He's 23, had a decent career as a D1 runner, got a college degree, and now wants to live out of a van for a while enjoying Flagstaff and running his butt off. Maybe he makes it to the next levels or maybe he doesn't, but why not try? He's enjoying the journey and he's never going to have a better time in his life than now to take his shot. More power to him. He could become the first official US dirtbag olympic runner.
Aridzona wrote:
cfarley wrote:Down by the river?
Negative. There are no rivers in Flagstaff.
I don't know...the rio de flag can rage during monsoon season. It can have the disastrous effect of causing one to have to walk an extra block to get to the bar.
You Are What You Is wrote:
RunHarwell wrote: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.
I would be happy too if the money to eat at fancy restaurants magically rained down from the sky without my having to work for it.
Can we stop using people who don't have to work for anything in their lives as an example of ... well, anything?
Also, no one is "unattached". They're "detached". They've said "f*** you" to anyone that they could be helping or caring about. Hilariously, millennials complain that older generations are selfish.
I know two people who don't have to work for anything, and there's nothing wrong with wanting to follow their examples. One guy worked for a local telecom, and when it was snapped up he took his severance package and invested wisely. He's in his early 50s and enjoys his small town life and running. Another guy is in his early 60s and started playing the market in high school. He went on to work as an attorney, made more money to invest, backed off to working as a sports writer, made more money to invest, backed off to working as a copy editor, and now has 4 investment properties within walking/running distance of his house to manage. He hiked a large chunk of the AT last summer, and has bicycled cross-country with his son. What's funny about this dude for me is that before I moved to Madison, he was a rather enigmatic figure at races in central and southern WI (in the days before chip timing, it seemed he always had a beef with results), and suddenly when we bought our house it turned out he lives across the street. I'm hard-pressed to believe many people would say either of these two examples leave much to be desired in the way of how to go about one's life.
at work wrote:
Its not a "millennial" type of thing to do, I'm a millennial as well as most of my friends and we have a term for these type of people, "trust fund babies".
Or perhaps: "dealers."
stop it now wrote:
dudes too chunky and has no speed. go get a job bruh
The dude is not "too chunky". Go find some photos of Ed Mendoza.
How do you know he doesn't have enough speed? Are you psychic?
dirtbag olympian? wrote:
He could become the first official US dirtbag olympic runner.
This guy would be far from the first. In the olden days all of the distance runners and even some throwers were. Read the Pre biography, the Bowerman bio ( Kenny Moore), Shorter's book, any Bjorklund you can find, etc.
What this guy's doing is remarkable only to an under-40 observer. Same thing existed in rock climbing, skiing, and surfing. It IS, however quite remarkable for a member of his generation. The first dirtbag US Olympian since '92 for sure!
"He looks like a complete bum. Perhaps if he'd shave and clean up, look sharp and keep doing what he's doing, he might attract some local sponsors that want to support his dream, but he looks horrible."
He doesn't want to do that, he's not conforming to today's society he's trying to do something different and try to raise questions. I'm sure if you were running upwards of 140 miles a week you would understand at that point you have made so many sacrafices you could careless what other people think, you are not trying to impress anyone you are within yourself. If he was offered a sponsorship I bet he would turn it down
"I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
Would someone give a assessment of the reality involved in his chances to improve enough to get qualifying standards for IAAF International meets and the likelihood of him ever ranking in the top 10 USA athletes for his events?
Thanks
http://www.all-athletics.com/node/377918Slim Tununn wrote:
Would someone give a assessment of the reality involved in his chances to improve enough to get qualifying standards for IAAF International meets and the likelihood of him ever ranking in the top 10 USA athletes for his events?
Thanks
He's run 1:06:29 for a half. US Olympic qualifying B standard is 2:18 for a full marathon. I'd say he has a realistic shot at that.
Boring Old Man wrote:
"I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
What was Frost's 10K personal best? Huh?
I'm an aspiring Olympian. Where's my dopey story
Stick with eharmony wrote:
I'm an aspiring Olympian. Where's my dopey story
It's on your blog.
