AthletesOnTrack wrote:
A couple of other posters have perhaps put it better than me, iron_mike and pattersonpaul.
It feels like there is a growing lack of respect for shorter races, and that's a shame. When it's coupled with an unreasonable esteem for endurance or ultra-endurance events, it can get a bit silly.
That's probably a lot more clear and concise than I put it the first time. I respect anybody getting off the couch and out the door, just that puts you in the top what, 5% of the population, because you beat everyone still on the couch. The people I don't respect are the ones who don't respect athletes racing other distances. I can definitely see where that's not what came across, and that's just poor writing and editing on my part.
No distance is more legit than any other, no speed is more legit than any other. Better?
Sure, that makes more sense. And now I am genuinely curious to hear some examples of how people express this lack of respect. Since you're in coaching, I assume this has some real world basis, so lay it on us. My guess is that whether it's short or long course, the vast majority of people, even the ones willing to throw their hat into the multisport ring, have no shot to ever podium. We're always going to be only racing ourselves. We can't appreciate the difference between 1st and 3rd place in a 5k, it's all beyond us, even MOPers. So while we certainly can push ourselves with the pursuit of lower PRs, there is a different kind of satisfaction from going the distance. It's why endurance sports are called endurance. I am starting to see more and more why I need to set goals of both kinds. I have personally decided to not even think about a full marathon until I can get my 10k and 1/2mary times down to a reasonable range. That's going to take a lot more work than it took me to go from zero to finishing the first ones.
Maybe I'm a bad example. Always been fat and unathletic, so I have mad respect for fast people at ANY distance. Maybe the population that is grating on you is closer to the actual MOP than the BOP. I don't know. I may be a poor representative of the BOP as it is. Seriously though, some "for instance" comments you've actually heard would be helpful.
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I'll tell you all right now, my seat is too low, I'm not aero and I carry too much fluid on the bike.