‘Beer’ Articles
Crossfit is known for its brutal, usual workouts that leave your muscles screaming at the end.
Now here’s another novel exercise to add to the Crossfit database, courtesy of the Milwaukee chapter: The one-armed beer push-up.
“It’s debatable if drinking a beer while in a one-handed handstand is as difficult as drinking while doing a pull-up,” said Crossfit trainer Ryan Atkins.
This is not the first time Crossfit has ventured into beer exercise territory. On Crossfit message boards You can find talk of the Pull-up Century Club Drinking Game, beer and burpees, and beer as recovery drink.
And of course, others find creative uses for kegs.
Tags: Beer, Beer Runner Gear, burpees, century club, creative uses, Crossfit, drinking, drinking game, exercise, handstand, Kegs, Milwaukee, milwaukee chapter, Ryan Atkins
Posted in Beer, beer news | No Comments »
Crossfit is known for its brutal, usual workouts that leave your muscles screaming at the end.
Now here’s another novel exercise to add to the Crossfit database, courtesy of the Milwaukee chapter: The one-armed beer push-up.
“It’s debatable if drinking a beer while in a one-handed handstand is as difficult as drinking while doing a pull-up,” said Crossfit trainer Ryan Atkins.
This is not the first time Crossfit has ventured into beer exercise territory. On Crossfit message boards You can find talk of the Pull-up Century Club Drinking Game, beer and burpees, and beer as recovery drink.
And of course, others find creative uses for kegs.
Tags: Beer, Beer Runner Gear, burpees, century club, creative uses, Crossfit, drinking, drinking game, exercise, handstand, Milwaukee, milwaukee chapter, Ryan Atkins
Posted in Beer, beer news | No Comments »
The Beer Belt
We all know that beer is scientifically better than water for running.
So why not replace your water hydration belts with one for beer?
Now you have the 6-Pack Drink Holster.
“You’ll never be out of reach of your next cold one!” the product promises. It retails $4.95 and comes in black, pink and camo colors.
Take one on your next long run, and you’ll be ready for beer the minute you’re finished - if not before.
You can also find a fancier “hops holster” from a really scary looking website.
Thanks to Frank and Mitch for the heads up.
Tags: Beer, Beer Belt, Beer Runner Gear, belts, cold one, colors, Frank, Holster, Hydration, Mitch, water, water hydration, website thanks
Posted in Beer, beer news | No Comments »
Sara Santiago is one of the baddest badass beer runners I know.
Yes, that’s her scar, after she had brain surgery and a titanium plate inserted into her skull. This was only four months after she appeared on this blog.
“Quite simply, I love delicious beer, and I love running, hiking, and having fun outdoors with my husband and our kids,” she said back in January.
Her goals: “I’m interested in finding the balance. I’m interested in drinking beer. (Related: Running is not optional.)”
Little did many of her friends know at the time she was dealing with a brain malformation that caused the bottom part of her cerebellum to grow out of her skull and into/onto her spinal cord. In other words, her brain was literally expanding out of her skull.
(Sara is also incredibly smart. Coincidence?)
For someone who relished being so active, she was having trouble with balance and it had become “hard to walk or hold my children.” I can’t even imagine what that would be like.
As a gesture of support before her surgery, friends of hers ran a heart, as outlined by their GPS. (I did too, though mine looked more like a liver than a heart.)
Then Sara had surgery and earned the hell out of that scar. She wasn’t completely better, but vowed “with gratitude in my heart and all of the beautiful people in my life, I will achieve 125% every day.” All was right with the world.
Now she has to go back in for more surgery. This time on her spinal cord. The date is less than two weeks away.
This time, friends ran a couple different course outlines for her, including a beer run. This is a beer mug (looks a little like Wisconsin, doesn’t it?) from fellow beer runner Mike Collins.
This made Sara very happy. She wrote on DailyMile: “I love beer (because it’s delicious). And they love me. And now I’m crying again. I am so blessed. These wonderful friends make my life awesome. I love them all so very much.”
I again ran a malformed route, this time one that somewhat resembled a bar of soap. So I hope my blog can more clearly convey what my GPS could not: We love you Sara, and we wish you the speediest of recoveries so you can get back to business. (aka running and beer.)
So everyone raise your glasses to one major badass. Cheers, Sara!
Later gators.
