90 - (Green Flash) 14 miles

Got tons of social running going on. Between the GPS and the first route I ran a total of fourteen miles! This was another top tier brew and I hope I'm not just saying that because it cost mad dollars yo, $3.75 to be exact. West Coast IPA (8.2%) by Green Flash Brewing Co. packs a nice punch for a smooth IPA. It's not overly hoppy and certainly won't be heart burn candidate, plus its real yum.

89 - Dogfish Head (11 miles)

Recovery run and my legs weren't that bad. The loss still stings a little but I got my ass completely kicked so that's that for now. To be continued.. Anyway for the brew it was Namaste (4.8%) by DogFish Head Brewery. This one was just okay. I mean it was a fine beer but I am not a fan of the flower and citrus.

88 - PHILLY LOVE RUN - 21 miles

I met Skip about a mile from the start line of Philadelphia's second ever "Love Run Half Marathon". It was bitterly cold and windy. Needless to say I was already making some excuses for myself when Skip jogged up to me at quarter after seven. I got a decent warm up and I was able to leave my pants with Skip parents (who I hadn't seen since the wedding so that was awesome).

As the gun sounds I stayed conservative but shortly thereafter I took the lead. No one wanted it. The sun was strong and it was blinding me the first mile out. I traded the lead once with a guy named Shawn briefly and split 10:53 and 21:45 at 2 and 4 miles respectively.

To this point things were going well. I certainly didn't feel in form, like I was tearing off 5:20 flat pace BUT I was keeping to my goal of sub 5:30s and feeling okay. Unfortunately with no one now near me I was running straight into the wind. Miles five and six were slower. As we hit the hill I glanced behind me and noticed a Bryn Mawr runner closing. Shit, not good I thought.

I worked up the hill, around the park and back down the hill. I wasn't looking back but he was closing fast now. Finally he passed me on the far side of the road. My legs muscles weren't responding. I told him nice job but he kept looking straight ahead. At this point it was somewhere after eight miles and I was fighting to keep the pace in the mid five thirties.

Once we made the turn around after Strawberry Mansion bridge we had the wind at our backs. First place was increasing the lead and third was quite a bit behind. The guys had been out by the bridge but unfortunately my race was pretty much over by that point.  I tried to force the pace faster while I paced slower runners cheering on their way out. I finished in second by a wide margin, glad to be done.

The race wasn't a disaster at 1:12:45. It was short of my goal but sill made a decent stepping stone. It's hard to lead a race for eight miles and be beat that badly but as anything it's a nice learning experience. Also it was a 21 mile day so there's that. I met up with Hayley who had a very nice personal best on the day and finished fourth for women.  I enjoyed a few beers but for the day's brew I am counting is Hop Devil (6.7%) by Victory Brewing Co (Downingtown, PA).

87 - IPA (Long Trail) 7.5M

Tomorrow I race a half marathon. Considering I haven't done any race specific workouts it should be real interesting. I ran an easy seven and half miles in the morning. I headed all the way to the ballparks with my sis to pick up my number. We ended up having a couple beers since our numbers entitled us to buy one, get one free. I went with an old draft stand by, Long Trail Brewing IPA (6%). Can't go wrong with a Vermont brew, those guys do it right.

86 - Monk from the 'Yunk (Manayunk) - 10M

Easy ten miles on a Friday night with the Skipper Jones! A nice run was followed by an aswesome brew. I don't rave about beers that often but this is one of the three best beers I've had all year. The Monk From the 'Yunk by Manayunk Brewing Company is a Belgian triple. First off it's 9% abv. That's badass! Second, it has a smooth light quality that doesn't give you any hint of alcohol or anymore so than say a 4% beer.  It's a nice balance, not too sweet but not real dry either. This is looking like my summer beer. Oh yeah, and its priced the same as their other six packs. Never pass up that much bang for your buck!

85 - Lucky 7 (Evolution) - 11.5M

I met up with Hayley for five miles and then added on. It was nearly sixty-five by the time we finished. In total I grabbed eleven and a half miles. The fridge was about empty of beer but I had the Lucky 7 Porter (5.8%) by Evolution Craft Brewery (Salisbury, MD). It was a decent Porter but the flavor was really overwhelmed by my dinner. I guess unless you enjoy the flavor of Porter on it's own that's kinda the point, a nice compliment to some savory food.

