Is Sell a sellout wrote:
I find it funny that the very same people who build up Brian Sell as the ultimate blue collar guy, who works so hard and never gives up on his dreams, don't see his retirement at age 31 as him being a selling out for a more stable income.
He's giving up. Maybe its the right move but it is still giving up. Doesn't seem so blue collar to me.
Nothing against Brian, he sounds like a great guy who is trying to take care of his family. But his die hard fans who have built him up to be some type of blue collar, never give up, hard working mega man, should have a hard time reconciling his retirment at age 31 with the image they tried to tag on him.
This might be the most ridiculous post I've ever seen here, even more than some of mine. Here's a guy, who, above all odds, placed respectably in a world championship race and made an Olympic team through sheer grit, determination, and hard work. But, what's even more rare, because most runners here with even a modicum of talent cannot reconcile themselves to this fact, is that he knows it's TIME to hang it up. He got everything he desired from the sport.
There's more to life than running, and he's still young enough to embrace it. He's not going to hang around and "chase the dream," with another mediocre 5-7 years of running while working at a shoe store with a family to support. He's looking forward to the next phase of his life and a career. Running is not the be all, end all. For most people in this world who are lucky enough to possess talent, it is a means to an education (in the US) or a means to feed one's family (as in Africa). It is merely part of the journey. It ends for EVERYONE, and the sooner you have your priorities in the right place, the better off you and those close to you will be. Running is a very selfish, grueling, damaging (over a period of time and mileage) sport. Trust me, your relatives get this. You don't, not yet.