DRAFT Magazine

“I endorse the work hard, play hard approach to life,” says Casey Schutte.

Dude isn’t kidding.

He’s completed a 27-hour, 100-mile race only to take a short nap and meet friends for dinner and beers.

He’s stayed up until 7 a.m. the night/day before his first marathon.

Now he’s moving to Berkeley for Law School and to join the university’s triathlon team.

What are your beer runner credentials?

I can be kind of a health nut in terms of exercise and diet, but I still like to enjoy beers with friends. Especially in summer, when one of my favorite things to do is go for a long bike ride and end with a frosty beverage.

What are some of the athletic feats you’re most proud of?

Finished the Kettle Moraine 100 Mile Endurance Run last year. Never thought I’d do that. It was the same weekend that Wisconsin flooded, and the race was brutal. Fewer than 30% finished the race. I had some very supportive friends who ran through the mud and rain with me during part of the night, though. It was unforgettable. And when I did Ironman Louisville last year, temperature were in the 90s. I’ve had some pretty bad luck with weather for my big races.

Riding in California last year

Favorite post-workout beer?

Pabst Blue Ribbon. A beer of choice since college, it just goes down so smooth. I like to brag that my friends and I were avid consumers before it became hip again.

Most memorable race that involved beer?

Definitely my first marathon, the 2004 Mad City Marathon. To prepare for the 5 a.m. race day wake up, I got up an hour earlier every morning the week of the race. Two nights before the race, my goal was to go to bed early. But It was a beautiful night and I had a group of friends hanging out at the Memorial Union Terrace. I had just finished college at UW-Madison so I joined them for a couple of celebratory beers, and my 5 a.m. wake-up turned into 7 a.m. bedtime because we wanted to watched the beautiful sunrise over the lake.  I did not enjoy the marathon.

Greatest. T-shirt. EVER. Please explain.

Smashing

I went through a phase in college where I was making gear with iron-ons. It’s a cheap way to customize clothing and can look pretty good if you do it right.  Anyway, a friend of mine had a bumper sticker with that line on it, and when I couldn’t find the sticker anywhere I made a t-shirt. Let’s say I fit the stereotype of UW-Madison and (my future educational institution) Cal-Berkeley.

How did you get involved with TriWisconsin?

I moved to Milwaukee not knowing anyone and hoping to do Ironman Wisconsin, even though I had just finished my first sprint tri. It seemed logical to get involved with TriWisconsin. I quickly found that the TriWisconsin group is an amazing bunch of athletes always willing to offer advice and support. I love to train and race but I’m about having fun much more, and TriWisconsin is completely in line with this. Can’t say enough good things about the organization.

What are some of your favorites races that you’ve done?

My first Ironman — Ironman Wisconsin in 2007. Everyone told me your first Ironman is special and Wisconsin is an amazing course. They were right. The weather was perfect, spectator support was amazing, and I didn’t drown. What more could you ask for? I also had a wonderful time running the Chicago Marathon. It’s hard to describe the energy and positive vibe when you’re surrounded by 45,000 marathoners and a whole city of supporters, doing what you love.

What are you looking forward to when you move to Berkeley?

The weather. How could you not love that? I’m excited about the prospect of running a marathon in Sacramento in December. There’s a reason you don’t see December marathons in the Midwest. I plan to join Berkeley’s triathlon team. They claim to be the largest triathlon team on any campus in the country, and the men’s team has won the national championship the last two years. I also hope to run a fall marathon and possibly qualify for Boston.

Anything else to add?

Yes. At the risk of sounding elitist, a tongue-in-cheek public service announcement: When someone says “I ran/biked X miles today,” it’s best not to respond with “X miles? I don’t even like to drive X miles!” It’s just not original. We’ve heard it many, many times.

The Joy Trip Project is like NPR for active, outdoorsy people. 

That’s exactly the audience podcaster James Edward Mills is going for. 

“I want to carve out a spot on National Public Radio featuring stories that introduce people to the wonders of outdoor recreation,” he says. 

After being awarded a grant from Keen, Mills has interviewed Ken Burns about national parks and told the incredible story of a Utah student’s act of civil disobedience, among other episodes.

He’s looking for a good post-adventure thirst quenching beer. Got a suggestion for him? Leave it in the comments after his Beer Runner interview.   

What the last great beer that you had?

I had a Bell’s HopSlam  at Upfront & Company in Marquette, Michigan. It was delicious.

What was the last great workout that you had?

This morning I did a treadmill workout at the gym. Aside from the fact that it was about 10 degrees outside, the sidewalks are really icy and I’m worried about falling. I’ve been nursing a bum hip for almost three years. But now I’m incorporating the principles of the book “Chi Running” by Danny Dreyer. I’m learning how to run relaxed and loose while concentrating on my breathing and heart rate.

What’s your favorite beer after a hike?

