Running the NFAR 5k March 28, 2010
Posted by pinchaque in Running.Tags: 5k, race, Running
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A blurry sun-drenched start line
As part of my marathon training, one of my goals this year was to run a 5k (3.11 mi) race in under 24 minutes. I figured that pushing myself to go faster would also make my marathon more pleasant, since I’d be spending less time on each of the training runs (they are prescribed by distance rather than time).
The San Diego Race for Autism was the first 5k that I ran, back in 2008. I like it because it is close to home, at a cool time of the year, and not too crowded. Last year was a disaster for me because I got sick the week before. I still finished it and ended with a time of 29 minutes. This year I was aiming higher.
I started training for it back in January using the FIRST training program. This is the same plan I used for the half marathon, but is adapted for the 5k distance based on advice in the book. Most of the tempo runs were ~4 miles and the long runs between 6 and 8, although for the last few weeks my marathon training also got underway so I was running 10-15 miles as a long run.
After turning in some 7 minute mile times late last year, I decided to train to run the 5k in 23 minutes instead. This would be a good stretch goal for me. The first few weeks of training were rather difficult, and I was unable to complete the interval training exactly as I was supposed to. However, things got easier as the training went on. Part of this was due to improved conditioning, and part due to losing weight (10 lbs since the beginning of the year). Going in to race day I was confident I’d be able to get close to 23 minutes.
Rounding the corner around 1.5mi
The weather was OK for race day: a little cold (50 deg) and sunny (I’d rather be running when it’s overcast). The course had changed slightly this year: starting further down balboa bridge and making a longer loop through the park. I reached the start line early so I could be close to the front: avoiding the crowds and the time delay until I actually reached the starting line. I knew that to hit 23 minutes I’d need to keep up a 7:23/mi pace.
When the race begin, I felt good about the pace I was keeping. Not having one of those GPS watches I have to rely on my perceived exertion level to judge this. When I hit the 1mi marker the time was 7:11. It was on the way to mile marker 2 that I realized my mistake.
At 2.3 miles and still chugging along
I was getting splitting side stitch around 1.5 miles. This seems to happen to me if I drink too much, and sure enough I had chugged 6oz of energy drink right before starting. For longer races you want to start off properly hydrated so your stomach is processing the energy drink. For a 5k, apparently, this is not as good of idea because you are running at a harder pace.
Working through the side cramps, I finished mile 2 at 14:10 (yes, faster than mile 1 for some reason) and then started to slow. I remember at that time just trying to keep up with this 10-year-old who was repeatedly sprinting ahead of me, then stopping and walking 10 feet. I was also trying to stay ahead of a 60-year-old man. It was depressing.
A few more strides to the finish
The course goes downhill slightly before a vicious little uphill right before the finish. I slowed a lot for the uphill and they didn’t have a time check at mile 3, so I didn’t know how close I was. Soon after, I saw the finish line and the timer that read 22:45, so I knew I had to hustle. I elevated the pace as much as I could and finished in 23:07.
The Final Race Standings
Looking at the final race results, I was pleasantly surprised at how I did:
- Overall: 108 out of 1808 (94th percentile)
- Age division (M 30-34): 10 out of 104 (90th percentile)
Overall I would count this as a success. Just in November I was happy to be in the 50th percentile of my half marathon, and now I was in the 90th. I think my age group was a little bit wimpy for this one, but also I know my training is paying off. Finishing well also has me inspired to run some more 5k races after my marathon training is complete.
Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon March 23, 2010
Posted by pinchaque in Cooking, Food.Tags: beef bourguignon, Cooking, french cooking, julia child
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Roughly translated as: “Beef in a Wine and Bacon Bath”
Boeuf bourguignon with roasted red potatoes
Amanda and I attended an Oscar party a couple of weeks ago, and I think we were the only people who hadn’t seen any of the movies that were nominated. It was a little bit sad. It’s not that we don’t like movies; just that we don’t get to the theater that much, and when we do it’s for strange events such as the Bicycle Film Festival. But we were inspired and updated our Netflix list with all kinds of oscar-nominated films, including Julie & Julia!
My dad and stepmom Barbara saw this movie last year and got inspired. So much so, that Barbara bought me and her son Al a copy of Julia Child’s cookbook for Christmas and encouraged us to cook some recipes from it. While I don’t think I’ll be able to complete the same 500+ recipes in 365 days that the movie portrayed, I can at least commit to trying some of my favorites such as Boeuf Bourguignon.
This past weekend I set aside some time to give this one a shot. I stayed fairly close to the recipe, but decided to take my own path in places where I wanted a shortcut or to customize the recipe. For example, I wanted to do the final cooking in our slow-cooker since I know that can produce tender beef and is less fussy than managing a gas stove for 3 hours. Also I just went with standard sliced bacon cooked in a pan instead of tracking down a whole slab of bacon and blanching it.
I follow some of her more arcane steps, however: coating the browned beef in flour and baking it for 8 minutes; sauteeing the mushrooms separately; cooking everything in the rendered bacon fat (hard to go wrong with that culinary advice, really).
Boeuf bourguignon ingredients
The recipe started with some simple ingredients from our local Trader Joe’s and Vons. Vons has a really bad meat department so I was limited to a chuck roast instead of going with Julia’s preferred rump roast. I chose a young (2008) bourdeaux wine from TJ, priced at $7.99. I did a mini taste-test of this wine against a Chateau Bonnet (2005; $15) that I had ordered online, and the Chateau Bonnet won hands down: much more smooth and drinkable. The TJ wine loses and gets to be part of the dish!
I cut the bacon into lardons and cooked them until browned in a pan, thereby rendering out the fat. After transferring them to a bowl then the party began: everything else gets to fry in that bacon fat! First the beef, browning carefully on all sides.
Beef browning in bacon fat
Then I transferred the beef and bacon to a baking dish, coated in flour, and cooked for 8 minutes in a 425 deg oven. Julia has you do some kind of tango with the pots here: cleaning one and then switching the meat to another. I ignored her and just baked the beef in a separate dish before putting it into the slow cooker.
Onions and carrots cooking in bacon fat
The vegetables got the same treatment, joining the bacon fat party once the beef had departed. These cooked until browned and then were also put into the slow cooker.
The final ingredient: wine!
I then added the rest of the ingredients: tomato past, seasoning, and most of that bottle of wine. At that point the beef was basically swimming in alcohol like those sake-drowned fish that were on iron chef that one time. The broth was pink from the bordeaux, and smelled delicious.
The sauce runs red with bordeaux
With the slow cooker powered on, I had some time to prepare the rest of the dish. The bacon fat got used once again, this time for cooking my mushrooms. These were sliced (with an egg slicer, of course) and then sauteed over medium heat until browned. At that time I added salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and rosemary. I also knew I needed a side dish to with this, so I decided to improvise a simple roasted potato recipe made of red potatoes, sea salt, pepper, Spanish smoked paprika, and olive oil.
Roasted red potato side dish
This I just roasted until fork-tender, about 25 minutes. As the bourguignon reached completion I added the mushrooms and some salt.
Boeuf bourguinon complete!
For final plating I spooned the bourguignon into a bowl and arranged the potato chunks around it. I mixed the potatoes in with the sauce while eating for a delicious flavor combination.
