to the girl who (literally) took my breath away at the nike 10k-
Hi again. It's been two days since we ran into each other at the race. Some might say it was destiny; I think it was a complete accident. But I wanted to write you.
When we met, I was foolishly trying to keep up with my better looking, tougher friend Brasser. He was setting a blazing 7:20 mile pace, and I was struggling. It was only about 1.2 miles into the race when Brasser and I came around the corner and I saw you. I guess you were struggling too. Perhaps, like me, you started with a pace that was just too fast to hold. No shame there, I respect that. I had the exact style on Sunday.
Brasser was sprinting through the mass of people, I was desperately trying to keep up, you were getting tired. I think your friend might have been pacing too fast for you and that's why you were upset, which (trust me) I can totally relate to. And just after Brasser passed you, and I approached, we had our moment.
We didn't get to talk about whether or not you had run in a race before. This was only my second. I'm just starting to get the race-thing and the pace-thing figured out. But because of our close moment together, I feel that I can speak open and honestly with you.
When you suddenly stopped in the middle of the road and swung your hands and elbows backwards in frustration, I was caught off guard. Your left elbow drove hard into my right lung. I still am not sure I understand the timing and motives of your actions. I don't know you very well, but I can honestly say I didn't expect it from you. I'll be honest: I was hurt by your decision. I'm not going to tell you what you should or shouldn't do at a race, but I want you to know that I was caught off guard. Perhaps if you're going to make a pattern out of suddenly stopping in the middle of a race and brandishing your elbows, you should have the courtesy to let the next guy know.
I don't need an explanation; from the moment you took my breath away I think you had the very best intentions. I wish you the best with your next race and everything in your future. And seriously, join Team World Vision. It won't be awkward if we see each other again.
sincerely,
the guy you elbowed in the gut.
Faster Brasser,
I'll admit. You won fair and square. I underestimated your ability to run stupid fast for two miles and ditch me. You pulled some Beijing Olympics marathon style stuff out there: I thought I could pace faster and make up time at the end, but you finished strong. You ran a 52:24 10k, four minutes and twenty-five seconds faster than me. It's not quite "five minutes faster" like you've been announcing to the world via text, cellphone, facebook and local media outlets, but I know you've always been a fan of rounding up. Either way, I'm impressed. I thought I could pull a 55 minutes 10k and beat you, but you really proved you could persevere out there.
Nothing proves that you wanted this more than the fact that you threw up three times during the 10k.
wait, check that.
The only thing that demonstrates how serious you were is the fact that you ran past the port-o-potties and urinated yourself in the last mile of the race.
Some people, those with less commitment, would think: "If I win this race but sacrifice some of my dignity, do I still come out ahead?" But not you Brasser. You puked, peed, and nearly passed out on the way to a well deserved win. And then (and only after I hugged you at the finish line) you boasted about all your extra circular accomplishments during the race.
and, haha, I completely respect that.
THANK YOU Katelyn, Beth, Katie K and Katie S for coming out to cheer!
CONGRATS to Brasser, Aileen, Jill, Val, and Nick (who completed his first ever race)! I had a BLAST with you all this weekend, and I can't wait to watch you guys run for Team World Vision in the Grand Rapids half-marathon!
"Seriously bro, no one is looking at your pants. You can't even tell."
to donate to clean water projects in Africa on behalf of Brasser visit http://www.firstgiving.com/justinbrasser
because, seriously, this guy is committed.
2 comments:
you should submit that to the reader: "i saw you..."
Dear Kyle,
I humbly accept your concession, but I cannot bring myself to allow your painfully biased justifications. You are more creative than I, more technologically savvy, and quicker to get your side of the story out. Therefore, it’s only appropriate that I offer my account of the scenario, eliminating your embellishments.
First, I may have started off the race “stupid fast,” but I did not “ditch” you. We were separated in the chaos and confusion of the so-called “relaxed start.” (There was nothing relaxed about it. The participants of the race seemed more like 15,000 impatient and uniformed third graders, waiting to escape the frigid cold of a January recess, while dreading the spelling test that awaits them inside, than actual runners.) At times, I thought that you were ahead of me. I swear that I saw your red jersey and white hat sprinting ahead through the masses. At others, I was worried that you had been trampled like a South American soccer fan. Regardless of your perception of this episode, I did not intentionally leave you in my dust.
Second, I may have bragged a little about beating you. Guilty as charged. But, I should remind you about a certain blog post entitled, “A note to Brasser: Bring it.” Also, do not forget that I was not shown this “note” until after the race. Do you really think that the six of us could have pranced and giggled our way through a 10k, only to finish holding hands and smiling? Not a chance. Any time you put a bunch of college buddies together, it could be tomorrow or twenty-five years from now, there will be competition. My comments over the phone simply attempted to clarify this concept to you. It was not a threat, but merely a subtle challenge, with good intentions. We can push each other a little bit, right? Don’t forget we are running for poverty stricken communities in Africa.
Third, I admit, in complete sincerity, that I did puke three times and pee a little that day. I did not push myself that hard with the intentions of winning. I pushed myself only because I understand the looming challenges that lie ahead of us with TWV. I have a half marathon on my schedule six weeks from now, which I will be running for TWV. I set a goal to break two hours, which I guess, puts me a little behind schedule in my training. So, the Human Race was the perfect opportunity to gauge my progress. Once I realized that you were behind me, I also realized that I was just about on a pace that would reflect my goal of a two-hour half marathon. Could I have slowed down to wait for you? Yes. Instead, I chose to push myself to finish at pace, in the process puking at the 4.5 mile marker, the 6 mile marker, and again at the finish. Oh, and the pee. It was by no means full-blown urination, and definitely not anything worth talking about. A little just squirted out while I was puking at the finish.
Finally, despite any miscommunications, the race and the entire weekend was a ton of fun. All six of us finished with much better than expected times and were motivated to continue our support of TWV because of it. Because your next race will be a real marathon and mine only a half, we won’t be able to relive our competition any time soon. So, how do you feel about a half ironman challenge sometime in the next year? Maybe a simple finish, with identical times, would be more than enough of a challenge to satisfy both of our stubborn and competitive Dutch blood. Get back to me on that one.
Sincerely,
A Faster Brasser
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