This weekend was the final weekend that Beer Yoda (Kenny) will be in San Diego. Sadly, he's moving back up home in a week to attend pharmacy school at USC in the fall. To send him off right, on Saturday night we went to one of the best beer bars in San Diego- Toronados. If you've never been to a beer bar, it's absolutely worth checking out. They're usually not too crazy- just a good mix of people who really like their beer.
I've been to Toronados a few times and they usually come up with a pretty good mix of beers on tap. This time, I finally got to try an Allagash beer for the first time (their white- delicious). However, the beer I'd like to talk about is one that I was even more excited about when I saw it on their list- Stone's Saison du Buff.
The Saison du Buff that Stone makes is a collaboration with two other really solid breweries- Dogfish Head and Victory. I had heard a lot about Stone's collaborations and I had even looked for this one at a local BevMo (sadly, to no avail), but this was the first one I had actually tried.
This beer poured a clean light brown and the smell was, well, different. Kenny had told me ahead of time that this beer had rosemary in it, and you could really smell the rosemary coming through the hops. Later, I found out that not only was there rosemary in this, but there was also parsley, sage and thyme (ala Simon and Garfunkel). The taste was nice and full, with definite herbal flavors throughout. These mostly came on the finish and, while I was a little skeptical about how well something like rosemary would work in a beer, the herbs were nicely balanced and weren't too over the top.
Despite everything going on in this beer (and there's a lot), the balance is nearly perfect and it creates a beer that really is special. Nice work, Stone.
Final Grade: A
Monday, June 14, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Steinhaus Brewing Co. - Mission Street Brown Ale
A few days ago, we got two new beers into Trader Joes- Mission Street Brown Ale and Mission Street Hefeweizen. I got both of them and after hearing that the brown was better, decided to go for that one first. I'm gonna admit, after trying the brown, I'm a little scared to try the hef.
Mission Street's Brown Ale didn't look half bad after I poured it. It was a rich and deep amber color that you could only see through when holding it directly up to the light. The head was about a half inch of light cream colored foam. In the looks department, this beer really wasn't half bad. The smell wasn't terrible, it just didn't seem to have a lot going on. If you smell a Sierra Nevada or even something like a Blue Moon, you can tell that there are things going on in the beer that you can't wait to taste. Whether it's the bright hop smells of the Sierra Nevada or the citrus smells of a Blue Moon, the smells are intriguing and make you want to taste the beer. The smell of the brown ale, frankly, really didn't leave a lot to the imagination. Actually, there wasn't much of a smell at all.
Before I go on to the taste, I think it's only fair to say that it's highly possible that this brown ale was at a huge disadvantage going in. I went to the Ballast Point brewery on Thursday, and was absolutely blown away by everything going on in their beers. Their beers are anything but one-dimensional. Everything you taste there has so much going on that you can't wait to take another sip to try and figure it out. My favorite was one I was trying for the first time- their Fathom IPL. This beer was a mix of an IPA and a lager in which the beer is brewed like an IPA but uses lager yeast to create a smoother taste. The end result was something that smelled fresh and hoppy like a good IPA, but was smooth to drink like a lager. After having this, I'd say it would be tough for any beer to follow that up. Well, except for one beer I'll be reviewing soon. Anyways, I'm sorry Mission Street, but that's the way the dominoes fell.
After one taste of Mission Street's Brown Ale, I could pretty much tell exactly what was going on. There was a pretty one dimensional darker malt flavor with a tiny hint of caramel sweetness. And that was about it. Many beers progress in flavor as you drink them. The first taste can be sweet and then progress to something else in your mouth and then the flavor can change again to something totally different when you swallow it. This beer stayed exactly the same from initial taste to finish. I let the beer warm, hoping to bring a fuller flavor out, but it stayed exactly the same. In all fairness to this ale, I will admit that I haven't had a ton of browns before. Maybe this is more a case of me not liking brown ales than me not liking this one. And while I liked this one more than some of the others I've tried, this was still a little too one-dimensional for my liking. What can this brown do for me? Apparently not much.
Final Grade: C+
Mission Street's Brown Ale didn't look half bad after I poured it. It was a rich and deep amber color that you could only see through when holding it directly up to the light. The head was about a half inch of light cream colored foam. In the looks department, this beer really wasn't half bad. The smell wasn't terrible, it just didn't seem to have a lot going on. If you smell a Sierra Nevada or even something like a Blue Moon, you can tell that there are things going on in the beer that you can't wait to taste. Whether it's the bright hop smells of the Sierra Nevada or the citrus smells of a Blue Moon, the smells are intriguing and make you want to taste the beer. The smell of the brown ale, frankly, really didn't leave a lot to the imagination. Actually, there wasn't much of a smell at all.
