Vote user group members off the island? ;) (Read 2113 times)

JakeKnight


    A few points: First: I don't think anybody is talking about folks who are having a good week, or who are temporarily upping the mileage, or who are just members of the annual January Jihad (you know, those who get exercise crazy after January 1st and then hop back on the couch by Groundhog's Day Yes ) ... I think the concern is people who ran 2000 miles last year and 1800 the year before and who KNOW for a fact they'll do about that this year ... and they're in the 1000 mile group. Second: if that's you - you're doing it for ego. If you know for a fact that you'll hit the annual total by April, you're just getting a kick out of comparing yourself to the newbies. Which, by definition, is really, really lame. That'd be like me challenging the 12-year old next door to a fight. No, wait, he'd kick my ass, nevermind. Okay, better example: it's like me challenging Trent in a marathon. There's just no challenge in it for me, so it's all ego. Wink (Yes, Trent, I plan on milking that as long as I can, and then dodging you at least until the CMM. At which point I'll probably try to trip you. Life sucks, wear a helmet). If you know you're going to far outpace everybody, what exactly is the point? And if you're offended by any of the above, it's because it's true. I cheerfully invite you to bite me. No, not there. Third: you may think its silly. I may think its silly. In fact, I'll confess: I did think it was silly. I couldn't care less about a "leaderboard" or whatever. But my opinion doesn't matter - because it matters to THEM. For the folks reaching for that 1000 kilometers or whatever, that's a real accomplishment in their running career, and THEIR opinion is all that really ought to matter, isn't it? Let them vote on whether they want people who KNOW they'll run 2000 miles this year in their group. At least let THEM decide if they're "inspired" by that or not. Just seems fair. As much as I'd enjoy playing golf with Tiger, I'm not personally sure how inspired I'd be if he kept showing up at our local tourneys. And for what it's worth, if some hardcore ultra runners who KNOW they'll do 4000 miles this year showed up in our little 2000 mile group, I might suddenly not think it was so silly any more and get a little annoyed myself. Fourth: Just my opinion ... but what's wrong with a little actual competition? Sure, competing against yourself is all that really matters - but doesn't a little actual competition spur you to do better? That's why golf has handicaps - so that I COULD play with Tiger and actually compete, against him and against my own own best scores. I sort of like the idea that a bunch of people who run roughly the same distances could actually compete against each other. As long as everyone is fighting in their weight class (or golfing at the right handicap), I think competition just makes things a little more interesting, and a little more motivating. Just my 2 cents. But what I do know is that if the folks in the 1000 mile club WANT to have a friendly competition, they can't do it if people who know they'll do 2000 this year join in. Seems like they ought to at least have the option, if it's important to them. Just my two cents. Not that I know why anybody's still yakking about this. "The tribe" has already spoken, hasn't she? Wink

    E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
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    Trent


    Good Bad & The Monkey

      until the CMM
      On an unrelated note, JN, I realized yesterday that there are THREE marathons in Tennessee in April. CMM is the last of them. The other two are the Andrew Jackson Marathon and that little jaunt in Knoxville. So, you in?
      JakeKnight


        And one more important thing: Don't get hurt because of the dumb mileage clubs. I know it's going to happen. But if you run 10 miles a week, don't suddenly do 30 just to keep up with some arbitrary number. It'll ruin your whole year, and nobody wants that. Which, for the record, is yet another reason why people should be in the right groups. Don't get hurt. Alternatively - somebody might want to start a group right now for all the people who will ignore the above and get hurt chasing a stupid bunny ... or who will at least BLAME the bunny for their injuries. It'd be a popular group by June, unfortunately.

