Trailrunning Party

Last night, our trailrunning group ran from a different location. We decided to go to WyCo Park and run a short little 5 or 6 mile loop on some gnarly and hilly singletrack. Eight of us showed up: seven veterans and one newby.

It was still and dark, with no moon to help with the lighting. The snow and ice conditions were perfect for running. The snow was melted down to 2-3 inches, and was at the perfect temperature where it packed well, instead of slipping under our feet. I was leading the pack. The last 3/4 mile or so, four of us ran at a 7:30-min/mile pace over the rocky and hilly course. We stopped and waited at the last road crossing for the other 4, then finished the last few hundred yards together. What a fun run!

We also decided to have an mini-party after the run, at Shane Jones' house. I brought some of my homebrew - a keg of my latest version of Kölsch, and a large swing-top bottle of my Belgian Winter Warmer. The beer was a hit, and Shane & Brandi's chili, cornbread, and cookies hit the spot. We had fun telling various nutty stories related to running, mountain biking, and other debauchery. "Good Ben" even spent some time helping to get the Jones' computer working correctly again. I had just received the new Kansas City Trail Nerds hoodies, and gave some of them to all of the trailwork volunteers that were there. The new hoodies employ Jason Crosby's great artwork on the front.

The group had gotten together behind my back and had purchased me a very nice $100 gift certificate to a local outdoor/hiking shop. They also sprung for a nice bottle of Holiday Cheer. They said it was for being the crazy organizer/"fearless leader" of all of our trail runs throughout the year. Thanks, Trail Nerds!!!

Tonight, No Running - I'm going to go into the gym and do a major leg workout, and then some cardio. Tomorrow night we'll run 10 miles of trails at SM Park, and the next morning, (Friday), Kyle and I will do a "big loop" of 17 miles of trails, also at SM Park. We'll take it easy Sat & Sun, then run again on Monday morning.

I may brew a batch of Whiskey Barrel Stout on Friday, after our run. Here's the basic recipe for my 10-gallon all-grain batch:
Grain:
20 lb. British pale (Marris Otter)
1 lb. Dextrine malt (Cara-Pils)
2 lb. British crystal 50-60L
1 lb. 8 oz. British chocolate Malt
1 lb Chocolate Rye
12 oz. British black patent
1 lb. Carafa
8 oz. Roasted barley
1 lb. Rye Malt
1 lb. Wheat Malt
2 lb. Oat Malt
Mash: Single-step infusionInfuse boiling water to temp of 152° for conversion rest for 60 min. Sparge with 170° water.
Boil: 90 minutes. Add 6 oz of Scharffen Berger Unsweetened Cocoa, last 10 min of Boil. Add 15 grinds of Black Malabar pepper, last 10 min.
Hops:
2 oz. Amarillo Plugs (60 min.)
1 oz. Amarillo Plugs (45 min.)
1 oz. Amarillo Plugs (30 min.)
2 oz. Kent Goldings (5.9% AA, 30 min.)
2 oz. Kent Goldings (5.9% AA, 15 min.)
Yeast: Wyeast British Ale II, #1335, 200 billion cells. Pitch yeast at 75°. Ferment at 70° for 7-10 days rack to secondary. Secondary fermentation at 70° for 20 days. To secondary vessel, add 2.5 oz of medium-toasted French Oak chips that have soaked in Maker's Mark Whisky for 2 weeks.
Carbonation: Force carbonate the b*tch. (2.3 volumes of CO2 in kegs).