Beer Mile Part Two

Before I go on, let me say that I DID NOT end up running the Beer Mile just yet, I was close, even started to practice, but life gets in the way sometimes as they say.

Had to bail. too much going on that day and next, couldn't see myself getting this done, kinda like entering a marathon with no long runs (done that before, stupid).

Lucky for me the entry wasn't mailed in.

I did take this seriously, I mean it represented another chance at a P.B., always something to look forward to as an aging runner...just try a new distance for the first time.

Now I have done some fast miles before, including one at the track of my old High School, when a teacher friend convinced me to show up and run for his students, to show them what a 5-minute mile looked like. Steve and I met the night prior, so it was tough to get up early and do this, and rip around fast enough to hit the target...

Since I am now training for an Ironman, and I am getting in pretty decent shape, I figured I might as well prepare for my first Beer Mile and try to win the darn thing outright.

So around 10 days before the event, I decide to "practice" for this unique combination of fluid consumption and speed afoot, the only difficulty of course being where to do this, and when.

It's not exactly the early morning breakfast of champions for me, and I might get some weird stares from the passersby with my funny-looking water bottle!

You also have to be in a special mood to train for this race, as it's one thing to just "run out the door" for a 5 or 10 km run, quite another to run fast and drink and make sure no one is watching...(:

So it's 10pm and Jefferson could use another walk, so I grab a Coors Light and hide it in a plastic bag, head out the door with the lightweight racing flats, and go somewhere quiet and isolated where I can also run fairly fast and not be interrupted by a street light, pedestrians or more importantly, the police.

Careful not to shake the bottle too much either...

I find my spot, swig 1/2 the beer, race as fast as I can for what I am guessing is 60-seconds, then grab the beer I have left sitting on a park bench. Guzzle the rest of the beer, then race again around the same loop.

Impossible.

Yes, despite what the Adidas advertisements say (Impossible is Nothing), I have a very difficult time getting the beer down while huffing and puffing (plus it tastes like CRAP), and after taking off for lap #2 I can see why this will become a difficult chore.

Am I not alone?

Apparently if you look at this picture, the answer is no.

http://www.mynextrace.com/Article659.htm

Time to train smarter, harder and maybe pick another brand!

I will do this again, promise.

PD

peter@mynextrace.com 

Fashion tips (running)

Here we go, more useless information!

Unless of course you care what people think about you "on the run", not something I have ever really cared about, these days I am lucky if my socks match, and I still wear some of the stupid shorts I purchased over ten years ago at race expo's in the states - the price was too good to pass up!

I was reminded of this as I stood at a red light today, with Jefferson, and beside us was a gal jogging on the spot.

like we haven't all seen this before...

Anyone guilty as charged reading this?

Tap on shoulder....

Ipod headphones come off, quizzical look in my direction...

"May I ask why you are doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Jogging on the spot, I'll give you some advice, it's not going to make you look any more

cool"

(She has that "look", like she not only wants to get fit but more importantly fit in"...

"Oh, I'm not a jogger"

(What the hell are you then I want to ask?

"It's much better to either stand and wait for the light, or run that way for 15 seconds, turn around and come back, jogging on the spot makes you look like a jogger"

"Consider this free fashion advice!"

"Okay, thanks I guess..."

She stops. light turns green, we both proceed....

"You'll thank me later one day for this"...as we pedal along looking for the next fashion victim....ah these young newbies, never appreciative of such wise words of wisdom...

More advice to follow, maybe Runner's World needs a guest column here?

PD

peter@mynextrace.com 

The beer mile

Something tells me I really have your attention now...

Finally…

A race suited to my disposition! Strong stomach, excellent track speed, ability to withstand pain and suffering over a short period of time. Most importantly though:

Willing to embarrass myself for no particular logical reason…

Never heard of this event before? Read more here –

www.beermile.com

Or search on you-tube for some hilarious videos. Not exactly what De Coubertin had in mind when he created the Olympic movement.

“Higher, Faster, Stronger” suddenly becomes “Puke and it’s an extra lap”.

The cardinal rule of the Beer Mile….

