Monday 091911

Met up with the Bob at Sweeney Mesa for some punishment.  This week was 5 x 5 minutes, with that last minute expected to be a pick up over the pace.  Got eaten.  By the workout.  And all the damn grasshoppers out there attacking you while you run.  9 miles.  I was not particularly strong in this workout, but I got through it. 

Apparently the spider we saw at the Fullers yesterday was a cat faced spider.

UROC on tap this weekend.  It could come down to a kick.  News from this weekend.  And more weekend news.  Better to read this stuff than some of the recent thrash going on around the internet space.

All the yippie yap in that area did get me thinking a bit though.  I think I believe these things … I don’t necessarily always follow them, but I do try to.  I don’t expect anyone to agree with all of these.  I also reserve the right to change my mind.

1.) I am not a guy that is going to question a guy’s character or intentions in a race because he DNFs. Heck, I have DNF’d in a mile race.  I just don’t think you know what was going on in the head or body of that guy – so to say something about how they are less of a character because they DNF’d … just not for me.  Yes, I will admit, there is something to be said about the guy who grits through for 25 miles by walking a hundred in, but I am not going to say that makes them better or tougher than the guy who DNFd.

2.) I am not a guy who is going to question the motivations of someone I don’t know, and if it is someone I know, I better have a damn good relationship with them to question their motivations in this sport – and I am probably not going to do it on this blog.   At least I hope not to.

3.) I think bring some prize money, and some level of professionalism to the sport on whole is a good thing.  It will mean more attention to the sport, faster times, more competition, and probably a healthier populous (maybe not that last one as sports in general are more covered than ever and we are less healthy than ever).  But I realize it will bring along a fair number of problems that folks will struggle with:  more DNFs by elites, and more PEDs.  And this will also mean people covering the sport that are not necessarily players in the sport, but instead are there covering it.

4.)  So to that, I think that people that are new to the sport could have something intelligent to say in the sport.  In other words, I don’t think you have to have to complete an ultra to have something intelligent to say about race direction in an ultra or the state of professionalism in ultras (as that is a growing area).  Certainly, experience helps one’s ability to speak intelligently, but direct experience is not a absolute prerequisite.  And for what it is worth, just because someone has run a race or even run it a bunch of times – that does not get them tenure as an expert on it (I might be a very good example of that actually). 

And no, I am not saying everyone has something intelligent to say.  I am too much of a grumpy old man to think that.  I am think everyone has the potential to say something intelligent.  In some cases it might be more accidental, but … well, you get the idea.

5.)  I think good coaches are those who find how to motivate the head of the athlete in a way that allows them to improve most efficiently.  This is best done in a trusting relationship.   Different folks are motivated by different things … and I think that is harder to figure out than the physiology of the sport and what workout will get a better result.

6.)  I think the internet is a place where you can really screw yourself by saying stuff off the cuff that is then misinterpreted.  Proceed carefully.  We have a lot of liberty to publish openly, but with that license … well, be careful.  It is different than a face to face interaction.  (I probably screw this up more than anyone I know by the way).  Long time said, “the pen is mightier than the sword” and we all have a lot of pens now. 

7.)  I think that awards like UROY sort of don’t matter.  Yeah, maybe if I was contending for it, I would think it would matter.  But frankly I find its subjective nature a bit the antithesis of racing.  In racing, we line up, race and know the result at the end.  It is objective.  UROY is all sorts of subjective and some sort of popularity contest.  Yeah, I know it ain’t that bad, but I think part of the draw of this sport is that there are no JUDGES.

8.)  I think the more you get to folks at the top of the sport, the more they get it.  Well.  Sort of. 

I have noticed that generally speaking all the guys like Tony, Geoff, Nick, Wardian, Mackey etc … well, what have they said in the blogonet about UROY?  Or DNF’s?  Or the state of professionalism in ultras?  Or really anything about anything other than their next race or next run.  The middle of the packers seem to get more worked up about that.  Sure some elites have commented a bit, but nothing in comparison to the deluge of posts about that stuff from clowns like me.

Maybe we should be more like the elites we aspire to be?

9.)  I think I probably need to chill out about how much I think about all of this.  It is running.  Right.  Left.  Repeat.  Enjoy the view, the conversation, the burn and the opportunity to share this moment we all have.  Try not to make it too much harder than that.  Plus such energy is better spent in other locations …

10.)  The people I have met in this sport are some of the best people I have met in my entire life.  I am consistently humbled by how caring, open, and committed to your success they all are.  Put me in a trench with these guys and I’d like to think I’d be brave enough to take a bullet for them if it came to that.

I guess somebody could hack at that and say I am full of crap … and they probably could make a good case for it, as there is typically a gap between our actions as they are perceived and how they are intended.  But generally that is where I am at.