Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote:I could give you all the gory details of the weekend, but you'd just be jealous. But in summary, we did the wineries, discovering one or two outstanding gems, honoured St. Patrick appropriately, drank some superb wine ('93 Penfolds Grange being the highlight) with equally superb food, and even unearthed a couple of single malt gems, viz the nicely-priced Ardbeg 10 y.o. and the superlative Bruichladdic 15 y.o. Mmmm.
Wow, is Grange Hermitage still affordable over there then? One of the finest wine experiences I ever had was a small Grange tasting tutored by Don Ditter, the then head winemaker at Penfolds. I was working in the trade at the time so I didn't have to pay for it either. The wines were just incredibly good.
Ah, I just did a search and realise that I've mentioned this event before. It reminded me of something that Ditter said: "Just one glass of Grange is like a three course meal and a bloody fine cigar..."
Great guy, very down to earth. The funniest bit was when he tried to show us a video of how the wine is made, but it turned out he'd brought his Dad's Army collection over by mistake.
But anyway, my local supermarket stocks Grange occasionally in its fine wine section. But at about £120 a bottle, it's destined to remain just a memory.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
andy Wrote:Wow, is Grange Hermitage still affordable over there then?
Er, no.
Sadly, drinking Grange is an exceptionally rare occurence in the MLC Man diary of events. Which is why it was such an amazing weekend. Curse today's return to normality!
Ahhh...Single Malt Islays. We've been meaning to get up to Islay for the last couple of years now. Perhaps this summer we'll finally manage it; although whisky and winter do go hand-in-hand.
My personal favoraite is Laphroaig. I've always got a bottle in the study. I even buy the odd block of peat to burn in the fire to enhance the drinking.
Lovely jublee.
Good to hear you can indulge yourself then trot out a good run. That must be a great feeling
glaconman Wrote:Ahhh...Single Malt Islays...My personal favoraite is Laphroaig. I've always got a bottle in the study. I even buy the odd block of peat to burn in the fire to enhance the drinking.
It's also hugely popular down here in Hobart. It has always been a favourite with the yachties, so the waterside pubs always have it available, and its popularity has spread. Took me a while to learn to love it though (about two nips I think).
glaconman Wrote:Good to hear you can indulge yourself then trot out a good run. That must be a great feeling
andy Wrote:Coincidentally, I just received this from my local wine company. I see that it includes a Tasmanian red.
Anything on here that I should kill for?
Domaine A is a very, very classy cool-climate cabernet. I love it, and 2000 was an exceptional year, so yes, go for it by all means. It's slightly infuriating to note that our wine is somewhat cheaper over there than it is here, and for SP's benefit I will mention this is because of the ridiculously high wine tax that we have to pay. :mad:
If you're seriously prepared to fork out the dosh, here's a subjective assesment which is probably more useful than another ream of tasting notes, which you can easily find for yourself using Google. Put it this way: faced with a choice of 1 bottle of Penfolds Grange or for about the same money, six bottles of Domaine A cabernet, I would unhesitatingly choose the Domaine A - obviously they are very different wines, but the enjoyment level is more similar than the price difference would suggest.
In fact I have a bit of a story to tell about Domaine A. Prior to its purchase by the Swiss winemaker Peter Althaus, the winery was owned and run by a man named George Park who built it as a weekend winery and retirement project. He made small batches of many varieties, including some very unusual ones for Tasmania such as zinfandel and also shiraz, both of which are difficult to ripen here. His most succesful wines were (not surprisingly for Tasmania) pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon, but my wife and I especially loved his zinfandel. In fact we chose it as the red wine for our wedding reception. His Stoney Vineyard wines were quite successful with a few wine show medals and some good reviews by wine writers such as James Halliday, but his output was very small. Eventually he sold the vineyards and winery to Peter Althaus who continues to produce Stoney wines as his second label, but it is the Domaine A pinot noir, cabernetsauvignon and a superb fume blanc that have become famous.
Anyway, last time I was there (2001 I think) I was talking to them about the old Stoney wines and was invited down to meet Peter Althaus and saw his cellar, where I was gob-smacked by the sight of more classified Bordeaux than I thought could comfortably exist in one place... below is a pic of one small part of it (that's Peter Althaus on the right, smiling as the owner of a small mountain of fine Bordeaux ought).
But anyway, it is seriously good wine. I haven't tried everything in that list you attached, but for my money the Domaine A would be top pick, although I'd be very tempted by the Australian Collector's Edition Luxury Six.
Thanks for the advice, mate. It's more than I'd usually spend on Australian wine, but I'm tempted to pick up half a dozen Domaine A. My one hesitation is over the two words preceding the price: "first instalment". I need to clarify what that means. It's likely that it doesn't include duty (about £1.25 a bottle) and tax (a more substantial 17.5%). If I drink one bottle a year, that means I'd have one left in 2012. Hmm....
