Ever been passed by a runner and go "what the hell, how is that possible?"

I suck at running in crowds. Last summer I was running along a couple mile long boardwalk, very congested with people. I got passed by this girl who looked like she was in hs because every time I'd open up, there'd be another overweight soccer mom, e-scooter, or child zig zagging his skateboard. This girl had no problem weaving through people like they weren't even there and eventually put a hundred meters or so on me.

Mencken1976 wrote:

Small world, I've run in 5k races with Wardian and I filmed as well in a few.

I think everyone has run in a race with Michael Wardian. He races about 300 times a year.

Him and Ted Poulos.

I just remembered the name of the heavy breather.

Rocky Glidewell.

Except he didn’t glide well, he stomped loud.

Work commute heroes blast past me all the time. They seem quite happy to roll along at sub 6min pace with a backpack for their 3-4mile commutes but never seem to run that well in races.

I was running on a rolling dirt fireroad in Huddart Park in the early 2000s at what I thought was a decent pace and a guy motored past me pushing an occupied double baby jogger. I went, "what the hell, how is that possible?" Figured I had to chat him up, it was Brad Hauser.

Low key club 10K race, and an older runner I hadn't seen was running alongside me early in the race. It seemed like he was gasping for air, so figured he'd be gone by the end of the first mile. He was the little engine that could, and hung with me for at least five miles. Take home lesson: don't let the heavy breathing fool you.

A-Run wrote:

Near the 3 mile mark of a local 5k, I noticed a lot of cheering near me, which I thought was weird, given that I wasn't winning the race, but maybe they were cheering because someone was gaining ground on me. The other runner gets even to me and I realize he is juggling. Ashe he gets half a step in front of me, I realize that if he beats me I would have to quit running forever. I then throw down probably one of my top 10 all time finishing kicks to defeat him.

This thread is awesome. Classic LRC. Funny as hell, about something only runners can appreciate.

Here’s mine:

Santa Cruz, CA circa 2009. Head out for my morning run before work. I always start really slow, like over 8 min pace as the bones warm up. Two minutes in, I get passed by a guy running and JUGGLING three red balls. WTF?!?! A mile later I’m sub -7 pace and I see the guy walking back towards me, no more balls. 100 yards later, I see the three red balls in the gutter.

I was overwhelmed by competing laughter and sadness. The poor guy clearly messed up, had a hissy fit, threw the balls down and marched home in frustrated rage. I felt so bad for him, but man that was hilarious.

mcgregor. wrote:

If I get passed I immediately start sprinting and overtake the person who has directly provoked and challenged me. Once I’ve taken back the victory I stop because I cannot maintain that pace for very long. I determine where the finish line is. I win. They lose. I don’t play games.

Lol

YMMV wrote:

In my time I have seen a college woman run sub-17 with a beer gut. Probably 30-40 lbs overweight. My eyes were on fire trying to make sense of it.

You should eat more vegetables and less meat. You would be faster.

Ever seen a non-troll/toxic thread get 30 posts in 16 hours and go "what the hell, how is that possible?"

Anyway, when I picked up running again at about 45 I entered a 1-mile fun run and reckoned I'd be in with a chance of winning. I was in the top 10 at abut three quarters the way through when I was overtaken by a boy of about 11 - with one arm in a plastercast and sling! wtf!

Ted is quite the foot slapper as well, you can hear him coming from dozens of yards away but a great guy who has posted some impressive times and he never lets adversity stop him.

I'm posting too much, so last one on this thread, can't help it, so much fun.

Valentine's Day run about 10 years ago.

Some guy is running with a pretty large teddy bear, I'm tracking him (from behind) the entire race. Thought bubble: "haha, finish line almost in sight and I got you buddy!". Enjoyed that for less than a second. Like a submarine ditching a ballast tank, the bear went flying out onto the pavement and he surged ahead. I was actually angry for a split second then had to fight really hard to stop laughing as I wouldn't have been able to maintain my pace.

While on an easy run a couple weeks ago I passed a young guy who was running along, rocking baggy basketball shorts and massive noise cancelling headphones. Not sure if he even had running shoes on. Moments later I heard his footsteps and ragged breathing growing louder as he sped up and latched onto my shoulder. I picked the pace up slightly before remembering to reign in the 'ol ego. I moved far to the side of the walkway and slowed drastically, gesturing for him to pass. As he sped by he yelled "What's wrong, lets go!" No thanks, I said. He shouted, "LET'S GO, JUST A K TO GO FOR ME, WE GOT IT!" And took off.