I’m a big fan of Warsteiner in the summertime. I usually prefer micro beers but I have yet to find one that’s light enough to be a thirst quencher that’s not a wheat beer. I hate wheat beers.

I saw you’re involved with the Big City Mountaineers. Can you tell me about that?

The Big City Mountaineers is one of my favorite charities. They’re based in Boulder, Colorado and they take poor kids on their first backpacking or canoe trip. I’ve taken two groups into the backcountry of the Trinity Alps and the Continental Divide.

What would you like people to know about the Joy Trip Project?

The Joy Trip Project is my dream job. The idea is to develop audio stories about the various aspects of the active lifestyle. I like to think I take it a step further though by telling stories about lifestyles that are sustainable and maybe benefit others. 

You have an anthropology degree from the University of California-Berkeley. Learn anything about beer in that time?

Photo by Radiobread

I had my first beer as a college freshman. It was a Mickey’s Big Mouth. They used to come in green bottles shaped like a barrel. From there I graduated up the Lucky Lager. I hated the taste but they had these cool pictogram puzzles on the underside of the bottle caps. In my fraternity as I pledge I learned how to pour a pitcher of beer from the tap in our chapter room. NO FOAM PLEDGE! By the time I graduated I was the house chugging champ.

What are the biggest similarities and differences that you’ve observed from living in Madison and living in California?

For one thing Madison now is more like Berkeley was when I went to school there. California has become incredibly conservative and Wisconsin is wonderfully liberal. People here are well-educated, thoughtful and generous. Dane County has more non-profit groups per capita than any other county in the country. And like California folks, here they like their outdoor sports.  I’ve gotten to know some of the fittest, most athletic people anywhere, all the cheese and beer not withstanding.

Anything else to add?

I have a no-fail cure for the hiccups and I can take the cap off a beer bottle with my teeth.

Bone at the Grumpy Troll

“Sometimes, when I think about skiing,  mountain biking, or hunting at work,” says my friend Bone, “I get all shaky and need to walk around the office just to calm down.”

Maybe you need to have known Tyler Byrnes, a.k.a. Bone, since the age of 15 to find that funny. But I think the image of a dude pacing around the Wisconsin Capital building hopped up on fantasies of adventures sports is pretty hilarious.

I met Bone (his childhood nickname) in high school when he was a baseball and football player and I was a cross country and track nerd. Now we mountain bike and drink together.

In addition to being a former bike shop worker, adventure sports enthusiast and daddy of two, he also has a brilliant public policy mind and works in the Wisconsin state budget office.

Now on the Beer Runner he talks about Russian beer, broiled venison, and being an adrenaline whore.

What’s bigger in Madison: Biking or beer?

I’ve gotta say biking. Everyone everywhere drinks beer all year round, but I rode in to work one of the coldest iciest days of the year — and I saw three other people riding to work. But you can’t throw a stone without hitting a local brewery, so beer comes in a close second. I’d say somewhere near last place is beating someone up cause they told you to get a bike light.

You’re into both outdoor adventure sports and outdoor hunting-type lifestyles. You said it’s unusual for those two cultures to overlap. Did you ever think that you’re just an adrenaline whore?

Well, clearly I’m an adrenalin whore. But why do these sports fail to overlap? I think it’s mostly because of misconceptions about one another, and competition for public lands. If instead of competing to use the limited public resources available, they fought for more land for everyone, we’d both be better off.

What kind of beer goes well with high-protein low-fat organic free-range hand-processed venison steak?

This New Glarus Alt that I’ve been drinking really goes well with some broiled venison. It’s all carmel-y and full flavored, goes well the strong flavor of venison. Some people say its too gamy. I say they’ve never had it cooked it right.

Bone on the Bike

You used to work at a bike shop in Dubuque, Iowa. What local beer, bars and bike trails do you miss after you left?

I miss the FDR trail system. It’s an old city park, turned over to MTB trails. Nice, twisty single track that’s not too difficult but a good workout. And they were 1.5 miles from my front door. Can’t beat that. The local brews?  Stuff from the Amana colonies was always good.  We’d have celebrations at the seminary — $5 for all the Oktoberfest you could drink and all the brats you could eat.

What’s the best beer for skiing season?

I’m a big fan of the Huckelberry Wheat Lager from the Great Northern Brewery in Whitefish, Montana.  Nice hint of huckleberries without overwhelming the traditional beer flavor. Any beer you can walk up to the bar and order is a good one though during ski season.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Answers were written while drinking two New Glarus Alts. Also, since we’re talking beer, I have to mention the Weisser Bar (White Bear): a 9.Something ABV Russian beer we used to drink in Germany.  It was served in 1/2 liter cans. Never met anyone who could make it through more than three. Just astounding stuff. And if anyone knows where I can get it, I’d be happy to share one with them.