The Racer With Samson Hair
A Note from Fatty: For those of you who expected the next installment of my “Worst Thursday” series, that will come out Monday. Meantime, why don’t you enjoy this podcast instead? It’s a story-based episode, and definitely a story anyone can enjoy. – FC
In August 2015, I had the best day of my life, race-wise. That’s the year I finished the Leadville 100 in 8:12 minutes. I of course wrote a lengthy race report, including — in part 7 — a little digression about Dave Edwards, one of the really cool people who played an important part in my once-in-a-lifetime day. Here’s Dave and me — at this point basically complete strangers — a couple days before the race:
Dave had grown his hair, a la Sampson, as part of a complex set of negotiations with his wife. The end result was that he wouldn’t cut his hair until he crossed the finish line.
But things didn’t go as planned for him. In spite of all his training and planning, he missed the 40-mile cutoff and his race day ended before he was ready for it to end.
Which of course is sad, but which, in my opinion, also makes his story more relatable and compelling.
You hear from me about this race all the time, and with 20 of them completed, I can no longer really speak with conviction about the anxiety most racers have about this race: whether they’ll cross the finish line. I don’t remember how utterly crushing the altitude can be the first time you arrive in Leadville.
But Dave remembers, and I’m incredibly pleased to have finally heard and recorded his story as the first Friday Bonus Episode of the Leadville Podcast.
If you’ve thought about doing this race but haven’t yet, or if you’ve never considered (and will never consider) it but are curious what it might be like, Dave’s story is a great one to hear.
Please listen, subscribe, and let me know what you think!
