"There's only one hard and fast rule in running: sometimes you have to run one hard and fast."








Thursday, April 24, 2008

Rashomon

Point of View



Thank you to everyone who congratulated me on my win* at Trail Mix. I've tried to send out personal thanks, but I'm undoubtedly missing some people. It's been very interesting to see all the different race reports and they all came together for me yesterday when I'd climbed the Lawton Steps and sat on the park bench at the top. Almost no one knows that bench is in a park called Point of View Park; the park is a bench, a barricade and a clump of trees. Perhaps because of the Japanese authors I've been reading lately, it got me thinking of Kurosawa's film "Rashomon" in which a crime is recounted from several different points of view - if you haven't seen it, stop reading blogs and rent it; it won an Oscar for best foreign film in 1954.



One of the most interesting things is trying to piece together Kim Holak's race. Some people reported her being ahead of me at one point, but she never was. Others had her ahead of Eve, which could be, as I never saw her between the first 100 yards and the last 100 yards.



Another striking feature is the people who decribed me as zoned in and intense, when I felt like I was just taking it easy. Then I saw the photo Keith posted of me at the finish. From a distance, it's a typical picture, but zoom in on the face and I look like a wolf chasing down prey. You don't want to see that coming after you! I'm thinking it'll be my Christmas photo this year...



My favorite report of the race congratulates Eve, Kim, Paul and Mark, but not me. I don't know what I did to deserve the silent treatment, but I'll have to win a bunch of races now just so he (or, of course, she) has nothing to write.



The multiple view thing seems to have me in its spell. On the same day that Joel called me humble (aw, shucks, Joel!), someone else called me an egomaniac. On the same day I got an e-mail that called me a man of principle, I got one calling me something I wouldn't print here. The truth is somewhere in the middle.



Recent Training (Birdwatching)

(4/5. Zumbro Bottoms. see Theilman post)
4/6. 12 in 108.5. Tired from yesterday.
4/7. 11 in 100. Last three were a death march. Saw common and red-breasted mergansers and the first bluebird of the year.
4/8. 12 in 109. Very very tired. Saw hooded merganser and black ducks.
4/9. 0. Intentional day off, as I'm drained.
4/10. 0. Another intentional day off.
4/11. 3 in 27.5. Stiff. Saw horned grebes.
4/12. Chippewa Moraine 50K in 6:01;43.
4/13. 0. Extremely depressed.
4/14. 0.
4/15. 0.
4/16. 4 in 30.5. Saw loons and the first butterfly of the year, a Camberwell Beauty (called Mourning Cloaks by everyone else in America. It's one of those Britishisms I seem to have picked up. You might note I switch between some spellings: realise/realize, honour/honor).
4/17. 4 in 33
4/18. 4 in 33.5 saw a belted kingfisher
4/19. Trail Mix 50K in 3:48:44. (29 miles, plus 2 cool-down)
4/20. 2 in 20. Stiff and sore.
4/21. 12 in 111. Ran shirtless and burned. Saw a woolly bear caterpillar.
4/22. 11.5 in 103.5, some with Barb and Don D. [Don's having major surgery soon. Keep him in your prayers.] Saw a small fritillary I couldn't identify.
4/23. 12 in 104.

I'm running a full 1 1/2 minutes per mile slower than last year and not as far. I'm hoping that I'm running smarter, though.

Fab 5 Note

Contrary to popular belief, the Fab 5 Fifties series was not designed so I could win it, though I am in second place at the moment. The next race in the series is Ice Age; there are currently 9 series entrants signed up for the 50 mile, none for the 50K. See you there!

8 comments:

Diane said...

At Trail Mix did you notice the flock of little ducks? They were on average smaller than the average size of a woodduck, a dark grayish color with a black head by white bills. What are those?

WynnMan said...

Did you let Eve go...... or are you sure she just didn't throw down more speed and would have won regardless..
Congratulations at the Mix.

keith said...

diane, those were coots (rails)!

congratulations again, steve!

phillip gary said...

To lead the Fab 5 Fifties Race Series, one needs only to run at the front, place well, and maybe win, too.

Several are doing that into the second event of the series . . .
And Steve Quick is the early leader.

The trick to winning the whole shabang . . . for anyone, it's young in the season yet . . .
is stay healthy, get at least the minimum three 50km and two 50 mile races in, and race at the front.

If we could've rigged the series so the creators won, I would be at the top.

Although I tried rigging . . .
with preliminary rules that spotted older runners extra hours, gave points for orange versus yellow shirts, for example . . . common sense ruled at the end, and the rules passed the muster of Trail Dean 'The Bearded One' Larry Pederson.

If only he would have accepted the bribe . . . .

Phillip Gary Smith
Leading the series if last is first

Diane said...

Ahh... thanks Keith!

Matthew Patten said...

Steve,

all i have to say is that it will be a full car ride to ice age. The will be NO ROOM for any hardware won at the race!

On a saparate note, i was thinking of netflixing an early season of the simpons as a fun thing to do the night before.

SteveQ said...

Diane and Keith, I always think coots look like little teapots. The chicks are so ugly they're cute.

Wynn, both are true. She would've won no matter what I did that day; letting her go was a smart decision, as I might've crashed and burned.

Meghan said...

I think I finally figured out who you are. You commented on my blog several months back, right? Then you and I ran together a bit at Chippewa Moraine, you talked about not carrying water, I think. That you?

Meghan