thedrifter
09-08-07, 07:33 AM
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Marathon man is going strong
Alsop halfway home in daily runs to aid Marines
By Peter Smith
psmith@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
It's all downhill from here.
That is, if you also count plenty of uphill time, too. And over a course of 26-plus miles a day. For each of the next 65 days.
But for Brad Alsop, yesterday was a milestone, marking the halfway point of his goal to run marathons for 131 consecutive days to benefit injured Marines.
Alsop, 37, ran his 66th marathon yesterday afternoon, the midpoint in his campaign to run every day from the Fourth of July to Veterans Day.
He's raised about $15,000 so far on behalf of the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.
"Thinking about how complicated and difficult it is to be a United States Marine," Alsop said, anything he does "pales in comparison."
He's been running in the hottest part of each day -- which was an especially grueling task during the hottest August on record -- but he's doing it in solidarity with troops working in scorching desert conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Alsop got some extra support yesterday morning when the Support the Troops Coalition held a rally at Iroquois Park.
It marked the upcoming sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and much of the ceremony focused on paying tribute to Alsop's grueling effort.
"I was a runner, but what he's doing is unbelievable," said retired Gen. Bob Silverthorn, one of the speakers. Supporting the wounded is "so important" both for the troops themselves and "for their families," he said.
Alsop said that running for a cause is what keeps him going. He also gave a motivational talk to about 30 University of Louisville students who came to the event from their class in exercise and sports psychology.
"Physical prowess is important, but it's that mental edge, that will that pushes an athlete forward to go beyond what he thought was his limitation," Alsop said.
Cheryl Hart and Linda Burry, who teach the class, said that's what they were hoping the students would learn.
"I can't think of a person that personifies leadership" more than Alsop, Burry said, adding that his effort "transcends himself."
"We're talking about a much higher cause, and that's what I want to teach and show each and every one of these students, to find a passion within them and then to take that to as high a level as they possibly can," Burry said.
The students were impressed.
"No matter how tough we have it, this guy has it a lot worse," said Othaniel Yanez, a sophomore member of the soccer team.
Alsop, 37, who began his campaign by running in Iroquois Park, has recently switched to a route in Cherokee and Seneca parks.
While the latter route is sunnier and has more traffic, Alsop felt he needed to make the change after he encountered some harassment at Iroquois Park.
"I had an individual that got tired of seeing me come around the loop seven times, eight times a day," he said. The man would race him, give misinformation to people who were looking for him and bring other runners along who would "try to intimidate me" through such things as standing in front of him, Alsop said.
He said he has no idea the man's motivation but that it may have been jealousy.
"I guess if you try to do something good long enough in the same place, you're eventually going to attract a few bad apples," he said.
"It never got to a bad point because I'm not going to let things escalate," he said, adding that he did not ask police to pursue the matter but decided rather to switch locations after marathon 61. "I'm not out here to fight. I'm out here to raise money for the people who are doing the real fighting."
He said it's possible that the same thing would happen again in the new location, but he added that park and police officials are increasingly aware of his efforts and that officers check on him regularly.
"It has nothing to do with this place," he said of Iroquois Park. "This is a wonderful place. … I'll be back."
Reporter Peter Smith can be reached at (502) 582-4469.
Ellie
Marathon man is going strong
Alsop halfway home in daily runs to aid Marines
By Peter Smith
psmith@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
It's all downhill from here.
That is, if you also count plenty of uphill time, too. And over a course of 26-plus miles a day. For each of the next 65 days.
But for Brad Alsop, yesterday was a milestone, marking the halfway point of his goal to run marathons for 131 consecutive days to benefit injured Marines.
Alsop, 37, ran his 66th marathon yesterday afternoon, the midpoint in his campaign to run every day from the Fourth of July to Veterans Day.
He's raised about $15,000 so far on behalf of the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.
"Thinking about how complicated and difficult it is to be a United States Marine," Alsop said, anything he does "pales in comparison."
He's been running in the hottest part of each day -- which was an especially grueling task during the hottest August on record -- but he's doing it in solidarity with troops working in scorching desert conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Alsop got some extra support yesterday morning when the Support the Troops Coalition held a rally at Iroquois Park.
It marked the upcoming sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and much of the ceremony focused on paying tribute to Alsop's grueling effort.
"I was a runner, but what he's doing is unbelievable," said retired Gen. Bob Silverthorn, one of the speakers. Supporting the wounded is "so important" both for the troops themselves and "for their families," he said.
Alsop said that running for a cause is what keeps him going. He also gave a motivational talk to about 30 University of Louisville students who came to the event from their class in exercise and sports psychology.
"Physical prowess is important, but it's that mental edge, that will that pushes an athlete forward to go beyond what he thought was his limitation," Alsop said.
Cheryl Hart and Linda Burry, who teach the class, said that's what they were hoping the students would learn.
"I can't think of a person that personifies leadership" more than Alsop, Burry said, adding that his effort "transcends himself."
"We're talking about a much higher cause, and that's what I want to teach and show each and every one of these students, to find a passion within them and then to take that to as high a level as they possibly can," Burry said.
The students were impressed.
"No matter how tough we have it, this guy has it a lot worse," said Othaniel Yanez, a sophomore member of the soccer team.
Alsop, 37, who began his campaign by running in Iroquois Park, has recently switched to a route in Cherokee and Seneca parks.
While the latter route is sunnier and has more traffic, Alsop felt he needed to make the change after he encountered some harassment at Iroquois Park.
"I had an individual that got tired of seeing me come around the loop seven times, eight times a day," he said. The man would race him, give misinformation to people who were looking for him and bring other runners along who would "try to intimidate me" through such things as standing in front of him, Alsop said.
He said he has no idea the man's motivation but that it may have been jealousy.
"I guess if you try to do something good long enough in the same place, you're eventually going to attract a few bad apples," he said.
"It never got to a bad point because I'm not going to let things escalate," he said, adding that he did not ask police to pursue the matter but decided rather to switch locations after marathon 61. "I'm not out here to fight. I'm out here to raise money for the people who are doing the real fighting."
He said it's possible that the same thing would happen again in the new location, but he added that park and police officials are increasingly aware of his efforts and that officers check on him regularly.
"It has nothing to do with this place," he said of Iroquois Park. "This is a wonderful place. … I'll be back."
Reporter Peter Smith can be reached at (502) 582-4469.
Ellie