Perspective for us BOP'ers

[DougG]

It is great to see the many excellent results that Maniacs post on this board, from the races they enter. I am constantly amazed and impressed at how fast some of you run, and how far When I read the monthly stats I just shake my head, and say to myself 'wow', those are impressive. Seeing so many people post 200 & 300km + months of running is impressive, and while I run for me, I think of my low kms and say there is no way I am posting mine. I think twice about posting my race times for the same reason - my race pace is slower than many maniac's easy runs. To be honest, no matter how often I tell myself that I run for me, my own enjoyment and my health, I admit that I feel intimidated at times.
Why am I writing this? Well as some of you read, I completed the Gravenhurt Duathlon a couple of weeks ago, and was happy with my accomplishment to reach middle of the pack status on the bike (for me reaching mid pack status is like a podium finish ). On the holiday Monday (Aug 2) I entered my first cycling only road race, the Tour de Terra Cotta. The main event was for experienced cyclists and was 108km long, but they also had an Adult Open Short Course of 27km (3laps of 9km). It was designed for newbies like myself and others who didn't want to race 108k. I checked last year's times and saw the winner averaged about 36km, so I thought hmm, last week I set a PB in te 20km time trial, so maybe I could reach middle of the pack
Monday came and I was excited, I was up early and drove the 115k to Terra Cotta. I got there warmed up and checked out the 'competition', there were about 75 racers, many of whom were from cycling clubs and in teams. My objective was to 1. not crash, and 2. beat my goal time. Once the gun went off the fun started. I raced a solid race, after 2 laps was 2 minutes ahead of my target and feeling good. However on lap 3, the hill about 1km in killed me ( I swear it grew since the previous lap ). I ran out of gas and my last lap was much slower, however when I crossed the finish line I saw that I had I managed to beat my goal time by 1 minute. I felt good - until I fell Other than some bumps & bruises and my pride I was ok. I went over to the board to see where I finished...down, down, down....there I am...56/78 over all 14/18 AG I noticed that the 2009 winning time would have been 20th this year. Holy s***!! I felt good about my time, but also somewhat dismayed because I was so far behind the middle of the pack, never mnd the leaders. On the way home, I kept thinking holy crap those people are fast! To be honest I had mixed emotions...pleased with my time, but surprised at how much faster these people are.
When I got home I was unloading the car when my neighbour came over. Rob is about my age, and is slim and looks fit. He asked about my cycling, and I told him about my race..."how far did you race?" "27k" I replied, 'wow, that's amazing' and he walked away.
It then hit me. Yes, compared to the rest of the field I am 'slow', but compared to everyone else, I am fast and fit.

So, for those of us who are at the back of the back in a run, tri, du or cycling, we may be slow, but we are out there doing it. That puts us way ahead of everyone else.

Keep going.

[RA.]

Thanks, Doug! The reminder is nice. Good job on your race!

[Spirit Unleashed]

I won 1st place G Masters (when did I get THAT old?) in my last 50k with a shamefully slow time of 7:14. I was the only 50 yo (or older woman) in the race. Sounds stupid to say I got first, until I realized the rest of the 50 yo's were in shorter races, home in bed, or shopping or eating a nice dinner and breakfast, or going to the movies or etc. I at least was in the race and finished it.

[Robbie-T]

nice post, congrats!!

btw you are likely way faster on the bike then me too

[NewFinnLoper]

Interesting observations Doug...

Here on RunningMania you are surrounded by athletes of all sorts because that is the purpose of this board. Out in the rest of the world, those athletes can be few and far between.

I am constantly amazed at how many of my co-workers hold me in awe for all the things I do. I don't consider myself much of an athlete other than I am very active and the things I enjoy doing usually involve physical activity. Co-workers will drop their jaws when I tell them I ran 10 miles on the weekend. For me, that's a shorter long run but for them, it's something they consider unreachable.

