At my cousin's wedding this weekend I found myself sitting next to a guy who was preparing to cycle in an 80 mile time-trial the next day. It struck me that a few years ago, discussing long distance training with a stranger at a wedding would have singled you out as an oddbod, a hardnut with a perverse streak. But these days it seems everywhere you go there are 'normal' people working towards challenges that are harder, further, and riskier. Every social gathering I attend has at least one person who is working towards a marathon (and either not their first or one involving a bit of a twist such as an unusual location or added challenge), or involved in another physical feat such as ultra triathlons, mountain climbing or sailing round the world. Next weekend in the UK alone the Runners World event directory and Time Outdoors.com list 7 running or cycling endurance events that are long distances, from 26.2m marathons to 110m epics.
It's not enough these days to be aiming to complete a local 5k or a charity walk- now you have to be doing a moonlit 26 miles in snowdonia dressed as a banana. And it often seems like it's not the actual event that is the driving force behind the desire to go further and do more impressive things, but the training. The therapeutic and meditative aspect of exercising for long periods acts as a valid 'time out' from everyday lives and work. To get away on your own for hours at a time, and to schedule your life around a commitment that is only to yourself would be considered selfish if for instance, you said you were aiming to watch all 7 series of the West Wing back-to-back tomorrow so couldn't join friends for dinner. But the same single-mindedness is acceptable to society if you have the excuse that you are 'training'.
Thank goodness!!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment