Category: Misc

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Featured Misc

Quentin’s Run

It had been another long day. Long in a wonderful way. Quentin had finished a stunning portrait of flowers at art camp, the swimming pool had beckoned us to dive and tread in its silky coolness, and then there was more earnest play at our friends’ riverfront barbeque below their orchard. We enforced a few moments of stillness in order to get Quentin and Alice to chew before dashing back to the beach to dig elaborate canals.

At the end of it all, we are lingering in the delightful elongation of evening, filled with shared contentment. We’re ready for the half-mile climb through the orchard back to our friends’ house before saying goodbye. Just waiting for kids to drop like ripe fruit into their carseats.

“I’m going to run behind the car.”

“What, really?”

Quentin smiles, this little plan hatched in his head. His clothes are soggy, his legs splattered with sand and he’s wearing hand-me-down crocs that are still a size too big.

“Okay.”

We roll the windows down and Kevin will drive slowly, just in case. We start our ascent. I can’t see Quentin through my side mirror so I have to turn my head to watch. He’s framed by the rear windshield, a moving picture, his sun bleached hair contrasting glowing cheeks, his arms pumping smoothly, rhythmically. When did his legs grow so long? When did his eyes gleam with such impish determination? How is he keeping those crocs on? These thoughts thud inside my head as I watch my boy, the one I pushed for so many miles in a baby jogger, enduring, running after his long day, fueled by ice cream that still encrusts his upper lip.

A few times Quentin slows. Twice to retrieve a wayward croc. A couple times to walk and catch his breath. I call out to him, does he want to hop in? I mention to Kevin that I could keep Quentin company and he could drive up to the house. My mom instinct overpowers me sometimes and Kevin thankfully denies my attempts at rescue. This is not about me running with Quentin. And it’s not about applauding his vim while cutting his vision short.

We continue to drive slowly, gravel crunching under our tires. After passing two dogs that wag their tails and sniff at Quentin, we’re at the final bend and rise to the house. Exhaustion starts to weigh on Quentin but he rallies for the finish. When we arrive there is cheering and Quentin saying to himself and to the rest of us, “I did it. I did it.” Alice, the biggest competitor in the family, shakes her head in wonder at her brother’s impressive strength.

It is clear to me now. I have glimpsed the young man Quentin will one day become, strong in body and mind. Powered by his heart’s desire, no task is too hard and every opportunity is open to him. The moment is etched into my memory, illuminated by a new pride, one that is beyond me, for Quentin alone and the values he embodies.

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Featured Interviews Misc

Shoeless Joe Interview #2 – Greg Crowther

It’s finally time for the 2nd Shoeless Joe Interview! I apologize for the delay, and appreciate all the warm words of encouragement from people who enjoyed my first one, with Uli Steidl!

Greg Crowther is a well-known Seattle-based runner with an incredible amount of accolades on both the roads and the trails, on both short and long distances. He can win 5Ks and he can win 100 milers. He’s represented the United States numerous times at the 100k World Championships. And to top it off, he served as the Seattle Running Club president back in 2011. More of Greg (and less of Joe) can be found at GregCrowther.com, his twitter profile, and SingAboutScience.org.

Unfortunately Greg has long been sidelined with an Achilles injury. He was out of commission for nearly two years, but is now getting back into the running saddle. And after a number of months spent tracking him down, he finally agreed to stop running for a few minutes and sit down with me. Enjoy!

********

Shoeless Joe: Welcome to a new edition of the Shoeless Joe interview! Today I’m blessed to get to speak to the head honcho himself, Greg Crowther! (mispronounced as “kroh-ther”). I spoke to Greg one time after a Cougar Mountain race, but this time we’re going to get real! Greg, how are you doing?

Greg Crowther: I’m fine, thanks. How are you?

SJ: I’m great! I had a small cyst near my butt that I got removed recently, but otherwise I’m fantastic. It’s an honor to be speaking with the Seattle Running Club President!

GC: Well, former president. Win Van Pelt succeeded me in November.

SJ: Oh cool! Win Van Pelt…that’s an interesting name. No offense but he does sound a bit more presidential than “Greg Crowther.” (mispronounces name again) I’m sure you were great though! Speaking of great, I hear you’ve had a great injury that has kept you from running for many weeks. What has that been like?

GC: The injury to my left Achilles tendon has been great in that it has been an important influence in my life, for better or worse — great in the sense of the Great War or Great Flood. I haven’t trained seriously or raced since August of 2010. I was pretty bitter and upset about this for many months; then my marriage ended, which really put running in the proper perspective. I dream of getting fit again, which might happen in a year or in a few years or never. For now I am mostly a “social runner.”

SJ: Oh, my source did not mention anything about any marriage ending. I’m afraid I don’t have any follow ups on that topic.
You say you might be fit in a year, a few years, or never. Can you narrow that down? Will you be racing the White River 50 mile this coming weekend? I’ve raced that one a few times; I think you would enjoy it!