Before I go on to the taste, I think it's only fair to say that it's highly possible that this brown ale was at a huge disadvantage going in. I went to the Ballast Point brewery on Thursday, and was absolutely blown away by everything going on in their beers. Their beers are anything but one-dimensional. Everything you taste there has so much going on that you can't wait to take another sip to try and figure it out. My favorite was one I was trying for the first time- their Fathom IPL. This beer was a mix of an IPA and a lager in which the beer is brewed like an IPA but uses lager yeast to create a smoother taste. The end result was something that smelled fresh and hoppy like a good IPA, but was smooth to drink like a lager. After having this, I'd say it would be tough for any beer to follow that up. Well, except for one beer I'll be reviewing soon. Anyways, I'm sorry Mission Street, but that's the way the dominoes fell.
After one taste of Mission Street's Brown Ale, I could pretty much tell exactly what was going on. There was a pretty one dimensional darker malt flavor with a tiny hint of caramel sweetness. And that was about it. Many beers progress in flavor as you drink them. The first taste can be sweet and then progress to something else in your mouth and then the flavor can change again to something totally different when you swallow it. This beer stayed exactly the same from initial taste to finish. I let the beer warm, hoping to bring a fuller flavor out, but it stayed exactly the same. In all fairness to this ale, I will admit that I haven't had a ton of browns before. Maybe this is more a case of me not liking brown ales than me not liking this one. And while I liked this one more than some of the others I've tried, this was still a little too one-dimensional for my liking. What can this brown do for me? Apparently not much.
Final Grade: C+
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Run 3
Yesterday I got some pretty bad news. My cousin, the captain of our Hood to Coast team, sent an email out to the group informing us that this year under a new rule, ipods are not going to be allowed while running. Last year, the race officials said that ipods were "discouraged," but there was no rule in effect that would actually keep you from running with one and nearly everyone I saw while running was using one. This year (apparently in the name of safety), things are different. If you're caught running with an ipod, your team is instantly disqualified. Ouch.
I discovered ipod running right before the Hood to Coast race last year. Once I started running with one, I became hooked and (up till now) couldn't imagine running without one. Like I said in my post about my first run, for me, the greatest thing to have while I'm running is some kind of distraction. This is especially important on a treadmill, but I feel it's just as important on any other kind of run. There are times when you just really need to get your mind off running, whether it's facing a huge hill that seems insurmountable or a long open stretch that you can't see the end of. These are where the ipod comes in handy. If the running gets tough, you can find a song you like and instantly, your mind is off the running. This has been my method for the past year or more. So when the race tells us that we can't use ipods on the race, it's pretty much the equivalent of them telling me something like "Hey, Walker, so you can still run the race, but you're going to have to run without that right shoe of yours."
Alright, positives, positives. Here's one: At least I'm finding out about this new rule now. I can't imagine what would happen to me if I found out about this the day before the race. It's likely I would have gone into convulsions. Knowing this now, I can slowly wean myself off of the ipod in the weeks before the race to the point where I'm comfortable (or at least as comfortable as I can possible get) without it.
Moving on. Today, I decided to up my mileage. It was nothing too drastic. My two previous runs had been on a loop around my house that stretched around 2.75 miles. Today, I added an extra block to the loop, making it 3.5 miles. While my speed still needs a little work (I finished the run in just over 8 minute per mile pace), I felt really good during the run and I didn't feel any worse from the added distance. I've been using the site mapmyrun.com a lot lately, and I found out that if I was to add a few more blocks to my run and make a loop that went right past my work, it would be right around 5 miles. That's definitely a pretty good distance to be comfortable with, so I'm thinking that by the end of the month, I'm going to make that loop a regular part of my training.
I try to notice something different on every run I go on. During Run 1, it was how out of shape I felt. During Run 2, if was how much of a buzzkill dog shit can be. Today, it was snails. While this probably isn't a totally normal thing to take note of during a run, it was hard not to today.
About half a mile down the road from my house, the road bends around a corner and begins to climb upwards for about a quarter mile. Right before the uphill, there is a stretch where the sidewalk is surrounded by ankle-high plants which, apparently, are a breeding ground for snails. For a solid hundred yards through that stretch today, every step I took, I was dodging a snail. Some were huge, some tiny, some already smashed into tiny piles, some trailing long lines of ooze. There must have been 40 snails just on that straightaway, and for an area where I've literally seen ten snails in the 9 months I have lived here, that's a lot.
For some reason, I've always been really interested by snails. I don't really know what it is about them, but I've always thought they were kind of underrated. It's not like snails do anything cooler than anything else in the animal kingdom. They can't glide like a flying squirrel or blind you with venom like a spitting cobra or do, well, much. Snails are one of those animals that just are. Whether we notice them or not, they're around us all the time, patiently going about their business. I'm pretty sure that if there is such a thing as reincarnation, anyone who is ridiculously impatient in this life is going to get reincarnated as a snail in the next. If you're a snail and you want to go anywhere that involved crossing a man made path, there's a pretty good chance you're not going to make it. Snails may see a foot or a dog's paw or a stroller wheel coming, but it's not like they can just put it into fifth gear and scoot out of the way. Basically, if you're a snail and you see something coming, it's going to go a little something like this.
So in the end, maybe there's something to be learned from snails. Those snails I saw today were attempting to cross that path at the risk of almost certain death. And for what? To me, it looked like whatever was on the other side of that path was exactly the same as the side they were coming from. But there must have been something over there. Something special. Something worth dying for. And compared to death, maybe running without an ipod isn't so bad after all.
