Have you been running ultras for a long time? Wondering if maybe your best days are behind you? Here are the top ten indicators that you may be a washed up ultrarunner.
Are you washed up like this whale?
- People come up to you at races you’ve won in the past and say, “you’re the guy that has the blog.”
- You can barely walk the day after a 50K.
- Your running year includes more than one PW.
- You haven’t run a PR in years.
- You drink as much as AJW before races.
- It’s a great race when you only get single-chicked.
- The thought of doing three more Western States makes your hips ache.
- You make bets you know you should win, but then lose big.
- You’re fat and you just don’t really care anymore.
- You find yourself blogging about the top ten indicators you may be a washed up ultrarunner.
Is someone feeling sorry for himself?
@AJW, just trying to help guys like you recognize when you may be on the verge of being washed up. It’s a public service. It’s a giving thing which you wouldn’t understand.
It’s payback for not having a Veteran (50-59) age group at Waldo.
@grae, what? You got a CTJ hoodie out of the deal. OK, so perhaps I did owe you one from something else (I don’t remember). Still, you scored.
Maybe when I reach that 50 year barrier I’ll be more inclined to have 50+ age group awards.
Very true, which I am very greatful. Plus a size small T-shirt that actually fits! And I thought I was just another 50 year old fat ass.
@Craig, Yea, I was gonna ask where my prize was at Seattle Bar, but I did get a “Conduct the Juices” t-shirt. I guess that’ll have to do, especially since Meaghan will be entering my age group next year.
Here’s a few more top 10 contenders:
When you can’t wear your “winner” t-shirts anymore since they fit over your belly about as well as a kids shirt does.
Similar to above, you actually have to USE your belt buckles to keep your pants up. This of course leads to conversations about back when you could actually run.
Type in “back in my prime” into Google, and your blog is #4 since you mention that phrase so often.
You start challenging your friends to see who can run a six minute mile, your former per-mile marathon pace.
You start racking up DNS’s to cut down on your DNF’s.
You have more “obituaries” blog entries than “motivation” entries…and the obituaries are more interesting.
You rack up age group wins since there is nobody left in your age group.
😉 SD
@Scott, well done!
You *walk* all the way up Spencer Butte to have a chat with a guy who forgets to bring a sound shield for his microphone:
http://insideoregon.uoregon.edu/a-couple-minutes-with/
Dude, you’re so famous.
@Co Jones, it was actually quite humorous because after the “strenuous” hike up the N Face to the summit the video recorder didn’t work. No way the interviewer was going up there again, maybe ever.
1. Stopped worrying about getting chicked and started worrying about getting “grandma’d”.
2. Two day or more travel time to most races since you don’t want to run anything you’ve done before due to obvious comparison issues that lead to poor self image.
@SLF, new races. That’s a great idea! Texas and Arizona here I come.
You can’t remember if you actually ever ran an ultra.
@Dorski, ouch. That’s brain dead.
While it’s a totally different world for us middle of the packers, we too get washed up. I even tried to quite ultras but couldn’t figure out anything better, not beer, not cigarettes, not even ice cream.
You are mistaken on the trail for OD.
You begin to organize, help out and attend more races than you actually run in.