Yesterday evening I competed in the 27th annual Tchoupitoulas Barathon. For those unfamiliar with this unique athletic event: it’s a footrace from bar to bar; at each bar, the contestant must down a beer. Not for the faint of heart, or of stomach. It started in 1983 as a club race for the Tchoupitoulas Social Aid & Athletic Club. I’m proud to say that I’ve made it to every Barathon since then except for one: 1990, which conflicted with my law-school baccalaureate mass.
This one was my slowest ever (1 hr. 11 min. 57 sec.*), probably due to my being older yesterday than ever before. My lack of training may have had something to do with that slow time too—my prior longest run in 2009 was been 3.2 miles. Surprisingly, I’m not nearly as sore today as I thought I’d be. During the race, I took a one-minute walk break every five miles, a marathoning technique I learned from Jeff Galloway, most useful for shortening the recovery time after a long run. Also on the plus side, the beer stayed down easier than in years past, probably due to the slower running and acquired alcohol tolerance (i.e. lots of Dewars).
Usually after each Barathon, I upload some photos and post the link on this blog. I intend to do that as soon as I resolve a little technical problem. My high-speed ISP has been disappointingly unreliable; I won’t name it’s name; let’s just say that their motto should be “Sometimes on.” Just now it’s in it’s all-too-frequent “sometimes off” mode. So I’m writing this post via a back-up dial-up account that I have. If all goes well, I should have a new DSL service up and running by Wednesday. Meanwhile, if my current on-again, off-again high-speed access decides to work, I’ll try to upload the photos before then. (With my reliable but slow dial-up, it took a few minutes to upload the one photo at upper left.)
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* My PR, as far as I know, is 35:19, posted in the Year of Our Lord Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Six.
Ray,
Thanks for posting the pictures. I passed on the race this year after about 8 in a row. I'm still rehabbing my back after an operation in August, and I'm also doing some sailing out at SYC.
Maybe next year.
--Bill Strickland
Posted by: Bill Strickland | May 18, 2009 at 03:12 PM
Ray and Suzzane,
Sorry I missed it this year. I usually try to make it. Really enjoyed the photo though. I have less then3 years to go to retire and looking forward to moving back to New Orleans in 2012.Next year will try to make arrangements early. See you all then. I'll be in town for the Spillway Run in July.
Dr. Joe Warren
Posted by: Joe Warren | May 20, 2009 at 04:55 PM