I discovered ipod running right before the Hood to Coast race last year. Once I started running with one, I became hooked and (up till now) couldn't imagine running without one. Like I said in my post about my first run, for me, the greatest thing to have while I'm running is some kind of distraction. This is especially important on a treadmill, but I feel it's just as important on any other kind of run. There are times when you just really need to get your mind off running, whether it's facing a huge hill that seems insurmountable or a long open stretch that you can't see the end of. These are where the ipod comes in handy. If the running gets tough, you can find a song you like and instantly, your mind is off the running. This has been my method for the past year or more. So when the race tells us that we can't use ipods on the race, it's pretty much the equivalent of them telling me something like "Hey, Walker, so you can still run the race, but you're going to have to run without that right shoe of yours."
Alright, positives, positives. Here's one: At least I'm finding out about this new rule now. I can't imagine what would happen to me if I found out about this the day before the race. It's likely I would have gone into convulsions. Knowing this now, I can slowly wean myself off of the ipod in the weeks before the race to the point where I'm comfortable (or at least as comfortable as I can possible get) without it.
Moving on. Today, I decided to up my mileage. It was nothing too drastic. My two previous runs had been on a loop around my house that stretched around 2.75 miles. Today, I added an extra block to the loop, making it 3.5 miles. While my speed still needs a little work (I finished the run in just over 8 minute per mile pace), I felt really good during the run and I didn't feel any worse from the added distance. I've been using the site mapmyrun.com a lot lately, and I found out that if I was to add a few more blocks to my run and make a loop that went right past my work, it would be right around 5 miles. That's definitely a pretty good distance to be comfortable with, so I'm thinking that by the end of the month, I'm going to make that loop a regular part of my training.
I try to notice something different on every run I go on. During Run 1, it was how out of shape I felt. During Run 2, if was how much of a buzzkill dog shit can be. Today, it was snails. While this probably isn't a totally normal thing to take note of during a run, it was hard not to today.
About half a mile down the road from my house, the road bends around a corner and begins to climb upwards for about a quarter mile. Right before the uphill, there is a stretch where the sidewalk is surrounded by ankle-high plants which, apparently, are a breeding ground for snails. For a solid hundred yards through that stretch today, every step I took, I was dodging a snail. Some were huge, some tiny, some already smashed into tiny piles, some trailing long lines of ooze. There must have been 40 snails just on that straightaway, and for an area where I've literally seen ten snails in the 9 months I have lived here, that's a lot.
For some reason, I've always been really interested by snails. I don't really know what it is about them, but I've always thought they were kind of underrated. It's not like snails do anything cooler than anything else in the animal kingdom. They can't glide like a flying squirrel or blind you with venom like a spitting cobra or do, well, much. Snails are one of those animals that just are. Whether we notice them or not, they're around us all the time, patiently going about their business. I'm pretty sure that if there is such a thing as reincarnation, anyone who is ridiculously impatient in this life is going to get reincarnated as a snail in the next. If you're a snail and you want to go anywhere that involved crossing a man made path, there's a pretty good chance you're not going to make it. Snails may see a foot or a dog's paw or a stroller wheel coming, but it's not like they can just put it into fifth gear and scoot out of the way. Basically, if you're a snail and you see something coming, it's going to go a little something like this.
So in the end, maybe there's something to be learned from snails. Those snails I saw today were attempting to cross that path at the risk of almost certain death. And for what? To me, it looked like whatever was on the other side of that path was exactly the same as the side they were coming from. But there must have been something over there. Something special. Something worth dying for. And compared to death, maybe running without an ipod isn't so bad after all.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Ballast Point Brewing Co. - Black Marlin Porter
A couple weeks ago, my friend Dan and I went out to the Ballast Point Brewery for the first time. A lot of our coworkers go on a regular basis, so we decided it was time to check it out. The trip was a major success and I was really impressed with all of the beer. By far, my favorite was a special Black Marlin Porter that was aged in bourbon barrels. The smell of the bourbon really came out and brought out a ton of flavors in the beer. On the way out of the brewery, I decided to pick up a bottle of their standard Black Marlin Porter which had been sitting in my fridge. Until last night.
First of all, let's learn about one of the most overlooked kinds of beer- the porter. The porter style was born in England in the 1700s and was a heavily popular style during the time. The name comes from its popularity among the transportation workers. Interestingly enough, before Guinness was known as Guinness Stout, it was known as Guinness Extra Stout Porter. Porters at the time Guinness was first produced were classified as being either an "X" or as being the stronger "XX." Originally, Guinness was of the "XX" variety until the name was officially changed to Guinness Extra Stout. So what's the difference between a Porter and a Stout? A Porter is historically not as "heavy" as a stout and usually slightly lighter in color. However, Stouts and Porters have been intertwined since they both became recognized types of beer and to this day, people debate whether there is really a difference between the two.
