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Tracktown (2016)
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"In long-distance running, the only opponent you have to beat is yourself." Haruki Murakami. "Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They're made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts." Dan gable. "If you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come true." Cinderella. "Team, t-e-a-m... Together, everyone achieves more." Anonymous. So, my cousin, dancer cousin? Yeah? She said she does it every night before one of her big dance shows. - Does what? - She does it. - Plum, she has sex. - What? - Yo, plum! - Good luck! Yeah, so, ever since then, it's kind of become one of my pre-race rituals. Oh, my god. Doesn't that hurt you, like, the night before a race? Yeah, but running hurts. You still enjoy that, right? Come on. I'm just messing with you. "I don't compare myself to anyone else because they do what's right for them, and that's okay by me." - Hi, plum marigold! - - Taylor swift. Hey, wanna come get pre-race cookies? Are you going to finally ask for bakery boy's number? - No. - Then I am not going with you. "You give up your childhood, and people say it's awful. I say it was a good trade." Mary Lou Retton. We all know the college running star plum marigold. But the Olympic trials? It's a whole new level of competition. What's going through your mind right now? Well, I've wanted to make an Olympic team for my entire life. All the work is done. I just have to stick to my routine and, you know, turn in my homework. So I'm not going to let any distractions get in my way between now and making the Olympic team. One sec. So, I just sold a bunch of power muffins to a group of 80-year-old guys wearing the same tights as you. Cool. - What? - Sorry. Fine. It's okay. What? I sent in my Eugene marathon design today. The committee loved the idea of finishing at Hayward field. They said that's something you can't do in New York or Boston. Mm. It's just exciting, is all. Okay. Sweetie, I know you're worried about tomorrow's race. But listen... Do you know what the kernels are? What, dad? Untapped potential, all right? I have so many 10th-graders, 11th-graders on my team that could be great if they chose, but there's only 24 hours in a day. Okay, dad. You know what the... ah... The burnt ones are? Burnouts. Over-trainers. - Okay. - But this one, plummy... You know what this one is? This is you, plum. Perfect. Ready. A prime kernel. Protein powder. - Morning. - Morning. "The successful warrior is the average man with laser-like focus." Bruce Lee. Remember, 30% of these women won't even show up to the race mentally. They let their nerves take them out. When that first move is made, I want you to go with them. Stay on the lead pack. All we need is sixth place to make the final. Next up on the track, it's the women's 5,000-meter prelims. You are seeing the makings of the new team Usa. And a big hometown welcome for plum "all that glitters is" marigold. "A goal is a dream with a deadline." Napoleon hill. The race is starting to speed up. We can see the lead pack breaking away now. Remember, folks, only six go to the finals. Legere heads straight to the front and controls the pace. There's no surprise there. And there's the bell lap! Uh-oh, a little pushing and shoving! Plum gets hit! That's not supposed to happen! Can she recover? These ladies mean business. Who will go all the way? Final stretch. Legere, Siegel, Hirsch, Schmidt, Anderson, and marigold grabbing the last spot in the finals! Next up: The men's 10,000 meters. Plum! Plum marigold! You just got sixth place to advance to the finals. Must feel pretty good. Yeah, I'm happy to be advancing. You were seeded first in that heat. Can you talk about what happened? It looked like you were in pain towards the end there. No, yeah, with 300 to go, I tried to make a move and got a little knocked around and, um, you know, wasn't feeling that final kick, and, you know, nothing's guaranteed. And, um, I tried to be brave. I'm sorry. "Expectation is the root of all heartache." William Shakespeare. I can't recommend that you run in the finals unless you're recovered. You had an extremely aggressive race today, and your body needs to heal. I want you to take tomorrow completely off. No running. But I never take days completely off. The finals are in three days. I'm well aware, but if you want to tow the line strong, you need to be smart now. Plum, what's your weekly mileage? 