Hi everyone, and welcome to the first installment of Let’s Wine! This section of the blog will continue to evolve over time, but for now, I plan to use it to sit down and relax over a glass (or two) of wine as I reflect on my progress over the month. Why not pour yourself a glass and join me in my journey?
The weather in Chicago this month has run the gamut, to say the least! We’ve had temperatures as low as the mid-30s and as high as the high-80s, and everything else in between! We’ve also had our fair share of rain, which kept this wimpy runner in for much of the month. Some quick stats:
Walking/Running: 42.1 miles
Biking: 57.3 miles
Gym Workouts: 8.5 hours
Wine Consumption: Let’s not go there
Hey, it’s a start. I’m an all-or-nothing kind of girl, and I tend to do much better when I have a specific goal in mind, so I’ve registered for several races throughout the year to help keep me on track.
On May 13, I completed the Destination Races Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon. I recap the race here. I was horribly sick for the entire week leading up to the race, and in true me fashion, I didn’t really train, so as always, I was happy just to finish. My horrible sickness lasted a full week after the race, so I didn’t get much outdoor time in after the race, either.
The cool and rainy weather in Chicago finally broke this week, which has gotten me out the door a little more often. This past Sunday, my eldest son, his fiancé, my middle son, and I participated in the MB Bike the Drive in Chicago. Rain was predicted for several days leading up to the event, but it turned out to be a beautiful morning and we completed the entire loop, logging 32.1 miles that day. We rewarded ourselves with a couple of ice cold beers (at 10:30 a.m., no less!) and some yummy food at Four Moon Tavern in Roscoe Village in the city. I would highly recommend it.
Memorial Day brought such beautiful weather, I decided to forego any further runs and got myself outside for a good 5 hours of gardening. That in itself was quite the workout!
So what about the wine? I tend to go in phases, moving from one varietal to the next. This month, I’ve gone back to enjoying Pinot Noir, Meiomi being one of my favorites. With the summer weather here, I will probably start playing around with some Sauvignon Blancs again, which I love to sip on my deck on a warm summer night.
How was your month? Did you meet your workout goals? Share some of your favorite wines with me! I’d love to hear about what you love. Cheers!
We’ve had such wacky weather in Cleveland, too. I think we get all of your weather, just a day or so later. I look to all of you on Instagram to see what I should be expecting the next day! 🙂
I definitely watch the weather trends. It’s been crazy in the midwest so far this year!
This is fun kind of like our ultimate coffee date but with wine. I had a pretty good month despite the weather challenges we had with so much rain. I am not a huge wine drinker but I do like a nice rose in the summer
I’ve tried a couple of Roses lately and was surprised at how much I liked them!
My favorite wine is a Pinot noir but I don’t drink nearly enough of it!
I like how light a Pinot Noir tastes. I’m not much for the whites, but I do like a few Sauvignon Blancs and am starting to experiment with unoaked Chardonnays.
I’m not much of a wine drinker, but I got to have something sweet…Zinfandel or Reisling, thank you very much 😉
Oh, yes…Zins too! I’m not much for the Reislings, though. So much wine, so little time!
I totally agree with signing up for races to keep your motivation going… it’s hard to be motivated otherwise when you don’t have a focus!! Your blog name btw is pretty funny!!
I definitely need that motivation. And this running thing definitely wasn’t part of my plan…one of those ‘accidents’ with a good outcome!
Love this idea! Nothing better than chatting virtually through your blog, telling us about your month and enjoying a little Vino 🙂
Thanks! I wasn’t sure where to go with the wine thing, so I thought a monthly wrap-up over a glass of vino would be a great way to incorporate my love of wine with my love of running!
Well, now I need to get some wine! 🙂 I tend to like reds in the winter and whites in the summer. Great job with the Bike the Drive event I need to ride my bike more often.
The Bike was so much fun! I’d love to make it an annual event. I agree on the reds in the winter and the lighter wines in the summer!
If I lived in Chicago I’d be tempted to do some of those street races, too, just to run or bike through all that glorious architecture. You sure to keep good stats! I’ve done some gardening lately, too, it’s that time of year. Wines: merlot, pinot, and my very favorite, pinotage. Also pinot grigio, sparkling whites like prosecco and Franciacorta, and ice wine! With all those favorites you’d think I drink a lot of wine, but I don’t. I limit it a lot due to things like the breast cancer risk. Mainly I’ll drink at a restaurant or family occasion or when entertaining.
Living in Chicago sure has its health and fitness perks. I’ll be doing the marathon this year for the fifth year in a row. It’s such a great way to explore all of the neighborhoods. I’ve never tried pinotage…interesting!
It was a PERFECT morning for Bike the Drive! I was so happy for everyone out there! I used to like pinot noir, but now I’m more into blends and cabernets
We were so lucky the rain held off. But any day you can bike the drive is a beautiful day, IMO! And yes, I love the blends, too!
Sounds like a great month!!! I did well this month and I also drank wine-probably too much.
If drinking a little too much wine is all we do, I say we’re in better shape than many!
You had a great month even with being sick you were still very active! Have you been to Cooper’s Hawk winery? I was obsessed this month with their new Pinot Noir Rose. Serve it chilled and it is super yummy in this Florida heat. Can we really have too much wine? NAH!!! Cheers!
I have not tried Cooper’s Hawk, but my niece swears by it. I tried a Pinot Noir Rose in Santa Barbara last month–yummy! And too much wine? A agree…NAH!!!
I love lots of Reds – Malbec, Shiraz, Syrah, just to name a few. There’s nothing wrong with rewarding yourself with a glass or two of wine. 🙂
Reds are definitely my favorite. And hey, as long as I’m not getting behind the wheel (and I’m not!), no harm in a glass or two at home, as far as I’m concerned.
I’ve been mostly drinking whites–Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs. Sadly, reds make me hot flash more than usual. This over 50 thing is for the birds! I have tried a few Roses and I didn’t think I’d like them but they are not the Roses of the 70s-80s! Very dry and yummy.
Huh…I never noticed that about the reds, but that’s usually what I drink, and I do have those flashes! And yes, the Roses I’ve tried recently were surprisingly good!
We definitely had a shaky start weather wise, but at least May ended with some stellar temps. I finally, just this morning got my entire garden in. I’m feeling so accomplished!
Glad you got your gardening done! I’m still looking for a few of those elusive flowers, but I’m getting there!
Not only do I love your idea of reflections, there’s ALWAYS time for a glass of wine. I love it. Great job
Thanks! I’m hoping to make this a regular monthly post!
Love this idea of catching up over a glass of wine! I’ve been on a Malbec kick of late 🙂
Oh, I do love me a good Malbec!