On to the Black Marlin Porter. While drinking this beer, I learned something very important firsthand: Beer isn't always better when it's ice cold. Certainly, some beers (like Coors Light and beers of this quality) are way better if you don't let them get warm. However, Black Marlin Porter is not one of those beers. When I took the first sip, I was a little underwhelmed by the flavor. However, I remembered reading on beeradvocate.com that for many beers, it's better to let the beer warm a little to really bring out the flavors and aromas. So I gave it a few minutes and tried again. Total difference. I enjoyed it so much more than the first sip. Not only that, but the smell was full and rich. The taste is full of roasted malts and coffee. There's also a little sweetness behind it that held up the flavor nicely and kept it from falling off into the bitterness of the coffee and dark chocolate flavors. This was a really solid Porter, and while I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the bourbon barrel aged variety, it is a really solid porter. I always kind of had a perception of porters and stouts as being very heavy beers; beers you had to really work through and take deep breaths in between sips. This didn't feel that way at all though. It was surprisingly easy to drink for it's heaviness. Just a solid solid beer.
Final Grade: A-
First of all, let's learn about one of the most overlooked kinds of beer- the porter. The porter style was born in England in the 1700s and was a heavily popular style during the time. The name comes from its popularity among the transportation workers. Interestingly enough, before Guinness was known as Guinness Stout, it was known as Guinness Extra Stout Porter. Porters at the time Guinness was first produced were classified as being either an "X" or as being the stronger "XX." Originally, Guinness was of the "XX" variety until the name was officially changed to Guinness Extra Stout. So what's the difference between a Porter and a Stout? A Porter is historically not as "heavy" as a stout and usually slightly lighter in color. However, Stouts and Porters have been intertwined since they both became recognized types of beer and to this day, people debate whether there is really a difference between the two.
On to the Black Marlin Porter. While drinking this beer, I learned something very important firsthand: Beer isn't always better when it's ice cold. Certainly, some beers (like Coors Light and beers of this quality) are way better if you don't let them get warm. However, Black Marlin Porter is not one of those beers. When I took the first sip, I was a little underwhelmed by the flavor. However, I remembered reading on beeradvocate.com that for many beers, it's better to let the beer warm a little to really bring out the flavors and aromas. So I gave it a few minutes and tried again. Total difference. I enjoyed it so much more than the first sip. Not only that, but the smell was full and rich. The taste is full of roasted malts and coffee. There's also a little sweetness behind it that held up the flavor nicely and kept it from falling off into the bitterness of the coffee and dark chocolate flavors. This was a really solid Porter, and while I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the bourbon barrel aged variety, it is a really solid porter. I always kind of had a perception of porters and stouts as being very heavy beers; beers you had to really work through and take deep breaths in between sips. This didn't feel that way at all though. It was surprisingly easy to drink for it's heaviness. Just a solid solid beer.
Final Grade: A-
Monday, June 7, 2010
Run 2
There's nothing like dog shit to take the wind out of your sails on a good run. Total momentum killer. I'll explain in a second.
For me, running is a series of highs and lows. Throughout the course of the run, this can take a lot of different forms. The highs can be incredible. When you're in the middle of the run, you can find that perfect pace for your body and feel like you could run forever. Some people refer to this as runner's high. For me, that's the best possible feeling during a run. When you hit this point, you start telling yourself things like "I know I said I was only going to run 3 miles today, but hell, I feel like I could run a marathon." Of course if you're only used to running three miles, you're not going to actually be able to come close to a marathon, and your body is usually quick to remind you of this fact. Let's say you found your groove and you're "jamming" (as my friend from the team, Jeff, would say). Your head is telling you that you can run forever, but your body knows better. The process goes a little something like this: "I'm jamming, I'm jamming, I'm jamming"...cramp! And just like that, you've gone from an incredible high to a major low. Suddenly, you're struggling to make it the three miles you said you were going to run originally. If you are lucky enough to work out the cramp, then you're on your way back to another high, but it's never quite as high as the first, because you're constantly weary. Cramps are usually the biggest culprit when it comes to having my momentum killed. However, sometimes something much more sinister comes along.
I started the run today with the expectation that it wasn't going to be a very good run. Whether it was fueled by the guilt of not running for a few days or actually genuine, I woke up this morning really feeling like I wanted to run. However, faced with the grim fact that I made the mistake of eating Taco Bell last night, I was not expecting good things from my body today. At the beginning of the run, things were pretty much just as I expected. My muscles felt sluggish and I found myself practically waddling up the first hill near my apartment. I couldn't stop thinking that I probably looked like one of those ladies that run while lifting three pound weights. In the world of awkward runners, these women are the queen bees. They almost always wear visors and spandex and wear a plumage of colors that should have died in the 80s. If you've never seen them before, just know this: You really really really don't want to look like them if you're trying to be taken seriously during your runs.
