Discussion:

Those are fighting words (even if it was a virtual battle). Too bad you're not doing Manchester.

Your obsession with Phil, PG, does seem to indicate a certain concern, particularly after that excellent run he had on the weekend. I hadn't thought you were so insecure... :)

I actually was really glad he did so well on Sunday -- it's hard coming into this sport in your mid/late 40s and competiting against people who have been doing it for 20 or 30 years. But he's gotten a lot better. And when (not if) he starts beating me, my ego will handle it just fine.

And keep in mind that every training run done with him has been longer, tougher, and more fun than I would have done by myself. A training companion is priceless.

(Note: smiley added to earlier post for added clarity!)

Peter, with all your nice comments, you must have something especially nasty planned for our next run.

As to beating you in O: very, very unlikely (even once) unless you're talking the distant future, and that depends on our comparative rates of decay. (I'm not optimistic.)

Beating Peter is pretty elusive. After a thorough search of the records, I have determined that I've beaten Peter twice in o-races in approximately 25 years of trying. First time was at the '92 Billygoat. Peter and I were running together with about 3 controls to go when he put on a burst of speed to lose me, running by a control in the process and giving me enough advantage to hang on in the sprint at the end. Second and last time was at the '94 'goat. Peter had run a rogaine the day before someplace far away, and drove, flew and drove again to arrive at the start just in time to walk the course. My record is no better in golf. My best chance to beat him was a few years ago when I arrived at the 18th 3 strokes ahead, only to double bogey to his birdie, and escape with the moral loss of a tie. As Phil notes, there are comparative rates of decay to be considered, and I seem to be falling further behind.

Charlie: Peter's not invincible. In your case, I suggest chess. In my case, I've got unbeaten records against Peter in tennis and scrabble.

Charlie, I remember the '92 goat and you sailing down the finish chute just ahead of me -- those were the days I could contemplate breaking away from a pack by going forward off the front, not losing it off the back -- and as you say, I broke away and then made a fool of myself. The '94 I barely remember, half asleep most of the time having done a 12 hour rogaine in Kentucky the day before. A tough weekend double physically, but a psychological triumph just for finishing. And the golf, I remember standing on the 18th 3 strokes down, and I was thinking, seriously, if you just make a mistake and double, then I've got a chance. Normally my confidence in golf is about as low as it is high in O', but on that occasion I was quite sure I was going to get a 3.

As to Phil, I have no hope in tennis, he toys with me and laughs at me and there's nothing I can do. His unblemished record at Scrabble, on the other hand, will vanish the next time we play.