Mount Marshall

Each run now takes us one step closer to the day of the 50 mile Bull Run race.  Unfortunately, at this time I also know that due to a work conflict, I'm not going to be able to to do the race....It makes me sad. Yet, I also know, that for me, its just about getting outside and the friendship you make a long the way.

Mount Marshall.  Still one of my favorites in the Shenandoah's.  Its cool to go back and repeat something you have done -- shows you progress, tells you if your stronger, and just makes you feel comfortable as you know you can do it!  (we finished 30 minutes faster this time)

No snow this time!  And spring was certainly in the air!  Beautiful views from the top!  Of course the day was followed up by some of the best burgers in the area!!  We had to get a photo this time!

The link below will give you more info on how to get there.  You can also start inside the park, and that will cut off some of the distance!  (13 miles instead of 20.)

DC United Playing Strong!

The first soccer game for us this season, and what a game it was!  DC United winning against FC Dallas 4 - 1. Cooler temps made it a great walk to RFK, and the company couldn't be beat!  Can't wait till the next game!

100 Years of Blooming Cherry Blossom's -- Thank you Japan for making this my favorite week ever in the District of Columbia!

When the cherry blossom are blooming I might actually tell you I enjoy living in the District!  It is pure magical enjoyment.  Such a special time of the year, that doesn't last that long....your lucky if they stick around for a week, as they are so easily damaged by wind and weather.

With our temps being so warm this winter they bloomed two weeks early!  A bummer as they had a huge festival scheduled to celebrate the 100 Anniversary of the trees that were given to the U.S. as a gift from Japan.  Our photos (Andrew got an A+ for his photo skills), still don't do it justice.....just something you have to experience! Please come visit next year so you too can experience the beauty of the tidal basin in all of its glory!

Happy St. Patrick Day

Thompson's Wildlife Management Area - Sky Meadows Link-Up

Another long day out!  Today we skipped the Shennandoah's and headed towards Linden, Virginia (about an hour drive from DC).  Another link-up -- Thompson's Wildlife Management Area and Sky Meadows State Park.  We ran into a man in the parking lot that said in May the flowers bloom like crazy (see photo below).  It looked like they were already starting!

Temps were warm, in the 80's, so staying hydrated was difficult.  We spent some time on the Appalachian Trail which was cool.  It was certainly a beautiful area with rolling hills.  There wasn't as much elevation gain as we have had in the Shennandoah's, so that was a very nice change!!  We did these two areas as a link-up, but either on their own would be great.  Sky Meadows, hence the name, had a huge beautiful meadow, which I had never seen before.  Also, note to self, there are a ton of wineries in the area which do tastings, and often have a place to eat.....trotting and eating and wine....life doesn't get much better!!!

And perhaps the best part of the day was a stop at this little local place in Linden, Virginia.  The Applehouse, a supply place for folks traveling up the AT, looked like amazing BBQ, and the best part of all were there apple donuts!  For more details on the run see below!  

St. Patrick's Day was an Awesome Day, So it gets a Couple Extra Pic's!

Perhaps one of the best jump shots ever taken!  Maybe it was the pre-race jitters that lifted everyone off the ground so gracefully!  And I can understand why, as most of the folks in this shot decided to join in the racing fun about an hour before it started!  Off the couch racing in fine style!

This was Keegan's first race!

 The boys started off strong, while the girls moved forward slow and steady! Everyone rocked it, as we all finished under 30 minutes!  Emma won for girls ages 16 and under!

Everyone still smiling at the finish!

 Stacy super proud of Emma, and Mick, well, perhaps he had the hardest go of us all....If you caught him at the right time you would have seen more than one kiddo in that stroller!!  Congratulations to all!!

The Greenbrier - An Extraordinary Place to Spend the Weekend!

