Ok, before I take off for Vermont tomorrow, I'm going to give you a quickie update on the best, worst and most humiliating events in my ultrarunning life thus far:
Best Compliment- From Gordy (founder of the Western States 100), "That was very deft." Comment made after I knocked a fallen branch off of the Western States Trail without breaking stride and using the side of my foot. It's not a kick, rather a seamless scoot. It's almost as if I levitated the branch off of the trail. After my 1st 100 mile race in 2001 one of my students asked me, "Mr. Mathews, is it true?"
"Yes, Brandon it's true, I did run 100 miles in one day."
"No, not that, my mom says that you can shoot a pine cone off of the trail with your foot without breaking stride, even though the pine cone is behind you."
"Yes, it's true."
We don't care about the 100 mile crap, tell us about the pine cone Mr. M! Shoot, not you too Gordy!
2nd Place- "Nice Rocks." From an unknown Asian women during the Great Eastern Endurance 100K in Charlottesville, VA, speaking about my calves. I've always liked that compliment, first and only time any female has complimented my on my legs (Not the only time, just the only time from a female of the oposite sex, but that is another story.)
Honorable Mention- "I can't keep up with you on the Downhills." Chase Squires to me at the Bighorn 100 in 2006.
Worst Comment- At mile 49.5 after climbing Devil's Thumb in the Western States 100 in 2005. Me, "How much farther to the aid station?"
10-Year-old volunteer, "It's just ahead, but everyone else has already gone through, you must be about the last person!"
Me, "Go F. yourself, you f'ing little twerp!"
Oh, that's good Andy, cuss out the volunteers that are your daughter's age, what an F'ing jerk I must be, yeah, well, come on, ask Chase, that climb is tough!
2nd place- After being told, "I can't keep up with you on the downhills," by Chase, "And besides, YOU SUCK on the UPHILLS!" Geez, I guess the F'ing twerp at States was right, I may have been last.
Honorable Mention- Heard many times, "Isn't that more like a hike? I mean 14-minute miles, that's not very fast." Yes, running, er, hiking 100 miles in 24 hours, 4.2 miles an hour, is like a hike, it's very easy, anyone can do it, everyone should try it, please let me know how it works out for you!
Most Humiliating- My Crew to me, "Cover-Up AndyMan." After finishing Vermont in 2005 in my makeshift skilt (combination skirt and Kilt fashioned out of a pair of Nike running shorts, sans the liner) and hanging out (literally, I'm afraid) on a cot in the finisher's tent.
2nd Place- "Oh no, is that poison ivy?" Said to myself in Vermont, 2005, after a rest stop in the woods. The answer came about 10 miles later, yes, it was and it wasn't just on the butt, but well, it's too humiliating....
Honorable Mention- Having to take a cab across the street to the airport after my first 100 mile race (I mean it was just across the street.) The cabbie was surprised, but he was happy to take my 10-spot.
Best Moment- Helping my friend Michelle finish Rocky Raccoon, Texas in 2006. I had often wondered if I should have just kept running, I was on bigtime PR pace, and felt great, but Michelle, who is handsdown a better and faster runner than me was struggling with the 100 mile distance (she was 0-3 in 100's), I chose to stay with her and help her finish. We made it! Michelle has since gone on the beat my PR by an hour! But what really makes it worth it is that my daughter was running the mile at school, and had to run it in under 10-minutes to pass her PE test, she was cruising along when she came upon a classmate that was struggling, she said she thought of me helping Michelle in Texas and she stopped to help her classmate finish the mile. Ali didn't qualify in under 10 minutes that day, but they both finished, and Ali who was 10 at the time, made her time on the next try. Isn't it funny how things work out?
2nd Place- Having Becky sign up for Vermont this year. Seeing someone you care about realize their potential is a truly blessed feeling.
Honorable Mention- Getting a hug from Barb when I finished the Arkansas Traveller in 2006.
Ok, I've got to go back. Please feel free (no feel obligatied to!) post your best, worst, or most humiliating stores as well.
AndyMan
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4 comments:
Worst Moment:
Reading Andy's best moment section, only to be listed as an honorable mention. Need I remind him that I booked his lodging, helped him pack all that race gear, cleaned his nasty feet during the run, stayed up all night feeding him Starbucks and Boost, did his laundry (soaking wet, smelly post race attire), had his precious beer ready at the finish, drove his tired booty to the Little Rock Airport. But really... honorable mention is fine.
Plus, if only I knew that a hug was all that was required to make the list, I could have saved some serious time and energy!
All kidding aside, I'd do it all over again. I am very proud of you, Andy.
Ah, yeah well, Honorable mention is like really the best, you there is... what I'm trying to say is thanks for the hug, it was epic, and you too can see a picture of that hug in the Jan/Feb edition of Marathon & Beyond.
This one is actually from Roger Sutton:
BEST MOMENTS: It goes way back to 1983. Breaking the dreaded 30 minute barrier for 10k on the track. I remember the pain but, more importantly, I will never forget the feeling I had when I crossed the line and looked up at the big stadium clock and saw that 29 was still displayed.
WORST MOMENT: Running a session of 400 meter intervals on the track in Gainesville, it was back in 1985, and rupturing my achilles tendon. I never raced on the track again. It still torments me. Let's talk about something else...
MOST HUMBLING MOMENT: I was a 5k 10k guy in college, not a miler. But like all distance runners, I wanted to run the mile. ONCE, I got the chance. It was an early season indoor meet on a 200 meter track and, after assuring him that I had the wheels for it, my coach humored me by entering me in the mile. I went as fast as I could right from the gun, knocking out quarters as fast as my slow twitch fibers could handle. I ran a PR of 4 minutes and 9 seconds. There were 7 runners in the race, 3 of them broke 4 minutes, and I came in DEAD LAST...
MOST HUMBLING (Runner up?): The first time I was selected to race at a major invitational in the 5k. I was pushed and shoved to the back of the pack, for almost 4 laps I never got inside of lane 3, passed the mile mark in 4:17 with a LARGE mass of runners in front of me, fought through for a PR of 14:27 while placing around 10th. What was the humbling part you ask? Well, there were two heats for the 5k that day and I WAS IN THE SLOW HEAT...
WORST ULTRA MOMENT: Alone on a Virginia mountain at 3am during Hellgate. I was disoriented from running in the dark for 3 hours, which I had never done before. It was 25 degrees and there was snow and ice everywhere which obscured the trail. It was so dark and the terrain was unlike anything I had ever seen before. I really had no idea if I was on the course or not. I was still 10-12 hours from the finish and it seemed like such a stupid thing to be doing. I know this happens to everyone in an ultra, at some point, but that did not make it any easier.
BEST ULTRA MOMENT: The last mile of Hellgate. All downhill, daylight, David Horton waiting at the finish to shake your hand. Priceless...
Not as interesting as Andy's but it's what I got!
Roger
Ok, now I have a most humbling moment: Roger ran 4:09 for the mile, and he thinks that's slow! How's 14 minutes per sound?
AndyMan
... Uh, before Barb gets to take credit for booking lodging, let us all recall the splendor that is: The Rustic Inn, Dayton, Wyo.
'Nuff said.
:-)
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