DRAFT Magazine

Hood to Coast movie trailer

The craziness of the world’s largest relay race  will make its bigscreen debut this week at the South By Southwest Film Festival.

“Hood To Coast is basically a party for most of the teams on the course,” said Anna Campbell, producer of HOOD TO COAST and a veteran of the race. “And the beer tent on the beach is all the motivation people need to make it 197 miles from the top of Mt. Hood to the ocean.”

She added: “I should mention I also both run and drink beer.”

HOOD TO COAST follows four unlikely teams — including one whose training consists of beer drinking — among the legendary Oregon race’s 1,000 teams and 12,000 runners. Director Christoph Baaden (Campbell’s husband) ran the HTC race for the first time in 2007, and when he finished he vowed to shoot his first feature documentary about the event.

The film makes its debut on Saturday, March 13 at SXSW. You can see the trailer here.

“We’re madly putting finishing touches on the film now,” Anna said, “but by Thursday we’ll be in Austin for the festival.”

MCM Mamma

Erika, aka MCM Mamma, is a 30-something blogging mom of two boys who started running to overcome postpartum depression. She enjoyed it so much she started racing, and now she’s working on racing in all 50 states - and hit up brewpubs and breweries along the way. Also, she and her husband hit up the Alaskan Brewery on their honeymoon. That’s +100 wife points.

Occupation: Stay at home mom. In my pre-kids life, I was a librarian

Residence: Arlington, VA

Last beer: Naughty Scot at Rock Bottom Brewery

Last run: 6 x 800 repeats on the treadmill

Favorite beer: Three way tie: Alaskan Smoked Porter/Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron/New Holland Dragon’s Milk Ale

Fun fact about yourself: My cats (Saranac Black and Tan and Pete’s Wicked Kitty) were adopted on two different trips in 1995 to the SPCA after an afternoon spent enjoying beer at the Carolina Brewery in Chapel Hill, NC.

The Beer Runner: How did you get into running?

Erika: I’ve been running off and on for exercise for years, but I didn’t really start running regularly until after I had my sons. I’m a much better mom after a running related endorphin hit! Then a friend dragged me to a race and I discovered that there was a whole lot more to running than hitting the road for a quick three mile run. Since then, I’ve run the Marine Corps Marathon and done back to back (one each weekend) half marathons and joined the Half Fanatics. The “50 races in 50 states” idea happened when I decided to wait before training for a second marathon and needed a goal.

BR: How did you get into craft beer?

Erika: I took an “enrichment” class at my university, where I first encountered beers that went beyond the typical mass market beers. My education was continued by my now husband who was a home brewer. A trip to the Alaskan Brewery in Juneau on our honeymoon sealed my fate. Every vacation for the last 15 years has included at least one brewery/pub and one trip to Washington and Oregon included more than 20.

BR: What’s been your favorite race so far as you attempt to run 50 races in 50 states?

Erika: The Maine Lobster Festival 10K this past summer. It was a small race, but extremely well organized with a lot of spectator support. The runners were some of the friendliest I’ve met. On top of that, the weather that day was perfect for running, the course went right past our vacation house so the boys could see me, and I had a nice PR.

BR: What is your dream race in your dream state?

Erika: A race that actually exists? I’d have to say the Boilermaker 15K. Saranac Black and Tan was one of my first craft beers, so finishing a race at the brewery sounds great to me! It doesn’t hurt that it’s in a favorite vacation area of ours (upstate NY), is a distance I like, and is a state I still need to get. I plan to be there in 2011. If I could design my own race, it would involve running between brewpubs, likely in the Pacific Northwest.

BR: Is it true you have a beer geek glass collection above your treadmill? Does that motivate you?

Treadmill + beer glass collection

Well, Beer Geek is my blog name for my husband and his beer glass collection is indeed right next to the treadmill. It certainly motivates me not to fall off the treadmill as I’m not sure that breaking any of his glasses would be good for our marriage. And the more calories I burn, the more beer I can drink, right?