He said it in a good-natured way, and I thought, why not? After all, I've been running on my own for a couple years now, could be fun to run with someone. Anyway, the next mile or so was actually a blast. I tucked onto him and followed as he weaved through heavy pedestrian foot traffic and dashed across streets. At the end of his run he gave me a big high-five and I continued on with the rest of my run, a big smile plastered on my face.

I did do something very toolish one time. I used to run a loop at a park, and the same guy would be there every day I was. We often ran our loops in the same direction, and if we ended up together he would simply refuse to let me pass him. He would essentially run it like a fartlek, sprinting away from me, recovering, and then when I caught him again, take off sprinting again. This constant lassoing was terribly distracting, so one day I treated it like a workout and just hammered the pace. As I went by him I had my phone out and was texting nonchalantly with one hand...

hghj wrote:

YMMV wrote:

In my time I have seen a college woman run sub-17 with a beer gut. Probably 30-40 lbs overweight. My eyes were on fire trying to make sense of it.

You should eat more vegetables and less meat. You would be faster.

I am a minute per mile faster than when I did that. Plus I was always fighting pain, fatigue and injuries. Thanks for your concern though!

Signed up for a local 5K a couple of years ago while on vacation. I wasn't running much but was in pretty decent shape (for me). Good enough shape to beat people 30 years older than me without being in shape.

A tall, thin, saggy-shirtless, leathery bag of a dude lines up right on the start line, rockin' a gigantic curly mop of thin-as-dust 70's hair, with an equally ancient headband around his head, that looked like he had just found it under the seat of a used 1960's VW microbus driven by Deadheads. Oh, and yes, he had a pair of those white shocks with the stripes around them, pulled up to his knees.

I was feeling 2 minutes per mile faster just looking at him.

Well, at race start, he took off like a wounded gazelle running for it's life, being chased by a cheetah. The next time I saw him was at a turn around and he was on the tail of the 1st and second place kids about 50 years younger than him, and devastatingly ahead of me.

He finished 1st Master and close behind the two local track team dudes who were about 17-18 years old.

I never found out who this crusher was, but when I'm 60, I hope to emulate him in every way.

+1 for the texting.

I had a variation of the OP recently. I don't like coming across other runners during easy runs, especially going the same way, it stresses me out. A runner who does one of my routes came out of a side road just behind me - just what I really don't like. Normally I'd speed up, but I wanted a slow easy day so kept at 8/mi. He didn't seem to get closer or further away, I just heard this constant slap slap breathe breathe a bit behind me. I decided to slow down and let him pass, and couldn't believe just how much I had to slow down, and for how long, for him to pass. It was agonisingly slow, I was almost walking. And yet he looked like he was going at a reasonable easyish pace like he always does. Made me think I might do my easy runs too fast in general.

I was running on a local trail and saw some young women up ahead, running quickly. I put down the hammer and was slowly gaining on them. We came around a bend to a roar - it was the finish line of a girls JV high school cross country race. I finished like 23rd. I got huge applause and lots of laughs as I crossed the finish line.

In my 20s, I was running the Big Sur marathon. I got passed near the finish by a guy whose shirt said "This is my 50th consecutive Big Sur marathon."

Also in my 20s, I got passed near the end of the Tucson marathon by a guy who had a pocket full of change. We were all guessing how much he had in there. It was a LOT. He never said a word and beat us all.

OMG I love this thread. I don't think I've ever seen one like it on LRC. A bunch of hilarious posts and hardly any negativity!

This thread is awesome. People being unapologetically honest! Refreshing

There is a guy in my neighborhood, has to be more than 80 , wears a full track suit regardless of the temp, many times I have seen him shuffling past my house and had the usual reaction. Then you guessed it one day when I was actually not feeling that bad he passes me on a slight uphill. I actually DID stop running for long period of time after that.

annoyed as pie wrote:

I don't have much trouble with other runners, but sometimes I struggle to keep up with trees, especially during a killer workout--even if I push the pace in the hopes they'll speed up.

That was a great one.