We are hugely grateful to the contributors that help us make each edition of the magazine. Without their imagination and generosity LtW wouldn’t exist. Our thanks go out to the writers, but also to the illustrators who create the beautiful images that accompany our stories.
We recently spoke to writer, Barry Anderson, whose work was featured in Issue #5 of the magazine. We chatted with him about all things running-related and got to know him a bit better.
LTW: Why do you run?
BA: Because I can do it no matter where I find myself. Because I live in one of the best trail running cities in the world. Because life is too short not to spend it as a runner (and because I can eat all of the burritos I want and not worry about whether or not my pants will still fit in the morning).
LTW: What’s special about your work?
BA: I have two jobs. I own a small web design company that builds websites exclusively for locally owned mom-and-pop shops. I am also a motion analyst for Cyclologic (www.cyclologic.com) We optimize the fit, position and form of the worlds best cyclists and runners.
LTW: Tell us about your work that we published in Like the Wind.
BA: It was a fictional story starring Coyote and an (the?) Old Man. Whiskey was drunk. Love was made. The world was saved. You know… the usual.
LTW: What would your ultimate adventure be?
BA: I want to spend a week running/camping around Lake Tahoe on the perimeter trail. I would carry a very light pack, run 30-40 miles a day, and camp every night. Also, I want to one day be able to make it all the way through an entire serving of the “Exit Wound” noodles at my local Thai restaurant without my face melting off.
LTW: What is your favourite running moment (either yours or historical)?
BA: My true favorite running moment I can’t really tell you about… To protect the innocent and what-not. So instead, I’ll tell you about a typical Thursday night trail run in Arizona:
I spent a couple of hours in the preserve a few nights ago, and nearly stepped on a 3-4 foot Mojave rattlesnake. He was laying right in the middle of the trail, perfectly camouflaged. His rattle was mostly broken off, and he gave a quiet little buzz right before I was about to land on him. I saw him at the last possible moment and reached out my stride an extra few inches.
I yelled at the runners behind me to stop, and we waited for the snake to move on. I thanked him for not biting me, and kept running. A mile or so later, a coyote popped up out of a wash, sat down and stared at me. I stopped and stared back. He (she?) gave a little yip, and two pups came up out of the wash. They crossed the trail not 15 feet in front of me and disappeared behind a ridge. I kept running.
Another mile or so later, I saw a rabbit in the trail. I slowed down, and all of a sudden WHOOOOOOOOOSH! A giant freaking owl zipped down, grabbed the rabbit, killed it, and flew off. It was a completely surreal moment.
I love trail running.
LTW: Great story. Do you have a favourite running quote?
BA: “Dammit Barry! Are we lost?”
www.squaretaper.net
instagram.com/square_taper
facebook.com/squaretaper
Illustration by Nikki Larochelle.