Sunday, July 31, 2011

east coast mark recommends:

A few items worth taking note of:

Derek Jeter 3K:
As a Twins fan, I have a painful history of watching my Twins go down in flames at the hands of the Yankees.  I've been to 4 different Twins games at Yankee Stadium (most all of them playoff games) - and I've not yet seen a victory.  Nonetheless, HBO's new documentary following Derek Jeter's quest for 3,000 hits is pretty solid.  By all accounts he's a standup guy, keeps a tight group of loyal friends, won't get behind the wheel after having even 1 beer, and has a smokin' hot girlfriend.  Not to play spoiler, but he hit a homerun for his 3,000th hit - and went 5 for 5 on the day.  Derek Jeter 3K


The appetizing Minka Kelly

CEP Compression Socks:
Compression socks have been a hot topic for a couple years now, and I must say I'm a fan.  Compression socks are nothing new - doctors have been prescribing them to the elderly and obese for 25 years...to help alleviate leg pain.  However, in the last couple years, the endurance athletic community have embraced these socks - and made them the hottest topic amongst any group of runners or cyclists.  The basic premise is that after exercise, you put on these very tight socks - and they help improve blood flow, and reduce lactic acid buildup and soreness.   I use them after runs of 6+ miles - wear them for 3 or 4 hours, and I wake up the next morning feeling completely fresh.  $59.95 from CEP

Johnston & Murphy Slip-Ons:
You ever see frat boys stumbling around town wearing flip flops?  I know, I hate it too.  I have flip-flops, but only for the purposes of going to the beach or walking the 50 paces out to the pool.  My go-to shoe for the summer are slip-ons from Johnston & Murphy.  They're far more practical for walking around in, protect the foot, and you avoid the 'slapping' and stumbling from a normal pair of flip flops.  I probably burn through 1 pair a summer.  Always worn sockless.  $99.00 from Johnston & Murphy




Vesper Martini:
I don't always drink martinis, but when I do - I prefer the Vesper.  I've been making this drink as a bartender for probably 5 years, but only started to drink them regularly about 2 years ago.  A straight vodka or straight gin martini tend to be a bit much for me.  This drink combines them both, and throws in a dash of lillet and lemon.  Extremely agreeable for a hot summer evening.  They won't know how to make this at your local Applebee's (nor have the right ingredients) - but if you go to a half decent bar, one proficient in the art of cocktails, they should be able to help you out.  I drink 6 at a time.

Also, if you've seen either of the most recent 007 movies - Bond drinks them ever so smoothly:

"A dry martini," [Bond] said. "One. In a deep champagne goblet."
"Oui, monsieur."
"Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?"
"Certainly, monsieur." The barman seemed pleased with the idea.
"Gosh, that's certainly a drink," said Leiter.
Bond laughed. "When I'm...er...concentrating," he explained, "I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well-made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad. This drink's my own invention. I'm going to patent it when I can think of a good name."
—Ian Fleming, Casino Royale

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Vincentown 2011 - Tri #3

My third triathlon of the season was this past Saturday. Even though these events require a 5am wake-up call, I'm always glad they have them on Saturday mornings vs. Sunday. Having them first thing Saturday morning means that by 10am the race is over, and you have the rest of the weekend to eat cheeseburgers; guilt free.

Perfect weather - about 81 at race time. Back to a Sprint distance for this race (400m swim, 15 mile bike, 3.1 mile run). Wasn't my best swim ever, but still finished in the top 1/3rd. Bike I pushed pretty hard, even though there somehow managed to be a head-wind no matter which direction we were going. Averaged about 21mph on the bike. Run was decent, averaged just over 9min/mile. Not Kenyan speed, but looking better for me.

One area I'm really rocking this season is the transitions. "T1" (between the swim and bike legs) I had the 29th fastest time out of 180 people. What that really means is that I'm fast at getting out of my wetsuit, and getting onto my bike (and it's associated helmet, shoes, glasses) pretty quickly.

I always like to learn something new about my technique at each event, and what did I learn this time? I'm not a fan of the Cherry/Lime flavor of GU Rocktane. Opt for Pineapple or Chocolate instead.

2 weeks from now is the New Jersey State Championships, and it'll be the longest triathlon of my career - the 'Olympic Distance' (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6.2 mile run).






Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Field of Dreams 2 - NFL Edition


Antonio Cromartie, with his penchant for the ladies, might give a more believeable performance than the Harry Potter kid.

Update: Apparently he's a werewolf, not a wizard.