Earl Fee... Going Strong 80 Years Young

I received an email from the running club coordinator at the YMCA the other day. He sent us a link to a blog that contained an interview with local running legend, Earl Fee.

My first encounter with Earl was at the YMCA, more than 15 years ago. I was doing speed work with Barrie Shepley's group at the time. A couple runners in my group told me about Earl, the 65 year old, who was a track and field sensation setting Masters records at the international level.

I later got to know Earl through my encounters with him at the Y, as well as running expos. I even have a copy of his book "How to Be a Champion..." Earl is quite personable. He takes the time to talk shop with all the runners he encounters while letting us in on the stories from his track meets. Earl has been where most of us have been. He is currently fighting his share of injuries and is not afraid to acknowledge that. Aside from running, some of Earl's hobbies include poetry, art, writing, and public speaking.

Earl is now 80 years old and he is going strong. In fact, Earl does not look like an 80 year old at all. He is in amazing shape and has the right attitude to go along with it.

Here is one of his poems that appears on the interview. It is definitely a strong prayer, one that should be folded on a small piece of paper and carried on runs of various distances.

Runners Prayer

Fear give me your fury;
Let me taste your torment.
Pain give me your worst;
Let me feel your fire.
Unleash these wild steeds
Of Fear and Pain,
So they may be trained and harnessed
To obey my commands.
Let me test my mettle
In the flame of training,
In the heat of battle,
In the couldron of competition,
And the furnace of the fray,
So I may forge my body, mind and spirit
Like a sword in the glowing coals,
So they may be harder than steel,
Brilliant and fearsome.
And ever ready for my friendly foes.
This is my prayer oh Lord.

Earl William Fee

February 1999.

The interview can be found here.
Earl's blog entries on this same site can be found here.