Wine-o report - Zillah

I was invited on a wine trip last weekend to Zillah.  Well, actually to Yakima, but Zillah is where we did most of our tasting.

It was a little sad knowing that it was going to be such a beautiful weekend in Seattle, but heading east over the mountains and to 90 degree weather sounded even better.  A little dose of warm to brighten up a chilly spring.

We started off on Friday afternoon at a few tasting rooms in downtown Yakima.

Kana - tasty reds, good whites.  A few bottles of white and red came home with me, and I can't wait to drink it.
Gilbert Cellars - really nice tasting room - we sampled wines and had yummy tapas.  The tempranillo port came home with me.  I'm not really a port drinker but this was fantastic.

Saturday morning was a whirlwind tour of a ton of antique stores which had very interesting and eclectic items.  I've never been an avid antique store shopper, but going with 5 other ladies made for an interesting morning.

Back at the hotel, the driver picked us up and drove us out for a day of good wine drinking.  We ventured to Cultura, Portteus, Maison de Paget, Knight Hill and Windy Point.  I supported the local economy and brought home about a case of wine.  It was a fun day and I look forward to heading out that way again.

Funny tidbit

I was driving to work this morning - at a stoplight, I looked over to see how many bicyclists I was going to have to avoid hitting while making my left turn onto a one way street. I did a double take because I could have sworn the guy on the bike next to me looked exactly like the mayor. As I glanced back, he smiled and waved and said an exuberant good morning.

Yes, indeed it was the mayor. Our wonderful, lovely mayor who rides his bike to work. In work clothes thank goodness - I'm not sure what I would have done if I had seen him in tight bike pants and a racing jersey. EEEEEKKKK!

I feel like I'm living in hippie trippy Ashland again.

I'm also counting the days until the next mayoral election.

Gone Fishin'

Off on another weekend adventure!

I'll be doing a lot of this - I can't wait. Full report when I return....if I return. 

Race Report: Four Seasons

Just a quick report on the Four Seasons - my brief overnight stay before the race.  It was nice, really nice.  So nice I could live there and be very happy.  I had to try really hard to squash my excitement when the sweet woman at check in said she would have to upgrade my room.......um....OK!  It's nice without being overdone.  The bed was F'ING FANTASTIC!  I want to marry that bed.  Needless to say when the alarm went off at 4:30 a.m., I almost called Stacy and said, forget it, you race without me....I'm staying in bed.

They were very accomodating because of the race (they were the host hotel) and let us have a really late check out of my room (the one with 2 BATHROOMS!), so we could shower after the race.  I can't stop gushing about this place.  It really reminds you of how service should be everywhere.  :-)  Here are a few pictures:

 Happy me in the room

 The living room

 The living room looking into the bedroom

 The city view

The pool area

If ever in the Vancouver, BC area, highly recommend staying there.  (I'll be staying there again when they have that same super duper promo rate we got for the race....until then, I'll be at my other favorite hotel.....The Blue Horizon - not as swanky, but better water views and much, much cheaper)

Vancouver Half Marathon - Race Report

Days later and I'm still tired.  I'm not sure if it's a culmination of several stressful weeks, then the race, or just the race....but geez, I'm TIRED!  Here's a recap of the fun weekend in BC!

Race morning - 4:30 a.m. and the alarm is going off - I couldn't get to sleep the night before - probably the huge dinner and then the banana nutella crepe sitting in my stomach.....yep.

I look outside - clouds, but no rain.  I turn on the weather channel - rain starting at 8 a.m. and not stopping...ever.

Marc joined us for a pre-race breakfast and walk to the starting line.  He's a trooper.  I would have stayed in that million thread count bed.  Thanks Marc for the support.....just be back in time to pick us up with the car.  :-)

The start is always where I have the most emotion - butterflies, tears and a dash of calmness (strange combo, but that's what it is).  For me, the start line is far more emotional than the finish and I think this was even more so since I have proclaimed it to be my last half marathon.  It was really nice having a peep there, I've done most of my races alone and that brings along a whole other set of emotions.

It started raining about 100 feet after crossing the start line - at first a little mist, then a little harder and by mile 3 it was full on pouring down rain.  I was a little nervous that I was starting to feel puddles forming in my jacket pocket that I had left unzipped.

The scenery changed from downtown streets to the marina and entrance to Stanley Park, the kilometers kept ticking by and by the half way point I was still feeling great.  At about mile 7 there's a HUGE hill (the only elevation in the race) and it lasts for at least a half mile.  I kept my head down, looking about 4 feet ahead and didn't talk the entire time.  I was so focused on getting to the top and trying really hard to forget that my left hip flexor was starting to burn.

Once at the top, I started reminding myself that I felt good, nothing hurt (big lies - that's what I was telling myself), and stay on pace.  Going downhill to mile 9 was bugging my right knee and my feet were starting to hurt.  My pace slowed at mile 10 and at that point I reminded myself that all I had left was the distance around Greenlake - I could do it, not in record time, but I could finish strong.  The last 3 miles were long....the pain was getting the better of me, my pace was slowing a little more but I was almost done.  Stacy pulled ahead the last mile and a half, but I kept her in my sight, plodding toward the finish.  The last mile is lined with cheering spectators and miraculously all of a sudden, all of my pain went away, the heavens opened up, the sun started shining, and my pace quickened enough to almost catch up with Stacy.  As I was about 200 feet from the finish, I realized that the decision I had made for this to be the last was the right one.  I felt great, I was happy, and I was DONE!

I didn't beat my time from the first time I did the race, but that was ok.  I finished, I was happy.  My half marathon "career" had come full circle.  Vancouver was my first one several years ago, an amazing accomplishment......and my last....a happy ending.