Tramps Like Us

The Rocky Mountain Road Runners has a database of about 900 runners and on a fine late summer morning like today, most of them were sprung from their cages running on some trail, path or road.  Today was made for running; cool, dry weather.  My mind recalls the many songs that reference running.  The one that jumps to the top of my list is “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen. 

Christopher McDougall nicked the title for his great book and introduced the world to The Copper Canyon, The Tarahumara and Mikah True.  His book did for ultra-marathons what Jim Fixx’s book did for marathons in the late 1970s.  I read that book before I ever ran a race.  It created an aura about the Boston Marathon. 

The hype over Springsteen’s “Born to Run” was huge.  It took over a year to produce the title song.  Even my parents, die-hard classical music listeners, got caught up in the fray.  They couldn’t tell what all the fuss was about.  Bruce had put out two lousy albums, they said.  By the time the album came out, even I, at 11 years of age, knew who Bruce Springsteen was.  One of my favorite, and rarely played, songs on the album is “Meeting Across the River”.  It is a poignant story of a small time hood getting ready to make a heist.  There is a great trumpet solo by Randy Brecker.

I was close to the epicenter.  I grew up about 40 miles from Asbury Park, Springsteen's stomping ground.  In high school with my swim team buddies, we’d spend the day at Monmouth Beach swimming in the surf, playing arcade games, eating hot dogs and when the sun went down huddled on the beach in the mist.  I recall when "Born to Run" was named New Jersey's "Unofficial Youth Rock Anthem" by the New Jersey State Legislature, something Springsteen always considered ironic because it was about leaving New Jersey.

I saw The Boss in concert twice.  The first time was July 9^th, 1981 at the Brendan Byrne Arena during “The River” tour.  He opened with “Thunder Road”, the first song on the "Born to Run" album.  Years later I saw my own Mary, like a vision, after the Manufacturers Hannover Corporate Challenge, a 3.5 mile running race in Central Park, New York City that attracted about 20,000 runners.  I weighed about 50 lbs more than I do now.  I ate every meal at my desk and liquid carbo-loaded every night.

The second time I saw Springsteen play was on January 26^th, 1985 at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.  The crew team was asked to act as security to keep the rabid fans from running onto the stage.  Bruce opened with “Born to Run”, igniting the crowd into a two hour frenzy. 

Today I ran my favorite 13 mile trail loop.  The inch and a half of rain we got Wednesday washed away the loose dirt on the trail, leaving a smooth, hard clay path.  What else was lost in the flood?  I passed a group of four women who were running two abreast.  When they saw me, they ran single file; good etiquette.  I yielded to them.  As I ascended a long hill through a stand of scrub oak, a stream of about 15 mountain bikers barreled down towards me.  I yielded to them.  One of the riders shouted that there was a race coming through; good etiquette. 

A little later I passed a runner of lesser relative ability.  I believe in letting the other person know that they have a friend on the trail and that friendly communication is the key when trail users are yielding to one another.  I gave a courteous, “Hello”, which shows kindness, and moved to the right side of the trail.  He said nothing and yielded nothing; bad etiquette.

The Denver Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon is next week.  I have been resting.  Is it possible to rest too much?  The aches in my legs have receded.  I’m as prepared as I can be.  Soon, all will know if I’ve done enough.