AK-47 wrote:
I raced against him at Cherry Creek and Bolder Boulder the year that he ran those remarkable times.
I didn't really know him. I only met him once, after the Cherry Creek Sneak one year. We were both 40 years old, and there was a substantial cash prize ($1000) for the first master, with nothing for second. He crossed the finish line quite some time after I did, then came over to me and asked in a very urgent voice, "Are you over 40?" I said, "Yes, but I don't look like it, do I?" He replied in a voice that sounded both angry and disgusted, "Yeah, you do!" Then he stormed off. I had no idea who he was, and was actually a bit depressed that someone would be able to tell that I was so old. A little while later, I was talking to Steve Jones, who said that his "mate" was angry at me for taking $1000 from him. I thought the whole episode was kind of funny, but also a bit strange, since this guy seemed genuinely angry at me for finishing ahead of him in this race.
As I've gotten older, I think I've become somewhat less judgmental about people, and much more curious about their inner lives. So when I saw the headline on the front page of letsrun.com, I recognized the name (although I believe his last name was "Crook," not "Cook"), remembered my one encounter with him, and found myself wondering who this person was and what demons might have been tormenting him.