What happens to a person in their younger years that shapes their lives to the point that as an adult, they get some time off from work and they immediately think.... Hey! I have a week off!!!! I could go to Hawaii and do the Ironman!!!! I mean, is this someone who was beaten as a child and now the only time they are truly happy is when they are in pain? Because competing in the Ironman Triathlon must be the most painful thing a person can do to themselves. Right?
Runners are a strange lot and triathletes are even more bizarre. I tried to join the runners in their world on a couple of occasions. I once got to a point where I was able to do a 5 K without stopping. I loved running at that point and lost lots of weight doing it. I was happier then with my physical appearance and ability than at any other time in my life. Then I fell down some stairs at work one day and twisted both of my ankles. You can't run with two twisted ankles. So I stopped running for a few months while they healed. When you totally stop for a few months, it takes a lot of effort to start again. So I didn't.... start again, that is....
On the other occasion that I decided to be a runner, I joined TNT and started training to run the White Rock Half. (This was several years after the ankle incident.) On that occasion, I wound up with a stress fracture, a bad ACL and about 6 months of rehab with a sports physician. It took nearly two years to get rid of all of that pain entirely. Now, mind you, all of that was just from attempting to run 13.1 miles. I didn't actually accomplish that goal. On the day that I pulled up lame, I ran 11 miles. That is the greatest distance I have ever run on one occasion. Imagine what would happen to me if I tried a triathlon or even if I tried to run a full marathon. I think it would be almost certain death for me.
The fact that I was so happy as a runner when I was doing 5 K's indicates to me that perhaps running does make you happy and isn't just a pain thing for a select group of freaks. But I guess you have to know your limits. Maybe I'm just a short distance type person and I should steer clear of any distances that get you into double digits. Here's my current rule about running. If you say, I want to run X,Y or Z and the person to whom you are talking looks at you with a blank expression and asks, "WHY?" Then you should probably not do it. That person with whom you are conversing might be thinking a little more clearly than you are right then. If they say something like "Ok, I'll do it with you...." be suspicious. They may be crazier than you.
I know people whose entire vacations are centered on getting to a race. I'm acquainted with people in TNT who spend all year training and fund raising so that they can go to some place like Seattle or San Diego for a weekend, run 26.2 miles and then come back home without really seeing much of anything in their chosen marathon city. Some people add a couple of days to the trip so that the can sight see. But I don't talk to many who do. I just don't get this. As much as I love traveling, I can't imagine working so hard to go to a place I've never been before and then just running through it, getting on a plane, and coming back home. Granted, even when I'm in good shape, I don't move that fast, so it's not like everything I ran past would be a blurr. But still, you don't have time to stop and absorb what you're seeing.
I've asked a couple of people why they don't stay and sight see. Usually, they say that they need a few days after the event for recovery and wouldn't be able to really do any sight seeing for several days anyway. Prior to running their event, they need to rest so that they can run the entire 26.2 miles. So, sight seeing isn't really an option. Which brings me to my question.... If you can't spend time seeing any of the sights after traveling all of that distance and it really is all about the race, then why not just stay in Dallas and run White Rock.... or whatever they are calling it now?
I have a few friends who can't wait to go to Florida every January and do the Goofy Challenge. This is where you run a half marathon on Saturday and follow it up with a full marathon on Sunday... because you know, a Half isn't enough punishment. The runs take place through Disney parks and Goofy and Mickey and the gang are there to cheer you on. Plus I guess you get to go to Disney World, although, I don't imagine that you can get on any of the attractions as you run through. And after all of that, who could possibly stay for a few extra days and walk all around the parks on Monday or Tuesday? I think it would be weird to run through four Disney parks on Saturday and Sunday and then show back up at Magic Kingdom on Monday in a wheel chair because you are too exhausted to walk through it with your kids.
So then I guess the spouse would have to take the kids to the parks on Monday while you lay around in the hotel and possibly get a spa treatment or two to help you recover from your two days of insanity. It really just doesn't sound appealing to me at all. If I'm going to Disney, you better believe that I'm not leaving without getting on Magic Mountain. Now, if there was an event where you could stop at different places along the way and do really cool stuff, maybe I'd be in. I think I could make myself run in an event where every 1/2 mile, you stop and ride a fun ride, or have some chips and dips or photograph neat sights.
What I have figured out over the years from talking to my running friends and reading their Facebook posts and those of people who post on their pages is that taking part in these events isn't necessarily about the location that you visit or even the fact that you did it in many cases. A lot of the time, the main reason for doing it seems to be to get the really cool tee shirts and medals that they pass out when it is over. They don't pass out medals for 5 K's so I would know nothing about getting the medals. But I really did like getting those tee shirts..... Maybe they're onto something.
Have a great weekend! I'm going to walk, not run, around the Tyler Rose Festival.
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