Are there running "dirtbags" in the same way as surfing or climbing?

Laying out naked in the sun sharing a joint after dipping in a discreet/remote river or lake is humanity's oldest aphrodesiac.

I don’t even want to think about how low the quality of woman is who finds that scenario sexually enticing.

The nature of the sport doesn't lend itself to the dirtbag scenario as much as climbing, skiing, kayaking, and other outdoor "adventure" sports. Those activities you can spend hours and hours involved, with running even top level marathoners are just getting in a few hours a day.

Ultras would be the closest "running" related activity that lends itself to that lifestyle, but ultras are more hikers than competitive runners.

This guy, who used to post here:

runnersworld.com

Reigning Dallas Marathon Champ Going for Olympic Qualifier While Living in Van

Colby Mehmen is pursuing big dreams out of a blue 1976 Chevy camper named Sonic.

Open link

I think he gave up the ghost, maybe moved back to DFW to put more into his design career. Outside of the occasional human interest story in RW or Outside, most of us will never hear of them. Unless you really follow local road race results. Since someone brought him up already, I'll never understand why someone like Noah "Somebody Pay Me!" Droddy didn't sniff out the $500+ 1st prize 5K-1/2 marathon races in an 80 mile radius of where he lives and tempo those FTW to help his financial situation. It's not like doing so would have hurt his chances of making the Olympic Team.

As for getting a lady into your vanlife home, you might be surprised. I knew a woman who followed her boyfriend west from the East Coast. I guess they had cohabitated in a home there and he went vanlife after the move. She tried that with him for a while but wound up getting her own place. But I could see plenty of women I've come across in places like Flag or Eugene or Boulder willing to give it a try. Yeah, they probably aren't beauty pageant winners or Rhodes Scholars but how many of those are there, anyway? You all saw Gabby Petito, she was probably a fun hang if prone to going unhinged from time to time. I sort of wonder about some of those single vanlife women on Insta and YouTube, are they really living out of their 4Runner or Vanagon for 365 consecutive days or are they mixing in crashing with friends and regular motel stays yet still claim the streak because they're not paying on a lease or mortgage?

Oh yeah, don't forget that Lauren Fleshman lived out of a VW Vanagon for a while right after graduating from Stanford. It was more legit dirtbagging than Craig Engels, anyway.

Thanks for the link. This part stood out to me. Think it would be fun to do for a week or two.

Bandit? Prob not. Its really frowned upon at the subelite level - and even the level of guys who think if they devote their life to the sport they might get to subelite. What's more common is begging their way into comped entries.

Road whore - as in cherry pick a bunch of small races for cash prizes?

Covid kind of killed that scene. Plus prize purses have typically gotten so small that its barely worth it to travel somewhere, even if you're living in a van. Some guys may race all the races with prize money in the area they are basing out of.

Back when i coached, I hosted zach panning (now 2:09 marathoner for brooks) on a visit. He was one of my top recruits and I had a full scholarship ready to offer. He came all the way from Indiana and I was shocked by his dirtbag-ness. He immediately asked how far the girls dorm was from the guys one. He then asked me if the party scene was "lit" and if he could get into our local bars. He then asked what pace our guys were running their long run at the next day, and when I told them they would probably average around 6:30, he laughed and asked if he could have someone bike next to him on his "real long run." The next morning I had to pick him up on the side of the road 3 miles in and give him water while he projectile vomited the liquor he had brought to the guys dorm and drank alone. Needless to say I pulled the offer and have no regrets in life. Except my wife leaving me. Frick Cheryl.

If a man lives out of a van, it’s often because he has no other choice in life. If a woman lives out of a van, it is 100% her choice. Any woman, even one with one leg, a stutter, a Mohawk, and Tourette’s, can find a man to financially support her in life, provided she is reasonably nice and agreeable. It’s really not hard.

Thank you for that response. Sad to hear that prize money has got so limited that road whoring is no longer a viable option.

"Burnout" is the preferred nomenclature and Gabe's a f***in' legend when it comes to those involved in the lifestyle. Sleepin' naked on the roof of a co-op, playin funky Amazonian instruments, riding your bike to Brazil in search of capoeira master to unlock that tight stride, and seeing fear in El G's eyes. Eventually we all gotta grow up though and I heard he became a lawyer or something (total bummer man, from completely untethered to buttoned up!)

a dirtbag woman would. There are plenty, just lower your standards.

That’s crazy. Thank you for discussing that, can’t believe people behave that way, even 18 year olds.

This was the closest we came. He struggled to keep his Nike coach weight though.

Ever heard of Royal Robbins or Yvon Chouinard. Original dirtbags. Robbins was a millionaire. Chouinard is a billionaire.

Let not lie, I would do the same thing if I had unlimited income, no wife, no job, and no kids. Seems like a blast.

Add multimillionaire and Oscar winner Alex Honnold, king of the vanbaggers.

You sold out … and took another path .. you can’t return after becoming domesticated and castrated.