GC: (Sigh) No, I’m afraid that I cannot “narrow that down.” To any hypothetical Greg Crowther fans out there who are breathlessly awaiting an announcement on my return to competition, I’d say, “Thanks for your interest, but please find something more worthy of your attention.”
Regarding White River, I’ve been smitten ever since 2002, when I crewed for defending champion William Emerson. Watching that race had a huge influence on me. Up to that point I had thought that ultramarathons were really long, dull episodes of power-walking over ridiculously hard, poorly-marked courses. White River showed me that an ultra could be a well-organized, runnable race contested by athletes who are fast as well as tough. The 2002 race was an epic battle between Emerson, Scott Jurek, Karl Meltzer, Hal Koerner, and Nate McDowell. Nate is probably the least well-known of those guys, but at that time he was as good as any of them, and when he came whipping down the Sun Top road, 43 miles into the race, at sub-6:00 pace, leaving Jurek and the others in the dust, I was super-impressed.
Since then I’ve been back to White River almost every year to race or volunteer.

SJ: That’s awful kind of you! Do you think you have a good shot at winning White River this year?

GC: (Sigh) My chance of winning is 0 because my chance of racing is 0, as I tried to convey earlier.
Are we working through a bunch of questions that you prepared before the interview? You should feel free to modify the questions as we go so that, in the context of my answers, they actually make sense. Otherwise people might conclude that you aren’t very smart or aren’t listening to me, or both.

SJ: Huh? Oh yeah, I agree! I remember my first White River, in 2009. I said “Hi” to Scott Jurek but I don’t think he heard me. Did you know he’s vegan?! I saw that online. It’s crazy that he’s able to run all those 50Ks and 50 milers without any protein. Do you have any dietary…umm…tendencies? Are you vegan…or paleo or something?

GC: I abide by a strict meat-based diet. Perhaps that’s why I’m 6-0 lifetime against Jurek.

SJ: (Laughter) Greg Crowther (mispronounced) getting feisty! I love it! Alright let’s keep the feistiness going with the Fleet Feet Fast-Acting Lightning Speed Round, sponsored by our good friends at Fleet Feet Seattle! Greg, I’ve brought this mask. If you dare put this over your eyes, you’re telling me you’re ready to throw down!

GC: Um, can’t I just say, “I am, in fact, ready to throw down”?

SJ: You may say you’re ready but that face says otherwise! Put the mask on! If you want to show as well as Uli did, you’ll need to block out all distractions!

GC: Hold on. What IS the “speed round,” anyway? Do I have to answer quickly? Or are all the questions about fast people?

SJ: Oh I’m sorry, did you not check out my interview with Uli? Yes, the game is I ask you a question fastly, and you answer fastly. Lightning fast! See, because running is about being fast. (trailing off) Well, for some people…

GC: Well, trying to keep up with Uli is generally a bad idea. I’m going to give you back your mask so that nothing catastrophic happens to it.

SJ: Sorry Greg, I will have to insist!

GC: No, I’m serious.

SJ: Well alright, maybe next time! Ok, here we go! What is your favorite brand of hot dogs?

GC: Do Schultzy’s sausages count?

SJ: I…suppose, yes! I’ll allow it!
You and I are heading to a karaoke bar tonight…what song are you planning on rocking?

GC: “Hold On.” In the style of Wilson Phillips, of course. My backup choice would be “Once in a Lifetime” by Talking Heads. “This is not my beautiful house!” and all that. Sorry, am I being too long-winded for the Fleet Feet Lightning Blah Blah Blah Speed Round?

SJ: Not at all! Would you mind singing a few bars of “Hold On?” Just to prove you’re not one of those poser Wilson Phillips fans?

GC: Sure! In fact, I have my own backing track right here with me. (Actually does pull out phone and plays a karaoke version of “Hold On.” Greg and Joe sing together for a verse and a half.)

SJ: Awesome song, reminds me of VH1! Moving along, I see you brought a bike helmet with you. Do you play any bike polo?

GC: Uh, no. For me, biking isn’t really a sport, it’s just a way to get around.

SJ: You have been convicted of murdering Fleet Feet’s Brian Morrison. You’re on death row and nobody likes you because everyone loved Brian. What is your last meal?

GC: Fried chicken. I wouldn’t enjoy it, though, because I’d be upset about Brian’s death — I was framed, obviously — not to mention my own impending demise.
As an aside, you’re doing a marvelous job of working Fleet Feet into every other sentence. Didn’t they once give you a free pair of socks?

SJ: Yes!

GC: I think you’ve paid your debt to them at this point. We should also be sure to mention the Seattle Running Club’s OTHER distinguished partner store, The Balanced Athlete. Whose owner, Eric Sach, was cleared of all wrongdoing in the Morrison case, by the way.

SJ: Yes, I agree. Everyone, go to The Balanced Athlete…tell them Shoeless Joe sent you; they’ll hook you up!
Keeping with the food theme, favorite type of M&Ms: Regular, Peanut, Almond, Dark Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Coconut, Mint, Grape, or Pretzel?

GC: The green ones. Those are home runs, right?

SJ: ? How many tattoos do you have?

GC: None.

SJ: If forced at gunpoint to get one, what would you get?

GC: Whatever the gunman wanted me to get, I suppose. How many do you have?

SJ: None, too scared! But if Vibram Five Fingers hooked me up, I might be willing to get their shoe tattooed on my leg or chest or something.