Great picture . The wine on the left, cases 2,3,4 look like Chateau Cissac. It's a great Bordeaux bargain (not often you hear that phrase). I've bought a few cases of the 2005. In fact, I bought a lot of 2005 Bordeaux, full stop. Well, I had to blow my redundancy money on something...
Thanks again. Always good to get recommendations from the locals...
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
After that very nice diversion to matters vinous, it was back to matters strenuous - two more short sessions safely in the bag so far this week, and feeling good with it. I've moved up to 4 sessions per week now, with the overall duration and speed up just slightly. It's all going very well, but I'm acutely aware that April is my bogey month - I've been injured in each of the last three Aprils, so I'm easing up the effort very, very gradually. But as I say, thus far it's all going very well indeed.
I've entered two short races in May - an 8km fun run and the 11km previously mentioned. I'll be treating these purely as training runs and certainly not looking for PBs or any such thing. Really they are just a welcome break from the treadmill and a chance to test out knees and things on the hard reality that is tarmac and concrete. But having entered (and paid), it means I'll be treating April with caution so as to not have wasted my money.
Other good news - I've finally tracked down a copy of Julie Welch's 26.2, and am quite enjoying it thus far. Thanks to whoever it was who gave it such a glowing recommendation (Andy I think).
The forum is getting really quite interesting just lately, with runners of all standards getting stuck into training and a few races here and there. Some of you more talented runners make me wonder why I bother - I feel so utterly inferior reading of your triumphs and of weekly mileages that are the rough equivalent of my current monthly mileage, but then again, if it was purely about competition, 99% of us would have no cause to be out there at all I guess.
I have reached an impasse with my weight loss - down to 77kg and not budging it seems. And maybe it'll stay that way until my weekly mileage gets higher. Anyway, I'm pretty happy as I struggled for years to get close to 80kg, and now that I'm running again it melted away with comparative ease. And it has made a big difference to my joints, so it has been well worth the effort.
As ever, it's very much "touch wood", but I'm still a "beacon of optimism" and enjoying it all. Motivation really isn't a problem, especially with the forum going full bore here. If only we could get SP running again! And on that score SP, there's still a chance I could make it to Almeria, so you'd probably better think about starting your training anyhow, just in case. I believe Sweder could help you out with a couple of gentle hill climbs to ease into it.
Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote:After that very nice diversion to matters vinous, it was back to matters strenuous - two more short sessions safely in the bag so far this week, and feeling good with it. I've moved up to 4 sessions per week now, with the overall duration and speed up just slightly. It's all going very well, but I'm acutely aware that April is my bogey month - I've been injured in each of the last three Aprils, so I'm easing up the effort very, very gradually. But as I say, thus far it's all going very well indeed.
I've entered two short races in May - an 8km fun run and the 11km previously mentioned. I'll be treating these purely as training runs and certainly not looking for PBs or any such thing. Really they are just a welcome break from the treadmill and a chance to test out knees and things on the hard reality that is tarmac and concrete. But having entered (and paid), it means I'll be treating April with caution so as to not have wasted my money.
Other good news - I've finally tracked down a copy of Julie Welch's 26.2, and am quite enjoying it thus far. Thanks to whoever it was who gave it such a glowing recommendation (Andy I think).
The forum is getting really quite interesting just lately, with runners of all standards getting stuck into training and a few races here and there. Some of you more talented runners make me wonder why I bother - I feel so utterly inferior reading of your triumphs and of weekly mileages that are the rough equivalent of my current monthly mileage, but then again, if it was purely about competition, 99% of us would have no cause to be out there at all I guess.
I have reached an impasse with my weight loss - down to 77kg and not budging it seems. And maybe it'll stay that way until my weekly mileage gets higher. Anyway, I'm pretty happy as I struggled for years to get close to 80kg, and now that I'm running again it melted away with comparative ease. And it has made a big difference to my joints, so it has been well worth the effort.
As ever, it's very much "touch wood", but I'm still a "beacon of optimism" and enjoying it all. Motivation really isn't a problem, especially with the forum going full bore here. If only we could get SP running again! And on that score SP, there's still a chance I could make it to Almeria, so you'd probably better think about starting your training anyhow, just in case. I believe Sweder could help you out with a couple of gentle hill climbs to ease into it.
The Devil's Advocate put down his pint of Guinness and wiped his lips. "No, it's a good thing that SP has given up. He acts as a warning for everyone else..."
