In Search of Espresso Part III

This is the third part of a likely four part series. In short I'm attempting to try a new coffee shop each day in July. You can read Part I here or Part II here.

July 12 - Elliot Bay Cafe
Previous home of the Elliot Bay Book Store (a Seattle stalwart which recently moved locations ... after changing owners) this little coffee shop is underground. It's also famous for being the model for the shop in Frasier although it's been remodeled since.

In Search of Espresso Part II

This is the second part of a likely four part series. In short I'm attempting to try a new coffee shop each day in July. You can read Part I here.

July 5 - Original Bakery

This is the nearest coffee shop to me so I've been there a few times. It is definitely a bakery so the espresso quality is not as consistent as other places. I actually had a really nice cup on this day (last time the owner put water in my drink so I preempted the possibility this time) and mean to come back here at least for the great looking baked goods they have.

July 6 - Zeitgeist

This is the nearest place to work for me and I've been here a couple of times. I honestly find Zeitgeist a bit pretentious so admittedly my opinion was biased coming in. They have good baked goods and the space is open so has a "I could get work done here" feel; it is a bit of a meeting place however.

In Search of Espresso Part I

I was recently talking with a couple of online peeps (@RagDoll_Inc and @dorthybitestoto) and I was ... well let's say scolded for taking by business to Starbucks rather than one of the local coffee shops. Let's forget for a moment that Starbucks is local to Seattle (yeah, they know this).

Admittedly I am a creature of habit - don't know the last time I didn't eat Phad Thai at a Thai restaurant or eat enchiladas at my favorite Mexican joint and so on. I do love Starbucks espresso and they tempt me with "gold status" which I guess saves me 6.25% of my drinks in the long-run.

So I decided to test my boundaries and try a new local espresso shop each day for the month of July. I'm no critic and I don't have a sophisticated palette with respect to coffee but I figured I'd find out what else was out there.

My only task for myself was to order my drink (five shots over ice) and see what happens. What was the groove of the place? Was the espresso good? Was the staff service-oriented? Did the shop seem to have embrace stewardship (organic, fair trade beans, cup discount for my own cup)? Overall, what did I think?

The only other rule I gave myself was to go to "coffee shops" which does not include espresso stands or restaurants with an espresso machine. Around here bakeries count as coffee shops - at least for the purposes of my project.

The following list is from the first half of my month and centers around West Seattle (where I live) and Pioneer Square (where I work). In fairness I have gone back to Starbucks twice during this month - once while traveling for my 50k and once because I needed to scoot into the office in a hurry. I've gone back to one of the shops twice. After about a dozen shops you start to lose options within walking distance even in Seattle!

Grey Rock 50k Race Report

The Grey Rock 50k is billed as the "Toughest 50k in Washington" - while I have no experience with other 50k's let alone others in Washington - I'm inclined to believe this.

I ran the Grey Rock 50k on July 10. To be honest I didn't have much expectation coming into this "race." This was my first ultra and I wanted to run well. Some part of me thought I was conditioned enough to run in the six hour range. I felt I had a good plan for fueling (what to eat / drink) but did not have a lot of thoughts about the trails. I knew I could cover the distance as long as I stayed safe and since I've done a lot of hiking I felt I could avoid injury on these types of trails.

Expectations
This was my first 50k so I went in with pretty open expectations. I knew it would be tough - I've hiked these types of trails before but never run. I had an idea about the profile (1800' up, then down, up 2000', down 200' then go back for 6000' of elevation gain). I had a fueling plan and I knew what time the race started. That was about it.

Seattle Rock N Roll Marathon 2010 Race Report

This was the second annual Seattle Rock N Roll Marathon and my second attempt at it. This is a large race (25,000 entrants with about 6000 doing the marathon) and will probably be my last RnR and my last large marathon for quite awhile.

I had a bit of redemption given my performance in the 2009 race. I had trained very well for this run and felt quite ready with my base, tempo training, etc. Of course the last couple of weeks of taper always give you a bit of time to doubt your abilities. But I felt really good going in that I would be able to hit my goal of a sub 4:00 and possibly hit a 3:50 marathon.

One thing about marathon training is there are A LOT of plans on how to train. There is a A LOT of advice on how to taper. There just isn't that much about how to actually run a marathon on race day. With that in mind I sought out this advice during the taper week and found some good stuff.

Here is what I found.

Grand Ridge Solstice Trail Run - Race Report

After reading Anton Krupicka's blog yesterday I decided to screw my taper plan and go for a trail run (of course as a couple of my friends and I have been discussing what use is a taper when you're running a marathon one weekend (Seattle Rock 'N' Roll) and a 50k (Grey Rock Trail Run) two weekends after that?). The trail I really like is at Grand Ridge Park which I ran a month ago for the first time. It's very lightly traveled and I learned last night that there is an effort to get more people out to the park. The WTA (WA Trails Assn) has also added a couple of more trails and has plans to add more in the future. It's right in the foothills of the Cascades so you get a bit of elevation and plenty of up and down. This is also the local park where I'm planning a 50k in August (Grand Ridge 50K) so I figure get as many miles in running those trails as possible.

50 Back & 2 Forward

One year ago I was two weeks away from running my first marathon - the inaugural Seattle Rock 'N' Roll (race report). Two weeks from now I will compete in my third marathon - the 2nd annual Seattle Rock 'N' Roll. As I begin my taper I thought it important to take a look back and take stock of where I am.

Training Time
This time last year I had put in a measly 37 hours and 21 minutes of running training. I have put in 66:19 this year.

This time last year I had put in 41:08 in total training. This year - 86:35.

Note that this year I broke my toe and was thus out for six weeks. I did, however, add cycling into my cross-training during this time and have also added yoga into my routine this year.

Injury
At this time last year I had developed ITBS due to overuse and a rapid increase in mileage run. This year, I have had some minor issues with my ITB but have adopted the roller and kept it looser. I have also added yoga, trail running, and done specific IT Band workouts to strengthen my lateral leg muscles.