Sunday Wrap Up: The "Dry" Run

With just a week to go until the Spring Edition of "We'll Run For Beer," I dedicated today to a "dry run" of the course. I was to:

- Run the route, ensuring that there were no major construction obstacles or road closures along the way

- Introduce myself to the bartenders and ask them to prepare for an onslaught of thirsty sweaty people next Sunday

- Get lost, so that all navigational errors were out of the way and I wouldn't end up leading hoards of thirsty sweaty runners in the wrong direction

I woke up early to rain, but was determined. After fueling up with a bagel and a coffee and my Sunday morning constitutional (New York Times Weddings and Celebrations, duh), I was ready. For a nap. I went back to sleep until 2:00pm.

I did manage eventually to drag myself out of bed and into the rain to accomplish the stated objectives. The good news - all bartenders and drinking establishments are on board! Some more than others (I happened to have a beer at Plan B in Prospect Heights last night - stop 5 on the run - and the bartender was extremely enthusiastic. He also mentioned his penchant for pot smoking, and I had bought him a shot, so these could have contributed to his excitement. One hopes he remembers me when I roll in with my plus 25 next weekend).

The bad news is that, as dry runs go, this was... not. It was pouring all afternoon, which made for some awkward introductions to bartenders ("Hi I'm Claire. I don't always look like I crawled out of the sewer. But I do always smell like this, and that aroma will be multiplied by 25 next Sunday, here in your bar. We cool?!"). After 10 soggy miles, there wasn't enough room in my bathroom to hang up all my dripping gear. The only bright spot (though again, not "dry") was that at stop 3 - Park Slope Ale House - I decided to warm up with a pint. Yes, I'm that dedicated to the craft. You can thank me next Sunday.

Number of Miles Run This Week: 48. Yesterday's long run was 23.4, unusually long for training - I typically max out at 22, and that's not until about 3 weeks out from race day. But the weather was nice, the company was chatty, and there were beers at the end. And now I can. Not. Stop. Eating. (Related: Holy hell, the Cheese Fries at Park Slope Ale House. If you come to the beer run and don't taste them, you are a communist and a threat to our national security).

Number of Beers Consumed This Week: 8. Bad news, friends. The beer run on Sunday is the last hurrah before Boston. Five weeks of sobriety ahead. I don't want to think about it. So I'll probably black out most nights this week so I don't have to... More on that next week. In the meantime, use these next few days to send me recommendations for anything I must try before then.

Types of Beers Consumed This Week: Brooklyn Lager, Brooklyn Brown Ale (this is a delicious nutty beer that I wish were on tap in more bars), Coney Island Lager - look at me, repping my adopted borough! Also, a Saranac and a Sam Adams. And a kamikaze shot... Don't judge me. Buying one for the bartender meant that my drinks next weekend are on the house. Let's hope my drinks next weekend do not involve kamikaze shots.

I hope those of you in the area will be at the Pritchard Square entrance to Prospect Park for "We'll Run For Beer: Spring Edition next Sunday, March 13th at noon. (You better be, because I ran 10 miles in the rain for you people today). The total course distance is roughly 4.6 miles, with 6 stops. Full route map and other info is here. Anyone interested getting some miles in the Park beforehand is welcome to email me at willrunforbeerblog@gmail.com to coordinate. Or just look for me out there. You'll recognize me from my drawings of physical therapy; I'm the one with orange hair and a therapist strapped to me by a bungee cord.