The National Canoeing Championships this year has come to a close. It was rather tiring. A brief recap of the events that transpired:
K2 10k unstable, capsized after 2K, DNFed after 4k at 13th position.
K2 1000m 3rd, maintained for heat to qualify for final, rode wash for 250m, then ate wash for final for a 3rd place.
K2 250m heat, 3 boats with with top 3 to semis. So easy paddle into semis. Semis, horrible starts and just anyhow maintain. 2nd and managed to go final. Finals, disgustingly unstable, missed 2nd stroke of starting and constantly unstable and tapped water 3 times while nearly capsizing many many times for a 3rd. Weird.
K1 500 heats, starting burst with maintenance and ease off. Semis slack start before realising need to push and ended up tired but in finals. Finals all out burst and drag race to the end becoming unstable and tapping water AGAIN before the line. 2nd.
K4 500 heats, slow start bus just maintain and somehow easily pull away to go finals. Finals horrible start, super unstable race despite trying to not shake the boat. 3rd.

Pretty much getting whooped by young kids and having the senior national paddlers not contending most of the events. A free for all actually except that the kids these days are more than capable of destroying me. Haven't they learnt to pay their dues first? Ha ha.

Getting my ass whooped by 16 year old kids in both sprint distances and marathons. Even in cycling I got whooped by another 16/17 year old kid in both sprints and climbing. Triathlon I can't beat one of the girls. Full marathon there were 5 local girls ahead of me. Cross country / track and field / swimming I think I'm not too far off from being a stationary sign post in the presence of some of those 15 yr old kids.

What can I say. That's the way things are in the world.... There are and always will be people who are better than you.

So why compete? Why should you even try? I've always asked people why they do sports / train / compete etc etc etc and there are quite some reasons actually:

1. Bored, nothing better to do.
2. For the friendships formed from the sport.
3. To keep healthy and lose weight / gain weight.
4. For physical appearance. Look stronger.
5. The physical rush and satisfaction achieved from the sport: visuals, feeling of speed, adrenaline.
6. Good at it and can earn CCA / hall points.
7. Better life for the AHM team in Army (eg. wake up later, skip lecture, big breakfast, bookout early)
8. Sense of achievement when keep on winning.
9. Love the pain, feels alive when feel the pain.
10.Dunno.
11.Try something new. Learn a new skill.
12. Last time train already, should try and keep in touch a bit so that don't lose the skill.
13. Get paid for doing it.
14. Symbol of social status.
15. Proving a point to others that you can do it.
16. Take a break from studying.
17. So I can eat more.
18. Delinquents who need sports to keep them out of trouble.
19. Latest trend is to be sporty.
20. Don't want to fail IPPT.

and the list goes on. "Excuses" to keep training.