I'm Back,The Weather Breaks, Intel on the Prague Marathon, and Technical Issues

OK, I'm back from my 3 week vacation at the Hohenfels Training Area, where my unit validated our training and was declared ready for deployment to Afghanistan. While at Hohenfels I only managed to get a short 2 mile run in. So not much run training while I was there.

I have been back for about a week and I got a 7.5 mile run in last Wednesday, a 5 mile run on Thursday, a 2 miler on Friday and then a long run of almost 11 miles on Sat. The week started out good but by the time I ran Sat I was struggling, I'd actually wanted to go for 15 or 16 miles and I just crapped out at 11 when I ran by the house. I'll try to get the run logs updated and posted on the dates I ran.

In addition to my own physical struggles I've come to realize that all of my fine staff Lieutenants are struggling as well. Not in training for a marathon but in training to pass the PT test. The Squadron Commander took all of the staff officers on a run Thursday (The 5 miler) and only 4 out of 10 were able to maintain a 9 min pace for 5 miles. I was immediately directed to start staff PT. That means I've got to somehow work in my workouts around and into the staff workouts. We'll see how successful I am.

The weather has finally broke around here. I have finally seen grass after seeing snow covered ground since Christmas. It's been great to discover some new trails that become apparent with no snow and I'm getting itcy to get off the spin bike or trainer and do a long ride.

Last week was the Prague Half Marathon, put on by the same people who are doing the Marathon in June. Two of my more physically inclined staff officers went up and ran it. They came back talking about the huge cobblestones on the route and how rough the roads where on the knees. On the flip side there was a huge fest with lots of good Czech beer, sausages, and other food after the race and they also raved about the scenery. I'll just make sure I've got ice for the knees and I'll drown the pain in beer along with a couple of Motrin.

The technical issue part is coming in my inability to post this weeks workout, somehow I can't upload the pictures. I'll try it again tomorrow night after work.

Paulaner Salvator/Tucher Bajuvator

As I mentioned in my last review it's bock season and I've spent the last week since the end of my training exercise looking for a double brewed bock or doppelbock before the season ends with Easter. I've managed to come across two and I'll review one of them and touch on the other briefly.

Most doppelbocks have names that end in "ator" and the original doppelbock was called a Salvator. Paulaner currently owns the rights to that name and it was their Salvator that I managed to get my hands on and I must say I liked it.

The Salvator poured out a deep coppery red with almost no head or a head that disappeared very quickly, as you can see from my picture. I expected a beer with a much stronger kick, but it was actually quite mellow and really reminded me more of Shiner Bock than any other bock I've had in Germany. It went down smooth really made me wish I had a schnitzal sandwich to go with it. For a more educated review go here.

The reason I was expecting more of a kick was because I had the Tucher Bajuvator at a beer call at the conclusion of our training exercise. The Bajuvator was almost as dark as a cola and had a good head. It also seemed extremely strong and had a bitter taste. I could only down two of them and I really should of stopped at 1 and a half. That probably had more to do with my lack of beer for almost a month but who knows.

On a related note Shantel asked me what I was giving up for Lent and she also suggested that it be beer. Well if the good German monks from the middle ages didn't give up beer than why should I?

Long Run Saturday

My intention was to get out this morning and do at least 13 miles and I really wanted to go for 15 or 16.  That didn't happen, the last three weeks of no running showed as I struggled to make over 10.  I had to stop and use the bathroom and ended up completing the run with only one sock.  It was a pretty slow average paceThe good thing about the run was that I did manage to find some new trails since there was no snow on the ground.  Here's the data.

Distance : 10:74 mi
Total Time: 1:58:44
AVG Pace: 11:03
Total Calories: 1664
AVG HR: 153 bpm
Max HR: 170 bpm
Pace
Mile 1: 13:54
Mile 2: 10:23
Mile 3: 11:20
Mile 4: 10:02
Mile 5: 10:01
Mile 6: 10:28
Mile 7: 10:10
Mile 8: 11:08
Mile 9: 10:30
Mile 10: 12:13
Mile .74: 11:30



Zone 1 Time: 0:07 Distance: 0 ft
Zone 2 Time: 4:00 Distance: 0.2 mi
Zone 3 Time: 1:30:25 Distance: 8.3 mi
Zone 4 Time:  25:50 Distance: 2.4 mi
Zone 5 Time: 0:00 Distance: 0.0 mi

Run With the Staff

Ever since I've been assigned to the unit we've had a very hectic schedule.  Those officers who like to do to do PT on their own have kept it up and those that have a little aversion to it have let theri effort slide a little bit.  That was apparent this morning as we did a 5 mile run with the commander.  Looks like I'm going to have to organize some staff PT and still be creative about ways to get my longer runs and workouts in.  Here's the data.

Distance : 5:.30mi
Total Time: 53:28
AVG Pace: 10:05
Total Calories: 790
AVG HR: 169 bpm
Max HR: 194 bpm
Pace
Mile 1: 9:17
Mile 2: 9:19
Mile 3: 9:38
Mile 4: 11:06
Mile 5: 10:23
Mile .30: 12:34

Zone 1 Time: 0:06 Distance: 56 ft
Zone 2 Time: .37 Distance: 164 ft
Zone 3 Time: 6:35 Distance: 0.5 mi
Zone 4 Time: 32.20 Distance: 3.3 mi
Zone 5 Time: 15:00 Distance: 1.5 mi

Working Up Some Distance

I ran 7.5 miles or so this morning.  Not too bad and I felt really good after not really feeling into it yesterday.  Here's the data.

