Saturday, June 25, 2011

Go Commando 5K - mid race

What a fun, fun race... These guys really know how to put a show.   Finished the 5K in 25 minutes almost to the dot.  Weather was great (70) and the sky was cloudy.  

The 5K was very hilly and sprinkled with obstacles "commando-style".  Certainly not a Navy SEAL training course, but it was a blast to zip through the race.

Jumping over the (very, very small) fire at the end and running through the mud were some of my favorite parts.  Of course the free hot dog and beer at the end were not bad either...

Go Commando 5K

Ready to go!!!

Team Ortho Minneapolis 1/2 Marathon

Man, was I happy on sticking with my decision not to run a full marathon again on a summer day.  I made that decision a year ago after having a miserable run at the Team Ortho Minneapolis Marathon.  In fact, at the time, the decision had been never to run another marathon.  However, once the fog left my head (or perhaps came back) the decision was modified to never run another summer marathon.

So this year I did the half and truly enjoyed it.  Not only that, but I did fairly well not quite hitting a PR, but getting a second or third best on that distance finishing in 1:49:56 (route).  What's more, I was in the 86 percentile.  This is huge for me, used to finishing just above the 50 percentile in my age group.

Kudos go to Team Ortho.  By far the best organizers of races in the Twin Cities with the best gear.  Clearly practice makes perfect.  These guys are busy...

Running right in front of the Phoenix on Main Street

My new iPhone wallpaper

It sort of helps me feel fast ;-)

Victor's 1959

It's Wednesday and we are on our usual mid-week escapade with Mike and Anita and can't think of where to go.  Then somebody suggests Victor's 1959.  We have been trying to go there for a long time, but every time we get there (usually after our run Saturday or Sunday morning) the place is jam-packed so we end up going across the street to the Grad Cafe (not that that is a bad alternative).

The place is small with graffiti all over the walls giving it a very informal and welcoming atmosphere.  as we arrive there is a little wait, so we seat at the bar and chat with the bartender.  As we get to the table, our booth has duct tape covering a crack and somehow it seems very fitting to the place.  Nobody cares.   The service is quick and very friendly.  We are really having a good time.

The menu is appetizing and I make the mistake of not following a patron's recommendation to order the picadillo, which looked very good.  The food looked great, but would not score more than a 6.5 out of ten.  Still, the place is fun, the staff is friendly and the prices are very low.

Seems like I may need to come back for the picadillo after all.

Dog Day 5K with Bogey

Bogey and I trotted to a new PR on our annual 5K on the Dog Day 5K beating our time from last year by a full 8 seconds per mile.  It is true that there was only one water bowl this year and as a result we did not have to stop twice to drink.  That alone probably saved us a good ten seconds.  Anyway, a PR is a PR.  Our time was 25:21, which given the distractions on the road ain't bad...

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

A tenner followed by a visit to Birmingham's Fish Market

Last Saturday was our last day in Alabama.  Since Sunday was a travel day (and an early one with our plane leaving around 7:00 AM), I decided to combine my Saturday and Sunday runs into a single one.  That made for ten miles which I started early morning to minimize the effect of the high temperature and humidity.

The run was great.  The winding road I took was rather quiet, since most was part of an undeveloped subdivision, but still offered two other runners to cross a couple of times.

Later that day, we went to Birmingham's Fish Market for lunch.  If you find yourself in Birmingham looking for a place to eat, this is definitely the one.  A Greek seafood restaurant with a fish market full of great and vey fresh seafood and spices (some of which our hosts Don and Sheila graciously bought for us).

The inside is pleasant, and reminiscent of a Mediterranean restaurant, but given the good weather we opted to seat outside.

The menu is hardly a Greek one.  Some of the items are definitely greek, but the southern-Creole fingerprint is definitely present with some of it's staples picking my interest from the menu written on a chalkboard.

Don, a regular who works just a mile down the road, knows the place well and orders appetizers for all (a hole in one if you ask me).    

The fried crab claws (above) are tender, almost sweet, but the big surprise is the fried pickles.  The briny flavor turns into a deliciously salty.  We devour those pretty fast and find ourselves digging through the crumbs at the bottom of the plate.





Last, the obligatory fried green tomatoes disappoint no one.  The crispy cornmeal exterior contrasts with the fresh, juicy tomatoes on the inside.  A great treat.

After learning from my experience at The Depot I ignore my niece Jessica's advise and listen to Don.  An easy task since he not only knows the place well, but also recommend the Jambalaya, one of my favorite dishes.  All entrees come with two sides.  I order the greek style potatoes (part of my carb loading strategy ;-) and the fried okra (at right) which is delicious.  
With the exception of the spice level (not hot at all and requiring a good dose of the hot sauce on the table)  the dish is fabulous.  Most definitely a great ending to a trip that was not planned as a culinary adventure, but a High School Graduation celebration for our niece.