BR: What brewpub would you most like to visit during this trek?

Erika: I’d really like to visit the pub at the New Holland Brewery. I’ve already been to the breweries that make my other two favorite beers, so it would be great to visit this one. Honestly, I’ve been to over 150 breweries and brewpubs and I can’t think of one that I didn’t enjoy.

BR: What is your next racing goal?

Erika: My next big goal is to PR at my second marathon in May when I run the Bob Potts Marathon in York, PA. Other near future goals include running the Oak Barrel Half (sponsored by Jack Daniels) in Tennessee in March and running the Soldotna Unity Run 10 mile race in Alaska in July, which will get me my minimum of three new states this year.

BR: I loved your 10 beers that make you happy post. How do you discover new beers to try?

Erika: Events like Savor are a great place to try new beers. We also like to visit breweries and brewpubs on our travels. My favorite way to discover new beers, though, is to buy beers I’ve never had before. I love to walk into a well stocked grocery store (or random other place that sells beer) and find a craft beer I’ve never had. The hard part is limiting myself to buying one or two new beers at a time. Beer Geek often comes home to the beer fridge stocked with beers we’ve never had before.

BR: Any other words of wisdom to add?

Erika: No matter how busy you are, make sure to take some time each week to do something you love. Life’s too short to not have fun along the way.

Sara Santiago with Unibroue Terrible

Name: Sara Santiago

Bio President of Roll Mobile; wife to Agustin and mom to Grace and Nora; proud Milwaukeean; purveyor of jackassery.

The Beer Runner: What are your beer runner credentials?

Sara Santiago: Quite simply, I love delicious beer, and I love running, hiking, and having fun outdoors with my husband and our kids. Being an active family and appreciating our ability to do that is important to me. As a mom, I want to be a strong, positive role model for my girls. It’s so important that they see how I care for my own health as well as theirs. I want to instill in them the benefits that an active, healthy lifestyle has to offer, from the physiological benefits of exercise, to the opportunity for inspiration and wonderment that comes with a hike up a moonlit canyon. How am I into craft beer? Sara likes beer. It’s really that simple.

BR: How did you get into running?

SS: I became serious about running in 1999. At the time I didn’t have children, and I wanted an activity that offered solitude and a higher cardiovascular benefit than the team sports Agustin and I were playing. I began to run regularly, and soon was entering local races, triathlons and half marathons. I found that running was the activity that fit well for me. I have continued to run over the years, sometimes going through periods of “dry” months, where I wish I were running more, but then I try to get back in the saddle and ramp up the mileage again. I’m currently in “ramp up” mode now.

Sara on a winter run

BR: What are your goals for 2010?

SS: My goals for 2010 are pretty simple. Find the balance. Maintain a high level of running activity, maintain a high level of performance in my professional life, and have the most wicked-awesome fun with my family. All while enjoying well crafted, delicious and unique brews. Cha cha cha.

BR: What have been some of your biggest running highlights so far?

SS: My favorite race ever was the 2008 Memphis Half Marathon supporting St. Jude’s Hospital. It was a very emotional experience. The entire city seemed to reach out to all of the runners and offer their sincere gratitude. The energy was amazing! My sister and I drove down to Memphis from Milwaukee, stayed in an awful (totally gross) motel, ran a fabulous race on a beautiful day, supported one of our favorite charities, and celebrated that night with beer and Beale Street. I guess I should also mention that my sister is the funniest person on the face of this Earth, so having her for a running partner is ridiculously fun.

BR: How did you get into craft beer?

SS: I paid my way through college by bartending. It gave me the opportunity to sample a lot of beer and wine. I realized I had an opinion about beer. Wow, it sounds so dorky when I say it like that.

BR: What’s your beer of choice?

SS: That, my friend, is an unfair question. I don’t think I can choose one beer. I am partial to an IPA. I love a good porter, and if you ever want to try a good sour ale, you really should try the La Folie Sour Brown Ale by New Belgium. Aged in floor to ceiling oak casks. Amazing.

