An ode to the junkie

8 years ago I stumbled across the Kickrunning site while looking for weight training info for runners. I created an ID and signed on and soon was posting to the boards. Kickrunning became merged with Coolrunning and eventually bought out by Active.com. While the boards prospered as kick and cool, the boards were drastically changed for Active and most of the regulars disbanded to other sites.

For over 8 years we've chatted and posted our thoughts and training. We've met each other at races and get togethers, most didn't hide behind the guise of an arbitrary user name.

Joe came on the boards about 5 or so years ago, he was a heavy guy, built like a tank with long dreadlocks and a penchant for extreme fighting events (and he competed in some events too). But he was also a kind and gentle man, who would literally give you the shirt off his back if he felt you needed more than he.

Posting as VoodooJunkie, his size and larger than life attitude made him quickly popular on the forms. He didn't hide behind his ID, he gave details of himself and his life and didn't hesitate to show up at as many events and social happenings as he could. I never met him, those that did could only have the most positive things to say, any who did were instantly his friend.

Despite his size he pushed himself in running, completing many road and trail marathons, always wanting to bring his time down, doing his best in Chicago last year with a 3:40:30.

Late Thursday he posted his last run report, doing 20 miles in 3 hours, 3 minutes and 39 seconds on a humid sticky evening. On Friday, Joe was gone. His workplace posted this article to say he died from heart failure. Perhaps his penchant for burgers (he's competed in many a burger eating contest, and has won more often than not) couldn't be offset enough by the miles he's put in. We'll likely never know.

Joe was a good one. He made the virtual space and the real space a more enjoyable place. I hadn't conversed with him in a long time as he moved over to Kickrunners while I've been on the CHRunners site, both sprung up from the demise of Coolrunning. But I was always amazed at his tenacity and desire to give it his all whatever he did, there was no middle ground.

So long Voodoo



Alive is a good start to the day. Take it from there