Des Linden - The Underdog
MARATHONER - ULTRAMARATHONER - TEAM USA OLYMPIAN
ARCHETYPE: THE UNDERDOG
Day 45/135
Athletic Accomplishments
As a general rule, I don't cry at work. You do whatever works for you, but crying is very much not for me. That is, of course, unless I'm watching Desi Linden break the tape at the 2018 Boston Marathon, becoming first American woman to win the title in 33 years.
But let's rewind a bit. Because Linden has long been a prominent name in American distance running. She surprised the field with her second place finish in the 2011 Boston Marathon (2:22:38, 5:27/mi), then qualified for the 2012 and 2017 U.S. Olympic marathon team. But Linden was never seen as the best. She was a scrappy underdog. A hard-worker, but maybe she lacked that X-factor or the genes to make her a champion on the world stage.
LOL, NUH-UH SUCKERS. That's where you're wrong. Because while you're out here brushing the thoroughbreds, Des Linden is a fucking work horse. She was out in the field, doing the work her-goddamn-self. And under the brutal weather conditions, every other runner fell the fuck apart. They weren't prepared for the shitstorm. They fell off, slowed, down, or dropped entirely. But not Des.
As I watched her cross the finish line on that Marathon Monday—soaking wet with sunken eyes and barely enough energy to smile—I believed anything was possible if you, in the words of the great Des Linden, "Keep showing up."
Character Archetype: The Underdog
Last Tuesday, Des Linden ran a world record 50K in 2 hours, 59 minutes, 54 seconds. That's an average of 5:47 per mile FOR 31 MILES. A light day at the office for Linden, who's used to running under the radar.
People have discounted Des Linden because she doesn't have the same top speed as other marathoners. Don't get it twisted—unless you are a genetic freak, she's way faster than you are—but somehow Linden has never really been a front-runner.
But she's smarter and more experienced. And girrrrrrrl, she has GUTS. You can't coach or teach that kind of spirit. It's something she built for herself, from herself. You don't often see a finish like she had in Boston. It's what dreams, movies, and careers are made of. She may never be the favorite, but you better never count her out. Desi Linden is a self-believing, self-motivated, self-made WINNER.