BR: When you visited Colorado a few months ago, did you do more hiking or drinking?

Sara visits New Belgium

SS: We did quite a bit of hiking (at least one hike every day for four days), but one of our main reasons for the trip was to tour some of Colorado’s craft breweries, the highlight being one of my favorites, New Belgium. The brewery is beautiful. A balance of form and function. The culture there is so closely aligned with my own ideas of blending what you’re passionate about with what you do everyday, and what you put back into the world. I also love the fact that behind that successful brewery was a guy with a dream to start a brewery and a woman who loved him so much, that she supported his dream and told him to quit his engineering job and “follow your folly.” Behind one of my favorite beers is a strong woman.

BR: Living in Milwaukee, do you have any tips for winter running?

SS: Listen to your feet, knees, and hips. Runners tend to modify stride when running over uneven snow and ice. Or, you may overcompensate and pronate differently, causing injury. Be aware of your stride, keep an eye out for ice, and if you are going to fall, let yourself fall. You are more likely to strain your back trying to regain balance on a patch of ice. Oh, and if you do fall down, take a photo with your phone and post it on Twitter.

BR: How did you like trying out the Bar Method as a workout? And did you visit a bar afterward?

SS: omg Bar Method! Wow. This workout is intense. I love it because it works completely different muscle groups than running. I also find it fun to use the bar and pretend that I look graceful, like a dancer. Then I hear my husband cracking up behind me. I did enjoy a pint afterward, but from the fridge, not the bar.

BR: You’re a fan of Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, right?

SS: I enjoy the Young’s Double Chocolate Stout because it doesn’t have a sweet finish, no syrupy weight to it. Lots of cocoa flavor, not overly creamy mouthfeel, nice dry finish. I’m actually experimenting with it for a chocolate cupcake recipe I’m working on. I cook with beer often, and I’m venturing in to baking with beer this year.

BR: Any other words of wisdom you’d like to add?

SS: Find the balance that works for you. You’ll know it when you find it.

Jennifer Tran at the Malibu Half

The Beer Runner: What are your beer runner credentials

Jennifer Tran: I’m in the “lucky habit” of carbo-loading with beer before a race. A few friends have convinced me that it’s a great way to get some calories in, relax and feel pretty loose and ready to run the next day - so far I’ve had some of my best half marathon performances after a beer carbo-loading dinner and haven’t turned back since!

BR: What running accomplishments are you most proud of?

JT: My back to back half marathon weekends (Long Beach Half Marathon followed by the Nike Women’s Half Marathon the weekend after) - it qualified me for the Half Fanatics (I’m Half Fanatic #241!!!)

BR: I like how you listed running as your religious views on Facebook. What’s your holy land?

JT: Trail running up in the Santa Monica Mountains is my personal holy land. Nothing will humble you more 800+ ft climbs at 1300 ft elevation.

Santa Monica Mountains by Cal's Diversions on Flickr

BR: Congratulations on running 1,000 miles this year! How did you come up with that goal?

JT: The goal was originally a challenge listed on DailyMile.com I joined the site in the middle of the year and didn’t really think I was near hitting it til December came along and I counted all of my training BDM (Before Daily Mile) it’s a personal goal of mine to try to consistently hit 100+ mile training months so 1,000 seemed like a good number to go after for a year.

BR: Where’s your favorite running spot in Los Angeles?

JT: Westridge Trail in Pacific Palisades - gorgeous views of the Beach, Downtown LA and The Valley in one spot.

Jenn at the Surf City Half Marathon

BR: Where’s your favorite place to get a beer in LA?

JT: O’Brien’s Irish Pub in Santa Monica - it’s a small dive and not as “LA” as most places. Easy to go and hang out with a small group of friends, plus they have a decent selection of beer.

BR: What’s your beer of choice?