GC: I agree; if you have to get a tattoo, you might as well get some free product out of the deal.

SJ: Totally! You’re doing great Greg, stretch run coming up. Who is your favorite character on The Cosby Show?

GC: I identified with Sondra because she was the most academically inclined of the Huxtable children. So her, I guess.

SJ: I liked Denise’s Army husband.
If you could run only one more race–any distance, any place, your fitness level at a place with which you’re happy–which one would it be?

GC: Hmm…good question.

SJ: Thanks!

GC: Assuming that I was able to train properly, I’d probably do another flat 100-miler, like Rocky Raccoon. Since I’ve only started two 100’s and only finished one, that’s a distance where I could still PR. (Pause) Plus, if you only get one more race, why not make it last as long as possible?

SJ: Good point, I agree! The following question was submitted by an SRC club member and fan, and it seems appropriate given your presidential status in the club. Boxers or briefs?

GC: If you must know: briefs.

SJ: Briefs, me too! Thanks to Patrick N. for that question!
Final question: Dirty Dancing or Pretty Woman? And show your work!

GC: Dirty Dancing. Patrick Swayze trumps Richard Gere for athleticism and non-sliminess, plus any soundtrack with “Hungry Eyes” and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” is a winner in my book.

SJ: I agree! Plus Swayze looks like he’d easily best Gere in an ultra.
Nice work Greg, if you had worn it I would say you can take the mask off! It wasn’t a World Championship 100k, but I bet completing the Fleet Feet Fast Acting Speed Round was just as satisfying.
Getting back to the serious stuff, I’m fascinated by your time spent as president of the Seattle Running Club. Do you have any stories from that all-powerful position? Backroom deals with Brooks? Shady compromises with Nuun?

GC: Yeah, it’s a shame I can’t tell you about our super-secret contract work for the Department of Defense. Let’s just say that the future of the U.S. border patrol involves fewer guns and more runs.
I wasn’t entirely comfortable in my role as president, but I did have a few “It’s good to be king” moments. One was when I got an email from a guy working on ads for an upcoming exhibit on horror films at Paul Allen’s Science Fiction Museum. He needed to get some pictures of runners being attacked by a zombie and wanted to use SRC members as the runners. Vice President Van Pelt wasn’t so keen on the idea, but I thought, shoot, what’s the fun of being president if you can’t feed some of your constituents to zombies once in a while? So I encouraged club members to sign up.
A somewhat more serious example was the Fat Glass 50K last August. The idea grew out of a board meeting discussion about Beer Miles — those track races where people drink a beer every lap. We thought, well, *any* running group can hold a Beer Mile, but it would take a special bunch of loonies to put on a Beer Ultra. And, with the SRC kind of representing the lunatic fringe of the Seattle running scene, we figured that it was up to us to create such an event. And things blossomed from there, thanks mostly to the incredible generosity of SRC member Peter Kline, who hosted the race at his house.

SJ: Yes. I think the Fat Glass 50k may prove to be your shining legacy, I hope SRC can bring it back for a second round! If I may be so bold, could the Fat Glass 50k be the race Greg Crowther (mispronounced) returns to racing, if only for a day?! Could you handle six pints of craft beer in 4+ hours?

GC: At this point, I have neither the legs nor the liver to handle the Fat Glass 50K.

SJ: Yeah, maybe I won’t do it either. I see on your facebook profile picture, you look like you’re wearing some kind of lab coat. Are you a doctor?

GC: No, I’m a research scientist.

SJ: Ohh, a scientist! Cool! Can you answer this then? How did you get into being what you are now? I mean, I’m guessing if I asked 8 year-old Greg Crowther (mispronounced) what he wanted to be when he became adult Greg Crowther (mispronounced), the answer wouldn’t be “research scientist.” When I was 8 I wanted to be a pro baseball player. When I was 18 I wanted to be a pro baseball player. When I was 28 I wanted to be a pro baseball player. A few months ago I gave up on that dream and have since settled. But I don’t get the feeling any scientists have “settled” into their profession, despite the fact that their field of work is really hard and confusing and boring and hard and you gotta go to college and stuff.

GC: When I was 8 I wanted to be a pro baseball player too. The idea of becoming a scientist didn’t really take hold until college, when I realized that different academic disciplines have fundamentally different ways of exploring the world and figuring things out, and that the approach taken by the natural sciences–the scientific method–was especially compelling to me. In history, for example, there is no shortage of fascinating questions, like “What caused World War II?” But trying to answer that question in a rigorous, conclusive manner is really hard, because you can’t go back and re-create the world as it was before the war and experiment on it. I don’t recommend that, anyway. But science has this elegant cycle of devising a hypothesis, performing empirical tests of the hypothesis, refining the hypothesis, doing additional tests, etc. It’s a rigorous and powerful way of discovering things, but it’s also simple in a way. Even if you aren’t a genius, and can’t answer any of the big questions that everyone cares about, you can work on smaller questions that relate to the bigger ones, and make progress in that way. A distance runner’s “one step at a time” mindset is definitely helpful in science.

