I learned a few critical facts at the SkirtChaser 5k in Austin last Saturday:
1) Given the opportunity to chase after a few hundred mini-skirt clad sweat-drenched athletic babes, men will sign up in droves. And given a 3 minute head start, very few of the gals will allow the guys to pass.
2) Contrary to my core belief, it is possible to find good beer in a can. I’m an admitted beer snob, and it’s a rare day that a can will find it’s way to my lips, no matter how parched I may be. But Dale’s Pale Ale (a product of Oskar Blues Brewery, a SkirtChaser sponsor and the first ever microbrew in a can) changed all that. As I raised the icy cold can to drink, every ounce of my being braced for a lackluster Bud-like taste. Imagine how Dale’s Ale surprised me with its hoppy excellence. It was so surprisingly good, in fact, that I had to quickly sample a second can, just to be sure I wasn’t imagining things.
3) Never tell your guy friend that it’s ok to embarrass you, especially when he wields a microphone. That’s how you wind up the public recipient of the “Most Likely to Make Out at an Aid Station” award. Thanks Chris!
4) Zoot’s new running shoes rock. Period. I purposefully committed a rookie runner sin by bringing only a brand new pair of Zoot samples to Austin, where I ran five days straight. The most noticeable thing about the shoes was that I barely even felt them on my feet, pretty much the highest praise I can serve up to a brand new pair of kicks.
5) Running a 5k is half as painful as running a 10k. Running a 5k at 4pm followed by beer, Skirtinis, pizza, a fashion show and a live band feels downright wonderful!
6) Nicole and Tim DeBoom are two of the sweetest people you’ll meet, and Nicole’s company, SkirtSports, is creating a skirt-wearing thigh-bearing revolution in the active apparel market. Check out her latest styles, as well as future SkirtChaser events, at www.skirtsports.com.
I did have one other beer-can-drinking opportunity in Austin, when I polished off a few Shiner Bocks at an outdoor Smashing Pumpkins concert. The music was awesome, the venue bizarre, the beer decent and the crowd young, entertaining and completely stoned.
Did I mention my reason for going to Austin in the first place? Our GU crew attended The Running Event, a conference and expo for fleet-footed industry folks and retailers. It’s a great place to network with the cream of the running crop, and Austin serves as a perfect backdrop, with its highly concentrated running culture, easily accessible trails and rowdy Texas nightlife. I’m definitely looking forward to future trips to the Lone Star State.