84 - Fire Rock (Kona) - 12M

Rain and blah blah blah what a sucky hump day. I was going to meet up with Justin but I somehow missed him. My right leg feels like dog shit. I went with Fire Rock Pale Ale (6%), Kona Brewing Co. (Kona, HI). It 's great to think that I was drinking a beer from so far away but then I looked on the side of the bottle. They have several brewery locations including one in Portsmouth, NH. Go figure.

83 - Go To IPA (Stone Brewing) - 13M

It was nice just to run an old tune up workout. I collected a total of thirteen miles and the workout was a simple cut down (2000 m, 1600 m, 1200 m, 800 m). For the days brew I went with Go To IPA (4.5%) by Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA). This was a lighter IPA but still sufficiently hoppy. If I were going to begin a long night of drinking this would be a great IPA to go to, thus the name I suppose.

82- Durty (Smuttynose) - 11M

Back to the grind. The lack of consistency this spring in how I have felt doesn't leave me too optomistiv for this race. At the very least I felt fairly comfortable on the run, a total of eleven miles. For the nightly brew I hit up Durty Mud Season Brown Ale (8.4%) by Smuttynose Brewing Company (Hampton, NH). Hopefully it brings me some good luck. I did after all win the Smuttynose Half Marathon in 2012.

81 - Boont Amber (Anderson Valley) - 14.5M

Long run this week was with Skipper Jones! I hadn't seen Skip in probably two weeks. For the brew I went with Boont Amber Ale (5.8%) by Anderson Valley Brewing Company (Boonville, CA).This was a smooth and tasty treat to end the week.

80 - Maximus (Lagunitas) - 10M

Day eighty and I'm still standing, well sort of.. my right ankle has been sore for over a week. Running on uneven surfaces such as yesterdays sludge and shit run seems to bother it. A rather flat twenty mile run, not so much. What a ticky-tack injury. I can't go down on something so trivial but I don't want my run streak to end as a Shakespearean tragedy either. After unsuccessfully dealing with my Maine state taxes for a second weekend I needed some strength to my drink. Maximus IPA Ale (8.2%) by Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, CA) brought me back to my SF days.  I had never actually tried this one but it was damn refreshing. They now also have a taproom in Chicago.

79 - Purple Haze - 9M

It was total crap out all day. Less than a mile in and my feet were two shit sandwiches. To top it off I felt slightly ill. At least the nightly beer was a bright spot in a gray day. Purple Haze (4.2%) by Abita Brewing Company (Abita Springs, LA). With just a light infusion of raspberry this one was perfect. Great example of a fruity beer that got it right. Less is more..

78 - Dead Guy (Rogue) - 8.5M

A little more rested I met Hayley on a run of about six miles and added on after for a total of eight and one half miles. Despite temps in the mid forties it felt warm, the sun was so strong.  For the night's beer I went with Dead Guy Ale (6.5%) by Rogue (Portland, OR).  Let me first say, I think that this is a well known brew that frankly lives up to the hype.  I noticed that the ABV was not listed on the bottle so I checked out Beer Advocate for the stats. Then I got to reading the raters comments below. What a bunch of whining little bitches. I get the sense the only people that actually take the time to rate beer don't have much hair on their chest. Stop complaining about useless shit like if the bottle actually lists the ABV or the name of the beer. Half commented that the beer was too sweet the other half complained that the beer was too watery and low on flavor. The obvious conclusions here are that beer satisfaction is very subjective and these beer drinkers don't know their ass from their elbow. Any bar menu worth its salt should list Dead Guy Ale.

77 - Alter Ego (4 Hands) - 8.5M

I felt like an old man out there. A real lame duck. My right knee was sore, my right ankle stiff. I ran a total of eight and one half miles, thankful to be on a rest week. For the brew I went with Alter Ego IPA (5.5%) by 4 Hands Brewing Co. (St. Louis, MO). I first discovered the black IPA after drinking Back In Black by 21st Amendment Brewing. While this one doesn't pack nearly the same buzz it is a delicious brew. There's nothing like a full bodied beer with a strong hop kick to it!

76 - Right-O-Way IPA - 12.5 M

Despite the wind, the twenty miles on Sunday and my tired legs I surprised myself with this one. I settled for 3 x 3200 meter (10:32, 10:29, 10:23) with a lap job between. I am a pretty big fan of Southern Tier (Lakewood, NY) and I made sure to pick a beer that I hadn't had before. The Right O Way IPA (4.5%) was not bad.

