[mountainmilers] Steve Orth - a man who has the "A" towns confused....

  • From: Golfdood51@xxxxxxx
  • To: mountainmilers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:53:42 EST

Ok, that subject should have grabbed you.  Steve has been talking  about 
going to Athens, Greece for a marathon and has just entered the Lost  
Dutchman's race in Apache Junction.  
 
Now the only thing Athens and Apache Junction have in  common is that they 
start with an "A".  All similarities end there.   In fact throughout my 
life, I have entertained that any city ending in "ville"  or "junction" is flat 
out "Hicksville" (sorry for the pun) and should be  avoided.  
 
So I was thinking about the Lost Dutchman's race and it brought up some  
memories that I wish to share with you - not that I am trying to sway you into 
 entering (YIKES) or trying to get you to run as fast as possible in the 
opposite  direction (SWEET).
 
As I recall and my memory is still decent when it comes to races, I was  
there 2006, 07, 08 and did the half there in 2006 and the full the next 2  
years.  I ran the half a week after the Sedona half where they screwed  up my 
time and would not fix it - so I had something to prove.  The  only thing I 
really remember is that the wind was supposed to be coming out of  the west 
so we would run with the wind for a half, then against it for the 2nd  half - 
I wanted the reverse.  Took off and the wind was  against us and the flags 
proved it - I remember thinking  to myself that the weather forecasters were 
chuckleheads to say the least on  blowing another forecast --- after 
turning around -as god is my  witness, the wind switched completely and was in 
my 
face and the flags  proved it.  I ran 13.1 into the wind.  Thanks Apache 
Junction...
 
In my next year trying to smoke a marathon, I was feeling awesome and was  
running quick at about 11, a young man offered me an apple goo on an uphill  
stretch.  Sounded great even though I was not a goo guy.  By 14,  my 
stomach was starting to gurgle and the GI's were mounting an attack...by 17 I  
was 
stopping at every porta pottie.  Twice I didn't make it in time and  that 
was not a pretty picture but I was lucky that I was  wearing an extra long 
sleeve T-shirt that I could wrap around my  waste.  May have been the worst I 
have felt in my life.  Kathy  Dahl was at the finish line and she said I 
could not have looked sicker.   Thanks Apache Junction...
 
BUT I CAME BACK because runner's have short memories...the  next year, 
Steve-O went too.  I messed around and almost made us late for  the race.  I 
think we were on the last bus and the race started 4 minutes  after we got off 
the boss.  Nice warm up Ken.  I copped an  attitude.  They got a really good 
picture of me running at about mile 6 - I  am guessing - one of my favorite 
pictures and I have it framed...got hot that  day. I swore at a truck 
flying by me on hwy 60 (there are 2 one mile stretches  where you run the 
shoulder of hwy 60).  I was pretty fast that day too  until a guy handled me a 
piano at mile 20 asked me to carry it to the finish  line for him...jackass.  
But hey at least I ran under 4 hours.  And I  was getting out of the "A" 
town...YES!!!!
 
Maybe I should go back...I have forgotten the REALLY bad  stuff!  Ken
 
 
 

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