vin30

"tri-ing"

2010-03-28T18:34:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-08T18:13:00.000-07:00

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 . . .

2009-04-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-04-04T07:21:00.000-07:00

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!

dia dos

2009-03-26T14:41:00.000-07:00

sunday morning came with the sun shining but the weather much colder. after a brisk run to the north end of calistoga and back, we enjoyed the continental breakfast at d'amici. this is a great way to save a little $. the hotel provides fruit, bagels, scones, juice, coffee, etc. each morning. our first stop of the morning was the frank family vineyards. i really enjoyed both the pinot noir and the zinfandel here. the zinfandel was like fresh jam. excellent. we had an early lunch at the rutherford grill and then we headed to the silverado vineyards. this is where we said our goodbyes to the rest of the family. there were two more stops on our trip. the first was a place called dutch henry. this is a very small vineyard with a production of only about 6000. we purchased their 2004 argos wine which is a bordeaux blend style (definitely saved for a special occasion). our last winery to visit was cuvaison toward the north end and very near to calistoga. some great wine here and we purchased an s block chardonnay (we better have some more special occasions)! fully sated on wine, we returned to the hotel and then headed to the golden haven spa for a mudbath. ive never had a mudbath before and im not sure i will ever do so again. nevertheless it was an interesting experience. i will admit that the mud was very comfortable to lay in, but there's just something about laying in the mud. however, if you are into the spa experience, this is an unpretentious and relaxing place to go. you won't be disappointed by the experience.

where to begin?

2009-03-24T19:16:00.000-07:00

day 1:
in his book, the accidental connoisseur, lawrence osborne explores the idea of taste and whether this is a measure that can be quantified. and while i cannot say one way or another i do feel that my own personal taste in terms of wine grew exponentially during our trip to napa. that's not to say that this was the purpose of the trip, but rather an extra benefit. so where to begin? we stayed in calistoga which was perfectly suited to our state of mind. calistoga is a very small and relaxed town with a diverse population. i went for a run each morning that we were there and i enjoyed being able to run from one end of town to the other. there was a definite mix of lifestyles ranging from opulent to bohemian. all in all very cool. we stayed at the hotel d'amici which i highly recommend. it sits above the flatiron grill on lincoln (the main strip) and is connected with the rutherford grove vineyard; free bottle of wine waiting in the room and a free tasting at the vineyard. my brother and his wife are the family experts on napa and so they served as our guides on the trip. what a great job they did! so, along with my parents, the six of us, set off to explore some of the vineyards and wineries. here are the details:
st. supery- since my brother and his wife are club members, we got a free tour and barrel tasting. it was cool to see the process of making wine from start to finish. i was surprised to find that my favorite wine on this visit was the merlot.
next was rutherford grove. the sangiovese was fantastic, as was the zinfandel. we followed that up with a picnic lunch and then we went to grgich hills. i can't say that the tasting room was my favorite as it was quite crowded, but i did find an excellent chardonnay. our last tasting stop was praeger winery and port works. this was the other big surprise as i've never really appreciated port. it wound up being one of my favorite tastings of the trip. we joined their club and i look forward to some port selections headed our way next week. the day finished with a trip to the culinary institute's greystone restaurant. i had a big eyed tuna prepared in the nicoise style (more of a summer dish considering the rain). the big hit of the evening was the sunchoke soup, served like a shot. this was delicious. i have to say it was a great first day in napa valley. more about the trip in the next posting.

vacation. . . soon!

2009-03-18T19:36:00.000-07:00

tonight i feel like i often do at the end of the week. work has been exhausting and while it won't get easier, it is nice to be looking at a week off and some time in napa. first trip should be a lot of fun and a great way to start our time off. two wines to tell you about:
1) 2007 cara mia pinot noir- i've not found one that i like better for the price. well balanced with many different flavors ranging from pepper to smoked meat to choke cherries; but nothing is too overbearing.
2) 2007 la vis dipinti pinot grigio- this will be a great summer wine with a hint of tangerine. light and crisp the way a pinot grigio should be.

the good, the bad & the . . .

