During my running years, I had the good fortune of meeting some incredible people. Awhile back I told you the story of Katy Fischer, an incredible young girl that lost her battle with leukemia at the tender age of fourteen. When asked by Make-a-Wish what she wanted for a wish she said that she had everything she needed, they should give it to someone who really needed it. They pushed a bit harder and she settles on going to San Diego to see the Team In Training team running the marathon. They arranged for her to be in a cherry picker so she could float above the start line.
The other amazing man I met was jogging joe. He was a fitness columnist for the local paper. We shared an enthusiasm for the slower runner. The person that was getting out there and doing it even if the pace was slow. Eventually, he started a radio broadcast for the local station – Let’s Shape Up. I became his field reporter.
The program ran on Sunday mornings. Each week I would find a race and report on it from the course whenever Joe called me. I ran many local races, as they were easy to get to. But one of the most exciting reports I did was from Cinderella’s castle during the Disney marathon. That was back before the Goofy challenge. The Goofy Challenge is a half marathon on Saturday and a full marathon on Sunday. I just went to their website and it looks like they added a Dopey challenge – four races of increasing distance, finishing with the marathon.
Another person, I was lucky enough to meet, was John “the Penguin” Bingham. John revolutionized running, by making it ok to be a slow runner. He has written much, but my two favorite books are “The Courage to Start” and “No Need for Speed”. He quickly became my idol. He was called “the penguin”, because he felt it looked more like a waddle than a run when he ran. He inspired me to write my own running story – “Marathon? I can’t even run a Mile”.
At the time I wrote the story, I got as far as finding an agent, and getting a probable publisher. Then the economy tanked. And that was the end of that.
Then there were all the everyday runners I met along the way. Frequently pairing up with someone with a similar pace that was struggling. I had become very adept at talking folks into completing when they were ready to quit.
The other fascinating group of runners that I met were those that participated in my doctoral research. I had done a mixed-method study. Several of those that participated in the interviews I’m still friends with.
All of these legacy moments bring a smile to my face as I reflect on those memories.