The Bad Idea That Keeps Getting Worse

On October 12, 2015 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

Ventured down to Providence, Rhode Island yesterday for my second ever Dog & Grog Jog hosted by the Wild Colonial Tavern. This race is not like many others and focuses more on merriment than running but boy oh boy is this a good time.

The race is a four person relay run where each runner hits the downtown Providence roads for a 1.25 mile loop along the canal. Once done sprinting or jogging your leg you then need to eat a hot dog and down a Narragansett beer before your next teammate can go. Our team was Proud to be Americans and we donned some good gear inclusive of hunting camo Budweiser hats, a Donald Trump Make America Great Again hat and shirts that read “Running this shit since 1776.”

The run itself is pancake flat and goes by rather quickly. As you make your way into the chute to grab your Saugy and a Gansett, you need to first try to catch your breath before tackling the food and beer challenge. Bystanders yell at you telling you how you should eat it or give you tips for maximizing consumption potential but in reality you just need to focus on not tossing your cookies and finishing everything as quickly as possible. A couple teams succumbed to the violent puking potential which always gets bystanders to get a fired up “Booooooo” going.

Outfits range from the normal racing attire to a team of dudes in speedos, to naughty elves, Disney princesses, a guy that looked exactly like Erlich from Silicon Valley (though we are not sure if that’s what he was going for) to bar flies and more! The event is an absolute blast of a time and with the Patriots game on right after the race it makes for a great afternoon down in Rhode Island. Proceeds from the event benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.

Dog & Grog Jog in Providence, RI

On October 19, 2014 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

Last Sunday afternoon it was down to Providence, Rhode Island for the Dog & Grog Jog hosted at the Wild Colonial Tavern in the heart of downtown Providence.

This race is like none other. If you have done a really race before you sort of understand the gist: run your leg and then your partner takes off and the first team to finish wins. However, the Dog & Grog Jog adds a little excitement to the mix. Teams are made up of four runners and our team (named Corned Beef and Kapusta paying homage to the Irish and Polish lineages of the team members) heard about what to expect at the relay and conquered the challenge with some smiles and belching.

You see, runners run 1.25 miles, a quick jaunt along one of the Providence canals and rather pancake flat running at that. Once the runner has completed the 1.25 mile run they then have to eat a saugy (a remarkably delicious hot dog) and drink a ‘Gansett before the next runner can go. The hot dog actually was not all that bad to get down but the ‘Gansett was a bit more tricky. Some runners were extreme in their techniques of conquering the challenge and others were quite precise in putting condiments on the dog, sipped the beer like a nice summer day on a porch or had to adjust their costume before taking on the dog and beer. You see, the race also features some pretty awesome costumes ranging from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Duck Dynasty, Glam Clams to Beach Bums and cereal characters to bumble bees.

Let it be known that next year, we likely will be back with a new name, some costumes and our eyes on taking down more and more teams. If anyone wants to assist with the training, please reach out for my mailing address to send packs of saugys and cases of Narragansett.