A little inspiration from a couple of bunnies...
What is running?
Something one does seriously from late February until November, maybe early December. It can be with a group, or alone, and can vary anywhere from 5 to 20 miles. One should avoid certain trail runs on the hottest days of summer, as well as any trail in which Dave Olds begins by saying, "I think I know where this goes..." One's goal in running is to achieve the ability to run with the group at any pace, on any terrain, while maintaining a pleasant conversation, as well as having the ability to drop the pace should young runner's questions become too bothersome, or overly competitive runners come within one island of us on San Vincente. To truly understand running, one should talk about it with other runners at least once a week over bagels, pancakes and eggs if it is the AM, or pizza, ravioli, and fettuccine Alfred if it is a Monday night. Whatever one does, one should make sure that he has done nothing stupid in the days preceding a missed run, as certainly the other runners will point out every mistake he has ever made, as well as taking any good qualities he has, and twisting them around so that those qualities are bad as well. One should read lots of books, but the main ones are the Harry Potter series, anything by Neal Stephenson, Ender's Game and subsequent titles, and if you are Nate Bowen, William Faulkner's "The Bear." A runner should be able to quote from Once a Runner without really thinking about it, as well as list the top ten times in any distance over the 800. Lastly, a runner needs lots of shoes; they don't have to be expensive, and truly old shoes can sometimes be better. Any runner who shows up with the most expensive Nike Air Max Super Dupers will probably be mocked mercilessly. A true runner knows deep down inside that he is one, even when he is stuck behind a desk somewhere.
Did I leave anything out?
-David Foote
December 21st, 2001
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA. MAY 6TH, 2000 - 11:30 A.M.
Strange thoughts indeed on this hazy morning in what many would consider the epicenter of American track and field. Just got into work this morning after a mellow ten mile run with some of America's finest distance runners (Nick Rodgers, Dan Brown, Jake Mass) and yet this calming run could not shake the images of last night. By all means it was an electric night. Perhaps it was seeing Brad Hauser land on his face with 350 to go and still run 13:30, or maybe watching Rodgers "jog" a 27:55 10k, it could have even been the fact that seemingly 40 guys ran faster then 14:15. It may have been that I was giddy from a 17-mile day with a hard interval session but there was definitely the feeling that one was in the presence of something spectacular. By far the highlight of the meet was the men’s 1500. I had been waiting for this race all day. As the starter called the guys to the line I strolled to the top of the bleachers where I wouldn’t be bothered by any of the many random heads that were drifting around the track. It was a perfect race, and I knew before hand that Jennings was gonna bring it all back home. His last lap was a thing of beauty. As he took off to win by more then twenty meters over the likes of Berryhill, Pyranya and Stember all I could think was "break on through". When I looked at my watch and saw 3:37 the thought occurred that this guy is only a sophomore. Perfect night. When I went to bed it felt like I had raced, I had done those things of our dreams. It was meets like last night that reaffirmed my belief in craziness like the mountain, Sullivan to the fourth, 6 X mile in 4:40, monster week, the snake, being poor to run fast and all the other nonsense that "sane" people frown upon. Lately I myself had been questioning all of the above and more. I had wondered if it was worth pursuing sub 30 in the 10k when guys like Louie Luchini, a Stanford freshman can run sub 29:00. But then I realized that we all have that kind of skill in us. Like some kind religious fanatic you just have to believe. Chant the mantra right, left, right, left and the answer will come.
Well fellas train hard, and race harder, I'm gonna try to out it out there next Friday night. Regardless of what happens it is just one more step down the road.
-Nate Bowen
May 9th, 2000