Why Do We Race? Have you ever asked yourself why you race, especially a 500 mile race as grueling as the Seven Clans Casinos Winnipeg to Willmar I-500? So why do we Race? What is so fun about keeping going when your body is SCREAMING for you to stop? What’s so fulfilling about ending up with FROSTBITE, BLISTERS and WALKING FUNNY for a few days? What is it about crossing a finish line that has us replaying that moment and all the day’s journey over and over in our mind’s eye and to our Friends? It might be as simple as that if feels fantastic to be that fit. It definitely has to do with being involved with a great community of people. We all have some kind of moment where it all came together, where you made the decision to go Cross-country racing and run a 500 plus mile race. For me, it was watching the 500 back-in-the-day. It was the intimidating task that intrigued me. It’s the kind of thing that is energizing to see, and if watching it calls to you, it’s even more energizing to experience. There are people I have met who did one and only one 500. Perhaps it’s the friends I keep, but my guess is that it’s because there indeed are only a few who fall into that category. Remember how great it was to cross the finish line in your first race? A few days later were you thinking it might be even more fulfilling to go a little faster with a whole lot more skill and comfort in your ride? Proficiency just feels good, doesn’t it! Regardless of what your starting point is in the sport, there is going to be a learning curve your body goes through until you reach your best, most proficient efforts. And each notch up is INSPIRATION to go the next and the next until you gain a level of efficiency and fluidity where your training and racing start to develop…Your Body Becomes ONE WITH THE SLED. It’s when you just feel things are clicking for you, where you don’t have to focus to push, you just are. It’s when you are racing and 10 miles go by on the sled yet it feels like one. It’s the state where you can sense how your competitor is doing without needing to ask. Some call it “flow.” I CALL IT PERFECTION. It’s energizing beyond anything else to experience. It’s total perfection of movement. Its freedom from needing a finish time or place to feel the day was complete and perfect. It’s inspiring for others to watch and incredibly energizing to experience. We don’t have a word that adequately describes what this perfection is. Whether it’s running, cycling, triathlon or something else, just about everyone else has experienced it at one point or another in those times where you become completely absorbed in the task at hand and the world seems timeless. Even at the most basic level, racing has a cost. For those who are driven to compete, especially at longer distances, the cost is high. There’s time to train; money for race fees, membership, equipment and travel; energy that could be spent at work, or with your family. The spirit of camaraderie seems to OUT RULE the cost. The rush of adrenalin and personal achievement that comes with racing day after day, year after year has an amazing power over us. It’s Fun. It’s Perfection. It’s one of the best things about racing. Why do you race? -Noel Schanilec
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 00:58:31 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015