Devotion or Stupidity?

Merry Christmas to all! It has been sometime since my last blog. There has not been a shortage of topics for me to write about. There has just been a lack of time and effort on my part. I am tired of the Mitchell report, and the Patriots pursuit of perfection. In the coming days, I will give my thoughts on the Bears victory over the Packers, and the Bulls Firing of Scott Skiles.

For this Blog, I thought I would write about something different. I came across a link to a video from DIII Cross Country Nationals. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaX1bAL6FeI

This video features a female runner, who 20 meters or so, before the finish line, breaks her FIBULA (bone in her leg). The runner, then tries to stand up and continue running. She falls back down, ultimately she crawls across the finish line. I wonder why did she try and keep on running? Was it Stupidity or devotion?

This runner was a DIII runner. For DIII athletes, there is no reward for competing in college. DIII athletes do not get scholarships to compete in sports. DIII athletes, are on sports teams, because they love their sport.

Being that I was once a DIII Distance runner, I would have to think it was devotion. Runners form a bond through all the hard work and pain they endure together. You eat together, room together, practice together, bleed together, and feel pain together. the great teams grow into a family. A Cross Country team is a group of individuals competing as one unit. You depend on other members of your team to do their job. I feel that she was just trying to finish her jpb, not let herself and her teammates down.

I know for myself, I would have gotten up and tried running. I do not like to quit or beaten. If I could help it, I would NOT let my team down. I believe this girl felt the same way.

Since I was a runner in the division as her, I can guess why she did what she did.

I pose the question to everyone runner or non-runner: Was it devotion or stupidity?