WOW, WOW!  Yep, this one definitely gets a WOW, WOW!  It took me about a day to digest this place!  I have never seen so many busy "Laura Ashley" - like patterns, with fanciful contrasting colors -- it was amazing -- and it was EVERYWHERE -- from the floors to the ceilings, from the walls to the couch, chairs, tables!!  Once again, Alison did her travel magic and had the weekend booked with all kinds unique activities for us to do!  Below is a photo of the bedroom. I was relieved to not find wallpaper on the ceiling!!  The curtains, with its fine detail, contrasting pinks, and beautiful heavy silk (??) material, was my personal favorite!

We went skeet shooting in the morning (maybe my favorite!!), followed by an afternoon at the spa!  Alison and I rallied for  a little trail run that gave you great views of the resort from above.  We also did a tour of the extra large bunker that was built during the Cold War, and is housed under the resort.  Below, Eric and Alison strike a pose at the hidden wall/door that grants you access inside.  We had an amazing dinner at the restaurant, followed by a night at the casino, in which Alison won big on the penny slots!

In the future there will be a dinner train that runs from DC to the Greenbrier, which sounds like a great way to get there.  It is about a five hour drive from the city to White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia, home to The Greenbrier.  And if you drive make sure you watch out for cops!  Till the next adventure, and another HUGE thank you to Alison for making it all happen!  Where are we going next??

Product Testing: Patagonia Merino 1 Silkweight T-Shirt. And Another Amazing Day Out - Hazel Mountain/Buck Hollow Link Up

Patagonia product testing day - Patagonia Merino 1 Silkweight T-Shirt

IT'S THE BEST

(I am on the right)

                PRO:  Wicks and dries better than anything I have ever used!

                           Super soft, and very lightweight

               CON:   It pilled against my hydration pack!! BUMMER!  

                           (Keep in mind we "trot" so perhaps that helped to speed the pilling process along).
                           Wish they had better color choices (not bad, but not great).

               OVERALL:  I have officially recycled all of my lightweight capilene, and have ordered all new
                                    Merino 1 in every color -- short sleeve and long sleeve.

It is always this big debate at Patagonia on fabric base-layer choices -- capilene versus wool.  Capilene is  cheaper, synthetic, and sometimes people have an odor issue with the fabric (although Patagonia has made a lot of progress with this issue over the last couple of years).  Wool is more expensive, a natural fiber, and some say it feels itchy (Patagonia wool is no longer 100% wool.  They have added a small amount of spandex into the fabric to prevent it from running).  

Rule of thumb, natural fibers do a better job???  My take is the wool keeps me warmer, but doesn't keep me dry like the capilene.  I find that my heavier wools stay pretty wet and take a longer time to dry.  Not so great for stop and go travel. Perhaps the system of choice is a wool base layer with a capilene layer on top.....A system that would keep you warm as well as pull the moisture off of you. (But you should try it out yourself, others may have varying opinions)

But now....the Merino 1 has finally entered my life!!!  When I first saw the Merino 1, I was a little hesitant (see paragraph above), but loved the way it felt and knew I needed to try it.  And I'm sooooo glad I did!!  I fell in love with the product in the first 10 minutes!!  It did an amazing job pulling sweat from my body when we were charging up hill, but as we neared the top and began heading down, within minutes the sweat seemed to have disappeared.....magic!

I am bummed about the pilling, and not sure what to do about that, as I almost always run with some sorta pack.  Regardless, I like the way the fabric works way too much to worry about the pilling!  So, enough on the Patagonia Merino 1.  Check it out for yourself and let me know your thoughts!!  And now a quick re-cap of the day out!

 

Well, the photo above says it all!  An amazing day out, as my recovery beverages (water w/Cytomax, and a Natural Light) cool in a nearby river....I leave feeling exhausted after the super-steep ups and downs.....Warmer temps threw in a new challenge....and a reminder that summer temps are not too far way.   Once again, the beautiful scenery made the two-hour drive worthy....not to mention yet another stop at The Griffin Tavern in Flint Hill, VA!   The best burgers ever!!  Kira, as always, rocked it and made the adventure that much more fun!!!  Check out the GPS map below for more info!!  

