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( Note that these letters may have been shortened due to space limitations .)
WINNING LETTER
PERFORMER VERSUS PARTICIPANT
There we were , the Cochran Family , being heralded as the greatest thing to happen to the Midmar Mile swim since sliced bread because we managed to enter four generations , ranging from 91 years old to 10 , swimming in one event . But here ’ s the rub : We are really quite dreadful swimmers ! ( And I am definitely better known as a runner with Boksburg Athletic Club .)
For the record , the winning Midmar times are round about 17 minutes , so this would probably translate in Comrades terms to sub-23 minutes being a silver medal , and sub-30 minutes being a Bill Rowan . I can ’ t recall anybody in our family swimming anywhere near those times ! ( Ah , wait , I have a vague memory of nephew ‘ Big Brad ’ doing a 28-minute one year …) Then there is the Arbuckle Family … Mom , Dad and a whole bunch of beautiful swimming children who regularly win the Family Event , all swimming between 20 and 28 minutes !
Which brings me to the point : The joy and sense of achievement of simply participating can outweigh the importance of performing . Not that I am saying that there is anything wrong with performance – it will always be the ultimate drive of all events – but as our son Colin joked about the Arbuckles , “ Imagine being born into that family and just not being able to crack 30 minutes at Midmar . You would get a fatherly chat along the lines of , ‘ Ah , son , we love you as much as all your siblings , but maybe this swimming thing is not for you .’”
The moral of the story is , do whatever blows your own skirt up , and repeat to yourself whist doing it , “ This is such fun !” The outcome of this philosophy is actually quite strange , in that you will likely find yourself trying harder to ‘ perform ’ at or near your own genetic limit anyway .
MORE MONEY FOR THE OLDIES
The ratio of excellence between veterans and masters against seniors indicates that the latter keep getting more money at the podium for a ‘ no-show ,’ as many records have not tumbled despite the emergence of professional clubs , but this has not been given the attention it deserves because running has been relegated to a social event where running 6 to 7 hours at Comrades is celebrity status .
I appeal to all race organisers , sponsors , people with authority and decision-making , and ASA at large , to show respect to veterans and masters by paying deservedly good prize monies for a change , especially since we are a category that truly give their all and have been passionate all these years . Just have a look at all the race flyers and you ’ ll see we still pay the same entry fee , with the exception of grandmasters . Please reward good performance well . – Theo Rafiri , vai e-mail
The thinking has always been that the number of athletes in the older age groups tend to be smaller , hence less prize money is on offer , but there are still highly competitive , even world class athletes in these categories , and I agree they deserve more recognition for their efforts . – Ed .
So here ’ s a tip for every training session : Ask yourself repeatedly , “ Am I having fun ?” If you are able to answer yes , you will amaze yourself how your performance steadily improves . Don ’ t worry too much about what the Garmin or Strava tell you , just have fun ! – Neil Cochran , Boksburg
Thanks for the great letter , Neil . Had a good laugh at the way you compare your family to the Arbuckles , but at the same time , your advice to everybody is spot on – we need to enjoy what we do , or else we will quickly lose our love for it . – Ed .
APOLOGIES FOR THE MISTAKES …
My first 10km race on 19 August at the age of 52 was like a dream , but with a bit of embarrassment . I wear size 7 shoes , but I was wearing borrowed size 9 shoes , with my blue and white short trousers . Not ideal … Then I found myself standing in the toilet queue , until a lady asked me , “ What is this line for ?” I said for the toilet , and she replied , “ But this is for ladies .” What a great embarrassment !
I ran 1:17 and out on the road I was happy to drink water and Coke , and I was dropping water sachets on the road throughout the race , often still with water inside . But after reading your magazine and seeing the ugly pictures of water sachets on the road , I was so embarrassed , again about the wrong decisions I took that day . – Endrew Matseke , Pretoria
We all make typical novice mistakes in our first few races , but now you ’ re a more experienced runner and will get things right the next time you head to a race ! – Ed .
Images : Jetline Action Photo , iStock & courtesy Trevlyn Palframan
8 ISSUE 99 OCTOBER 2017 / www . modernathlete . co . za