I crested the hill in what I was sure was about 25 minute per mile pace and it was right about then that I hit my first high. Suddenly, my muscles woke up and I found myself "jamming." It felt really good, and while I expected it to die when I turned the corner to run up the next hill, I was shocked when it didn't. My body felt as in sync during a run as I can ever remember it feeling. I made it up the second hill and made the turn for the long straightaway before the last turn that would take me to the home stretch. Right after I started on the straightaway down La Jolla Village Drive, I hit my second low. Usually a low comes at the hands of one assailant, but this time, two things hit me at once: I got my first cramp (Curse you, Taco Bell!) and the sun decided to come out from behind the clouds. Double whammy. Despite the forces working against me, I made it through the straightaway and turned the corner down Town Center Drive at what I felt was pretty good pace. Then, magically, two things went right that led to another high: My cramp went away and two broken sprinklers sprayed my legs with water. Even though it felt much hotter out then when I started, I was feeling good again. I powered through the last hill with ease and was in full jamming mode when I reached the final stretch. I was so close to the end I could taste it. Right on cue, the Thrice song "Red Sky" came on my ipod. If you haven't heard this song, you should. If I ever choose the music for a movie one day and I need a song for a final scene in which the main character (who the audience assumed was dead) bursts through a curtain of flames in slow motion and kisses his romantic interest while she sobs and tells him that she knew he wasn't dead, "Red Sky" would be the song. It's nothing short of triumphant, and that's exactly how I felt coming down the home stretch.
And then, cruelly (some would even say completely unfairly), it hit me- Eau de dog shit. It smelled like the gardeners of the area had used mastiff dung to fertilize the area around me. And just like like, jamming mode was over. Instantly, my legs felt like lead, my stomach felt like it had been hit by a truck, and my lungs felt like curling up and dying.
This is not a completely unfamiliar phenomenon to me while running. A while back, right after the Hood to Coast last year, I was near the end of a run and completely oblivious to the fact that I was nearing a Carls Jr. at breakfast time. Eerily, the smell of breakfast at CJ's is nearly identical to what I smelled today. Coincidence? I leave you to reach your own conclusions.
Whether it's CJ's or a dog who possibly ate too much CJs, it doesn't take much to sabotage a good run. I don't know if I realized this until today, but I think that I don't really take note of smells at all when I'm running until a bad one comes along.
That all said, I think in the end I can take way more positives from the run today than negatives. While I wasn't exactly a speed demon on the road today, I felt infinitely better and more comfortable than in Run 1. I can already tell that I'm not going to need as much time to recover from this run, and I think that's a huge plus. As long as I don't feel too bad tomorrow, I'm planning on running again on Wednesday. Gradually, my goal is to up my mileage until I'm running a respectable distance on a regular basis. I'm going to get there before the race. I'm just hoping there aren't too many more surprises waiting in ambush for me like today.
For me, running is a series of highs and lows. Throughout the course of the run, this can take a lot of different forms. The highs can be incredible. When you're in the middle of the run, you can find that perfect pace for your body and feel like you could run forever. Some people refer to this as runner's high. For me, that's the best possible feeling during a run. When you hit this point, you start telling yourself things like "I know I said I was only going to run 3 miles today, but hell, I feel like I could run a marathon." Of course if you're only used to running three miles, you're not going to actually be able to come close to a marathon, and your body is usually quick to remind you of this fact. Let's say you found your groove and you're "jamming" (as my friend from the team, Jeff, would say). Your head is telling you that you can run forever, but your body knows better. The process goes a little something like this: "I'm jamming, I'm jamming, I'm jamming"...cramp! And just like that, you've gone from an incredible high to a major low. Suddenly, you're struggling to make it the three miles you said you were going to run originally. If you are lucky enough to work out the cramp, then you're on your way back to another high, but it's never quite as high as the first, because you're constantly weary. Cramps are usually the biggest culprit when it comes to having my momentum killed. However, sometimes something much more sinister comes along.
I started the run today with the expectation that it wasn't going to be a very good run. Whether it was fueled by the guilt of not running for a few days or actually genuine, I woke up this morning really feeling like I wanted to run. However, faced with the grim fact that I made the mistake of eating Taco Bell last night, I was not expecting good things from my body today. At the beginning of the run, things were pretty much just as I expected. My muscles felt sluggish and I found myself practically waddling up the first hill near my apartment. I couldn't stop thinking that I probably looked like one of those ladies that run while lifting three pound weights. In the world of awkward runners, these women are the queen bees. They almost always wear visors and spandex and wear a plumage of colors that should have died in the 80s. If you've never seen them before, just know this: You really really really don't want to look like them if you're trying to be taken seriously during your runs.
I crested the hill in what I was sure was about 25 minute per mile pace and it was right about then that I hit my first high. Suddenly, my muscles woke up and I found myself "jamming." It felt really good, and while I expected it to die when I turned the corner to run up the next hill, I was shocked when it didn't. My body felt as in sync during a run as I can ever remember it feeling. I made it up the second hill and made the turn for the long straightaway before the last turn that would take me to the home stretch. Right after I started on the straightaway down La Jolla Village Drive, I hit my second low. Usually a low comes at the hands of one assailant, but this time, two things hit me at once: I got my first cramp (Curse you, Taco Bell!) and the sun decided to come out from behind the clouds. Double whammy. Despite the forces working against me, I made it through the straightaway and turned the corner down Town Center Drive at what I felt was pretty good pace. Then, magically, two things went right that led to another high: My cramp went away and two broken sprinklers sprayed my legs with water. Even though it felt much hotter out then when I started, I was feeling good again. I powered through the last hill with ease and was in full jamming mode when I reached the final stretch. I was so close to the end I could taste it. Right on cue, the Thrice song "Red Sky" came on my ipod. If you haven't heard this song, you should. If I ever choose the music for a movie one day and I need a song for a final scene in which the main character (who the audience assumed was dead) bursts through a curtain of flames in slow motion and kisses his romantic interest while she sobs and tells him that she knew he wasn't dead, "Red Sky" would be the song. It's nothing short of triumphant, and that's exactly how I felt coming down the home stretch.
