Flashback Friday: Still There?

I lied. Awhile back I said I would do no more Flashbacks this year. And then I said I would do no more posts this year. Yet, here I am flashing back in one last post before the New Year. I know, everyone is reliving all the glory from 2007. Not me. I already did that. Nope, no year in review today. But how about a little week in review?

I ran six miles. Three yesterday and three today. Those runs broke a stretch of more than a week of not running. My plans to run that 50K trail race at the end of January? You got it: I broke those too. Not only will I not have the base to run the miles, but I don't have the funds after shopping for holiday presents. My race budget is spent. Part of my New Year's resolutions will be to figure out my race schedule for 2008. Stay tuned for that post with bated breath!

I got some running gear for the gifting holiday. I now have another longsleeve tech to add to my growing arsenal. I got a new outer shell that is fairly light and breathable, but warm for layering. And -- I wish I had a picture of it for you -- I have a pedometer. That's like one step down from one of those Garmin super conductor computers some people wear. What's best about it is that it's from the AARP. My grandma gave it to me when I visited on Tuesday. It's pretty cool. It tells me things like how many steps I took (about 4,890 for three miles); how many miles I went (not accurate because it goes by my average stride length); and how many calories I burned (less than 200 for three miles seems wrong). All in all, I'd say it'll entertain me for about another week. I also have a gift card to Target, which I may use to buy more gear.

I also got to relive my marathon triumph, which I did with as much machismo as I could muster while trying to pop a shirt button with my sternum. A family friend congratulated me and said he was amazed that I would do such a thing. "Yeah, it was alright," I said in an octave well below my normal speaking voice. "Not a bad way to spend four and a half hours. It's not like I was doing anything else that morning."

Vanilla at Half-Fast has done some fine reporting, supplying a link to the Recovering Runner, who did much finer reporting about the new Beer Mile record of 5:09. All I can say is, Are fucking kidding me? One beer per lap for four laps in five minutes and nine seconds. Is that American measurement? I couldn't run that fast if you spotted me a lap. Forget the running. I'm not even sure I could drink the beers that fast. This Jim Finlayson ... I don't know what to say. Maybe I should just kneel.

All right. Have a safe and happy New Year. Don't let the New Year pass in an undrunken state of mind. (Unless, of course, that's your thing.) Until 2008!

MonDaze Redux

The Viper was remiss in his coverage of running news in Ohio. Claire Markwardt, a senior at Berkshire High School, in Burton, Ohio, totally made me and all of you reading this look like milksops. Claire missed her personal best by 18 seconds at the Division III Ohio high school cross country championships, finishing 67th and helping her team to a fourth place finish. Had she not crawled the last 45 feet to the finish line she probably would broken her PR by a ton. Instead, she broke her tibia and fibula. The video almost reintroduced me to my lunch. But the story reminded me of a different Claire.

[Drunkard note: Link courtesy of Mark Remy at Runners' World Daily Views.]

Akron Marathon Preview: The Why

It's a little less than a year from the day I decided I wanted to run a marathon. I had run only one long distance race before, and I was hurt from trying to run too far too fast in the months since. But it was on the sidelines of last year's Akron Marathon where I felt the tug.

It's not like it was a beautiful day. Autumn was in full gloom. It was in the 40s and drizzling rain. Non-elites and sane runners were dressed in long sleeves or long pants, wind breakers or trash bags and with gloves or hats. Martini and his ex-girlfriend's aunt were running, and the ex-girlfriend, who was a neighbor of mine, was throwing a marathon-watching party. She had a tent set up and Bloody Mary fixings. I brought two sixers of Yuengling Porter, which I had brought back from a business trip in Pittsburgh.

Despite the dreary weather, we had a blast, getting drunk at 9 a.m. and cheering on the runners until we were hoarse. Which was the only way for us to stay warm. We set up a small stand as if it were a fluid station--only with Bloody Marys. Attached to the stand was a sign, a warning of what was in the cups. It got a good laugh from many runners, but one runner actually took one. He was tall and lithe. When he approached, he asked, "Are these for real?" When we said yes, he picked one up and guzzled it down, giving us a thumbs up as he trotted away.

A columnist from the local newspaper chronicled the race by following the very last finisher in a van. He wrote about the ultimate un-winner who came from behind to beat the city bus that marked the official end of the race. He wrote about the scenery through downtown Akron, two parks and a few historic neighborhoods. He wrote about the crowds, reputably some of the best of any marathon, with a specific mention of our group of drunkards.

The best moment, however, was when a short, elderly woman--I'd guess mid-70s--ran past and stopped to turnaround. She walked right up to me and pointed to my beer. "Can I have a sip of that?" I handed her the bottle and she took a long pull before she gave it back. She said thanks and took off again. That memory puts a smile on my face every time I think of it. I hope I see her again this year. And if she out-kicks me to the finish, so be it.