My NROL Experience

[stingo]

Originally Posted by foodfromafar

Hi, Tom! Your workouts are looking great!

Thanks! Still figuring out the functional trainer, but that will come with time.

[stingo]

218.75 - I dunno... I can't explain it, so I'm just gonna go with it.

[stingo]

Stegmaier's Oktoberfest (tap) - Visited one of the local watering holes, which had the local O'fest on tap. Very nice, easy drinking beer. While I would have preferred more maltiness, it'd certainly be welcome on my home tap again.

Rogue's Chocolate Stout (22oz bottle) - Sometimes revisiting beers is like revisiting old friends - you pick up immediately where you left off. Very smooth chocolatey taste predominates (my cousin said it tasted like chocolate chips) with a very rich, smooth mouthfeel. When I first got my tap system, this was the very first keg I put on. Of course not knowing any better at the time, the keg was a half barrel lol. I must've gained about 20 lbs from this beer alone, but what a beautiful beer it is. And if you can get it on hand pump, it's even better.

Rogue's Shakespeare Stout (22oz bottle) - This is another one I haven't had in a while but was similarly impressed by Rogue's mainstream stout. To me, it's very much like having an espresso, but not quite as bitter. As with all Rogue products (particularly these and the Double Dead Guy) seek them out and try them. You'll most likely be glad you did.

[Mahler]

Tom,
The workouts are like marathons. Wow!
Great work on the Bulgarian Split Squats.
Those are damned hard to master.
I have to pick a focal point and stare at it to help me keep my balance. It also helps to keep the dbs very close to the body.

[stingo]

Originally Posted by Mahler

Tom,
The workouts are like marathons. Wow!
Great work on the Bulgarian Split Squats.
Those are damned hard to master.
I have to pick a focal point and stare at it to help me keep my balance. It also helps to keep the dbs very close to the body.

They actually take just about an hour. I like this workout though because it changes things up a lot and it's only 2 sets for most exercises.

[stingo]

Forgot I had these earlier yesterday...

Anheuser-Busch's Shock Top (tap) - What flavor is there tastes like a Belgian white, but it doesn't have any of the spices one normally associates with the style. Still, it might be a good beer to get your friends to try if all they've ever drunk is Coors, Michelob or Bud Light.

Boston Beer Company's Samuel Adams Boston Lager (12oz bottle) - For whatever reason I'm always delightfully surprised whenever I drink this beer. Whether it's from low expectations or a truly fine product (my guess would be the latter) I find it crisp, with enough of a bite to make it very enjoyable. Definitely a good session beer, and very often a go-to beer when out and about in beer-unfriendly ports.

[tcoy777]

Those are some nice beers. I have to try that chocolate stout sometime soon. I am waiting for right time to crack open by Ft Collins Chocolate Stout.

[stingo]

Originally Posted by tcoy777

Those are some nice beers. I have to try that chocolate stout sometime soon. I am waiting for right time to crack open by Ft Collins Chocolate Stout.

People always say that and then they never open the dang bottles. My advice? Open and enjoy.

[stingo]

Yesterday's sampling was:

Troegs' Pale Ale (12oz bottle) - Remember what I said about not particularly liking the Pale Ale style? If more pale ales were made like this, I'd have to take that back. Delightfully crisp, citrusy and refreshing, not to mention very well-balanced, this is truly a warmer weather beverage, but can be enjoyed all year round. I have to add that Troegs down in Harrisburg has yet to brew a beer I didn't like, and I've sampled a bit of their portfolio, having had Dreamweaver Wheat, Dead Reckoning Porter and their seasonal flagship Mad Elf, on tap at home.

Victory's Baltic Thunder Porter (22oz bottle) - Here's a beer with a bit of history, rather like the Lancaster Oktoberfest mentioned earlier. The original recipe came from Heavyweight Brewing Company where it was known as Perkuno's Hammer - a decadently rich, delicious (and most likely obscenely fattening) baltic porter. To my palate, baltic porters tread the already fine line between regular porters and stouts. Fuller bodied than the former, while not quite heavy as the latter. At any rate, the owners of Heavyweight decided to close up shop (I think it's because co-owner/brewer loved to brew all different kinds of beer, not the same thing over and over like a production brewery does.) but the story doesn't end there. A few years later, word began to spread among beer geek circles that Perkuno's Hammer might come back, but little did anyone guess that it would be Victory that would roll it out. It's not the same beer to be sure - I'm told that it was tweaked to make it more drinkable/less heavy, and I'll agree with that assessment. The rich, oily, luxuriant taste is there (for the most part), with suggestions of raisins, currants and perhaps cloves. My only disappointment is that Victory isn't offering it on draft outside their brewpub. But if you see this in your travels and want to try something a bit different, do give this one a shot. (The other happy part is that Heavyweight's former owners are due to open a new brewpub in Pennsylvania this year - which will give them a chance to really be creative, and not tied to a certain production schedule - I wish them the best.)

