Saturday, March 31, 2007

Why Write, Porque Escrever, Pourquoi Ecrire, Porque Escribir, Because I Can, Por Causa Que Eu Posso, Parce Que Je Peu

Community

I write because of online communities, before web-based communities, I was involved in BBS communities before BBSs I wrote letters to folks as late as 1990. Some of the most fun communities that I have been a part of have been the Dead Runners Society (DRS) and the Dead Runners - Texas (DRT). One of the great ideas that made this group excellent was the no flame rule online. You can write a scathing letter backchannel or real email to the person you disagreed with, but you dare not write a flame (a forcefully worded emotional email) to the listserv (the listserv would broadcast said tirade to over 2K people) lest you anger the DRS gods (listowner, programmer, etc.). http://www.tri-drs.org is the location of the most recent incarnation of the DRS community that I frequent. One of the others that was the best was the CVRT the Clydesdale Virtual Racing Team - besides being a founding member the most fun activity we did regularly was the Frostbite 100. One year I actually came in fourth and had the most fun welcoming everyone else to our party with virtual lawnchairs and virtual keg.


Expanding Horizons

I want to improve myself and have contact with others with similar interests so that I can better myself as a humawn bean as well as an athlete. Through fostered discussion on certain topics we expand our horizons on it and are able to think beyond the task. I write to help others expand their horizons as well. I know I've learned a lot about various things just by reading what others have written.


I Write

I have maintained a tradition of writing for publications. My first was for the San Antonio Road Runners Newsletter and I believe the title was The Shoes do All the Work presenting a view of the life of a runner as seen through the eyes of a pair of shoes. I have also been published in Running Times an article about running in San Antonio and I think it was called Remember the Alamo. I have also written for Run the Planet http://www.runtheplanet.com about all kinds of places good for running in the states and in Brazil.


Bringing People Together

Sounds corny, but I know how miraculous it is to be transformed by something such as cycling. I believe this is part of paying it forward. Encouraging others to be transformed and start enjoying life more instead of living with medication.


My Friends

To share with my friends the joy that I've experienced doing what I do on the bike. That's why we started the Hike and Bike http://northwood-hikeandbike.blogspot.com at my church. We have a large group hikers and bikers. We have a dream of taking a group of seven to eleven cyclists on the MS 150 bike to the beach down to Corpus Christi, put on our own triathlon or multiple venue family event up in Vance with running and hiking.


Training

To train and be trained! To help others with their training, I get a kick out of training others or teaching. It is part of me and my makeup!

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