---
26.2 is probably my favourite running book, but it might not be for everyone. It's totally London-centric for one thing, which is one of the reasons it meant so much to me. I read it while I was training for London in 2002. I also really like Julie Welch's style. She is/was a better runner than me, but understands the plodder's universe. Last I heard, she'd stopped running and taken up long distance walking. There's not a huge amount of her in the book, of course. It's mainly other people's stories. One criticism I have of it is that it's a little lazy. All the runners come from her running club in Blackheath or Dulwich or wherever it is, or round there. A better, more inclusive FLM book would embrace the stories of people from all round the country and all round the world. But still a really good read. Out of print now, I believe.
I must read the Bono's Doppelganger book sometime. It's part of a huge unread pile by my bed...
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote:I've entered two short races in May
Ooh noo . . .
I'm seeing the mighty Plodder tomorrow night; he's helping me with my taper preparations I'll see what he has to say about a possible return to the street life. I tried dragging up to Blackcap a year or so ago. I'm not sure I could convince him to return . . .
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Are you still taking Glucosamine? I've started taking a Glucosamine and Chondroitin supplement. Not quite sure why though.
Yep, sure am. But what I have discovered over the last couple of years is that not all glucosamines are alike. There's glucosamine sulfate (cheaper) and glucosamine hydrochloride (more expensive) and then glucosamine in combination with other things, such as the chondroitin you mentioned, which is probably the flavour of the month.
What I found works for me is a glucosamine hydrochloride/boswellia combo recommended by a naturopath I consulted (boswellia being some herb or other). I religiously take 1500 mg/day (half morning, half evening), and my cartilage has recovered wonderfully over the last year or so. All that nasty, scarey crinkling noise that it made after a run has gone. I still have a deep, low grade pain in both knees from the bone degradation, but the cartilage is fine, and I get none of the debilitating pain that has stopped me running in the past. I can't give the glucosamine all the credit of course, but it's one of several important factors in my triumphant return to the world of running.
But the stuff works, yes.
If you don't have knee problems, then you may not need it, but at our age, a maintenance dose (500mg - 1000mg/day) seems to be recommended by those in the know.
And it's also cleared up the arthritis in my hands a treat.
Went to the local herbalist a few months back when Glucosamine was getting an airing on here. I was baffled by the myriad of options available - with licorice, with amphetamines, with colombian marching-powder etc (note: none with Guinness).
I seem to suffer lower limb pain - shins, calves, ankles. Anything specifically reknowned in this department? I feel I should be chomping on some suppliment or other, yet only pop the occassional evening primrose oil (good for one's joints apparently).
MLCMan, I think we're all raspberries to some degree.
You're in good company mate.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Sweder Wrote:I seem to suffer lower limb pain - shins, calves, ankles. Anything specifically reknowned in this department?
Fortitude, matey. Brewed by several companies, with trademarks such as Guinness, Theakstons (peculiarly good stuff), Fullers etc. I recommend Sweder Brew in particular, but I understand it is a little difficult to procure in your part of the planet. In conjunction with ibuprofen, diclofenac etc., is amazingly effective.
Sweder Wrote:MLCMan, I think we're all raspberries to some degree.
You're in good company mate.
You mean I'm not unique? Damn! What am I supposed to do now? This is quite a shock. I think I'll have to go and live on an island somewhere for a while.
Sweder Wrote:Went to the local herbalist a few months back when Glucosamine was getting an airing on here. I was baffled by the myriad of options available - with licorice, with amphetamines, with colombian marching-powder etc (note: none with Guinness).
I seem to suffer lower limb pain - shins, calves, ankles. Anything specifically reknowned in this department? I feel I should be chomping on some suppliment or other, yet only pop the occassional evening primrose oil (good for one's joints apparently).
MLCMan, I think we're all raspberries to some degree.
You're in good company mate.
Sweder, this isn't something I know much about but if you do a search for glucosamine on the Runners World forum, you'll get a lot of hits, nearly all singing its praises. Seems to be especially appreciated by people with joint problems - ankles and knees. I don't have particular issues there but as MLCM suggested, it seems like a reasonable way of trying to avoid getting them in the first place. But you'll have to do your own research.
It's probably too late for SA unfortunately. People tend to say it takes a few weeks of daily use to get the full benefit. If you want to score some, try http://www.zipvit.co.uk . They are very cheap (especially if you buy in bulk) and reliable. Not just for glucosamine but all sorts of supplements and vitamins. All above board of course.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
Hmm, perhaps I have been a little flippant. I'll summarise:
Glucosamine hydrochloride, to my mind, is bloody effective in repairing damaged cartilage. The additives (chondroitin, boswellia, columbian marching powder etc) may also help, but at the end of the day, it's glucosamine hydrochloride that has worked for me. I have also used glucosamine sulfate, and for me it was significantly less effective.
