East Side King @ The Grackle

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The playing field isn’t always fair. Sometimes one team has an unmatched advantage over its competitors that doesn’t just tip the scale but topples it over completely. In the case of East Side King, they’ve become quite the East 6th Street powerhouse and taking over the neighborhood. They have three locations each serving up different menus all focused around the same Asian cuisine. So what’s their secret weapon? Paul Qui, as in the executive chef at the wildly popular Uchiko and contestant on Top Chef: Texas.

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Next on the Agenda [Update]

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Well Chicago turned out better than expected.  So it leads me to ponder what’s next on the agenda for this Mike’s life.  Not all that long ago I made the sweeping declaration that I’d be transitioning my efforts over to the world of triathlon.  With the recent sign up for the Austin Distance Challenge and the even-more-recent success in Chicago, it’s hard for me to consider abandoning running for the multisport world.  And so here is the plan I lay before you for your approval.

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Time for Business – Week 15 Review [brief]

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Alright party goers, this is going to be the last weekly review post for my Chicago Marathon training schedule.  It’s been a long road to this point from getting that initial email inviting me to be part of Team VW.  This final week I took it easy, starting with a rest day Monday.  Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were all generally easy runs, focusing on staying fresh and recovering from weeks and weeks of pounding.  Next time you hear from me should be my Chicago Marathon race report telling the trials and tribulations of my eleventh marathon!  So as I’ve said here before, the work is done.  The hay is in the barn.

Race Preview: Chicago with Team VW

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Well it’s that time.  This Sunday is the Chicago Marathon and I’m all geared up to be part of Team VW!  I’m really looking forward to everything that’s going to happen this weekend.  The Team VW organizers have sent us a few instructions about where to be and when, what to wear, and what to expect.  Oh, and there’s also that whole running a marathon thing going on too.  So here’s a little preview of what to expect between Friday and Sunday.

We’re flying to the Windy City Friday morning.  The plan for the day is to have no plan, meaning just see where the day takes us.  We may go over to the race expo Friday if nothing else strikes our fancy after lunch.  Saturday Team VW wants the whole team to meet at the expo center at 2pm for a group gathering and to meet a special guest.  Gleaning from other emails I realize the I am not that special guest.  Instead it’s like Dean Karnazes, as in the super ultramarathoner who has all kinds of crazy feats to his name (just Google him).  After the Team VW meet up we have dinner plans for some fancy Italian and then off to a good night’s rest.

So yea, after all the Team VW hoopla there’s that marathon business to take care of.  Here are few numbers for you:

  • This is my 11th marathon;
  • I ran Chicago in 2009 and set a PR (at the time) of 3:28:02;
  • My I’ll-be-happy goal for this year’s race is 3:30:00 (8:00 min/mi);
  • My I’ll-be-really-happy goal is 3:28:01 (7:56 min/mi);
  • My I’ll-be-crazy-ecstatic goal is 3:22:33 (7:43 min/mi);
  • Temperatures for the race will be warm (by Chicago standards), starting in the low 60s and getting up to the low 70s
Those “warm” temps actually elevated the race’s Alert Status from Green to Yellow.  You know what I say to that?  The hotter the better.  With Austin’s 90 days over 100 degrees this year I feel prepared for any “heat wave” that might show its face.  I feel ready for the distance and excited for the crowds.  Team VW is going to be set up with a cheering section around Mile 8, so that’ll give a good boost once I get into a rhythm.  The only question now is, what am I going to eat after the race?  Deep dish pizza?  Chicago-style hot dog?  Only time will tell.  See you after the race!

Taper Time. Sort of. – Week 14 Review

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Tapering — the time in training that most runners hate.  The end of most training plans feature several weeks of decreased mileage and intensity to give the body time to recover in preparation for the race.  It also leads to pants full of ants and an overall surplus in energy.  Really it’s a silly idea, to build a runner’s endurance up to 50+ miles per week, transforming their body into a high-performance running machine and then suddenly say “now take it easy for a few weeks”.  Well to that I say “psssssssh”.

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Lizzie’s Lunchbox

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Update: Unfortunately, due to extenuating circumstances with their location, Lizzie’s Lunchbox is permanently closed.

My contributor status to Food Trailers Austin has its perks.  Thanks to my involvement I recently learned about Lizzie’s Lunchbox food truck currently set up near my office (North Austin ftw).  They’re doing “Tex Med”, which is basically Mediterranean flavors with some Texas charm sprinkled on top.  The bright pink truck, set up in a parking lot near a Blockbuster (still exists?) and a car wash, seems to be firing on all cylinders.

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IBM Uptown Classic 10k Race Report

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If I had to describe the last 4 days in one word it would be “whirlwind*“. Not even counting all of last week’s mayhem of getting ready to close on our house, on Friday we actually did close on our house! With cleaning people, movers, an electrician, and DirecTV coming Saturday and Sunday, the Chicago Marathon fast-approaching, and a last-minute registration for the IBM Uptown Classic 10K, I had not put a

lot of thought into this race. For perspective, there were/are unpacked boxes everywhere, so I was still tracking down my shoes at 11pm the night before the race. So with my mind thinking about everything but the race, it went pretty well.

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Taking the Austin Distance Challenge

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Well my Autumn Fall just got a lot busier on the running front.  Sponsored by Austin Fit Magazine this year, the Austin Distance Challenge is a series of races all here in Austin spanning from early October through mid February.  I had considered taking the Austin Distance Challenge last year, but some prior commitments (read: marriage + honeymoon) caused a bit of a scheduling conflict.  Well no conflict this year!  So I’m all in for taking on the challenge.

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