BirdWatcher502 wrote:
My senior year of college I was coming back from injury and mono as we headed into outdoor season. We knew I would not be fit enough to so to Mt.sac or Stanford to run a fast 10k so we put all our hopes on getting fit enough to run a fast time at conference. So conference rolls around and after the first lap it became clear that it was going to be a sit and kick affair and I wouldn't get the time unless I led. So from lap 2 to lap 23 I lead. No one came to help, they all just sat (I don't blame them, it's smart racing). With two laps to go three guys go blowing by me and I'm left to struggle through the last two laps in no man's land. I stagger across the line in 4th and run my second fastest 10k of my college career. A few feet away leaning against the fence with a stop watch in hand is Marcus O'Sullivan. He is looking at me, pity in his eyes, shakes his head, calls me by name and says "that's the tough way to do it." Bent over sucking air I say, "I know, but someone had to do it if I was gonna make regionals." He nods, says nothing more, turns and walks away. I was the last or second to last to get into regionals, dropped another 30+ seconds at the race and qualified for nationals. I'll never forget that exchange with Marcus though. I respected him a great deal and that he'd acknowledge me at the end of my career after one of the toughest races I'd had to run was a memory I won't forget.
Thank you for your story, very cool.