Aspiring Elite lives in Van in Flagstaff

Down by the river?

Personal Bests

Event Result Venue Date

Mile ind. 4:17.97 Norman (USA) 19.02.2011

3000m ind. 8:24.79 College Station (USA) 14.01.2012

5000m 14:43.44 Houston (USA) 25.03.2011

5000m ind. 14:59.59 Norman (USA) 24.02.2012

10,000m 30:22.46 Walnut (USA) 14.04.2011

3000mSC 9:07.56 Natchitoches (USA) 14.05.2011

Half Marathon 1:06:29 San Antonio (USA) 13.11.2011

Annual Bests

Event Result Venue Date

Half Marathon 1:09:44 San Francisco (USA) 29.03.2015

any results from like this year.

should've followed the dream in 2012, little late in the game now

This wasn't too odd or outwardly of a plan to become an Elite in the Seventies. Most of the time it was living on someone's floor (Shorter is said to have in earlier years).

Is the dude going to make up his own country or something?

Key word; Aspiring

And.............. wrote:

This wasn't too odd or outwardly of a plan to become an Elite in the Seventies. Most of the time it was living on someone's floor (Shorter is said to have in earlier years).

Back in the day we'd read about Bjorkland et al. packed into a trailer park in Boulder with 4-5 roommates. They'd work odd jobs, train like crazy, and run these outlandish times at major races. Sub and sub-sub elites would do similar things.

More power to this guy, and may the holier than thou letsrunners who put them down dry up like little coyote turds on the trail.

Silver-lined Pine wrote:

Flagstaff runner Xavier Rodriguez left all the comforts of home behind in Texas to pursue his dream of making it to the Olympics while he lives out of his converted van. A short audio-visual documentary.

https://vimeo.com/126441601

Oddly enough this is becoming a trend with a lot of millenials. We are the unattached generation, never getting married, never staying in the same place for long periods of time. This guy is just a more extreme version of the rest of us.

I know a couple in their 20s who made the decision to travel the country and live out of a van full-time. Both college graduates, both from upper middle class backgrounds. They shower at YMCAs, spend what would be their rent money on eating at nice restaurants on a regular basis, and use a converted mattress inside the van as their bed. They make a point to only use the van as a place to drive and sleep, forcing them to constantly be out doing the things they love. I have to say, they seem very happy.

Obviously this type of life is not sustainable for a functioning society, as drifters NEED the Wal-Marts, McDonald's, and YMCAs of the world for free water, electricity, parking, etc. However, I think there's something to be said for just living life to explore and enjoy it. If you drive an hour to and from a job you hate every day, you've just blown 10 hours of your day that you could have spent doing what this guy is doing - reading, exploring, and chasing a dream.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have the freedom to do what this guy does (I know I personally have too many people to take care of), but if you're unattached enough, a 9-5 job is not the answer to happiness. I give this guy credit for realizing that.

F'ing smelly hippies.

"Using a converted mattress" as their bed? Why would they need to convert a mattress into a bed?

Joe Carrol wrote:

Key word; Aspiring

Oh, right, I'm sure you can lay down a sub-15 5k no problem, and hit a 9:0x steeple to boot.

A pair of wannabe elites work at the Jack-N-The-Box in Flag and gave me a breakfast burrito when I paid for an ALL Meat Burrito.

The Benji Durden article linked to the front page a few days ago explained the running culture in the 70's - early 80's very well. When running became a "career" or a way to make money then the US lost all of it's depth. There are plenty of ways to make more money than as a professional runner. Even the Jack in the Box worker someone is making fun of makes more than most "professional" runners.

Yeah you can just live in the Walmart parking lot in Flagg indefinitely. Cuz Flaggstaff is a magic place with free lollipops, and no cops. The perfect home for a homeless guy without much talent and a dream of making the 2016 Olympics, or an Olympic team... eventually. Like maybe 2024, or the one after that, or like, you know, never.

Plans are for pussies

This dude is awesome. He knows himself, which is something many people go to their graves not being able to claim.

I wish him well on his journey. And if I'm ever through Flag I'd love to go on a run with him.

do ur thang bro wrote:

This dude is awesome. He knows himself, which is something many people go to their graves not being able to claim.

I wish him well on his journey. And if I'm ever through Flag I'd love to go on a run with him.

For sure. And the other thing is, as mentioned he has shed the trappings of stuff, so if he needs some scratch he could put in hours at a shoe store, bike shop, book store, coffee shop- any place starving for people to eat up hours here and there.

How does this guy sustain himself? I mean he's pretty fast, but not fast enough to rake in the big bucks. He must either be super wealthy or somehow manage to live podunk 5K to podunk 5K...

Spent some time in Flag- not too expensive & super conducive to the running community. Rest assured he's having a better time than most of us