SJ: Interesting. Though didn’t we conclusively prove that the New Deal caused World War II? And I think the scientific method can definitely be abused by scientists with agendas, but I don’t want to get into that right now even though I’m sure you agree with me 100%. Moving on, what position did you want to play?! I wanted to be a first baseman who hit lots of homeruns at Candlestick Park.

GC: My childhood idol was Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox, and he played first base in his later years, so I liked that position as well. And I liked pitching too. I was told that, as a lefty, I had a “natural curve ball,” though I don’t think it was unhittable or anything like that.

SJ: Yastrzemski? First off, how old are you?! And how could you be a Red Sox fan living in Seattle as a child as I presume you did?

GC: (Sigh) You presume incorrectly, as usual. I grew up in Vermont. I’m 39. Yaz retired in 1983, when I was 10.

SJ: Ohhh, ok! Vermont is pretty far away; did you move out here because you really love running in a 54-degree drizzle 11 months out of the year?

GC: I much prefer that to running in 5-degree snow and ice, but my main reason for moving here was to go to grad school in physiology at the University of Washington.

SJ: I agree! I think we’re about done here Greg, but I wanted to talk about one more thing. (Reads from card) Have you ever considered minimal running? Learning to run free with Vibrams? Thanks to the generous folks at Vibram Five Fingers, I can get you a pair of Vibrams to try–free!–for a whole week. I’m confident you will notice the difference, and join the revolution. Are you interested in taking your running to the next level?

GC: No, I’d prefer to stagnate at the current level. Thanks, though!

SJ: Ok, fair enough. I also have a couple 10% off coupons for an upcoming Tough Mudder. Would you be interested in being on my team?

GC: I’m afraid not.

SJ: Hmm. Ok. I’m sure I can find someone. Are there any questions you wanted to ask me?

GC: Not especially.

********

It was awesome of Greg to hang out with me at his work and let me interview him. Thanks Greg! If any of you want to hang out with Greg in the immediate future, I have learned he will be at Crystal Mountain this coming weekend volunteering at the White River 50 mile (not racing, apparently). Tell him hello and maybe he’ll sing a couple bars of Wilson Phillips with you! You can also enjoy his blog at GregCrowther.com. He also twitters!

Call for Comments (from Joe)

  • What’s YOUR go-to karaoke jam?
  • Do YOU have a favorite Huxtable?
  • Does anyone want to be on my Tough Mudder team?

Call for Comments (from Greg)

  • Who, if anybody, should Shoeless Joe interview next?

Call for Support (from Joe)

  • If you thought this was not-at-all offensive, please consider either becoming a member of Seattle Running Club or renewing your membership. The club is much more than some self-unaware schmuck interviewing his local running heroes. Join a community of like-minded running enthusiasts!
  • Did this offend you? 🙁
Greg Crowther (right) & Shoeless JoeGreg Crowther (left) & Shoeless JoeGreg Crowther (left) & Shoeless Joe

All photos of Greg & Joe: Terry Creighton

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Featured Misc

Where are they now? Catching up with the McCoubreys

Scott and Greg at Adams Gulch
Greg Crowther (right) after a trail run with Scott McCoubrey at Adams Gulch in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Last week my son and I had the pleasure of visiting the McCoubreys — former owners of the Seattle Running Company and founders of the Seattle Running Club. They moved to Ketchum, Idaho last summer when Scott McCoubrey got a managerial position at Scott Sports. Scott is having fun directing people like Dusty Olson, best known to most as Scott Jurek’s old pacer, who is now Scott’s midwest sales rep. Meanwhile, Leslie McCoubrey has found more time to devote to her massage practice, and son Shaw, now 8, is skiing up a storm and recently completed a 4.2-mile trail race. They live in a beautiful ski lodge-like home that they rent from former Olympic skier Reggie Crist.

Having seen the McCoubreys endure some tough times in Seattle as small business owners, I was happy to find them now enjoying all that Sun Valley has to offer. And while many of us back here in Washington miss their enthusiasm for all things trail- and ultra-related, they do return annually to put on the White River 50 near Mount Rainier at the end of July. They look forward to reconnecting with some of you there.

[For a more extensive look at the McCoubreys and the history of SRC, please see the article and video I prepared for iRunFar.com last year.]

Shaw the Slacker
Shaw demonstrating his balance on the slack line.

Categories
Featured Interviews Misc

Shoeless Joe Interview #1 – Uli Steidl

Welcome to the first installment of the Shoeless Joe Interview! I say “installment” assuming this will a) not be discovered and deleted by higher-ranking board members and b) I’m allowed to make this a recurring feature here.

For my first interview I wanted to go big, and when it comes to Seattle running, you can’t go much bigger than Uli Steidl! He and his wife Trisha Steidl form a sort of royal union in the local running scene, with countless wins and accomplishments between them at a wide variety of distances. Both also extend their expertise to coaching collegiate running talent at Seattle University, where Trisha is the head coach and Uli is an assistant coach.

After his great performance at the 2012 Boston Marathon (1st Masters, 5th American, 15th overall), and his excellent first pitch at a recent Mariners game, I had to sit down and get to know more about the man(ly) Seattle legend. With an awesome view of Lake Washington in front of us, we had a great time. Enjoy!

