What William describes (One trait that I think makes me well suited for Randonneuring is that I have a short memory for bad experiences and a long memory for good ones) is called randonnesia--forgetting all the bad b/w rides. It makes it possible for many of us.
On Tuesday, December 11, 2012 2:36:29 PM UTC-5, William wrote: > > Patrick, I think you are right that Randonneuring is suited for a > particular set of personality traits (or disorders). One trait that I > think makes me well suited for Randonneuring is that I have a short memory > for bad experiences and a long memory for good ones. I think that's one of > the reasons I'm suited for fatherhood. You'd have to remind me about the > dirty diapers, sleepless nights, nights in the hospital. I've essentially > forgotten the troubles, and remember the vast majority of the pleasures. > Looking back at it, my ongoing career as a father is a constant source of > joy and optimism. I've had many difficult moments on brevets as well, but > I have to think hard to recall them. I have no difficulty at all > remembering a myriad of positive little details. A saran-wrapped package > of cubed cheese and sausage at the Valley Ford Market. The borderline > over-peppered and piping hot clam chowder at the Marshall Store on a rainy > February dusk. A fellow rando yelling "Go Bubba!" coming the other way on > an out-and-back section. The view looking North along the Pacific Coast > from the Pt Reyes Lighthouse. The long list of positives and my inability > to recall the negatives makes me itch for my next event. People who have a > good memory for hardships probably would finish an event and say "that was > stupid, never again". I hear people say that about children as well. > > On Tuesday, December 11, 2012 11:02:02 AM UTC-8, Patrick in VT wrote: >> >> >> >> On Monday, December 10, 2012 8:35:15 PM UTC-5, JimD wrote: >>> >>> >>> Every ride we talked about he had ridden and had only negative >>> comments. This fellow seemed deeply involved and experienced and pretty >>> grumpy about it all. I've never really figured this out. >>> >>> I too hear a lot of "death-march" recounting of randonneuring. Rando is >> fun to think about it because there are those magic moments and the pure >> joy of just being out on the bike exploring and taking in the scenery - >> it's easy to fall in love with the idea. but it's the rare person who gets >> by on this idealized notion, especially for the longer brevets. the folks >> that do it and can extract the "fun" out tend to be the highly motivated, >> goal-setting, and self-competitive types that are driven by the challenge >> of it all. it definitely suits certain personalities, especially those who >> draw their energy and sense of accomplishment and meaning from within >> (i.e., introverts). in other words, "fun" isn't so much about the sunrises >> and the pretty spectacle of a stream of reflective gear and bicycle lights >> at night - it's the satisfaction of not quitting, overcoming something >> difficult, the lessons learned along the way, and most importantly, >> reaching a goal. Being "deeply involved" and "grumpy" is understandable >> when you take into personality and psyche into account. >> >> likewise with respect to marathon/ultra-running, ironman distance >> triathlon, the Tour Divide, etc. those events are technically races, but I >> see no real difference compared to the "non-competitive" sport of rando. >> for the vast majority of people who do stuff like this, finishing is the >> primary goal and meeting a self-prescribed standard of performance (the >> "personal record" or "PR") amounts to winning - there's no real external >> motivator (most don't do it to finish first and win the prizes, get the >> attention, etc.), which again might be why more introverted folks gravitate >> towards and excel in these sports. >> > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rbw-owners-bunch/-/Ab8Cye33YH8J. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