Tags: Beer, beer run, Beer Runner, Beer Runner profile, brain, brain surgery, Chairi, course outlines, delicious beer, finding the balance, Mike Collins, Running, Sara, Sara Santiago, surgery, time, titanium plate, Wisconsin
Posted in Beer, beer news | No Comments »
I’ve always said there’s nothing better than a cold beer after a long run.
Beer popsicles
I was wrong.
If you’re in New York you can order a Tecate beer popsicle from The Diablo Royale Este saloon. The not-so-secret recipe includes syrup and lime juice inserted into the can and frozen for four days. Then they cut it in half and serve it up as a push-up.
Or if you’re a little more ambitious, you can make your own.
If it’s a really hot day, I might bring one of these on a run with me.
Thanks to Jen and Chinatown Run for the heads up.
Tags: Beer, Beer popsicles, Beer Runner Gear, Chinatown, cold beer, hot day, Jen, lime juice, New York, nothing, Popsicles, Royale Este, Run, secret recipe, Tecate, tecate beer
Posted in Beer, beer news | No Comments »
It’s almost time to say goodbye to RAGBRAI 2010, and I didn’t get to blog nearly as much as I had hoped. But if I did, I really wouldn’t have experienced a true RAGBRAI, am I right?
(Actually, I was dealing a lot with the aftermath of the flood at my house. But I like to sound dangerous.)
Not to worry if you missed out, a full recap of my ride will appear in an upcoming print issue of DRAFT. With that you’ll get to meet the colorful characters and charming situations of Iowa that I’ve grown to love, such as:
Team RoadKill
The guy biking from Montreal to Argentina - who took a detour for RAGBRAI.
Bananaman
Leisure suit dudes
Naked pond dives
Epic flippy cup tournaments
Why one team got banned from RAGBRAI
Day drinking with Team Bad Boy
…And many, many more.
The tweet at the top of this blog comes courtesy of a member of Team Trouser Mouse. And he’s right, some of their antics might best be left unsaid to protect the not-so-innocent.
So I’m sorry you won’t be getting the 100% full story. I guess for some things, you really just had to be there.
Tags: Argentina, blog, colorful characters, cycling, flippy cup, Iowa, leisure suit, Montreal, RAGBRAI, right, roadkill, Team, Travels, trouser mouse
Posted in Beer, beer news | No Comments »
When Brooklyn Tony from Team Brew Ha Ha gave me a RAGBRAI beer guide, it actually wasn’t the first time a dude on a bike handed me a beer guide while I was biking myself.
Actually, Brooklyn Tony handed me two guides — “one for your gumba” — along with a history lesson.
“Before Milwaukee was the brewing capital of the world, Brooklyn was,” he declared. “Brooklyn — and especially Williamsburg — was heavily influenced by German immigrants.”
Then he reached into his bike jersey and handed me a guide to the best beer stops during our weeklong bike tour of the state of Iowa.
But I couldn’t say he was the first biking beer guide evangelist I ever met, because Earl from Team Good Beer handed me his team’s guide a few miles back. Both were quintessential RAGBRAI moments of bonding with strangers over bikes and beer.
“Beer and biking go together pretty great, don’t they?” Earl asked me while we rode behind a guy in an Old Style jersey.
“They make the beer taste sweeter and the ride more rewarding,” I agreed.
“And the company better,” added Earl, who is part of a 24-member team at RAGBRAI.
Today we finished about 70 miles with about 4,000 feet of elevation and a few thousand beers along the way. Someone was even offering free beer to all 15,000 cyclists in the middle of a field on the side of the rural road.
And even if you don’t bump into a Tony or Earl, you can text “FATTIREIOWA” to 839863 to get text updates of where to find Fat Tire each day on the route. I was lucky enough the Shuttle Guy had it on ice when I arrived at camp
Tonight I’m hanging out in tent city in Storm Lake, home of the Beavers. Tomorrow’s route includes some optional mileage that would make it a century.
So of course I’ll do the longer version, because you know what more mileage means. More beer.
Tags: Beer, beer taste, bike jersey, Brooklyn, camp Tonight, Earl, german immigrants, great don, guide, gumba, Guy, Iowa, Milwaukee, RAGBRAI, Team, tent city, The Midwest, Tony, Travels
Posted in Beer, beer news | No Comments »
Seems like you’re doing something wrong if you run 19 miles on a 13.1 mile course. But I just did that, and it was one of my favorite races ever.
It actually had nothing to do with the wine at the end.