It's all about perspective, and the most important thing for me is that I am keeping active, having fun and spending time with like-minded people.

Congrats on your race...(FWIW you are a braver sould than I am - bike racing scares the you-know-what out of me...I just purchased a road bike this spring and have ridden about 10 times. A friend of mine has crashed hers twice, the second time last week. She required stitches to repair her hip where she slid and tore the skin, and another 7 stitches over her eye where she hit the ground. I went to see her the day after and she was already talking about her next race.. Yup...I will ride roads but I think I will always be one of the cautious ones...)

[Habs4ever]

It then hit me. Yes, compared to the rest of the field I am 'slow', but compared to everyone else, I am fast and fit.

So, for those of us who are at the back of the back in a run, tri, du or cycling, we may be slow, but we are out there doing it. That puts us way ahead of everyone else.

Keep going.

Thanks for the reminder.

[waynerdog]

Let us celebrate our BOP status!

At Calgary 70.3 this past weekend, I was 702/770, in my age group I was 111/115. I finished in 7:16:17.

That's right. I finished. While other men 35-39 were sleeping, watching TV, eating breakfast (and lunch ), etc., I was swimming, cycling, and running. Sure, I was doing it slowly by many people's standards, but I damn well did it.

So I hear what you are saying, because the perspective is shared. And I am extremely proud - of both of us!

p.s. - Spirit - I also won my AG one time by being the only person in my AG in the race. The gold medal hangs on my wall with the rest of my race medals!

[HCcD]

If you have ever been to one of John Stanton's talks at a race expo, he has a number of really good one's, one of which goes something like this ....

At the end of a marathon, a 4:30 MoP/BoP, Marathoner says to the Elite Kenyan sub 2:06 Marathoner, "Wow, I'm totally in awww of how amazingly fast you are to run a sub 2:06 marathon .... " blah blah blah blah .. and, the Elite Kenyan Marathoner responds ... "No, no, it is I who is amazed how anyone could be out there running over 4:30 hours continuously ... " blah blah blah blah ...

[Doonst]

Pack, what pack? Let's go ride bikes! (and run trails!)

[La]

Congrats on your race, Doug! And yes, it IS all about perspective. I LOVE to hear about the speedy RM folks and how they are placing or wonder in amazement in the number of kilometers they log every month. Their results are theirs, and mine are mine. I'm as proud of my own as I am of theirs!

There's not a lot of value in comparison and AG placings because it's entirely dependent on who shows up on race day (as evident in your example how last year's winning time would only have placed 20th this year).

[Spirit Unleashed]

I should say, I admire fast people too, especially that ultraqueen.

[JSmitty]

Congrats on your race, Doug! And yes, it IS all about perspective. I LOVE to hear about the speedy RM folks and how they are placing or wonder in amazement in the number of kilometers they log every month. Their results are theirs, and mine are mine. I'm as proud of my own as I am of theirs!

AND, I am the only person in my office who runs for enjoyment, trains towards a goal and competes with myself.
My goal (one day) is to have my marathon time ONLY doubled that of the winner, lol!!!!

Yay for anyone who is involved in physical activity.

Thanks for sharing and perhaps bringing some of us out of our shell.

[ultraslacker]

For my race on Saturday, there were 226 starters.

I came in 185 out of 194 finishers. That means that even though I was at the back of the pack, there were 32 who didn't even finish. (or at least didn't finish within the cut-off times). And since I can't find him in the results, I think that includes the speedy guy that was in first place for the first half of the race (don't know what happened but he's not there!).

But it's all meaningless numbers to me... I feel bad for the people who dnf'ed, not just because it means that they had a bad day and/or something went wrong, but also because it means that they didn't get to fully enjoy the incredible experience of the race, which is what it was all about for me (and I think for a number of other people too).

