The Lighter Side of Endurance: Ted’s Adventures in Humor

People often imagine endurance athletes as serious, stoic, laser-focused machines of discipline.

Ted shattered that stereotype.

Yes, he could outlast storms, mountains, and multi-day races.
But he could also outdo just about anyone when it came to mischief, costumes, and friendly bets that made absolutely no sense.

Vivian, who documented many of their adventures, always made sure to include a section on the funny moments — because when you live at the edge of human limits, sometimes laughter is the only thing keeping you balanced.

And with Ted, laughter was never in short supply.

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The Man Who Tried to Outrun a Horse

One day, Ted made a perfectly reasonable proposal.

At least, reasonable in Ted-logic.

Friends Jerry and Shelley Leiser owned a ranch in Larkspur, Colorado, complete with several horses. Ted casually bet Jerry that he could beat Jerry’s horse in a 100-mile race.

Jerry, who loved his horse and had at least a basic understanding of reality, declined.

“I’m not doing that to my stallion,” he said.

Instead, Jerry offered a compromise: a race up and down a mountain.

Ted agreed instantly.

The Leisers unloaded their horses from the trailer and began saddling them. Ted, however, had no interest in waiting for formalities like “equipment” or “animals.”

He just started running.

His early launch gave him a solid lead, and through sheer stubborn determination, Ted reached the top of the mountain in about two hours — ahead of the stallion.

Victory?

Not quite.

Because while two legs might power a strong uphill charge, four legs are a masterpiece of engineering on the way down.

Grandioso, the Paso Fino horse, flew down the mountain with smooth, sure-footed speed and easily took the downhill portion of the race.

Ted had won the climb.
The horse won the descent.

Call it a draw — in the only kind of competition where a human racing a horse makes sense.

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The Master of Disguise

Ted didn’t just test limits in races. He tested them in public settings, too — usually while wearing something ridiculous.

He loved costumes. Masks. Characters. Anything that would make people smile — especially kids.

He’d show up in disguises that caught both adults and children completely off guard. And he didn’t just wear them himself — he encouraged everyone around him to join in.

Vivian once gave him a Santa Claus suit.

Most people wear a Santa suit for a party or maybe one event.

Ted wore it everywhere.

He wore it while visiting the children of Warren Village.
He wore it climbing the stairs at 1999 Broadway — several Decembers in a row.
He wore it every Christmas Day for his godchild, Morgan Smith.

For years, Morgan believed in Santa.

Then, around age ten, the truth dawned.

Santa… was Uncle Ted.

Also known as Godfather Ted.

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Why It Mattered

Ted understood something important: when you push yourself to the edge of exhaustion, humor becomes survival.

Laughter lightens the load. Costumes break tension. Silly bets turn hard memories into joyful ones.

The same man who could endure pain for days could also show up in a Santa suit or challenge a horse to a mountain race — all with the same fearless enthusiasm.

Because endurance isn’t just about suffering.

It’s also about joy.

And Ted carried both, every step of the way.