[at-l] Why do what we do when we don't train?

[dfaddleton@mindspring.com (David)]

thank you sloe ...

I've run/walked one (1) marathon (26+ miles) that I can remember ... on a
very empty stomach after two weeks bushwacking and shooting rapids in the
boundary waters ... I have absolutely no idea about my time or place in this
"race" ... and I've never cared enough to find out ... or to do it again ...

>From my vantage point ultra-running has got to be one of the craziest, most
exhilarating, personally challenging, and neatest ideas I've ever confronted
... and mind you I've ONLY considered it as an IDEA ,,, I've NEVER even once
considered participating in it ... and I WILL NOT start now !

Meanwhile, let me continue my PREPARATIONS for sleep at which I hope tonight
to excell ... [thanking Ganesh all the while that sleep remains, so far as I
yet know, free of any competition]



----- Original Message -----
From: "Sloetoe" <sloetoe@yahoo.com>
To: "Ultrarunning" <ULTRA@LISTSERV.DARTMOUTH.EDU>
Cc: <MSTOD@juno.com>; <at-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2001 2:04 AM
Subject: [at-l] Why do what we do when we don't train?


> Shamelessly crossposted to the at-l; smartass elitist thruhiker wannabes
> take note.
>
> ###From Brian Hever we have an observation and two questions:
> > From:    Brian Hever <bhever@HOTMAIL.COM>
> > Having read the posts on this list over the past year, I am struck by
> > how many times the reports include an acknowledgement of the writer's
> > lack of preparation before attempting the ultra-long run or race.
>
> ### QUESTION 1:
> > I would be very interested to hear of the forces that motivate people
> > to attempt such potentially disastrous endeavours without having
> > trained and prepared properly beforehand.
> ### ANSWER:
> First, a qualifier: I just ran the 2000 HUFF (50k) through 8-10 inches of
> medium density (read "sloppy") sneaux, in about 8 hours. It was tough.
> HUGE tough. How tough? 211 registered, 179 started, around 80 finished --
> a 55% DNF rate. Winner was 5:04, last was 11:38, I was 8:00. I ran this
> ultra on 14 miles of running in December, and 203 miles total
> self-propelled travel in the previous 3 months, including my first ultra
> (50M), and a frozen weeklong 71 mile backpack through the Smokys AT. Dem's
> my bona fides.
> ### To answer your question, the forces that motivate me to do such things
> are no different then the forces that motivate you, they are simply less
> tempered by the lack of training. The expectations are 'qualified' --
> lowered to take into account the lack of training. Do I wish I could kick
> ass for every race I enter? You bet. And usually, I enter with just that
> in mind -- "Here's what I'll do to peak my training at just that time..."
> But then "life" gets in the way again -- tonight, rather than going on a
> sneauxie training run to ready myself for Mt. Mitchell in February (40M
> out/back up the highest peak east of the Rockies), I'm preparing a
> counter-suit, by myself, against an attorney suing for payment. When I get
> done with that, I get to prepare a similar presentation for the bar's
> Disciplinairy Commission. Take a wild, wild guess which one of the three
> I'd rather be doing.
> ### So life gets in the way, I don't get to train like I'd like, but
> instead, I get to explore the area of "what I can do on less" -- less
> comfortable, sure, but no less worthy. (The alternative, of course, is
> death.) And staying the course is no less a stroke to my ego, either.
> Witness the following:
>
> > From:    "Feucht, Andrea L." <alf@PROLAW.COM>
> > I think the most honest answer I can give is that I love BEING an
> > ultrarunner.  I love the people, the experience, and yes the incredulous
> > looks I get from coworkers.  I admit it, the mere fact of being an
> > ultrarunner is a great "party trick".  It makes me feel good about
> > myself to be able to just get out there and go 50 miles on a track,
> > or to run up and down mountains for a whole day.
> > Knowing that that capability exists within is a great sensation.  The
> getting there part is difficult, however, so I have taken shortcuts...
>
> ### God I LOVE that last line, Andrea. Yeah, we take shortcuts. Does that
> mean we don't have fun? That's goofy/dorky me at the 3 mile mark in the
> HUFF; by the time I was done, I was pulling good-sized ice chunks from the
> beard:
> http://davidweikel.com/00huff.shtml
> (Mind you, I was a homicidal maniac for the second loop, but by the time
> I'd gotten half way 'round loop three, I'd gotten my groove back.) Rich
> Limacher wrote of talking "positive mental attitude" up with Mitch Harper;
> Rich should know that Mitch talked PMA up with me soon after -- you had an
> impact, Rich.
>
> QUESTION 2:
> > I am also interested in what keeps people in the sport when
> > it appears obvious that their bodies are not cut out for it.
> ### And I offer:
> > From:    Regina Olsen <olsen216@MSN.COM>
> > Kierkegaard said *there is a world of difference between the proud
> > courage which dares to fear the worst and the humble courage which
> > dares to hope for the best
> ### What a great quote.
> ### So maybe, the thing to do is not to cast (couched) aspersions at those
> of us forced to run what we want without the training we wish -- maybe the
> thing to do is imagine what we'd be up to WITH such training. Makes ya
> think, don't it?
>
> Wishing, but doing anyway, I remain sincerely your
> Sloetoe
>
>
>
> ZEN NOTE TO WILL BROWN:
> I hereby nickname you "Will Brown."
>
>
> =====
> There is little use for the being whose tepid soul knows nothing of the
great and generous emotions of the high pride, the stern belief, the lofty
enthusiasm, of the men who quell the storm and ride the thunder.
>
> T.Roosevelt 4/23/10
>
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