Here's something you might be interested in.
In an early post we explored a few verses of the Bhagavad Gita. In those verses we learned that we have a right to do work but not a right to the results of our work. http://bit.ly/KsKVLR
What if we don’t do the work? We still don’t have a right to the results. Do we have a right to claiming an accomplishment?
It is amazing how many people have “run” marathons. According to runningusa.org, a record 518,000 people finished a marathon in 2011. The median finishing time for women came in at 4:42:15. For men the median was 4:16:34.
These are not average finishing times. The median is merely the number that separates the upper half from the lower half.
What’s the point? It comes down to what it means to “run” a marathon.
In 1980 the number of marathon finishers was only 143,000 but the median times were 4:03:39 for women and a blistering 3:33:17 for men. In case those finishing times don’t mean anything to you, 4:03:39 means about a 9:18 per mile. 3:33:17 is a pace of 8:09 per mile.
In 1980, folks were running. In 2011? Not so much.
Does it matter?
Yes.
If you say you ran a marathon that means you ran from the start to the finish except for bathroom breaks and maybe a crowded aid station or two.
If you did not run from start to finish, you did not run a marathon. I apologize to those who think walking is running.
I’ve seen people who were walking pass someone who was running. It’s not about pace, it’s about activity.
There are people who run a marathon from start to finish and it takes them six hours. They’ve done the work. Who cares about the result?
When someone is walking they aren’t running. When someone is running they aren’t walking.
Those are the facts and they are indisputable.
We have a right to do the work but not a right to the results. However, we must DO the work.
Here’s an easy fix. If you didn’t run the entire time, just tell your friends, “I’ve done a marathon.” They will still be proud and inspired by you.
In an early post we explored a few verses of the Bhagavad Gita. In those verses we learned that we have a right to do work but not a right to the results of our work. http://bit.ly/KsKVLR
What if we don’t do the work? We still don’t have a right to the results. Do we have a right to claiming an accomplishment?
It is amazing how many people have “run” marathons. According to runningusa.org, a record 518,000 people finished a marathon in 2011. The median finishing time for women came in at 4:42:15. For men the median was 4:16:34.
These are not average finishing times. The median is merely the number that separates the upper half from the lower half.
What’s the point? It comes down to what it means to “run” a marathon.
In 1980 the number of marathon finishers was only 143,000 but the median times were 4:03:39 for women and a blistering 3:33:17 for men. In case those finishing times don’t mean anything to you, 4:03:39 means about a 9:18 per mile. 3:33:17 is a pace of 8:09 per mile.
In 1980, folks were running. In 2011? Not so much.
Does it matter?
Yes.
If you say you ran a marathon that means you ran from the start to the finish except for bathroom breaks and maybe a crowded aid station or two.
If you did not run from start to finish, you did not run a marathon. I apologize to those who think walking is running.
I’ve seen people who were walking pass someone who was running. It’s not about pace, it’s about activity.
There are people who run a marathon from start to finish and it takes them six hours. They’ve done the work. Who cares about the result?
When someone is walking they aren’t running. When someone is running they aren’t walking.
Those are the facts and they are indisputable.
We have a right to do the work but not a right to the results. However, we must DO the work.
Here’s an easy fix. If you didn’t run the entire time, just tell your friends, “I’ve done a marathon.” They will still be proud and inspired by you.