Lagunitas as the Wine Country Half Marathon
Since March I’ve been coaching the Wisconsin chapter of Team Challenge, a half marathon training group raising money for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. This morning about 1,000 Team Challenge members from around the country met in a vineyard to run the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon.
Many of these runners are racing because a loved one or they themselves have Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis, an irritable bowel disease beset by random and severely painful flare-ups of the digestive tract. There currently is no cure.
In one case, one of my runner’s training was disrupted when his son accidently destroyed his medication, and he fell behind on treatment. Another runner — who has one of the most positive attitudes of anyone I’ve ever met — was told by her doctor last year that she needed her colon removed. Thankfully, her condition has improved and she hasn’t needed surgery.
Many join the team because they’re raising money to find a cure, not because they necessarily like to run. Several are first-time racers, and some have never really run before.
At the first practice I told everyone we were going to run easy for 30 minutes. We would have to go slow to build up to 13.1 miles.
One runner later confessed to me that his mouth dropped open when I told him we were running for 30 minutes. I need to train before running that long, he thought. The first few practices were tough. Some runners later told me they couldn’t move the rest of the day after our progressively longer Sunday runs.
But as any runner knows, something happens when you faithfully put in your miles, bit by bit. One day you go out to run and realize you feel better than you ever thought possible. You may even wake up some morning to find you actually enjoy running.
Finally race day was here, and my job was to run back and forth on the course to run with as many teammates as possible. It was a unique challenge that required me not to run for time, but to cover as much distance as possible.
In reality, we coaches were incredibly lucky. I got to keep crossing the finish line over and over again, the best part of the race. And I got to see the look on people’s faces as they realized what they accomplished.
As a nationwide group, Team Challenge raised $2.2 million in this one event alone. I won’t soon forget the sea of orange Team Challenge members rallying around the finish line to bring home the final finishers. This is one of the most inspiring events I can recall.
Then the party began. They gave each finisher a wine glass, and you took that around from table to table for wine tastings. Yes, I had some finish line wine.
But then I found the lonely keg of local Lagunitas IPA, and immediately change course. It’s one more reason to come back next year with Team Challenge.
Tags: Beer Races, Challenge, flare ups, half marathon, half marathon training, irritable bowel disease, Lagunitas, marathon training group, napa to sonoma half marathon, Runner, Team, wine, wine country, wine country half marathon, Wisconsin
Posted in Beer, beer news | No Comments »
Melvin Chu (above, far left) started the blog Runners Drink Beer after a happy discovery. He found he ran faster in the morning after consuming a few beers the night before.
“I’m not talking about a kegger or full-on assault of the liver,” he says. “But after 3-6 beers I have more energy and stamina the next morning.”
Several others in the Dallas area have bought into this idea, and soon enough Runners Drink Beer blossomed into a social running club. And Melvin’s secret continued to work for him.
“After a few 5K’s, I tried beer the night before and knocked a minute and a half off my PR,” he says. “It could have been an easier course, better weather, or you got faster, but who are we kidding? It’s the beer.”
Melvin talked to The Beer Runner about balance, how he lost 50 pounds and the “sense of accomplishment that you earned this beer.”
Who makes up your group today?
I met Kyle Hemmer, who started marathon training with my best friend for their first marathons, and it went from a blog to a social running group. We had some shirts made, set up a few happy hours, and the idea took off. Our goal is to pass along news to the running community, monthly events for the group, and get to know the running community. We’ve met so many — from elites to new runners – that we are all no longer unrecognizable face at White Rock or the Katy Trail.
Do you have any favorite RDB events that you’ve held so far?
I can’t say I have a definitive favorite, but three stand out. 1) St Patty’s Day Parade. Once a year, you’re allowed to drink in public. This is also preceded by the Dash Down Greenville 5K. 2) Warrior Dash 3.5 mile run through mud and various obstacles. 3) Franconia Brewery Tour. They offer tours every Saturday and free beer. I kept getting refills of their Winter Seasonal - a 9.7% beauty — which snuck up on me very fast.
Do you have a favorite post-race beer?
Post-race, I’ll drink any beer in front of me. You have that sense of accomplishment that you earned this beer. When you’re hot and sweaty, anything will do. The majority of the time, a nice crisp pilsner or lager tends to hit the spot - refreshing and light enough to throw back a few.
Do you have a beer picked out for after your upcoming Chicago Marathon?