        E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
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        Why is it sideways?

          get hurt chasing a stupid bunny
          Whenever JK writes "pace bunny" this is code for "Jeff." I know he went out last night and ran an extra .3 miles just to jump in front of me. He's just trying to psych me out. It ain't workin', JK...
            That damn bunny gave me shin splints! Or it was my own stupidity. But I think I'd rather blame the bunny. I may take you up on the idea and create a bunny haters club soon if my shins dont start feeling better. Big grin Ice, ice and more ice! Woohoo!
            Al1


              Al is spot on! FC
              That's the beauty of having a Garmin GPS watch to measure my distance, I can run circles around the parking lot until I hit the exact mileage I need to meet my goal.
              derek


                I see we have another high-schooler that decided to join all 4 training groups :-)

                Derek

                bas


                  My suggestion is that everyone should be sorted, not just the top 10. This way, everyone feels included, yet those who like the competition get to see where they stand with respect to the other runners.
                  Hear, hear! I feel that by removing the 'front runners' page you remove most of the problem. When everybody is sorted alphabetically or at random and not by the distance they have run, the attention will shift away from this, and back to what these groups are for: a way to help people attain a goal. Of course this will not prevent people from subscribing to the wrong groups, but that is not so important. When someone outpaces the pace bunny by a great margin (and for a long time) he/she is obviously in the wrong group. So *shrug*. Smile bas

                  52° 21' North, 4° 52' East

                  zoom-zoom


                  rectumdamnnearkilledem

                    How 'bout alphabetically in REVERSE...I hate always being last! Tongue k

                    Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                    remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                         ~ Sarah Kay

                    Al1


                      How 'bout alphabetically in REVERSE...I hate always being last! Tongue k
                      Hey!!!! No way! Big grin Al
                      zoom-zoom


                      rectumdamnnearkilledem

                        *snort* Big grin

                        Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                        remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                             ~ Sarah Kay

                        va


                          Hear, hear! I feel that by removing the 'front runners' page you remove most of the problem. When everybody is sorted alphabetically or at random and not by the distance they have run, the attention will shift away from this,...
                          Whoops, I guess I wasn't clear. My suggestion was that everyone should be sorted by the distance they have run, not just the top 10. This is in affect amounts to removing the leader board (or you can think of it as everyone being on the leader board). Anyway, it seems like we have every possible opinion on this, with different people being motivated in different ways. Eric will need the wisdom of Solomon to figure this one out. Whatever he decides will be alright with me.
                          JakeKnight


                            I see we have another high-schooler that decided to join all 4 training groups :-)
                            Oh, sure. But he's only done 65 miles. It's not like he's doing five times the pace in the 1000k club, or already logged 10% of the total yearly distance in 8 days, or averages 60 miles a week or anything ... Oh, wait. Yes he has. ... this post brought to you by Captain Sarcasm.

                            E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
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                            JakeKnight


                              On an unrelated note, JN, I realized yesterday that there are THREE marathons in Tennessee in April. CMM is the last of them. The other two are the Andrew Jackson Marathon and that little jaunt in Knoxville. So, you in?
                              I'm definitely planning on Knoxville (as a slow training run) ... but isn't the Andrew Jackson just a couple weeks before the CMM? If I'm going to soundly thrash you at the CMM, I'm going to need a good tapering period ... BTW, I'm still thinking Little Rock in early March, maybe. I definitely want to get in two before the CMM.

                              E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
                              -----------------------------

                                I have no time for stray dogs that can howl at the moon but are too afraid to make the jump. Make up your mind what group you want to belong to and commit to it. I know everyone wants to spend lots of time with me, but if you are in more than one pace group you are letting your fear of failure show. When I sense fear, it only makes me more relentless when setting the pace. Doing away with the leaderboard is a limp-wristed idea that makes me feel the urge to vomit (or maybe I was already feeling that way- damn stale beer). Stop your whining and worry about chasing me. Start your own restricted club and make up your own rules. Tell people how far they are allowed to run, and kick them out if they dare to push themselves further.
                                Come play my game, I'll test you...
                                No days off
                                No holidays
                                No vacations
                                While you sleep in, I'm out there on the road.