2009-03-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

the good . . .
1) 2 weeks from today in napa! never been to wine country before. i hope glasses will be provided.
2) finished the spring run-off 10k in 50:45. not bad for my first race in a while. i will be paying dearly for it tomorrow however.
3) grilled pizza this evening. im going to finish my budini cab sav with it. unless of course i finish that before.

the bad . . .
1) the feeling you get when you wake up from a nap. it feels like someone threw me down a flight of stairs.
2) the economy.
3) people who smoke while driving and throw their cigarette butts out their car window.

& the . . .
1) the other morning i was thinking about how quickly my daughter is growing up. it made me realize how precious these days are. i need to stop and enjoy our time.

im back baby!

2009-03-01T18:43:00.000-08:00

this afternoon. 60 degrees. very light wind. managed 3.75 miles and felt really good. way better than i expected. my pace was about 8:40 per mile. it feels good to be exercising again. got to fight the gut before my 20 year reunion this summer. dinner this evening was grilled salmon with a nice white wine palazonne dubini blanco. hints of lemon.

notes from the tasting

2009-02-28T15:20:00.000-08:00

sunday was our first wine tasting. there were 16 wines to try along with several appetizers. a pretty large variety. highlights: #1- 2007 cara mia pinot noir a great pinot noir with a lot of different flavors, slight taste of cherry but not too fruity. great finish. #2- 2005 volver tempranillo fantastic spanish wine with a great finish. lowlight: an unusual almond flavor champagne. tasted manufactured. a great experience and a good way to define your interests when it comes to wine.

in soco, it's always time to bbq

2009-02-21T18:57:00.000-08:00

great night tonight. just hanging out with the family, drinking some wine, and cooking some steaks outside. the weather was fairly mild and though the steaks only took a few minutes, i'm already looking forward to those summer evenings when we start the evening outside with a great meal and then visit on the patio by candlelight until late. there is nothing better than july at night.

tonight's wine was a chilean red called chevere. not so dark but some smoky overtones to go with the rich berry flavors. not bad for less than $10. tomorrow is our first wine tasting. should be lots of fun.

the good, the bad & the . . .

2009-02-16T19:24:00.000-08:00

the good:
brian regan in concert. he was hilarious. kermit apio opened for him (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUv2u9ftqFI). funny line "i love those people who say that when they have kids they won't plop them in front of the t.v. i'm like "really. are you not planning on taking a poop for 10 years?"

the bad:
Everyone's been sick. guess it's my turn.

& the:
facebook. very addictive, isn't it?

Phew

2009-02-11T18:10:00.000-08:00

is there anything better at the end of a long, long day than cheap mexican food, a glass of wine, and some ridiculous television? probably, but it's pretty good for tonight.

the good, the bad & the . . .

2009-02-08T06:56:00.000-08:00

the good:
1) new case of wine this week. looking forward to trying some new ones. i've got a malbec from argentina ('06 don rodolfo) that should be a nice treat!
2) my daughter and i are finally able to compete on mario kart on the internet. no more #11/12 place finishes for us! it's really a lot of fun hanging out and playing video games with your kids!
3) blind pilot out of pPortland, oregon. great music! lead vocals have a haunting sound. kind of alternafolk music if such a thing exists.

the bad:
1) the weather: 65-70 degrees in february, not so bad, but no moisture, no snow and then the next day the weather drops by 35-40 degrees! gives new meaning to the term bi-polar.i 'm ready for Spring!
2) everyone who is sick, stays sick. i know too many people who can't seem to get themselves well.

& the . . . funniest thing my nearly 3 year old daughter says
"hey guy!what's your name?"

until next time!

what is this blog?

2009-02-01T17:20:00.000-08:00

what is vin30? vin30 means wine: thirty. it's the time at the end of the day when the kids are in bed and my wife and i sit down with a glass of wine. we may spend our time talking about the day, our wonderful kids, the news, the future, or whatever else happens across our minds. hope you enjoy the blog!