blue tractor bbq & brewery, ann arbor

i followed up yesterday's dinner at the jolly pumpkin café & brewery with lunch at the blue tractor bbq & brewery.  these two brewpubs are w/in a couple of blocks of each other - and blue tractor is on the same street as the ann arbor brewing company and the grizzly peak brewing company (which had been my initial lunch destination, but was closed today and tomorrow for renovations).

as it turned out, blue tractor was a great place for lunch (and beer).  i sampled 6 of their selections:

bearded pig pilsner
bumper crop ipa
smokehouse amber
simply the zest (belgian wheat)
demonic black ipa, and
the pitmaster porter.

the sixpack of 5 ounce samples was served up in cupcake pan - with a pint of water on the side ;O

i'm awed at the sheer number of brewpubs here - and conveniently concentrated in - downtown ann arbor.  i've already lined up a new pair to check out for parents weekend in october :D

jolly pumpkin cafe and brewery, ann arbor

last night we had dinner at the jolly pumpkin café and brewery.  it was my second visit to a brewpub in as many visits to ann arbor (last time we checked out the arbor brewing company).  i've been into jolly pumpkin saisons for a long time - ever since i was first turned on to them back at a sour beer tasting a jimmy's no. 43 in the village, way back in 2010).  so when in rome... i opted to sample their sour beers :D

my sampler, inspired by the suggestions of the server, include:

luciernaga ("the firefly")
bam noire
la roja
oro de calabaza
and, tamicon 5 saison (the new collaboration with arbor brewing)

here's the description for tamicon -  "From its red-pink color to its floral, tart, funky aroma, this Jolly Pumpkin / Arbor Brewing Co. collaboration beer has a mouthwatering start, a very tart and sour middle and a funky, peppery finish. Whoa!"

tamicon, which was released just last week, was certainly the highlight!  it wasn't available when i visited arbor brewing less than 3 months ago!

pat did not taste any beers (belgian style, or otherwise).  she, instead, saved her calories for belgain waffles at the "waffle shop" :D

the next brew pub i'd like to check out in ann arbor is the grizzly peak brewing company - stay tuned...

greetings from ann arbor... redux :D

we arrived here last night, after a 10 hour drive (door to door, w/about a half dozen stops along the way), for katie's freshman orientation.  it's hard to believe that we were here less than 3 months ago, for the accepted students visit.  and, we'll be back here again in late august to move katie and her stuff into the dorm for the start of the fall semester.

seems as if michigan will be a much visited state over the course of the next 4 years!  now all i need to do is find some races to round out the visits :D

national running day 2013: back to the track!

in a neat coincidence, national running day fell on my first day back at the track in over a year!  it wasn't planned that way.  i've spent the last two months working on rebuilding my base mileage, with a 133 miles for april and 220 miles for may.

with those two solid months behind me, it was time to revisit wednesday night intervals. i ran an easy 3 miles over to the track as a warm-up.  i thought about starting off w/400s (a set of 8x400) but decided to run 800's when i reached the track.  i did a set of 4x800 w/a 400 recovery jog between each 800 meters.  in the past, the pre-injury days, i typically ran 800' in 2:45 or faster.  this time around i ran all 4 at 3:25 - basically a 6:50 pace. that was followed up with a 1.5 mile cool down, for a total run of 7.5 miles.

i had no pain in my foot - that was the biggest positive.  as for getting back speed, that should come in the weeks ahead.  hopefully in a month or so i can get back to 3 minute 800s.  the key at this point really isn't the speed, per se.  it's more about getting back the mechanics - especially building back the strength in my right foot. stay tuned :D

2013 "running goddess" 5k: race photos and results

i had a lot of fun at the inaugural "running goddess" 5k at lasdon park in katonah this morning.  it was a multi-terrain, mostly cross-country course, that included a couple of hills - and a mini-stream crossing in the first mile and a mini mud flat in the final mile :D  the race was primarily for women, but was open (and welcoming) to men.

i enjoyed seeing the girl scouts (in uniform) handing out water at the aid stations!  at each one i shouted "go girl scouts!" as i grabbed some water.  that's the proud girl scout dad in me :D  also, at the finish they had some fantastic nutella frozen yogurt (with toasted coconut topping).  i used up all my expended race calories with that stuff :D

here are the race results from running goddess.

 

the rest of my photos are posted on facebook.

vctc "ramble for boston" 5k & 10k: photos

this morning was the van cortland track club's "ramble for boston" at van cortland park.  it was a fundraiser for the "one fund for boston" and held instead of the vctc's regular "riverdale ramble."  while there was a clock, it wasn't a scored race - runners could do one loop for the 5k and a second for the 10k.  given the heat, a few opted for just the first loop!

i did both loops, running the first w/emmy and the second w/hiroshi (who was a course marshal during the first loop).  since it was a fun run, i took my camera with me.  since i took most of the pictures during the first loop, i managed to "run" negative splits :D 

the only negative of the morning, we finished too early to rehydrate at the bronx ale house (which opens at 11 on Saturday) :O

posted the rest of my photos on facebook.

here's some local coverage from the riverdale press.

june 2013 race schedule

june should be a busy month, not only in terms of races - but katie graduates from high school (and has her prom next week)!  the month kicks off w/a pair of new race.  the "ramble for boston" is this morning at van cortlandt park.  it's a fundraising fun run that takes the place of the "riverside ramble."  tomorrow is the "running goddess" 5k in katonah.  it's a more inclusive version of the "women's distance festival" 5k around rockland lake in july.  i posted about the "running goddess" yesterday.

next weekend kicks off on friday night, with "cook your buns" 3 miler at tod's point.  this is one of my favorite run + food themed events!  if katie didn't have her prom that weekend, i'd try to talk her into running it w/me :D  as for the weekend itself, there's the mini 10k for women in central park.  that's one that men can only watch - and cheer on the participants.  it's also a nyrr team race.  the next day is a new race, the "roots, rock and run" 5k in darien (not to be confused w/the "run the rock" 5k in bridgeport.

the following weekend kicks off the norwalk summer series, w/the 3 miler on saturday.  but that's only the first half of the day because the new canaan mile is that night. if i wake up w/any zip in my legs the next morning, i'll head over to rowayton for the father's day fun run :D

 then is a mid-week roadtrip to new paltz for the summer solstice 14k - one of my favorite races.  it's a long drive, but well worth it.  especially if we rehydrate at the gilded otter afterwards : D  i'll try to recover that weekend w/the "greenburgh mile" :D

the last weekend of the month will have the second norwalk summer series race, the 5 miler.  the "greater new york city" 100 miler is also that weekend - but not sure if i'm recovered enough to dip back into ultras - at least not 100 milers!

here's how it looks so far:

6/1 - ramble for boston 5k (or 10k)
6/2 - running goddess 5k
6/7 - cook your buns 3 miler
6/9 - roots, rock and run 5k
6/15 - norwalk summer series, 3m
6/15 - new canaan mile
6/19 - summer solstice 14k
6/22 - greenburgh mile'
6/29 - norwalk summer series, 5m

this may see some additions because there are plenty of waveny summer xc series, vctc summer xc series and westport summer series races in june :D

as always, if you're at any of these events - say hello!