Occasional Runner
I put together my year end blog and summarized my season. I had a really fun year and learned a lot of lessons. I'm looking forward to 2013 and expect to have a really great time running in a lot of very cool locations.
I want to thank you all for constant support and inspiration. You're all amazing people.
http://www.slippingslowlyintopain.blogspot.com/2013/01/2012-in-review.html
Le professeur de trail
Thanks for sharing. I didn't have time to watch the video yet but reading back over this makes my head spin. Despite having read all your RRs, it is still amazing how you did what you did.
Have you considered writing a book? An authobiography type of thing. I know I know, there are many books out there but your story of being overweight and "not athletic", as you say, and to go to what you have in such a short amount of time is interesting and inspiring.
Good luck in 2013!
My favorite day of the week is RUNday
Thanks Jamie. A book would be cool. Getting people to read it could be tough. Karnazes can vomit BS onto some pages and sell a billion copies of it. I'm not sure if people want to read about human runners.
Refurbished Hip
The "lace_up" Story. As written by MadisonMandy.
(I'm for hire, by the way.)
Running is dumb.
Get working on it Mandy. We can split the profits.
First, I loved your year in review. I would never be able to do that many events and would not have the mental toughness to race week in, week out.
Second, I am not so sure about your book comment. I think you have your finger on the issue that for non-mainstream sports, the media looks for personalities and a "story." Doping scandals notwithstanding, Lance Armstrong seems to be the only cyclists the U.S. media cares about, and that has more to do with his personal story than even his (in my mind) monumental physical abilities and accomplishments. Dean Karnazes has somewhat occupied the field for ultra running, Kristen Armstrong has niche as an everywoman runner/mom despite the fact I am sure she is financially independent due to her ex-husband, the said Lance Armstrong.
And yet ... is it not possible that a book project has real potential, especially with you as a sponsored athlete now and with your racing schedule? It could do well as an e-book, perhaps, if a major publishing deal is hard to get? I think that people may be tiring of the superstar syndrome and many people are looking for something that shows how you can change your life mid-stream and inspire others. Your humor will also help boost sales
It's a flattering notion to think that people would be inclined to read it. Believe me, I've given it a lot of thought. To be honest, I've done much more than that. The actual book has been drafted in rough form and it sitting in my hard drive. It was Bart Yasso that first suggested I write my story. He thought that people would be interested to hear about a fat guy in his mid 30's that ran a 5k one day and then finished Leadville a little over a year later. The interesting thing is that I'm just like everybody else. I'm not genetically gifted and was never athletic. Quite the opposite actually. Bart felt that the average runner could "connect" with it, unlike other "super human" athletes that just go for a 30 mile run one day and realize they have a gift.
So, fast forward to today....
I've spent a lot of time kicking it around and I've written a lot. But I don't like any of it and I haven't touched it in months. It just sits there...the victim of my lack of inspiration.
Great write up and review. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
As far as the book goes, I couldn't care any less about any thing by Lance, or any "celebrities". I am fascinated by real stories of real people.
I'd buy your book.
Trail and Ultra Running User Group
It's a flattering notion to think that people would be inclined to read it. Believe me, I've given it a lot of thought. To be honest, I've done much more than that. The actual book has been drafted in rough form and it sitting in my hard drive. It was Bart Yasso that first suggested I write my story. He thought that people would be interested to hear about a fat guy in his mid 30's that ran a 5k one day and then finished Leadville a little over a year later. The interesting thing is that I'm just like everybody else. I'm not genetically gifted and was never athletic. Quite the opposite actually. Bart felt that the average runner could "connect" with it, unlike other "super human" athletes that just go for a 30 mile run one day and realize they have a gift. So, fast forward to today.... I've spent a lot of time kicking it around and I've written a lot. But I don't like any of it and I haven't touched it in months. It just sits there...the victim of my lack of inspiration.
You exude inspiration. This surprises me a bit. But this is what friends and editors are for. You have lots of conections (Bart, John M., probably others). And I am not sure most people write their first book with the thought of becoming famous or making lots of money on it. It happens for some people but not for most. If your wrote a book, it would spread by word of mouth most and so on....