Wine'ing Momma - More Wine...Less Whine!

Nashville Solar Eclipse Viewing Party with Scholastic & Holiday Inn

August 16, 2017 by Alisha Leave a Comment

On Aug. 21, Scholastic and Holiday Inn Nashville-Vanderbilt are teaming up to celebrate the first total solar eclipse in nearly 100 years and experience this unique celestial event. The hotel is along the eclipse totality line, providing families with the optimal view of this rare celestial occurrence. Kids and parents alike will learn about space with the “Magic School Bus Presents: Our Solar System” book while cherishing this unforgettable moment together. There will be space-themed crafts, story time and photo ops with Scholastic characters and special glasses provided for guests to ensure optimal eclipse viewing. The solar eclipse viewing party is complimentary for hotel guests. My family and I have also been invited to join in on this historic event!

This event is part of the Holiday Inn brand’s Summer of Smiles program, a new offering that provides in-hotel experiences curated for families complete with entertainment for all! These special occasions are the perfect way to spend quality time together and create lasting memories.

You might be asking yourself “What exactly is a solar eclipse?” This event occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth and blocks all or part of the sun for up to about three hours, from beginning to end, as viewed from a given location. For this eclipse, the longest period when the moon completely blocks the sun from any given location along the path will be about two minutes and 40 seconds. The last time the contiguous U.S. saw a total eclipse was in 1979.

Image Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio

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World’s Largest Touring Tent Show is Coming to Nashville – Cavalia Odysseo

August 3, 2017 by Alisha Leave a Comment

If you live or work in the Nashville, Tennessee area then you’ve seen all of the amazing billboards plastered all over town announcing the Odysseo by Cavalia show. A few days ago the raising of the largest touring tent went up and it was amazing. You can see this amazing tent if you drive by Orpy Mills on Briley Parkway. And when I say its big…. it’s B I G!

Photo courtesy of Cavalia Odysseo

While the White Big Top rose to the sky, I along with guests and members of the press toured the impressive site that will soon host the epic experience Odysseo by Cavalia – a breathtaking production featuring more than 100 horses, riders, acrobats, dancers, aerialists and musicians. Standing 125 feet tall and covering a surface area of 58,397 square feet – the size of a football field – Odysseo’s exceptional White Big Top is a mix of art, technology and advanced engineering.

Me & Cavalia Founder and Artistic Director Normand Latourelle

Facts about the White Big Top:

Odysseo’s White Big Top – the world’s largest touring tent – is 125 feet tall (12 stories high)
The surface covered by the White Big Top is 58,397 square feet, the same size as a football field!
Under the White Big Top are the stage, the backstage areas, the bleachers, a lobby, a gift shop and food stands
Seating capacity for 2,074 spectators
The stage is approximately 17,500 square feet, an area larger than The Predators ice rink
The stage is made of 10,000 tons of stone, dirt and sand
An underground drain system is built to flood 40,000 gallons of recycled water onto the stage for the splashing finale. After the show, it takes 15 minutes to drain the water
The high-definition backdrop is the size of three of the largest cinema screens
The technical grid supports 80 tons of equipment, including a majestic life-sized merry-go-round
Air conditioning and heat are available

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Tough Mudder Training Tips

July 20, 2017 by Alisha Leave a Comment

A few days ago I shared that I’ll be doing my first Tough Mudder…lawd help me! Luckily Eric “ERock” Botsford, Tough Mudder‘s Trainer and Warmup Emcee has provided me with some excellent tips on getting prepared. The Nashville event will be a 5K but I think these tips will work great for anyone training for any type of sport competition.

Training Q&A

What’s the number one piece of training advice you’d give a newbie that’s training for Tough Mudder virgins?
When training for a Tough Mudder, people often forget that you are not only training to conquer the obstacles that are out there, but also the 10-12 mile run that goes along with it. A lot of people focus on the obstacles and forget that there is a fair amount of running as well, so it’s important to incorporate a healthy dose of both endurance and strength training into your regime. Whenever you can, get outside and train, whether it is in your local park or you head out on the trails, it is beneficial to run on the terrain that you will be likely participating on. Tough Mudder events are about teamwork at the end of the day, so train with a friend or partner whenever you can to keep each other accountable and motivated. The motivation of having another person there will help guarantee you get to the gym or get outside to get the workout in.

Do you think beginner runners could run TM? How many months before the event should I start training?
Yes, beginner runners can absolutely run in a Tough Mudder – you should start training ASAP. With the right training, preparation and mental grit, we believe nearly anyone can do a Tough Mudder. If you’re on the fence about doing the 10-12 mile Tough Mudder Full, or if obstacles with ice cold water or electricity aren’t your thing – we get it. We’ve recently introduced the Tough Mudder Half, which is a 5-mile version, designed to provide a more accessible challenge, without some of the more daunting obstacles you may have heard of. This is a great opportunity for those new to endurance sports or on the fence about the Tough Mudder Full.

Trail running is a great way to prepare for Tough Mudder because the terrain at events is nothing like running on pavement or the treadmill. Keep in mind that you’re not training for a marathon, and it’s totally okay if you walk between obstacles; you’ll have plenty of time to rest between obstacles, so work on your sprints and interval running instead of focusing on grinding away on long distances. One of the great things about Tough Mudder is that it’s not a race, so take time in between obstacles to talk with your team, get to know and give a helping hand to fellow Mudders, and rest so you can conserve energy to enable you to finish the course and crush the obstacles.

Finally, don’t forget about that upper body strength as well. Not only will you need your legs to carry you, your grip strength is needed for many of our amazing obstacles. Find a pull up bar and get to work. [Read more…]

Guess Who’s Crazy Enough to do the Tough Mudder?

July 17, 2017 by Alisha 1 Comment

Credit: Tough Mudder

Tough Mudder is hosting it’s first ever 5K – in Nashville and I’m crazy enough and have decided to join in on the torture…I mean fun! Describing itself as “Ironman meets Burning Man,” Tough Mudder is a 10-12 mile obstacle course designed by British Special Forces that tests participants’ “strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie.” [Read more…]