E-mail From Another Running Fan

My friend, Tom, had sent me this e-mail: (I changed my name, but all else is as sent.)

Scooter,

The "Footsie" is finished for the year! Still looking for details but Craig apparently let it get away, slipping back to 8th or worse before a furious finish fell just short of the winner. Eager to see a video.

Big suprise with the girls. I saw the southern duo who smoked the field when I was in Charlotte visiting my daughter for Thanksgiving. Kroeger is a really lean little blonde; skitters along like a bug. After running neck and neck with Scott through most of that race, she gave way to her. Kroeger said she was saving herself for San Diego. She has now proven herself big time. I wonder how Ashley did; no better than 8th behind the big favorite, Hasay.

The preview video showed the course to be very dusty. Would hate to eat that while running back in the pack.

Did you watch any the Iron Man today? The greatest sports story I have ever seen: Dick Hoyt and son. Maybe you know of them since they have been competing for 30 years together. The son is severely crippled with CP but loved being pushed by his father in a wheelcair 5 km so much it inspired Dick to go big time. Dick is now 66 years old, son is 44 and they do the triathlon! Dick tows him in a raft for the swim, carries him on the handle bars in the bike and the final pushchair marathon must be the easiest leg! They should make this story of great love and determination better known to the world.

Tom

I love this stuff! Craig Forys ran well, and his blazing finish is testimony to his great strength as a runner. I have a suspicion that he's going to take a serious crack at becoming the fifth high school four-minute miler. He is an absolute monster runner. While he may have misjudged how much room he needed to close, I have little doubt that a bit more distance and he'd have been banging heads with Chad Hall for the win. It didn't happen, and it can't be changed, but misjudgements are a part of racing. In today's Star-Ledger, Jim Lambert had an article, in it, he quoted Forys saying, "I have nothing to be disappointed about. At the top of the last hill, even though I was 40 meters behind (Hall and Murdock) and felt that winning was a long shot, I told myself that this is the last 800 meters of my high school cross-country career and it was time to man up. I left it all out there. Hall ran great and deserved to win." I think that quote describes the best thing about running, respect for your competitor. Not that trash-talk never happens, but it's usually pretty rare, especially among top level athletes, simply because they know how much work it takes to get to that level.

The Ironman (and I apologize to people who do Ironmans) is THE one that matters. I remember years ago seeing a short (about 3 paragraphs) on the first (I think) Ironman in Sports Illustrated while I was in a doctor's office. There are several events in Ironman history that I distinctly recall. The Hoyts are pretty much a fixture at the Ironman. I had the pleasure of meeting the Hoyts in Boston last year, and it was a highlight of my visit. Dick's a real gentleman, but I can't really say the same about Rick. His limitations make it tough to really know. They are inspiring to watch, and seeing Dick care for Rick is seeing true love in action. Maybe it will be rerun over the winter.

Finding people who share the same interests is always a pleasure. For this, I'm glad to have found Tom.