Southampton's Pumpkin Ale (tap) - And now, a blurb from our "How to be an idiot" department... Even though I'd mentioned the Southampton previously, it deserves another turn, because when I noted it then, I had the temperature wayyy down in the kegerator, so the beer was nearly frozen. For those who are playing along at home, this is a perfect example of the need for proper serving temperature for beer, AND that some beers benefit from warming up. Tasting it now, the pumpkin rests very easily on the tongue, with some of the usual pumpkin pie spices to garnish. Had this with a pumpkin muffin I'd gotten at the store and they went very well together. The lightness of this beer almost makes Weyerbacher's Imperial Pumpkin Ale seem somewhat crude and overspiced in comparison. Actually though I do like both, but I'm able to drink far more of the Southampton due to its lighter flavor profile.

[stingo]

So I went to one of the beer bars for dinner to see if their Southampton Pumpkin Ale tasted like mine (it did). And I opted to try some unusual beers this time out:

Unibroue's Chambly Noir (tap) -Billed as a Black Ale on their website, I found it quite spicy and somewhat floral but can't quite put my finger on specific spices. Very good and very different.

Bullfrog's Apricot Ale (tap) - We used to have a nice brewpub in this area called the Black Rock, and Terry Hawbacker used to brew for it. And things were good, til the profits went up one of the owner's noses. Terry moved to Williamsport's Bullfrog brewpub where he's apparently been quite busy brewing some great stuff - his Inspiration Red is one of my favorite red ales. This is no exception - the apricot and hops are seamless, making this a bright, tasty beer, particularly if one wants something different.

Dogfishhead's Midas Touch (12oz bottle) - Leave it to Dogfishhead's Sam Calagione to make this kind of thing happen. Imagine, if you will, archeologists discovering the tomb of the ruler on whom the Midas legend was based. Futher imagine that the tomb contained one of the largest set of drinking vessels and other accoutrements ever found. Through molecular archeology, traces of white wine, barley beer and honey mead were found (all parts of a "Phrygian cocktail"). It's these basics that form the basis of the recipe used to make DFH's Midas Touch. The honey is very much in evidence but the overall character is light, and it hides its 9.0% abv VERY well. Definitely worth a try if you see it around.

[stingo]

All weights in pounds.

A DB modified snatch - 5x3@40,45,50,55,60

B Step-up with DB overhead - 3x10@15 (DB on side of non-working leg)

C Side Plank with Cable Row - 3x20

D Bulgarian Split Squats - 2xAMRAP (20)

E Plyometric Push-ups 3x10

A DB modified snatch - First time in a while that I did higher weights, lower reps, and it felt good. I'm not sure what the modification was, but I do know that I got to 60 (which is the highest DB weight at PF).

B Step-up with DB overhead - These were harder on my shoulders than my legs I think. Just created more effort on my body, which was the point I suppose, but Tim said I was noticeably better in my balance for these.

C Side Plank with Cable Row - Something from my regular workout - getting the hang of these I think as I was able to increase the weight.

D Bulgarian Split Squats - Given my performance on the BSS last week I was hoping to wow Tim with my progress. Sadly, it wasn't as great as I was hoping as I did need the chair to help me balance. Ah well part of the learning curve.

E Plyometric Push-ups - Been a while since I've done these, but I think I did ok. Tim seemed to be happy with my performance so I'll leave it at that. (Though I will say I only just got off the ground lol.)

Overall - A good workout, with 10 minutes to spare. I think I'm finally adapting to these workouts as I'm not as winded as I was when I first started working with Tim. Come to think of it, it will be a year that I've been working with Tim (in about a month and a half) - funny how time flies.

[stingo]

229.5 - A bit higher than I thought it would be, but that's what happens when you spend the weekend drinking beer, and forgetting to take your meds the day before. A lot of this is water weight I'm sure - so will see what happens this week.

As a side note, there's very little that makes my OCD skitz out more than the idea that my tap system might not be in tip top condition. This was prompted by the temperature issue I noted above, but I didn't know that at the time. So, Saturday was spent cleaning the faucet and tasting the beer (mainly tasting the beer to be honest). And Sunday, as luck would have it, one of the local beer bars had the same beer (Southampton Pumpkin Ale) on tap so of course I had to compare tastes (they were the same, thank God). That was also where I sampled some rarer beers like the Unibroue, Bullfrog and DFH. So, all in all a good weekend for beer (as my tap system seems to be working fine) but bad for the waistline.

[missjane]

Tom!! So much beer in this log!! LOL!

I think I may be glad that I'm not a beer drinker. A 10 lb weight difference in three days? That would make me mental

[stingo]

Originally Posted by missjane

Tom!! So much beer in this log!! LOL!

I think I may be glad that I'm not a beer drinker. A 10 lb weight difference in three days? That would make me mental

Well, it's just the way my body reacts to beer - it stores lots of water. Though mind you, the weight trend IS going upward, so a bit of self restraint, sadly, is in order.

[Celestialmom]

Great job getting to the 60# on the snatch! That's gotta be a good feeling to get to the highest weight...