The "Canal Digger's" race in Worcester, Ma. went from 160 or so runners in their first year to over 700 in the second year. When I ran across the country 31 years ago the knowledge of nutrition was not what it is today. I was told by a nutritionist and a bio-mechanics professor that a couple beers at the end of my day of running was the best way to quickly put carbs into my system. Though we have come a long way in our knowledge of nutrition, I'm glad we've kept some of the old-fashioned know how.