Distance : 7:61mi
Total Time: 1:13:04
AVG Pace: 9:36
Total Calories: 1176
AVG HR: 173 bpm
Max HR: 190 bpm
Pace
Mile 1: 9:12
Mile 2: 8:33
Mile 3: 9:29
Mile 4: 9:10
Mile 5: 10:08
Mile 6: 10:25
Mile 7: 10:00
Mile .61: 9:55

Zone 1 Time: 0:07 Distance: 60ft
Zone 2 Time: 1:26 Distance: 0.1 mi
Zone 3 Time: 3:58 Distance: 0.4 mi
Zone 4 Time: 42.20 Distance: 4.3 mi
Zone 5 Time: 26:05 Distance: 2.8 mi

First Run After Being Back From Training

I knocked out 3 miles this morning and I have to admit that it was a little painful.  The HR was way too high for wha tmy pace ended up being.  Here is the data.

Distance : 3:06mi
Total Time: 29.09
AVG Pace: 9:31
Total Calories: 468
AVG HR: 168 bpm
Max HR: 178 bpm
Mile 1: 9:54
Mile 2: 9:22
Mile 3: 9:17
Zone 1 Time: 0:00 Distance: 0 ft
Zone 2 Time: 0:00 Distance: 0 ft
Zone 3 Time: 1:01 Distance: 513 mi
Zone 4 Time: 27:47 Distance: 2.9 mi
Zone 5 Time: 0:24 Distance: 197 ft

Weihenstephan Vitus Weizen Bock

This week's beer is the Weihenstephan Vitus Weizen Bock. Most of my friends and family know how much I enjoy Shiner Bock from the Spoetzl Brewery in Texas and that is the standard that I hold a Bock beer to. This one holds up pretty good even if it is a wheat bock, which is a little different style. It had a nice soft head that lasted about the right amount of time, a good copper color and was very effervesant. It's got that definite wheat/weizen taste and would probably be really good on a hot summer day.

I know I've mentioned this before but the Weihenstephan is owned by the State of Bavaria and is the oldest continuously operated brewery in Germany. We can go check out the restuarant but the brewery is closed for tours to groups smaller than 15. I'll have to see if I can't round up 14 of my closest friends and try to get in.

For those Catholics out there you all know that it is Lent and of course during Lent you are supposed to be fasting. Well the good German monks came up with a way to get around the fasting by coming up with a version of "liquid bread" to sustain them. The Germans cal Lent Starkbierzeit or Strong Beer Season. The strong beer is a double brewed bock or doppelbock, I intend to try and reveiw a doppelbock before the end of Lent .

I Think I've Lost My Running Partner

Don't overreact, no one's died or passed away. I think Shantel and I have just made the decision to not ship Maggie over to join the family in Germany. This was a really hard decision and I've waffled on it almost from when I knew we would have to make it. The bottom line is that Maggie would be almost 11 years old when she arrived in Germany and 14 or older when we returned to the states. Despite her age and her nervous disposition I think she would be able to make the trip with little to no problems. It's the return trip at the advanced age of 14 that we are worried about, that's older than other dog I've ever owned and that concerns me. That would be almost too much stress to put on her.

For those of you who know Maggie, you know I've had her longer than I've been married to Shantel. She's been a constant companion and is a perfect example of the "velcro dog" description that many people give to German Shorthairs, I love that, but it drives Shantel nuts, she won't admit but she misses Maggie too. The only thing Maggie likes more than chasing little round brown ground birds (quail) or pheasants is to go for a run with me. She would always get excited and recognize when I put on my running clothes and even though her mileage has decreased with age from 7-10 miles at a 6/6.5 minute pace to about 5 miles at a 9 minute pace I must admit that mine's decreased as well.

Don't worry Maggie's in good hands, staying with my Dad in his kennel with his German Shorthair and English Setter, getting fat and happy from the treats that Dad insists on giving her and still getting all the opportunities to chase those elusive little round brown ground birds that she can handle.

Keiler Weissbier

What I'm discovering as I try new beers and relay my thoughts on them to everyone in the blogosphere is that I'm not a true beer critic. I don't talk about hops, aroma, or some of the other things you see in a typical beer review. I do talk about color, head and flavor and whether I liked it or not. I think that is the important part, whether I liked it or not, I think that if I liked a beer most other people will as well. I'll try to get better on the other things, but really what's hops taste like anyway.

Keiler Weissbeir. This wheat or weiss beer was a murky golden color typical of wheat beers. The head disappeared rapidly and I do mean rapidly, one minute it was there, the next it was gone. There wasn't much of a citrus hint to the beer which I've come to associate with wheats and it wasn't very sweet either which has been the case with some of the German Weissbiers I had before I started writing reviews. Bottom line not a bad weissbier but I've had better. I'll have to try the other Tusker specialty, a dunkel weissbier, from Lohr brewery before I pass judgement as nothing special from these guys.