90 to 100. It says here you haven't menstruated in two years. Is that right? Is that bad? It has to do with your bone density, which is likely low, and poor bone density can lead to complications... For starters, increased likelihood of injury, permanent damage. There are long-term consequences that you need to consider beyond your athletics. I mean, you're still a woman. What does that matter? Hello? Hello! They said I'm ruining my body! It's better than, you know, letting it wither away from disuse. What you mean wither? Why do you have all these trophies in the house, dad? Why don't you get rid of them? Because they're yours, plummy. You've earned them. - They're your achievements. - I don't want them! - Okay. All right. - Hello? - Gail! - Mom, why are you in our house? I came to see you. Great timing, mom! Gail, um... Are your parents with you? No. Maybe we should call them. No, I don't have to tell them everything I do. What... Is plum mad because of me? No. She had a very hard race. I thought the race was Monday. The finals are Monday. The prelims were today. Gail, okay, we love it when you visit, but you have to contact us before you come, Gail. It's as simple as that. You don't think I should go talk to her? No, absolutely not. Absolutely not. You made the finals. It didn't have to be pretty. This isn't just a fun race. The Olympic trials are really important for my future. It's just a day off, plum. Your future will be fine, okay? Mm. My mom showed up again. Are you all right? I have a headache. You can't worry about her. Just take your nap, okay? Hey, do you think we're going to be able to have babies? What? Plum, we're fine. Yeah. Let's worry about not having babies for now, okay? Okay. I love you. Bye. Love you, too. And then we've got high school events from 10:00 am till 5:00 pm nonstop tomorrow night right here at historic Hayward field. Louis takes the lead as they go to three laps. 4:18:01. That was at 70. 88:06. That was the second fastest in the last heat. He's coming up now on the outside. I was watching that. No, you weren't. Please turn that back on. I don't like it when you fall asleep in front of the TV. It makes me feel sad for you. Plum, I was just watching TV. I don't know why that would make you sad. Because it does. Okay. Can you stay home tomorrow so I'm not all alone? Plummy, the pancake mile is tomorrow. I'm captain of that ship. I have to be there all day. You have that every year. I'm going through a really hard time. I'm injured. Plummy, you are not injured. Don't forget the MCA race is coming up shortly. The conditions are are hot. That may explain the slow pace. It's looking tactical. "Never give up on something you can't go a day without thinking about." Sir Winston Churchill. Hey. It's okay, sweetie, today's just about being relaxed, all right? All the work is done. I got to head down to set up the pancake mile registration. The guy who was supposed to run in the pancake costume dropped out last minute. Extra. Okay. I got to run. Are you going to be okay alone? Mm-hmm. Okay. Mwah! Stay relaxed. Do your coloring. I love you! I love you, too. Rest and recovery. Plum! Hi! Good morning! Dad's not here. Oh, that's okay. I came to see you. I'm busy. Oh, are you about to go running? No. Oh, well, your dad said you have a day off, so I'd really like to spend some time with you. Let's go to the park. Please? I got you this. Come on. It'll be fun. Please? "The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists." Proverb. I started a business. Look. Look. This is for you. It's a kitsy. What it is, it's a monthly subscription, and every month, the subscriber gets a new crafts kit. So I pick the crafts, I assemble the kits, and then I mail them off to my clients. And this is beading month, and I'm up to 77 subscribers. It's... it's a virtual community. - That's great, mom. - Yeah. I know the Olympic trials are an important time in your life, and I thought you might appreciate having your mom around. A mother understands what a child does not say, you know? Is it profitable? Hmm? Your new business. Is it profitable? Or do grandma and grandpa just pay for it? Oh, oh, well, you know, I mean, it's a start-up, so, you know, I mean, they pay for some things, but it's, um... You know, no one's forcing anyone to do anything, so... And, you know, it's important to get support from your parents sometimes. I mean, you know, that's why I decided to drive up here. I just want us to see each other as much as we can while I'm here. I love this. It's so great. Just a little bumping and grinding, and a little no-fly zone. Hi. - Good morning. - Hello. Don't worry about him. He's