Alternative Training

You can contact us at:

dave at calbeers dot com

Prologue

So there I was, running at an 8-9 minute mile pace with a six pack in hand along freeway 880’s frontage road with the Oakland Coliseum in view, trying to make opening kickoff when the Raiders hosted the Cleveland Browns.

As often happens on a run of this sort, I had time to reflect on how I’d gotten into this position.

I’d had tickets for that 1PM kickoff for months. It just so happens that my wife’s high school reunion was the night before in Santa Rosa where we spent the night at her parent’s house.

I’d originally thought I’d get my weekend run in Saturday morning before heading to Santa Rosa. A combination of an U14 soccer game that morning and getting to SR early to socialize with the in-laws put the kibosh on that.

I was left with one alternative. Instead of riding my bike the five miles from my house to the coliseum and back, I’d run it. I’d run it with a six pack, A six pack of Anderson Valley Brew Companies Hop Ottin IPA (this is Cal Beers dot com after all).

When I first mentioned this brilliant idea to my wife she made a number of interesting and colorful remarks. The ones that I remember most are these:

Her; “But you’ll be all sweaty, won’t you feel weird?”

Me; “At a Raider game?”

Her; “But you’ll look like you were running from the police and you ran into the coliseum as an attempt to blend in and escape.”

Main Event Staging

The night before went pretty well. I’d done a ‘bandit’ at my high school reunion a few months before. I just didn’t want to pay $80 for a meal I didn’t want. Plus, I had a one month old baby, which we didn’t want to get a babysitter for, which meant, I was going solo. So instead of paying, I took my family out for a nice dinner, and then they dropped me off at the reunion about two hours after it started. My plan was to walk in and hang at the hotel’s bar instead of going in the main hall where the actual reunion was.

You know what? It went great. All the fun people would walk out to the bar and say hello and laugh at my lettermen’s sweater which I was wearing (swimming, four stripes). The less fun people remained sitting at their tables inside the hall.

We decided to split the difference with my wife’s reunion. She’d pay the $80, I’d bandit, and she’d skip the meal. Oh, one other thing, my job was to open the tab at the bar, which had the odd side effect of landing an extra couple martini’s in my hand.

The night ended well, I went home with the hottest woman at the reunion.

The Main Event

The next morning worked out Okay. I needed to leave SR at 11am to get to Alameda where my house is by noon so I could run to the coliseum in time to recover with my beer in time to pass through security and make it in for the kickoff.

We managed to avoid going to breakfast with the in-laws as they were headed to church. Cheese, egg and bacon bagels minus the cheese while driving was breakfast. Although that minus was funny.

Bagel Employee; “What kind of cheese would you like?”

Me; “None.”

BE; “We have cheddar, swiss, jack, American…”

Me, “None thanks.”

BE; “None?”

Me, “No cheese thanks.”

BE; “You don’t wany ANY cheese?”

That’s when it sunk in that I didn’t want any cheese.

We were on the road only a few minutes late and were only delayed a few minutes in Petaluma.

11:15 I was heading out the door. Five eight minute miles and I’d make it.

I was wearing my new pearl izumi running shorts with six pockets. I decided to try them out.

Near the end of the first mile I heard change fall out of my pockets. I kept running until my hand noticed my mini wallet was gone. Luckily it was only about two hundred yard back and near the sidewalk. (four minute delay with looking?)

The run through Alameda was interesting. In the commercial districts, no one gave me a second thought. I think they assumed I was meeting someone who would drive me to the game.

As I got to the residential southeast section of the island I past families and other folks out for a leisurely stroll. No one would make eye contact with me. I’d look over to find them staring and they all looked away very quickly. Odd?

I crossed the bridge into Oakland and turned down the frontage road. As I approached the police blockade I thought they’d get a kick out of me running to the game. Nope, OPD looked at me like I was an unemployed irresponsible freak without a license.

I pulled into the parking lot at 12:55. Luckily I can drink beer while walking. I can also drink beer while waiting in security lines. I did both that day.

And, I did make it inside in time for the kick off. I couldn’t see it, since I was walking in, but I was there…

I can’t wait until the Chefs come to Oakland on 10/21

Dave at Cal Beers dot com