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Mac:
OK, now you’re really having me on! How can she be the top contender when she hasn’t competed in years?
Jason:
Who knows what goes through that man’s mind?
Mac:
Speaking of, have you seen the big man himself?
Jason:
Not yet. There is, like, tension, in the air. Everyone is wondering what Boones’s next surprise is going to be.
Mac:
Is it still a shock if you know there’s more in the works? Feels like being told there’s a ‘big twist’ in an M. Night Shyamalan movie or something.
Jason:
Trust me, when you’re the one running, even though you know they’re coming, you get nervous. Remember our interview with Rupert Azzario? He’s won the most Ampersand racesout of anyone, like he’s specially adapted to Boones’s brand of wacky racing. He told us about what he calls ‘the Spike’ – that jolt of fear he gets when confronted with a Boones surprise. It’s the Spike that keeps things interesting, he says. Most ultramarathons you end up sort of shutting down as the miles drag on, going on autopilot – but that’s not possible here. You need endurance in your legs and in your mind. It’s why so many incredible runners, who might easily conquer the distance, fail to complete an Ampersand race.
Mac:
Where does it come from, do you think? Boones’s drive to test people, push the boundaries?