‘How Much Suffering Can You Take?’
nytimes.com
nytimes.com
This race is interesting because participants can stop whenever they want to -- and they know it. So there's a meta-contest happening for each participant. I have, on very long bicycle rides, found myself spending a lot of mental energy on knowing that I could stop any time.
This is not always true, even in recreational activities or endurance sports. I have been on climbs where there is no reasonable option for retreat and getting off the rock wall is actually a worse option than finishing the climb. Similarly, I've been on backpacking trips where weather and terrain dictate that the only reasonable course of action is to (for example) get off that ridge _now_.
In situations where I don't have the option of choice, I find I'm capable of a lot more.
In other words surrender to the moment, quit worrying about it, and just keep riding.
Lots of life is like that.
But, while that might sound inspiring and all, I personally found out that if you don't drink enough during events like that, your limits suddenly become very clear.
It's like when people talk about "giving 110%" on a racetrack. You know how to spot the ones giving 110%? They've already crashed, because no amount of positive attitude is going to increase your tyres' coefficient of friction.
Considering the crazy life-threatening things special forces soldiers might be commanded to do in a real mission, weeding out anyone who doesn’t think like your friend is likely one of the main goals.
Insane.
[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy_SEAL_sele...
> They are completely different
From what I can tell “special operations” and “special forces” mean the same thing, as far as lay definitions of the generic terms are concerned.
Here’s what Collins Dictionary says: “special forces: élite, highly trained military forces, specially selected to work on difficult missions”
"Special Operations" is an umbrella term describing the high-trained, unconventional soldiers who serve in all branches of our military.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Forces_(United_States_...
I think more importantly than anything you learn about your own physiology or mental dedication, you learn how to motivate and lead people who are as broken or more so than yourself. So when people ask "why is it necessary to destroy people like this" that's why.
Yes, because everyone knows that Suffering Makes Stronk. In fact, permanent damage to your physiology is nothing if you're stronk, and there's certainly no advantage to actually keeping healthy your whole life in performing difficult mental and physical tasks.
/s
https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1...
Of course, good cavers know all this and take their limits into account! So it doesn't have to be as dangerous as it sounds, but God help you if you go in without knowing this.
And sure enough, I usually find the most mentally hard part of caving to be going in, rather than coming out.
It sounds like that multiplier is way higher still in caving. 10X? More?
On top of that, the efficiency of ascending gear varies wildly: if you use an inappropriate setup - quite common with climbers who have no prior experience caving - you may be working 10x or more harder than someone with an appropriate setup. Basically the problem here, is the typical way climbers climb a rope is only suitable for very short climbs of 30-40ft, because you end up applying the force at a big angle relative to the rope; rather than pushing vertically up you wastefully push sideways. The vastly more efficient setups/equipment that cavers use allows you to push almost directly up while climbing up the rope.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/26/well/move/how-to-run-acros...
Then there are events like the Badwater 135 and the Vol State which seem surgically designed to inflict suffering:
https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=34762
Or the Marathon de Sables:
http://marathondessables.co.uk/
Or how about the 52 day Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race in Queens, New York City:
http://3100.srichinmoyraces.org/
I recently participated in my first 24h foot race, completing 105 miles. Nearly 400 of us running a 1.5 mi loop around a lake for hours on end. Why do we do these things? I had a whole day on my feet to contemplate that question and I never came up with a satisfactory answer. I finally decided there is no why. We do it because it's there. And maybe because we have a bit too much time on our hands. Nonetheless, I find this text from the Vol State link poetic:
Many will fail. But, for those who find the steely will and muster the sheer dogged tenacity to overcome the impossible obstacles, and reach the rock on foot, the Vol-State can be a transcendental experience. No words can adequately describe the sense of combined relief and amazement to be experienced at the Rock. No one can explain the regret that this incredible journey has actually come to an end. Former King, Barry Crumrine probably summed up the Vol-State experience as well as it can be put into words: “I found in myself something that I never knew was there.”
Suffer well my friends.
This sounds terrible, but quite often, it's to say you did.
A joke posted in my gym: Q: How do you know someone has run a marathon? A: They'll tell you.
Only 17 finishes in 30 years (14 distinct runners).
I hate that people with chronic illness get written up like pathetic losers while people who choose to do stuff like this as a hobby are lauded for it.
Wimps, every last one of them.
I wonder if "cancer survivor" is simply a spin that's been put on a situation that invokes applause, or if others just respond favorably (emotionally?) to people who have gotten through a difficult time.
Not sure if "$illness survivor" works or not.
If not, then people really focus on "battling", "fighting", "surviving", "winning", etc.
I have an "incurable" dread disease and am getting well when the world says it cannot be done. So, the spin that gets is "hypochondriac," "crazy person," "liar," "teller of tall tales," etc.
It's been a long, hard marathon and the social piece has been shittier to deal with than the physical suffering. So this is definitely a sore point for me personally and it annoys me the number of folks downvoting my comments here to counteract any upvotes. It is just one more fuck you in a long line of them. I can't even take any credit for what I have done, not even in terms of what I have suffered.
So, I still think this contest is wimpy compared to what I have endured. :-)
http://worldrogainingchamps.com.au/
A rogaine only lasts 24 hours—no one has been tempted to organise a longer one. On the other hand, the requirement to keep staggering along a running track is replaced by a stricter one: you need to keep navigating precisely, in the dark, away from tracks, using only map and compass. The need to stay alert and keep thinking makes for a more subtle contest, and in some ways a more interesting one.
Then there's the aesthetic part. Instead of a marquee full of used bandages, you get the McDonnell Ranges by moonlight, and the feeling of autonomy that comes when you're running through the middle of nowhere at 3 a.m. with a water bottle, a snakebite bandage and a few muesli bars.
It's a 100-mile race through the woods in Tennessee, with a 16,500m climb and a time limit of 60 hours. Only 14 people have ever finished.
The documentary does a good job of interviewing the participants and the founder to get at what drives people to enter the race. Most believe (myself included) that overcoming truly challenging obstacles is an enriching experience.
“I know this is not good for my body,” said Jay Lonsway, a urologist who completed the quintuple. “But it is good for my soul.”
“When you are humbled by a race, you realize what the purpose is here,” he said. “In managing to dig so deep, you discover who you are.”
The documentary "The Barkley Marathons" on Netflix explores the mentality of these athletes through conversations with the runners, and (IMO) does a much better job of describing the activity. The article paints them as circus freaks, while the documentary explores the way they think.
Do not generalize your Judeo-Christian experience to the totality of human religion. There are plenty of cultures/traditions that take a very bodily approach to spiritual development.
I suppose that's the purpose of life too.
And, even if we were to assume the difficult-to-justify proposition that the purpose of life is to be your best self, it's hard to buy that this sort of behavior actually brings you closer to that goal -- any more than the Skoptsy were actually better able to commune with God after castration.
(It probably sure felt like it worked at the time, though.)
That is a tautology if I've ever seen one. "Best" is meaningless without some preexisting standard.
Resembles getting ready to die.
State of mind.
Turn this question around. Ask yourself "How much suffering can you take to stop others being hurt?" This in my view is a better question to know the answer. Put this way I define it as being able to stick an arm in a fire, hold it there until the job is done.
If you think about this way, you realise the real challenge is mental than physical.