Lexington has its fair share of great running clubs. There are John’s Striders, Todds Road Stumblers and LexRunLadies – to name just a few. But when a new one came on the scene this year, I was intrigued. West Sixth Brewery began hosting a running club. On Tuesday nights anywhere from 30 to 75 runners can be found, starting and ending at the popular new beer joint, running through downtown Lexington for a 1.5-mile or 3-mile route.
West Sixth bartender Kelly Hieronymus said the running club is just another way that the brewery and its owners are trying to get involved in the community.
“The main reason and purpose of the running club is a community event,” she said. “We want to create a mentality that West Sixth is a community hub and people can gather and do things around the product we market as something that is unique to Lexington.”
First, I wondered if people just went for free beer, but as it turns out, the beer is not free. Participants do get a free pretzel and water, though.
This got me thinking about the 5Ks and half marathons I have participated in over the years. There always is beer at the end of races, and to be honest, it kind of baffles me. After I have sweat it out for miles on the pavement and am ready to chug some liquids, water is usually what I reach for. Or a sports drink or chocolate milk. Yum. But beer? I’m not sure about that. Perhaps I will give it a try sometime. Don’t knock it ’til you try it, right?
Hieronymus said though she does not know the biochemistry behind beer after a run, she said most people can be found sipping it slowly and relaxing after they run with the club. This, I could do. Cool off, drink some water, grab some food, then hang out with friends around a fresh, locally crafted beer.
What I really think is cool about this club, though, is that it brings even more people to running: the beer-drinking types, the after-work, happy-hour types, the social butterflies. It becomes a way for community to be created through a very non-threatening run distance. With little or no training, the average person could pull off 1.5 miles. Some of the other running clubs in town that I have participated in tend to be much more seasoned runners with “short” runs, varying from the 5- to 7-mile range. That is not as attainable for the average person.
Anything that can start with a very short distance and get new types of people involved in running is a win. Hieronymus said the club has grown exponentially with new types joining all the time. It also has fueled a whole new subculture of networking in Lexington and has given new exposure to the north end of town.
As long as the beer drinking is happening after the run, then I think it will be successful.
Beer after running, though, is not a new idea. Like I mentioned above, this is a very popular phenomenon, so I did some reading on the topic and found many studies that agree that beer after a race is best when consuming water first. Immediately downing a beer can delay the body’s ability to heal and interfere with refueling. Grab some water first along with some carb and protein calories, then you can grab that cold beer. However, other studies have concluded that a reasonable amount of beer can help someone who is dehydrated after a workout retain liquid better than water. Regardless or which route you take, the key takeaway is that water — and plenty of it — should be consumed surrounding race or training time.
So head up to West Sixth, take a run through downtown Lexington, make sure you are properly hydrated and then let those hops work their magic.