6) for my second-to-last swimming lesson.  She’d gotten to the gym MUCH earlier than me for a swim, and then spin class, so that she could get in a workout before coaching me. It was pretty awesome, because apparently I’ve improved quite a bit, although my endurance has definitely taken a hit (and the fact that I’m still struggling a bit with this STUPID cough didn’t help). It was my first time in the pool since mid-September, and it was weird to be back, although I did (mostly) enjoy it.

When I first arrived at the gym, there were two women in the pool locker room – and both were a bit…odd. The first was hugely pregnant (I assume), and had apparently just finished a swim. She was fully dressed again, and was standing in front of the full length mirror looking at & poking her belly. She kept turning to look at it from different angles, and then would poke & pinch it. It was just strange.

The other woman was changing into her suit, and had the cap & goggles. I was trying to hurry, because the pool was a bit full, and I wanted to make sure I got a space before the Ambitious One showed up to coach me. Swimmer Lady went into the shower in the locker room, but apparently the showers weren’t warm. The pregnant lady offered that the shower out by the pool was warm, so Swimmer Lady went out there. She rinsed off just ahead of me, and then disappeared. I rinsed off, and got into the pool. The next time I saw Swimmer Lady, she was fully dressed & stomping out of the pool area. She never did swim. WEIRD!

I hope everyone had a great week!

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