OK Runner's Rebel: Scotty D

Updated: 2/28/12 6:37 PM to include Deadspin Article

If you happen to find this site looking for the OK Runner store that is located in Norman, Oklahoma then you're probably  looking for more information on my buddy Scotty D. Sorry to disappoint, but this is not the store website, but it will have my thoughts on that rebel Scott Downard.

However, OK Runner is where I got my start in the running industry. I worked there while doing some graduate work at the University of Oklahoma. The Thompson family who started OK Runner in 1995 is one of the most genuine group of people I know.

I ran with the OK Runner singlet for many years and Oklahoma is where I started this blog. The blog has morphed into much more as I've since moved on to North Carolina and now Massachusetts. I decided to keep the name for simplicity's sake and now say the blog is named for me being an "okay runner." I'm not good, not great, just okay.

Over the weekend, Scott Downard (aka Scotty D.) ran the Cowtown Marathon, won it, and was subsequently disqualified. For additional details on why read a Deadspin article, Yahoo article, a Star-Telegram article, the Letsrun.com thread, and rumor has it NY Times is inquiring for quotes. I say "ran" because Scotty D. toed the line on a whim and was, more or less, out for a good hard long run. Before I give my impression of Scotty D. or opinion on the matter, I suggest you read his blog about the weekend.

Scotty D. and I trained countless days during my time in Oklahoma. I am also good friends with Jerry Faulkner (aka Jerry's Kids, a nickname I gave him) whose bib was used at Cowtown. We were all at 2009 Oklahoma City Marathon wearing the OK Runner kit. It was a great time, great team and we enjoyed representing the local running store that provided us with the opportunity to work, train and race.

It's completely understandable that Scotty D. had to be disqualified from the race and I won't try to justify his actions. There are rules and they have to be followed. Yes, maybe he should have looked into getting a bib transfer. Yes, maybe he should not have toed the line in the first place. Yes, this whole thing is being blown out of proportion.

However, you have to understand that Scotty D. is the most laid back person you will ever meet and is not one to look for attention. That's not to say he won't get fired up if provoked as I've seen him yell at plenty of drivers who pass too closely. On a couple of occasions I was nearly dragged into an unnecessary scuffle, but that's Scotty D.

He loves to run. He loves following the sport. He loves to drink and brew beer. He loves to travel. He loves to help and pace others. He loves to race. The Cowtown Marathon was just an excuse to do all of these things.

I think it's great that his rebellious actions are being talked about because it continues the Oklahoma Sooner tradition. I can picture Scotty crossing the line, explaining that he was not registered, being told he was disqualified, saying "oh well" and then asking where the beer tent is.

He has run faster than 2:31and won a marathon before. I think this is where all of the attention is coming from as many individuals can never imagine running 2:31 or winning a marathon. It must be so heartbreaking to have those two accomplishments removed for not registering like everyone else. Think of all those hours of training wasted! Think of all that pain endured! All of it was for nothing!

Yes, that is all unfortunate, but not what was important for Scott. Rather, for Scotty D., Cowtown represented the opportunity to do everything he loves. Run. Travel. Pace. Race. And hopefully enjoy a pint.

My congrats go out to Scotty D. and OK Runner for getting some nice publicity!

 Before the 2007 Brookhaven Run sponsored by OK Runner

 Starting the Brookhaven Run

 We cleaned up nicely for Cat and Stu's wedding

Being rebellious and crashing a wedding. Meagan was there too.

 Doing the other thing we like to do.

Solving all the world's problems with Spencer.

Run Me Home

Time: 37:32
Distance: ~5 miles

After work this evening I left the shop and headed home to Main St. As I was approaching the GT I could see an athlete clipping along in the open field. I decided to stop and run with Tony Clement who is just getting back into shape for xc. We ran a few loops around the outer section (1200m) before parting ways. Tony decided not to join the boys out in Flagstaff this summer because he knows the real training benefits come with running in the heat of Oklahoma.

Image of the GT.

The rest of the run was pleasant and uneventful. I found my way home and grabbed some food (and beer).

A Sign of Return

Time: 27:41
Distance: ~4 miles

This run was just shy of 4 miles and I would normally go out and find another few minutes of run time but not when I'm trying to run smart. Scotty and I left OK Runner a little before 4 pm for a jog through Brookhaven on a warm but windy day. Spring feels like it is just around the corner which usually signals the time for me to get hurt. I think the past two years I've made it through winter healthy only to be greeted with a niggle upon the arrival of warmer temps. This year has to be different since it seems as though I'm on the mend which is good you know because I have a marathon to run in a few days.