So, thanks to Facebook, I hear from some friends about this underground activity, and jump at the chance to put another notch on the sports-endurance ladder:

- marathon (check)

- adventure race (check)

- 24hr cycling event (check)

- 24hr running relay event (check)

- ultra race (not yet)

- cycling criterium (not yet)

- triathlon (check)

- ironman (almost a check, we’re still in training here, the entry is “in”)

- indoor track race on spikes (I made this up, but it’s cool, and tough)

- crazy, un-planned long-distance attempt of any kind (many here, mostly on a bike - like attempting Vaughan, ON to Niagara Falls on a mountain bike, without a map...)

It hasn’t exactly been the first time I really thought about this, every year I run a popular, local 10km race on a team called 9 Drunks and a Runner, so we talk about the Beer Mile every time. Being a promoter, I even had a meeting once with the president of a local beer company, to look into bringing this “underground” event “above ground”. He was all in favour of the idea, however his staff were a little “queasy” and the City of Toronto permit people were quite against the idea (although two emailed me separately and wanted to enter)!

Now, being the competitive type, I immediately determine that PRACTICE is needed, after-all, “practice makes perfect”, no? It must be noted that it will not be the first time I exercise while under the influence (E.W.U.T.I.). Ever heard of the Santa Speedo Run? Go ahead and google that event and see what you find, but at only 2-3km and at a leisurely pace, it’s not comparable to going to the wall around a track.

Of course the colder weather would certainly “speed” things up immeasurably here…

My only question is now, regular or light?

Stay tuned for the secret training update...

P.D.

peter@mynextrace.com 

Beverage updates...beer please.

We just keep re-visiting this topic don't we! do we have the attention of the guys now?

The debate continues….

What is the best liquid fuel for athletes prior to competition? Feel free to take this quiz:

• Water

• Sports drink

• Coffee

• Beer

I’ve tried all of these, BUT two beers and a shot of Jagermeister before the Santa Speedo Run is not exactly for performance reasons. Anxiety maybe…

(:

I ran into a long-time running friend today, in a running store of course, this amazing runner also coaches athletes, so I think he knows a few things about the sport. We’ll leave his name un-mentioned for now, he’s one of those strong, silent types I suspect. I’ve also lost track of the number of marathons he’s completed, possibly an average of 5-6 per year in the 15 years that I have known him, and oh so many marathons between 2:50 and 3:10.

But never a sub-3:00 hr marathon in Boston!

Until we brought Beer into the equation.

This year however, our friend did manage a P.B. in Boston, his first under 3:00 in fact, and do you want to know what he did differently this time around, after 11 previous attempts?

Train Harder...unlikely.

Better weather...not really.

Better pre-race preparation...did you spend winter in Canada (circa 2008)?

To make a long story short, on the bus to the start, said friend has a tall-boy (can) passed to him approx. 60-minutes before the gun goes off. Talk about a tip from the back of the bus...

I guess after so many attempts one has to just say:

"What the ^%^$!"

Crack open the can.

Guzzle.

Relax.

Hopefully pee.

P.B.

(:

My kinda strategy, but how do I sneak a can onto the bike course at ironman this year?

P.D.

peter@mynextrace.com 

Whom do we believe?

Here's some interesting inside stuff...

I'm at the Ottawa Marathon, Race Weekend, lots of people, lots of sponsors, running celebrities, "people in the know"..

Frank Shorter is here, in fact he's everywhere...

He'll be joining me and many others on the 2nd annual run and fun vacations Miami Marathon / Caribbean cruise:

http://runtheworld.ca/miami.htm

I just happened to overhear a conversation with Frank, in case you don't know his background and history, feel free to google his name and read. Despite a stellar career that is un-matched by most modern-day marathoners, Frank seems hell-bent on overturning his 1976 Olympic Silver Medal. East-German athletes were later found to be juiced up BIG TIME at those games, including the Gold Medallist Cierpinski, who "came from nowhere" to capture fame and fortune at select, high-profile races...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldemar_Cierpinski

A "list" was found from that era of German sport, which including names of many athletes on a diet shall we say of questionable supplementation.