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Shoeless Joe: First off Uli, thanks for taking the time to speak with me! I don’t know if you know me, but my name is Joe Creighton and I’m on the Seattle Running Club board. So you could say we’re like teammates.

Uli Steidl: Joe, of course I know you. I’ve been to several board meetings. And you text with my wife Trisha all the time, and meet her for track workouts every Thursday afternoon. At least that’s what she says.

SJ: Oh cool! I didn’t know Trisha was your wife. That actually clears up some confusion I had. And explains why you live in her house.
Before we get too deep into this interview, let me say congratulations! It’s not every day someone gets invited to throw out the first pitch at a Major League Baseball game. Was that one of the biggest thrills of your life?

US: Oh, definitely! Growing up in Germany, almost every boy dreams to someday play in the Major League. Baseball is our national sport, almost a religion.
Speaking of thrills, the biggest thrill in my athletic career was running in the 2007 IAAF Marathon World Championships in Osaka, Japan. And more recently the 112th Boston Marathon, where I finished 15th overall, 5th American and 1st masters.

SJ: Wow! That was actually my next question, if Boston was your first marathon. But it sounds like you’ve run two total. Any racing plans for the rest of 2012? Perhaps a third marathon? Ever thought about trying out one of those “ultra” marathons?

US: Joe, you have to qualify for Boston, so it can’t be your first one. You call yourself a runner and you don’t know this? I’m not sure how many marathons I’ve run. Thirty five to forty. Fifteen of them under 2:20. I am planning on running another marathon this year. Twin Cities, in the fall.
And yes, I have done a few ultras.

SJ: Wow, thirty five to forty…I was a little off! LOL! If we can move back to your beginnings in Germany, what initially got you interested in running? For me it was a woman. Was it a woman for you? If your wife will get mad at you, just make something up.

US: My initial interest in running was there because there was a race that started half a mile from my home. I was 17 at the time, did a lot of biking–about 20 miles a day–but NO running. Entered the race and won.
No, women (or a woman) had nothing to do with me deciding to start running. But running has since strongly influenced my interest in women. I have never dated–or even kissed–a woman who wasn’t a runner. It would be hard for me to imagine being with someone who doesn’t share this part of my life.

SJ: I think I know what you mean. Women can make good things even better…like how Facebook does with life. Speaking of, I saw on Facebook that you went to college in Portland. What was the transition to living in the states like, compared to life in Germany? Food, music, bros, etc?

US: I’m not so sure I would put “women” and “Facebook” in the same category. You can’t hug or kiss Facebook. On the other hand, you can ignore Facebook for a month without serious consequences.

SJ: ?

US: Moving to the US was not that dramatic of a change. Lots of changes that American freshmen also experience, like moving out of your parents’ home and living with a roommate in the dorms; cafeteria food, new coach, new routines. I spoke English fairly well before I got here; good enough to get a 4.0 my first semester at University of Portland. But then again, I took familiar subjects such as chemistry, physics and calculus. I did, however, have to learn some fine nuances of the English language, such as “Uli, you don’t HAVE a shit. You TAKE a shit!”

SJ: LMAO! Can we say “shit”? Oh well. And that’s true about Facebook, but you can “like” Facebook on Facebook’s Facebook profile. Just like a woman!
Speaking of, on Facebook, as well as Myspace and Friendster and LinkedIn and this pro-wrestling message board I post at, I asked people to suggest any questions they think I should ask. Are you ready for the Fast-Acting Lightning Speed Round, which I should mention is sponsored by our fast friends at Fleet Feet Seattle? I will ask a question fastly, and you reply fastly. Like, lightning fast. Oh, also…you wear this eye mask to make sure you’re focused. Ready?

US: Sure. Shoot.

SJ: …can you put the eye mask on, please?
US: [puts the mask on]

SJ: OK, buckle your seatbelt, here we go! And remember, if you think any of these questions are dumb, it’s because it probably came from one of my MySpace friends.

US: Just start, please.

SJ: Ok. How much ya bench?
US: I did 115 once in college. Pounds, not kilograms. Bench press max is irrelevant for distance running.

SJ: What’s something any American tourist should eat at least once while in Germany? And please don’t say Head Cheese.
US: Schweinshaxen und Sauerkraut.

SJ: Favorite flavor of Vitamin Water?
US: I don’t drink Vitamin Water. I try to avoid bottled water in general. Tap water costs 2 cents per liter in Seattle. Fruit juice, milk, chocolate milk, water, tea. And once in a while a beer.

SJ: I know he’s not German, but close enough — best Arnold Schwarzenegger movie: “Kindergarten Cop”, “Pumping Iron”, “No Really, That Guy Was the Governor of California?!”, or “Twins”?
US: Arnold is Austrian. Not German. Not even close! What’s next, you call a Canadian “almost American”?

SJ: (laughing) Touché! I was curious, what newspapers and magazines do you regularly read — to stay informed and to understand the world?
US: Seattle Times. I used to read the PI, but they went out of print. As far as magazines, Northwest Runner, Running Times, Ultrarunning. Oh yes and Fox News.