nobody. - You want to go for a run? - Are you joking? I just want to shake out. It's not a big deal. Don't be stupid. I'm fine. No. Please? No. I'm being a good teammate. Go home. Watch a Disney movie, okay? Turn off your brain. I don't want to go home. Do you want to play in the pool with us? No. - Do you want to go to target? - No. Well, that's what I'm doing today, and you're welcome to join, but I'm serious, if you run, I'm going to call coach. And I'll know, because I have people. Don't call coach. Bye. Bye. "If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there." Cheshire cat. We're closed! - Sorry. - It's okay. Do you need more cookies? We have some in the back. You can just take them. Okay. Um, do you need anything else? - Like food? - Yeah, food. Okay. Can I make you a sandwich? Meat? Turkey. So, in my head, I always call you "chocolate chip runner" because you always order the same thing every time. I always knew your name was Sawyer because of your apron. What's your actual name? It's plum. That's a cool name. Um, can I maybe have some more meat? Yeah. A little more, please. - Cheese? - Oh, it's perfect as is. You just want a pile of plain Turkey on bread? Yes. Okay. Here you go. Thank you. This is nice. Normally I close up alone. Normally, I have practice right now. Oh, but not today or...? Not today. I had to take a day off because I'm running this big race soon. Do you usually get nervous before a big race? Everyone gets nervous. I remember when I was in elementary school, I was in a play, and I was so nervous I was going to forget my lines. It was traumatizing. So what'd you do? I quit. Thanks again. No problem. So you going to feed the ducks with all those bagels? Sort of. I was always taught more practical Bumblebee lessons. Like that bumblebees die when they sting? No, not all of them. Only honeybees do. Bumblebees can actually sting you without killing themselves. Cool. So, how old are you? Are you sure you're not, like, 15? Yes. Look, you can definitely outrun me, okay? But I'm pretty sure if push came to shove, I could take you just based on body weight, pure laws of physics. I don't know. We lift weights. Come on, this will only take a minute. Hey, come on. - Hey. - Hey, Sawyer. - Oh, hey, man. Hey, Vicky. Hey. I come bearing gifts. Oh! Oh, beautiful. Oh, yes. Thanks, man. - Of course. - Mmm. Naturally. This is plum. - Ah, plum, welcome. Hi. - Hi. Are those your friends? They're my roommates, kind of. I don't know, kind of a weird situation, but they're pretty cool. Oh, you live here. Well... technically, I live there. It's pretty cool. They let me park here and shower here and stuff like that. Are you sketched out? No, no, I see these things all over town, but I've never actually been in one. Yeah, I mean, I'm kind of stuck with it, but it's pretty cool. It's got a bed and a kitchenette. - And the engine still runs. - It's so cool! You can eat and sleep and drive somewhere all in the same place. Yeah, you can drive all the way to China. You can't drive China. Yeah, you've probably been the China. I heard the oreos taste different there. Can we go inside? Um... Yeah, yeah. Watch your step. - Pretty deluxe. - You don't even lock it. Watch out for that. Cool. I like your decorations. Thanks. It's got a lot of character. I've thought about selling the place, getting some cash for another place, but I'll just spend my money on stupid shit. Like what? Like I bought a unicycle. So stupid. And I ended up giving it to a homeless man. - The man that rides the unicycle? - Yeah, that was me! - Whoa! - Yeah. Plum? You can sit down. So, you live with your teammates? No. I live with my dad. Oh, what about your mom? It's just dad. Oh, I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Oh, no, my mom's not dead. She's in a hotel. - She's... -oh, she just doesn't live in Eugene. Staying in a hotel. Well, she used to. And then she had a breakdown and had to go live with my grandparents. So now we just have visits. Sorry. Oh, hey... It's okay. Not everybody's fit to be a parent. My mom was a nomad. I mean, I grew up moving around a lot. Where is she now? Arizona. She decided to leave Eugene for good and run off with her boyfriend. I guess not everyone was meant to stay. I stayed. And I'm happy. I've only ever lived in Eugene. That's cool. See, I think Eugene is like this sink drain, but not in a bad way. It doesn't suck people down. It just makes them stay and float with all the other particles. - Sawyer! - Oh, god damn it! God. These assholes. - Come here. - You know them? Yeah, they're my roommate's. God... agh! I