This evening one of my coaching clients sent me an email that made me laugh. It made me laugh not only because it was funny, but also because it reminded me of the wonderful attitude so many runners have. Whether we’re at the front of the pack (see, Ian Sharman) or admittedly back of the pack, we’re willing to laugh at ourselves. With that in mind, I’m sure you’ve seen some great ultrarunning humor or come up with some yourself. Please leave a comment that’ll make us laugh, whether it’s original or a link to something you’ve seen before. Have at it … or read the comments for a good chuckle.
To get things started, here’s the inspiration for the subject. Sidney Chen recently thought of the following reasons why he wanted to finish dead last during the hard climbing sections of his first ultra, the Chabot 50k. At the time he thought he was the caboose… it turns out he failed his mission by one place. Better luck at American River, Sid!
Top Ten Reasons Why You WANT To Finish DFL
10. You get to run your own race.
9. No need to check around you before a farmer’s blow.
8. You get lots of time to enjoy the scenery.
7. No need to go “off-trail” for pit stops.
6. Aid station volunteers are grateful to see you since they can go home after you leave.
5. It’s the better racing value – more race time per entry fee dollar.
4. No getting passed in point-to-point races.
3. If you’re also a cyclist, you can pretend you’ve “won” the “Lanterne rouge” (a Tour de France reference).
2. More time to pig out at the aid station smorgasbord.
And the #1 reason why you WANT to finish DFL:
1. No problem finding your car in the NOW empty parking lot. ;-)
