Hills and Hugel...Running and Riesling

Last Sunday, I took to the trails for the 21.2 (by my GPS..measurements vary!) extremely hilly, cold, muddy Meon Valley Plod. Quite an experience. The goal was to test my endurance out - and I am delighted to say that it passed with flying colours. I came 44th out of 250ish, and even had some push left for the last few miles. But oh my gosh, what a course! There is something very special about these kind of long events. You sit at the end, and run your mind over the 3 hours 15 of running, and all the things you have seen..and it is incredible. Sometimes you can't even believe it was the same event. So, now I need to let my legs recover, and then I have 3 weeks to get a totally different type of training in- faster work, to be road ready for the Silverstone half marathon in 3 weeks. We move away from time endurance and towards speed endurance. This is gonna hurt...

On the wine front, last night Janet was in Scotland, so I have a chance to try 'the wines that come in tall think bottles, and are a bit Germanic, and maybe a bit floral'. The wine of choice was a glorious Alsace riesling from Hugel - the tradition 2008. It was dry, only a hint of floral, and with an intense citrussy nose. At £14.95 it is not cheap, but you are getting hand-crafted wine here, some of which I am sure is the off-cuts from Grand Cru vineyards. If you have not experienced a great Riesling - and crave a very different style to Chardonny - you should get your hands on a bottle of this.

Altogether quite lovely.

Comments

Miles 34.7; Units 28

A week is a long time in running, if I may use the political catchphrase. This week started with a slippery drive to circuits, then on Tuesday having to turn back on the motorway from a drive to Sheffield, and a treadmill intervals session on Wednesday to keep safe in the icy conditions. Saturday was a gloomy and wet run, though by Sunday it was shorts and t-shirt for the long run, in the balmy conditions of 8 degrees! The Long Run, by the way, was partly down the Test Way, where you run along the old railway branch line, now a track for runners and walkers. Some lucky people bought the old station at Horsebridge and have turned it into their home, and a wedding venue. A real touch of 'Oh Mr. Porter!'. A week of trying hard and not quite succeeding, alas, with all of the runs just failing to hit the mark. Not sure why. The Romsey 5 is next weekend, and I have just not got the quality sessions in I'd like to have done. It will be an endurance battle.. Wine of this week (stil...

miles 20.64; Bike Miles 0; Units probably too many!

A couple of runs this week, Tuesday and Sunday, the latter a great long run - just over 14 miles - really feeling back in the swing of things, and ready to book some races now. It was just glorious to be out in the cool but sunny weather - absolute joy! I am finally feeling like I am able to run again. It has also been a bit more of a relaxed week at work, with a couple of days on a training course, and the rest of the time in the office. Also, the throat was gently easing out by the weekend ( I did promise not to go on about it).... ....which is good when I tell you that we went to Hotel Terravina again, this time as a gift for my 40th Birthday from Carol and Huw, to take part in a 'sabrage' event, which means that you chop the top off a bottle of champagne with a sabre! All very extravagant and grand - see me brandishing said bottle in the attached photo. What a great experience that was, really very special. Thanks to C&H for that! Other than the Champagne we also had tw...

Lovely wines in Hong Kong

Have just arrived in Hong Kong for a brief stay. Dined last night at Felix, on top of the Peninsula. Most enjoyable! Four lovely wines - Cape Mentelle Chardonnay 2010, a really delicate, lightly oaked wine, Chablis her Cru Leflaive 2006, crisp, lean, racy and with some age on it, and Zenato Amarone della Valpolicella - a beast of a wine! And to finish, Ch. Guiraud 1998, delicate, ripe, some botrytis. Life is clearly not like this every day. But it's good when it is like this a bit!

I Drink, therefore I Run

Search This Blog