Running and Racing?

I really enjoy reading editor Scott Sullivan's "Notes" and columnists Scott Hubbard and Tom Henderson in Michigan Runner.  They combine wit, insight, knowledge, and new ideas.  Hey, sometimes they are even controversial!

In the Jan/Feb issue of MR, Hubbard writes of a local DDS who has cheated in numerous races, in state and out.  The guy was featured, as a cheat, in The New Yorker.  I guess my questions, which will likely never be answered are, "Why do these guys cheat?  What do they get out of false times?  Are they so delusional they believe they ran that fast?"   It's not as if this guy and others like him are setting world records, are making big bucks, qualifying for the Olympics.  I suppose, reprehensible as it is, cheating to win prize money is one thing.  But this DDS wasn't winning the big bucks.  It even sounds like his own friends knew he wasn't running nearly as fast as he claimed.  Is it a mental illness, fooling yourself in such a manner?  Is it dangerous?  I don't know.  I don't get as worked up over it as Scott does, but it is perplexing and I understand the anger it provokes.

Henderson writes, as he has in the past, of the lack of fast runners in today's races.  Oh, world records are being set by the elites, at all distances.  But at our local races, times are much, much slower than they used to be.  He decries that--and I understand it.  I still do OK in most races, at least in my age-group.  But, I joke, that's because there aren't many runners left in my age-group!  And, besides the laughs, there's a lot of truth to that.  Way back when, though, I tried to run fast, at least faster.  I trained and worked hard, aiming at certain races.  That's what Henderson wants, others, like in year's past, to run and train for faster races.  Hmmmm....  I understand what he is saying and, in fact, note that I used to do just that, at least try to do that.  It was the competitive nature in me.  Now, though, I think I understand those who just run, not race, even in racing events.

I am reminded of my father, who was quite competitive and expected me to be that way, too.  If I got a couple hits in a ball game, his comment was, "Why didn't you get three?"  If I brought home five As and an A-, it was, "What's with the A-?"  With his grandson, Matt, after scoring three TDs and rushing for a couple hundred yards in a high school game, Grandpa focused  on this, "Why'd you fumble?"  Some years back, I talked him into walking a local run/walk event.  He walked it, conversationally, with an uncle.  But, ten feet from the finish, my dad sprinted ahead to "win."  That was his mien.  I always remember at one of Matt's junior high cross country meets (cross country was the only sport the school district offered), one of his buddies just sort of loped along, finishing last by a considerable margin.  My dad's comment was something like this, "Why does he bother?"  The message was, of course, if you aren't going to try to win, why do it?  I was upset by the comment and retorted, "What?  Should he just stay home and play video games or watch movies?"  Not at all taken aback by my reaction, he just shrugged, almost as if to say, "Yes."  I don't think so and guess never have.  It's much better to participate in something like running (or other physical activities/sports) than to sit. 

I like to see lots of folks at races, even if the vast majority are not there to win or even to run fast/hard/their best.  They are out there at least.  My last two races confirmed that and reenlightened me.  At the Big Bird 10K, I ran my slowest time ever, by maybe 6 or 7 minutes, maybe more.  I was at least 5 minutes behind my time of just last year and about 15 or 16 minutes behind my PR, set on this course.  Part of my slower run was by design, not wanting to aggravate an injury that was close to completely healed.  Part of it was I wasn't really trained to run what I had in the past, largely due to the injury, which precluded any hard running all summer.  At the start of the race, I ran with Darrell McKee for a mile or so.  Darrell is in his mid-70s and has run each of the Big Birds, every one of them.  He was running at about a 14-minute a mile pace and I really enjoyed running and yakking with him.  He's quite a character and has a lot of good stories.  Then I met up with another running friend, Jerry Mittman.  Jerry has run oodles and oodles of marathons and half marathons.  I ran with him for a couple of miles, about an 8:30 pace I'd guess, talking away.  I did that with several other runners, too, ones I see at races.  One even admonished me, "Get up there where you belong."  I laughed, but remember thinking, "I am where I belong" or at least where I wanted to be.  At the end, I wasn't at all gassed or even fatigued, but had one of my best Big Bird times, just not by the clock.  Two nights later, I went to the Wayne County Light Fest 8K on Hines Park.  It's an 8K/five mile run/walk through the Christmas and other holiday decorations of Hines Drive.  I've run every one of these beautiful evening events, most often parking at the finish, running to the start to get my tee shirt, and then running back to the finish--about 10 miles or a little more.  Most years I've done the Light Fest with my good running buddy Bob Drapal.  Of course, we stop for eats afterward.  (At first it was White Castles; then we had the good sense to stop at De Luca's for its great pizza!)  The last couple of years, Karen and some other friends have joined Bob and me, for the Light Fest and for pizza.  Karen and our friends would walk and Bob and I ran.  This year, Bob opted to walk with Karen, Michelle, and Russ.  Carrie wanted "more of a challenge" and asked me to walk and run it with her.  So, I ran and walked, hardly a fast time and not my fastest Light Fest, but a good time nevertheless, with Carrie.  In fact, like the Big Bird, I had one of my favorite Light Fests.  De Luca's pizza was great, too!

I think there's a place for all kinds of runners, including in races.  Guys who can't make the major leagues still play softball.  Gals who don't make the Olympics still go skiing.  They aren't necessarily racing, but they are out there.

If there's one thing I am sure of it's that we need to be more active.  The obesity epidemic is going to swallow us.  Anything that keeps us active is OK with me.  And if some folks (including me when I shake this heel problem) want to work to run faster, great!