always tell them they're going to get run over, but he says, "no, no, no, let them learn the hard way." But they're chickens. They can't learn. Sawyer! Sawyer! Come here! Hey, hey! - Guys, not the bush! Oh, over there! Ah, Cornelius! - Get it! - Oh, gotcha. This is Cornelius. He always tries to run away. He's stupid, isn't he? Yeah, are you stupid? I think he's brave. You okay? Sorry. What happened? It's just I really should be elevating my leg today. Um... So... what does that mean, exactly? It means that you lift your leg above your heart so that the swelling drains out and you recover faster. Do you need to lie down? Um, I probably should ice, too. Oh, I know where we can get some ice. I... I think maybe I should go home. No, no, no, no. This place has the most awesome, best ice on the planet. It's so cold and it's just, like, really good, and I'll take you there, and then I'll take you home after that and drop you off. We can put that leg up on the way. Okay. Great. Okay, no peeking. No peeking. Okay, gosh, where are we going? Where is... Where am I taking you? What a weird place, huh? Oh, jeez. Okay. All right. Ta-da. Here it is. So, what do you think? Um... Didn't you used to come here when you were a kid, or...? No? Is this the ice place? Yeah, they have ice here. Hello? Jenny. Hey, Sawyer. Hey, I didn't know you worked here. Yeah, I've worked here for, like, two months, stupid. Can we have two cones and a bag of ice? Do you want yours dipped? Yeah, yeah, we'll take them dipped. Wait. Cheers. And now like this. Very good. Here. Thank you. Do I know you? I know you. You're the runner. She's famous. Bringing famous people to my place of work. You know, this one I used to date, but not anymore. He smells bad. So, is running, like... Your job job? Like, you get paid? Not in college, but once you sign with a pro team, yeah. But you went to college for free, right? Jenny. You must like pain. I mean, running hurts. At least it hurts every time I try, so... Sorry, I... Sorry. Hello? I'm fine. Dad, I'm fine. I'm sitting on the couch. One sec. I don't know, dad. Normal. I'm good. I'll see you tonight, okay? Love you. Uh... I'm really, really, really, really sorry about what happened. I need to go home. Okay. It's just I need to nap in my altitude tent. You sleep in a tent? Can I see it? My house is really messy. I really like you. Me, too. I really do need to nap, though. Okay. Bye. Bye. Have a good nap. - Dad? - Hey, p. Nice steaks. Red meat. Did they approve your marathon course design? Nope. Not this year. That's okay. Just gives me time to come up with a better design for next year. Why are there three steaks? Mom's coming over for dinner. Mmm. It's delicious. You know what? I only have steak when I come here. It's an art, you know... The perfect steak. Yeah? Doesn't just leap off the pan and tell you it's done. It's about knowing what's going on underneath the surface, even though you can't see it. Yeah, well, how do you know what's going on underneath, huh? Well, sometimes you just have to cut it open with a knife. But the real pros, they just know. Well, to the perfect steak. Hmm. To the perfect steak. Dad, can you pass the salt? Yeah. There you go. Plum, your dad used to get the same nervous look on his face before a race. Yeah, that one you're making right now, right now. - Oh, and he loved his salt, too, right? - Mm-hmm. You guys, you guys are like twins. When you think of racing, you only think of the physical part. I didn't think of how much mental tricks can get played on you by yourself, I guess. You know what? I remember, it was the NCAs, the finals. I was doing the 1,500, and Gail made a sign that surprised the heck out of me. I made the finals, which was the biggest deal ever, as you know, and I'm rounding the final turn, and I'm in seventh place. - I got no shot. - -Oh. But as I turn, there you are, and out of the cardboard boxes that we had had my breakfast cereal in for that entire week, you had made a "go, Bert, go" sign and painted it red, white, and blue as if I was ever going to make any Olympics. I just love watching you race. Plum has surpassed me. So, plum's graduating now. What are you going to do, Burt? She's going to move out? We're not sure yet. You know, plum, your dad and I lived in your room in this house when we were in college. That was the first room we lived in together. So, your major was something... sports? "Surround yourself only with people who are going to lift you higher." Oprah Winfrey. Whitney? Hey! - Hi. - Hey. Hey, who are all these people? Just my housemates and their stupid