To those who are not in the scene, will think that people who do the Ironman are people with muscles for brains. It is something that is physically demanding and does not require much thinking. I agree on the former, and will dispute the latter. I believe that doing the Ironman goes beyond training all the time? Blind training will only lead you a certain level of performance, well, think of how far the blind can lead the blind without familiarisation of the environment? Nutrition, equipment, knowing how much the body should be pushed at each discipline, they all contribute to the performance of a triathlete.
Think of it, how many times have we heard this, "I bonked at 100km of the ride", or "I got off the bike with jelly legs", "It should have been a 42km walkathon". I am no guru and no expert, therefore in no position to ridicule, if I were deemed to be doing so - after all, I have only done but one Ironman? What I am saying is, I have come to conclude that the whole endurance race is a science, and that every lesson we learn from our trainings and races, all need to be pieced together in a jig saw puzzle, to show its completeness.
Somehow, I have digressed from the objective of the post. So, again, why do I enjoy myself in this, now that I am probably half way through my life? Mid life crisis? Maybe. I guess one of the reason is because I am tired of the corporate rat race - although I believe I was never in one to start with. I dont think I am cut out for this. Why? My personality just doesnt permit me to suck up to people. My conscience pricks me so hard that I cannot bring myself to backstab or bad mouth others. However, the twist in life is this: it is these very people, who will move along fast in the ladder. I have concluded, that since I cant play the game, I will not get myself involved in it.
My MBA classmate was a GM in company before and he left his company because of his "principles". And he said,"In whatever backstabbing that you do, it will always come back to haunt you one of these days." Retribution? Perhaps. However, I like to think of it as "what goes around comes around". It is indeed a wise saying. Clichéd maybe, but nonetheless very wise.
What does this have to do with my liking tri so much? In my trainings, I find no need to please anybody. There is no boss to report to. There is no imposed deadline - fail and get fired. There is no performance bonus to fight for. Admittedly, some do get a kick out of such achievements, but it is not my cup of tea.
I find the isolation during trainings very peaceful. It gives me time to be away from the noise in life? Even being a couch potato does not move you away from the influx of media information and keeps your mind active constantly. Furthermore, how much I want to train is pre-determined by myself. The constant voice may be there to remind me: if you do not train, you may not complete the race. But I also have the choice: to hell with it, I shall take a break today! And there will not be any dramatic consequence in the choices that I make. At least, not in terms of life and death. It is probably a DNF or DNS at the very most? And that's about it. But in the job, "to hell with it" will be the last thing it can be muttered without creating a furore in the office.
Alright, probably I am just not cut out to be a corporate person. A simple man with simple wants. 3 square meals, ample savings till my deathbed, (if possible) a good education for my children, an enriched lifestyle for the family. How many times have we asked ourselves this question: what is the meaning of life? Is it about people pleasing, high income, massive house? Or is it about leading a life with meaning? What then defines "life with meaning"?
To each their own, "meaningful life". I choose not going against my conscience at work, happiness at home, a good health for long time to come. A simple lifestyle with rich experiences to pass down the generation.
No comments:
Post a Comment