And then, cruelly (some would even say completely unfairly), it hit me- Eau de dog shit. It smelled like the gardeners of the area had used mastiff dung to fertilize the area around me. And just like like, jamming mode was over. Instantly, my legs felt like lead, my stomach felt like it had been hit by a truck, and my lungs felt like curling up and dying.
This is not a completely unfamiliar phenomenon to me while running. A while back, right after the Hood to Coast last year, I was near the end of a run and completely oblivious to the fact that I was nearing a Carls Jr. at breakfast time. Eerily, the smell of breakfast at CJ's is nearly identical to what I smelled today. Coincidence? I leave you to reach your own conclusions.
Whether it's CJ's or a dog who possibly ate too much CJs, it doesn't take much to sabotage a good run. I don't know if I realized this until today, but I think that I don't really take note of smells at all when I'm running until a bad one comes along.
That all said, I think in the end I can take way more positives from the run today than negatives. While I wasn't exactly a speed demon on the road today, I felt infinitely better and more comfortable than in Run 1. I can already tell that I'm not going to need as much time to recover from this run, and I think that's a huge plus. As long as I don't feel too bad tomorrow, I'm planning on running again on Wednesday. Gradually, my goal is to up my mileage until I'm running a respectable distance on a regular basis. I'm going to get there before the race. I'm just hoping there aren't too many more surprises waiting in ambush for me like today.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Stone Brewing Co. - Sublimely Self Righteous Ale
Last night while watching a very satisfying Game 1 of the NBA Finals, I finally got around to trying a bottle of Stone's "Sublimely Self Righteous Ale." It's been lurking in the depths of my fridge for a few weeks, so last night, in the name of doing my part to help clear out the fridge, I decided to drink it.
I'll admit it- I used to hate Stone beers. My only experience with them was the few that they gave away for free at UCSD during a student appreciation event called Bear Garden. At every Bear Garden, Stone supplies kegs of their Pale Ale and their standard IPA and every student gets two samples. I was really underwhelmed. Coincidentally, my work, Trader Joes, finally started carrying Stone beer and the only two we carry (besides bombers of Arrogant Bastard) are the very same Pale Ale and IPA. Needless to say, at $9.49 a six pack, I will be passing.
Then, about a month ago, my perception of Stone completely changed. It started when a friend from work posted a picture on his Facebook wall of a bomber (a 22 oz. bottle) of Stone's newest release, a Russian Imperial Stout. Interesting, I thought. Up to seeing the picture, I was completely unaware that Stone made anything in the way of seasonal beers. The next day, I picked up a bottle at Bristol Farms and gave it a try. I couldn't believe it was the same brewery that I had tasted at Bear Garden. The Russian Imperial Stout quickly became one of the best beers I have ever tasted. Absolutely delicious. I tried it with Kenny, a buddy of mine who knows way more about beer than I do and who is quickly becoming my Beer Yoda. Kenny happened to have some more Stone at home, so the next time he came over, we tried Stone's Old Guardian Barleywine and another seasonal beer they make called Double Bastard. Again, I was blown away by both of them. After trying one more of Stone's beers a week later, their Ruination IPA, I decided to revise my opinion of Stone. They are quickly becoming one of my favorite breweries.
On to the tasting. Stone's Sublimely Self Righteous Ale may not have been as mindblowing as their Russian Imperial, but it was pretty damn good. It poured a very dark and almost black brown color with a nice mocha colored head. For some reason, I wasn't expecting this. The ales I'm used to just don't look as dark as a Guinness. The darkness wasn't a bad thing at all, just surprising. The beer tasted like a good ale should, slightly sweet at the first sip and then giving way to a very hoppy (but not dry, which was nice) finish. I'm definitely used to my ales having a decent amount of hops and this one has that going for it for sure.
For anyone who doesn't know, hops are a funny little flower used in brewing that gives the beer a lot of its body. They're that slightly bitter aftertaste that you get when you're drinking a lot of different beers. You're going to taste hops in a pale ale. You may be blown away by the hops in an IPA. For me, I haven't always enjoyed hops. When I started drinking beer, I liked beers like Heineken, beers in which the hops weren't really that noticeable. Slowly, I have come to appreciate the hop to the point where IPAs are some of my favorite beers. I actually have a very special IPA in the fridge right now that I'll be reviewing soon. I'm not giving away what it is just yet, but let's just say I can't wait to review this one. Anyways, back to hops. Some people really hate hops. These people are way more likely to like a beer like Pyramid Hefeweizen or a Blue Moon than a Sierra Nevada. Then there are people who can't get enough hops. These people are known (mostly to themselves) as hop heads. I wouldn't say I'm a hop head, but my hop tolerance has definitely gone way up. The hops in the Sublimely Self Righteous Ale were pretty much just how I like them. They were right between having a floral and a citrus character to them, so they didn't weigh down the beer at all. This beer was strongly hopped, so the flavor lasted way beyond the finish and I could still taste the bitterness an hour later.
