“The Community”: Cult or Spiritutal Seekers?

Posted on May 15, 2013 by

I’ve long been interested in the out edges of the running community – ultra runners, streak runners, and mega-mileage runners are all areas of the sport I’ve written about frequently.  A fascination with those willing to take the sport to the edge coupled with a lifelong interest in new religious movements* has lead me to a years long investigation into a group of runners and spiritual seekers known as the Community or Divine Madness.

Over the years I’ve had the chance to speak with ex-members of the group, and have done quite a bit of research online.  I thought I’d read just about everything written about them.  And then last night while googling around, I came across this article by Daniel Glick which appeared in Women Outside.  For today’s reader, Glick’s article seems prescient.  Written in 1999, it predates the tragic death of Mark Heineman, but it includes detailed discussions of the accusations of cult-like behavior which would follow the group for years to come.

As in most articles, Marc, “Yo” Tizer does not come off well.  At best, he appears to be a misguided guru, at worst, he’s a manipulative, abusive cult leader.  While most of what I have heard from ex-members of the group is deeply critical of Tizer, I’ll give Glick credit for finding members, and ex-members, who were willing to stand up for the man.

If you’re interested in the Community, this is well worth a read and as always, I am looking to learn more. If you have any information about Divine Madness, the Community, Marc “Yo” Tizer, or any of the other members or former members, please get in touch at miloandthecalf at gmail

*or cults, depending on your view of the group.

Posted in Running, Thoughts on sport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Promises to Myself

Posted on May 10, 2013 by

It’s always something.

Last year, I battled injury after injury, unable to stay healthy for more than a month.  I barely cracked a thousand miles for the year.  I didn’t race at all.  This year, I’ve managed to stay healthy, knock wood, but I’m battling another foe – capitalism. Specifically the manifestation of capitalism that requires me to sell my labor for money.  It’s really cramping my style, dude.

As any adult will tell you, working for a living often sucks.  I’m lucky that my job is intellectually rewarding, constantly new, and challenging.  However, it also demands long hours sitting in front of a computer, spending nights here while the sun sets over midtown Manhattan and my hopes for an evening work out fade.

Still, it beats digging ditches (I think).

I realize that complaining about not having the time to pursue personal interests is a first world problem – I don’t think my ancestors understood the concept of “hobby” and there are many people in this world today who don’t have the luxury to do anything besides struggle to survive;  there are people who will never have the chance to run again simply because they went to cheer at a marathon.

But still, this working all the time shit can suck.   I want a lot out of life.  I want a fulfilling job, time with my wife and friends, a rich intellectual life, and a Boston Marathon qualifying time.  Sometimes, it seems like having all these things is not in the cards.  Sometimes I think spending so much time running, or planning to run, is a waste.  That the time I spend on this silly hobby would be better spent elsewhere — with my wife, in the office, in front of the TV watching the Knicks make a run for the first time in for-fucking-ever.  Anywhere but on the goddamn treadmill at ten o’clock at night.

But I made a promise to myself that I’d get good at this.  I said I would put in the time. That I’d get faster.  So that’s what I’m going to do.  Because if you can’t keep a promise to yourself, who can you keep one to?

Anyway, in the short one year life of this silly blog I’ve written some version of this post many time.  I’ll probably write it again.  For now, here’s a photo of Phill Coppess, who, as far as I know, never whined about having to work, and raise three kids on his own while running 2:10 marathons.

 

Coppess on his way to a 2:10 win

Coppess on the left, showing you want it means to get it done.

 

 

Posted in Navel Gazing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Boston on my mind

Posted on April 15, 2013 by

Very, very sad news from Boston today.   As far as I know, everyone I know who was in Boston today (including those who have filled out the BQ(Q) are safe.

I’ll have more thoughts on this at a later date, but for now, all I can do is think of those out there today…

 

 

Posted in Boston Qualifier Questionnaire | Leave a comment

BQ(Q) – Craig

Posted on March 20, 2013 by

Here’s a fun one – a questionnaire from a guy fast enough to run Boston, but who has no interest in doing so.  Thanks for filling this out Craig!

Name: Craig

Sex: M 

Age (at the time of first BQ): 33

Height :  6′

Weight (at the time of first BQ): 155lbs

At which marathon did you get your first BQ? Tell us a little about the race.  

Ottawa Race Weekend – My brother was running it, so I decided it was a good enough time to try a marathon.

How long had you been running when you ran your first BQ? Did you run in college or high school?  

8 years? There are definitely periods in there of very little training. I started at 25, then ran one year with the university XC team when I went back to school to finish my degree. I’d been running less than a year when I started with the team.

What was your approximate lifetime mileage at the time of your first BQ?  

8500km

How many miles did you run in the year before your first BQ?  

1200km

Approximately how many races did you run in that year?  

Maybe 4? 2 of them are just XC races at work, then a 10K and the marathon.

Did you follow a canned program? If so, which one? If not, can you give us an idea of what your training philosophy was?  

No, didn’t follow a canned program. I looked at Daniels in building my program, but I didn’t follow it anyway. Basic philosophy - train enough to run for 42 km.  Most people consider me to train slowly for my race times.