Lakers Make Their Way to D.C. -- Lakers vs Wizards

I'm not going to argue whether its wrong or right, but I do have a thing for Lakers, and for Kobe!  I'm a Lakers fan by proxy, for the most part.  It all began in Alaska when one of my housemates would decorate the place purple and gold for the games.....literally the whole house!

Later, after spending some time in CA climbing, I couldn't help myself!  It was an interesting game, and one that, for me, didn't have the best outcome.....Regardless, it was a great night at the Verizon center with some great friends!

 

Upper Rock Creek, An Amazing Place to Explore!

I'm sure at this point, anyone following this blog must think all I do is run!  Well, lately there has been a lot of running, but I can't help but share!!  Especially this one that is in our backyard.  Above, Alison warming up for a beautiful day in Rock Creek Park!

We started at the Rock Creek Park Nature Center, so basically upper rock creek.  The run is described in one of my favorite books (a must have!) 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Washington, DC.  We did manage to get lost, but it didn't matter.  The trails truly are endless up there and a great place to explore!

 

The trails were very well maintained, rolling hills, and little traffic! A great escape no doubt!  Below is the route we did!  Enjoy!

Naked Lady Party Madness

With the change of season, comes another Naked Lady Party!  Its a pretty simple concept -- clean out your closet, invite a group of super cool, stylish girls over (all in your size range preferable (just kidding)!!!), dump all the goods in a pile, and on the count of three dive on in!!  Its such a great way to clean out your closet, add pieces to it, and visit with friends! 

The best part is over the next few weeks seeing friends wearing other friends cloths and being so excited about it!!  This time, we had the biggest pile ever, and even the cats wanted to join in!!  Already looking forward to the next one!!  Thank you all for making it happen!!!!

Prince William Forest - A great thing to do on spring break!I

Victoria was on spring break, and said she was going to do something exciting everyday!  I said come run with Kira and me, and she jumped at the opportunity! I said the run would be 10ish, but as we passed the 10 mile mark, and the car was still nowhere in site, I knew I screwed up!! Oops!  Didn't matter though everyone rocked it!!
(I love the shot above!  Looks like we are up to nooo good!)

Prince William Forest is about an hour drive from DC.  With its great trail system, and rolling hills it makes for a great escape from the city.  I have never taken my road bike out there, but it  looks like there is a great loop road too!  The trot today, weather-wise, was interesting - a mix of snow, sleet, sun, and blooming daffodils (below)!! 

 

Of course I failed to mention other adventure highlights - driving the wrong way on the one-way road, the awesome lunch in Occoquan, and the the great conversation!   Thanks for the company you guys!  A great day out!  For more details see the trip report below!

Evolution of a Jump Shot.

This post was inspired my co-workers.....

Bottom line, sometimes, on your first try, you don't always get the perfect jump shot!

However, if at first you don't succeed try, try again!

And keep smiling, because one of those times you are bound to get it right!

Happy Fourth Birthday Alex!

 

Another Cup of Coffee Before I Go to the Valley Below

Coffee, I love you.

New York City Highlights!

New York City, yet again, wins me over.  I'm not sure there is another city of this size that I would give up mountains for to reside in....Ok, maybe Hong Kong!  Andrew had to head up for work, and  I tagged along.  I had about 4 days on my own to explore and be a tourist!  (one of my favorite things to be!).  First stop was the Empire State Building (below).  An ear popping experience for sure!!  Amazing views of the city from the top!

I had a wonderful day checking out the Statue of Liberty.  A little disappointed that presently you can't go in the crown  Regardless, it was so cool to take the ferry over, and get right up close!  The weather was perfect as well.....perfect walking weather!

I tried to get a ticket to Sleep No More, which sounded amazing (Thank you Amy for the recommendation), but didn't have much luck finding a ticket.  Thanks to Craig's List I found a ticket to the Book of Mormon!  Which was AMAZING!!  A show that shouldn't be missed!!!!

 

Of course there were long walks through Central Park, a day in Brooklyn (thank you Brendan for the recommendations) a viewing of the Today Show, and a daily cupcake from Magnolia!  Taking the train up from DC is its own experience as well.   Below, a slideshow to sum up the experience!  Enjoy!