JT: Newcastle

BR: You majored in philosophy and metaphyiscs at Yale. What’s your beer of choice to discuss the nature of reality over?

JT: Breckenridge Vanilla Porter - nothing says “lets get metaphysical” like a smooth dark ale. It also tastes just like a cream soda which to me screams Ivy League.

BR: Any other words of wisdom you’d like to add?

Carbo-load with beer before a race = PR. (Don’t forget to train beforehand.)

Irish Beer Runner

What began as a way to take advantage of a slow bar night in Tampa has turned into a runaway success.

The Four Green Fields Running Club’s weekly non-competitive 5K followed by beers at the Irish Pub has become so popular that the St Petersburg Times recently covered the event.

Sixty-five runners attended the first event last St. Patrick’s Day, and now it averages about 200 participants a week, with a record 238 runners at a recent Tuesday night.

Four Green Fields co-owner Colin Breen never thought the events — which have no prizes or official times — would last this long. Today there are regulars, volunteers that keep track of the long list of participants, and those that complete 10 runs get awarded a Four Green Fields Running Club T-shirt.

According to the St. Petersburg Times, participants range from walkers and moms with jogging strollers to hard-core marathoners and Hash House Harriers.

Investment banker Richard Alley, 36, holds the record for most Tuesday night runs, with nearly 40 under his belt. Alley started jogging a year ago to train for his first 5K, and now he finds running and a pint or two of Guinness the ideal way to unwind from work.

Today, he’s running the Walt Disney Marathon.

“It seemed like almost an insurmountable challenge at the time … getting ready for that race. I remember mentally struggling through running that 5K,” he told the paper. “Since then, things have changed.”

UPDATE: Some embedded reporter photos and commentary from the running club, thanks to Ryan Johnson.

Pre-run gathering

View from the course

Post-run beer gathering

Since this is about running and BEER, a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

The coveted Four Green Fields Running Club shirt

Beer running with Dogfish Head

Chago Navarro shows off his beer runner pride at the finish line of today’s 5th Annual Run into the New Year at State Fair Park in Wisconsin. A former Division 1 collegiate runner, Navarro covered the snowy and slushy 5K course in about 18:30.

About 1,300 people braved an icy wind and 20-degree temperatures for their last race of the decade. Their reward: A goodie bag with champagne and free beer after the race.

Happy New Year, beer runners. What is your resolution for the new decade?

Photo by Pete Prodoehl on Flickr

Writing for the San Diego News Room, Michele Wallace makes a well-reasoned, expert argument for beer drinking during training, beyond just aesthetic considerations.

Wallace points out that beer is made from grains, water, and yeast, contains antioxidants, and lowers one’s risk of coronary disease — and contains the underrated (in my opinion) vitamin B6. This vitamin plays a key role in making iron in the diet more available, which in turn provides more hemoglobin and oxygen for working muscles.

So lets break this down:

Beer -> vitamin B6 -> more available iron -> more hemoglobin -> more oxygen -> PRs

Finally, there’s the writer’s trump card:

One of my favorite things to do is to relax at the end of the week with a cold beer! There is nothing like it; the smell, the taste, the relaxation and the warmth that fills my body is simply the best. I’m always bothered by those that use the “I’m in training” excuse to not throw back a cold brew. Really? Do these people really think that a beer, maybe two or three, is going to impair their training?

Beyond all the expert “data”, I can tell you-from one runner to another-beer is a good thing. Whenever I drink a few beers (not in excess), I always feel GREAT during my next workout. Whether it is the B6, the antioxidants, the carbohydrates, or the alcohol…. whatever it is, I’m sold.

The experts have spoken, and they want you to drink beer while training.

Photo from Toronto's Santa Speedo Run

May all your Christmases be beery and bright.

-The Beer Runner

Steve Speirs at the Cardiff Half Marathon in Wales

The Beer Runner: What are your Beer Runner credentials?

