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Eric Ashe, photo by Eyder Peralta
NPR has done a series on the 2014 Boston marathon by following a group of athletes, with disparate backgrounds, performance levels and wants, as they train for the 2014 Boston Marathon.
This is the story of Eric Ashe, an athlete caught up by his own demons and dreams, as he pursues the goal of qualifying for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the Marathon. Eric just missed qualifying for the Trials, and at his level, the clock is a constant reminder of how seconds, in this case, truly matter.
I liked this piece because it is honest, and brutal. For runners such as Eric, who pursue the goal of being the best they can be, there is no sponsor, yes, as the old Nike advertising noted, NO FINISH LINE. This is the way distance running was in the seventies, and early eighties. For me, there is some solace that the loneliness of the long distance runner (novella by Alan Sillitoe) still exists.
To read Eyder Peralta’s fine story, please go to: http://kuow.org/post/ragged-edge-runner-chasing-greatness-finds-his-muse