Homer Alaska - Sports

It's easy to come up with reasons why people don't like running. There's the sweat, the exhaustion, the stress on the legs and knees, but for 16-year-old Dan Adickes, junior at Homer High School and varsity cross country runner, those are silly excuses that have never factored into his passion for the activity.

However, for Adickes, pinpointing exactly why he was born to run is a difficult task. While he can't put to words where his drive to run long distances originated, many of his deepest philosophical truths and views on life have been nurtured and developed through his involvement in cross country running.

"I just can't say why I like long-distance running," Adickes said. "Running is a challenge; a way to push myself. It gets my mind off school. I guess you could describe it as a type of meditation."

It was on a family vacation to visit his godfather in Russia, who at one time was a professional Russian long distance runner, when the running seed was planted within Adickes.

"He suggested I try it, and it turned out I was not bad at it," Adickes said.

Adickes joined the track team in middle school, ran the one and two mile, then as a freshman in high school joined the cross country team where during the past three years he has worked to develop his pacing and strategies that keep him at the head of the pack.

"As a freshman I would come off the starting line too fast and push my way to the front, but I always burned out that way," Adickes said.

In a typical 5-kilometer cross country meet, runners might start quickly, but then fall into a maintainable pace after a few hundred meters. Attempting to continue at the initial start speed makes runners lose their momentum at a much more rapid rate, Adickes said.

"Through a lot of practice and self-restraint, I've learned not to do that anymore," he said.

Adickes has taught himself the crucial art of pacing and has discovered that much of his motivation is derived from running alongside his teammates.

For Adickes, running in a group isn't a strategy of intimidation, or a way to move the slower team members along, but a form of encouragement, a statement against overly competitive runners and a way to focus positive energy on building a cohesive team.

"I'll acknowledge someone whether I pass them or they pass me during a meet — tell them good job, or keep it up," Adickes said. "I want everyone to do well. Lots of runners just focus on themselves, but it's more enjoyable to focus on the team as a whole."

This is Rachel Lord's third year coaching cross country and Adickes' third year on the team.

"It's been really neat to watch Dan mature into a strong runner and a great leader," Lord said. "He is dedicated to his team and to running."

Adickes wears his less-than-traditional footwear of choice, Vibram FiveFingers, more a glove-like product for the foot than a running shoe.

Adickes' theories regarding the practice of running are more Zen than competition based. He is uninterested in expensive, scientifically designed running shoes, preferring instead to run barefoot, or in thin homemade sandals, despite terrain that may consist of grass, mud, woodlands, hills, flats, water and pavement. His diet is healthy and primarily organic, but he's not strictly devoted to it. He avoids vitamins and caloric powders that boost carbs, and instead places his energy on building mental strength — a strength that revolves around a calm mind, positive thinking and resistance to the body's call to give up when exhaustion and negativity begin to set in.

His views on barefoot running have incurred looks of scorn and confusion, but he is one of many on the fringe of the running community to take up the practice. With shoeless running, the balls of the feet are the part which strikes the ground with the most force, whereas when running in shoes, the heel absorbs the most shock, Adickes said.

"I've learned not to run on my heels, so I don't have foot pains anymore and I'm not weighed down by shoes," he said. "I can pass people more frequently when running uphill barefoot too, because people tire more quickly when running on their heels."

Adickes hasn't persuaded the Mariners to ditch their sneakers yet, but the fact that he consistently finishes meets in the top three of his team has reduced the jeers from his teammates.

"We appreciate Dan's different theories on running and the world," Lord said. "They might not be for everyone, but we all enjoy his experimentation."

This year Adickes has been working on developing a philosophy he carries on and off the trails that centers around positive energy. "Negative thoughts make bad things happen," he said. "Staying as positive as possible makes me feel better, you just can't be focused on winning all the time."

Adickes has set the goal for himself to finish a five kilometer race in under 18 minutes this season. Two weeks ago he ran a meet in Seward in 18 minutes and 21 seconds.

"By the Palmer meet, I should be able to do it," Adickes said. "I want to go to state."

He currently is ranked 19th in his region. In order to go to state, Adickes will have to be within the top 15 cross country runners in his region. He has five more meets left in the season to accomplish his goal, including an invitational hosted by Homer on Friday.

"The most important part of running for me to remember is to run with a positive attitude," Adickes said. "Competition is good, but it's not the only thing."

Jessica Knox is a freelance writer who lives in Homer.