Of the many cool things in “Race Across the Sky,” a documentary about this summer’s Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race won by Lance Armstrong, one thing in particular sticks out. As Armstrong and the other elite riders in this endurance race reach the turnaround, a dirt cul de sac atop a barren dome, a 12,750-foot summit reached after 7 miles and 3,000 vertical feet of climbing, they must pass the other riders as they head back to the finish in Leadville. Superhuman racers such as Armstrong and six-time LT 100 winner Dave Wiens, about who will both complete the race in under 7 hours, will brush shoulders with folks who will take nearly twice as long to finish, not to mention the 500 or so who will have to abandon. As the two distinct worlds pass one another, words of encouragement are exchanged in both directions.
Category Archives: Running
Monster Dash: A tale of two Joes
“I’m nervous,” I said to Marcy as I stood at the starting line for yesterday’s Monster Dash 5K in Raleigh. It was worth noting since I don’t get nervous before races, at least not before the mountain bike races I’ve been doing the last few years. I couldn’t remember being nervous before a race since … well, since the last time I ran a foot race — in 1985.
Did Phidippedes die in vain?
There’s a curious story on page 1 of today’s News & Observer about long-time marathoners who aren’t happy with the growing number of slower runners in their events. Some of these newbies, say the vets, even have the audacity to walk the 26.2-mile course.
Carrots and clocks
Are goals essential for a successful workout program? To justify the hard work of training do you need something to work toward?
I thought that was an obvious “yes” until Thursday evening’s Fit-tastic training session. (Quick background: I joined Fit-tastic, a 12-week training program for runners that you can read more about here, in September to help me prepare for the Monster Dash 5k on Oct. 25. An avid runner in my 20s, knee and back issues when I hit 30 forced me to look elsewhere for my adrenaline fix. Now, at 53, I’m back — at least for one race.)
Active Destination: Smithfield
Few things get me as excited as stumbling across an area marked off with yellow tape. Not “Crime Scene” tape, but “Construction: Do Not Cross” tape, the kind that marks a greenway under construction. The kind Marcy and I found while exploring downtown Smithfield last month.