When I decided to run the marathon, I got all sorts of feedback from people. Some hailed me as courageous and inspirational, while some said dumb and stupid. Thirteen weeks into my training, I have finally decided where I stand amongst these different views.
I started out a novice, filled with a lot of excitement upon embarking on this exhilarating journey.I was definitely filled with a lot of adrenaline, the runs were shorter and It was the summer, with little responsibilities other than have fun. 3 miles easy, 6 miles easy, 10 miles easy. As the mileage and other responsibilities began to pile up, adrenaline started to fade and I guess it was here tat those who deemed me stupid were right. It became hard to make the decision to go for that 13, dreadful 18 or even any shorter runs in between these long runs.
But despite the dwindling motivation, I signed up to do the marathon and so I had to train. This was were I started to see the benefits of choosing to run the marathon. I say this because I have always been an advocate of 'just do it....and feel the consequences later' but once the adrenaline was faded, You felt it as you were doing. Every step, heart beat, sound. It was a pretty cool and amazing feeling, something that I did not think I would ever get from running.
So although it might come across as dumb or inspirational I really think that the marathon and running is such more. It allows me to delve a bit deeper into understanding self and a happiness that I haven't experienced yet, which is even more evident upon completion of a long run. November 6th here I come!!!
PS : The hardest thing so far has been raising money to fulfill my pledge of 2500 to shoe4Africa to participate in the race and also help build the first children's hospital in Kenya. If you are reading and feel inclined to donate, you can do so at this link! http://www.shoe4africa.org/charity/civicrm/contribute/pcp/info?reset=1&id=327 Thank you!!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
competitive enigma
First I'll like to apologize to all my readers for taking so long to put up a post, I was plagued with two ridiculous examinations followed by a week and half of suffering from an unknown illness but now I'm back!
Speaking of sickness, in my textbook for pathology (pathos -suffering, logos- to study) I came across a quote that got me thinking.
"There is no escape: It seems that everything one does to earn a livelihood, to subsist, or to enjoy life turns out to be illegal, immoral, or fattening, or--most disturbing--possibly carcinogenic(cause cancer)"
So the gears in my head start to churn....If it is inevitable that potentially everything that we do is bad for us then living itself is essentially dying, no matter how you live. Or is the fact that our world is so competitive that in order to succeed most people knowingly or unknowingly put others down or take an opportunity that could have been someone else's.
These are two very compound questions and indeed a certain degree of truth to both of them but I think in the context of the the above quotes, the second question is one of direct relation. It reminded me of a quote by fabolous the rapper "when you take a chance ever wonder who you take it from".
It is no doubt that every job you get, someone doesn't get a job so they feel unfulfilled. When you gt accepted into an academic institution the same, in sports same, an election same, wars are even worse because everyone suffers. It seems inevitable in every aspect of society that competition plays a role. The thing about competition is that there is a winner and loser and in the grand scheme of thing, people do not usually make a choice to lose at life(no matter what their personal definition is of winning and losing)
It seems that having 'limited resources' play a part in creating this competitiveness that turns out to be detrimental to all. But at the same time could there be a world without competition? And in the case that such a paradigm existed, would it be without war and fraudulence? would everyone be healthy? I guess the only thing for certain is it will be a much different place than our current world.
Speaking of sickness, in my textbook for pathology (pathos -suffering, logos- to study) I came across a quote that got me thinking.
"There is no escape: It seems that everything one does to earn a livelihood, to subsist, or to enjoy life turns out to be illegal, immoral, or fattening, or--most disturbing--possibly carcinogenic(cause cancer)"
So the gears in my head start to churn....If it is inevitable that potentially everything that we do is bad for us then living itself is essentially dying, no matter how you live. Or is the fact that our world is so competitive that in order to succeed most people knowingly or unknowingly put others down or take an opportunity that could have been someone else's.
These are two very compound questions and indeed a certain degree of truth to both of them but I think in the context of the the above quotes, the second question is one of direct relation. It reminded me of a quote by fabolous the rapper "when you take a chance ever wonder who you take it from".
It is no doubt that every job you get, someone doesn't get a job so they feel unfulfilled. When you gt accepted into an academic institution the same, in sports same, an election same, wars are even worse because everyone suffers. It seems inevitable in every aspect of society that competition plays a role. The thing about competition is that there is a winner and loser and in the grand scheme of thing, people do not usually make a choice to lose at life(no matter what their personal definition is of winning and losing)
It seems that having 'limited resources' play a part in creating this competitiveness that turns out to be detrimental to all. But at the same time could there be a world without competition? And in the case that such a paradigm existed, would it be without war and fraudulence? would everyone be healthy? I guess the only thing for certain is it will be a much different place than our current world.
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