Steve Speirs: I started running in high school to keep fit for other sports, but became hooked after running my first race (a half marathon) a few months before my 16th birthday. The other sports (football and rugby) fell by the wayside, but the running stuck, and 27 years later I’m still pounding the pavement. I can’t imagine a non-active lifestyle and I don’t see myself giving up beer any time soon. I love to sample different brews and have been lucky enough to receive a Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club membership from my wife the past couple of years. Nice birthday gift huh?

BR: What’s the story behind your online moniker the British Bulldog?

SS: A friend in the local running club devised an Underground Grand Prix competition several years ago and created nicknames for the dozen or so entrants. Mine was British Bulldog. A few people latched onto it and the rest is history, I guess.

BR: What has been the biggest highlights of your running career?

SS: Huge highlights were my wife finishing her first marathon in 1999 and then going on to complete Ironman Lake Placid in 2004. Very proud moments. Also, being able to support my daughter through high school track and cross country careers was a very special time. Without doubt, the biggest highlight of my career is winning the 2009 Cayman Islands Marathon. I’ve never viewed myself as a hugely talented runner, so the main goal of the race was to have fun and take part in a marathon on a beautiful island. The race was one of those rare occasions where pretty much everything went perfectly; I steadily worked my way through the field and at mile 22 pounced on my chance to take the lead. I highly doubt anything will ever compare with the feeling of leading a marathon and breaking the tape as the winner.

BR: What has running taught you about yourself over the years?

SS: It’s taught me that I can pretty much achieve anything I set my mind to. I may not be the most talented athlete out there, but I train hard, love to challenge myself and never, ever give up.

BR: You wrote a book and created an app for a 100 push-up program. How did that happen?

The 100 Push-Ups book

SS: Two years ago I was looking for a simple strength program to complement fall marathon training. I found online references to push-up workouts and set to work combining some of the principles into an easy-to-follow, progressive plan. Months later I mentioned the six-week program on a personal blog, and after receiving numerous emails and comments about push-ups, decided to post the plan online. I launched hundredpushups.com in June 2008. A cool twist to the story was when a publisher approached me to develop material for the book loosely based on the site. I also created apps for 200 sits-up and 200 squats.

BR: So tell me about beer. What are your favorites?

SS: I do miss some of the beers I grew up with — Brains Bitter, Brains SA and Brains Dark to name just a few (SA Brain & Company is a regional brewery founded in 1882 in Cardiff, my birth town). One of my all-time favorites, however, is Samichlaus, brewed at Eggenberg Castle in Germany. Samichlaus is only brewed once a year (on December 6th) and at 14% alcohol by volume is one of the strongest lagers in the world. I only reward myself with a Samichlaus on completion of a lifetime PR at any standard race distance from one mile to 50K. I may have to rethink this approach soon as PRs are getting more rare at this stage in my running career.

BR: What is your advice for outrunning the beer belly?

SS: Always run more than you drink, and don’t set PRs too often (see above).

BR: Do you think the secret to running a half marathon at age 104 (or 94?) is to stop for a beer halfway through?

SS: I think if you’re still running half marathons at that age, you deserve to stop for a beer at every mile!

Hash photos from the KC Tribune

Everyone’s favorite “drinking club with a running” problem just got a nice write-up in the Kansas City Tribune.

Victoria Prater, who goes by the nom de hash “I is EZ,” explains the local 21-year history of the legendary global organization the Hash House Harriers.

“It’s the perfect combination of exercise, social interaction and beer,” declares the writer, a dedicated hasher herself.

If you’re  not familiar with the Hash House Harriers, you should be. Everyone needs to have experiencing the Hashers’ unique running debauchery on their bucket list.

My own Hash initiation came five years ago with the Waukesha, Wisconsin, chapter. We ran a beer mile, which is chugging a beer for every lap of a mile.

As the article details, the 71-year-old organization with worldwide chapters is known for purposefully confusing running courses, vulgar and politically incorrect banter, and of course beer during and after running.

“It’s great fun in the frat party tradition,” the article declares.

On on!