Did you run with a running club or utilize a coach?

A few long-ish runs with a training group I’d run with in the past, and some group runs at work at a couple min/km slower than easy pace.

Did cross training play a role in your training? If so, how?  

I do things other than run – curling, soccer, hiking with pack, etc. Other than scheduling workouts around them, I don’t know their effect.

Did speed work play a role or specific workouts play a role in your training? If so, how?

I did a few 400′s, a bunch of LT and tempo running and some MP running.  Usually fast one day/week, two days sometimes.

Any other thoughts you would like to share with those of working towards a BQ?

Why? Try to get faster, don’t just try to meet a time goal. I use round number goals. I mostly hate big races (crowded and expensive), so BQ and running the Boston Marathon really doesn’t hold much interest to me.

 

Posted in Boston Qualifier Questionnaire | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BQ(Q) – Wally D

Posted on March 12, 2013 by

“Consistency is the key.  Staying healthy and training smart pays off.” Wise words from Wally D. Thanks Wally for taking part!

Name: Wally D

Sex: M

Age (at the time of first BQ):   35

Height:   6’1

Weight (at the time of first BQ):   165

At which marathon did you get your first BQ? Tell us a little about the race.

1993 Kiawah Marathon – flat race on resort island near Charleston SC –  it was very small, less than 300 runners.  The race grew a lot the next few years after getting listed in Runners World as a great place to BQ

How long had you been running when you ran your first BQ? Did you run in college or high school?

I ran track in HS.  Ran my first marathon in college in 1978.    So I had been a ‘runner’ for about 17 years.  I ran 3 marathons while in college, including a 2:54, but that wasn’t a BQ in 1983… didn’t run another one until Kiawah in December, 1993.

What was your approximate lifetime mileage at the time of your first BQ? 

No idea, probably somewhere between 10 and 15,000 miles

How many miles did you run in the year before your first BQ?

~1,000

Approximately how many races did you run in that year?

I didn’t keep track of mileage, but I did keep records of races – I ran 15 other races, including multi-sport events that year.

Did you follow a canned program? If so, which one? If not, can you give us an idea of what your training philosophy was?

No, I designed my own training program.  I ran 3 times a week, and cross trained the other days.  Took one or two days off a month.   I rode my road bike and beach bike 2 or 3 times a week.  I worked out in the gym – upper body and core strength -  3 days a week.  I swam occasionally. I paddled a sea kayak several times a week.  Frequently did multi sport workouts, biking and running, biking and kayaking….

Did you run with a running club or utilize a coach?

No

Did cross training play a role in your training? If so, how?

See #7

Did speed work play a role in your training? If so, how?

Yes.  I did repeats by time, 3-6 minutes hard, on the beach.   Also did a few 5k races and treated them as speed work.

Any other thoughts you would like to share with those of working towards a BQ?

Consistency is the key.  Staying healthy and training smart pays off.

I am a believer in quality over quantity.  I think the quality of the training is more important than total mileage.  Marathon pace training/practice is essential.   Practice your fueling and hydration plan on your long runs.  Practice your pre-race meals – including the couple of days before the race, so you know what you can and can not tolerate.

On race day:  Plan the Run.  Run the Plan.  Stay in control early in the race.  More BQ attempts are ruined by poor early pacing than by anything else.

 

Posted in Boston Qualifier Questionnaire | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BQ(Q) – Keith G

Posted on March 12, 2013 by

Keith G is a bigger guy, about my age, with a BQ. He was kind enough to answer these questions.  Thanks Keith! Your story is an inspiration!

Name: Keith G

Sex:  M

Age (at the time of first BQ):  39

Height (at the time of first BQ):  6’-0”

Weight (at the time of first BQ):  205 lbs

At which marathon did you get your first BQ? Tell us a little about the race.

My first BQ came at the 2011 Tobacco Road Marathon in Cary, NC.  I needed a 3:20:00 and finished in 3:14:15.  Five months earlier, I attempted a BQ at the 2010 Steamtown Marathon and fell flat on my face (finished in 4:20:22 with serious cramping).  After Steamtown, I told myself that a BQ wasn’t in the cards.  Eventually I snapped out of it and I’m glad I did.

How long had you been running when you ran your first BQ? Did you run in college or high school?

I wrestled in high school and college but never ran competitively.  During that time, I enjoyed running and I often ran to stay in shape.  Before my first BQ, I was running for about three years.  When I started, I was 270 lbs and couldn’t run a mile.  My only goal at the time was to lose a few pounds and maybe run a 5k or two.  As the pounds melted off, I got faster.  The faster I got, the more I wanted to push myself.

What was your approximate lifetime mileage at the time of your first BQ?

Approximately 3,000-4,000

How many miles did you run in the year before your first BQ?

Approximately 1,500

Approximately how many races did you run in that year?

Two marathons, two half marathons, and a handful of 5k’s.

Did you follow a canned program? If so, which one? If not, can you give us an idea of what your training philosophy was?

I did not follow a canned program.  I needed a plan that was flexible with my schedule.  My only absolute was that I rested the day before and the day after my long runs.