With a legal background, and a sincere interest in cleaning up the sport, albeit with a BIG personal bent, Frank had these comments. The same-day news hit the airwaves surrounding Paula Radcliffe's (women's world record holder) decision to pull-out of the Beijing Olympic Marathon, on the heels of men's #1-ranked Haile Gebrselassie deciding to also pass...

"They're all on EPO, and the extreme heat mixed with this drug use makes for a fatal combo", so with drug-testing being so prevelant it makes sense to back out..

(In those words more or less)

So on race day, at the VIP tent, I am speaking with a well-known running agent (yes, just like major professional sports, there are a few individuals who earn a living helping the world-class runners to scratch an existence out of their passion for the sport)

"Oh, there goes Frank wining and complaining again, he's still so bitter..."

(In those words more or less)

(Of course, this agent represents some of the best runners in the world, and a positive drug test would not be good for business)...):

Which side are you on?

PD

peter@mynextrace.com 

Volunteers needed!

Yes, we're now officially getting the word out to our readers about this very serious and important assignment, no amateurs please.

The world's most famous marathon, Boston, has added a new wrinkle to their Race Weekend. already requiring thousands of volunteers, Boston is in need of a few more, men especially, so keep reading guys.

We have learned for the first time that the t-shirts made available to the athletes will come in both men's and women's sizing, as opposed to the standard, one-cut, small-medium-large and x-large variety.

Alert the media!

What does this mean to the B.A.A. (Boston Athletic Association) and the overall success of the race weekend?

- No more washing the car with an ill-fitting commemorative Boston Marathon cotton t-shirt?

- No more ladies using the shirt as a night gown?

- No more shirts resting quietly (abandoned) in a top-shelf closet with high-school photos, this year's upcoming xmas gifts for the kids, and the embarrassing sex-toy your husband bought you 12 years ago...

(:

Ah, no....

It means that volunteers are needed to help the women (especially) to size-up their shirts at the check-in desk. I was informed of this amazing new position while at the Ottawa Race Weekend, where a few fellows stood in front of my booth with Boston jackets of a colour I was not familiar with:

"Is that a media jacket you have on?"

"No, volunteers",

"Oh, my media jacket was burgundy, and I know the runners' jacket this year was blue".

"We volunteered on the Saturday, helping women to pick the correct size of race shirt. They needed help getting the shirts on and off, and an opinion as to how it fit"

(wry smile on face of guy standing in front of me, like he now felt embarrassed to admit the guilty pleasure of his philanthropic deed - "HHmmm, no, that doesn't seem to be fitting very well, let me help you take this off and try another one on...."...

"Is that better than putting a medal around the neck of a sweaty finisher" ..was my reply...(I job I volunteered at the Avon Run for Women many years ago)...

"Much better, because we were still able to run the marathon!"

Music or no music?

Maybe I am revealing a little too much about my deep self here, but I still refuse to listen to music while I exercise (bike, run, roller-blade)...

I used to, just before I started training in earnest for my first- ever clinic for a marathon in 1995. the instructors were talking about safety and all that, especially since we were a big group (100) and we were running at night (january).

So I put down the sony sports walkman (big, yellow, heavy thing, now used as a door stop) - and started to discover what true serenity, endorphins and loneliness are.

(:

Indoors on a treadmill, now that's another story!

Remember though, this is well before the invention of the MP3 players, the i-pods and all the other gadgets that now go with the sport (business) of running. I still really like to head out the door and see what happens, in my mind of course, and I like to think of solutions to professional and personal problems I might be going thru.

Plus now with a dog on a leash I really need to pay attention, Jefferson, get back here!

The issue has become so prevalant and potentially dangerous (distracting) that many big-city races try to ban the use of ear phones and music as a safety precaution - like that's going to work! You might as well try to ban short skirts and tight tops at a nightclub district..

Maybe though as I get "older" and look for new ways and means to get motivated, I should re-consider this strategy, even if it's just to pump up some music at the beginning, or in the middle when I need a boost...

Music suggestions anyone?

P.D.

peter@mynextrace.com