While this may not have been the best I've had from Stone, it certainly upheld their reputation in my book. It's a really solid ale, and at 8.7% (percent alcohol that is, most beers range from 4-12% or so and most are way below 8%), it will keep you happy no matter what your taste in beer is.
Final Grade: A-
I'll admit it- I used to hate Stone beers. My only experience with them was the few that they gave away for free at UCSD during a student appreciation event called Bear Garden. At every Bear Garden, Stone supplies kegs of their Pale Ale and their standard IPA and every student gets two samples. I was really underwhelmed. Coincidentally, my work, Trader Joes, finally started carrying Stone beer and the only two we carry (besides bombers of Arrogant Bastard) are the very same Pale Ale and IPA. Needless to say, at $9.49 a six pack, I will be passing.
Then, about a month ago, my perception of Stone completely changed. It started when a friend from work posted a picture on his Facebook wall of a bomber (a 22 oz. bottle) of Stone's newest release, a Russian Imperial Stout. Interesting, I thought. Up to seeing the picture, I was completely unaware that Stone made anything in the way of seasonal beers. The next day, I picked up a bottle at Bristol Farms and gave it a try. I couldn't believe it was the same brewery that I had tasted at Bear Garden. The Russian Imperial Stout quickly became one of the best beers I have ever tasted. Absolutely delicious. I tried it with Kenny, a buddy of mine who knows way more about beer than I do and who is quickly becoming my Beer Yoda. Kenny happened to have some more Stone at home, so the next time he came over, we tried Stone's Old Guardian Barleywine and another seasonal beer they make called Double Bastard. Again, I was blown away by both of them. After trying one more of Stone's beers a week later, their Ruination IPA, I decided to revise my opinion of Stone. They are quickly becoming one of my favorite breweries.
On to the tasting. Stone's Sublimely Self Righteous Ale may not have been as mindblowing as their Russian Imperial, but it was pretty damn good. It poured a very dark and almost black brown color with a nice mocha colored head. For some reason, I wasn't expecting this. The ales I'm used to just don't look as dark as a Guinness. The darkness wasn't a bad thing at all, just surprising. The beer tasted like a good ale should, slightly sweet at the first sip and then giving way to a very hoppy (but not dry, which was nice) finish. I'm definitely used to my ales having a decent amount of hops and this one has that going for it for sure.
For anyone who doesn't know, hops are a funny little flower used in brewing that gives the beer a lot of its body. They're that slightly bitter aftertaste that you get when you're drinking a lot of different beers. You're going to taste hops in a pale ale. You may be blown away by the hops in an IPA. For me, I haven't always enjoyed hops. When I started drinking beer, I liked beers like Heineken, beers in which the hops weren't really that noticeable. Slowly, I have come to appreciate the hop to the point where IPAs are some of my favorite beers. I actually have a very special IPA in the fridge right now that I'll be reviewing soon. I'm not giving away what it is just yet, but let's just say I can't wait to review this one. Anyways, back to hops. Some people really hate hops. These people are way more likely to like a beer like Pyramid Hefeweizen or a Blue Moon than a Sierra Nevada. Then there are people who can't get enough hops. These people are known (mostly to themselves) as hop heads. I wouldn't say I'm a hop head, but my hop tolerance has definitely gone way up. The hops in the Sublimely Self Righteous Ale were pretty much just how I like them. They were right between having a floral and a citrus character to them, so they didn't weigh down the beer at all. This beer was strongly hopped, so the flavor lasted way beyond the finish and I could still taste the bitterness an hour later.
While this may not have been the best I've had from Stone, it certainly upheld their reputation in my book. It's a really solid ale, and at 8.7% (percent alcohol that is, most beers range from 4-12% or so and most are way below 8%), it will keep you happy no matter what your taste in beer is.
Final Grade: A-
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Run 1
Today was my first "official" run, that is the first to be recorded in this journal. Coincidentally, this was also my first run off of a treadmill in around 6 months. Up to this point, every run I've done in the last 6 months (all 4 of them) has been on a treadmill in our complex. When I was training for the Hood to Coast the first time, I did a lot of my training on a treadmill in the complex of one of my friends. His treadmill was infinitely better than the one here. Before assuming (like I did before I started running on the one here) that all treadmill running is the same, think about the difference between running on a treadmill while looking out of a window versus running on a treadmill while looking at a mirror. I think you can probably guess what I have at the complex here.
When you're running on a treadmill, the best thing you can possibly have to keep you sane is any kind of distraction. Treadmill running sucks, we all know it. But if it's the only kind of running you have time for, you need something to keep you from remembering what you're actually doing for the 15 minutes to an hour or more that you're running. With a window in front of you, you have an instant distraction. No matter what you're watching, even if it's the gardener weedwhacking outside, you're in a constant state of distraction. You can look at your mileage or your calories burned, but it's all at your discretion.
