Comments on: Yep. http://www.runningland.com/2006/07/10/yep/ wisdom and tripe from a lifetime runner Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:04:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Joan http://www.runningland.com/2006/07/10/yep/#comment-4509 Joan Tue, 11 Jul 2006 13:41:06 +0000 http://www.runningland.com/2006/07/10/yep/#comment-4509 Well, if I may, I do have an excuse for running so slowly. Or, as my British coach, Harry Wilson, used to say, "There is reason for your poor performance; don't give me excuses." The <em>reason </em>I ran slow is two-fold. One, my neighbor just died of a heart attack (a few days before the 4th) after running in the heat. He was only 47, had two kids (one my Rosie's age; the other on my middle schooler's XC team) and was way too wonderful to leave this earth so soon. When that familiar race discomfort hit, my mother's brain could only warn, "Careful. Careful." My second reason/excuse is that I am training for the 4 X 800m Master's Nationals which means all my available fast twitch muscles are being recruited to break 2:20 on the anchor leg. My high school PR is 2:18 and it would be pretty cool to run close to that 26 years later! Well, if I may, I do have an excuse for running so slowly. Or, as my British coach, Harry Wilson, used to say, “There is reason for your poor performance; don’t give me excuses.” The reason I ran slow is two-fold. One, my neighbor just died of a heart attack (a few days before the 4th) after running in the heat. He was only 47, had two kids (one my Rosie’s age; the other on my middle schooler’s XC team) and was way too wonderful to leave this earth so soon. When that familiar race discomfort hit, my mother’s brain could only warn, “Careful. Careful.”

My second reason/excuse is that I am training for the 4 X 800m Master’s Nationals which means all my available fast twitch muscles are being recruited to break 2:20 on the anchor leg. My high school PR is 2:18 and it would be pretty cool to run close to that 26 years later!

]]> By: Scooter http://www.runningland.com/2006/07/10/yep/#comment-4506 Scooter Tue, 11 Jul 2006 09:52:44 +0000 http://www.runningland.com/2006/07/10/yep/#comment-4506 All that talent going to waste! What a shame...or it would be if you sounded unhappy. It sounds like you're comfortable with running like a "normal" person. Meantime, when/if the fire reignites (like when your daughters want to know more about running), the "boys" better look out. All that talent going to waste! What a shame…or it would be if you sounded unhappy. It sounds like you’re comfortable with running like a “normal” person. Meantime, when/if the fire reignites (like when your daughters want to know more about running), the “boys” better look out.

]]> By: Mr. Nemesis http://www.runningland.com/2006/07/10/yep/#comment-4500 Mr. Nemesis Tue, 11 Jul 2006 00:03:05 +0000 http://www.runningland.com/2006/07/10/yep/#comment-4500 Don't know how many other people you smacked on the butt. Though you smacked me, I wouldn't describe how I went by as "cruising". As I said when I went by, if I could catch you so early I must have started too fast. Though the first half was faster than last year, I was slower overall. I happened to catch "Big Bird" in the final mile, but he's young and fast and so he managed to pull ahead again on the track. Fat Charlie, it is not so much "Lo, how the mighty have fallen" as "Age catches up with all of us." Some of us may occasionally be able to beat Joan now, but she is still mighty to us. She's far from being a has-been yet. Even when she becomes one, that's better than a never-were, which is what most of us are. And she's always willing to help those of us who pass by, even if it is by smacking us on the butt. D. Don’t know how many other people you smacked on the butt. Though you smacked me, I wouldn’t describe how I went by as “cruising”. As I said when I went by, if I could catch you so early I must have started too fast. Though the first half was faster than last year, I was slower overall. I happened to catch “Big Bird” in the final mile, but he’s young and fast and so he managed to pull ahead again on the track. Fat Charlie, it is not so much “Lo, how the mighty have fallen” as “Age catches up with all of us.” Some of us may occasionally be able to beat Joan now, but she is still mighty to us. She’s far from being a has-been yet. Even when she becomes one, that’s better than a never-were, which is what most of us are. And she’s always willing to help those of us who pass by, even if it is by smacking us on the butt.

D.

]]> By: Fat Charlie the Archangel http://www.runningland.com/2006/07/10/yep/#comment-4498 Fat Charlie the Archangel Mon, 10 Jul 2006 22:17:23 +0000 http://www.runningland.com/2006/07/10/yep/#comment-4498 I got my first shock when Dave Couper mentioned a time that you ran in a race that was slower than I had run in a similar race - not TOO awfully long ago. That doesn't mean that you were running hard that day; it just means that it had been possible for me to beat you on a particular day. Maybe. The phrase "Lo, how the mighty have fallen" comes to mind. But the important thing, I think, isn't that we lose some competitiveness - after all, ALL of that is vanity, in the long run. The important thing is that we become willing to help those who are going to pass us by. That is our greatest gift - to the world, and to ourselves, by helping to reduce the swelling of our own egos. I got my first shock when Dave Couper mentioned a time that you ran in a race that was slower than I had run in a similar race - not TOO awfully long ago. That doesn’t mean that you were running hard that day; it just means that it had been possible for me to beat you on a particular day. Maybe. The phrase “Lo, how the mighty have fallen” comes to mind.
But the important thing, I think, isn’t that we lose some competitiveness - after all, ALL of that is vanity, in the long run. The important thing is that we become willing to help those who are going to pass us by. That is our greatest gift - to the world, and to ourselves, by helping to reduce the swelling of our own egos.

]]> By: Jimmy B. http://www.runningland.com/2006/07/10/yep/#comment-4497 Jimmy B. Mon, 10 Jul 2006 21:41:23 +0000 http://www.runningland.com/2006/07/10/yep/#comment-4497 Hooray, hooray, it's back today! Getting back from Atlanta, I see that one of my new favorite web destinations is back! The weather there was incredible, low humidity and low 70's at 8:30 in the morning. Purrrfect for running. I know a little girl who is developing the eye of the tiger...She may need an older tiger to bring it out however and show her how to use it. Hooray, hooray, it’s back today! Getting back from Atlanta, I see that one of my new favorite web destinations is back! The weather there was incredible, low humidity and low 70’s at 8:30 in the morning. Purrrfect for running. I know a little girl who is developing the eye of the tiger…She may need an older tiger to bring it out however and show her how to use it.

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