Drinking Beers, Beers, Beers

Today's post is dedicated to beer: "The cause of, and solution to all of life's problems." (Homer Simpson).

But I'm not going to write just about beer, but instead about a unique way to drink beer. Now I personally am a fan of small pubs and hold-in-the-wall bars where one can go, throw back a few and enjoy random and memorable conversation. But one can also find dozens and dozens of activities that are good for beer drinking. And if you are creative, you can make a game out of any of these activities. I mean, summer softball would not be what it is without beers. Sitting in your backyard playing Cornhole or Washers isn't the same without a beer in your left hand. And where is the fun in going to a baseball game without a 36 oz. beer keeping you company.

Now, these things are all things in my life I enjoy, but I had never before known of a good way to mix my greatest passion in life, running, with drinking beer in a way that would be good for anyone. That was, or course, until I discovered the Beer Mile.

You can look on the website for an EXTENSIVE list of rules, details, and comprehensive records. But I'll give the basic overview of this event. You begin at any track or course with measured quarter mile (400 meter) intervals. On a track, there is a 10-meter exchange zone already marked, but if you are doing this elsewhere you need to mark off these 10 meters somehow. Everyone begins at the starting line and at the gun, everyone pops open a brew. You cannot begin running until the beer is gone. Once you've chugged your beer, you begin your first lap. At the end of the lap, when you reach the 10-meter exchange zone, you pop open another beer, and you can only move withing the exchange zone until your beer is gone. Once the beer is gone, you begin lap 2. Same thing at the end of laps 2 and 3. All in all you consume 4 beers and run 4 laps on the track. If you vomit at any point in the run, you run a penalty lap at the end...but still only consume the 4 beers.

The rules state you must use at least 5% alcohol content beer, so no cheap light beers. Now, according to beermile.com there have been hundreds of beer miles all over North America. So far, the "official" record for the beer mile stands at 5:09, which if you think about it, is truly insane...even for a competitive runner. I know I couldn't run a 5:09 mile with 4 beers in my belly....or even drink 4 beers in 5:09.

Now I have never done one of these before, but that will likely change this Saturday night. A group of my friends (very good runners themselves) have organized a Beer Mile as a sendoff to one of our own who is leaving town this summer. Now I have no idea how well I can do in this thing, but I hope to make myself proud. My personal goal is to run somewhere near 7:00 but I really don't know if that will be possible. Of course, that will require me to drink 4 beers in 7 minutes, which I know will be a tough task in itself. I already have my Bud's cooling in the fridge. But I plan to give a full report of this epic happening next week. For now, I will look on the official website and figure out where I think I will rank among these legends of binge drinking and endurance sports.