Runners Corner - In Defense of Bumblebees
By: Tom Licciardello (aka Poppy)
Scientific research and anthropological data leads us to the incontrovertible conclusion that we were born to run. There’s even a bestselling book: “Born to Run,” that was written on that premise. Other creatures were born to fly.
Let’s take a look at the two amazing examples of flight-talented creatures — the bumblebee and the Peregrine Falcon.
The falcon has extraordinary musculature and wings that are designed with the aerodynamics that would allow it to soar at extreme altitudes — 55-MPH or screamingly fast dives over 200-MPH as it pursues its prey.
No other creature has a chance of outrunning these gifted aerialists. Even when this graceful creature has landed, one look is all you need to know that this bird was built for speed.
Then, there is the bumblebee.
Looking more like a miniature bowling ball with absurdly tiny wings, one look is all you need to know that this creature couldn’t possibly fly. So mysterious is its design, that NASA invested millions of dollars to thoroughly research the design and calculate how its flight is possible. The result of this exhaustive study concluded that, in fact, it couldn’t fly. Maybe science doesn’t have all the answers.
What science can’t measure is that determined, focused effort that can make possible what experts proclaim impossible.
Perhaps the bee’s design precludes soaring like the genetically gifted Peregrine, but my guess is that it just loves to fly. When it comes to running, I think I might be more like a bumblebee.
I’d like to think that buried deep inside me is a falcon. With enough training, perhaps it could emerge and help me soar.
So far, hard training has occasionally made me sore, but I still just love to run.
The truth of the matter is that most of us are closer to the bumblebee side of the running scale than the falcon side.
The top 1 percent are the genetically gifted runners, who stand upon the award podium of major races wearing the laurel wreath looking none the worse for wear after running at what seems to be a superhuman pace.
Even while standing there, they look fast. But, alas, we can’t all be falcons. If you think about it, we bumblebee types are pretty lucky. The 1-percenters are expected to run amazing times, and when they do, we’re not amazed that they did it.
On the other hand, we’re expected to be mediocre. But we don’t have to be. We can do spectacular things that will make the experts scratch their heads in disbelief.
If we have the audacity to believe we can do what others believe impossible, and are willing to do the work, average athletes can do amazing things.
Stand at the finish line of any road race or triathlon. Watch the winners as they cross the line, and you’ll see satisfaction in their faces knowing that they conquered the competition.
Stay at the finish line a bit longer for the middle and back of the pack finishers, and you won’t see disappointment. You’ll see joyous faces knowing that have conquered their own personal challenges.
Some have tears of joy, because they accomplished what many tried to convince them would be impossible — getting to the finish line. It might not have been a first place finish, perhaps, but a win nonetheless.
Most of us will perform somewhere behind our falcon friends, but we have the capacity to do more than logic would dictate possible, perhaps even more than we think possible.
The key to success lies in the willingness to believe in ourselves, not listen to those who would discourage us from trying, and to respect the task with honest effort and determination.
For those of us who have toed the line at a race, we understand the anxiety at the start, and the exhilaration at the finish. We can’t all be superstars, but we can all be stars.
I find it interesting looking back 31 years to when my running club first started. Our original colors were gold and black, and our uniforms were distinctive enough that any of our members could be easily picked out of a pack in a crowded race field. We were commonly teased as the bumblebee club.
Well, maybe we still are the bumblebees, and we still just love to run. If someone tries to tell you that you can’t be a runner tell them to buzz-off.
Tom Licciardello is a founding member of the Merrimack Valley Striders. Licciardello has participated in 34 Boston’s and 87 marathons. He has also completed the Hawaii Ironman triathlon. Professionally, he is a Certified Financial Planner and resides in North Andover with his wife, Lyn. He may be reached at tomlicc@verizon.net.
Let’s take a look at the two amazing examples of flight-talented creatures — the bumblebee and the Peregrine Falcon.
The falcon has extraordinary musculature and wings that are designed with the aerodynamics that would allow it to soar at extreme altitudes — 55-MPH or screamingly fast dives over 200-MPH as it pursues its prey.
No other creature has a chance of outrunning these gifted aerialists. Even when this graceful creature has landed, one look is all you need to know that this bird was built for speed.
Then, there is the bumblebee.
Looking more like a miniature bowling ball with absurdly tiny wings, one look is all you need to know that this creature couldn’t possibly fly. So mysterious is its design, that NASA invested millions of dollars to thoroughly research the design and calculate how its flight is possible. The result of this exhaustive study concluded that, in fact, it couldn’t fly. Maybe science doesn’t have all the answers.
What science can’t measure is that determined, focused effort that can make possible what experts proclaim impossible.
Perhaps the bee’s design precludes soaring like the genetically gifted Peregrine, but my guess is that it just loves to fly. When it comes to running, I think I might be more like a bumblebee.
I’d like to think that buried deep inside me is a falcon. With enough training, perhaps it could emerge and help me soar.
So far, hard training has occasionally made me sore, but I still just love to run.
The truth of the matter is that most of us are closer to the bumblebee side of the running scale than the falcon side.
The top 1 percent are the genetically gifted runners, who stand upon the award podium of major races wearing the laurel wreath looking none the worse for wear after running at what seems to be a superhuman pace.
Even while standing there, they look fast. But, alas, we can’t all be falcons. If you think about it, we bumblebee types are pretty lucky. The 1-percenters are expected to run amazing times, and when they do, we’re not amazed that they did it.
On the other hand, we’re expected to be mediocre. But we don’t have to be. We can do spectacular things that will make the experts scratch their heads in disbelief.
If we have the audacity to believe we can do what others believe impossible, and are willing to do the work, average athletes can do amazing things.
Stand at the finish line of any road race or triathlon. Watch the winners as they cross the line, and you’ll see satisfaction in their faces knowing that they conquered the competition.
Stay at the finish line a bit longer for the middle and back of the pack finishers, and you won’t see disappointment. You’ll see joyous faces knowing that have conquered their own personal challenges.
Some have tears of joy, because they accomplished what many tried to convince them would be impossible — getting to the finish line. It might not have been a first place finish, perhaps, but a win nonetheless.
Most of us will perform somewhere behind our falcon friends, but we have the capacity to do more than logic would dictate possible, perhaps even more than we think possible.
The key to success lies in the willingness to believe in ourselves, not listen to those who would discourage us from trying, and to respect the task with honest effort and determination.
For those of us who have toed the line at a race, we understand the anxiety at the start, and the exhilaration at the finish. We can’t all be superstars, but we can all be stars.
I find it interesting looking back 31 years to when my running club first started. Our original colors were gold and black, and our uniforms were distinctive enough that any of our members could be easily picked out of a pack in a crowded race field. We were commonly teased as the bumblebee club.
Well, maybe we still are the bumblebees, and we still just love to run. If someone tries to tell you that you can’t be a runner tell them to buzz-off.
Tom Licciardello is a founding member of the Merrimack Valley Striders. Licciardello has participated in 34 Boston’s and 87 marathons. He has also completed the Hawaii Ironman triathlon. Professionally, he is a Certified Financial Planner and resides in North Andover with his wife, Lyn. He may be reached at tomlicc@verizon.net.
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