This past Saturday I stopped by Luke’s Locker and got to catch up with my buddy Patton Gleason. Patton runs the training program for the Luke Locker store in Plano and for the Whiterock Marathon ran the 24 miles to the start line and then ran the marathon. He is a great guy and always says that we need to go run together, which is then followed by me saying, “Patton you do realize I’m not fast and that are you sure you want to run with me as I will serve as an anchor.” His normal reply is something like, “hey, you need to throw away the watch…we’ll be two guys out enjoying a great trail run.” So to end our conversation on Saturday, Patton lets me know that there will be a group of guys meeting out at Erwin Park at 0600 for a great trail run. OK,OK, OK,…I’m in!.
What Patton failed to tell me was that all the other guys are Boston Marathon Qualifiers! With the trail being flat and not very technical I realized that is was going to be futile to hang on with these gazelles. They waited at the end of the first 8 mile loop for me to finish up. While we were standing around talking, we saw a group of about 6 high schoolers running through the park. One could quickly tell that they were good runners. Lean, long strides, keeping an incredible pace and making it look effortless. The line of runners meandered through the meadows and around the trail. It was beautiful to watch. They were Gazelles. It was awesome!. I then realized…”hey Dave, YOU ARE NO GAZELLE!”
I thought back to Bandera. The first 10 miles is all climbing and descending and really technical to boot. I ran with 4 runners during those 10 miles, holding my own and many times on the downhill passing and leading the pack. When the trail leveled out at about mile 11…zoom…they were gone. I realized then…not gazelle…more like a Mountain Goat. This was confirmed by my ultra marathon running buddy, Marshall King. We run about at the same pace. Tuesday he went to do hill repeats with some fast runners. He told me while on the hill, he was the one leading the charge, motoring up the inclines…another mountain goat.. So I end with this: I run more like the first picture instead of the second picture. God made me a mountain goat…and I love it!
7 comments:
I wish I had more mountain goat in me. TN is hilly and 'they're' always waiting on ME. I hate that.
Nice! A Mountain Goat. That's the funniest thing. LOL.
If you're a mountain goat, I'm a slug. :)
I'm not a gazelle and may not be a mountain goat either, so not sure what I would be.
Sounds like you need to look for some hillier races. Come on out to Cali! We love mountain goats.
The day after Le Grizz, beneath a full moon at Two Medicine Lake in Montana, we watched a herd of Bighorn Sheep work their way up the hillside across from us--seemed like a good thing to know how to do.
Run gently out there. John M.
Love it! Like we said on the phone, I think I'd rather be a Mountain Goat than a Gazelle (not that I have any choice in the matter). I have an idea - some weekend when we both have time let's drive up to Cross Timbers and run the tough Juniper Point section over and over. You'll freakin' love the downhills!
Hey Dave. Thanks for the comment on Rocky Raccoon 100. I'll be following your blog. Have fun pacing Dmitry.
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