I also wondered, as I was stopped at the top of a ridge overlooking Rainier, if the fast guys at the front ever wish they could just stop and take in the view instead of racing on with the competition on their heels. But I'm guessing that their motivations and reasons are quite different from mine. I know that Krupicka and Jurek stop to enjoy the views on their training runs in Colorado, so maybe race day is just for racing.

All of that to say, who cares. :) Run what makes you happy, and don't worry about if other people are faster or have higher mileage than you. We're all in it together, and no one should ever feel embarassed or ashamed about their numbers. The numbers are all arbitrary anyway. :)

[Kelodie]

Thanks for your post, Doug. I know what you mean about not posting your monthly stats. In July, I rode my bike for 313km and I was pretty excited about it until I looked at the monthly stats thread and saw that some people had run more than I had biked and that many darksiders rode a lot more than I did. So, I didn't bother posting. I also don't post my race reports anymore, because when I write them for my blog (which very few people read), I feel good about my races, but the moment I make them public on RM, I feel a bit shameful as if it wasn't worth anyone's time to read them.

I sometimes take comfort in the fact that I, at least, am out there being active. But sometimes, I would like to compare myself to other people than the ones who sit on the couch watching TV... I also wish more slow people would stop being intimidated and started entering races.

[ultraslacker]

Thanks for your post, Doug. I know what you mean about not posting your monthly stats. In July, I rode my bike for 313km and I was pretty excited about it until I looked at the monthly stats thread and saw that some people had run more than I had biked and that many darksiders rode a lot more than I did. So, I didn't bother posting. I also don't post my race reports anymore, because when I write them for my blog (which very few people read), I feel good about my races, but the moment I make them public on RM, I feel a bit shameful as if it wasn't worth anyone's time to read them.

I sometimes take comfort in the fact that I, at least, am out there being active. But sometimes, I would like to compare myself to other people than the ones who sit on the couch watching TV... I also wish more slow people would stop being intimidated and started entering races.

I see being too intimidated to enter races and being too intimidated to post mileage and race reports on RM as the same thing. ;) Post away! RM has always been a place where personal accomplishments are celebrated no matter what the numbers are.

[AirForceRunner]

I also don't post my race reports anymore, because when I write them for my blog (which very few people read), I feel good about my races, but the moment I make them public on RM, I feel a bit shameful as if it wasn't worth anyone's time to read them.

For me personally, its the MOP/BOP race reports that I find most entertaining. No offense to the really fast guys/gals. I read race reports to look for the flavour of accomplishment, and 9 times out of 10, I get that from the racers who deem themselves 'slow'. This is coming from a guy who flirted briefly with being one of those fast guys, got injured, and now runs happy as a mid-packer.

[Jwolf]

Everyone out there is doing something good for their health. I admire those up front as well as those in the BOP.

Don't be ashamed of lower mileage-- we each do what's right for us, and the only thing important is our own personal dedication to our health and what we want. I remember when I first started posting my monthly mileage on the RR site about six years ago, I was excited to break about 60K/month (5K a few times per week was a lot for me). Meanwhile most of the others were posting 200-300K or even more-- I just didn't compare myself to them. A friend who was marathon training said to me, "I think you posting your mileage got a lot of other lower-mileage runners posting theirs-- before they were afraid to be among us obsessive-mileage folks." I didn't even REALIZE that no BOP-ers where posting there monthly mileage-- I just wanted to be posting there.

And keep posting those race reports-- as someone once said recently, "You never know whom you are going to inspire." I'm very inspired by those who do something that's really challenging and difficult for them, regardless of speed. Sure there will be people who scoff at the slowness, but who cares-- there are just as many people reading (maybe lurking and never posting) who are truly impressed and inspired.

[AirForceRunner]

"You never know whom you are going to inspire."

This is so true on so many levels. I'm an inspiration junkie. And what I find fascinating....one of my biggest inspirations is 'walking lady'...this gal in her mid 40's (I'm guessing) who I drive past everyday on my way home from work. Never misses a day, whatever the weather. And she goes long....I always see her, whether I leave at 3pm or 5 pm.

