The Spirit of Jeff

When you run a Tornados speedwork session you metamorphically become one being. We are of course individuals with different abilities and characteristics: like fast and good looking or super fast and handsom or supersonic and gorgeous. On second thought, we are probably a lot alike! But you could probably tell us apart by what we order at Cancun! Despite our appearances, and through the white-hot fiery trials of speedwork, there is a deeper bond forged between us. We become over time and distance, speedwork brothers, connected by stronger ties than blood. When we are in the speedwork line formation at memorial park one person, tied together by pride, sweat and pain. We are in a way akin to those centipedes you see at the Bayou City Classic (maybe Tor-pedos?). When the head of the centipede speeds up, we all are pulled along by pride. Leno is the headpede. Jeff and I are both middlepedes, he being more of a head middlepede. And in some ways we have it tougher than the headpede, since we are always fruitlessly trying to overtake him, while feeling pressure from the tailpede!

 

So when we all showed up at the park last Tuesday evening, blanketed in cold drizzle, there was no Jeff. I couldn't figure it out I saw Johnnie at the stretching area, but no Jeff. And Jeff is not the kind of average, fair-weather runner deterred by a little bit of 40 degree, cold rain, no he's a speedwork addicted Tornado! Leno, Jaime and I waited five minutes and took off on our two mile warm up, and we could have been running into the desert. There were no baby joggers, no dogs, no walkers, no dust and no Babes! The only thing we found were a few hard core runners, puddles and an excellent, damp, sandy running surface. The chill of the air started to turn very warm and then Hot after just two reps, we were shedding clothes at an alarming rate, like a strip show on the run! At this point, starting into the third rep of 3/4 of a mile I really started to battle negative thoughts (they happen occasionally). My problem came from the hole in our formation, Jeff had always protected me from the headpede, so now I was face to face, or actually face to back with Leno. But I think at this tuff point in the workout I experienced a transcendental moment when the running spirit of Jeff came upon me! It was amazing, my legs just started turning over faster, at one point I felt I could almost reach out and get Leno (just ask Jaime). I almost felt the wind blowing through my goatee! But seriously, we really are connected in our club by deep bonds, by hours of training together to accomplish good and worthy goals, by all the road trips to somewhat far off and somewhat exotic places, by all the shared meals and apparel (even pink championship jackets!), and even by all the pride, sweat and pain.

 

We will all miss you Jeff, but are glad you are OK. You will be with us in spirit. Riding motorcycles is a lot like doing speedwork, you never know when you will get hurt, but it is a lot of fun to feel the breeze blowing by your ears, whether seated on a bike or giving it all you have on a 400!