Each year hundreds of thousands apply to be amongst the 10,000 or so chosen to compete in the New York City Marathon, a race that draws close to 2 million course-side spectators. On race day, most of the onlookers aren’t there to see the perfect heartrate contol of some Kenyan, but to support everyday guys like Dan Vallejo and Jeff Crowell. Friends since high school, Jeff and Dan – both in their mid-twenties – made a pact that this is the year they conquer the marathon. I traded emails with the guys to talk about the upcoming race, and their marathon charity website WeAreNotAthletes.com.

Fellas, In stark contrast to how most average guys live their lives, you are on the verge of actually following through and completing a life challenge. What I need to know is, can you give me an example of an endeavor where you came up short in a fashion that so many of us have grown use to and apathetic by…?

Jeff: To be honest, we originally talked about running the Marathon last year and never followed through with it for whatever reasons. It’s one thing to talk about doing something like this, but when it comes down to actually ‘pulling the trigger’ and making the decision, it can be easy to make up excuses and not follow through. So this year, we decided that we were going to run the Race, but in our own way, and that’s where the idea for [the website] originated. We wanted to provide an engaging way for our friends and family to get more involved in our training, our fundraising and the race.

Your website promoting the race is called We Are Not Athletes. You are a year into your brutal training regime, and if that were entirely true you would surely either be dead or in some decrepit state. What is your most impressive athletic achievement from your past? Mine was winning the town Little League championship when I was 12 (I’m now 24…)

DAN: It’s a toss up between winning the New England Regatta for men’s crew in high school or holding the high score in photo hunt for a couple of hours.

I’ve heard varied advice for racers post-marathon – ranging from your not supposed to drink, to don’t even try to walk. What is the point in doing something like this, if there is no bruhaha when you’re done? Can you shed some light here?

Jeff: They say you’re supposed to walk for at least 20 minutes after the race. If I can still stand by the time I finish, I’ll probably try to walk for a bit, have some water, then most certainly have a celebratory beer with my friends and family. I mean, how could you not have a beer after completing the NYC Marathon? Guess we’ll see how it goes though.

There’s a place your bets option on WeAreNotAthletes.com. I like this, because it reflects my personal code that in life, gambling is almost always a viable option. Care to elaborate on how this works?

Dan: Who doesn’t like a good competition? We added the place your bets functionality to make the site more interactive and engaging for anyone visiting. The way it works is simple, you enter the time in which you think Jeff or I will complete the race and this number is averaged along with every other bet placed during the last couple of weeks, the updated number is reflected in the race time estimates on the home page. As of today Jeff is predicted to be a little faster than me, I can assure you that will not be the case on race day.

Let me read you the first sentence of Ryan Reynolds story, ‘Why I’m Running the New York City Marathon’, from The Huffington Post: A couple of years ago, I walked uptown to Central Park on one of those perfect November days. The air had a bite to it while the sun shone bright! (guh…) What kind of retribution will you rain down (on behalf of the people) if you see him on the course?

Dan: So the tone of the quote is a bit cheesy, but I can’t knock it too hard, as I am a huge fan of Just Friends. Everyone has their own reason for running 26.2 miles, you could put together a very interesting reel of all the different reasons and causes people run the NYC Marathon for. Parkinson’s disease research is a great cause to be running for and if that is Ryan Reynold’s, than I support it. When I smoke him on the course I will give him a Van Wilder shout out.

(Indeed, to be fair Reynolds is running as a tribute to his father. This question was merely a bitter jab on my part, directly related to Reynolds locking up Scarlet Johannson. Why did you make me do it, Reynolds? Why?)

As someone who plans to join in the raceday festivities, but is only up for about 20 minutes of watching exasperated people scurry by, breathing like a herd of wounded wildebeest before I move on and start celebrating on your behalf, optimum location?

Jeff: Well, the Finish at Tavern on the Green in Central Park will be very exciting for starters. From what I hear, it seems as though another great spot to watch the race from is on 59th and 1st by the Queensboro Bridge. At the 16th mile, it’s the pivotal point in the race where you can really see the effect the Marathon has on everyone. First Avenue, in general, will be a great spot to cheer on all the runners though, and join in on the race day festivities.

Dan: If you are in Manhattan, First Avenue is the most rowdy and the most fun location to watch the race from. Bar Coastal is on 78th and first and probably will be where we direct our friends to stand and cheer. Just don’t be one of those people offering the runners doughnuts and cigarettes, we don’t appreciate it.

Jeff and Dan’s hit the five borough course of the ING NYC Marathon next Sunday, Nov. 2nd. They didn’t have to say it, but I got the impression this interview gave them the added boost they were looking for to get through the last few weeks of training. Don’t mention it guys.