I spent a good portion of the day attending to the lower leg with a couple massage sessions with IB Relief. The time out on the roads was good but I know I can get things to great. The right achilles is still a bit inflamed though improved over the last 48 hours. Also, the level of pain is less than where it was a few weeks ago when I ran a short workout of 2 x 2 miles. Now that I'm not running as much it's hard to tell what would happen if I chose to put in a 10 miler. I know I could finish, but I'm not sure what would happen towards the latter stages of the run. Right now the 30 minute mark leaves me running at a pain level of about a 2 or 3 out of 10. Not sure what the running plans are for the next few days but I'll be sure not to push the pain threshold while continuing to do all the little extras for the achilles.

Running Under La Luna

Time: 29:58
Distance: 4.30 miles
Pace: 6:58

I ripped off some solid splits running home from the store on my way to La Luna in Campus Corner. The first part of that isn't true, but the latter is. Can Mikie do this: 7:41, 6:55, 6:44, 6:38, 1:58 (.30 miles or 6:29 pace)? I didn't think so. I met the boys at the restaurant for some evening breadsticking. I had a couple beers and a basket of chips which made for a nutritious and balanced diet. It was a great night to run with calm winds and upper 20s, I would have gone longer but there was no need.

Time: 13:56
Distance: ~2 miles

After filling up on food and drink, I ran back to the Lodge. The run brought back memories of the backstretch of a beer mile.

Get Me Home!

Time: 48:27
Distance: 6.62 miles
Pace: 7:19

I needed to get home from the store this evening so what better way to do it than with my two legs. I left just before 5 pm and had a little bit of daylight to work with. I didn't feel great on the run mainly because I didn't have a lot to eat. I felt lightheaded a couple of times but as I was venturing through campus the body was feeling good. The splits will show how I felt 7:58, 7:06, 7:21, 7:27, 7:06, 7:04, 4:23 (.62 miles or 7:02 pace).

Brookhaven Loop

Time: 38:32
Distance: 5 miles

Tonight I just ran out and back turning at Tecumseh Rd. Not a whole lot going on, but I did chat with Meagan on the phone during most of the run. The legs feel good and the late night staff meeting was tons of fun. Big sale at OK Runner through December 24th, buy one piece of apparel and get one for half off. You know what that is... a helluva deal.

Charging the Hill

Time: 65:37
Distance: 9.30 miles
Pace: 7:03

This afternoon/evening Scotty D. met me over at Brookhaven for a run. He worked as a substitute teacher for the day at Norman High managing a psychology class. I'll call it managing because I'm not sure if he teaches or lectures, but he did meet this guy's son. I picture his son being pretty squirly considering his father's response to an OU student about gun control included:

"I just want to point out that Kletter's 'easy access' to a vagina enables her to 'quickly and easily' have sex with 'as many random people' as she wants. Her possession of an unregistered vagina also equips her to work as a prostitute and spread venereal diseases. Let's hope Kletter is as responsible with her equipment as most gun owners are with theirs."

Anyway, our run took us down Rock Creek and out to the flats for a bit and then we returned to Bob Stoops' neighborhood for some easy hill running. There is a pleasant loop that is slowly being developed with million dollar homes (pretty crazy for Norman) and one revolution in roughly .88 miles or 1400 meters. Our splits for the 4 loops were: 5:50 (6:42 pace), 5:39 (6:28 pace), 5:25 (6:10 pace), 5:18 (6:02 pace).

I felt pretty good on the pickups and was happy how the pace dropped each time with little extra effort. My right hamstring loosened up over the course of the run and especially on the hills. I gave myself a bit of a massage upon getting back to the store.

Give Me a Hill!

Time: 60:22
Distance: 9 miles

Scotty D met me over at OK Runner for a jog this evening when I got off around 5 pm. We ventured south through a couple neighborhoods and then headed down the berm where we ran looking for a back road. The pace was steadily increasing as the sun was setting and by the time we returned to the ostentatious with unnecessary columns, we were clipping along pretty good. We ran through to Robinson St. and then went in search of a hill in the Brookhaven 'hood. After a few wrong turns we finally found Hidden Hill and Northridge which both provided us with a long gradual effort. I would estimate that the pace got down to near 6 min. pace, but it was hard to judge due to the darkness. We looped around back waiting for the clock to tick to the hour mark before calling it a night.

