I've been dwelling on this sad news about the death of Pat Porter and (I presume ... as it has not yet be confirmed as of Friday, 07/27/2012) his son and another child.
I posted an earlier recollection of having met Pat during a week long cross country / track camp held in the summer of 1986 at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He and another runner from the University (who I've since forgotten the name of ... was a bit of a cocky "star" long distance runner for the Badgers) were the main draw for this young group of guys who came from all over the U.S.A. to spend time with them at this camp.
To say that we were in AWE of Pat would be an understatement. Seriously. We worshipped him like a mortal running diety. We'd follow him around and attempt to emulate him and whatnot.
But what was so cool is that he was very, very, VERY down to earth. Totally engaging.
But damn, when he'd run, it was like watching a gazelle sprint along on the Serengeti plains. Just a graceful loping stride that would call up visions of the Greek messenger "Mercury". Totally. ;-)
And I'll tell you, Pat had a very mischievous / cheeky side to him. I remember that he and the other guy from the Wisconsin CC team stayed back one afternoon whilst everyone from the camp was out either training or at workshops. He and this other guy went around into each of our rooms in the dorm and tracked down where we all had placed our alarm clocks and whatnot. They went ahead and set each and every one of them either an hour forward or an hour backwards (I can't remember exactly which).
So later in the day, when we were to show for a very important meeting with them, we wound up getting thrown off schedule. Guys showing up an hour early or an hour late for this critical meeting and having to endure a mock "dressing down" by either Pat or the Wisconsin dude. Just screwed everyone up. Everyone that is EXEPT those of us who were wearing our trusty Timex Ironman watches or the watches with the little pixelated guy running in the stopwatch mode (remember them?). We showed up on time. :P Pat and the others got a kick out of that stunt.
Also, during the course of the week, we were able to sit down and bounce questions off of Pat and the other guys who were present for the workshops. Reps from Nike; reps from nutritional groups; Wisconsin Badger reps; etc. I remember asking Pat what the strangest / oddest thing that he could recall during his time racing and he kind of screwed up his face, rolled his eyes towards the ceiling and said "I knew it. I knew someone was going to ask something like that." But he did so in a jestingly overdramatic manner to get us all laughing.
He went on to say that during one rather tough cross country race (in which the weather conditions had been quite sour - rain, mud, cold), as they were traversing the course they had various natural obstacles to deal with that lent the race an almost "steeplechase" feel. I believe that he said that he was leading the pack and as he came to this low lying fence / barrier or hay bales crossing the path, there was a ditch filled to the brim with very muddy acrid water in it (so he couldn't determine how deep it was) and lo and behold, "things" floating in it. Clumpy, black and brown globule looking "things". Like rotten bobbing apples.
He had to quickly assess what said "things" may have been as he closed distance on the fence / water trap, and concluded that they could be none other than horse droppings. Just a rancid soup of 'em bobbing on the other side of this fence. Then he had to make the fateful decision of "Do I attempt to jump it in one leap?" (it was too wide for a single jump) or "Do I take the barrier and then plunge one or two strides THROUGH it?"
Pat took the second choice much to his chagrin.
As he hit the barrier, he used it as a springboard to acquire as much lift as possible off of it to keep his toesies from hitting the water, but alas ... wound up waist deep in the water. Just shocked the heck out of him that it was that deep. Had to do the kiddie pool wade gait through it with horsecrap bobbing all around him and getting on his legs and uniform.
Ran the rest of the race looking (and smelling) like he just got off an equestrian polo match and once he finished it was straight to the showers. Said it was the grossest thing he'd ever encountered during his career.
Everyone who was present when he recalled that was left in stitches. Just totally appealed to the teenage guy mindset that embraced all things gross at the time.
Very cool memories and I am very glad to have been able to spend a week with him back then. Very cool guy and I do know that he will be sorely missed in the running community. A lot of us looked up to him back then and I think this recent news has come to a shock to all of us.
May he be with God now and please take time to offer a prayer for his soul and that of his possibly deceased son. Also pray for his wife and daughter as well as his relatives and everyone whom he touched.
May you now be running in the "fields of the Lord", Pat.
Godspeed.
Thanks for taking the time to read this everyone.
Peace out,
-trollcrusher-
Florida, U.S.A.