RunningAHEAD - Topic: RIP fellow runner

sully708

My legs are killing me

posted: 10/27/2008 at 10:16 AM

Every morning I sit in my home office and watch my 68 year old neighbor from up the street run by. It doesn't matter what kind of weather we have, he runs through it all. Rain, snow, heat and cold he is always out there. He is a small man, maybe 5'4, but you can tell he has the heart of a lion. I used to think this guy was so tough he'd run his daily 4 miles of hills and go home to smoke a pack of Marlboros. He doesn't have the latest running gear, in fact, most warm days he wears a simple white t-shirt, shorts and socks that go to his knees. His running shoes look like hiking boots. I found out he is a native of Macedona and came to America in 1968 and he was running to keep his blood pressure in control. Friday I watched as this man ran down the hill for his daily routine and I smiled, as I always do, wondering if I'll have 1/2 the sponk he has at his age. About an hour later I got in my car to go to the store. When I got on the main road it was closed by the police and a local tv station was on hand. I figured it was a car accident and went about my business. The next morning my local newspaper had the story of the accident. My neighbor was crossing the street and was struck by a mini van with a force that knocked some of his clothes off. Reports say he was awake and breathing when ems arrived but the injuries were too much for him and he passed away that night. This morning I find myself looking for him and I know he won't be coming down the hill. I never met the man but he was an inspiration, a fellow runner. He probably never entered a race, probably couldn't tell you a thing about the Boston Marathon or knew the difference between "New Balance" or "Nike", but he was one of us. Rest in peace my friend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4B-r8KJhlE

Jennicap

Ex-Smoker turned Runner!

posted: 10/27/2008 at 10:19 AM

oh sully that's so sad. I'm sure he was a great inspiration to you!

-Jen
2010 Goals! Get back into running after having my son miles miles miles!

missy1102

posted: 10/27/2008 at 10:38 AM

its funny how people we never formally "meet" can inspire us and change us. heres hoping hes running under a rainbow, normotensive and all Smile

zoom-zoom

rectumdamnnearkilledem

posted: 10/27/2008 at 10:51 AM

Oh, what a tragedy. Sounds like your community lost a real asset. Sad

Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.

~ Sarah Kay

kcam

posted: 10/27/2008 at 10:54 AM

RIP, sir. In this case, the 'R' stands for 'R'un.

JakeKnight

posted: 10/27/2008 at 11:22 AM

Arguably the post of the year. Sorry for your loss, Sully (and it is a loss, even if you didn't know him). But its a great post nonetheless. I have one of these in my neighborhood. A lady, probably 45-50, who runs on my street. She's completely out of shape (or she was, back when I first started watching her.) Probably 50 pounds overweight, has no running clothes. In fact, she used to run in blue jeans and corduroys. One time I saw her in khakis. She's slow as you might think, maybe the worst form you ever saw. But she's out there every - single - day. On the most boring route imaginable, just running up and down the street. Every. Single. Day. For a while she vanished. I don't know what happened. Maybe a new route. The she popped up again. Same blue jeans and corduroys ... but noticeably slimmer, significantly faster. And now she's back, every - single - day. Inspires the hell out of me. Impresses me far more than a lot of the spandex-clad uber-runners at the local races. ---------------------- You know what I take from your story, by the way? (And from my mystery lady)? It's this: any one of us might be somebody else's inspiration, whether you know it or not. It's worth thinking about the next time you don't feel like running. You just might be disappointing somebody out there.

E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
-----------------------------

Mississippi

posted: 10/27/2008 at 11:34 AM

How sad. RIP known stranger. We have a woman in our town that speed walks with a very distinctive form. She's probably close to being 65 but from a distance you can't tell, her legs are very fit she looks like she could just take off sprinting at any moment. I've heard that she used to be a runner but had to give it up for one reason or another, but she still wants to be out there moving. Although I don't know her name, I've known of her from since about the first month I've lived here and could not imagine not seeing her a few times each week.

Michelle

CanadianMeg

#RunEveryDay

posted: 10/27/2008 at 1:45 PM

That's so sad, Sully, but thank you for sharing. I think your neighbour's story and the other stories of anonymous runners should remind all of us to try to savour the simplicity and enjoy our runs every so often without worrying so much about pace and timing and intervals, etc etc etc.

Half Fanatic #9292.

Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.

Bugs

posted: 10/27/2008 at 4:00 PM

Wow, so sad. Thanks for sharing the story.

Bugs

Ennay

A Saucy Wench

posted: 10/27/2008 at 4:20 PM

So sad. RIP good man and be careful out there all of us.

I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7

Jeff

Why is it sideways?

posted: 10/27/2008 at 4:26 PM

Cool thread. My run is for him today.

milktruck

an amazing likeness

posted: 10/27/2008 at 5:15 PM
modified: 10/27/2008 at 6:02 PM

Great story Sully, sad to hear the end though. Here's my parallel version. Down the street from me lives Hearty Barbara, who is unbelievable. An older woman who, every day, 6:30AM passes by on her walk. Through winter's snow, spring's rain, summer's heat and fall winds. On a winter's day when I head out to snowblow the ice and snow enough to get my truck out, I see her yaktraks pattern in the snow going by. When I wake up and open the window shade to see the freezing rain pelting the panes and decide to flop back down on the bed -- here comes Barbara, back from her walk. In my log for 2008, on a January day that was -5F and 20 mph winds gusting to 35, I ran 3.5 miles. My entry says "Short run. Barbara made me do it".

_{Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.}

monnik

posted: 10/27/2008 at 6:05 PM

There's always someone who inspires us, isn't there? For me, it's the 60 something math teacher who runs in our neighborhood regularly. Losing an inspirational icon like that is tough. Sorry for your loss, Sully.

-Monica

Slow and steady ~~wins the race~~ means a lot of fast people pass you.

redleaf

posted: 10/27/2008 at 8:01 PM

Oh gosh. How sad. Thanks for sharing that. And JK, thanks for this too: You know what I take from your story, by the way? (And from my mystery lady)? It's this: any one of us might be somebody else's inspiration, whether you know it or not. It's worth thinking about the next time you don't feel like running. You just might be disappointing somebody out there.

First or last...it's the same finish line

HF #4362

cewickbe

posted: 10/27/2008 at 8:25 PM

Your thread is both sad and inspirational. You never knew that man, and neither did I, until you posted about him. But knowing about this tragedy will certainly keep him in MY mind today. So now he's my inspiration too. Thank you for that. And yes, may he Run In Peace.

RIP fellow runner (Read 965 times)