I know there will be approx 25 members of RDB from Dallas going for the race, and plans are in the works for the Dallas members to have an after-party at one of the Chicago deep dish establishments (Gino’s East, Giordanno’s, or Lou Malnati’s). I have plans to hit some of the local breweries - Goose Island, Metropolitan, Half Acre, and Argus. Can’t visit Chicago and not have any local brews!
You’ve lost 50 or so pounds since lifting weights and running. How do you keep the weight off?
Lifestyle change. So many people claim that they’ve tried every diet with no success. Diet should be a noun, as in what you eat, versus a verb, as in a temporarily action. Until that person makes up their mind, they’ll never see success. They have to want it, own up, and stop making excuses. I finally hit that point post-college when I topped out around 200lbs. I realized I had to make a change and made a conscious effort to exercise and eat better. I lift weights twice a week and run 5 days a week.
What does your diet look like?
Breakfast is normally a bagel and protein shake after a workout. (Fast digesting, high GI carbs to refuel, plus protein to aid in muscle recovery) Lunch and dinner is some variation of whole wheat pasta or bread, brown rice, green vegetables, and some protein with a moderate amount of fat. I certainly don’t hate eating out or eating poorly. I love burgers, pizza, fries, and lots of other things one shouldn’t be eating. I decided to give them up for healthier foods. I feel and perform better when I eat well. The only thing I will never give up is beer. I like it too much. It’s all in moderation, though.
What words of advice do you have for others who want to be a runner who drinks beer?
Balance is the key. Juggle exercise while enjoying life. Go out, eat well, train hard, and enjoy beer as your reward. Many people get one-track minds when they start - it’s all work all the time and utter dedication, which ultimately will burn them out. You have to enjoy life and give yourself a break. If I was Ryan Hall, well, that might be a different story. But I’m just an average guy who likes running and beer. I enjoy what both bring to my life - a sense of balance and something to look forward to.
Anything else to add?
RDB welcomes everyone to become a fan of us on Facebook. We also appreciate the opportunity to explain who we are. It was just a small idea that took off by a couple of guys who like running and beer. I’ve enjoyed every minute and have grown fond of the relationships with members of the running community. We look forward to bigger and better things in the near future. Also look forward to following DraftMag and BeerRunner!
Tags: balance, Beer, Beer Runner profile, Chicago, Dallas, dash 3, drink, first marathons, Goose Island, Greenville, idea, Katy Trail, katytrail, Lou Malnati, marathon training, Melvin, Melvin Chu, Rock, Runners Drink Beer, Running, running community, Ryan Hall, social running club, St Patty, Winter Seasonal
Posted in Beer, beer news | No Comments »
About 10 years ago Adidas created a running ad campaign celebrating the quirks and oddities of runners. The tagline said it all: Runners. Yeah, we’re different.
As a cross country and track geek, I immediately identified with the ads as an outsider, and posted them in my high school locker. (But not the one above - that would have just been weird.)
To me, they represented how running was more than just crossing the finish line in a certain time. It was its own culture with distinct rituals. And if you’re not one of us, sorry, you just don’t get it.
Apparently I wasn’t the only one they resonated with. The campaign boosted shoe sales and was a finalist for a prestigious advertising award.
I look back at these ads very fondly, but I’m not sure the ads would have quite the same impact if they ran again today. The reason? Running has gone mainstream.
Time Magazine reported earlier this year that there were 467,000 marathon finishers last year, up nearly 10% the previous year and the highest number of finishers to date. The article speculated that so many people talking about running on Facebook inspired (or guilted) others into running.
But Beer Runners? They’re still… different. They exist in a cultural no-man’s land between the stereotypical beer drinking hedonist and stereotypical self-denying running hardass. Many wouldn’t think these two can co-exist.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had the pleasure to meet more Beer Runners through this blog than I thought possible. It’s been an eye-opener even for me to see how many of you are out there.
Still, when I tell the average uninitiated person that this blog is about appreciating craft beer and a healthy, active lifestyle, their reaction is usually one of major skepticism.
So listen up Adidas, Nike, Newtons, Sam Adams, Dogfish Head, Fat Tire and anyone else who has some marketing dollars. I propose a new ad campaign for a proud, new and growing audience.
Beer Runners: Yeah, we’re different. Because we are.
Tags: Adidas, adidas nike, Ads, Beer, Beer Runner profile, Beer Runners, campaign, dogfish head, Don, finish line, high school locker, Runners, Sam, shoe sales, uninitiated person, year
Posted in Beer, beer news | No Comments »
