Friday, September 17, 2010

What do you do it for?

There has to be something that drives you? What is it?

I guess because it is the "off season" for me now that I can't help but reflect back on my season. It is inevitable and every day my mind always wanders back to some race that I did because ONE THING always stands out, whether it be the post race food, the atmosphere at the start line, that pace booty you followed for a few miles, or that feeling of "FUCK that was hard!" as you crossed the finish line.

I see doing endurance sports as either of two things.
A) Do you do it for showing others your accomplishments?
or
B)Do you do it for showing yourself your accomplishments?

Which way are you?

I see myself as a very generous person, but deep down I am a very selfish person. I guess I am going to go with B:I do this stuff for myself.

I do it for the bibs. I hang them on my wall at work. They are the reminders of all of the races that I have done and I feel proud that they take up a large amount of my wall space. In some cases, a bib just went 69.1 miles with me. That bib was there with me most of the way. I guess it shared that experience? The bib is usually crumpled, has some Chocolate Gu splattered on it, a few tears here and there and some water stains. By looking at the condition of the bib, you can tell the person who carried it went to battle.


I don't do it for the finishers medal. I don't need some medal to signify to the world that I completed a race. I know that I completed that race! The condition that I am walking around in the day after shows that! Besides, that medal had it easy. It just sat there waiting......uuuuummmmm, LAZY?

AND! That medal looks EXACTLY like the next guy's medal. Nobody else had bib #1955 at Timberman this year.

I guess what I am getting at is that you should revel in your success no matter how you want to display it either to yourself or to the world. You completed that race and nobody can take that away from you!

15 comments:

  1. I am selfish. I do it for myself. I do it to build confidence in myself. That and I am competitive with myself. I always want to know how far I can push my body.

    You see I am AMAZED with the human body. How are we able to keep gaining and at what point to we tap out? How do you gain? What works for you? All things I keep finding more out about myself.

    Well, all that and, I still am pissed that I was not "good enough" for my high school track team.

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  2. I'm with you on choice B...totally selfish and all for me. No medal necessary since it ends up in a box in the hall closet anyway.

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  3. This is pretty much like my post today, I do it for myself,finish what I started

    (and i picked only races with finisher medals ;-))

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  4. Love this! I definitely do it for myself. Even though I don't display all of my bibs, I love the way they look after a race - beat up, just like me!

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  5. First off, I love this! It's so true, we all do it for the bib! Think of how many races don't give you a medal but you always get a bib, with a number that is all yours and you earned that bib and the right to wear it through to the finish!

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  6. I do it to keep from getting fat. I am THAT vain.

    I tried to give all my medals to my 4 year old to play with, but his father thought it was a choking hazard. Guess I won't be getting the Mom Of The Year award.

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  7. Nicely said little bro! LOL at Jeff's comment...even if it is true:) Have a great weekend!

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  8. Lock on B
    Selfish Self Centered to the extreme ! haha
    enough about me let me tell you about me.

    though I must say since getting to know people in the training community running and Tri's in Mpls St Paul I have met some of the best people in the last yeear or two.

    have a great wknd
    -Derek

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  9. Definitely B. I either beat myself or lose to myself. Either way, I win :) Although Kovas and Jeff both make pretty good arguments.

    Interesting take on bibs vs. medals. I've always been a medal guy myself. Although, I do appreciate a nice bib that has the race name on it and possibly even my name on it. Generic bibs don't do it for me though.

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  10. Definitely for myself. Running brings so much into my life. I'll have a pretty empty life without it. I can say that I enjoy giving back to the sport sometimes as race volunteer, crew or just helping other runners.

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  11. I do it to be around people that are just as insane as I am. That makes it all feel normal

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  12. B)
    and of course the ice cream.
    and I admit, I like the medals, but I want to earn them.

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