Newbies of the world, unite!

This is interesting. I will admit that in my first year I did not nearly enough training (one swim, a couple easy rides and over-run-trained for my first marathon - gave myself a good ole IT band problem and started "tapering" seven weeks out from the marathon). Note to anyone: when planning to run a marathon, generally the last "long run" should be longer than fifteen miles. In the words of my coach/friend/cheering section at the time, "the shorter the long run, the longer the pain." Too true, my friends, too true.



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My response to this (originally posted at the Running Room)is relisted here.

The whole attraction, of course, is that it's NOT easy. 30 000 people (give or take) from 6 billion (that would be 6 000 000 000!!) is one half of one tenth of one tenth of one tenth of one percent (or is that one more tenth?! ). Whatever the actual number, I don't think everyone's doing it.

There are no guarantees, just as in life. That's why people plunk down $2 on the Super 7 every week, or sit down to watch the Maple Leafs every weekend (there are especially no guarantees there ). That's why we all roll out of bed in the dead of morning, to hit the road, running or riding (or running or riding to the pool) in pitch blackness - because we can. Because we want to. Because we need to find out - because there's no guarantee what will happen next.

I think the author's main issue in the article is not with those who come unprepared to races, but those who come unprepared and unwilling to abide by or accept the race rules, i.e. cutoffs, etc. Paying an enormous entry fee does not buy anyone the right to override decisions made by qualified (officials) with regard to the racer's safety on the course or personal health and well-being.

I don't see an issue with beginners - weren't we all beginners once? I suffered (badly) in my first sprint tri (note to self: one swim and one ride is NOT enough preparation. If there had been a "dark" cut-off in that race (which started at 7:00 a.m.) I might have been in trouble. Nor do I see an issue with back-of-packers. There are only about fifty people in any race over 1000 people that have a shot of winning in any division and let's face it, the rest of us B.O.P.ers (I count myself proudly in that group) are the ones that keep paying the bills, to the race organizers and equipment suppliers by virtue of our sheer numbers, by buying the shoes, and suits and wheels and bikes and gels and bars....you get the idea.

Am I going to win any time soon? Probably not, not in terms of hardware or anything like that. But, I am going to keep winning the battle with myself. I am going to get smarter, fitter and more educated about what works and what doesn't. Technology aside, I'm not sure if I'm going to get more "aero" or not (as I age, possibly more buoyant, though ) I am going to keep redefining not what is humanly possible, but what is "Aaron-ly possible".

So, next time out, I am going to welcome the inevitable butterflies in my stomach. I am going to nod "hello" to the usual faces I see in the usual races, whether I know who they are or not. I am going to stare out at the water before the start and wonder once again, "what was I thinking?" I am going to thank as many volunteers as I can, and I am finally going to be happy that I've come from where I was (106th of 124 in that first race, by the way) to where I am now.

Peace.


My end comments on this: I've been in this sport for three years. I am constantly learning new things, new ways to do things, and just as often new ways to not do things. I'm still a newbie in the sport, and I welcome in more and more newbies - hey, the more the merrier. I just wish I could get to the registration lines ahead of more of them.

AP