Reflections on running and helping on the occasion of the nearing SCMT 100km-Self-Transcendence-Race on coming Sunday 13th June in the Vienna Prater.
For everything in life there is a compensation: Mother nature gave me only moderate talents for sport (tall people with average weight like me are not considered to be the born runners), I was gifted instead with a natural enthusiasm, which I freely manifest at the widely known running events. Be it as "active" hobby and fitness runner or as helper at our SCMT Self-Transcendence-Races or on the occasion of a big running event not organized by our team (for example the Vienna City Marathon) as helper at the food table, or simply by inspiring and cheering runners - the possibilities are countless and offering a wide range of activities.
Thinking back to the start of my running career lasting 15 years, I cannot remember what came first - the hen or the egg, the helping or the running. I believe in my case it was helping. At least I know the running virus caught me after helping during one of our events, the 10km-Donaupark-Race on August 89, and did not leave me since and run my first marathon on 1991 - one year after helping at the food table during the New York City Marathon and being fascinated by the mass of runners. Both the helping and specially my first marathon (with for me an unexpected good time) were a wonderful and unforgettable experience for me - not always that simple, as it owns to be, but very instructive and a source of happiness.
I am very happy, that I could keep my original enthusiasm for running events up to nowadays. I love the atmosphere at the races - the excitement before and at the start, the inspiration through the elite runners, whit whom all hobby runner stand at the starting line and run together, the cheering and being carried by the other runners, the intensive and hard work on one self by all participants, the willingness to reach beyond ones own limits and the attempt to transcend and improve one self, the energy of a large bulk of runners, the oneness between runners, helpers and spectators, the sweating, fighting and keep going - and finally the joy, relief and triumph on crossing the finishing line! My admiration and sympathy especially as helper or spectator belongs both the first and the last runner, because more then ever for running the mottoes "to participate is the only thing that counts" and "everybody is a winner" apply.
In this sense it is a great pleasure for me to help again as chief of the food table on the coming 100km-Race in the Vienna Prater. I belief my own experiences as a runner are helping me to understand the needs of the participants and appreciate their achievements. To give my best and try to improve myself in this field is a continuous challenge for me. Doing so I get the best reward: the possibility to keep intact my enthusiasm and inspiration for the running sport, to go on running and training according to my possibilities and keep my body healthy and fit. And last but not least: enthusiasm is a source of youth! In this sense, see you on Sunday in the Prater.
by Indivar Stolba