Lovely morning at the St Finbarr’s / John Buckley 10km in Cork last Sunday and it put me in a contemplative mood.
Oh no, I can imagine the collective groan from most of the followers of this page.
What is success? What is satisfaction?
Success is turning up a the start line for a race. You entered, you went there, you put yourself on the start line with all the others to give it a go.
Satisfaction is going over the finish line. Time is only an indicator of your current fitness and that is always a variable. You did it, you finished, you gave it a GO.
There is no failure in the results posted online afterwards. Everyone achieved something. Failure is never showing up.
Going to a race is good for the body and the soul. We train so often either solo or in small groups that it is great to mix with so many fellow runners. They are fantastic people, full of encouragement and support.
Many are fighting their own private battles to be there.. but they are there and everyone deserves utmost respect from first home to the last placed finisher. How can we document what anyone else went through to finish a race.
From a training point of view a race will always tell you where you are and if you need to fine tune or work harder. The clock doesn’t lie and you can get an honest evaluation of yourself.
You can always get loads of hugs, smiles, handshakes, words of kindness, some decent slagging and banter.
If you are good, maybe water and a banana as a bonus.
If satisfaction is finishing then Ultimate Satisfaction is a breakfast toastie and a coffee afterwards where we regale each other with tales of our glorious and heroic deeds… I’m Joking.
Glad to be finished and having a cuppa.
Thanks to all in St Finbarr’s who organised the race. A change from the much loved 10 mile but due to roadworks it wasn’t possible. Fair play a worthy alternative.
Thanks to all who said hello today and to the photographers who catch us at our weakest moments.
Thanks to AG and AE for company and friendship today.
Live long, run well, smile and feck the begrudgers.
The picture may show me in front, the truth is 90% of the field are actually ahead of me and that was after 500 metres. 😃
#pwr
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