We've never met, but John Lancaster is my biggest rival.
This is according to Athlinks, the new social network for athletes. The site declared this complete stranger to be my No. 1 running adversary.
The last time I had a rival was during high school track. Nate Chisholm. He was a random guy who often turned up in my 1600 meter races, ran similar times and also had long hair. (I didn't get a haircut for 2 1/2 years in high school.)
I don't think we ever actually spoke. We'd exchange nods at the start, maybe a handshake at the finish.
Since we were both mid-pack runners, we usually battled it out for like fourth or fifth place. It wasn't exactly intense. But our proximity may have played a tiny motivating factor for each other. Or in my head, at least.
I just stalked looked him up on Athlinks. He seems to be getting faster. ***.
But it's been a good eight years since I've had a nemesis, at least the running kind. I kind of miss the competition. So I did some research on this John Lancaster who runs 3:08 marathons. I should at least know who I'm up against.
Thanks to Google, I discovered he's a member of Tri Wisconsin. I recently joined the club, too.
I got ahold of his email and sent him a message basically saying, "we've never met, but you're my biggest rival."
I half expected him to think it was SPAM and delete it.
The rival, in person
I got a call a few days later. It was him.
"I thought your email was SPAM," he said. "I almost deleted it."
He wanted to know what this rivalry thing was all about. Was I in his age division or something?
Well, no, I explained. He's 40 and I'm 26. He's kicking my ass regardless of age.
But according to Athlinks rivalry match-ups, we've run five races together and had some remarkably similar times.
He edged me by two seconds in the last Hank Aaron State Trail 5k and by four seconds in the 2006 Lakefront Marathon. He's had my number in four of the five times we've gone head to head.
When I talked to him, I mistakenly told him that I beat him in the 5k. My sole victory was actually the 2001 Al's Run 8K.
"I must have had a bad day," he said.
This rivalry was on!
Lancaster competes in a ton of races every year, including the upcoming South Shore Half Marathon and Spirit of Racine triathlon. I assume he's the top rival for a lot of people. He also told me he's one of two local John Lancaster runners. I might need another Tim Cigelske to be fair.
But in the community of amateur athletes, rivalries are friendly. Competitors with similar abilities are training partners, pick each other up and feed off each other's energy. They push each other to greater performances.
Lancaster, for example, was gracious enough to invite me, a complete stranger who sends random SPAM-like emails, to join him on his Sunday long run.
"I'm doing 14 miles at about 7:15 pace," he said.
WHOA that's fast!
He wins. For now.