I disagree. "Retire" is applied to every athlete who stops focusing on their sport and moves on to another career. DBELCO spent a number of years fully concentrating on running and basing every single lifestyle decision on what effect, if any, it had on his running. That meant every single day for the most part he woke up with the primary purpose of training and competing. If you relocate to an area for training purposes, hold off marriage and family, and take any part time or full time job to support yourself as long as it doesn't interfere with training, then you are a full-time runner, probably of which there are only 100 or so (I'm just throwing that out) in this country. THen when you stop competing seriously you are therefore "retired".
What do runners do when they "retire"?
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Quit, retire, Chucko what ever you want to call it, I no longer competed after 1996... Now if you are in some way insinuating or trying to belittle, that is your prerogotive and simply your opinion, nothing more nothing less and you are entitled to that opinion. How ever I would try and keep it anonymous and on the net, so as not to find out after getting KTFO'ed (KNOCKED THE [email protected]#K OUT)that I might not be the quitter you may have underestimated me for...just food for thought...but nice conversating with ya anyway for what ever it is worth...
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Ron Dawes got it right
\"totally trash yourself in training without getting injured\"
I trash myself on the bike a couple of times a week plus tempo rides and long rides,it is dam near impossible to get hurt,it is also not the same GREAT FEELING you get from a hard run,but I feel like I can keep doing the rides till the grim reaper gets me. -
Find another way to burn the candle, stay injury-free (relatively) and crank the heart-rate for at least 1,000 calories a day if not more. Whether it's cycling, rowing, swimming, martial arts, yoga, jogging, etc., it's a much easier and healthier transition than switching over from expending all of that energy to shutting down the metabolism completely. For most folks, it's probably hard on the spirit to go from greyhound to couch potato.
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Here's what some former British internationals are up to;
Seb Coe was an Conservative MP for a few years and has ben involved in lots of sports quangos, does a bit if commentating and writes columns for the Daily Telegraph.
Steve Cram has become the face and voice of athletics on BBC tv - and is doing a pretty good job.
Brendan Foster set up Nova International which organises a number of running events and also formed the View From sportswear company - which is quite successful in the UK
Peter Elliot works for Nova International
Chris Brasher established the Sweatshop - UK's premier range of running stores, and founded the London Marathon
Dave Bedford is now the top man at the London Marathon
Tim Huthchings is now a commentator on Eurosport and does some work for Reebok
Jack Buckner owns a farm
John Gladwin works for Nike
Geoff Whightman works for Puma
Meanwhile Gary Lough made a fortune by marrying Paula Radcliffe!!! -
Work at the local Arby's and Hardees.
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There are two types of runners on this planet: those who give their all in order to perform at their best and Runner's World devotees.
When a competitive runner decides to hang it up, it's retirement. After 10-20 years of pain, toil, injuries, and what-not, you reach a point of diminishing returns. Quite frankly, it just ain't fun anymore. (Personally, I got tired of being tired, sore, and poor. At 33, I wasn't going to be world class and it didn't make sense to take a vow of poverty to beat up the same age groupers week in and week out for the elevation of my ego.)
Runner's World fitness types got into the sport to either get in shape, make friends, fight addiction, etc. They do not "burnout" because they never lit the flame in the first place. These are usually the folks that plod along at the same speed forever and wax eloquently about how running makes them feel special blah-blah-blah.
I don't wish to start some "What's a real runner?" debate. If you love running and want to go forever, that's great. You should be lauded for your passion. Are guys like DBELCO, malmo, Hodgie-san not "real runners" because they chose to retire from competition? Do not mock those who decided, for whatever reason, to knock running down the list of life's priorities.
