Good Advice from Brad

Good Advice from Brad
"Let me think about this for a minute!

Need some Advice?

What gives?

Need help with something? Don't know what to wear on a date? Wonder if you should use a comma or not. Should you dump him? How can I run my best race? Should we pull the plug? How do I keep from getting so nervous before I race? What about this perm? Should I wear socks with these Teva's? Just email me and let me what kind of advice I should give.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Ben who?

Dear Brad,I need your help. What would you do if you once had a great friend, coach and mentor that totally changed your life, made you a hero and a legend, taught you to run and talk at the same time, peed with you in the park before a meet, trespassed over half the land in Morgan in Fugitive, put on races together with boxcutters and sandpaper as prizes, laughed, cried and bled together, popped each others' zits, shared ice cream and campfires, and became immortal in song together,* AND THEN, out of NOWHERE, this mentor, friend, coach cuts off contact and stops talking to you and leaves you in a strange new city alone, with no freinds and no running routes. What would you do? Advice is needed. Plus, I am pissed off you never gave me advice on my last question, honestly. Though it was a while ago.


Ben "The forgotten One, though you named your son after him" Ure

Oh Benjamin, oh dearest Benjamin, it is you that has forgotten your roots. I long for those days of us running to and fro in Morgan in the dark night. I keep looking at your Blog which has not been updated since early 1986.
In fact, once you left the country, I didn't hear from you. I wept myself to sleep at night holding little Benjamin hoping to some how feel your spirit. I tell him stories of you in hopes that he will know the legend that I once laughed with, took a pee in fields with, and acting about 1/4th my actual age.
If I were you I would come back from the big city and live in piece here in Utah...the place where you belong. You are still my favorite Benny Boy.
Also, I have looked back at my records and I answered your ONLY request for advice.
Come home Benjamin!!!

Should I shave or let it grow?

Dear Brad,
My question is simple, should I shave my runner legs or not?

-Brayden, Kaysville, UT

Well, if it were me I'd say "Yes". If it were my wife she would say "Yes". I like it, she likes when I do it, and we are the coolest people in the World, so I don't see that you have an argument.
But then again, it should be up to you. If you ant to, then do it, and don't care what other people say. Your life is yours.

How do you do it?

Hey Brad, it's me, "Adams" or Seth, or Seth Frischknecht. I hope you remember me (that's actually what my question has to do with). Anyway, I was just wasting time (or so I thought) when I came across your good advice blog! I can't believe I've made it this far in life without all of that. For some reason, the gods have been good to me and have given me this chance to start receiving your advice. Anyway, my question is how can I get people like you and Coach Talley to think I'm still cool? I mean, in High School, Coach Talley and I were friends and stuff, and now I think he thinks I was just another one of those kids, you know? And you - I still remember you talking to me right before the 800 at State my Senior year, telling me to go out there and have fun and all. How does someone cool stay cool?
Thanks man,


Seth - Fruit Heights

First things first. I doubt a God sent you to me. It was just dumb luck. But luck all the same. And not luck as in some super natural force.
Secondly, I too, am surprised that you made it this far in life with out royally effing up without my advice. It is lucky you found this site when you did.
You will never be be just another one of the kids. When meets get rolling, Coach Talley has a hard time remembering to eat. In fact, one time he was so wrapped up in the races he forgot to breath. 2 or 3 minutes later he started to turn purple I had to throw a glass of cold water in his face to get his attention. I swear he was seconds away from passing out. What I am trying to say is; don't take it personally. Talley has a job to do at meets and he doe sit well. The Darts aren't where they are because Coach Talley is shooting the breeze with people. It's not us, it's him. ;)
Secondly, if you want to stay cool, then be cool. You don't people to tell you that you are cool. Just be cool. It's more of a state of mind. Just be who you are and don't worry about it. In life there are going to be people that like you no matter what, and there will be people who do not like you. Why waste your time worrying about people who do not like you, when you could be hanging with people who do?
If I worried about the people who didn't like me...well let's for the sake of this advice say that there are actually people who don't like me...well, I would have less time to be cool and give great advice.
Without getting into B.S. crap like "The Secret", just be what you want to be. Having other people think you are cool starts with you thinking you are cool. The rest is just sitting around chilling out, and letting the ladies swoon.

Should I push or should I shove?

My Dear Brad, most of us XC studs like to run the 1600 in track. While running the 1600 at that first 100 meters or so there is always that slower child (who unfortunately did not choose to run XC) who likes to cut you off and go his pace. This can create great problems if you are boxed in. Others also like to throw elbows and make you stumble, this is also unacceptable if you are faster. Should I hit back or blow his mind away with my insane running skills, or should I completely blow out of the starting line like a certain member of our team, Brad Nye?

-Brayden Cromar Kaysville, UT


Unfortunately slower runners shooting out like a bandit is just part of the sport. But even though Track is a non-contact sport, you can't be a wuss. You need to be aggressive the first few hundred meters and when the race really gets going later in the race. If you had a chance the watch the 2009 World Track and field Championships, you saw many people fall, get shoved down, or shoved back.
You should never shove or push to get ahead, but be prepared to protect your territory. If not, you will find yourself boxed in when the race really gets moving leaving you running for 2nd place.
But in the first 100 meters it is better to get out fast enough to keep yourself out of the shoving matches. This is not saying blow out so fast that 200 meters later you are gasping for air, but in track position can be everything. Especially the bigger races. So don't be a fool, stay in school, and get out fast.