Running Reflections on 2013, going into 2014

The previous year's training on Daily Mile.   Other than missing
a couple weeks in June, had a very consistent 2104 year in running.

The early days of January are often spent looking forward by looking backward.  So with running in mind, I look back to 2013 to see what worked, what didn't work, and use that to build upon in 2014.  It's something I recommend all runners do.   I suppose a blog is a self-indulgent enterprise by definition, but trying to make this post slightly less than totally self-centered, I'll pass along some observations I think all runners could use.

The biggest takeaway from 2013 is that it was one of the most successful years of running I've had in the last five years, and a big part of this was due to consistency in training.  I've battled a bunch of injuries since 2008 and while a couple foot problems knocked me out for a couple weeks in 2013, it was a pretty injury free year.  Late in 2012, I discovered in a routine trip to the running shoe store that I was cramming my size 14 feet into size 13 shoes.  About a month after moving up to a size 14 shoe, chronic soreness in the ball of my right foot and left knee both subsided.  I also have to give a lot of credit for running largely pain free to the leg and core strength exercises I discovered in Eric Orton's fine book "The Cool Impossible".  Finding the right shoe size and working on core strength and balance really made a big difference in 2013, if for no other reason that I found myself a lot less sore at the end of runs and ready to go at it again the next day.  In 2013, I ran a total of 1736 miles which averages out to 33.3 miles a week, about five miles per week more than in 2012.  I also did long runs as long as 15 miles at the end of the year as compared to previous years where about 12 miles was all I could handle before my foot pain  became unbearable.

The other half of the equation is that I did a lot of tempo runs in 2013 at a wide variety of distances ranging from four to fourteen miles.  (More on long distance tempo runs here and four mile tempo runs here.)  I'm a big believer that racing success requires putting the stresses on yourself in training that you'll experience in the race, and tempo runs do just that.  Tempo runs, when done at the right pace, also allow for fast recovery.  Successful training is balancing the yin and yang of tearing yourself down in the right way in order to build yourself back up, and tempo runs worked well for me in 2013 and I'll be doing more of them in 2014.

It all paid off in the two major races I ran this year, the Santa Cruz Half-Marathon in April and the Monterey Bay Half-Marathon last November, as I was pretty pleased with both of these efforts.  I've already started training for an April half-marathon, most likely the Marin County Half-Marathon.

 I wish you all the best for running in 2014 and for those wanting to chat more about running and training, you can join me on DailyMile.

The Session #83 : Full Circle

For this month's Session, Rebecca Patrick over at The Bake and Brew asks us to write about going against the grain of the craft brewing community.  I found this a fascinating question, since I've long felt that most craft beer drinkers have been going against the grain of the beer drinking public for years.  Perhaps the question is a sign the revolution is about over.  Craft beer drinkers are still a minority these days, but we're a very large and vocal minority.  It wasn't always this way.

Back in the early 90's during my grad school days at The Ohio State University, I found myself gravitating against the grain with a lot of my beer decisions.  Back then, the stuff we consider craft beer today was pretty hard to find.
I'd do things show up for Saturday night poker games with a six pack of Beck's.  Not a great beer, but somehow I found it's skunkiness conveyed a certain international sophistication.  My six pack of Beck's stood out in stark contrast to all the bottles of Natural Light, or Coors's Light, and Busch for the evening's beer stockpile.   Drinking Rolling Rock over a Coors's or Anheuser-Busch product was supporting your local brewer, since the Latrobe, PA brewery was only a little over 200 miles away from Columbus.   Going out to see some blues or funk band meant a Guinness Stout.  Carrying around a pint of Guinness gave me a certain pitch black badge of beer-against-the-grainess amidst all the straw colored lager pints in the loud, dark, smokey nightclub.  (They allowed people to smoke in bars back then.)  Most of my friends thought Guinness tasted like mud.

Pretty soon, I graduated to stuff like Sam Adam's Boston Lager, Samuel Smith's, and Pete's Wicked. One evening I spent catching up with an ex-girlfriend, who turned me on to a hard to find beer in the Midwest called Anchor Steam.  From there, I plunged gleefully down the slippery slope to craft beer nirvana.  After nearly two decades of transformation into a self-proclaimed craft beer aficionado, I've discovered a new simple pleasure in the world of beer.

Macrobrews.  That's right, macrobrews.

Like the time I recently caught up with a couple of co-workers one evening to shoot some pool at this place called The Blue Bonnet.  I mean no offense when I call it a dive bar, especially since the place clearly embraces its dive bar identity.  That goes double for the 20-something wannabe vixen bartender, who alternately intentionally ignored and flirted with all the male patrons in her skimpy black outfit, which revealed numerous mismatched tattoos and a body clearly not sexy enough for her dive bar diva act.  For this casual evening of friends, pool, and unpretentious surroundings full of friendly locals, the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on tap was not even an option.  The modest simplicity of Pabst Blue Ribbon, at only two bucks a pint, was the clear choice.  Familiar, unassuming and nostalgic, PBR was the perfect brew for the evening.
 
And when it's time for barbecue, there's only one choice:  Budweiser at near freezing temperature.  Now I've heard that porters, stouts, and IPA's are the preferred choice to accentuate the smoky and spicy flavors of barbecue according to Master Cicerones.  These people are simply wrong.  There's no point explaining the tradition as to why an ice cold Bud is the best beer in the world with barbecue. If I have to explain, then you just don't get it.

There are other times when no body's looking that I'll revisit the one-note roasty goodness of a Guinness Stout.  I like Blue Moon, find Michelob sort of interesting, and on a hot summer's day have been known to cool off with a Leinenkugel Summer Shandy.   For those of you who dare to chortle at this, and I know you're out there, well screw you!

Just remember if it weren't for guys like me twenty years ago, you probably wouldn't be enjoying some fine craft beer right now.

Check out these documentary videos of Russian River's Vinnie Cilurzo at Maximum Microbrews

I recently discovered some interesting, informative documentary videos Erik Jorgensen, produced with Russian River's Vinnie Cilurzo. It was part of a 40-minute documentary Jorgensen made back in 2008, right after Russian River's production facility opened but they remain fresh and relevant today.   You can find them here at his Maximum Microbrews website.

What's next for Erik?  He's in the process of opening a brewpub in Logan, UT.  It's an odd coincidence the headquarters of the company I work for as a regional sales manager happens to be located in Logan, UT and I return there two or three times a year for sales meetings.  With it's large Mormon population opposed to alcohol consumption, anything matter related to alcohol is a contentious issue in Utah.   Opening up a brew pub is a monumental task any where, but even more so in Logan is no small task.  A recent New York times article on a city-wide vote to allow alcohol sales in Hyde Park, located near Logan, outlined how divided the community became over this issue.  While Utah has some great beer, it could certainly use a few more brewpubs so look forward to the day I enjoy a pint in Logan from Erik's latest endeavor.  Let's raise a glass to his success!