When is his next race?
ScaryStuff wrote:
Boring Old Man wrote:"I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
What was Frost's 10K personal best? Huh?
Frost wasn't much of a runner by any accounts, but at Harvard his English teacher told him his poetry was crap. Ultimately, he dropped out, bought an old farm, and kept to his craft...
TOMMOTlife wrote:
"He looks like a complete bum. Perhaps if he'd shave and clean up, look sharp and keep doing what he's doing, he might attract some local sponsors that want to support his dream, but he looks horrible."
He doesn't want to do that, he's not conforming to today's society he's trying to do something different and try to raise questions. I'm sure if you were running upwards of 140 miles a week you would understand at that point you have made so many sacrafices you could careless what other people think, you are not trying to impress anyone you are within yourself. If he was offered a sponsorship I bet he would turn it down
I ran upwards of 120-140 miles a week and still worked a 9-5 job. Its not rocket science. The biggest sacrifices were a few Friday nights when I had to hit the sack early for a morning race.
Bill Rodgers was a teacher running upwards of 200 miles a week prior to his first Boston win.
Wanting to make running a priority is no excuse for living in van. People who live in vans would do so regardless of other endeavors.
To each his own.
Alan
TOMMOTlife wrote:
He doesn't want to do that, he's not conforming to today's society he's trying to do something different and try to raise questions.
Questions like,
"when was your last shower?"
"how long have you been sponging off your friends?"
"Where's the money in this strategy?"
Spare me the "not conforming" BS. Someone in every generation discovers they too need to "not conform" and "challenge the status quo" when they are doing neither.
Hopefully he discovers what a sh#tty plan he's got real soon and can turn it into something productive, like a car washer or something.
pop_pop! wrote:
TOMMOTlife wrote:He doesn't want to do that, he's not conforming to today's society he's trying to do something different and try to raise questions.
Questions like,
"when was your last shower?"
"how long have you been sponging off your friends?"
"Where's the money in this strategy?"
Spare me the "not conforming" BS. Someone in every generation discovers they too need to "not conform" and "challenge the status quo" when they are doing neither.
Hopefully he discovers what a sh#tty plan he's got real soon and can turn it into something productive, like a car washer or something.
No need in Obamaland (see City of Baltimore, IBID). He's got an EBT" food for free" card; he'll get free Section 8 housing; he's already eligible for free health insurance (he'll need that for massages and assorted overtraining injuries). That way, I'm sure he'll become a productive member of this great society, not.
Once on the dole, they never come off, cuz it's easier not working than working. What a presidential candidate needs only to promise is free TV (wait, we got that? Oh, than not that kind. Sat. dishes abound in the ghetto) .
dirtbag poet? wrote:
ScaryStuff wrote:What was Frost's 10K personal best? Huh?
Frost wasn't much of a runner by any accounts, but at Harvard his English teacher told him his poetry was crap. Ultimately, he dropped out, bought an old farm, and kept to his craft...
He must have been hell to coach in X-country. Lots of DNFs for the Crimson.
pop_pop! wrote:
TOMMOTlife wrote:He doesn't want to do that, he's not conforming to today's society he's trying to do something different and try to raise questions.
Questions like,
"when was your last shower?"
"how long have you been sponging off your friends?"
"Where's the money in this strategy?"
Spare me the "not conforming" BS. Someone in every generation discovers they too need to "not conform" and "challenge the status quo" when they are doing neither.
Hopefully he discovers what a sh#tty plan he's got real soon and can turn it into something productive, like a car washer or something.
Where is the money in this stratagey? That's the thing you don't know him so quit assuming that he's bumming off of people. Maybe the money came from the 5 jobs he was working all at once after he graduated? Or most likely the job he has now? He never said he wasn't working anywhere, he just simply lives in a van. And when was his last shower? Really that's the question you want to ask? I think you should go to letshower.com and talk about loufas with your other friends.