10 - 26 Weather, Weights, and Oliver Reed

I didn't do quarters today. It was raining really hard when I was about to start, so I did 40 sets of 40 in the gym instead. It felt like a massage after all the pounding I've been doing. For the record, I lifted around 60,000lbs.

The weather has been pretty crazy. I can't remember ever having two major storms during October. I wouldn't be surprised if this turns out to be the wettest Oct in history because I seem to have that effect on weather. It's a good thing I'm not an alpinist.

Most of my birthday challenges have been affected by weather. Since my birthday is in late November this isn't too strange. However, it is uncanny that every year I haven't done one the weather has been perfect and out of the 10 I've done, 8 have encountered weather issues. In college, I had friends who would not take long motorcycle trips with me because I had such bad luck with weather. I'm serious, it was that bad. Once in Utah I got hit with a 100-year storm in September and stuff like that kept happening over and over, until my friends refused to go anywhere outside the county with me.

I've been getting a lot of emails from friends suggesting alternate events for these days that aren't going well. Not too surprisingly, most have to do with drinking, either coffee or alcohol. I was quite inspired by Oliver Reed, who died recently after drinking three bottles of rum and defeating 5 sailors in arm wrestling in a bar. He also once drank 106 pints of beer over 24 hours in a pub. Wow!

Here are some of the suggestions:

40 beers - many people

You forgot 40 cups of coffee in 40 hours. I don't think that has ever been done. - Rob Norris

40 ounces of whiskey - Josh Fairchild

40 pints of beer in a pub - Bob, via Oliver Reed

How about 40 cups of coffee - Mike Thompson

How about 40 pieces of sushi from a sushi restaurant that Cristina spotted. It is in Korea town and it got a C rating. - Belt Potter

You should add a sexual element ... - Binky Greene

27th challenge: jump off a 270 foot object. you live, or you don't. oh yeah, i re-dislocated my shoulder. shitty. - Arvind Gupta

sorry to hear about your driving day. was the total miles driven a multiple of 40? - Louie Anderson

You need to add 40 cups of coffee as an alternate in case of injury (which is almost certain). - Rob Norris

Maybe I can cook something up for you. I could make 40 of my famous oatmeal raison chocolate or butterscotch and pistachio cookies for you to eat over the 40 days. - Hans Florine

Still time for 40 cups of coffee before midnight... - Rob Norris

And I'll end with a couple of inspirational emails:

Very impressive Steve, but what punishment! I worry I may not have a brother by the time it is over. I'll enjoy helping as I can, though helping with Kingpins is definitely out. No amount of filial love, threat of torture or divine commandment could make me draw near that doughnut shop again. - Brian Edwards

You're on the edge of greatness, birthdaychallenge lore awaits. Small comfort with such daunting tasks ahead, undoubtedly. I have no words of wisdom or encouragement. They would fall far short of the giant's ears. I will say this: Dig deep. Your challenge is the standard by which all adventure seekers, idiots, desperate zealots and mongrels may one day gauge themselves. Dig deep. - Binky Greene