lucky top
it's funny, the obscure information that your hometown knows about you.
i went home to pennsylvania for the holidays, and among the standard holiday activities, i found myself going on a run with bill and sue parana--two people whom i've known by name for quite some time (they've been on the board of the elk county striders for several years), but haven't met them in person. this run in particular was set up by my long-time friend ian, who happens to be sue parana's nephew. [who knew? small town america strikes again.]
i was quite eager to meet bill and sue, and we spent some time chatting in their living room before we set out on our run. one of the topics of conversation was the upcoming bowl games, and i made mention how i was pulling for my home state nittany lions and austin's own UT longhorns.
"but what about the irish?" bill queries.
[note that i was a notre dame fan in my childhood, but have since stopped following them. also note that i would only expect my immediate family and my childhood friends to remember that fact, not some person i've effectively just met.]
"well... i can't say i follow them too much anymore," i reply, doing all i can to supress the 'how the hell do you even know to ask that question' look from my face.
"but what about your running top?" bill asks.
[...]
the lee foster memorial run was held every august in st. marys, pa, and it became a staple race in my early running days. every runner, and a majority of other hs athletes, would turn out for the 5k event.
the one year i felt i ran a particularly good race, only to discover that a friend of mine, john mcdonough, beat me quite handily. the worst part about it was that he was a basketball player. a basketball player beat me on my course at my sport! all the training i've done, and he just waltzes onto the course and smokes me! i must have been but 15 years old; i was insulted nonetheless. runners can be a superstitious bunch--i vowed to never wear the oakley tank top that i wore that day to a race again.
the next year, i found a different top in my dresser--a notre dame tank. sure enough, john got his due on the course that time around. and little did i know that i had discovered the tank that i would wear to every road race i were to run for the next 7 years. i laid the top to rest after my first boston marathon in april 2000.
apparently, some people on the sidelines during those 7 years were observing. and it just so happens that i've found myself in the living room of one of those people this mild winter morning.
[...]
"oh, that top? i've since retired it. besides, it was cotton."
i went home to pennsylvania for the holidays, and among the standard holiday activities, i found myself going on a run with bill and sue parana--two people whom i've known by name for quite some time (they've been on the board of the elk county striders for several years), but haven't met them in person. this run in particular was set up by my long-time friend ian, who happens to be sue parana's nephew. [who knew? small town america strikes again.]
i was quite eager to meet bill and sue, and we spent some time chatting in their living room before we set out on our run. one of the topics of conversation was the upcoming bowl games, and i made mention how i was pulling for my home state nittany lions and austin's own UT longhorns.
"but what about the irish?" bill queries.
[note that i was a notre dame fan in my childhood, but have since stopped following them. also note that i would only expect my immediate family and my childhood friends to remember that fact, not some person i've effectively just met.]
"well... i can't say i follow them too much anymore," i reply, doing all i can to supress the 'how the hell do you even know to ask that question' look from my face.
"but what about your running top?" bill asks.
[...]
the lee foster memorial run was held every august in st. marys, pa, and it became a staple race in my early running days. every runner, and a majority of other hs athletes, would turn out for the 5k event.
the one year i felt i ran a particularly good race, only to discover that a friend of mine, john mcdonough, beat me quite handily. the worst part about it was that he was a basketball player. a basketball player beat me on my course at my sport! all the training i've done, and he just waltzes onto the course and smokes me! i must have been but 15 years old; i was insulted nonetheless. runners can be a superstitious bunch--i vowed to never wear the oakley tank top that i wore that day to a race again.
the next year, i found a different top in my dresser--a notre dame tank. sure enough, john got his due on the course that time around. and little did i know that i had discovered the tank that i would wear to every road race i were to run for the next 7 years. i laid the top to rest after my first boston marathon in april 2000.
apparently, some people on the sidelines during those 7 years were observing. and it just so happens that i've found myself in the living room of one of those people this mild winter morning.
[...]
"oh, that top? i've since retired it. besides, it was cotton."
Post a Comment