After the run we headed over to Louie's west for $2 Blue Moons and an order of spinach dip. 4 days.

Night Run with an Xmas Tree

Time: 44:37
Distance: 5.75 miles

Tonight Scotty D, Carrot Top and myself went on a run from OK Runner. All three of us looked a bit ridiculous with our headlamps and flashing lights. when we started out from the Brookhaven Village parking lot. Despite our best efforts to be visible a car nearly turned into us just as we were entering the Brookhaven neighborhood. The run took us down the hill on Rock Creek Rd. and to 60th where we turned around.

The run was good. The legs agreed with the easy pace. 5 days.

OK Runner Boob Night

Time: 38:08
Distance: 5.75 miles

Tonight OK Runner had a Ladies' Night Event which involved a lot of bras and stuff that guys don't know or care much about. Tonight was the reason that Gus and I were waxing the floor yesterday and buffing the floor this morning. I cleaned a couple toilets, vacuumed and washed the windows too. Anyway, tonight involved a lot of work to make the store look good to our loyal customers.

The guys (Craig, Gus and I) got to leave around 6:40 when all the women started showing up to try on bras and prance around topless. Craig headed straight to Louie's while Gus and I went down to the old Champion's Bar & Grille to put on our running costumes. I was running through Brookhaven a few minutes into the run questioning why I felt so good. I should have been tired but there was a little extra in the step. I realized that the wind was blowing at my back and that the turnaround would not be fun. I made it to the corner of Rock Creek and 60th in just under 20 mins. which is a few minutes faster than I normally make it there. I decided that I would just turn the run into a decent effort and try to make it back faster than the way out. I kept the pace clipping along up the hill and back into the wind and I made it back to the Brookhaven Village parking lot just over 18 mins. Overall the run was enjoyable.

Afterward, I went to meet up with Craig and his buddies at the bar and Gus soon joined us. We enjoyed the $2 Blvd. Wheats later into the night. I even got to show Tom and Bart (Craig's buddies) a couple bar tricks. The first was a bust, but the second involving hovering beer bottles impressed them thoroughly.

Tacos al Carbon

Time: 50:29
Distance: 7-8 miles

Gus and I finished up with the first half of the wax job and needed to let the stuff dry for about an hour which gave us a perfect amount of time to go find breakfast. Our first thought was to visit our good customer and friend Lynn Do who owns Sunny Side up along Robinson St. We got sidetracked a bit and made a quick detour to Ozzie's because I had never been there. Well, the place was packed and not with people dressed up like they had been at church. The place was filled with fat people from Norman who were looking for a ton of food at a low price. I wanted to join them, but it didn't happen. Next we went by Sunny Side and the parking lot was spilling over into the liquor store beside it. Maybe Norman is also full of drunks who needed a fix on Sunday morning around 10 am, but I think the Addiction/Ariel wearing Lynn Do was simply making a killing this morning.

Gus and I drove on looking for some other place that could use our business. We thought that McDonald's or Braum's might get it but we instead turned on Porter and spotted a shitty looking diner place with an open sign. Turned out that those wankers forgot to turn off the neon sign because they aren't open on Sundays. At this point Gus and I were getting pretty dejected and we started talking about opening our own breakfast place, it would only be open on Sundays. That's as far as our business plan got.

We took a quick spin through Campus Corner and saw that the place was crazy busy. People were waiting outside of Turquoise to get a seat, Starbucks looked packed and there were no accessible parking places in front of Cafe Plaid. We tossed around ideas of Denny's (woof!) and Ihop (Meagan's dad would approve) but then thought those wouldn't be wise. We figured that since OU played a night game against Nebraska (OU won big. In fact, they put up 35 points in the first quarter and 28 of them were scored in the first 5:33. They were on pace to score 154 points at that juncture...in the first half) a lot of people stayed in Norman and were getting breakfast before driving back to wherever Sooner fans come from. This didn't help our cause.