SJ: Is the Boston Marathon like the Olympics for marathoners?
US: (sigh) Not exactly. It’s the oldest continuously run marathon in the world. And the fact that you have to qualify for it makes it intriguing for many people. You actually have to be a decent runner to qualify. But the Olympics is a whole different level. You have to be world-class to make it to the Olympic marathon, and even that is not enough in many cases as only three athletes per country can run in the Olympics.

SJ: Oh, whoops. I suppose then that the Olympics are the Olympics for marathoners. What pair of shoes did you wear for the Boston Marathon?
US: A new racing flat from New Balance. It’s not available in stores until June 1st, and I only got my hands, or feet, on a size 10.5 when I really need a 10 or even 9.5. But it felt better on my feet than anything else I tried out. I did most of my training for Boston in the Scott eRide Trainer, though.

SJ: Do you think you could beat Ichiro in a marathon?
US: Yes.

SJ: What if it was just a half-marathon?
US: I think I can take him.

SJ: C’mon…a 5K?
US: Yep. I’d bet some money on me. Now, in the 400m, it might be a close race.

SJ: What’s your favorite spot to run in the general area, not including Cal Anderson Park, of course?
US: General area?! I like running along Lake Washington Boulevard to Seward Park. But really it’s not so much the place you run at, it’s the company you run with.

SJ: What would you do with all your free time if your legs fell off tomorrow and you could never run again?
US: What free time? I’d have to get a real job.

SJ: Is it true that Dirty Dancing is your favorite movie of all time?
US: Who told you that?! It doesn’t even come close to Pretty Woman! But I thought this was an interview for a running website, not ET.

SJ: Wow, great job Uli with the first-ever Fast-Acting Lightning Speed Round! Especially as our guinea pig. And yes I too am furious with my friends’ non-running questions. Although I already have a myriad of Pretty Woman questions I now want to ask…but I’ll wait for a 2nd interview.
Moving on, I wanted to expand a bit on something. You mentioned the New Balance and Scott shoes you wore leading up to and during that marathon in Boston. As you can see I’m wearing Vibrams. The cool white ones. Bikila. How long do you think it’ll be before the top marathoners such as yourself are racing in Vibrams and/or have you already raced in Vibrams? And before you answer, yes Vibrams paid me to ask this question.

US: I hope they paid you a lot of money! It tells you something when African runners who often grow up running barefoot all run in regular running shoes and racing flats. Personally, I will run in Vibrams when Christmas falls on the 4th of July.

SJ: (nervous laughter) Hmm. Well. This is awkward. I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree. I think these have helped make me a much better runner. Maybe not faster. Maybe not less injury-prone. But better.

US: If not faster and not less injury prone, in what way are you a better runner now?

SJ: Umm. Let’s switch gears, huh? The five-part Cougar Mountain Series trail races are starting up soon, in just a couple weeks. I remember one of my first-ever trail races, a number of years back, was the Cougar 10 miler…you won and I came in 2nd. It was real close; you out-kicked me. I don’t know where you went, but you weren’t at the awards ceremony afterward, so the 1st place prize of free shoes fell into my lap. And to this day that’s the best prize I’ve ever gotten.

US: You’re welcome. But what is your question?

SJ: Umm. I guess I didn’t have one. Heh. Hmm.
[rifles through papers]
Have you ever done any other Cougar races besides that one 10 miler?

US: Yes, I have done quite a few of them. In the first 2 years there was a guy who was opposed to those races and he would come out and change the course markings, directing runners onto the wrong trail. So sometimes I would run the course ahead of the runners, starting 10 minutes early and running with a can of spray paint and a roll of tape. But I also did a few of them officially, starting with everyone else.

SJ: If I see that guy at the 5 miler, I will give him a piece of my mind. I find the 13 miler to be the hardest, but the 5 miler to be the most frightening. Any thoughts on the progression of races? Do you have any advice for anyone who’s signing up for this year’s races?

US: Why is the 5 miler the most frightening? Do you have a lot of endurance but a lack of speed?

SJ: More or less.

US: The progression in distance of those races is ideal for beginning trail runners. Jumping from a road half marathon to a trail half marathon can be quite a surprise in terms of difficulty and the time it takes to complete the course. Starting with a 5 miler and working your way up gives you a good idea of what to expect. None of the Cougar Mountain trails are very technical by trail-running standards, but they are also not simple gravel paths either, so they are ideal for beginning trail runners.

SJ: That’s great advice, I agree! Maybe we’ll see you out there this year…and I can avenge my loss to you from that 10 miler!

US: I will for sure miss the 5 miler as I will be in Houston with the SU track team. So it’s your lucky day, as nothing stands in your way to win. Don’t know yet if or how the other races will fit into my racing schedule, but I will likely be at a few of them.

SJ: Awesome! I agree you will be out there!

US: …

SJ: Well, my girlfriend is going to kill me if I’m not home soon, so I think we should wrap this up…did you have any questions you wanted to ask me?

US: Sounds like your girlfriend is wearing the pants in your relationship! How do you feel about that?

SJ: (laughing) Well, it’s either she wear the pants, or I live alone in a dirty apartment, eating Chef Boyardee. I mean, Chef Boyardee is ok….but I’ll take the curfew if it means a few more dining options and a cool roommate.

