I felt compelled to share my story, as I have recently seen threads on how high mileage ruins marriages.
Here’s my story in short. I married into a very wealthy family that is all about prestige, being notable, being attractive, etc. Everyone in my wife’s family has that special “star” quality. When she married me, I was always seen by them as not having that, and they would rub it in. They called me “vanilla Tom”.
Fast forward 10 yrs. Our marriage is crumbling, wife treats me like 3rd wheel. I’d been running 50mpw for years, but wasn’t running fast times or look particularly fit. Every year there is a 5k in the rich town her parents have their mansion. Her brothers win every year with low 16’s, her father not far behind in mid 17’s as a 50 yr old. I would always come through in high 18’s. I made a decision after the race two years ago that was the last time I would be beaten by her brothers. I ramped up my mileage. 70 mpw. Then 80. Running twice per day. I started getting faster and my appearance started changing. Muscle cuts were starting to appear in my legs, my ribs, my neck. People started making comments that I was looking really fit. Wife started hearing these comments and almost seemed bothered that I was rising. I loved it.
Annual race weekend came. I was ready. As I watched her brothers do their strides and warm-ups, I knew the next 15 minutes were going to change things. Gun goes off. They stride out like the pricks they are. They look to their right at the mile 1 marker by the old mansion on Ocean avenue. To their surprise, I’m there. I give a smile. We turn the corner towards the lake. I see their Aunt Mona on the side of the room in her normal spectator spot by the Sotherby’s. I lock eyes with her and speed up ahead of them just to get a rise out of her. I do it for a quick 5 seconds and then pull back and they catch up. We’re running 15 high pace and that’s the best I can hold. We run past the lake, then past the old Essex house. I can feel them starting to panic. We’re into the last mile. I start thinking about the past. How they treated me, how I was nothong more than “vanilla Tom” as they would call me. I started to get filled up with adrenaline. We turn the corner to the last 400 on the main drag on Ocean Ave. I look to the left, smile, and say, “Hey Guys. It’s been fun. Gotta go now”. I stride out and quickly gap them. The crowds start to cheer. I’m waving and feeling like the top man. I see the finishing tape, lean in, and give a roar.
That night, my wife initiates sex for the first time in our relationship. Suddenly I was hot. And guess what, since that day, none of them have ever uttered the words “vanilla Tom” again.
So that’s a story I felt I need to share in comparison to the others I see posted . And yes, I still run 100mpw to this very day. Thanks for letting me share my story.