That Guy

That Guy

Ugh….he pisses me off.

You have probably encountered That Guy before and you may even feel the same way. It doesn’t even necessarily have to be a guy. I am sure there are lots of ‘That Girl’s out there but in my world I have only yet to encounter That Guy.

To really understand That Guy I should explain who the person is that is NOT That Guy- we’ll call him NTG.

I think most athletic/active people fall into the NTG category. NTG is a person who plans and prepares for their workouts/trainings. They regularly think about proper fueling and hydration. They understand that sleep plays an important role in performance. They have a recovery plan. They examine their mechanics and their gear and their progress and look for ways to improve. Sounds like you, right?

A perfect example of an NTG is Mr. A; one of the members of the marathon training group. Mr. A is an Iron Man and he trains like one. Mr. A comes to the runs wearing a fuel belt. He has the little bottles on his belt filled with electrolyte drink and in the pouches he carries gels.

*Side note:  because Mr. A is a pretty hardcore athlete he has individually formulated drinks designed just for him that he drinks during and after his runs. He also has customized drinks for when he rides, too. Pretty crazy.

Mr. A finishes his run and he stretches. He drinks a recovery drink. He eats a regimented diet to help rebuild his muscles and improve his performance. Mr. A knows there are many factors they play into how we train and progress.

Every week on the trails I get to witness Mr. A’s superior athleticism and see the results of his training and routine play out in front of me.

Every week I also get to see Mr. A running alongside That Guy.

That Guy pulls up in the morning for the run and gets out of his car smoking a cigarette.

That Guy drank a fifth of Jack the night before and then snuck in a few hours of sleep before the run.

That Guy heads out for a 13 mile run with nothing on him but shoes and shorts. No bars, gels, beans, chews, no water or Gatorade. Nothing

That Guy is an anomaly

That Guy makes any activity look effortless

 Probably because for That Guy it is

I don’t hate That Guy. Actually it’s the opposite.

I am in awe of That Guy. Having that innate superior athletic ability that allows you excel at everything you do. It is rare. It is amazing. It is inspiring.

And it pisses me off J

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars."
-Les Brown