US: I was also going to ask you if you know of a good way to stop hair loss, but it looks like whatever you’re doing isn’t working either.

SJ: (frowning) I dunno, wear trucker hats? No, I don’t know a good way, but I know a good silver lining. Me and you, we’ve got way more testosterone than other guys. That’s why our scalp betrayed us. Physically we may be repulsive, but in actuality, we are manlier.

US: I don’t know…you should get Trisha’s and your cool roommate’s opinion on that one! Or just solicit feedback from the readers of this interview.

SJ: Ok, I will! But what do women know about being manlier? I’m sure we’re manlier. And I think that’s a good way to end this. Thanks Uli, you’ve been very generous with your time! Congratulations again for Boston, for the amazing thrill of the Mariners first pitch, and good luck in all of your manly pursuits!

I want to thank Uli again for letting me into his house even though I was wearing Vibrams, and being the inaugural subject for what I hope will be a recurring installment here at the Seattle Running Club website. Both he and his wife Trisha are running ambassadors for our city. I was a little nervous interviewing such a talented and decorated runner, but I think I did a pretty superb job.

Call for Comments (from Joe)

  • Is Uli manly? (show your work!)
  • Are you bald?
  • Dirty Dancing or Pretty Woman?

Call for Comments (from Uli)

  • Is Joe manly?

Call for Support (from Joe)

  • Did you enjoy this? Are you already a club member, like Uli? If not, consider becoming a member, like me, and help support us! Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to do a second interview!
  • Did you not enjoy this? 🙁
Shoeless JoeUli Steidl (left) & Shoeless JoeUli Steidl (right) & Shoeless Joe

All photos of Uli & Joe: Terry Creighton

Categories
Misc

Once A 5Ker

Joe Creighton at the 2008 Fremont 5KThe 2008 Fremont 5K was a long time ago.Photo: Chuck Bartlett

I ran my first marathon in 2005. My first ultra in 2008. I’m considered by my many many friends to be a “long-distance runner,” and I don’t waste my breath debating the fact. It stands though that the only race I have scheduled in 2012 for which I will actually train and go “balls out” is a mere 5k.1 Just 3.1 miles. In early June I will cross town to Fremont and run the evening 5k they hold (I forget what it’s called, sorry). Despite my “distance” reputation, this is the only event I’m thinking about this year. After a few years of slow and somewhat uninformative trail miles, I want to test myself again.

A couple years ago I grew weary of road races. I was tired of paying some exorbitant fee to run on Highway 99 and two days later find out my chip time wasn’t recorded. I slowly gravitated towards the trails (discovering Seattle Running Club in the process), and for a good amount of time I was happy. My finish times at the (less pricey) Cougar Mtn Series races were always accurately recorded, though a little less helpful in terms of measuring my fitness. The trails at Cougar and Tiger (and Mt. Si and Crystal Mtn and hell, even Discovery and Lincoln Park) were soft and scenic. Long runs became longer. Race distances climbed from 5Ks >> marathons to 50ks >> 50 milers. Occasionally the thought of hitting a 100 miler would tempt me, if for no better reason than simple bragging rights. I truly believe I am a better runner today because of the long, slow, dirty miles accumulated over this time. One thing I couldn’t shake though was the desire to set concrete, black & white goals and then lay it on the line to achieve them.

In all 50ks I’ve run, a time goal has never been formulated. It’s more a vague guess on where I should wind up based on familiar names and the times they’ve posted in prior years. At the Chuckanut 50k last month, I expected “something around 4:45-4:59:59,” but at no point during the race was I thinking about how on-pace I was for that window. It never extended beyond “gee, I wonder what my finish time will be.” While it was nice to finish a few minutes earlier than anticipated, the sense of satisfaction was finite. What *did* I really accomplish? Was that even a good time, considering my fitness? Maybe my prediction was a little soft. These lingering thoughts are frustrating for someone who, unlike most ultrarunners, is not simply out there for the run itself. I don’t get the spiritual experience many of my facebook friends seem to get while traipsing through the trails. I’m not fast enough to compete with the big dogs,2 and the varying nature of ultra races (weather, course conditions, one mishap with a gel at the wrong time, a bear, BEES!!) can lead to wildly differing results, making it hard to compete even with myself, let alone the ghosts from ultrasignup’s results archive. At least not with any significant amount of closure.

****

I feel bad for Greg Crowther. The guy loves running far too much to have been injured for the past 15 years3 with a mysteriously persistent heel injury. Meanwhile, my running schedule has remained largely unimpeded over the same time frame, despite the fact that my “love of running” doesn’t really exist and is more accurately defined as a “hatred of being obese.” It isn’t fair; he deserves the miles more than I do, and I can guarantee without having to txt him for confirmation that he wants them more than I do. In fact, struggling through the composing of this paragraph has been more fun than any of my training runs this past month. Outside of those fleeting moments when the stars are aligned and everything is easy, running is merely something I do so I can eat a horrible amount of food later that night while simultaneously fitting into the same clothes I’ve been wearing since 1997. Greg on the other hand has been chewing on his arm, threatening to write “Nora Ephronesque rom-com novella[s]” while his heel heals far too slowly. Surely all the more frustrating since, when healthy and fit, I can think of only one other guy in the vicinity with the kind of 5k >> 100k range that Greg has. (I won’t name him here, even though he’s also a card-carrying SRC member. I’ll just say his name starts with a “U” and ends with “li Steidl”.) The recent passionless runs I’ve been subjecting myself to leave me feeling not only uninspired, but guilty.

