The (fool?) hearty crowd of the first annual six-pack run.
You may be able to guess this about me, but I’m not a big Halloween celebrator. Sure, I love to go trick-or-treating and see all the vampires and beauty queens and gumball machines, but getting my kids costumed up is enough effort for me. (Case in point: Ben, who wanted to be a king cobra. Seriously? We downsized to a generic lizard, but I’ve still got a lot of scales to pin on.)
I changed my tune, though, when I got an invite to the first annual six-pack run in my neighborhood. The evite stated the details: running with a little drinking thrown in. Six stops, a beer at each one. Costumes encouraged. When I RSVP’ed, I said yes, but that there was no way I could drink six beers in one night, let alone on one 5K route. Just wanted to make that clear. I am a cheap date, and I hate, hate, hate being hungover, even I had the whole house all to myself for the whole weekend this weekend (a story for another time).
Fortunately, the weather was perfect for a very fun night. A few pics tell the story:
Paul was the race director. By day, Paul works on a SWAT Team, so our routine was a little more intense than I expected. Here, he’s laying out the deal: run to a stop, do as many push-ups as you want, drink, a beer (or a fraction of one, as I did), then do a short exercise routine that varied at each stop.
Witch of these things is not like the other?
Our first round of push-ups. They went down in quality as the beer went up in quantity.
Then we drank beer and “stretched.” Yes, I helped outfit the two BAMRs in the crowd. They said they wanted to run together and bitch about themselves to replicate the conversation their wives have when they run. Ha.
And we’re off! (And I’m buzzed off 3 sips of beer and can’t focus the camera.)
One stop: pull-ups at the school playground. (No beer was brought on the grounds.) Here, Misty May shows us her very capable guns–and her glow-in-the-dark medal.
If you’re weren’t up for pull-ups, you weren’t off the hook. Triceps dips all around for this crowd.
Yep, we crossfitted. (Told you Mr. SWAT was intense.) First time I’ve ever I flipped a tire. We also did a squat routine, and a P-90X thing at two other stops. There were a few moves–mostly in the plank/push-up category–where I was in awe and couldn’t have completed, even without Coors Light hydration in my belly.
Just us “girls” at a stop. I’m already planning a better costume for next year…think Ben will loan me his lizard get-up?
Do you mix running and Halloween? Or are they church and state in your mind? And, more importantly, have you bought Halloween candy yet? I–Dimity–am waiting until the 31st. And I’m only buying Smarties, Tootsie Pops and Nerds. And maybe some Raisinets. In other words, nothing that will tempt me too much. (Told you I’m a Halloween Scrooge.)
LOVE the post.. a great early morning giggle before this rain and other assorted weather we’re getting today!
That is too funny! And seriously puts the beer mile that I did a few week ago to shame. And for the record I’m such a lightweight I had to be part of a relay team (w/AZP) – 2 beers and only a half mile of running for me). Still thought I’d puke. :)
Hilarious! That looks like too much fun! A couple of friends and I did the Monster Dash Half Marathon on Saturday. A bit like you, I’m not much for costumes – my own anyway, I totally enjoyed everyone else’s. I was Halloween ‘festive’ (green arm warmers, Halloween stickers on my white tank, striped green/black/white knee highs and purple skirt) but my running partners were cupcakes and Batgirl. So cute. There was a guy in a morph suit that looked like that “Bodies” exhibit – was hard to look away yet oh-so disturbing… No beer for us, but we didn’t have to do SWAT team pushups!!
This post is hilarious! I always costume when I run. Yes, half marathons with head gear, not all costume pieces cross the finish line but my head gear always has completed. The costumes attract attention and usually cheers which really helps me keep going. Our trick or treating was last night and Yes, I bought the candy half an hour before it started, unfortunately there were left over Reeses PB cups, which I did help my self to but I think my teenagers will polish the rest of those off pretty quickly.
I would love to do something like this. I live so far away from any other runner that I don’t think running 16 miles would make anyone want to do it. I would dress up to run a short race though. And I have thought about a wine tour being fun as well.
Reason I started running: My kids’ school hosts a Great Pumpkin Race 5K/1mile run. We ran it last night – 1st time running a 5K for my youngest son and the first time I ran with both of my boys in a race. LOVED IT! But. We didn’t do costumes (primarily because of the torrential downpours they were predicting – and the hurricane isn’t even here yet!!).
I love Halloween! But I can’t seem to do a running costume to save my life. I was an Oompa Loompa and my hubby was Willy Wonka for a party this year, but I did not dress up for my 10K that morning, despite the costume contest. This looks like a lot of fun! Oh, and I always wait to buy candy, too. This year I may not need it. We are under a blizzard warning.
How do I run this next year? It looks like a blast and though I couldn’t drink a six pack without puking. I would LOVE to do this.
So very jealous of your fun run community. I NEED to get something like this started in my ‘hood. I have spoken to the few runners I see when I am out running too (hey there, great day for it!), but am always worried the ones I see running when I am NOT will think I am some kind of stalker weirdo if I roll down my window and say- hey – would you want to run together sometime???? All this connectivity, and yet I cannot seem to connect in person. Anyway- I agree 100% on the candy purchases. I go for skittles and nerds (0 attraction factor there for me)- but I would chow the smarties if I bought those.
Hi Leanne – Rolling down my car window and asking is exactly how I hooked up with my friends and I cannot imagine what it would be like without them. I knew them but not well, our kids went to school together and I knew they ran and we sometimes would talk about it when picking kids up from play dates, but that was the extent of it. Then one day driving to work I saw them running and pulled over, rolled down my window and yelled out that I wanted to run with them sometime. They nodded, smiled and waved and I drove off and thought “well, that I bet seemed crazy….” And then within a day or so one of them sent out an email to schedule a run and some other women joined in and the rest is history. That was just over 2 years ago, but it seems like we have been running together forever. I would say to go for it and ask. You have nothing to lose…. and so, so much to gain.
This looks like SO MUCH FUN!! Kind of what I have in mind for celebrating the big 4-0. We have done a local Halloween trail race several times and it is super fun — I had my Marge costume specially outfitted to be run-friendly. This year we decided to go to a pumpkin farm and grill-your-own steakhouse instead – not quite as healthy – but I’m sure we’ll head back next year to the race! Probably just a run earlier in the day to make up for all the chocolate that I will allow myself to be tempted by!
Love this!! Wish they would do something like this in my neighborhood. I’d be in.. next year. This year I am recovering from my halloweeny half marathon (Runaway Pumpkin in Lebanon, OR) on Saturday.. I wore a costume (orange Team Sparkle skirt!) and got a ~6 min PR!! Photos on my blog…
I wish my neighborhood did something like this – there are definitely enough runners but we just aren’t that social.
This year I’m boycotting Halloween. Planning to hang out in my basement with the lights off and a nice, adult beverage.
Sounds like so much fun! You need to check out a beer mile!
Awesome post! What a great idea!! I’m not crazy about Halloween either, so this would be way more fun. I wonder if we have a “Mr. SWAT” in our neighborhood??