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BEER HAS SUSTAINED ME
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By Michael Selman
Some things in life are truly paradoxical. For example, why in nature, would
the hardest part of the human body be in direct contact with the softest part
of the human body, fully capable of doing severe damage? Anyone who has ever
bitten their tongue knows exactly what I'm talking about.
Most of the runners that I know represent a similar oxymoron. (No, an oxymoron
is not a dumb person with zits.) To casual observers, we are a picture of
good health and good living. We run, therefore we probably eat fresh fruits
and vegetables all day long, drink nothing but sparkling water, and wouldn't
go near red meat with a ten foot pole. I don't know about you, but rabbit
food just doesn't cut it for me.
It is true that we do share some common health beliefs. Rarely do I see a
runner smoking before a race, but it's not unheard of. One of the nicest
things about post race parties is that they are smoke free, a fact appreciated
by all. But to see what food disappears first at those post race gatherings is
the window to the soul of the runner.
I was at a race recently where post race refreshments included pizza, sub
sandwiches, assorted cookies, and bananas. I saw people walk off with three
pieces of pizza, and then return for more when their stash was gone. I saw
people hoarding down handfuls of cookies without caloric guilt or remorse.
People were crowded around the sub table to the point where you couldn't nudge
through to see what was left. Thanks to the sponsors who provided the feast.
There was plenty of everything for everyone.
One table was practically ignored. The bananas. I didn't see anyone look
both ways and then grab a bunch of bananas when nobody was looking. There was
no need for a sign that said "Please limit yourself to one banana only." Most
people were limiting themselves to no bananas. Curious, I thought that these
health conscious people would bypass the obvious choice in favor of fat and
empty calories.
As I thought about this, I realized that the five pieces of pizza I had just
eaten had made me extremely thirsty. Boy, I could go for a beer right now.
Beer. The one universal drink of the runner. Is there a runner alive who is
not also a beer lover? Just give me my Samuel Adams after a training run and
it truly doesn't get any better than this.
I am an analytical thinker and try to make sense out of everything. So, of
course, I started wondering why good running seemed to go hand in hand with
bad eating and beer drinking. Well, I think I have figured out the answer in
a way that at least I can understand. It's really quite simple if you do the
math. Let's start with the facts.
3500 calories will always equal one pound. This is a simple mathematical
equation.
Each mile you run burns approximately 100 calories. Each beer you drink adds
about 150 calories.
Personally, I maintain a weight of about 150 pounds, which remains steady from
year to year. I average about 120 miles of running per month. At 100 calories
per mile, that means that each month, I burn about 12,000 calories running.
120 miles X 100 calories = 12,000.
12,000 calories = 3.42 pounds. That's how much weight I lose each month by
running.
In order to stay even, I need to intake an equivalent number of calories from
beer.
12,000 divided by 150 (calories per beer) = 80 beers per month, or 2.66 beers
per day.
I willingly do this to maintain the balance of nature. The first 2 beers are
easy, but the last .66 is a bit harder. I haven't yet figured out how to keep
the carbonation going from one day to the next once the bottle is opened.
Simple math again tells me that I cannot stop drinking beer even if I wanted
to (which, thank goodness, I don't.) Here's why.
Suppose I stopped drinking beer today and changed nothing else about my
lifestyle. I'd still run my 120 miles a month, and I'd lose 3.42 pounds in
the process. In only one year, I would lose 41.1 pounds. My weight would
drop to under 110 pounds and I'd have to listen for high wind advisories
before going outside. In only three short years, I will have lost 123.3
pounds, bringing my weight down to 26.7 pounds. I could get a job as a wind
sock at the airport. In less than four years, I wouldn't even be here any
more. I would be totally gone.
Quit drinking beer? How can I? I am forced to drink in self defense. I take
comfort in the fact that health experts now say that a beer a day may be
better for you than total abstinence. So I figure you can never get too much
of a good thing. I'm probably guaranteed good health through the year 2510 by
now. Besides, we all have to do our part to contribute to the balance of nature (and the
bathroom scale. ) So bring on the pizza, sub sandwiches, cookies, and, most
importantly, keep drinking beer.
And save the bananas for the monkeys.