Doughnut Dilemma

My bro (a different bro this time) just signed up for the Krispy Kreme Challenge in Raleigh, and frankly, I'm just now sure how I feel about this. Growing up, I used to pride myself on being able to take down a dozen original glazed doughnuts in one sitting. Thankfully (for the sake of my insides), that is a talent I no longer possess, though I still have an extremely strong passion for Krispy Kreme. Anyway, back to the challenge...

The Concept

Each runner runs 2 miles to the Krispy Kreme store located on Peace St. in Raleigh. After downing A FULL DOZEN of the famous Krispy Kreme doughnuts (coffee optional), the runner must run the 2 miles back. All in one hour. 

There are a couple of different competition levels: the Challenger is required to run the full race and chomp down on (and keep down) all 12 doughnuts. The Casual Runner is not required to eat a dozen, can run or walk and doesn't exactly have to keep 'em down either (oh, that poor race clean-up crew). 

Major props for coming up with an original concept that no doubt enables some major camaraderie (perhaps too much?) among racers. And love that all proceeds benefit the NC Children's Hospital. BUT I can't help but feel conflicted about this concept, no matter how much I love Krispy Kreme. 

The calorie count for one dozen Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnuts is 2400, 1200 of which are calories from fat (36 grams saturated, 0 grams trans). Everyone burns calories differently, but the average # of calories burned running 4 miles in an hour is around 400 - 500 calories. So basically, if you don't eat another thing all day long, you can still net out around 2000 calories - the average # of calories upon which most nutrition facts are based (even though, that # completely depends on individuals' metabolic rate). Obviously, that will not be the only thing racers eat that day though, so... yeah (eww). 

Even so, it's not like this is something participants will be doing on a daily basis (at least I hope not). And my hunch is that, anyone who signs up for the Krispy Kreme Challenge is probably already leading a pretty active lifestyle - it takes a special type of athlete to find the excitement in potentially losing your insides in front of thousands of other runners. 

So, will I be joining my bro at the starting line? Not likely. I think it would be a step backwards (or at least sideways) for the ol' pre-training training. But then again, did I mention how much I love Krispy Kreme?? I'm still torn. But registration is now open for anyone else that is intrigued/hungry/into self-inflicted pain and self-loathing.

Source: http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/09/krispy-kreme-doughnut-challenge/