"I'm Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer"

First, I survived the night despite ingesting spoiled acetaminophen. Thanks to all zero of you who expressed your concern...

Second, while I was busy last night whining about how hard it is to not go to work for a week and instead eat, drink, run, sleep, and eat and drink more, Tim over at Draft Magazine was busy naming me one of the 12 Beer Runners to Watch in 2011.

Says Tim: “Will Run For Beer blogger Claire Walsh has had an epic 2010. She smashed her marathon PR and ran an eye-popping and Boston qualifying 3:36:59. She drank a lot of good beer. And she followed that up with a victory lap (or several victory laps) with the inaugural We’ll Run For Beer bar crawl". Eye-popping?! Tim, you shouldn't have! (yes, you should. Shit was not easy.)

In all seriousness, this is a humbling and simultaneously bad assed (pronounced "ass-ed") honor. Take a look at my fellow Beer Runners who were recognized: Sara had BRAIN surgery. Suzi and Jason have lost more pounds combined than I weigh while holding a 30 rack six-pack (I gave myself too much credit... or too little body mass...), and didn't sacrifice the good (beer-filled) life for it. Caleb and Steve are both sub-3 hour marathoners. It seems perhaps there's been a mix up; I can't possibly be part of such an accomplished and awesome (and, as Nina pointed out, attractive) group.

Thanks to Tim and all the folks at Draft Magazine for this accolade. Thanks to all who made it out for the inaugural We'll Run For Beer last week. Thanks to Leslie who inspired me to organize it in the first place. Thanks to everyone I've ever had a beer with (the list is long). Thanks to everyone I've ever had a run with (shorter, but filled with cooler people). Thanks to everyone who has ever come out, early and cold, to watch me race (the shortest list of all, but those closest to my heart). And thanks to to fellas at DeJesus bodega for believing that 17 year old, 5' 11" Claire Walsh with her arms full of Coronas was 24 year old 5' 2" Cassandra Bujarski. I've come a long way, baby!