Now think about running on a treadmill while looking at a mirror. If you've never done this before, I'll give you a short transcript of my thought processes while I'm running on the treadmill here:
"This sucks...Why am I sweating so much? I just started running two minutes ago. Why are my arms jiggling like Kelly Clarkson's? What kind of straight guy compares his arms to Kelly Clarkson's? What kind of straight guy compares any part of his body to Kelly Clarkson? Why am I thinking about Kelly Clarkson?..."
Two words- BAD NEWS. It's on the same level as waterboarding- torture or not, it's a nasty way to punish someone.
The only possible escape from watching yourself slowly perspire and degrade is to look at the mileage. But this is even worse! Try running a mile on a treadmill while doing nothing but watching your mileage slowly creep up. I guarantee it will seem like the slowest mile you've ever run.
Fast forward to last night. My girlfriend and I had dinner with our friend Brian, who I recently recruited to become the twelfth member of the Hood to Coast team. I asked Brian how his training was going and he basically told me that he felt he would be ready to run the race today if he had to. Instantly, I decided that I would take the first real step to getting ready for the race in the morning. What I forgot was that this decision was made right before eating pounds (literally) of spicy shrimp, crayfish, and sausages. So when I took the first step this morning, I was instantly reminded of my poor eating choices.
That said, the run could have gone worse. I think that the most important thing after a run is to pull a positive from it. I know, I know. Cheesy. Still, I think it's true. Without any kind of positive, what's your incentive to ever lace up your running shoes again? It doesn't always have to be something huge like "I just broke 5 minute mile pace for 3 miles" or "I just beat that Kenyan guy next door who won the Dallas Marathon last week." Pulling the smallest positive can be all you need to do it again the next time, even if it's as bleak as "Well, I got hit by a bus and broke my hip, but at least I got out there!"
So here's my positive: I finished. I may have felt like I was running uphill the entire run. I may have had a bus downshift right as it passed me and fill my lungs with exhaust. The high point of the actual run may have been seeing an ad on a bus bench on which someone had blacked out a realtor's teeth so he looked like a pirate. The low point may have been having a 50+ year old Mexican woman clutching a huge purse pass me with no effort in an attempt to catch a bus. But I finished. Run 1 is complete.
When you're running on a treadmill, the best thing you can possibly have to keep you sane is any kind of distraction. Treadmill running sucks, we all know it. But if it's the only kind of running you have time for, you need something to keep you from remembering what you're actually doing for the 15 minutes to an hour or more that you're running. With a window in front of you, you have an instant distraction. No matter what you're watching, even if it's the gardener weedwhacking outside, you're in a constant state of distraction. You can look at your mileage or your calories burned, but it's all at your discretion.
Now think about running on a treadmill while looking at a mirror. If you've never done this before, I'll give you a short transcript of my thought processes while I'm running on the treadmill here:
"This sucks...Why am I sweating so much? I just started running two minutes ago. Why are my arms jiggling like Kelly Clarkson's? What kind of straight guy compares his arms to Kelly Clarkson's? What kind of straight guy compares any part of his body to Kelly Clarkson? Why am I thinking about Kelly Clarkson?..."
Two words- BAD NEWS. It's on the same level as waterboarding- torture or not, it's a nasty way to punish someone.
The only possible escape from watching yourself slowly perspire and degrade is to look at the mileage. But this is even worse! Try running a mile on a treadmill while doing nothing but watching your mileage slowly creep up. I guarantee it will seem like the slowest mile you've ever run.
Fast forward to last night. My girlfriend and I had dinner with our friend Brian, who I recently recruited to become the twelfth member of the Hood to Coast team. I asked Brian how his training was going and he basically told me that he felt he would be ready to run the race today if he had to. Instantly, I decided that I would take the first real step to getting ready for the race in the morning. What I forgot was that this decision was made right before eating pounds (literally) of spicy shrimp, crayfish, and sausages. So when I took the first step this morning, I was instantly reminded of my poor eating choices.
That said, the run could have gone worse. I think that the most important thing after a run is to pull a positive from it. I know, I know. Cheesy. Still, I think it's true. Without any kind of positive, what's your incentive to ever lace up your running shoes again? It doesn't always have to be something huge like "I just broke 5 minute mile pace for 3 miles" or "I just beat that Kenyan guy next door who won the Dallas Marathon last week." Pulling the smallest positive can be all you need to do it again the next time, even if it's as bleak as "Well, I got hit by a bus and broke my hip, but at least I got out there!"
So here's my positive: I finished. I may have felt like I was running uphill the entire run. I may have had a bus downshift right as it passed me and fill my lungs with exhaust. The high point of the actual run may have been seeing an ad on a bus bench on which someone had blacked out a realtor's teeth so he looked like a pirate. The low point may have been having a 50+ year old Mexican woman clutching a huge purse pass me with no effort in an attempt to catch a bus. But I finished. Run 1 is complete.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)