The Biggest loser, Ted McClelland and beginner triathletes
I feel like I should splurt out all of the crap in my head before I attempt to goto sleep.
Mostly because I dont think I'll get to sleep if I don't.
I have the feeling that I won't be doing much sleeping at all for the next three weeks as I anticipate this race coming up.
I call it a race, it's more like a challenge.
take that back..its a race.
Its a race against the me who wouldnt wake up in the morning to train. Its a race against the me who wouldnt stop eating candy. Its a race against the me who would just as soon stop at 13.1. Its the race against the me who would stop at zero miles if it werent for the crazy friends I have. Its a race between the me who's fine where I am and the me who wants to grow up to be just like those crazy friends I have.
So ok. its a race.
Anyway.
Ted McClelland wrote an article about a year ago about how people like Oprah are destroying running. Because now its not about people pushing the human body to its limits, but about everyone completing some emotional challenge. Blah blah. I've thought about it all day.
What's funny is...I was mad at him all day too..and I just realized why. Because he single-handedly took away all of my accomplishments because he took me out of that world. The world of fit people being cool and being nice to each other and wearing cute shirts. Its funny that I was so ticked that he took me out of the world, because I've never really been in it. Its like he took of my assumptive mask. Because the world of the runner, or the triathlete, or the cyclist or the marathoner is not one that you can just jump into. You can't buy your way into it or get on some waiting list or learn the cool jargon, you have to bust your ass into it. And I have four medals...so obviously I'm in it.
But really...I'm not. And he called me on it.
Its funny though because not an hour before I read HIS article, I had written one of my own about J-Lo. Ok, I hadn't written it down, but I had said it almost word for word to someone else when they told me she had done an Olympic distance triathlon.
The first thing I thought was....GREAT...There goes the neighborhood. Once celebs start doing tri's it'll fill up the network with people just wanting to be like J-Lo.
lol.
I did the same thing this a-hole did. I attempted to surround it with an air of exclusivity that really....isnt there.
Really, the bottom line is...if you have 50$ and are a little bit of an idiot, you too can complete a marathon.
But really...I dont think I'll put the sticker on my car as proudly as I would have before. I think I understand what the other people on my team meant when they would say that they just didnt feel right about it.
Its not that completion is a fluke...or a whim, or that my 26.2 is any shorter or easier than anyone else's 26.2. In many respects its more difficult for reasons like those of John Bingham. I mean, I'm going to be out there trudging for 8 hours. (hopefully not more than that...good grief)
But in a different light..I would like to feel like I was part of that exclusivity. That ellusive exclusivity.
Elite people I guess.
elite. What a fitting word for that group of people. Technically none of us outside of their place can call ourselves runners. TECHNICALLY Elite is where the line should be drawn. Yeah, those guys are great. Those guys are worth living up to. Those guys are people who deserve to have the stickers on their cars.
Those people deserve tatts and medals..and royalty checks made possible by the registration fees of the rest of us.
The truth is...
26.2 is really far.
and because I'm slow, don't run well, have arthritis and am nearly 70lbs overweight, I will not be the first to finish. In fact, I've got a much higher probability of being last.
Not the last person to finish...but the last person who COULD finish.
If I get in under 8 hours..and I get that medal...I will have done what I set out to do. I will have finished it.
thats really all that matters.
I had a lot more to say tonight, but i have a very cold four miles in the morning.
:)
Mostly because I dont think I'll get to sleep if I don't.
I have the feeling that I won't be doing much sleeping at all for the next three weeks as I anticipate this race coming up.
I call it a race, it's more like a challenge.
take that back..its a race.
Its a race against the me who wouldnt wake up in the morning to train. Its a race against the me who wouldnt stop eating candy. Its a race against the me who would just as soon stop at 13.1. Its the race against the me who would stop at zero miles if it werent for the crazy friends I have. Its a race between the me who's fine where I am and the me who wants to grow up to be just like those crazy friends I have.
So ok. its a race.
Anyway.
Ted McClelland wrote an article about a year ago about how people like Oprah are destroying running. Because now its not about people pushing the human body to its limits, but about everyone completing some emotional challenge. Blah blah. I've thought about it all day.
What's funny is...I was mad at him all day too..and I just realized why. Because he single-handedly took away all of my accomplishments because he took me out of that world. The world of fit people being cool and being nice to each other and wearing cute shirts. Its funny that I was so ticked that he took me out of the world, because I've never really been in it. Its like he took of my assumptive mask. Because the world of the runner, or the triathlete, or the cyclist or the marathoner is not one that you can just jump into. You can't buy your way into it or get on some waiting list or learn the cool jargon, you have to bust your ass into it. And I have four medals...so obviously I'm in it.
But really...I'm not. And he called me on it.
Its funny though because not an hour before I read HIS article, I had written one of my own about J-Lo. Ok, I hadn't written it down, but I had said it almost word for word to someone else when they told me she had done an Olympic distance triathlon.
The first thing I thought was....GREAT...There goes the neighborhood. Once celebs start doing tri's it'll fill up the network with people just wanting to be like J-Lo.
lol.
I did the same thing this a-hole did. I attempted to surround it with an air of exclusivity that really....isnt there.
Really, the bottom line is...if you have 50$ and are a little bit of an idiot, you too can complete a marathon.
But really...I dont think I'll put the sticker on my car as proudly as I would have before. I think I understand what the other people on my team meant when they would say that they just didnt feel right about it.
Its not that completion is a fluke...or a whim, or that my 26.2 is any shorter or easier than anyone else's 26.2. In many respects its more difficult for reasons like those of John Bingham. I mean, I'm going to be out there trudging for 8 hours. (hopefully not more than that...good grief)
But in a different light..I would like to feel like I was part of that exclusivity. That ellusive exclusivity.
Elite people I guess.
elite. What a fitting word for that group of people. Technically none of us outside of their place can call ourselves runners. TECHNICALLY Elite is where the line should be drawn. Yeah, those guys are great. Those guys are worth living up to. Those guys are people who deserve to have the stickers on their cars.
Those people deserve tatts and medals..and royalty checks made possible by the registration fees of the rest of us.
The truth is...
26.2 is really far.
and because I'm slow, don't run well, have arthritis and am nearly 70lbs overweight, I will not be the first to finish. In fact, I've got a much higher probability of being last.
Not the last person to finish...but the last person who COULD finish.
If I get in under 8 hours..and I get that medal...I will have done what I set out to do. I will have finished it.
thats really all that matters.
I had a lot more to say tonight, but i have a very cold four miles in the morning.
:)
Comments