First Batch

Because I am a patient man, I waited a full eight hours before starting to make my first batch of home brew. Turns out that brewing - with all the sanitizing, boiling, steeping, and cooling - can be a little time consuming.

Lesson one: Starting the process at 8pm on Sunday night is not advisable for those who have to wake up and go to work the next day.

The first batch is an IPA and almost everything went according to plan. Brand spanking new equipment cleaned and sanitized, ingredients at the ready and with recipe in hand I set off to make my very first home brew!

First the steep:


Once the steep of the base grains was complete it was time to remove the mash and add the dry malt over low heat to avoid scorching.

Then for the favoring hops. Sure, it has a striking resemblance to gerbil food but this stuff has a unique and potent aroma. It also gives IPAs their distinctive flavor.


As the boil draws to an end it's time for the addition of a finishing hops and a "quick" cool down of the wort.

Apparently there's a couple of ways to do this and I chose the method known as the "kitchen sink ice bath" method. Little did I know it's probably the least efficient way to chill the brew.

Essentially, you need to chill the liquid from boiling to under 80 degrees as quickly as possible before pitching the yeast. This requires a great deal of heat transfer... and lots of ice. I did not have lots of ice. And here lies the problem.

I dumped every ice cube and freezer pack I could find at it. I even dropped a frozen bottle of vodka into the ice bath! At three o'clock in the morning and the wort had still not gotten down under 80 degrees. I gave up and pitched the yeast at about 82 degrees.

My starting gravity was 1.050 with a potential alcohol of 6.5%.

After about 3 days it was time to transfer from the primary fermentation to the secondary. This requires more sanitizing and some careful siphoning to leave behind the trub, or sediment. And then... More hops!



Once the beer is in the secondary fermentation it's just a waiting game. Watching for bubbles in the air lock and periodically checking the gravity.


And this is where we're still waiting. Bubble... Bubble... Bubble...

Once the secondary fermentation is complete I'll add some additional sugars to start the carbonation, bottle, and wait about two weeks before cracking open my very first cold one.

Can hardly wait!

"He that can have patience can have what he will."
-Benjamin Franklin

Loved and Appreciated

If ever there was any doubt, it's been obliterated! It is undeniable that this father is loved and appreciated. How else can one explain an inspired gift such as this... Behold the embodiment of true love!


You might be asking yourself, 'what is this collection of peculiar instruments?'... It's a Home Brew Kit, I tell you! She's done it again. Sheer genius!!

"A fine beer may be judged with only one sip, but it's better to be thoroughly sure."
-- Czech Proverb

Great to be a Dad

Just a few reasons it's great to be a Dad...

1. Crazy dancing
2. Running races in the backyard
3. Tickling to hysterics
4. When he takes off his Crocs and shouts "stinky piggies!"
5. Watching Toy Story together
   
6. When he tells me to "have a nice day, daddy"
7. High fives
8. Watching him sleep
9. Putting away all our toys at the end of the day
10. When he picks me (instead of Mom) to read a bedtime story
    

"Adults are just obsolete children and the hell with them."
Dr. Seuss

Grapevine Triathlon

Thanks to a friend and colleague, I was made aware the Grapevine Triathlon, a local sprint distance triathlon, that takes place just outside of Dallas. The event was held on June 5th and wouldn't you know it... I did it.

The race was a 300 yard pool swim, 20 kilometer bike, and 6 kilometer run. The distances are a little odd, and I've never done a triathlon in a pool, but hey, a race is a race!

The athletes started the swim one at a time, in 20 second intervals. Unfortunately, I severely overestimated my swim time and was lined up in the back of the starting queue with slower swimmers. I passed the guy ahead of me before I'd swam the first length. I think I passed 6 or 7 people in just 300 yards.

Once I got on the bike, I hammered away at the rolling hills of the bike course, hitting over 30 miles per hour at times and averaging 19.4 mph for the 20k. I must have passed another half dozen by the time I rolled into T2.

Then the Texas heat (and mediocre training regimen) began to take it's toll... It must have been well into the mid-80s and humid! Knowing I'd not trained as fully as I should have for this race, I eased into the run and settled into what felt like a modest pace. After the first quarter mile I got my legs back but chose to be conservative given the heat.

