Runners, Take Your Mark!

Beyond the world of cigars & cuisine, another desire I have in life is dedicated to fitness. Whereas of late, I haven’t been as motivated as I once was when it comes to leading an active lifestyle. Living in the valley of the sun, there should be no excuse weather-wise to get out and make the most of my physical surroundings, especially this time of year now that the temps have dipped to a reasonable level. With that said, I thought I’d throw out some fitness tracking for all to see as a motivator to help me achieve some of my physical goals.

I think some background of what I once was is necessary to put things into perspective. As with most people today, my most active time physically had to be what seemed like ages ago in high school. I spent two years of my time there running cross-country in the fall, whereas the winter, spring and occasional summer was dedicated to gymnastics for all four years. Beyond high school, I bulked up in college and continued a somewhat active lifestyle up until the ripe old age of 30. I would work out when I had the time, continued running and biking on a somewhat regular basis (at the time I lived in Chicago, so there were only so many months to enjoy the outdoors), and maintained what I thought to be a pretty good example of what an “in-shape” person should showcase. My body fat was low, heart rate & blood pressure was above average, my energy level was high, and for the most part I was active. Then came the move to Arizona… I’m not sure what happened to trigger such laziness, however I just seemed to turn everything off once I moved out here and turned into the Common Man (I’ll start a proper diet next week when there’s less stress at work, I’d like to lift but I don’t like my gym, etc.), there was always an excuse. Over my time here, I’ve had spurts of energy and dedication, but all of which seemed to be short-lived. Now, I feel it’s time to turn the common-man around. It’s time to set short & long term physical goals. It’s time to dedicate myself to something other than the “thought” of getting back into shape… And so it begins.

My first short-term goal is that of the PF Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. This race is a big event here in Phoenix, if not the biggest fitness event of the year. It’s rather unique in that it’s held in one of the only places in the US where good weather is almost guaranteed in January. Also, there will be a number of bands performing all along the race route (along with other festivities), which I would think (and hope) will make the miles run by much faster and more entertaining than just a standard race.

I know some of you may think that a marathon is a lofty first short-term goal to have, and that is why I’m only signed up for the ½ marathon. I’ve started my training routine by comfortably running 5 miles a day, 3-4 times a week for the past few weeks, and it’s surprising to find how I’ve never really lost my gait from the days of cross-country training at good ol’ Niles West High School. This week marks the official 12-week point prior to the race, and it’s now time to ramp up my training. This upcoming week will be dedicated to four 5-mile training days and one 7-mile day, totaling 27 miles. With this type of growing routine, I hope to trim off some of the unwanted fat, lower my resting heart rate & blood pressure and increase my energy levels. I’ll also start to factor the gym and diet into my routine, however that’s a post for another day. Let the training begin!

Also, for all those who read my columns for cigar news, reviews and information, don’t fret, for I’ll still regularly post. One inspiration I had for this fitness training was a previous article in Cigar Aficionado, detailing the life of Michael Jordan. One thing I found which made me rethink my vices and goals was his pre-game ritual of smoking a cigar on the way to each home game while stuck in traffic. I don’t intend to give up cigar smoking during my newfound days of training, for that is the reward for hard work, and well earned. It’s still a time to reflect on the finer things, and now with training involved, I’ll feel a whole lot better when it comes to my vices.

North & Southsiders Unite

It’s on a very rare occasion that the Northsiders and Southsiders unite to bring one fantastic city into a state of sports harmony. In a city where Baseball championships are as rare as a summer holiday weekend without rain, we were able to savor the longest piece of summer in 88 years. 1917 will no longer be the year associated with 35th Street baseball, for now we can finally shout out, “Say it IS so, Joe!” In a stunning 4 game sweep of the World Series, the White Sox have truly captured the essence of baseball, which has been missing in Chicago for so many years.

I’ve been a Northsider for as long as I care to remember, and that will never change, for I’ve always felt that even when the Cubbies lose, it’s more exciting than when the Sox win. Over the past 17 games of the post season, I’d have to change my tune (if only for a short while), for the Sox have put on the best display of small ball that I’ve ever seen (16-1). Very rarely do we get a glimpse of what true sportsmanship and camaraderie should be. While watching the Sox, the true spirit of the word “team” comes to mind, and this has been the best ball I’ve seen since the D-Backs took the series against the Yanks back in 2001.

