Inspiration - what it takes

[Kitch]

He would train and train and train hard,
at the climax of a session he would take himself to the limit,
push himself to the edge of the abyss,
gauging just how far he could lurch,
just how much his body could take.
And that was how he won,
free diving within himself to greater depths and darkness than others dared,
surfacing barely alive,
tasting blood,
from the great apnoea.
There was self mutilation in those performances,
a shedding of everything worldly,
before the indestructable heart brought him back,
as it did every time,
no matter the altitude or depth.

with acknowledgements to Matt Rendell: The Death of Marco Pantani

[RobL]

Hi Kitch

Call me pedantic, but isn't this actually what it takes to kill yourself. If your acknowledgement was in slighly larger font size then that would be more apparent...

[Kitch]

no its what it takes to galvanise and enthral a nation and a sport

killing yourself with too much cocaine - anyone can do

but thanks for undermining the post, much appreciated
smartarse

[Adventure Racer]

I'm tempted to agree with Rob - decided not to comment originally (having noted the small print) but since it has now been pointed out, I do wonder if you felt it was something that needed hiding given the size of font used (ironically it actually tends to draw your attention). I'm sure artificial additives help with the pushing yourself until you spit blood.

[Lizi Beee]

Nah go for it Kitch. To be at the top you gotta push it. True try not to kill yourself on the way... doesn't make racing very easy.

I'm just chuffed I can remember what the definition of Apnoea is with my exams being next week and all. *yey*

[redkite]

For the uneducated few (me) what is apnoea?

[Crispy]

Apnoea is a technical term for suspension of external breathing i.e holding your breath (I think!)

[Kitch]

Lizi Bee

thank you for getting the point


the rest of you should nope off to a new a new web site that I have asked pyrat to create
it is to be call [moaningpedant]sport

[Lizi Beee]

For the uneducated few (me) what is apnoea?

from oxford medical dictionary - best revision tool for me ever! :

"temporary cessation of breathing from any cause, formally defined as a reduction in nasal airflow to 30% of normal for more than 10 seconds."

or yes. stopping breathing

[RobL]

smartarse

The invitation was actually to call me 'pedantic'.

[Lizi Beee]

oh come on now get over it. Really being quite pathetic

[Blanka]

nope off to a new a new web site

A bit stuttery from all this inspiration?

[PeteL]

the rest of you should nope off to a new a new web site that I have asked pyrat to create
it is to be call [moaningpedant]sport

If getting 'to the top' requires the truly obsessive behaviour described then good luck to those compelled to do do so but I'd rather have a more balanced life.

I'd also like to be able to make such a contrary comment without fear of abuse but my mouse hesitates over the 'Submit' button, worried about the response I might get - or maybe I misinterpret, was this meant in jest? I can never tell in this medium

Here goes...

[Steve]

I like the passage, but Marco's brain is remarkably detached from his body - he treats his body like a lab rat. He comes across as so supremely confident that nothing will stand in his way. I think if the rest of us embark simply on the mental training to think as positively as that we won't necessarily need to treat our bodies like lab rats to get a massive boost in performance.

[Adventure Racer]

oh come on now get over it. Really being quite pathetic

Really? Personally I prefer not to take my inspiration from people who are well known to have taken performance enhancing drugs.