Gus took a short cut near Lowe's when we spotted a Peruvian restaurant, Mamaveca. They looked open, they probably had huevos rancheros (Gus' order, not mine) and they weren't busy. Mamaveca got our business on this day and I enjoyed the tacos al carbon with steak. It wasn't your typical Sunday breakfast, but it was good nonetheless. Gus and I left pretty full and were ready to finish waxing the floor. It didn't take as long as I had expected and I was still full from the breakfast that was more like dinner. I headed over to Starbucks for the afternoon and read an old Runner's World magazine to pass the time. I was hoping Scotty D would show up because I knew he was all jacked up after watching the NYC Marathon. Looks like he went on a 100 minute run instead. I chatted with Owen and my mom (not at the same time) during my stint at the 'bucks. Soon it was around 4 pm and it was time to head back to the east side of town so I got rid of the t-shirt and put on the headphones.

So that was pretty much my day. The run wasn't that interesting or eventful. I started clipping along Lindsey St. and finished strong. The legs felt good, which is good.

Wax On, Wax Off

Time: 39:32
Distance: 6 miles

I had to meet Gus at the store today because it was our duty to wax the floor. The plan was to meet at 8 am, wax part of the floor, eat breakfast, wax the rest of the floor. I was out the door a little after 7:20 and it usually take me about 45 mins to get to the store so I had to come up with a shorter route and run a bit fast than what would have been ideal. I felt decent out on the really foggy roads which is unusual for Norman. It wasn't cold but it was definitely not warm with the dense fog. I made it to the store a bit quicker than I thought it would take me and I immediately went to the computer to turn on the computer. The NYC Marathon was taking place in the 5 boroughs of the city. I won't take the time to recap the race, but you can read Letsrun.com's coverage of the event and find results there. I will say that the Americans performed well on the men's side taking 6th through 10th and Kara Goucher debuted at 2:25:53.

All Hallows Eve

Time: 28:01
Distance: 4 miles

Gus and I put on our running costumes and headed out for a run just at it was getting really dark. I sported my headlamp through the streets of Brookhaven that were filled with kids dressed up in their real costumes. I didn't pay too much attention to what kids were this year, but I do know that everybody and their moms are dressing up as The Joker, at least that's what the FB shows me. I ran the standard loop but when I got back near the entrance to Brookhaven Village by Starbucks I was a few minutes short of what I wanted to be so I ran around to the back of OK Runner. I put in a few extra minutes to be able to safely call the run 4 miles.

Later in the night I was all suited up with my racing jorts and was ready to go to Scotty Hollingsworth's party, but then I got a bit sicker than I had expected. I ran out of daytime cold meds and didn't want to take the nighttime ones before heading to the party for fear of falling asleep. I started feeling pretty crappy by 10:15 and decided to take those blue pills and call it a night. Lame.

Watch Out for that Tree!

Time: 28:16
Distance: 4 miles

This evening after work Scotty D met up with Gus and I for a run from OK Runner. Every night a swarm of birds likes to nest in the trees between Louie's and Starbucks which makes a potentially treacherous pass under their tails. I usually choose to run around the trees and Gus like to show off his machismo by running under the trees. There is usually a pretty good exchange about him telling me I have a "wu wu" while I have to assert that I really have a "wee wee." That is another story for another time. Anyway, this particular evening Gus asked a deeply philosophical question to Scotty as we were running by the bird trees.

Gus: Hey Scotty, you ever wonder what the white stuff is in bird shit?
Scotty: Yeah, umm. I don't know.
Gus: It's bird shit too.

Run was good. Nice and easy.

Brookhaven Double

Time: 42:32
Distance: 5.71 miles
Pace: 7:27

Tonight I ran with Carrot Top from the store at 7 pm. It was pretty well dark by the time we left the parking lot and we headed out to Rock Creek Rd. where we almost caught up to Mr. Gustavo. We hooked a left and headed down the hill and out to 60th. The pace was pretty easy tonight which I needed due to this morning's workout. David lowered his 5k pr to 17:12 over the weekend up in Tulsa. Nice job Carrot Top.

The run was pretty uneventful other than the fact that I nerded it up with an overhead light. However, it was much appreciated on the half-mile section of Rock Creek that is unpaved.

Running to Work

Time: 42:35
Distance: 6.25 miles

I went to bed later than I had planned last night because I was messing around with my phone and knew that I was going to run to work in the morning with it. After getting everything worked out for the morning I went to bed but decided to watch a stand-up routine by Richard Pryor. Comedy Central apparently goes "R" rated after midnight and the jokes were unedited. The video isn't of the routine I watched, but it's still good.

