{"id":33970,"date":"2020-09-12T00:14:12","date_gmt":"2020-09-12T00:14:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jackdogwelch.com\/?p=33970"},"modified":"2020-09-12T22:05:43","modified_gmt":"2020-09-12T22:05:43","slug":"wannabe-distance-god-tim-tays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jackdogwelch.com\/?p=33970","title":{"rendered":"Wannabe Distance God (Tim Tays)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Biography:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tim Tays was a distance runner in Albuquerque, New Mexico as a boy and got “good,” but not good enough to beat the national high school boys’ cross-country champion who lived in Sky City Pueblo outside Grants, New Mexico. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though Tays never won a coveted state title (he was second behind a state-record performance by the before-mentioned cross-country champ), Tays was recruited to the University of Kansas to train under Jim Ryun’s famous coach, Bob Timmons. Tays broke a couple of school records (indoor 3 miles, outdoor 10,000) while at KU, and after graduating moved to Virginia to race on the roads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was “the worst of the best and the best of the worst” for a couple of years, and eventually joined the U.S. Army Infantry, assigned to the Presidential Honor Guard (The Old Guard) stationed at Ft. Myer, Virginia. He hoped to find some adventures to write about and more support for his running quest of becoming a “Distance God.” He competed on the All-Army Track Team and the U.S. National Cross-Country Team in the All-Military World Championship in Portugal before getting injured in his last race. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forced to stop running for over twenty-five years, he returned at age fifty to again run in the Boston Marathon to help resolve a truncated running career as described in his memoir, Wannabe Distance God: The Thirst, Angst, and Passion of Running in the Chase Pack<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When did you start running and why?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1972 I was twelve and began jogging a couple of miles a day and weight lifting to get into shape to disappoint bullies. I went out for the junior high track team in 1973, won the 880-time trial, and felt better about myself than I knew was possible. I was hooked!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toughest opponent?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve raced countless great runners but they didn’t know I was in the race (Bill Rodgers, Alberto Salazar, Henry Rono, Paul Cummings, Rod Dixon, Greg Meyer, et. al.). Bill McChesney knew I was gunning for him in the 5000 we raced because it was the Oregon\/Kansas Duel. He flicked me off by the half-mile point, then cruised ten seconds ahead the rest of the race, just absolutely controlling the race. I’d wanted to draft off of him at least, but he wasn’t having it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most memorable run?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I ran a ten-second PR in the 1980 Big 8 Indoor Track Championship, 8:51.5, to finish second to the future national champion, Mark Scrutton. But Scrutton was disqualified due to cutting inside the orange cones, so I was awarded the win. I like to put an asterisk by my win to show I’m aware Scrutton was out of my league but fortune smiled upon me, but secretly I’m proud of my performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biggest disappointment?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn’t take State in high school, I didn’t make All-American in college, and I didn’t qualify for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 1984. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Special song of the era?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funeral for a Friend\/Love Lies Bleeding<\/em> by Elton John. It’s long and shifts gears a few times similar to psyching up, doing a few sprints, and then crushing a two-mile race against worthy opponents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What would you do differently if you could do it again?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

High school? The same. College? Same. Roads? Eat better, rest smarter, and get the surgery sooner for the horrid case of Haglund’s Deformity that took me out of the hunt at twenty-five years old. I almost certainly would’ve had a much longer career, but I still didn’t have the genetics to be a true distance god.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Favorite philosopher? Quote?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance.” \u2014 Socrates. I’m a lifelong learner and proponent of humans embracing a growth mindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Favorite comedian?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

George Carlin. A brilliant social observer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Find Where The Line Is Drawn And Cross It Deliberately<\/a><\/blockquote>