As the finish line approached I realized I could have (and should have) pushed a little harder through the run. Turns out I was only running a 9:18 pace. No wonder I felt so good out there.

Alas, I was in excellent form for the after party... a wine, beer, and BBQ fueled post-race party on the grounds of the Cross Timbers Winery. Great stuff!

All told, it was a great little race, well managed, good support, and a great after-party. I finished in 1:22:21 which was good enough for 29th place (out of ~150) and just shy of an age group podium placement.

Next year it's mine!

"Time is the longest distance between two places." -Tennessee Williams

Fresh

Since so much in my life has changed of late I figured it high time for my blog to follow suit. So, new look, new feel. Heck, maybe I’ll even post some new content from time to time. Stick around, stranger things have happened.

"All is change; all yields its place and goes."
-Euripides

Hello Texas!

Well dear readers, it’s been a little over a month and the dust is beginning to settle, the boxes are slowly disappearing, and the words “do you know where the ____ is?” are fading from daily use.

In many ways life has changed little. I get up, workout (when motivated), go to the office, put in long hours, head home, eat, sleep, repeat. It's the environment in which I do these things that has changed dramatically.

A cramped apartment has been replaced by a spacious home.

An overcrowded subway has been supplanted by a quite drive on back roads.

In lieu of a drab office, I toil in a sprawling and certified green campus complete with gym, bike parking, and shower facilities.

Frankly, in most ways, suburban family life in Texas is better. Though I will readily admit that DFW is lacking a few important amenities. Chief among them: delivery.

It’s much more difficult to find good ethnic restaurants. And when you do find them… augh, delivery is not really viable. In New York I took it for granted that I could have Panaeng curry or Chana masala or a spicy tuna roll delivered… at midnight… in less than 30 minutes. Alas, good bibimbap is no longer my reality.

Also a surprise, and you'd never know it by looking at our overgrown weed patch, but I’m developing a fetish for lawn maintenance. Perhaps it’s the exercise. Maybe the meditative state reached while walking behind the mower. Or it could be pride of ownership. Perchance the binary nature of mowed vs unkempt. Whatever it is, I’m all giddy when it comes to firing up the Toro and mulching up some Bermuda grass.

The long and short of it is that we've arrived and are enjoying our new home.

(yeah, yeah, yeah... the yard needs work)

"Fine art and pizza delivery, what we do falls neatly in between."
-David Letterman

Farewell New York!

It's astounding how a casual conversation can so dramatically change the course of life. A few months ago, while bemoaning the exorbitant costs of real estate in New York City, a colleague teased, "Hey, you could always move to Texas."

This off-the-cuff remark was a reference to the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex, which is home to the global headquarters of my employer. And now, less than three months later, we're poised to close on our first home… In Texas.

Yes, we're packing up and making a fifteen hundred mile trek to The Lone Star State.

After nearly fourteen years as a resident of New York City I find myself with mixed emotions about leaving. Moving means leaving behind over a decade of memories, dear friends, and professional networks. It's walking away from the incredible nightlife, the world’s best restaurants, Broadway, Lincoln Center, Times Square, Central Park, Astoria Park, Hell’s Kitchen, Little Italy, the LES, the NY Road Runners, the Hellgate Road Runners, and all of the things that make New York City…. well, New York City.

Walking around, knowing my time as a citizen of Gotham is drawing to a close, I still have those “only in New York” moments… when you turn a corner and are struck by the grandeur of the skyline… hearing a Verdi opera in the subway performed by a guy sporting an orange mohawk … walking down some random West Village street full of boutiques, bars, and charming cafes… getting into a cab driven by a turban wearing Muslim with aviator sunglasses who’s listening to Lynard Skynard and drives like Mario Andretti… There are many things I will miss about New York City.


Conversely, there’s a long list of inconveniences, a litany of annoyances, and a cadre of complaints, but I’ll spare you all that negativity and instead focus on the positive.

We’ll gain a home, a backyard, our very own washer and dryer (no quarters required!), we’ll have a garage, a garbage disposal (a genuine luxury), nearly four times the square footage and I’ll cut my commute by more than half. We’ll be near good schools, our cost of living will go down, we’ll pay less in taxes, and we’ll build equity rather than pay rent.