Instead of sitting around with my finger in my nose, waiting for inspiration, I’ve forced it. Sometimes the magic of running comes not from winning races, or tagging a summit, but from discovering yet another way to keep the flame alive, if only for one more race. If I cannot stop and smell the roses during my interminable daily runs, I will pick a number and run for it. That number is my 5k PR. It is 1000 seconds. I ran it four years ago. I’m a very old 32 years old,4 and time is slipping away, but Fremont has a 5K in early June (I’ll get the official name eventually). A glorious Friday evening. I have recruited a friend with similar goals. On Tuesday evenings from here forward we will make a mockery of Fleet Feet Seattle’s store run.5 On Thursdays we will be found at the Garfield High School track, reminding ourselves of our own mortality. Though I’ll always prefer the trails, and I will return, at this moment I need something concrete to shoot for. I’m excited to hit the roads at least one more time, in honor of my smoking buddy Mr. Greg Crowther, and in tandem with my temporary teammate, Mr. Brett Walton.

They had better record my chip time though.


1Not counting the 2012 Fat Glass 50k, of course.
2That guy with the ponytail from irunfar.com has never requested an interview, even though my email and cell # and home address is easy to find.
3Give or take
4Physiologically, I am nearing the big 5-0.
5Come join us!

Categories
Misc

Ideas on Running and Writing

I am a runner who wants to be a writer. I don’t call myself a writer because the title implies a level of worth that I am not ready to presume for myself. I’m not sure which milestone I must pass to gain a sense of belonging to the group that calls themselves writers. Do I need to write longer stories or a novel? Do I need to get published? I’m hoping the answer isn’t so product-focused and instead I’ll feel a writer when I simply write every day.

Similarly, I have met many runners who back away from the label “runner.” They might say, “I run, but I wouldn’t call myself a runner” or “I jog, I don’t run.” It is funny that I would say to them, own it, give yourself that validation. It feels good to say this is a part of who I am. Perhaps I shared that mindset when I started running twenty plus years ago; I can’t quite remember. I certainly avoided the term “athlete,” because I disliked P.E. and lacked anything beyond rudimentary coordination. I was one of the gangly awkward kids left standing after the stallions were auctioned off for dodgeball teams, and I’d pray to be second-to-last and not last. Running was a relatively safe bet because the team (cross country or track) didn’t seem to care whether I was good or not. In other words, I couldn’t let them down. I could focus on the improvements in speed and endurance that came with daily devotion to running and a gradual increase in miles. Somewhere in there, a runner was born. Horizons opened up for me because suddenly my enhanced physical toughness spawned mental fortitude.

I’m pondering what running has taught me that I can apply to writing. It’s important to make it habitual, so it becomes second nature. So that to not run or to not write feels weird. Once I’m in a training groove, to run every day helps ward off the dread. Yes, you read that word correctly. If I’m honest with myself, I know that there is dread even toward something I love as much as running. It is there for several reasons. There is a part of me that follows Newton’s first law, that a body at rest tends to stay at rest. It requires force to break out of inertness. There is dread of the unknown and possible discomfort due to weather that is too hot or too cold, too wet or too windy. There is dread of pain from sore or tight muscles. And sometimes there is dread of failure when my heart expects and desires a run in a certain time and my legs cannot keep up. As I get older this is an inevitability that will become familiar. But I can’t let that keep me from coming back, day after day.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

Writing, which is a way for me to fill the void, scares me too because it’s unchartered territory. I worry I’m not up to the task. But courage and self-trust, which are integral to running, will also serve my writing dreams. Haruki Murakami wrote a remarkable little memoir on his running and writing life (What I Talk About When I Talk About Running). He wrote of how his running has enabled better writing. Writing requires, as he described it, physical strength and endurance. A writer’s heart isn’t pumping quickly while s/he is sitting with pen and paper. But meaningful writing requires reaching and drawing from the inner core of our beings, and continuing, despite resistance, to grapple with messy problems and explore a multitude of paths without guarantee of success. Staring at the blank page of a writing project can be like toeing the line at the start of a race. There are hopes and expectations, but all of that can and will change minutes, hours or days later. Running gives me a sense that I can complete what I started, so why not a children’s story or a novel too?

One other factor that applies to both running and writing is, beyond discipline, there must be enthusiasm. Julia Cameron talks a lot about this for creativity in The Artist’s Way. Those every day encounters, with my running shoes or my pen and paper, need to have an aspect of play and exploration. I shouldn’t crack the whip over myself to get it done and check it off the list. An early morning run should be about moving amongst the stars and taking in the dusky sunrise that washes over the mountains in evanescent hues. It should mean finding a new road and not checking my watch. And writing should be about discovery and following a whim and playing with words.