Elite vs Elitist

Possibly the greatest personal return I get from this blog is the variety of comments and e-mails I get that remind me of what I most love about running. Over the past two years, I’ve become friends with some of my regular readers, and have shared in their trials and tribulations as they struggle, like me, to find the best in themselves.  Albeit he didn’t intend to, first time contributor Dan, was today responsible for the most refreshing reminder yet.

What follows is Dan’s post to my last entry. Followed by today’s blog, which might also be called “A Letter to Dan”.

Dan says:

I’m highly frustrated by the continued publication of this “training” blog series. Canadian Running: You should set higher standards. As a serious runner who actually loves the sport, I am offended by the irrelevant content and pathetic attitude of this blog. I’m sure many ‘average’ runners are happy to hear how the author fails to meet her goals time and again and how she displays no real dedication to improvement or performance; however this also cheapens what I do and gives people the wrong impression that running is somehow simple and accessible to everyone. It’s not!

January 17, 2012

Dear Angry Dan,

Thank you for your thought-filled response to my blog – and thank you for reading so much of it!  The thing is, when you say running is not “simple and accessible to everyone,” you’re missing the point a little. Well, a lot, actually.

The fact is that running is possibly the most accessible sport in the world. All you need to run is what you’re born with (although clothes can add comfort, at least for passers-by). Running is something amputees can do, the blind can do, something even dirt-poor Kenyans can beat the world at. To run well, you don’t even need shoes – just ask Zola Budd.

Training for running seems simple: just put one foot in front of the other. Next time, do it faster, or go further. But training for running is more than that. Running is only ever a part of your life. So strapping on the Sauconys every day means dealing with the rest of your life so you can get out there…sick kids, compulsive eating, angry bosses, skin conditions, Real Housewives of Atlanta, you name it.  What makes an elite runner? Sure, raw talent and speed help, but the ability to deal with all of life’s distractions and still perform at a high level is crucial.

So Dan, my blog belongs in the training series of Canadian Running because it deals with the life issues that everyone faces – including the best athletes alive. It deals with setting goals and missing them as Simon Bairu just did. It deals with handling the disappointments. It deals with not being as fast as you’d like to be. It deals with the love of running. In short, it deals with the stuff that everyone who ever ran or will run has in common: life.

Now it’s true that not everyone can be an elite runner. In fact, almost nobody is. In 2009, in the USA, 467,000 people completed a marathon. More than 99% of them didn’t win…and that’s not counting those who failed to finish. Oh, but Dan, those “average” runners do add value. In fact, the also-rans make the race. As Confucius said, “How can you come first if there is no second?” Most of these races, Olympics included, could never be run if it weren’t for the money from the less athletic enthusiasts in the world – the people for who running to the end of the block is a challenge, or five kms, or 15kms, or  a sub four-hour marathon. For that matter, Canadian Running and publications like it wouldn’t exist either.

No Dan, running is not a sport just for “serious runners” like yourself. It is for everyone who wants it in their life.  To be elite is to rise through the ranks of the average and inspire those of us who may  never get there. To consider the rest of us some how less important, or irrelevant? Well, that’s just elitist.

That said Dan, you’re right. Since I began this blog I’ve missed a lot of goals. Most recently, I failed to sub-4 in NYC (by, well, a lot). But in the past two years I’ve also improved my best marathon time by 53 minutes and my half-marathon by 25 minutes…oh, and along the way my training distance has gone from 15km a week to more than 50kms. Running has changed my life – and like the majority of runners, I’m proud of that.  Everyone who reads this blog has goals. They might be to eat one less chip and get off  the couch, but it helps me to know I”m not alone. As for the failures? Well, perhaps Reid Coolsaet’s coach Dave Scott-Thomas said it best when he told me “In actual fact, if we always make our targets we’re probably aiming too low. Athletics is about pushing your boundaries and seeing how far you can go. Sometimes you trip on your face and get bruised and that’s good.”

So, Dan, you really deserve a special ‘thank you’ today. You’ve reminded me of why I do what I do – and how valuable it is. Give yourself a pat on the back.  If you’re feeling frustrated, I recommend going for a run. It really works! And please, do spare a thought for all of us also-rans as you run it off…we’ll  sure be thinking of you.

If you like my blog,  drop me a line and I’ll add you to my mailing list to let you know when updates are on the site. Don’t worry, your e-mail address will be safe with me and my best Nigerian banker friends.