And we’re doing all this for two simple reasons. One of which stands at about three feet tall and the other is still growing in utero… Yup! We’re having baby number two. Due later this summer!

When I first moved here in 1996 the grime, the noise, the crowds, the hustle and pomp were riveting and enlivening. Now all these years later what we want out of life has changed. What we need has changed. Somehow, squeezing into a filthy N Train at rush hour has lost a little of its luster.

Like true New Yorkers, we’re rolling with the changes and will bring a little bit of NYC to DFW.

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.”
-John F. Kennedy

Lessons Learned While Running The Philadelphia Marathon

On Sunday, November 22nd I set out to run my sixth marathon – this time through the historic city of Philadelphia.

Race morning was just about perfect: crisp cool weather with plenty of sunshine. I felt pretty good and despite a few blunders (forgotten GU, a dead battery, no safety pins for the bib number) made it to the start intact, semi-focused, mostly healthy, and perhaps best of all, on time.

My training for this race started back in early August and went reasonably well. I could have gotten in a few additional training runs and I probably should have swapped Thursday morning “coffee & donuts” for “Gatorade and tempo runs,” but that said, I was fanatical about my weekly long run, occasionally getting up at four o’clock in the morning to squeeze in a 20 miler prior to work, and I was devoted to my speed work.

So when I queued up at the starting line I felt confident and ready to wallop the notoriously fast course, Rocky Balboa style. It’s worth noting here that when I signed up for the race my primary purpose was to drop a few pounds and get myself back into shape. I did not intend to run a personal best. The aim was simply to run – and finish smiling.

Conventional marathon strategy is to start out slow… 26.2 miles is a very long way and the marathon has never been won in the first few miles. Alas, I set prudence aside and set out at a brisk pace from the get go. Foolhardy perhaps, but hey, you never know!

The first ten miles clicked by in the blink of an eye and at the halfway point I was running a pace just shy of a personal best (if you subtract the two minutes needed for a bio-break at mile eleven).

If fact, I ran well right up until I hit the wall. And by “hit the wall” I mean hurling oneself at terminal speed into a reinforced cinderblock wall.

The mile splits tell the story just…

Mile 1 - 8:05
Mile 2 - 7:38
Mile 3 - 7:33
Mile 4 - 7:54
Mile 5 - 7:52
Mile 6 - 7:56
Mile 7 - 7:38
Mile 8 - 8:10
Mile 9 - 7:53
Mile 10 - 8:15
Mile 11 - 10:17 (bio break)
Mile 12 - 7:57
Mile 13/14 - 16:21 (whoops!)
Mile 15 - 8:05
Mile 16 - 8:24
Mile 17 - 8:13
Mile 18 - 8:01
Mile 19 - 8:31
Mile 20 - 8:54
Mile 21 - 8:51
Mile 22 - 9:53
Mile 23 - 9:30
Mile 24 - 9:40
Mile 25 - 10:13
Mile 26 - 9:41
Mile .2 - 1:54

Miles nineteen through twenty-four were U-G-L-Y! I was exhausted, defeated, and reduced to a grimaced shuffle/walk. I’m not sure what hurt worse… my pride or everything else. The confidence that so thoroughly filled me at the start was now entirely spent.

Only three things kept me moving forward: momentum, a stubborn will, and a little mental game I play called Just a Bit Further. Fortunately for me the last ten kilometers of the course are lined with parking regulation signs that read: No Stopping Any Time.

The signs are spaced out every few hundred meters so I’d fixate on one, telling myself “just a bit further… just to that sign ahead.”

And then repeat. And then repeat again. And again. For miles…

Even though the last few miles were just a slow as those that preceded them, I did bounce back mentally and crossed the finish line with a smile (at least on the inside).

My official finish time is 3:43:26 a pace of 8:31/mile. Certainly not my best marathon time – certainly not my worst either.

In hindsight, I could have stuck to my training program more closely, I could have been more mentally prepared, and I should have done my long training runs at race pace. But I don’t regret going out hard – it’s important to test oneself by pushing the limits of ability because, hey, you just never know...

