Tag: running

Run, Beer, Brick and Barrell

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, FitnessLeave a comment

It may be Sunday night and I may have done this on Wednesday but it’s still recent enough that I feel it’s OK to still post as if it just happened. So just roll with it. I have said this before but white people love to combine mild physical activity and beer. Not to say other races or ethnicities do not like to but come on we all know white people love it the most. Everyone else tends to split the two activities up but not crazy white people (see my post on the beer mile). And I am white so I can say that. That’s how this works right?

I have done a few of these Brewery Runs in the Cleveland area so far. A bunch of people meet up and run a 3-6 mile run then have beer at a brewery or restaurant. The event is free, you just pay for your beer. I think the run makes us all feel better about the calories. Or maybe we just all need a reason to drink.  Either way I am not complaining. It is a great time to check out another brewery or restaurant in Cleveland. It seems like one is popping up every 5 minutes here.

This time the event was at Brick and Barrel. Located down in the Flats. For those from outside of Cleveland the Flats have completely changed in the last few years. I suggest checking them out. It’s a different place than it use to be. This brewery has been around for a few years now but this was my first visit. A real relaxed environment in an old brick building of course giving off that vibe that this is the place you come after a hard day of work. I tried a couple different beers and really enjoyed an IPA called Bitter Chief. It is named after Chief Wahoo for all you tribe fans and is a good selection as the tribe gear up for a pennant race.

The next event is at the end of September at Great Lakes Brewery and I will be there. Ready to slowly shuffle my flat feet around a few miles and enjoy a beer as a reward. Because really what can be better?

Mile of Death…And Beer

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, FitnessLeave a comment

I know I should have written this sooner. But better late than never right?

Last week, I ran in the  Cleveland National Beer Mile. Honestly, I didn’t think this would be very challenging. I drink beer pretty well and I can run at a decent pace. I workout on a regular basis. I should easily be able to combine the two. That was my thought going in.

My god was I wrong. The beer mile is test of physical endurance, lung capacity and chugging. I gulped down the first beer quickly. 10-12 seconds I would estimate. Solid start. I took off on a sprint and reached the second beer at a good time. I was doing well. Beer number 2 took a little longer but still under a minute. Then I ran. Or jogged. Actually it was shuffle. The second beer hits you. There was no more sprinting. I reached beer 3 and was quickly loosing pace. I gasped for breath as I tried to swallow the bubbly liquid. This one took me well into 2 minutes to finish and I still had half a mile to go.  I trudged along to beer 4 and finished it in a more reasonable time frame before jogging the last quarter mile to the finish. All in all the race took me 13 minutes and 25 seconds. Respectable but no where near the top finishers of the day. The world record holder was there and casually did it in 5 and half minutes with out even breaking a sweat. That is an amazing physical accomplishment. Props to that guy. I fully expect this event to gain popularity because white people love combining physical activity and beer then having a celebration after. It makes us feel like we accomplished something and deserve those beers. It is how we justify the calories.

Now to train for 2017. Do I start with the running part or the beer? I’ll figure that out with this beer.