When a mile just isn't enough

After the tiring Sunday, was happy to have a sleep in on Public Holiday Monday but did eventually run along the beach to Coolangatta and back before it started getting too warm, certainly was still flat after yesterdays race.
The afternoon was going to be a race but something way different to usual (and shorter), The Beermile http://www.coolrunning.com.au/forums/index.php?showtopic=17197&st=0 , as you may guess this is a mile race staged on a quarter mile track with a compulsory drink stop each quarter mile, yes one beer (%5 Alcohol 345 ML or %4.8 Alcohol 375 ML). Knowing that the best i could run a mile is around 5:30 it was really a case then of how fast i could drink and also the effects it may have on me.
World record is 5:05 (set by a low 2 Hour Marathon Runner) and the Australian records are as follows: http://www.beermile.com/records/ref_aus .
First thing is getting there, after all this is one event you aren't just going to drive to and back, so had worked out it would be bus to Robina Station then train to Central and then change for the Caboolture line and Geebung Station.
Doesn't take much for plans to go astray, looked in my fridge and read the Carlton Cold Bottles and discovered they were only %4.6 Alcohol, so had to buy Tooheys Extra Dry (%5 Alcohol 345ML) while i was waiting for the bus !!. Typically with me and public transport the bus i went for must have been running early as i never saw it and was on time and then the next one (half an hour later !) was a little late, still it got me to Robina where the train was waiting.
Unfortunately nobody ever mentioned that there was work on the rail lines and was shocked to find i then had to get out at Kingston (near Beenleigh) and take a railway bus to Banoon, talk about a magical mystery tour, every time i knew where i was the bus would turn a different direction to my guess, still 45 minutes later we made it to Banoon. From then on it was fairly straight forward, but what i'd judged to be a trip of 2 hours or so had actually taken almost 4 !!!!, only wish i'd had lunch before i left. Had never been to Geebung before and didn't take a map so just looked for somewhere that looked like a sports oval (best idea was to see high lights)and found it quite easily. By then it was 4, so registered and also did a lap of the oval, a bit worrying very hard surface meant i could feel pain on my right knee when running clockwise.
A few events beforehand, the Potato race, in my heat i was last of 5, i could just about hear my brain ticking as to which one of the 4 spuds to pick up first, so not an auspicious start.
Second last in the egg and spoon race, couldn't run smoothly enough obviously but at least slowing improving !!!.
Was very happy not to be involved in the sack race, what a great way to fall and injure a tendon or knee etc !, and then the preliminary events, the Coke Mile and the Magnum Mile (same as beer except Coke or Magnum Ice Creams instead of beer).
A number of relay teams of children, who really seemed to be enjoying their ice creams as well as one runner in the Coke and 2 in the Magnum. Have to admit they were rather excruciating events to watch as after a couple you could see no one was enjoying their drink or ice cream, Schultzy was first (of one) in the Coke and defending champion Karen beat off strong opposition from Carol in the Magnum (and i'm sure has sworn off ice cream for a while).
Now for the main event, 21 Starters and with defending champion Adrian Pearce (unbeaten in this event in QLD) as well as Dave Sweeney who had just broken the Australian record for 3K's in his age group last Friday, i was only thankful we were running anti clockwise as it meant i wouldn't be leaning unneccessarily hard on my sore knee.
Well the first 3/4 of a stubby went down easy but then it was fizz etc so struggled and then found i couldn't actually stretch out till i burped, ultimately that was my undoing i could drink fast (if marathon running teaches you to do anything it's to drink fast whatever the liquid), but i was taking 150 to 200 metres each lap till i could actually stretch out and run because simply i had to wait till i had burped.
Struggled in 11th place in 10:50, Adrian had retained his Aussie Title as well as possibly claiming an age group record (7:15 i think), funny enough after i lie down actually felt like one of my "spare" beers as well as something off the Barbie.
Had a good chat with a number of people and was offered a lift to Kingston Station which i gratefully accepted (Thanks Karen and Adrian), just in time for the train and after leaving at 8 was at Robina my 8:45.
Now for a shock, being a Public Holiday it was a Sunday Timetable so no buses south after 7:14 !!!, and one bus per hour to Seaworld (logically you'd catch it to the Gold Coast Hwy at Broadbeach and then catch a southbound one), however i noticed that the moment after the Seaworld bus left, so i decided a nice walk on a balmy evening was the way to go and get to the Highway. Unfortunately not much lighting around the car parks and three times i managed to do a lap of Robina Hospital so decided it was best to walk north and then duck in when i saw a road heading to the Coast, much easier said than done. The above map sums up my journey, all 150 minutes of it !!!, finally hitting the GCH at Mermaid Beach perfectly in time for the 11:30 Bus, so just made it home by midnight (12 hours after i'd set out, not sure about my time management ???).
Off to the physio tomorrow, seeing that my piriformis now appears to be behaving after my exercises i have to now wonder whether my knee is compensating for that side of my body being fixed (it's my right knee the same side as i've had my sciatic nerve problems). Certainly i needed a couple of painkillers after going for a walk today and wasn't tempted to run. Sometimes i wonder whether my body is slowly falling to pieces but typically stubborn me won't let it take a rest and recover, i know i'm a little too much of a perfectionist to consider that bits of me just simply don't work but i'll admit the last thing i need is yet another niggling injury, anyway i'll see what happens tomorrow.