Oh please, posters on Letrun think 10 mph on treadmill is a sprint so they don't even have a chance of being "that guy"
Oh please, posters on Letrun think 10 mph on treadmill is a sprint so they don't even have a chance of being "that guy"
a couple of cases of "that kid who is taking the early lead":
during a 3000m, I was not happy with getting boxed off the gun and after a double, I took wide in a direct sprint to the front at 200m, intending to slow down the field. proceeded to get passed by about 10 less than 100m later. To the field's surprise after hanging with the chase pack for the rest of the 1st km, I catch the runaway leader to win the race.
another HS XC race as a lone wolf, some kid who I played hockey with decides to dress up as a pirate and sprints out to the front before the leaders pass him less than 200m later (I caught him around 300m, 6.5k to go). No way kids like that survive when the first gulley is within 200m from the start.
The best of which, during a fairly competitive 5k road race, two kids who are about 4 years younger decide to take a direct sprint to the front. One of which was a legit runner and he was at the front for the first 2k before getting passed. LOTS of men who knew who that kid was followed and the top 3 of that race weren't even in the top 10 by 1k.
The race I am talking about is notorious for HS kids sprinting to the front before getting gassed because there is a deep gulley with the 1k mark at the bottom.
Hey, it's one of my fondest memories. I led out the
Dallas HM in 1977 with a 5:08 1st mile when Tony Sandoval cruised by and gave me a look as if to say who the hell are you? Finished 5 minutes back but it was fun while it lasted.
In the late 90's there was a bike race in Athens, Georgia called the Twilight Crit. A 1k closed course around the center of town. Great for watch a bike race and drinking beer with your friends. The morning of the bike race, there was a 5k running road race, with the top 15 getting a chance to run a mile race on the crit course just before the bike race. Top prize was $1,000.
I placed 6th or 7th in the 5k, so what to do in Athens on a Saturday; drink beer of course. I was pretty lit by the time the mile started, but man did I go for it. Led the field for the first lap. Finished in 12th ( 4:5x?) and ran into the closest bar to puke my guts out.
Sat with my buddies at a table as the bike ride went off. Heard whispers from some of the surrounding tables:
" Yeah, That Guy. No seriously, That Guy."
Like this guy, Bill?!
I once threw down a sub 13 second final 100m to out lean a chick who was about to win a local 5k and broke the tape for her in 17 high. I figure if I'm gonna be "that guy" one time, I'd rather do it like that.
Too top it off he wore a rediculous red white and blue usa singlet.
Bob Kennedy in the 1996 Olympics was that guy.
Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk
I've done it and it ended up being the worst race I've ever run bar none.
Freshman year of college I somehow got in the fast section of a pretty big invitationals indoor mile, pretty much all the guys going for sub 4 when I would likely be at best 4:10. Took the lead from the gun and went 57, 1:57 with a reasonable cushion on 2nd (1:59 I think for them) then ate sh*t soo hard and ran 4:19. I think the winner ended up running 3:59 low, 3:58 high. My coach was not happy but he shouldn't have lied about my time and put me in that section.
Nashville wrote:
On a related note, has anyone here ever trolled a road race by showing up obviously dressed like a non-runner, then winning?
Thanksgiving 2011. Had just run a marathon 4 days prior and had no intention of even running, but my girlfriend wanted me to so I said I would run with here. The race was in upstate New York somewhere and it was really cold and we were tired from traveling the day before. On top of that, I forgot to bring running shoes. I had to borrow a pair of heavy trainers that were a size too big, which didn't feel good as I do all my runs in flats. Needless to say, I was in a pretty sour mood leading up to the race. I didn't want to strip down to racing gear because it was so cold, so I declared that I was going to run in my jeans and the long sleeve cotton t shirt they gave out at the race.
My girlfriend got all mad because she didn't want to race next to someone wearing jeans, so at the gun I just took off. I started 5 or 6 rows back from the line, which earned some dirty looks, though I passed around 50 runners in the first mile. The guy at the mile told me I split 4:58 and I eventually worked my way up to third place. The course looped through some park that wasn't too large, so there were a few spots with decent spectator representation. The onlookers were huge fans of my racing uniform. I think I ended up taking 4th place in around 16:10.
