Steve Fisher's "Reply" to "Perceived"  Criticism from Article about DNS at Steamtown (Oct. '01)

It took a bit of anger for me to get busy again - busy writing that is. I'm going to describe my incredible year of running - my not-so-successful year of wasted, misguided training, if you'll believe what a certain ingrate has to say in an article I haven't even read yet. Here's the bottom line - I got in the best shape of my life, and enjoyed myself doing it. I didn't reap the benefits of all my hard work, in terms of racing, but I was ABOUT to kick some major butt in the longer distances. I'm rock sure of it - after all, I was invulnerable in training, a veritable superman. I had tremendous confidence based on monster mileage and long runs EVERY weekend, in which I got away with murder. And man, oh man, does it hurt to get injured right before the racing was about to begin. Oh I managed to get somewhat race-fit with some decent 5Ks, but I had all kinds of strength. A marathon PR was a given - in fact, a quantum leap over my best times was expected. A great half was surely coming, the weekend before the marathon. And the marathon would have been a huge experience, no doubt shared with all my loving training partners, who benefited immensely from my training insanity, but who each managed to stay injury free and have huge PRs (or monster returns, in one case).

Like I really need to be insulted because of a freak injury. Kick a man who's down. Lord your success and 'sensible' training regimen over me, and pretend that this is as it always was. OK, maybe my body broke down. Actually, it was probably the stupid attempt to quickly catch up to certain others' track season in a few short weeks which was the problemo, not the string of lifetime high eighty mile weeks or 38 mile weekends. But if I hadn't gotten injured, would you be reading bad things about me? In fact, I would have gotten rave reviews - heck, maybe 'webby' would have given me my own web site complete with training log and an 'ask Stevie' column, right alongside his revered ‘Hodgie’. Here's a friggin' quote from the man himself, on our last long training run - 'I've never seen this group in better shape'. Remember that? Or the week before, floating along the Sussex Branch trails at close to seven minute pace for the last hour twenty of a three hour run. The question is, was that run worthwhile in and of itself, or totally meaningless without posting some kind of race-time. What do you think, Meades and Muhaws - do you enjoy your lifestyle of running hours through the Great Swamp each weekend? Are these runs meaningless (without racing)? Sure, I’ll agree, nothing better than a great race. But there isn't much else which can compare with a great long run, followed by a day in the sun with brewskies, high on life and other substances. That pretty much describes my summer. Oh, and webby - who else hand-delivers weekend runs to your doorstep, week after week, all year long?

Now, I'm sure many of you have gone through getting in great shape, and then getting injured. But can anyone imagine the sheer magnitude of disappointment after a nine month buildup to the first PR in five years, which never happened?

Oh, and there's something else which really makes my blood boil. Imagine the discipline of going 56 hours straight without sleep, the last 16 of which are in a smoky card room, being fed free hard liquor, getting up from the table with one thought in mind - 16 hours of sleep - getting up barely able to stand, and having to go out in 95 degree Las Vegas heat and run, for one purpose - to keep a streak alive? Day, after day, after day - take a day off, start again and in 500 days, you'll be back to where you are now. The sheer discipline of it is mindboggling.

Can't run at lunch at work due to system problems, have to stay late, tummy full, get home late - go out and run, just what you want to do.

Or alternatively, take a day off, break the streak; blink twice, and the next thing you know, you're body has gravitated to its natural condition - 200 pounds of cigar-smoking, chocolate loving, TV watching splendor.

Just one day off might just do it. The first step to oblivion. That's what this streak means to me. It's my only - my longest by eight times - lifetime streak. You read about five year streaks, 20 year streaks - like you read about 2:06 marathons. This one’s mine. But, hear from your best running buddy: 'that's the most worthless streak I've ever seen.' ?????

Do I have to say what genius came up with that observation?

REPEATEDLY issued this utterance?

Should I ignore, be angry, or just quit running?

Should I expect any credit from a guy who can find only one person to follow him throughout the bear-infested backlands? Who himself will use any opportunity to show you some vintage logs of his training so insane as to be posted in any reputable running magazine as a sure recipe for permanent injury? Who would never have conceived of coming out of marathon-retirement but for the repeated invitations to longer and longer group runs which inevitably put him in marathon shape? Of course not! Ridicule is what I should expect, which should be no surprise to me, as this seems my fate in life.

I think that about covers it.

Postscript: After a night of reflection, I softened up a bit. After all, web-man and I have shared some good times together, hopefully many more to come, and he’s pretty harmless (until he gets ripped). However, webster, don’t even think about editing this article, and leave yours alone too – heck, maybe I overreacted. My disciples will read these and then enlighten you on the truth of the matter.

[Steve, I think you covered it all.... "brilliant insights"... -Webby]

This page was last updated: 04/23/05