SUMMER OF GLUTTONY: THE SIX PACK CHALLENGE
I'd like to say it's taken me this long to recover from our "Six Pack Challenge" on Friday. That's why I've been a lazy blogger. It's not true, but I will admit that eating six McDonalds double cheeseburgers and downing six beers was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in competitive eating. And I didn't even finish.
On paper it seems simple. Six double cheeseburgers. No problem. Six beers. In college, that's called "dinner." But it's not easy. It's hell. Six greasy fast food burgers is what it is, but the beers...that's where they get ya. That's SEVENTY TWO OUNCES of carbonated malt beverage (just over half a gallon) and it doesn't like to go down fast along side the aforementioned burgers.
Here we are getting ready. We started out strong. My strategy was to eat all the burgers, washing them down with one or two beers and then drink the remaining beers. Ian chose to combine all his beef patties on one burger and then use the remaining buns to "soak up the beer in his stomach." Beau went with the one-and-one approach -- one burger, one beer, repeat.
In the end, Beau won, taking his last bite and last gulp of Miller Lite just past the 34 minute mark. An eternity, sure, but don't knock it until you try it. The contest ended -- thank God -- when Beau finished, leaving me with two beers remaining (Coors Light). Ian, Jeremy and Billy all tied for third, each with either one beer and two burgers or two burgers and one beer leftover. John followed with two burgers and three beers to go.
This is me somewhere around minute 20. I've never felt so sick during an eating contest as I did right here, but I still managed to get down another beer-and-a-half after this.
This is one of my favorite shots from the contest. Here we see Ian's 10 patty monstrosity and him looking forward to eating the other half.
If I had it all to do over again, and knowing the contest stretched past half an hour, I might have adopted the strategy suggested afterwords by my father. Drink the beers first and then eat the burgers. Not only would the drunkeness make me hungry (we've all been there), but the drunkeness might have numbed the nausea caused by ingesting 2,800 calories of fast food. PLUS, by the time I got around to the burgers, some of the liquid might have left my stomach. Would it have worked? I'll never know because there's no way in hell I'll ever try it again.
A full set of pics can be seen here. Next up in our office Summer of Gluttony is cake!
posted by Dave S. at 8:12 AM
10 Comments:
I have to say, my au naturale strategy (yes, i had my clothes on) worked for me. One burger, one beer, one burp. Also a big help, i poured the brew into a solo cup, as i shredded along, to trick my future self into thinking i only had one drink staring at me (i truly lost track of how many single beers i had). I think the breakdown comes when one starts counting units left to consume.MM, you stared those Currs Lites down for a solid 20 minutes.
You'll have to excuse me now while i ready for my diabetic shock training.
10:07 AM
Yeah, that is Dave. I bet the whole time he was measuring out how much burger and beer he had left, and thinking himself into giving up.
I didn't really put much thought into it, but looking at it now, if you were trying for a race instead of a long haul event, maybe single burgers and 12 ounce cans would have been better.
1:05 PM
Good job Beau, you are now what, 3 and 1?
1:06 PM
On another note, Dave, I met my match a couple of weeks ago, Clinton Station Atlas burger. Probably got halfway through before stopping.
1:07 PM
The Atlas burger? What's that, a one-pounder?
And for the record, in the last four contests (fastnachts, pizza, cereal, burgers/beer), Beau and I are both 2-2. Me with wins in fastnachts and cereal. Beau with wins in pizza and burgers. Considering my streak in sweets, I'm due for an easy win in the cake eating contest.
1:31 PM
i actually think you had the right strategy. Was dunking allowed???
If it was I would have cut the burgers in half beforehand, and dunked them heavily. This would make them breakdown quickly in your mouth, and slide down your throat alittle easier.
I think the key is to go gangbusters with the burgers for the first 5 minutes. You're going to feel sick after then anyway, so you might as well get as much in as possible. Get the heaviest mass down first.
After that alternating the remainder is probably the most mentally reasonable solution. I'll bet you could soak up 2 beers just with the dunking.
Great idea with flat beer.
11:32 AM
Good thinking Steak. To further flatten the beer, during slower parts of the contest (i.e. after the first 5 minutes), I poured each beer back and forth into a Solo cup to release all the carbonation.
I did go gangbusters during the first five minutes (I don't know any other way), but in a 30 minute marathon contest, you can probably eat at a normal pace out of the gate and still put up the same numbers. Maybe even better numbers. Who knows.
3:24 PM
Dave i commend you for the effort but dont get yourself sick for nothing . Forget future strategy , forget the whole thing . I tried something stupid competing in hot dogs and strawberry shortcake in less than 24 hrs between contests . To add to the stupidity i ate a few large size heros after the shortcake contest. I was shitting liquid for an entire day with a sour stomach to boot. Never again . It aint worth it. I could have easily ruptured my stomach or endured other serious issues which would have required the emergency room. We all love to eat but when your health is at risk it's not lovable anymore.
8:10 AM
because it takes so long for the stomach to talk to the brain, those first 5 minutes are free.
Sounds like you went at it with similar thinking that I would have.
I love that you poured the beer between cups! Maybe if you used warm beer it would flatten easier. Carbon Dioxide leaving water is a chemical reaction (Carbonic Acid to H2O and CO2)and heat is a catalyst.
I really really enjoy these little challenges you do. I wish I could try them and write about them too!
9:23 AM
good Job! :)
7:32 AM
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