So far, Jeff and Dan have raised close to $6,000 for the American Cancer Society and Hole in the Wall Camps, which was founded by Paul Newman and is the world’s largest family of camps for children with serious illnesses and life-threatening conditions.

Go to WeAreNotAthletes.com to make a donation, and check out Jeff and Dan’s training video below…

From Run to Race from Wana on Vimeo.

A major event of the WFTDA season takes place this weekend, with 12 of the top derby squads on the East Coast meeting in Wisconsin for the annual Derby in Dairyland. A shot at the Nationals in November at stake.

True to form, this tournament plans to offer more than just fine Hell on Wheels competition, with live music, dancing, and coerced trips to roughhouse saloons i’m sure being offered. So, if you’re in the Madison area – go gallivant. (I would!)

Host and notoriously charitable team, the Mad Rollin’ Dolls, will be auctioning off plastered busts of several of the team members’ chests during the weekend as well. The proceeds go to benefit breast cancer awareness. Here’s the model of the Mad Rollins’ Chop Suzzy.

More info on Derby in Dairyland can be had at www.derbyindairyland.com. Check out this video of the Mad Rollin’ Dolls giving a tour of the city of Madison below…

Links:

Derby in Dairyland rolls art and music into flat track festival (The Daily Page)
Photos – Derby Team Plasters Cancer

I’ve been slacking on here, but this aught to redeem myself at least a little…

ALBION — No one struck out when it came to playing a marathon whiffle-ball game over the weekend for charity and a scholarship fund…They recorded the marathon on tape. It began at 7 p.m. Friday and ended at about 7 p.m. Saturday. (Whiffle-ball game for charity lasts 24 hours, sets record – Erie Times-News)

I think these stats speak for themselves…

• Final Score: 935 – 514, the game ended in the top of the 149th inning (there was no need for the home team to bat in the bottom half…with a 421 run lead)

• According to one of the player’s wives, some players hit 150 to 200 home runs (with a 64-foot fence, she’s probably not exaggerating that bad)

The players raised $1500 for charity, and (surprise, surprise) they could find themselves in the Guinness Book of World Records.

I’m sure that true degenerates will find this completely reasonable. But you’d have to be a real rube to try to win money on this…

Eggycam, a live video feed showing ten eggs in an incubator, is a new internet craze aimed at raising money for charity.

The point of this…to gamble on which egg is going to hatch first. For crying out loud, there’s even odds set up!

After they check the PH levels of each egg, they set the odds.

According to Metro UK, the site is receiving 100 bets per hour! Ken Robertson, of online gambling site PaddyPower.com and the man behind this little venture, should be running the sports book at the Taj.

Hopefully punters will have a cracking win! says Robertson. Kind of sounds like he knows that he’s got his clientele duped.

This is like taking the over in a soccer game. But it is for a good cause, which I hope is the main reason people seem to be wagering on this. All profits go to Down Syndrome Ireland, so if you’re feeling philanthropic today, go drop a G on egg 8 at 13-2 odds.

Gamblers Now Betting on Eggs

Back by popular – or dare I say, rabid – demand, this Saturday we will be holding the 2nd Semi-Annual PBR Tour in New York City.

For those of you not in the know, this is your standard bar crawl. Unique to this is that all the watering holes have been carefully selected based on the fact that they sell cans of PBR for $2.

We called each bar- claiming to be Mr. Pabst – confirming ample stock.

It’s starts at 4 p.m. EST at Ace Bar, and the order of bars is included below. Also, check out MapFaced.com for more details. (Note which event is numero uno on their list of 5 Buzzworthy Crawls!)

There is a suggested $5 donation to CharityWater.org. It’s suggested, but listen, folks, this is not like going to The Met, ok? Look at what she’s drinking for Christ’s sakes:

That girl’s water is burnt siena. There’s also the possibility that if we raise enough money some of the proceeds could be allocated towards creating life-size cardboard cut-outs of people you might know.

Any questions, email me at mikeehayes@gmail.com. Also, if you plan on tipping off the authorities, I’d appreciate a heads-up.

Check back tomorrow when we’ll have a post from featured tour attendee Hillary Moloney – who will offer her Top-3 Possessions (belonging to her roommates) she would light on fire if it meant free PBR for life.

The Bars:

1.) Ace Bar (E. 5th, between Ave. A & B) – The Tour kicks off at 4 p.m.

2.) Cheap Shots (1st Ave., between St. Marks & 9th)

3.) Coyote Ugly (1st Ave., between 9th & 10th)

4.) Crif Dogs (St. Marks, between 1st & Ave. A)

5.) Dempsey’s Pub (2nd Ave., between 3rd & 4th)

6.) Welcome to the Johnsons (Rivington, between Essex & Norfolk)