Beer Runs: The 2013 Challenge

For some reason, I convinced snebbu and a few of our other, beer-loving friends to sign up for the Stoudt’s Distance Classic 12k on Halloween weekend. Stoudt’s happens to be one of our favorite breweries for a few reasons: highlights include its central PA location, plenty of older, beer-loving folks, and a free shuttle at most events from the brewery to all area hotels, which are usually around $50 a night. No college girls or heels here. We frequent their microfest and figured, why not do the 12k, especially if there’s a free pint glass and a beer at the end?

I should have known this was a bad idea by the words “Distance Classic” in the title, but I kind of thought it was a joke.  Unfortunately it was not. This 7.45-miler was a tad harder than expected; considering the race was, in my opinion, 80% uphill, including one hill that was 1.3 miles long, and 3/4 of the way my legs almost gave out just WALKING up. Also, the water stops didn’t have beer. Thankfully, we made atomic orange shirts to identify us as members of a fake organization, the FYAEA (Federation of Young Alumni Exploring America), which aided in search and rescue efforts.

Although I completed the race, was handed a loaf of bread at the finish line, and was given TWO free beers for coming in last (awesome), I felt defeated. But had there not been beer at the end, I would have given up at mile 2 and hitchhiked home. So,  I’ve come up with a challenge for myself, snebbu, our friends, and whoever else wants to join (YOU?): use beer to motivate yourself to run in 2013.  Run as many 5-10ks as possible in 2013, all of which are either a) at a brewery b) sponsored by some sort of liquor or c) involve free beer at the end. Not only will we a) be in shape b) be motivated and c) get a lot of free booze, I’m sure that many of these runs will raise money to benefit a cause other than my sobriety.

So far, we’re targeting the Mid-Atlantic (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, DC). Races on the calendar include the Brewery to Brewery Fun Run in Cooperstown, NY (ending at Ommegang!), the Dogfish Dash in Delaware, and Run for Life (and Beer) and Victory’s Hoods in the Woods in Pennsylvania. Snebbu and I would love for anyone and everyone to join us for these runs, laugh at us along the way, or at least give us some suggestions to must-do beer races.

B double, E double are you in? Other ES-ers?