Sunday, June 15, 2008

Mellow Weekend - Tagged


I enjoyed a mellow weekend of running without going out and doing some insane trail run or distance event. Michelle and I ran 5.2 miles around Lake Padden in Bellingham Washington on Saturday and I joined Rob "Rattler" Hester for an easy 15 this morning in and around Orting Washington.

Earlier this week I was tagged by Bad Ben. I'm not much for rules when it comes to tags so I'll answer the questions but I'll spare you from a tag.

1- How would you describe your running 10 years ago?

Routinely running 3 miles in the morning 5 days a week. All my runs were on the road and alone. I was running 5K's and 10K's and actually placed in the top three overall once when all the fast guys slept in one day.

2-What is your best and worst run/race experience?

My best experience was crossing the finish line of Cascade Crest 100 miler. My worst was my DNF at Western States 100 at the top of Devils Thumb.

3- Why do you run?

Chicks dig it.

4- What is the best or worst piece of advice you've been given about running?

The best: Recovery is over rated. The worst: 1978 - Orthopedic surgeon suggested that I should never run on the knee he rebuilt for me after a wrestling injury in college. I held off 13 years then started running again sans my left ACL.

5- Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know.

My steely nerves have allowed me to compress a 30 second free fall while skydiving into about 8 seconds. I suppose I have the ability to count really really fast! It goes like... 1-2-3-skip a few-60. Doing so gives you a lot more time under a canopy. I quit that silly sport after 10 jumps. Couldn't control my survival instinct to pull the chute.

NOTE: My 34 Summits attempt has fizzled so I'll just be running another 12 summits next weekend.

Cheers!

16 comments:

aquaasho said...

LOL! I'm still laughing at number 3! Ha ha.... :-)
(I was expecting something deep and meaningful about zen and peace and being inside your own head, conquering mountains etc. etc.) LOL!!

Journey to a Centum said...

Aisling - If I'm ever again interviewd by television, radio, or newspaper my answer to why I do it will be "Chicks dig it". I've given up on trying to clearly express my feelings after a long run when I'm exhausted.

Probably won't work for you unless you want to make the British tabloids.

Scott McMurtrey said...

chicks rule!

Unknown said...

Good call on the 36 summits. Maybe we can attempt it together next summer, or winter? Thanks for joining me on an easy 15.

Journey to a Centum said...

Scott - Damn straight!

Rattler - Or maybe later this summer?

Olga said...

Why am I not surprised at #3? :) damn, you did 10 jumps...one day I plan on one and only!

Journey to a Centum said...

Olga - "Boogie till you bounce" was the mantra for the guys I was jumping with.

What's this "one day" shit? One day will come and go and you will be laying on your death bed wishing you had leaped from a perfectly good airplane to float quietly down to the ground under a brightly colored canopy. The time to boogie is now baby! Time to start working on that bucket list!

wendy said...

I think I'm going to start answering w/ number 3 as well. ;-)

So, you think there's hope for me in 10 years to be a mad monkey running machine like yourself??

Coach Herb said...

I did 10 jumps with the Palouse Parachute Club back in college. Their moto: "He who hesitates shall inherit the earth!" Every one should experience sitting in a chair 1,000 feet in the air at least once.

Jack said...

Recovery is indeed overrated. When do we get to see a picture of your new grill?

Journey to a Centum said...

Wendy - I'm interested in the responses you get with that answer.

Herb - Chair? They took those out of the Cessna 180 we used for jumping. At least it had a jump door so we didn't have to hear the noise the entire time we were climbing to altitude.

Jack - I'll make sure it's included in my next post. I'm afraid it's the SUV of grills. Seems to cook food very fast compared to my old clunker. That will probably come at a price of replacing the propane tank more often. Great work again on that marahon PR!

Sarah said...

Wow, a skydiver too. I'm sure chicks dig that too. : )

Journey to a Centum said...

Sarah - Oh yeah! The chicks really dug it when I landed in a grocery store parking lot on my first freefall jump. I was only about 1/2 a mile from where I was supposed to land. I never really grasped the concept of the landing zone.

Meghan said...

#3. I'm not surprised. The question is, does your wife really dig it? Wait a minute, that's a silly question.

Next, funny story about landing in the grocery store parking lot. Rules? Regulations? Landing zones? Don't need 'em.

Meghan

Journey to a Centum said...

Meghan - Those rules were made for other people, not me.

The pilot jokingly told me he was going to drop me a bit west of the drop zone so I could land at the store to buy beer since it was my first free fall. He was pissed when he landed thinking that I had intentionally landed at the store. I think he was more upset that I didn't buy beer when I was at the store.

Ryan said...

Good stuff Eric, man skydiver huh COOL. Have a jolly week.