Rockslide Chapter 5

Rockslide Chapter 4

Rockslide Chapter 3

Rockslide Chapter 2

Here is the second chapter of my novel.

Rockslide: A Survival Story

The reason I haven't posted much on this blog the last couple of years is because I have been writing a novella titled Rockslide: A Survival Story. It's been a huge part of my life during this period, and I'm thrilled that it's finally finished.

In many ways the story is about running, so I felt like this blog would be an appropriate space for it. I will publish one chapter each day for the next 24 days. After that I will release it all together in some form. (Maybe I'll even print out hard copies. Remember those, with paper and ink?)

I really hope you enjoy it!



 

The Most Athletic Family in the World

It must be hard to be Ejegayehu Dibaba.

At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games she won the silver medal in the women's 10000m run. The next year, she won bronze medals in the 5000m and 10000m at the World Championships. But after all that, she is still only the 4^th most accomplished professional distance runner in her family.

From left to right: the illustrious sisters Ejegayehu, Genzebe, and Tirunesh.

First meet her cousin, Derartu Tulu: she has 5 World Championship medals in the 10000m, three of which are gold. But how close are most cousins, really? If the two only crossed paths at the occasional family reunion, Ejegayehu could still be the star athlete of the clan any other day.

That is, if it weren’t for Ejegayehu's sister, Tirunesh Dibaba. In addition to 13 Olympic or World Championship gold medals at 5000m and 10000m, she even has one standing World Record performance: a blistering 14 minute 11 second 5000m. Sounds impressive? It is.

Until, of course, you hear about the third sister, Genzebe Dibaba. The baby of the family already has 4 Olympic or World Championship gold medals and the current World Record in 6 events: the 1500m (both indoor and outdoor), the indoor 3000m, the indoor 5000m, the indoor mile, and the indoor two mile. Just watch her go:

If you think this is the sort of thing that looks more impressive on TV with the help of dramatic camera angles and slow motion replays, think again; it's more impressive in person. I was in Portland this winter for the World Indoor Championships and I saw Genzebe win the 3000m with my own eyes. And halfway through the race when she pulled away from the pack it looked like the other runners were standing still.

But perhaps the most impressive thing about the youngest Dibaba girl is her age—at just 25 years, she is actively setting new personal bests, and is sure to win more championships and break more records throughout her career.

So, yeah, it’s gotta be a little hard to be Ejegayehu. But if this is one of those families that gets together on Thanksgiving to run the local Turkey Trot, you can bet I’d watch that race.

There are different ways to win a race

There are different ways to win a race.

One way to win is strategy. Alternating tempos during the race, pushing and testing your opponent, wearing him out and getting under his skin until you make your last decisive move and he isn't ready for it or just doesn't have enough emotional capital left to match you.

Another way to win is through luck, which can play out in a number of ways. The heavy favorite could get tripped up and fall early in the race giving you a comparative advantage. Or the race tempo could just happen to play exactly to your particular strengths, giving you a slight edge over the other racers.

Yet another way to win is just to want it more. Whether its racing in front of the home crowd or coming off of a bad season with something to prove or one of a hundred other personal reasons, you can sometimes eke out a win by digging deeper than the rest of the field.

But the last way to win a race is the most obvious: be stronger than everyone else.

Strangely enough you see this situation less frequently than the others in world-class events because, at that level, everyone is as tough as everyone else. But sometimes there are true outliers.

Next weekend is the Prefontaine Classic, the most prestigious and competitive distance event held on American soil, and it reminded me of last year where Galen Rupp won the 10000 m. It went off at a hot tempo, with each lap in 64 or 65 seconds, and eventually they had whittled it down to just four men.

I had seen this situation before, a group of Africans and one white guy struggling to hang on. But looking at their expressions I could see that the situation was reversed: the Africans were the ones hurting, and Rupp looked easy and relaxed.

With three laps to go Sambu made a move to try to shake the rest of the field but Galen moved right with him. And when Rupp countered with his move (a 59 second penultimate lap!) no one could follow. He was just too strong. Rupp ended up setting a personal best, the American record, and the world lead (the fastest time run that year by any athlete in the world.)

As exciting as this race was I'm hoping this year's Prefontaine Classic brings something just as memorable. Galen Rupp will be there (this time in the 5000 m) along with almost every one of the world's very best. You can watch the event live Friday night on http://live.usatf.tv/livefripre.html and on Saturday on NBC.