friends. Can we hang out? Um, I can't really leave this situation, but you can hang out. Wait, aren't you supposed to be in bed now? Yeah, but I have to tell you about my day. I kissed a boy. Who? I'll give you a hint. He makes cookies for a living. Shut up! Shut up! Bakery boy? I just think it's risky, your mixing business with love. What do you mean? I mean you pretty much go to this bakery every day, and now you're making out with the bakery boy? His name's Sawyer. Look. You can put this on your refrigerator. Sawyer? Hi, it's plum. Hi. What are you doing right now? - Hey. - Hey. - Come on. - Okay. I like your sweatshirt. Thank you. It's the only thing my mom ever gave me that I actually like. So, is this what you do with all your Saturday nights? This is my laboratory! You're the one who called me. Hi. Hi. Hey. You're not like any other girl I've ever met. I feel like you're from another world. You think I'm crazy. No. I think your extreme. I like it. I feel really lucky. "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." We just have to wait for 10 minutes and let all the lactic acid drain out. There's a hole in your sock. I know. They're my lucky socks. I never wash them. So... If you make the Olympic team, does that mean you'll leave Eugene? Runners travel a lot. That'll be cool. We could travel. We could go somewhere. I thought you were going to stay in Eugene and float with all the particles. No. I'd leave if I had a reason to. I'm strong. I know it's kind of gross. Sorry. It's not gross. I look like a boy. Plum... Stop. You look amazing. Whoa, whoa. Is this okay? It's just moving really quickly. You've never done this before? Mm. No. Okay. I got a question. Okay. When you're running, is there such a thing as going too fast? Well, when you're running, there's an edge... Between... What is and isn't too fast. Okay. But, um, it's not a sharp edge. It's stretchy. And if you're brave, you push on it. I have to go. No. Stay. I can't. My teammate is waiting for me, and I have to go to be with her. Why don't you just tell her you can't come? I can't do that to her. I bet she'll understand. No. That's not how teammates work. Will I see you again? Yes. Mm, when? Soon. You're a good teammate. "Only you can control your future." Dr. Seuss. You're probably mad I'm here. Should I be mad, plum? I don't know. Maybe. Did you get a tattoo? No. Did you take something, plum? No. Good. I'm not going to get upset with you for staying up too late, plum. That's not my job. It is your job. - No. - Yes, it is. No, my job is to coach you, to guide you, but you still get to make your own choices. I don't like making choices. I want you to tell me what to do. But that's not the way it works. I cannot go to the starting line with you, plum. It's hard. Yeah, it is, but you're the best. And you love it, don't you? I can't imagine anything else I would do. Well, that's how you know you're doing something you love... When you can't imagine doing anything else. "Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up." Rocky balboa. Okay, let's get started. Flex your muscles. Flex your muscles. Oh, yeah, that's great. Oh, my god, it's beautiful. Okay, show me your start line pose. Fantastic. Okay, uh, you're the president. You're the president of the United States. Mr. president... I mean, uh, Mrs. president. Mrs. president. You're running, you're running! You could still decide to keep running next year, you know. I don't want to run next year. How come you don't want to? Because I don't. You don't like training with me? It's not all about you, plum. Are you going to stay with that guy? I don't know. Do you love him? No. Then why are you with him? For fun, plum. You remind me of my mom. She never figured out quite what she wanted to do. That was a really dumb thing to say. Sorry. I'm gonna go. Hey, I'm supposed to drive you home. How are you going to get home?! Whitney! "There are no traffic jams along the extra mile." Roger Staubach. - Plum! - Sawyer? Hey, I thought I'd surprise you. How did you know I was here? Uh... I don't know. So... Come with me later, okay? Let's go for a ride. I'm taking the RV to the shop and getting it all checked out. Why? So we can go away together. Sawyer... Oh, my god, plum, I'm just kidding. I can't hang out today. What? Just skip your nap and skip stretching, and, come on, you recovered fine. I don't understand. I don't skip things. You wouldn't just leave your job at the bakery if someone wanted you to hang out, would you? No, but I also, at a certain time during the day, stop working. I stop working! Running