After the final out of 2005, after the interviews on the field, after seeing the neighborhood bars of Chicago erupt and after realizing that I was actually cheering for the Sox, I felt it best to retire to the back yard, gaze up at the stars and think of the pure electricity lighting up Chicago at that moment. While savoring this World Series win, I found myself with an Arturo Fuente Short Story in hand, for this experience is exactly that; a short story. For now, it’s time to return to my Northside roots, only after expressing my true congratulations to a team well deserved of the Fall Classic.

Review: Macanudo 1997 Vintage Cabinet

1997 Was A Good Year

For my first cigar review in quite a while I thought I’d say a few words regarding the Macanudo 1997 Vintage Cabinet Selection. I’ve had a few of these stored away for some time, and the mood was right the other night to light one up. It’s finally cooling off here in the desert southwest, and the temps are dipping below 100 degrees, and 97 was in fact the high of the day, so why not celebrate the cooler weather than by lighting up a 97? Right? Right…

Macanudo claims that every now and again there’s a perfect balance of sunshine and rainfall which produce an extraordinary wrapper leaf. I really want to believe that the wrap on this stick is something special, and I don’t doubt that it is, however should I blind taste this one, I don’t think I’d be able to pick it out as a Vintage. Don’t get me wrong, if the mood is right for a creamy mild smoke, than look no further, however does the vintage wrap constitute the higher price tag than say the Café Crystal? That would be something for you to decide.

Upon lighting the Vintage Series, I expected an easy light with a razor sharp burn, and that’s exactly what I got. The taste from start to finish is fairly mild (as with most all Macanudos), which fit the bill for the evening. Even down to, and past the band, this stick produces a smooth draw without even a hint of burning hot. The palate doesn’t change all too much throughout the smoke, which comes off as creamy and somewhat sweet; Boston style coffee comes to mind with heavy cream. Unfortunately, nothing here knocked my socks off, however as I’ve mentioned in past Macanudo reviews, they happen to reinforce the Average of Average.

While smoking, I couldn’t help but think of what major events took place in the year of 1997, and what type of pop-culture helped to shape our world today. It seems that our neighbors across the pond had quite the eventful year with the election of Tony Blair as British Prime Minister and the tragic death of Princess Diana. Stateside, we commemorated the 20 year anniversary of the death of Elvis, while we celebrated the birth of septuplets in Iowa (all of which survived). Most of us spent over 3 hours in the theater watching the antics of Jack and Rose while on some sinking ship. Matt and Ben had their first runaway hit with Good Will Hunting while dinosaurs still reigned supreme in the Lost World. Also, who would have thought that the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was saving us from aliens in Men In Black?

Albeit, with its ups and downs, 1997 was a good year, particularly so for Macanudo’s crop. I would definitely recommend the 1997 Vintage Cabinet Selection for a smooth relaxing smoke. So slap in your Titanic DVD, fast forward past the first hour, turn up the volume, light up your Mac and enjoy.

Has It Really Been That Long?

Has it really been that long since my last post?
Has it really been over 2 months?
Have I really been that busy?

As much as I would like to answer yes to that last question, the simple truth is that I’ve fallen victim to the Common Man Syndrome. I’ve become lazy to posting, and have been wrapped up in other things lately. I’ve been traveling quite a bit as of late; taking a cruise, visiting Colorado for a set of DMB shows and enjoying the north woods of Eagle River Wisconsin. I’ve also started to incorporate running into my daily (or every-other-daily) routine in preparation for my first ½ marathon coming up in January.

While the events over the last couple of months may sound busy, in retrospect I really had plenty of time to post, however I just felt burnt out for a while. This doesn’t mean that I couldn’t find the time to enjoy a few cigars, for I’ve spent many hours enjoying a smoke or two. There’s a stockpile of reviews I have waiting in my mind, some good and unfortunately some bad (don’t worry CAO, not you this time!).

Now that autumn is blowing its cool evening breezes into the valley of the sun, I can’t help but feel drawn into the sanctuary of the yard to savor the enjoyment of a fine cigar. There are many sticks waiting and aging rather nicely in the humidor, including some Ashton Crown Series, Macanudo 97 Vintage, Rocky Patel 1990 Vintage, Partagas 150 (don’t worry Rett, it’s time will come), Fuente, Padron and CAO, just to name a few.

I apologize to everyone looking for regular updates, and thank all those who take the time to read my posts and visit on a regular basis. I’m back, and I’ve kicked the Common Man out to the curb. Now it’s time to burn the day away!