This weekend on the Gold Coast, over 28,000 people entered the various events in the Gold Coast Marathon. It’s a massive event that brings competitors to our great city from all over. All weekend, I’ve had front row seats to a portion of the event from my apartment balcony.
On my way back from the gym on this fine Sunday morning, when I got to my basement entrance, I decided to continue on my pushy (that’s a bicycle to any non-Aussies 🙂 ), alongside the runners who were still finishing off their full and half marathons up the Gold Coast Highway. Some were still running, some were walking, some were still laughing and smiling, while others looked like they were about to have a breakdown! As I rode beside these wonderfully dedicated people trotting along, I cheered for them, yelling “KEEP GOING!! You’re doing a great job guys!”. Many of who were clearly hating life at that moment, smiled and waved, running like they were on glass, and I thought, “Why? What’s the point of them doing this, they’re in so much pain!”
And just as quickly as that negative thought hit me, it was replaced with it “Why not?!”…. allow me to elaborate.
The point is, they do it because they can, because they want to, and because the feeling of satisfaction and being able to say they have done it, they went the distance, far outweighs the 2 or 3 hours of discomfort they feel in physically in their bodies on race day.
I reflected on some of my own sporting endeavours over the past few years. I’ve competed in the Gold Coast Marathon in the 10k event a of couple times and the Bridge to Brisbane when it was 12ks. And while that is certainly no full marathon, it was a big deal for me at the time and the feeling of elation and pride I had when I crossed the line, having achieved my personal goal of “Don’t walk any of it”, was something I will never forget.
In a similar vain, I get questioned a lot about boxing. “Why do you want to get in there and get your pretty face punched in?”, “Do you actually enjoy it?”, “What’s the point!?”.
Well, yes I do enjoy it! Is that not the point? Boxing and all the accessory training that goes with it, is something I love to hate. I enjoy the early morning runs in the crisp air, the crazy circuit training including outrageous amount of burpees which for me, represents the mental challenge of being against an opponent round for round.
Sometimes, I see criticism and negativity on the internet about the choice of activity people make to keep themselves fit. The whole “Do you even lift?” comment is rather elitist. Yes, lifting is fun, I get it. I love to squat and deadlift and I don’t use sissy pink dumbbells. But, lifting (and this is just an example, I’m not hating on lifting!) isn’t what everyone wants to do. Some people prefer to run, that’s their thing. Some want to cycle, some like to Zumba. Who gives a shit?! They’re moving, they’re being active and healthy and enjoying it. Hello consistency and setting up exercise habits for life.
Today, when I posted some videos on my Facebook page of this morning’s training, I thought for a brief moment, what if my form isn’t good enough or I cop criticism, or someone says, “Oh that’s not even hard” or “That’s a dumb workout”. And I emphasize BRIEF moment. Because, I liked it (after I finished!). I had fun doing it, and being pushed to work hard. I didn’t get injured, and it suits my personal goals. Bugger what anyone thinks.
Those runners this weekend really inspired me and got me thinking. I was really in awe of their determination to finish the run. It’s so much easier to sit back and criticize, question their motives, and attack their chosen activity. It’s definitely lot harder to train consistently, be committed to a goal, risk failure or even be subject to the scrutiny of others.
There is going to be a whole lot of sore legs and juicy blisters in store for those competitors. But there will also be a whole truckload of achievement and thoughts of “I did that, I finished, I reached my goal, what’s next for me?” as well. And good on them. Seems like a good enough point to me.
Nadine Brown 