For example, while in Israel, I hung out with Seth Freedman a columnist for the Guardian, a British newspaper. Seth is a former member of the Israeli Defense Forces, and writes a twice weekly column principally on Israel's policies in Gaza and the West Bank. It's totally understandable for a former soldier to have strong opinions on policies that he had to enforce for 15 months. His columns are very provocative because he makes his opinions known.
It is painfully obvious that endurance sports are my preferred topic for espousing. But is there anything that can be written on the topic that can stir emotions other than agreement? I read a number of endurance blogs but they all are pretty much the same - emotional summaries of a workout or race in which the man or woman discovered their inner chi, salutes to the solidarity of the endurance community and a few self deprecating comments to make sure no one thinks they are taking themselves too seriously. This summarizes 79% of my entries.
Possible themes of controversy could include:
- Prefabricated and expensive race experiences
- Endurance bloggers and the disease of me
- Defense of performance enhancers
- Endurance lifestyle versus the endurance athlete
- Occupied territories of running (OK - this doesn't exist but I need some bridge to the fascinating, intense topic of the Middle East)
There have to be more because endurance sports are like any drug - there is an upside and downside to it, depending how it is administered.
2 comments:
Your subject is very enticing. I suspect that many of us (and I am including myself in this category) tend to write to be read vs. sharing our true feelings and highs and lows. We are driven by the usage meter on our blogs and find it easier to be a part of the group rather than someone who stirs the pot.
Or perhaps we have found a lifestyle that we truly enjoy being a part of and wish to share our joy with others, rather than generating controversy and debate.
I hear what you are saying and there is nothing wrong with blogging in the style that I described and that many do. It just limits the topics of discussion and I am trying to determine if I can expand my menu beyond my genuflections over a sub 3.30 marathon.
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