Comments on: My Response http://www.tobadwater.com/2009/03/my-response/ my long journey towards the world's toughest race Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:20:09 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Robert James Reese http://www.tobadwater.com/2009/03/my-response/comment-page-1/#comment-324 Robert James Reese Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:57:07 +0000 http://www.cowboyhazel.com/blog/?p=256#comment-324 Joe and Lam, no worries. I don't feel like I got caught in the middle at all. And, as I said, I thoroughly enjoyed your all's discussion and thinking about the questions it raised. Lummox, very cool. I love the idea of competition being a metaphor for life. And Pam, it was very interesting to see these questions applied to something other than running. Thank you all for your feedback. Joe and Lam, no worries. I don’t feel like I got caught in the middle at all. And, as I said, I thoroughly enjoyed your all’s discussion and thinking about the questions it raised.

Lummox, very cool. I love the idea of competition being a metaphor for life. And Pam, it was very interesting to see these questions applied to something other than running. Thank you all for your feedback.

]]> By: The Laminator http://www.tobadwater.com/2009/03/my-response/comment-page-1/#comment-323 The Laminator Fri, 03 Apr 2009 03:35:42 +0000 http://www.cowboyhazel.com/blog/?p=256#comment-323 Yeah, I'm sorry you got caught in the middle too. I don't have a good answer for you because the line between runner and racer is very blurry for me. I'll train like a racer for one period of time and then get injured or lose focus and just want to be a runner. Inevitably I am not very good at either so I can't ever claim to be the best of anything. I really just do what I can with the hand that is dealt to me and train as hard as I can for as long as it makes sense to me, and just roll the dice on race day and see what happens... Yeah, I’m sorry you got caught in the middle too. I don’t have a good answer for you because the line between runner and racer is very blurry for me. I’ll train like a racer for one period of time and then get injured or lose focus and just want to be a runner. Inevitably I am not very good at either so I can’t ever claim to be the best of anything. I really just do what I can with the hand that is dealt to me and train as hard as I can for as long as it makes sense to me, and just roll the dice on race day and see what happens…

]]> By: Joe Garland http://www.tobadwater.com/2009/03/my-response/comment-page-1/#comment-322 Joe Garland Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:56:01 +0000 http://www.cowboyhazel.com/blog/?p=256#comment-322 Sorry you found yourself in the middle, but you did it quite well. As Tolstoy would say (albeit in Russian), we are each runners in our own way. But we share a passion. It's just manifested in different, equally "right" ways. Sorry you found yourself in the middle, but you did it quite well.

As Tolstoy would say (albeit in Russian), we are each runners in our own way. But we share a passion. It’s just manifested in different, equally “right” ways.

]]> By: pam http://www.tobadwater.com/2009/03/my-response/comment-page-1/#comment-321 pam Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:32:17 +0000 http://www.cowboyhazel.com/blog/?p=256#comment-321 I love this post!...and you are so right about the lack of competition in school programs. Boy are they in for a surprise, because out in the real world, not everyone's a winner. As far as the rest of your post...well, you know that I'm not a runner but for a long period of my life, I was a competitive figure skater. By nature I am a very competitive person but I hate training...well, let me rephrase, I hate to train on things that I don't like (figure eights or patch, as it was called). Skating for me was always a challenge, I had a Dorothy Hamill figure and style in a Peggy Fleming time. My jumps were more powerful and less tippy toe graceful. I pushed myself to train like the others, but I just wasn't. Eventually, it became more of a job than an enjoyment. In my heart, give me a frozen lake, a pair of skates with some great music...and I'm on my way. After many years of trying to be one of them...I just let go and became one of me. My son is just starting to play raquetball with his dad, I told him that we would start playing ( I love raquetball!) and my competitive nature will push me through the inevitable heart attack that I suffer:) Once competitive, always competitive - the venue just changes:) Thanks for reading my rant on etiquette...I feel a few more of them brewing! I love this post!…and you are so right about the lack of competition in school programs. Boy are they in for a surprise, because out in the real world, not everyone’s a winner.
As far as the rest of your post…well, you know that I’m not a runner but for a long period of my life, I was a competitive figure skater. By nature I am a very competitive person but I hate training…well, let me rephrase, I hate to train on things that I don’t like (figure eights or patch, as it was called). Skating for me was always a challenge, I had a Dorothy Hamill figure and style in a Peggy Fleming time. My jumps were more powerful and less tippy toe graceful.
I pushed myself to train like the others, but I just wasn’t. Eventually, it became more of a job than an enjoyment.
In my heart, give me a frozen lake, a pair of skates with some great music…and I’m on my way. After many years of trying to be one of them…I just let go and became one of me.
My son is just starting to play raquetball with his dad, I told him that we would start playing ( I love raquetball!) and my competitive nature will push me through the inevitable heart attack that I suffer:)
Once competitive, always competitive – the venue just changes:)
Thanks for reading my rant on etiquette…I feel a few more of them brewing!

]]> By: lummox http://www.tobadwater.com/2009/03/my-response/comment-page-1/#comment-325 lummox Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:07:50 +0000 http://www.cowboyhazel.com/blog/?p=256#comment-325 I really dig the stuff you are working with here, and that is not meant as your standard slap on the hindside. If it is all about winning, that eats itself up pretty quickly, and not much is left. I think there is some truth to the idea that competing, or even just the training, is a concentrated metaphor for life, that there are strong parallels to life in general, to all of existence really. That alone would be a reason to pursue it. The act of becoming frustrated, almost giving up, but then not giving up, why you did not give up, there is much in that. Compared to most athletes, I will tend to be less of a watcher of the clock, miles, race results, numbers in general. I will chase the numbers, but I’ve learned it is not, it can not be, the motive power to racing or training. Ultimately the reasons we started it, the reasons we keep doing it, the reasons we come back instead of quitting, and the reasons any of it means anything; these reasons are more transcendent. I think. All of it is fascinating. I really dig the stuff you are working with here, and that is not meant as your standard slap on the hindside.

If it is all about winning, that eats itself up pretty quickly, and not much is left. I think there is some truth to the idea that competing, or even just the training, is a concentrated metaphor for life, that there are strong parallels to life in general, to all of existence really. That alone would be a reason to pursue it. The act of becoming frustrated, almost giving up, but then not giving up, why you did not give up, there is much in that.

Compared to most athletes, I will tend to be less of a watcher of the clock, miles, race results, numbers in general. I will chase the numbers, but I’ve learned it is not, it can not be, the motive power to racing or training. Ultimately the reasons we started it, the reasons we keep doing it, the reasons we come back instead of quitting, and the reasons any of it means anything; these reasons are more transcendent.

I think.

All of it is fascinating.

]]> By: eliz http://www.tobadwater.com/2009/03/my-response/comment-page-1/#comment-320 eliz Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:48:45 +0000 http://www.cowboyhazel.com/blog/?p=256#comment-320 I am not sure this can be answered in general terms. In my opinion, it will always depend on every person's goals and how much they're willing to put on the line... There're people that can't hold back even when they know they're risking getting injured and people who don't feel they need to push it or even race. Some people would not race if they know they won't PR. I think at some point we all know what our goals and priorities are, and it all then falls into place. I am not sure this can be answered in general terms. In my opinion, it will always depend on every person’s goals and how much they’re willing to put on the line… There’re people that can’t hold back even when they know they’re risking getting injured and people who don’t feel they need to push it or even race. Some people would not race if they know they won’t PR.
I think at some point we all know what our goals and priorities are, and it all then falls into place.

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