doesn't work that way. Okay. Okay, listen to me. Listen to me, okay? You need to find time every day - to make yourself happy! You have to do it. I didn't get to where I am by doing that kind of stuff. Hey, look... We have fun together, right? Come here. Bye! And I am happy! "I live to succeed, not to please you or anyone else." Marilyn Monroe. Dad? Hey, plummy, how are you? What are you doing? Cleaning. I don't want you to clean. Look what I found. Huh? Place looks pretty good, doesn't it? I didn't ask you to do this. Sure you did, remember? "For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned." Benjamin Franklin. You okay? Honey, this needs to be cleaned. - I'll do it. - No, it's fine, honey, I will. - I don't want you to hurt yourself. - Dad, dad, stop. - You're being silly, sweetie. - Don't touch it! Plum, plum, plum! You're going to hurt yourself. That's fine. That's what happens. Please don't say that. You need me to make you happy. Plum, I'm perfectly happy. No, you're sad. No, I am happy. I love my job. I'm part of this community. I have a daughter who is running in the Olympic trials finals tomorrow. Gonna win. I have a garden, huh? And... I love being part of your life. Okay? I love being part of your life. I'm sorry. It's okay. It's fine. Oh, honey, come on. Careful, careful. It's okay. It's okay. Sweetie, it's okay. "It is our choices that show what we truly are." Albus Dumbledore. Hi. Excuse me. There's no clothes allowed back there. Oh, I'm just going to meet someone. Her name's Gail. It's the rules. Here, have a robe. Plum. I picked you these. Oh. Thanks. In elementary school, I told people you were an astronaut, and that's why you had to leave and come back all the time. Oh. Thanks for making me an astronaut. That's not what a mom is. What do you mean? Of course I'm your mom. No, you're not. You're more like a Jack-in-the-box. Okay. Sorry. Oh, shit. Look, it just started to become really stressful, and the stress just affected me really badly. Like, really badly. I do want to be a mom to you, okay? I'm just a late bloomer. I don't need a mom. That's what I came here to tell you. But it makes me happy to come visit you. Dad and I figured it out, so you don't have to worry about it anymore, you know? That makes me sad. No, it should make you happy. Um, you can still be in my life, but you just can't my mom. And... you have to be something else. Okay. I can do that. Okay. Yeah. I'm going to go now. I have somewhere I need to be. Okay, go, but I'll see you later, yeah? Mm-hmm. And good luck tomorrow. "If you want something you've never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done." Thomas Jefferson. Hello? Sawyer. Hi. Why are you here? Because. Don't you have a race tomorrow? Shouldn't you be preparing, resting? Shouldn't be here with me when you have something special like that. You're special, too. No, I'm not, not like you. It's okay, I get it. Not everybody gets to be an Olympian or an astronaut or whatever their elementary school teacher told them. Don't say that. I don't want to mess this up. Do you want to be here? Do you like me? Yes. Yes. So, you're not mad? I'm happy. You're so small. Now you. Now what? How are you? I'm good. How are you? I'm good. Where are you going? Home. Back to the altitude tent. Yes. That's cool. You should stay. You don't want to stay? Hey. Hey. Plum. Come here. Just stay a minute. Bye. "If you ever find yourself in the wrong story, leave." Mo Willems. Hey. I'm sorry. Shh, no. Plum. Do you think everyone will know? They can't know. They can only see what happens on the track. Next up on the track, the women's 5,000-meter finals. Our United States Olympic team will be chosen here tonight. This is it. Let's show our support for the future team Usa! The weather could not be more perfect here in the emerald valley. In all my years, I have never seen a field as stacked as this one. I feel the magic of historic Hayward field. Don't you? I'm nervous, and I'm not even racing! This is track, ladies and gentlemen. No halftimes, no time-outs, no substitutions. Our sport is your sport's punishment. "You can't master how to run a race. You can only know how to run the race you're in. Every race has two things in common... There can only be one winner, and it's always going to hurt." Tracktown's own plum marigold! "A race is like a cliff. You have to get close to the edge to see the view. At first, it scares you. It will probably always scare you. But the closer you are to falling, the more beautiful it is." Plum marigold. |
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