I might not have won the race that day, but I won the hearts of the people, which is perhaps the greater victory.
BS....100%
You claim to have done this 2 years ago and you can't even remember the town? "Somewhere in upstate NY?" BS.
You "Think" you won 4th place?
Get away from the computer pin head, Mommy has some chores for you.
Syracuse airport reported a high of 52 on Thanksgiving 2011.
[quote]mathemagician wrote:
Thanksgiving 2011. Had just run a marathon 4 days prior and had no intention of even running, but my girlfriend wanted me to so I said I would run with here. The race was in upstate New York somewhere and it was really cold and we were tired from traveling the day before. ..I didn't want to strip down to racing gear because it was so cold, so I declared that I was going to run in my jeans and the long sleeve cotton t shirt they gave out at the race.
[quote]
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This certainly wasn't televised but if it were I would have been "that guy." A few years back my wife, father-in-law and father-in-law's dog entered a small 5k somewhere along the Chesapeake Bay that allowed dog entries(winning time was only in low 16s). He was about a 3 yr old lab at the time. He took off at the gun and after 1/4 mile we were 100 yards in front of the leaders. After 1/2 mile we were still winning. At the first water station he plopped down and refused to move. I waited for my wife but he wouldn't budge for her either. We waited for her dad, handed him the leash and kept running. After multiple long water breaks and a couple swim breaks in the Bay, they crossed the line in 54 minutes. We were half listening to the awards announcements as we were getting ready to leave when we heard her dad's name annonced "third place 50-54." First time he ever won anything and it was off an 18 minute mile pace. We laughed the entire ride home. One of my favorite running stories.
In a small, local 5k in a rural area I took off at the start. I knew a few other guys were much faster than me but I was possessed by some madness. At first I was just messing with them - thought it would be a laugh at the finish - but then I started to believe I could win. I kept stretching out the lead until I could barely see the next guy behind me. I was way ahead of the pack! I was hurting badly and eventually slowed but now saw no one behind me. Totally crashed and burned and still no one behind. Turns out I had missed a turnaround. I was unfamiliar with the area and thought the course was a big loop. Ended up crossing the finish in over 30 minutes and asked to be recorded as dnf. Still had a pretty good laugh about it though.
I was
nvce5 wrote:
BS....100%
You claim to have done this 2 years ago and you can't even remember the town? "Somewhere in upstate NY?" BS.
You "Think" you won 4th place?
Get away from the computer pin head, Mommy has some chores for you.
I was at my girlfriend's aunt's house for Thanksgiving. They live in a small town outside of Albany which I have visited twice. On top of that, the race was not in the same town. I don't remember the name of either town and I don't know why I would. Just for you, I have gone back into my log to check my race notes and the race was in Schenectady.
Yeah, I think I was 4th. I'm pretty sure I was in third and got passed near the end to take 4th, but to be honest I might have been in second and gotten passed near the end and finished 3rd. I can't remember. Again, my log entry has confirmed that I was in fact 4th.
http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KALB/2011/11/24/DailyHistory.html?req_city=Albany&req_state=NY&req_statename=New+YorkEr... wrote:
Syracuse airport reported a high of 52 on Thanksgiving 2011.
What is your point? On November 24th 2011 at 7:51AM it was 33 degrees and overcast in Albany, NY. I live in Maryland and I think 33 degrees with no sun feels pretty freaking cold.
Just to point out some of the ways you can be "that guy"
- (insert clothing stereotype here) - not wearing running gear during a race and mixing it up with at least chase pack. this gets even worse when you are wearing jeans because even the mid packers rip on you for it.
- Newbie - Direct sprint to the front in a race longer than 5k
- Early Bird - leading the first km or mile before crashing to finish behind chase pack, ESPECIALLY if you are known amongst those guys
- Cherry Picker - wearing legit running gear in a fun run and winning by over 20 seconds per kilometre.
- Prick - see above except this is dealing with sub elites ducking his own competition to race weekend warriors
- Clunker - in a fairly decent race, you stand out by wearing bulky trainers against guys in racing flats/spikes. ESEPCIALLY if it is not on the roads
- Air Jordan - see above except this is dealing with basketball shoes
At the very least, try and avoid the above except for early bird.
A paid "that guy" that became "the guy":