"tri-ing"

haven't posted in quite a while. now the school year is winding down and we and there are so many new things. too much to write about now so here are a few highlights:
1- started training for a triathlon to be held in july of this year. it has been a great experience and i feel stronger and faster than i have for years. i even pr'd at the spring runoff this year in the 10 mile. i have also been trying to eat a more healthy diet and it seems to have paid off with some weight loss.
2- maya and lily continue to be the best! they are so much fun to hang out with and i really enjoy my time with them.
3- two great trips planned for the coming months. in two weeks melisa and i go to san antonio (me for a conference on literacy). then in june we are headed to mexico for a week of r & r. we are going to take the youngsters with us.
4- gg's 90th bday celebration is at the end of the month. should be a great party!
well, that's a slight overview of some of the most recent happenings. i will try to do better about updating things as the rest of the year goes!

2h,43m,25s

race report from july 12, 2009: this was the first time i've done a trail race of this magnitude and ranks as the second most challenging race i've ever done (the boulder backroads marathon maintaining a first place position because it was after all a marathon and this was only 12.6 miles). in terms of technical difficulty, it easily ranks first. i was pleased with my time since i didn't know what to expect and i figured that anything 3 hours or less would be respectable. still, as i finished the race, i knew in my heart that i could improve. not that i'm so concerned about the time. i would however, like to feel a little more comfortable during the run and not need to do quite as much "walking" on the way up. i must say that i'm truly in awe of those folks that do the pikes peak ascent & marathon (here's a link to a great article in runner's world). the turn around in the barr trail is only the halfway point for them. they are, simply put "bad asses" to be able to complete that race. ah, someday . . . maybe. next year i'd like to set my sights on the mount evans ascent in june. that could serve as a good warmup for the barr trail race.
at any rate the 2009 barr trail mountain race was an experience of great contrasts. the first three miles are pure climbing, traversing several switchbacks that overlook some very scenic views of colorado springs and the plains beyond. i will try to snap a photo when i'm up there next week (yes i still plan on running there once a week until the end of the summer at least) to add to this post. after an all too short portion of the course that flattens out, it's back to ascending. although the climb is only about a 1/2 mile or so, it covers some relatively steep terrain. then the next mile or so is somewhat flat and there are actually a couple of short downhill sections. the last mile (approximately) was basically uphill and completely exhausting and then suddenly you are at the turnaround, and it is (almost literally) all downhill from there. a whole new set of muscle groups is put into play and the pace of the race changes completely. consider this, my uphill time was approximately 1hr, 45 min, while my downhill time was just under an hour! the hard part in the downhill really came towards the very end (results page). with about a mile to go, my legs were just completely spent, and it was all i could do to keep them from collapsing under me. the other challenge in the downhill portion was the increasing temperature that began to strengthen in the midmorning sun. this was especially notable when passing some of the giant boulders on the side of the trail. their giant faces radiated a tremendous amount of heat.
at the finish line, i found myself in that precarious state that precedes any post race euphoria. i felt like a vehicle that is both low on gas and about to overheat. i managed to stuff a few grapes in my mouth and greedily grabbed two cups of water. as soon as these were finished, i grabbed a finisher's shirt and began the march back to the car. unfortunately, parking restrictions meant that i had a nearly 20 minute downhill walk to the car which didn't feel too good on my aching muscles. i arrived at soda springs park, grabbed a slice of watermelon, and then quickly left when i noticed the parking meter attendant writing tickets in the lot just a few cars down from mine.
trail running has opened a new dimension to my running. although there are admittedly points where it is "harder" on the knees and bones, and the potential for broken bones and scrapes is higher, it has also taught me to slow down and enjoy my surroundings more.

buzzbuttons and barr trail trials

it is now officially summer and in the words of ron burgundy: it is just terrific gang. on friday night we had our first date night in a while. we went to see 'the hangover' (hilarious) and dined at 1521. while the octopus ceviche was good, the highlight of the evening was a most unusual dessert; a creamy custard served with exotic fruit and a buzzbutton flower (washington post article). the trick was to eat a very small pin-size bite of the buzzbutton before delving into the dessert. the flower creates a very intense tingling sensation in the mouth that lasts for several minutes. it added a unique intensity to the dessert as well. never had anything quite like it.
the other exciting activity this summer has been running, running, and running. last month i signed up for the barr mountain trail race so last week i decided it might be a good idea to drive up to manitou and run on the trail a little bit, so that i would better understand what i have gotten myself into. essentially, the race runs up towards pikes peak for about 6 miles before turning around and heading back down the trail. i've managed to run on the trail twice now and although it has gotten easier it is definitely going to be the most challenging running that i've done. this morning i managed about 4.25 up, which was good because i now believe that this is a race that i can actually do. my legs however, may disagree with me.

summer of the pizza

this summer, it's about the pizza. new crusts, new sauces, new toppings, each and every week. here's what we had last night: grilled pizza with a homemade pesto sauce, portabello mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes, and red onion. i selected an italian beer called peroni to enjoy with this meal (and its preparation). peroni is really an excellent beer that deserves your attention even when you're not eating italian food. it is very light and crisp. like many beers, its at its best when served very cold in a chilled glass. a great summer beer. as ferris beuller says: "if you have the means, i highly recommend picking one up!"
so summer is about to begin. i am really looking forward to those quiet evenings at home when i can move at a somewhat slower pace. i know there will still be things to do, but it doesn't all have to happen at once. what will be best is the chance to cook in the evenings, spend time with my beautiful girls, and drink some good wine.

first shipment

yesterday evening we received our very first wine club shipment from the prager port works in st. helena, ca. the shipment came with two kinds of port. the first was the aria port. this is an unusual port in that it is crafted with chardonnay grapes. the result is a very warm, lightly textured port with a notable nutty finish. very very delicious. we have been looking forward to this shipment since our trip out to napa valley in march. the port works was definitely a highlight of the trip.

the good, the bad, & the . . .

the good . . .
1. the end of two very long weeks with lots of late nights at work. i am exhausted.
2. my daughter lily wearing flannel pajamas and her princess dress
3. my little first grader maya telling me about singular possessive pronouns. she's got her mother's smarts.

the bad . . .
1. someone won the powerball . . . it wasn't me.
2. the sneaking suspicion that i'm getting a cold.

&the . . .
fact that im sitting back enjoying a cup of coffee with a little bit of time.

where is spring?

ahh, nothing like april. flowers, sunshine, green grass. nope. this is our third snow storm in a week. hard to believe it's april. we've been back to the grind this week. highlights were two good wines after a visit to john @ 80/20 wines:
paso a paso tempranillo: a great spanish wine. not too complex, but very pleasant from start to finish.
cara mia pinot grigio: another good wine from this italian winemaker. i wasn't as impressed with this as their pinot noir, but it was still a nice, fruity wine that got better after the first glass. slightly creamy finish.
looking forward to our first shipment of port from praeger in napa. should come sometime this month!