Chasers Thames Path Beer Run

Saturday was the first ever Chasers Thames Path Beer Run. Saturday I ran nearly 20 miles for the first time in over a year. Saturday was pretty epic.

Martin (Chasers Beer Run founder, run director, die-hard Chaser, beer enthusiast and shameless short shorts poser) devised a run along the Thames Path, just shy of 13 miles, that involved 11 pub stops. I mean, he didn’t do anything sensible like reccy the course, so he didn’t know where he was going, but given the day was a stonking success, he’s forgiven!

A few of us met early for a jaunt over to Richmond parkrun and a hearty Bill’s breakfast to set us up for the day. Whilst this was fun, I hadn’t quite thought through the bit where I had therefore run 7 miles before the main event…

The vibe was all about being social and having fun (apart fron Kev ‘last one to the bar buys the drinks’ Smith…who may not be invited to the next one), so there were generous time allowances for getting from one pub to the next. As the day went on though, we started to get closer and closer the the time allowances (or was that just me?!)

Starting in Richmond, we almost fell at the first hurdle because our opening pub wouldn’t serve us any alcohol without food! Alas, this is London, and there was another pub just a few metres up the road who welcomed our booze-only custom. We had a pretty good turnout, the sun was shining and we were all in good spirits. Martin then gave us a ‘safety briefing’, which was something about drinking water and knowing your limits and…zzzzzz.

Pub 1!

Bang on schedule we headed off to the next pub, I could already taste smoked salmon and feel the cider swishing around so I devised a new drinking strategy, because I’m sensible like that. I decided if I alternated between cider and vodka I would be drinking less liquid and reduce the unwelcome ‘swishing’, perfect right?!

On to Pub 2

At somepoint early into the run we lost Barry who had taken a frantic call to say his girlfriend had potentially gone into labour. Yep, he let us all down and headed to the hospital. Sigh.

Sans Barry, we continued on our schedule, running from pub to pub, occassionally losing a Chaser who dared to have something better to do with the rest of their day, and occassionally picking up a Chaser who clearly decided they wouldn’t make it to the end if they started from the beginning. We had ample time to enjoy a drink (or two) in each pub and it was still sunny.

As time wore on, day turned to evening, legs turned to jelly, tiredness set in, the miles racked up, and the pubs got busier. It’s a strange feeling running and drinking, you don’t quite feel drunk, but you definitely don’t feel sober, everything is funny and you’re in a little happy place.

We had news that Barry had become the father of baby girl twins and we all had a toast to the newest little Chasers. An injured Louise came to to join us on her bike and Emma decided to hop on the back, Martin moved onto the Pimms, Dez and I moved onto the prosecco and Gemma suffered a grazed knee after taking a tumble.

Finally, we made it to The Ship in Wandsworth. I’m not going to lie, we got some very odd looks and we were very aware that we smelt like we had been running all day…not sure it was appreciated by the folk who had got all dressed up for a night out. Soz.

For the doubters, Emma and I made it in once piece and in a sensible, coherant state. So there.

WHAT a day!

14 hours time on feet
1 x Parkrun
1 x Breakfast
12.8 miles of Thames Path
11 Pubs
1 x portion of fries
Several ciders
Several vodkas
A Prosecco
The return of the snakebite and black (not me)
1 x bike (again, not me, I didn’t cheat…)
1 x drunken fall and grazed knee (Gemma)
19.6 miles run in total
2 x new Chasers join the world (congratulations to the baby Valentine twins)
The realisation, for the first time in a while, that my body is stronger than I think and the Berlin Marathon is no longer an impossibility