75 - Metro Lager (Speakwasy) - 6M

Easy six miles. It's been quite awhile since I ran this short. On the way back I had to pause because they were shooting a movie on the walkway, a spin off of the Rocky movies called Creed. The main character sprinted down the path right at us. First time I have ever watched a movie scene filmed in person. For the day's brew I went with an old San Francisco favorite, Speak Easy Ales And Lagers. I would always drink the Big Daddy so I tried the Metropolis Lager (5.3%). It had a decent amount of hop to it without being too bitter.

74 - Wobble (Two Bro) - 20M

Every once in a while running is just fing amazing and today thanks to Geraint it was. I've been around the block a few times and I have NEVER seen a workout like this in person. The wind on the river was strong. If it was me out there, I'd say easily five to eight second a mile lost into it. Geraint pealed off fifteen miles at five twenty-three pace, no problemo. I'll be damned. Why do I run? I felt awed and at the same time worthless. How could I be a runner for so long and be so slow in comparison? NO idea. In my state of awe I ran twenty miles with a variety of people never feeling the worse for wary. GO figure. In other news I went with Wobble IPA (6.3%) by Two Brothers Brewing Company (Warrenville, IL). One whiff of this and I had a contact high. Man, shit smells like weed and it taste great too!

73 - PPA (Philadelphia Brewery) - 10M

Legs were dead. Five pounds of shit in a ten pound bag. I ran loops in the cemetery. I felt like death, no way I run the hard paced stuff tomorrow. As if on cue I got a message from Paul who is now running again. Great, problem solved. For the nightly brew I went with Philadelphia Brewery's Pennsylvania Pale Ale (5.25%). This one had some hop to it, almost closer to an IPA.

72 - Revel (Stoudts) - 14.5M

Met up with Justin and we decided to skip the workout so we could join the group on Sunday for a hard long run. I ran a total of fourteen and one half miles mostly at six forty pace. It was nice to run and just chat and not think about life too much. It took my mind off shit at work. I tried the Revel Red (6.2%) by Stoudts Brewery (Adamstown, PA). Afterwards, since the week had sucked so much I dipped into my first round of home brews. At first all I could smell was old socks. Well whatever, it couldn't have been too bad because I had three more of them.

71 - Ludwig (Roy Ptiz) - 12.5M

If there is such a thing as a running date I guess this was it. I had been talking back and forth with this girl since the Valentine run and we finally met up. She is an exceptional athlete and it sounds like she will be one hell of a marathoner. This obviously peaks my interest. I ran about six with her and then added on for a total of twelve and a half miles. I tried out the Ludwig's Revenge (5.25%) by Roy Pitz Brewing Co. Really whats the deal with this thing, is it like some nano designer beer? It was goood and tasty. Too tired to really think about it.

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70 - Omission IPA (Widmer) - 10M

The weeks has official become a train wreck. I survived ten miles with a little help from my friends (yeah that's a Beatles song). It was time to try my first gluten beer. Omission IPA (6.7%) by Widmer Brothers Brewing Company (Portland, OR) seemed a safe choice. Honestly I couldn't tell the difference but than again the government disclaimer said there could actually be gluten still in the beer. Weird.

69 - Southern Rye IPA (Susquehanna) -14M

I ran a shit shit workout. It happens but man this week is going terrible. Afterwards I nearly locked myself out of my apartment in the rain. I almost had a fucking cow, but not quite. Fourteen miles later and just shy a real tragedy I picked up the Southern Rye IPA by Susquehanna Brewing (Pittston, PA). It was rated at 8%ABV. I wanted a quick head buzz. It was tasty beverage but it didn't quite knock me on my ass as much as I wanted. GFY to daylight saving time. Not sure that's relevant but it needs to be said.

68 - Mother's Milk (Keegan Ales) - 10M

Another warm spring day meant the river trail was a cluster fuck of people. On the way back I saw Justin coming up the trail towards me and he joined me the rest of the way. Surprisingly my legs had something in them. For the beer I went with Mother's Milk (6%) by Keegan Ales (Kingston, NY). This one was a very well crafted stout. I highly recommend it.

67 - Nut Brown (Kelso) - 19M

The clocks leapt forward and the thermometers rose considerably. I ran a total of nineteen miles in two hours and nine minutes. It was the longest run of the year and it gave me the highest weekly volume yet of eighty-six and one half miles. The run wasn't without one minor catastrophe, luckily I'm not above wiping my ass with snow. The beverage for the night was excellent, Nut Brown Lager (5.75%) by Kelso Brewing Company (Brooklyn). This one's sooo smooth, full of flavor and highly drinkable. It deserves at least a honorable mention, maybe more.

