finish line
this past weekend, a legend in the local running scene passed away after a long battle with cancer. i was fortunate enough to have recently been able to say hello to tom. however, it was another meeting with tom that happened years before that i’m most grateful for.
i was preparing for my first ice age trail 50 mile ultramarathon and took good friday as a vacation day. i’d shown up that morning at the trail head in the kettle moraine to meet up with anyone else who was available, thanks to an email that was sent out to local trail runners.
i knew tom from working at the same employer years before. he offered to run with me through the southern portion of the course. knowing of his experience on the course i was really appreciative of the offer. that said, i was a bit worried that i wouldn’t be able to keep up with him. i was thirty years younger than him but his fitness level was incredible.
we wound our way though the wooded trails single file with tom out front. the occasional open prairie sections allowed for running side by side which gave him the opportunity to quiz me on my training to that point. i remember a brief pause at the southern most part of the course when i stopped to retrieve an energy gel out of my hydration pack. while i found it and downed it quickly, he was at the ready for the return trip.
on the way back, when approaching a sizable uphill tom dropped to a brisk walk and told me this is the right hill to power walk up and grab another gel. further down the trail, he ratcheted up the pace through a winding single track section. when i was finally able to catch up with him at a road crossing he explained that’s the section he liked to press the pace. reaching the end of the twenty five mile training run, i remember being wiped while tom looked to be ready for another twenty five.
a month later i was able to finish my first ice age trail 50 miler and earn the coveted finishers belt buckle. without question, tom’s advice was very helpful in getting me to that finish line and i continue to be very grateful for the time and effort he shared with me that good friday morning.