Kimball, Frannie, and Me in San Tim |
I hope most of you will pardon this fairly personal post,
but today is the birthday of the best running partner I have ever had. His name is Kimball Hoff, and he was beside
me on pretty much every run I did for several years. He was everything a great running
partner should be patient, supportive, helpful, funny, dependable,
inspirational, intelligent, disciplined, spontaneous, and faster than me. J For years we ran together through sunshine
and rain, trails and roads, slow easy days and barn burners down the canyon. We
just had a lot of fun with our running.
I will never forget times running down San Timeteo Canyon
singing old Gordon Lightfoot songs at the top of our lungs, often to the
chagrin of any other runners in hearing distance. To be fair, that was not
Kimball’s fault. He had a great voice; I do not. However, I make up in volume
and enthusiasm what I lack in skill. Kimball never cared. He was a great
friend.
At Tucson, with Kimball and my other running friends |
My years running with Kimball led to many PRs on my part.
When I met Kimball, I was a 3:45 marathoner. After a few years of running with
him, I ran a 3:24. He was not a coach, but the synergy of us running together
helped me to reach heights that I never would have on my own. Kimball was also
there to introduce me to trail running. It was his idea to enter the Winter
Trail Running Series, way back in 2003, that eventually led to my desire to be
an ultrarunner. For both of those
things, I am forever grateful.
Winter Trail Series 2003 |
Unfortunately (mostly through colossal stupidity on my
part), Kimball and I are no longer running partners or even friends. That is one
of the great regrets of my life. Still those golden times that we were running
partners and friends (that I did not appreciate nearly as much as I should have
at the time) will always remain precious to me. If you have a running partner,
take a minute to really appreciate how much they add to your running and life.
Let them know.
So, happy birthday, Kim! Thank you for all those ways that
you made running better for me and so many other runners. I hope you are still
running and running well. I miss you.
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