66 - BARCADE!!

Hipsters, video games, beer and bar food, this is Barcade Philadelphia. Late eighties nostalgia meet the perfect craft beer buzz. My opener was Grey Lady (4.5%) by Cisco Brewery (Nantucket, MA). This is an exceptionally fruity Belgian ale, probably perfect on a hot summer day. Personally it was a couple shades too close to the sun. So much damn fruit and spice. I followed this up with the seasonal ale Reviver by Starr Hill Brewery. Normally I'd go bonkers for a red IPA but the taste contrast was gnarly. Sweet Jesus. This brew features complex flavors. The aftertaste is both boisterous and rebellious. Unfortunately for me this meant low drinkability. I guess you win some and you lose some but if I wanted to eat at fucking McDonalds everyday (metaphorically speaking) I'd just drink Bud. Oh, yeah and I ran eleven miles.

65 - The Berliner (Round Guys) - 11M

Bitter cold yet again. The nice thing, the body is very quick to adapt. Life had returned to my legs and most of the eleven miles was run with Justin which meant less effort for a faster pace. My beer stash was getting extremely thin so I tried out the Berliner by Round Guys Brewery (Lansdale, PA). When you drink a beer a day you are afforded plenty of time to experiment. This one was a sour beer, a no boil ferment beer. It is scary how much this tasted like lemonade. This is far from a traditional beer taste but it is worth a revisit.

64 - Pumpkin Ale (Buffalo Bills) - 9M

Well we actually got some of that white stuff everyone's been talking about. Here in Philly a forecast of snow yields a predictable reaction. All government offices close, everyone has a damn cow and log jams the nearest grocery store. Not one for the drama I headed out for a run while there was still light. My legs felt shittier than the weather but I managed nine slow miles. I drank America's Original Pumpkin Ale (6%) by Buffalo Bill's Brewery (Hayward, CA). This is a pretty standard Pumpkin beer, nothing crazy about it. While that might not sound like a compliment it really is. It's amazing how easy some of these breweries fuck up their fall pumpkin beers- less is more.

63 - Ruthless (Sierra Nevada) - 14.5M

Time to lace up my shoes like a big boy. Forty degrees and rain, time to earn this shit. The forecast says Thursday will bring the real wrath of winter. Better not chance it I thought. Time to bank some pavement! I ran the full museum loop for fourteen and one half miles. It always amazes me, at eight miles I was completely floundering. As planned Justin met me on the West Philly side of the path with Ian. The pace dropped significantly and I felt all the better for it. For the first time I reached for a brewery that is a staple on any bar tap, Sierra Nevada (Chico, CA). Like most, I have only drank their pale ale so I relished the opportunity to try their Ruthless Rye IPA (6.6%). "Now this is a fucking IPA!" Yeah, I half yelled that to an empty room.

62 - Coal Porter (Atlantic) - 12M

The rain and the ice started mid afternoon and by the time I got to the track there was an inch of slush. The plow came out and removed half it so we opted for a threshold type workout: 2 x 3200 meters (11:07, 10:55), 1 x 1600 meters (5:13).  After twelve miles in that shit my hands were freezing. It was only appropriate after the run that I went with my first Maine beer, Coal Porter by Atlantic Brewing Company (Bar Harbor).  I haven't had many Porters but I actually liked this one.

61 - Mamma's Little Yella Pils (Oskar) - 10M

My legs were tired, very tired. For the first five miles I was stuck in the shit bucket. I knew it was pretty bad when some clown wearing headphone and a pair of five fingers passed me. Pathetic. After ten miles I had Mama's Little Yella Pils (5.3%) by Oskar Blues Brewery (Longmont, CO). While most mass produced pilsners are light and smooth this one had the added benefit of substance. Something my run certainly lacked.

60 - Singel (Hardywood) - 16M

The Sunday long run was twenty four degrees with a stiff wind that seemed to change direction to meet me head on at every turn. Apparently the move south hadn't gotten me away from the shit and the snow. I only ran six miles of the run with the group but the pace was just as brisk as the weather. I was glad to turn off when I did. The day's total was sixteen cuss filled miles. After a large meal I brewed my second ever batch of beer and then tried some Singel (6.2%) by Hardywood Brewery (Richmond, VA). This Belgian Blond was a beauty, smooth flavor and highly drinkable. From snow drift to sand dune I dare say this 'classy beer' is versatile!