Running Out of Gas by Scott Ludwig

Author:Scott Ludwig
Language: deu
Format: epub
Publisher: Meyer & Meyer
Published: 2018-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

AL AT 70

MAY 19, 2015

Several years ago, Dave, a friend of mine whom I had met at a race in Tennessee over a decade ago, came all the way from Ohio to Peachtree City, Georgia, to compete in one of our Darkside running events. The first thing he asked me the morning of the race was this, Is Al Barker going to be here?

Dave had read several of my books and anyone familiar with my publications knows that I spend considerable time writing about the personalities, accomplishments, and idiosyncrasies of my running friends. Of those friends, no one gets more ink (nor has run more miles with me) than Albert E. Barker. It didn’t surprise me one bit that Dave would immediately inquire about him on his first venture into Fayette County, Georgia. After all, that’s where Al lives. Or rather, where he gained his infamy.

Anyone who has ever read anything I’ve written about Al over the years—and believe me when I tell you there’s a lot to be read—knows four things about him: (1) He’s an exceptional runner, (2) he’s an exceptional artist, (3) he’s an exceptional photographer, and (4) he’s an exceptional character. As for the latter, Dave couldn’t wait to see the man who snacked on plastic potpourri at a social function because he mistakenly thought they were party snacks…and ate a handful of Starburst candies without removing the wrappers…and poured creamer into his glass of water instead of his coffee, then stirred it up and drank it…and ate an entire order of shrimp with the shells intact because after he ate the first one and his oversight was pointed out he tried to save face by saying that he liked them that way and then had no other choice but to eat every last one of them, shells and all. Dave thought it might be cold enough that Al would show up wearing a cat sweater as he did years ago, thinking he had grabbed his wool cap from the closet before heading out for a run. Dave was anxious to meet the man famous for the quote “Put me down for a turd” and the question “Have you ever stepped in your own sh*t?” (Let me stop here for a moment: If you want to read more you’re just going to have to read my books. No, this isn’t a shameless plug; simply a cold, hard fact.)

Al turns 70 today. It’s hard to believe that when we started running together in the fall of 1993 that Al, almost 10 years my senior, was only 48 years old. A lot of time and a lot of miles have accumulated since then. While both of us have slowed down a bit over the years, Al has a lot to be proud of. When he was 50 years old he ran a marathon in St. George, Utah, a few seconds over three hours. When he was 60 years old he ran 100 miles in San Diego, California, in less than 24 hours.

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