In conjunction with anti-inflammatories (I use diclofenac [eg Voltaren] when things are bad, but I think it's Nigel who has recommended ibuprofen which does the same thing without the need for a prescription), joint pain is greatly minimised.
I don't believe glucosamine is any good at all for shin splints, achilles etc. It is purely for cartilage.
Hope that helps!
Riazor Blue - what do you think? You're a professional, what have you found works for your clientele?
Yeah, I was being a little flippant too.
I don't really expect a miracle cure for my ailments; they're just symptoms of putting in long runs over a period of time. I need to stop whining and get on with it really.
But I will investigate Glucosamine again. Sounds like a wise precautionary.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
12km banked in good style this afternoon. Finished fast and strong and could quite happily have gone on for another half hour or so, but thought it best to stick to my schedule. Actually the run didn't start out too well to be honest. The local supermarket had a special on PowerBars, and I had bought one out of curiosity, and ate it as per the wrapper instructions, about 30 minutes before my run. 20 minutes later I discovered the secret of PowerBar's amazing performance enhancement - they are quite simply the most powerful and effective laxative I have ever enountered! Had I been able to time my sprint for the requisite amenities, I'm sure it would have registered a massive PB.
So it was with some trepidation that I moved from the throne to the treadmill, uncertain of what might be awaiting. Pleased to say that the PowerBar "performance" was all over in one decisive event, and the run proceeded without interruption.
I started out listening to Phidippidations as recommended by Andy, but sadly, his knowledgable and pragmatic dissertations on the subject of runner's knee just brought out the hypochondriac in me and my knees and shins started aching horribly! I switched to music and the pain obligingly vanished, the pace picked up and I finished an utterly brilliant run - easily the best in a very, very long time.
Fittingly, for the first time since Andy mentioned it, the FLM theme music popped up in my mp3-thing, and wow, what great stuff! Having that playing whilst completing the final stages of any major race would be fantastic. Great stuff indeed.
In other news, I have finished reading Julie Welch's 26.2. I quite liked this book, but it see-sawed between emotions: at times it made me want to enthusiastically head out for a brisk 20, at other times it irritated me. Some of her profiled "runners" were rather annoying characters, although this was undoubtedly the point of the book, i.e. that all kinds of people run marathons, but to be honest, some of the efforts of the people she profiles left me cold. I guess we find inspiration in different places, and this book is a bit of grab bag of fortune and emotion. Worth a look, but. I doubt I'll read it again however, so if anyone wants my copy, just pop on over and claim it.
Anyway, I've started thinking about goals again. Sometimes, especially after a good run like today's, I think/believe/hope/am utterly convinced that I still have a marathon in me somewhere. But then I look at my past running logs and realise I'm a bloody long way from realistically being able to definitely begin a 42km campaign. But the positive spin on it is that I'm now seven weeks into my new training program, and it's all going very well. But that's because I've been ultra-cautious; running slow, taking walk breaks, and very gradually building up a base mileage, which still stands at a humble 25km or so per week. Never-the-less, this is rapidly becoming one of my best running months for a very, very long time, so there is definitely scope for optimism.
One thing Phidippidations did convince me to do however, is book some more time with my physio and podiatrist, and get some more advice/torture programs with a view to injury prevention. I've come this far, I'll be buggered if I'll let it slip away again.
There were other things, but they can wait until next time.
Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote:But that's because I've been ultra-cautious; running slow, taking walk breaks, and very gradually building up a base mileage, which still stands at a humble 25km or so per week.
Physician, heal thyself.
You've said it all right there mate. We have a talented bloke in our JSJ compliment - Paul the Goat - who runs every training run in search of PB pace. He's had to pull out of Paris because in his own words he won't break 3 hours. Paul is a numpty - he should listen to people like Sam 'the hobble' Lambourne or Lycra 'stitches' Tony; run your training runs like training runs, listen to your body, build pace and time on your feet gradually. Add MLCMan to those purveyors of wisdom
I have no doubt you have a 42k in you; it'll be one hell of a long road, but I have not a shred of doubt in me that you'll get there.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
March maundering.
But in summary, we did the wineries, discovering one or two outstanding gems, honoured St. Patrick appropriately, drank some superb wine ('93 Penfolds Grange being the highlight) with equally superb food, and even unearthed a couple of single malt gems, 
And on that score SP, there's still a chance I could make it to Almeria, so you'd probably better think about starting your training anyhow, just in case. I believe Sweder could help you out with a couple of gentle hill climbs to ease into it. 
I'll see what he has to say about a possible return to the street life. I tried dragging up to Blackcap a year or so ago. I'm not sure I could convince him to return . . .