THOUGHTSLEADER wrote:
Just a theory is that since running is considered a meritocracy, as in you work hard and smart and control your destiny, a lot of people here seem to extend that to life. There's a distinct libertarian spirit, which I think tends to be cynical of people who they deem not to be worthy of success.
Hence, foreigners get a tough rap (assumed to be on drugs), poor people get skewered (lazy, stupid), running influencers/entrepeneurs like Pappas, Symmonds or some ultra-runners get ripped (not deserving of extra attention, mediocre amongst elites at regular events). White collar fitness things get skewered (treadmill, Runner's World etc.) because they're trying to take shortcuts and work less hard. Programs that are nearly all Kenyans get crap for not having to develop runners, and getting ringers. And so on.
This is how a lot of people's minds here work.
Amazing post as well.
VERY GOOD.
I was drawn to running as the harder you work the better you get. But having coached in college for a decade, it becomes obvious that so much of it is genetics. It blows my mind that most people on letsrun don't get that. Most runners think they are good because they are dedicate. And don't get me wrong - that's my favorite thing about running - if you aren't dedicated you aren't good. But any D1 runner is talented - WAY more talented than the average person.
One of our employees was back half of the varsity guy for me at Cornell. He coached a year at a D3 school and his mind was blown when he saw some d3 guys ran 100 mpw and still weren't all that fast.