So I’ll be competing in a 5k “beer race” next month, and although the race is a bit of a laugh I really want to do well. Here’s the format: run mile, drink beer, run mile, drink beer, run 1.1 mile, drink beer. Time ends when you finish your last beer. The beers will be 16 oz drafts consumed at participating bars; beer must be finished at bar before proceeding to the next leg (i.e. no open containers along the race route). The beers will be pre-payed and lined up on the bar for the racers, no waiting for the bartender to pull you a pint.
In my research I’ve only found advice on running a “beer mile,” i.e. 4 times around the track, chugging a beer between each lap. However, chugging 4 beers in 6-8 minutes while sprinting is different from drinking 3 beers over 20-25 minutes of running. Some key points I’ve thought of:
Entering a bar to drink a beer will give me more time to catch my breath (it’s very hard to chug a beer when you’re out of breath).
Actual chugging time isn’t as important in a 5k as in a mile (seconds don’t count as much/can be made up over the race).
Longer duration of a 5k means more time for alcohol to work it’s magic. I don’t want to have to pee the last mile.
Any advice from someone who’s done a similar race? Thoughts on training?
FYI, I run frequently but I’ll be working specifically on my 5K time over the next month. Any advice on going from long and slow to short and fast in general would be appreciated as well.
I haven’t done that kind of race specifically, but a) I have run 5K on many occasions, and b) I once ran 5K after drinking a liter of beer.
My advice is just do regular training (google C25K), but accelerate the program a bit, as you’ve only got a few weeks. The other thing is I think you have the right idea about the drinking part: don’t actually chug the beers. If you chug them you will get yourself all gassy and bloated. Drink slow and steady as if you are rehdyrating, not trying to gloop it all down. You may lose time at the start by doing this but by beer two I bet you have the advantage over people who are burping and slopping around.
Good luck! You may want to google “Hash House Harriers” as they are an international organization that do this sort of thing all the time and may have some tips.
I also haven’t done this in a race format, but I have done it informally in a longer run (except it was wine rather than beer).
So I guess I don’t have any advice for just a short 5K beer run. But if it were longer, I can tell you that the wine does refresh you sort of like a candy or gatorade, so you don’t need to make as many plans for that along the race.
Also, if you were running slightly more than 5K, I’d warn you that you’d start to get pretty buzzed toward the end, exacerbated by the runner’s high. The warning I’d give is that not only does alcohol weaken your medium-term performance, it also gives you a mental boost about your own medium-term capabilities, so you can easily over exert yourself.
But since you are only running a mile between rounds, maybe medium-term exuberance is just what you need so you will give it your all
Work in some regular (2xweek) sessions of 600-1000 meter repeats at race pace with a 400 meter jog recovery. Drink a soda during the recovery lap.
Be sure you warm up and cool down well.
Carry something to stir the beer with to get rid of some of the carbonation.