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest."
-Confucius

Philly

I'm all keyed up for the Philadelphia Marathon. Heck, I'm even training for this marathon... and so far it's going pretty well. Can't expect to run any PRs, but I'm in. I'm committed. I'm doing the work and I'm enjoying it.

"You're gonna eat lightnin' and you're gonna crap thunder!"
-Rocky

Tri Birthday

3:15 AM… Go time!

Well, at least is was this past Sunday, July 26th, for the Nautica New York City Triathlon - which also happens to have been my birthday!

The NYC Tri is an Olympic distance triathlon consisting of a 1.5 kilometer swim in the mighty Hudson River, a 40 kilometer bike ride up the west side of Manhattan, into the Bronx and back, followed by a 10 kilometer run though Central Park.

I’m tired just describing it but even now, nearly a week later, I feel a surge of adrenaline as I reflect on the experience.

Rain was “plentiful” in the days leading up to the race and I as made my way to the transition area the Mother Nature “graced” us with a fresh shower. Thanks for that...

Some 3,400 athletes competed, starting in waves of about 100 or so, according to age group. My heart pounded as I got nearer and nearer to the starting barge but once on deck I was able to relax… I’ve trained, I feel strong, and I know I can do this.

And then it was my turn. With little pomp I plopped into the Hudson awaiting the starting horn. Due to all the rain, the current was stronger than typical which created a lot of churn in the water. Visibility was literally zero but the swim was FAST (at least for me)! As per my norm, I started out way too hard and let my heart rate get out of control. I caught myself, backed off the frantic pace and settled into a sustainable swim stroke.

About three-quarters of the way into the swim the water got a little choppy and I took in a mouthful of brackish river water. Generally, I’m not too afraid of swallowing a little water but this is the Hudson in New York City. Naturally, I gagged as my body expelled that which should not be named or consumed.

Before I knew it the finish barge was just a few meters away. I was out of the water and across the mat in 20:15. Some 10 minutes faster than last year. Did I mention the current was fast?

Transition is a fair distance from the swim exit and requires a barefoot run on concrete so my T1 time was bunk.

I did rip up the bike course, competing the 40 kilometer course in 1 hour and 15 minutes (just shy of 20 miles per hour). And I did it on my new Bianchi. Oh, it’s a pretty machine and I suspect it will be my trusty steed for many years to come.

I bolted out of transition pushing up to 30MPH on fresh legs but had to slow down as the course turned uphill. There’s a few technical twists and a couple of wicked descents where I flirted with 40MPH.

A few miles from the end of the course a guy blew by me on a pretty nice bike. I immediately got up out of the saddle and caught up to him – nobody goes by me *that* fast! Laboring to stay with him I noticed his body marking… 16. This guy was literally half my age. It stung a little less when he pulled away and I couldn’t keep up.

Transition 2 came and went without incident and I took off for the final leg of the race on foot. It’s a bit of a cruel joke that the run begins with a steep climb. Sigh.

Once out of Riverside Park and onto 72nd street the fan support was terrific and I saw Salena and Jackson cheering me on. A quick detour for a kiss from the Mrs. and a high-five from the little man was all I needed by way of inspiration.

Once into Central Park the fan support dwindled and the humidity and the Harlem hills began to weigh in. I finished in a rather unimpressive 52:07 or 8:23 per mile.

As I neared the finish I got another pick-me-up from my mini cheering team, now accompanied by a friend and fellow triathlete, Eamonn.

I crossed the finish line with a surge and a huge birthday smile in 2 hours, 38 minutes, 19 seconds.

1.5 Kilometers + 40 Kilometers + 10 Kilometers = 32 miles. The irony is not lost on me... Happy Birthday, indeed!

"I'm now at the age where I've got to prove that I'm just as good as I never was."
-Rex Harrison

Coming Together

The quality, consistency, and intensity of my training is finally starting to come together. I've worked out 8 of the past 10 days - some 60 miles on the bike, 4 solid runs (including a 15k), some time in the pool, and a spin class for good measure.