In the morning I grabbed my phone, headphones and put some money in my water bottle and ran to work. The pace was nice and easy as I ran through campus while people were setting up their campers, rv's, barbecues and generators for the game this afternoon. The Sooners lost a helluva game to the Longhorns last weekend and they look to rebound this afternoon against the Jayhawks from Kansas. The run to the store was fine as I took the same route I've been using during the night runs home from work. It's a familiar route that isn't too busy with cars.

Craig managed to score tickets to the game via Nike and he will be leaving a touch earlier than usual but the store was quiet during most of the game. There was a period of time when Craig was gone and Gus was driving down from Edmond when I was working the floor solo when a few customers came in. It was all under control until Gus walked in with a costume that makes my jorts look like the next fashion trend. For a period of time he was even wearing a radio/headphone combo because the Cowboys game wasn't on tv and he had to listen to the game on the radio. It was quite the look and this picture doesn't do the costume justice, not to mention that Gustavo was speaking 30 decibles louder than usual because of those damn headphones.

Sweet Shoes Homer!

Brookhaven Double

Time: 39:07
Distance: ~6 miles

Gus worked at the Norman store today after his day off on Weds. and having to work a health fair at the capitol on Thurs. He ran 4 miles while I ran out to 60th before turning and heading back. A glance at my watch during the turn-around showed me that I was nearly 4 minutes faster on the way out than I was on Monday night. I was feeling good and just went with the pace and weather which was perfect. Gus and I estimated afterward that it was 68 degrees with no wind. As I approached 48th along Rock Creek I decided to throw in a single long surge up the hill. I wanted to open up the lungs and see what it would feel like. My turnover quickened and my arms followed suit for the ~2 min. effort. I tried to maintain form and by the time I hit the top of the hill I was pretty gassed but was feeling good. It was the first time I felt like I had pressed myself to the point of rigging up. The surge allowed me to catch Gus as we neared Robinson St. and since I threw in the hill I decided to shuffle back to the store with Gus through the parking lot.

Night Run Home

Time: 45:51
Distance: 6.25 miles

I did the same basic run as last night except I left work about 30 minutes earlier and I left the beer at the store. I ran with headphones on this evening for the first time in awhile. I'm still undecided if I like running with music or not. I enjoyed it during the run, but it's definitely not as safe, or very safe at all. The legs felt good, the air wasn't too cold and the wind was down.

The Beer Was a Bad Choice...

Time: 44:51
Distance: 6.25 miles

After a day at work and staying past closed it was time to get out for a run. I missed the McNellie's Pub Run training event that was hosted by Stu and Holly up in the city. Instead Craig suggested that I take a small bottle and fill it with beer and drink it on the run home. I grabbed one of the orange Fuel Belt 8 oz. containers and filled that sucker up. I downed the remaining for ounces from the Coor's Light bottle which gave me a glimpse of how bad beer miling really is. Anyway, I chatted with Craig and Anna for another 20 minutes before finally leaving for home. I jogged up Robinson before cutting in near the Westwood Golf Course where the streets are much quieter. When it was time to drink I popped open the top and immediately beer started foaming over the top. I put the nozzle to my lips and was greeted with Coor's froth and a bit of liquid. Not a great experience. I drank a couple ounces before realizing that all hope was lost and I squeezed the rest out. Such a shame.

The rest of the run was relatively pleasant. The weather was a bit chilly but I had a decent wind at my back for a majority of the run. The legs felt good as did the hip.

Brookhaven Double

Time: 44:10
Distance: 7 miles?

It started to rain at some point during the day which meant that running group that meets at the store every Monday and Wednesday nights was nearly non-existent. Gus and I had our shoes laced up and ready to go when David "Carrot Top" Wrenn arrived for a run. He and I were both sporting our newly acquired Nike Lunatrainers this evening. We jogged through the Brookhaven neighborhood and hooked a left on Rock Creek down the hill and ran out to 60th. The pace was easy but it was hard to judge because at 7:15 pm it is nearly dark out. Luckily David had a blinky light on his right wrist and both of our shoes were glowing. At the turn-around we were a little over 23 minutes which meant our return voyage was about 21 minutes. The pace didn't seem to pick up too drastically but by the end I was feeling comfortable with my stride.