Opposition

 “Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.”
Orison Swett Marden quotes

“Don’t be afraid of opposition. Remember, a kite rises against, not with the wind.”
Hamilton Wright Mabie

Today I want to thank the people who have provided opposition for me in relation to Twin Peaks.  The opposition has only made me stronger and smarter and allows me to put on a better race each year.  Even though some of it has been ridiculous.  I do take pride in Twin Peaks and realize that the majority of the feedback has been positive.  The negative ones just tend to speak louder and are much more long winded.  None of the negative feedback came from anyone who’s put together a race before.  It can be a very thankless job and is definitely a labor of love as any RD will tell you.  Why else would we spend hundreds of hours putting on an event knowing that at least a few people will complain when it’s all said and done?

Do me a favor… Every race you run – if you liked it – tell the RD.  Send them an email.  Give them a call.  Thank them for their efforts.  If you didn’t like it, try to be constructive in your feedback (they will listen to that and make changes) Every RD gets negative feedback and knowing that there are people who are enjoying our races is what keeps us coming back and putting on more.  We do it for the love of the sport and the smiles it puts on faces.  I’ve known RDs who’ve thrown in the towel or are considering doing that because of the criticism and enormous task putting on a race is every year.  So thank your RD – And volunteer at least once per year.  Rounding up volunteers is by far the hardest task RDs face and without volunteer support there would be no races.

Onward & Upward,
Jessica