[Robbie-T]

....I was pretty excited about it until I looked at the monthly stats thread and saw that some people had run more than I had biked and that many darksiders rode a lot more than I did. So, I didn't bother posting. I also don't post my race reports anymore, because when I write them for my blog (which very few people read), I feel good about my races, but the moment I make them public on RM, I feel a bit shameful as if it wasn't worth anyone's time to read them.

I sometimes take comfort in the fact that I, at least, am out there being active. But sometimes, I would like to compare myself to other people than the ones who sit on the couch watching TV... I also wish more slow people would stop being intimidated and started entering races.

This is the exact same reason why I don't post in the daily thread anymore, seriously, I use to list my training runs and paces but I felt I was getting flack for being too fast, I didn't want others to think I was bragging, and I surely didn't want to bring anyone else down so I stopped. I'm not looking for sympathy I just want to show you that it goes both ways.

[Doonst]

....I was pretty excited about it until I looked at the monthly stats thread and saw that some people had run more than I had biked and that many darksiders rode a lot more than I did. So, I didn't bother posting. I also don't post my race reports anymore, because when I write them for my blog (which very few people read), I feel good about my races, but the moment I make them public on RM, I feel a bit shameful as if it wasn't worth anyone's time to read them.

I sometimes take comfort in the fact that I, at least, am out there being active. But sometimes, I would like to compare myself to other people than the ones who sit on the couch watching TV... I also wish more slow people would stop being intimidated and started entering races.

This is the exact same reason why I don't post in the daily thread anymore, seriously, I use to list my training runs and paces but I felt I was getting flack for being too fast, I didn't want others to think I was bragging, and I surely didn't want to bring anyone else down so I stopped. I'm not looking for sympathy I just want to show you that it goes both ways.

Bring it on, you both inspire!! The struggle and the success are all a part of this fascinating, sweaty thing we all do.

[FishHog]

Bring it on, you both inspire!! The struggle and the success are all a part of this fascinating, sweaty thing we all do.

Agreed. Funny how it doesn't matter what level people are at, we all have our insecurities and worry about what others think. I think it makes for a better forum if those insecurities are set aside and there are posts that every level of athlete can relate to and set as goals.

I remember about 5 years ago when I first started running regularily. McBeth posted in a daily thread that he just came in from his 33k long run. I was in awe at that number, and thought I'd never be able to do that. I think I was running about 8k as an LSD at that time. That stuck in my head for over a year until that day I hit that magic 33k LSD that was almost as satisfying to me as running a marathon.

You NEVER know who you might inspire to push to new levels. And above all else, you should take pride in what you do. Your better than 99% of the world who won't even try.

FishHog

[deerdree]

i need to find more groups of "everyone else". i started running because folks were at work, then i discovered RM. i later learned on FB that most of my old school friends had taken up running. the majority of the students in my graduate program are also runners (it's easy to fit in and cheap exercise!). heck, even tons of the profs are current or former runners. as a result, i can't remember the last time someone said to me "wow, i can't believe you ran XX kilometres". but, i'm happy that running is the 'norm' in my world. it makes it harder to quit and hit the couch.

although i'm even slower than most of the people on RM who proclaim that they're 'slow', i don't get discouraged or intimidated by faster runners. oh, certainly, sometimes i daydream about running a race and actually contending for an AG award. or having a BQ within the realm of near possibility. but most of the time i'm just motivated and inspired to keep going and push harder.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

congratulations on your race, doug! well done!

[Sandra]

Thanks for posting this Doug - I was at the Terra Cotta race cheering on a friend - wish I knew you were there and I could've cheered for you too! Congrats on the race too, there were some serious bikers out there!

[mas_runner]

I'm a BOP'er and proud!

[VeloCarrie]

I was reading race reports on my blackberry in the PACU last winter to remind myself why I HAD to recover. No matter who you are, you inspire SOMEONE.