Did you run with a running club or utilize a coach?

There is a coach who works with members of the local running club.  He helped developed a plan that focused on speed work to increase my lactate threshold.  He also taught me the crucial step of the depletion run followed by carbo loading right before the marathon.

Did cross training play a role in your training? If so, how?

I didn’t cross train for my first BQ but I did for my second BQ (finished as the 4th overall Clydesdale at the 2011 Marine Corps Marathon in 3:13:24).

Did speed work play a role in your training? If so, how?

Absolutely.  By working on speed work I was able to raise my lactate threshold.

Any other thoughts you would like to share with those of working towards a BQ?

I have friends that regularly hit their BQ without a problem.  Many of them are in the BQ-20 category.  These folks are genetic freaks.  For all the normal people like myself, you have to really want it.  A BQ is an attainable goal but it takes a lot of discipline and focus.  For the months leading up to my BQ, it was the first thing on my mind when I woke up every morning.

Posted in Boston Qualifier Questionnaire | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BQ(Q) – Sarah

Posted on March 11, 2013 by

After I posted about this project on the Runnersworld forums, Sarah was kind enough to respond with her story.  Thanks for taking part, Sarah, have a great run in Boston!

Name: Sarah

Sex: F

Age (at the time of first BQ): 40

Height: 5’7″

Weight (at the time of first BQ): Approximately 120 lbs.

At which marathon did you get your first BQ? What was your finishing time? Tell us a little about the race.

I first BQ’d at Portland (OR) 2007.  My finishing time was 3:40:05.  A friend and I started running short distances approximately 1.5 years before that, doing a couple of 10K races.  We were both approaching our 40th birthdays at that time.  About 6 months after we started running together, just after we both turned 39, we decided to train for and run a marathon to celebrate turning 40 the following year, thinking “now or never.”  At the beginning of training, we had no time goal and no goal of qualifying for Boston.  That marathon was a mix.  I was absolutely elated for about the first 17 miles, okay for the next 4-5, and then crashed hard at around mile 22.  Despite knowing about the “wall,” nothing could have prepared me for how bad I felt from mile 22 to the end of that marathon.  We were happy to have BQ’d, but I had no desire to run another marathon after that, so no plan to run Boston at that time.  Three years later, I ran a second marathon (Portland 2010), mainly to keep my husband and some other friends company in their training.  I BQ’d, but some of the friends from our group didn’t.  We decided as a group to run CIM two months later in an effort to have everyone qualify for Boston, thinking that we’d go together if we all qualified.   I BQ’d again there, and it is that qualifying race I’m using to run Boston this year (deferred from last year).  While I love to run, particularly with a group of friends, I think marathoning itself is hard and painful.  After each of these marathons, I’ve said “never again.”  However, I am finally running Boston this year  because I’m not sure that I’d ever qualify again (or go through what it takes to qualify), and I feel like I should take advantage of this opportunity to run Boston while I have it.  This may be my last marathon.

How long had you been running when you ran your first BQ? Did you run in college or high school?

I ran competitively in high school and during my first year of college.  After that, I ran/jogged sporadically for a few years into my early 20s, never racing.  I almost never ran between my early 20s and my mid-30s, starting to run regularly again in my late 30s.  I had been running regularly (a few times per week) for about 1.5 years before my first marathon and BQ.

What was your approximate lifetime mileage at the time of your first BQ?

I don’t know.

How many miles did you run in the year before your first BQ?

I haven’t calculated it, but I generally run between 25 – 40 miles per week, even at the height of marathon training.

Approximately how many races did you run in that year?

2 or 3.

Did you follow a canned program? If so, which one? If not, can you give us an idea of what your training philosophy was?

My friend and I made up a program based on the Hal Higdon Advanced program.  We modified it so that we ran only 4 days per week, but many of the runs were more intense or longer than specified in the plan.  Shortly into the training, we began running with 2 other friends. One of them had run several marathons and had qualified for and run Boston several times.  The other of them had run three or so marathons and had also BQ’d and run Boston.  My training philosophy going in was simply to train enough to complete the marathon and cross a marathon off my bucket list.  After joining the more experienced friends, our philosophy was a bit more competitive, but I don’t think I was consciously thinking about a BQ before it happened.  We’ve used this same sort of hybrid program to train for both successive marathons.

Did you run with a running club or utilize a coach?

I ran with an informal group of friends and family members.

Did cross training play a role in your training? If so, how?

No.  I am bad about cross training.  At this age, 45, I am really starting to recognize that I should be doing some strengthening work to avoid injuries.

Did speed work play a role or specific workouts play a role in your training? If so, how?

Yes.  We did fairly intense speedwork in an effort to balance our somewhat low mileage.  Speedwork ranged from fartleks, tempo runs, pace runs, and intervals (distances between 400 and mile). We also did Yasso 800s a couple of times leading up to each marathon.  And, we did many hill repeat workouts.

Any other thoughts you would like to share with those of working towards a BQ?

Good luck.  I hope you enjoy the process as much as meeting the goal.

 

Posted in Boston Qualifier Questionnaire | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment