would say the same holds true in business and, dare I say, politics.
It happened after the Montana Marathon on Day 12. On the long drive from Billings to Boise, Idaho, Hopps pulled me aside. “Karno, we need to talk,” he said.
“Sure, Hopps, what’s up?” I detected a note of seriousness in his tone.
“Dave is no longer with us.”
“No longer with us? Is he dead?” I tried to joke. Dave had mysteriously vanished while I was running the Montana Marathon, and now he wasn’t on the bus.
“It just wasn’t working out,” Hopps said. “I think he’s actually relieved. I’m not sure he ever felt comfortable in his role.”
“So what are we going to do now? Don’t we need a tour manager?” I asked.
“We’ve hired a replacement. Her name’s Robin Culver. She’s a close friend of mine.”
“Is she good?”
“The best there is.”
“Okay, Hopps, I trust you,” I said. There was a moment’s pause. “Does she know she’ll be the only woman aboard?”
“Oh, man! That didn’t even cross my mind. I never mentioned it to her.”
“Oh, well,” I said. “I guess we’ll find out just how good she is at dealing with the unexpected in a hurry.”
I met Robin the following morning, before the City of Trees Marathon in Boise, Idaho. The context was a round-table meeting of the entire Endurance 50 crew on the tour bus. We’d never had round-table meetings before. That was the first change.
Robin had the energy of a supernova packed into her muscular body. She talked faster than my ears could listen, had multiple lists going on several notepads concurrently, and even typed on her laptop as she asked questions. And boy did she ask questions. She had so many questions that she sometimes interrupted herself to ask a second question if the first one didn’t come out quickly enough.
She wanted to know all about my routine. “So after the marathons, are you getting rubdowns and massages?” she asked.
“I’d like to,” I said, “but there’s just no time. I tried to talk Koop into doing it on the bus, but I couldn’t get any lovin’ out of the man.”
It was a cheeky answer, but I sensed already that Robin knew how to be one of the guys even as she brought a distinctly female influence to the team. And I liked the fact that she listened so keenly. It was clear she had no intention of forcing any preconceived ideas or favored methods on our operation, but would instead work with what we had to achieve our goals. Robin was sure to lead changes in how the Endurance 50 functioned, and I couldn’t wait to see their impact.
For Women Only
Some women prefer not to exercise in the company of sweaty men—at least not all the time—hence the success of the Curves fitness center franchise. If you’re one of these women, you might want to try a women’s marathon. There are a couple of them in the United States. The Nike Women’s Marathon takes place in San Francisco in October, and the More Marathon, for women over age forty, takes place in New York City in March.
As I formed my first impression of Robin in this meeting, I found myself thinking back to my days as a windsurfing instructor in college. While working in this capacity, I was surprised to observe that women typically gained competence on the board faster than men did, despite typically having less raw muscle power. The reason, I discerned eventually, was that men tried to outmuscle the wind—a hopeless impossibility for even the strongest—whereas women allowed the wind to guide them, relying on balance instead of brawn.
The City of Trees Marathon in Boise, Idaho, our thirteenth marathon and Robin’s first, went incredibly smoothly. It was remarkable; everything flowed perfectly. Was it Robin’s influence, a woman’s touch, that made the difference? Could it last? I certainly hoped so.
CHAPTER 10
Fun Runs
Day 14
September 30, 2006
Seafair Marathon
Seattle, Washington
Elevation: 50'
Weather: 58 degrees; overcast
Time:
It happened after the Montana Marathon on Day 12. On the long drive from Billings to Boise, Idaho, Hopps pulled me aside. “Karno, we need to talk,” he said.
“Sure, Hopps, what’s up?” I detected a note of seriousness in his tone.
“Dave is no longer with us.”
“No longer with us? Is he dead?” I tried to joke. Dave had mysteriously vanished while I was running the Montana Marathon, and now he wasn’t on the bus.
“It just wasn’t working out,” Hopps said. “I think he’s actually relieved. I’m not sure he ever felt comfortable in his role.”
“So what are we going to do now? Don’t we need a tour manager?” I asked.
“We’ve hired a replacement. Her name’s Robin Culver. She’s a close friend of mine.”
“Is she good?”
“The best there is.”
“Okay, Hopps, I trust you,” I said. There was a moment’s pause. “Does she know she’ll be the only woman aboard?”
“Oh, man! That didn’t even cross my mind. I never mentioned it to her.”
“Oh, well,” I said. “I guess we’ll find out just how good she is at dealing with the unexpected in a hurry.”
I met Robin the following morning, before the City of Trees Marathon in Boise, Idaho. The context was a round-table meeting of the entire Endurance 50 crew on the tour bus. We’d never had round-table meetings before. That was the first change.
Robin had the energy of a supernova packed into her muscular body. She talked faster than my ears could listen, had multiple lists going on several notepads concurrently, and even typed on her laptop as she asked questions. And boy did she ask questions. She had so many questions that she sometimes interrupted herself to ask a second question if the first one didn’t come out quickly enough.
She wanted to know all about my routine. “So after the marathons, are you getting rubdowns and massages?” she asked.
“I’d like to,” I said, “but there’s just no time. I tried to talk Koop into doing it on the bus, but I couldn’t get any lovin’ out of the man.”
It was a cheeky answer, but I sensed already that Robin knew how to be one of the guys even as she brought a distinctly female influence to the team. And I liked the fact that she listened so keenly. It was clear she had no intention of forcing any preconceived ideas or favored methods on our operation, but would instead work with what we had to achieve our goals. Robin was sure to lead changes in how the Endurance 50 functioned, and I couldn’t wait to see their impact.
For Women Only
Some women prefer not to exercise in the company of sweaty men—at least not all the time—hence the success of the Curves fitness center franchise. If you’re one of these women, you might want to try a women’s marathon. There are a couple of them in the United States. The Nike Women’s Marathon takes place in San Francisco in October, and the More Marathon, for women over age forty, takes place in New York City in March.
As I formed my first impression of Robin in this meeting, I found myself thinking back to my days as a windsurfing instructor in college. While working in this capacity, I was surprised to observe that women typically gained competence on the board faster than men did, despite typically having less raw muscle power. The reason, I discerned eventually, was that men tried to outmuscle the wind—a hopeless impossibility for even the strongest—whereas women allowed the wind to guide them, relying on balance instead of brawn.
The City of Trees Marathon in Boise, Idaho, our thirteenth marathon and Robin’s first, went incredibly smoothly. It was remarkable; everything flowed perfectly. Was it Robin’s influence, a woman’s touch, that made the difference? Could it last? I certainly hoped so.
CHAPTER 10
Fun Runs
Day 14
September 30, 2006
Seafair Marathon
Seattle, Washington
Elevation: 50'
Weather: 58 degrees; overcast
Time:
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