The best part about this is that my ankle seems to be mostly on the mend. I just hope it's not too late to do me any good in the New York City Tri which is now just a couple weeks away. Zoiks!

"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by."
-Douglas Adams

Optmstk

I suppose it's a little easier to be optimistic when you're driving around in a Mercedes-Benz but still... nice license plate.

"Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz? My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends. Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends, So Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?"
-Janis Joplin

iTunes Data

Data mining in iTunes:

How many songs total: 14,885

How many hours or days of music: 40.7 days

Most recently played: "Blue Cajun" by the Cajun All Stars

Most played: Sexy Boy by AIR

Most recently added: NewsHour wiht Jim Lehrer podcast

Sort by song title:

First Song: "A-Tisket A-Tasket" by Chick Webb & His Orchestra
Last Song: "!@#*" by Rusted Root

Sort by time:

Shortest Song: "Hidden Track" on Marvin Gaye's The Master 1961-1984 [Disc 3]
Longest Song: "War of the Worlds" by Orson Welles

Sort by album:

First album: ABC Monday Night Football
Last album: 1969 All-Star White House Tribute (Duke Ellington)

First song that comes up on Shuffle: "One For Daddy-O" by Cannonball Adderley

Search the following and state how many songs come up:

Death - 97
Life - 311
Love - 915
Hate - 29
You - 1,462
Sex - 42

"Man, if you gotta ask, you'll never know."
-Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong

Gary

As runners and athletes we dedicate an inordinate amount of time to our passion. We sacrifice time with family, friends, and loved ones for sport and pursuit of fitness. We train for months on end, in the depths of winter, to be able to run 26.2 miles in as little time as our legs, lungs, and heart will allow.

Life, or in this case death, has a way of reminding us of what's important.

I've run thousands of miles and will likely run thousands more in the years ahead. I only have 3 uncles. Now only two.

Sadly, my Uncle Gary passed away and left me with a choice: attend his memorial or run my marathon.

In truth, there was only one option.

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
-John Lennon

No time for doubt

The past two weeks have been a total bust for my running. I'm having some serious doubts about my ability to complete the marathon in a reasonable time. My commitment to training has been abominable.

But with only 5 weeks to go there's no time for doubt.

"The strength or weakness of our conviction depends more on our courage than on our intelligence."
-Vauvenargues

...And Which Way To My Room?

It is a cruel joke this hotel plays on road-weary travelers...

"What is conceived well is expressed clearly, and the words to say it with arrive with ease."
-Nicolas Boileau

22 Miles

This 22 miler was a turning point in my training. I headed out planning to do 16 and wasn't sure I could even do that... but I felt great and just kept going.

Sure it wasn't a fast run but it reestablished the fact that I can and will run this marathon!




"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure."
-Mark Twain

Manhattan Half-Marathon

I ran the Manhattan Half-Marathon on Sunday. At 8:00 AM. In 14 degree weather. Before windchill.

Yes, it was astonishingly cold.

The kind of cold that instantly sucks the moisture from your skin. The bone-chilling freeze that turns your normally deft feet into blocks of gawky ice. The wintry blast that never allows you to warm - regardless of pace or distance.

I suppose I'd complain a little less about the cold had I run a little faster. I finished in 1:45:48 or about 8:04 per mile. All in all, not too bad. But when compared to my time for this race last year... Well, there really is no comparison.

Bottom line is that I have lost a substantial amount of endurance and fitness and there's only one way to get it back.

"Ain't nothing to it but to do it."
-Ronnie Coleman

Another Marathon

I did it... I just went right ahead and did it... I'm now signed up for The Long Island Marathon!


And now I need to start training!

"I like things to happen; and if they don't happen, I like to make them happen."
-Winston Churchill

Unresolved

I have a host of proposed New Year’s resolutions. A few of them might actually stick. However, I’m finding it difficult committing to running – specifically training for a spring marathon.

I’d weighed the Las Vegas Marathon but I wasn’t really in shape and thought… Why take a chance?

I got all fired up about the Miami Marathon but when it got cold in New York so did my training.

Several friends are lining up for the Nashville Marathon but I am finding myself out of step.

What’s a guy to do?

“Resolve, and thou art free.”
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow