4 ms·

I've played sports my whole life, and there's nothing I dislike more than endurance sports. Doing anything repetitive for a long length of time is just incredib

by bmitc 5y ago

I've played sports my whole life, and there's nothing I dislike more than endurance sports. Doing anything repetitive for a long length of time is just incredibly boring to me, and I highly prefer learning and mastering a set of skills that can then be combined in various ways, usually in real-time, like one sees in basketball, taekwondo, racket sports, etc. I have a running theory that many become interested in endurance sports as adults because they actually don't know how to play other sports. So in a way, these endurance sports are the so-called "easy" way in because they don't require the skill refinement that more skill-based sports require like basketball, martial arts, etc. So these endurance sports are actually the low-hanging fruit of sports or on-rails sports in a way. I'd love to see stats on how many of these sports are started as adults. I am not demeaning the endurance sports at all, but I would seriously guess from my observations that this is the case of getting involved in them. Endurance sports are also ones that one can stretch into later life easier. And I think another thing is that once one starts in these endurance sports, it becomes an obsession of tinkering and "getting the gear" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3SFqV0hMyo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3SFqV0hMyo), which can get quite expensive. You gotta make sure you got the right shoes, clothes, bike, bottles, earbuds, glasses, etc., and there's endless tinkering of workout and eating strategies. I feel it's just different than grabbing a glove to go play softball, having a basketball and shoes to play basketball, a racket for tennis or badminton, or just having a dobok for taekwondo or whatever else uniform for a martial art. Gear obsessions for ball sports or martial arts really only go so far. Endurance sports sort of favor tinkering of the body and gear because of the timelines in the sports and the idea, real or perceived, that every bit of gear matters. So participants in these sports become obsessed with this tinkering, which is obviously enabled by certain socioeconomic factors.

sien 5y ago
This is a really interesting take. I know a number of very successful people who were not at all sporty in their youth but have taken up endurance sports as adults. Playing team sports subjects you often to losing and it's also often pretty hard to improve objectively. Also if you haven't played a fair bit of sport in your youth it's probably hard to get good at them. Team sports are also hard in that training and games are on a schedule that may be hard to combine with work and family life. With endurance sports you can work hard to improve your personal times. Also many team sports are pretty bad from an injury point of view as you get older. Explosive speed and even the contact of football (soccer) or basketball can be an issue. It'd be really interesting to see detailed stats about adult sport involvement vs income.
- nradov 5y ago
  Endurance athletes also have a pretty high injury rate from overuse, poor techniques, and falls or crashes. My local triathlon club email list is full of requests for physiotherapist recommendations and advice about injury rehab. I crashed my bike a few weeks ago and got a nice collection of road rash. Overall it's healthier than being sedentary but injury risk comes with the territory.
  - randycupertino 5y ago
    So many people in my tri club kept getting run over or crashing on road rides that I actually got a mountain bike and started mainly riding on fire roads because it seemed safer. At least if I fall off the trail it will be my own damn fault unlike getting mowed down by some teenager texting.
ashtonbaker 5y ago
I grew up playing soccer but have gravitated more toward cycling, hiking, and trail running as an adult and I was kind of ready to argue with you, but I realized I pretty much agree if you narrow the statement to triathletes specifically. But in general I find endurance fitness is a broadly applicable skill that can take you to a lot of interesting places, geographically and psychologically. I find a lot of rich triathletes are gear and finishing time-obsessed and miss out on the spiritual or aesthetic aspects.
- bmitc 5y ago
  Haha. There are bound to be exceptions to any generalization, particularly one made off of a running hunch. Like I also alluded to and someone else mentioned, certainly the more skill/team/ball sports can take their toll over the years. I myself have transitioned to taekwondo, which you can sort of manage to be more or less "impactful". There is also a personal bias in my generalization in that I personally simply get bored when taking walks, running, etc. Hiking can be okay depending on the destination. I simply enjoy the beauty of dynamic movement, which is why I have become rather drawn to taekwondo.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
redis_mlc 5y ago
> they actually don't know how to play other sports. I think there's truth to that. I was a high school athlete in medium distance events. About the only thing I learned was how to stretch, though I was recruited for the soccer team as a "role model" since the soccer coach saw me running laps. :) I tell people that running or going to the gym for years on end is largely a waste of time because you don't learn a skill, like karate. (However, if you're in shape from running or lifting, it can help with karate.)
nradov 5y ago
That's fair. I lack the coordination to ever be good at ball sports. But I can be decent at triathlon just by grinding away. I actually enjoy most of the training and don't get bored, except for pool swimming. There's usually something interesting to look at and if you're following a structured workout you're changing targets every few minutes.
- randycupertino 5y ago
  Have you tried waterproof ipod while you're swimming? I have one from underwater audio and I love it. Total gamechanger for pool workouts.
  - Scarblac 5y ago
    Or just embrace the fact that some activities are boring, and zone out. Your brain needs some downtime too.
- bmitc 5y ago
  Just to be clear, I didn't mean anything as in one way is better or superior than the other. I was only seeking to explain why I think these certain sports may be popular amongst adults, but I also meddled my own opinion in there too in that I personally find certain sports to be boring, which is a quirk of my personality.
jmopp 5y ago
Growing up as a kid I hated sports because I had zero hand-eye coordination. I also didn't like competing against people. Nowadays I enjoy hiking, cycling, and roadwalking. I love the fact that none of the three sports require much in the way of skill, and you can pretty much just compete against yourself. The thing that I like the most about them is the exploratory aspect. I love discovering a place on foot, or not knowing where I am until I make a corner and suddenly see somewhere familiar. It's like filling out the blank spaces on a map in an RTS game.
- bmitc 5y ago
  That's a great take on another perspective. Thanks! :)
kovac 5y ago
I grew up playing sports too mostly full contact sports and ball games like football. Haring the endurance part really resonates with me too. I absolutely hated the endurance training in those sports. It's really the skills I learnt and the competition in the pitch that kept me in them.
mint2 5y ago
>” I have a running theory that many become interested in endurance sports as adults because they actually don't know how to play other sports. So in a way, these endurance sports are the so-called "easy" way in because they don't require the skill refinement that more skill-based sports require like basketball, martial arts, etc” that’s the only theory notable enough for mention and just so happens it paints endurance athletes in a negative light… How about this theory, those who don’t take up endurance sports don’t have the mental strength and dislike the meditative quality of them and instead favor short term gratification and rewards. Of course that’s accurate for a subset just like the first theory was but a very gross generalization
Scarblac 5y ago
As an adult those sports you mention sound fun, but they require other people. Other people at roughly similar skill levels, who are available at the same time and place. That's not trivial to arrange. Whereas with running I just put on shoes and leave the house.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
enduroman 5y ago
Grew up as a standout soccer and volleyball player. Got burned out before college and switched sports. Found endurance sports in my late 20s and love it bc I can go out and disconnect from everything. Still play competitive sports, but being out in nature is what I love.
timeon 5y ago
> I've played sports my whole life. ... I dislike more than endurance sports. Doing anything repetitive You are comparing doing vs playing. In some languages there are two words for sport. One for game/competition and one for physical activity. Obviously there is physical activity in game but my point is: do not try to find game when there is not one. Anyway I have other anecdote. I've played sports since childhood but got bored with repetitive games and stayed with endurance sports because they offered excitement from new environments. It was not something I discovered as an adult. Running was basically second thing I did after I had learned walking. There is obviously expensive gear with all those bikes/skis etc. But running really is low-hanging fruit of sports. Just tie your shoes, open the doors and you can just start.
rich_sasha 5y ago
I used to think that. Then I got into endurance sports. It’s akin, I guess, to bodybuilding. You’re building a well-oiled machine (you). You’re tweaking your training plan and seeing how you respond. You monitor your resting HR and see it go down as you get fitter. It helps to go do the sport someplace picturesque. While it’s true that you can spend any money on a bike, I bought my best bike for £180. Running is even cheaper, I buy a pair of shoes every 18 months or so for about £100 and that’s more or less it.

by bmitc 5y ago

sien 5y ago

This is a really interesting take. I know a number of very successful people who were not at all sporty in their youth but have taken up endurance sports as adults. Playing team sports subjects you often to losing and it's also often pretty hard to improve objectively. Also if you haven't played a fair bit of sport in your youth it's probably hard to get good at them. Team sports are also hard in that training and games are on a schedule that may be hard to combine with work and family life. With endurance sports you can work hard to improve your personal times. Also many team sports are pretty bad from an injury point of view as you get older. Explosive speed and even the contact of football (soccer) or basketball can be an issue. It'd be really interesting to see detailed stats about adult sport involvement vs income.

nradov 5y ago
Endurance athletes also have a pretty high injury rate from overuse, poor techniques, and falls or crashes. My local triathlon club email list is full of requests for physiotherapist recommendations and advice about injury rehab. I crashed my bike a few weeks ago and got a nice collection of road rash. Overall it's healthier than being sedentary but injury risk comes with the territory.
- randycupertino 5y ago
  So many people in my tri club kept getting run over or crashing on road rides that I actually got a mountain bike and started mainly riding on fire roads because it seemed safer. At least if I fall off the trail it will be my own damn fault unlike getting mowed down by some teenager texting.

ashtonbaker 5y ago

I grew up playing soccer but have gravitated more toward cycling, hiking, and trail running as an adult and I was kind of ready to argue with you, but I realized I pretty much agree if you narrow the statement to triathletes specifically. But in general I find endurance fitness is a broadly applicable skill that can take you to a lot of interesting places, geographically and psychologically. I find a lot of rich triathletes are gear and finishing time-obsessed and miss out on the spiritual or aesthetic aspects.

bmitc 5y ago
Haha. There are bound to be exceptions to any generalization, particularly one made off of a running hunch. Like I also alluded to and someone else mentioned, certainly the more skill/team/ball sports can take their toll over the years. I myself have transitioned to taekwondo, which you can sort of manage to be more or less "impactful". There is also a personal bias in my generalization in that I personally simply get bored when taking walks, running, etc. Hiking can be okay depending on the destination. I simply enjoy the beauty of dynamic movement, which is why I have become rather drawn to taekwondo.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

redis_mlc 5y ago

> they actually don't know how to play other sports. I think there's truth to that. I was a high school athlete in medium distance events. About the only thing I learned was how to stretch, though I was recruited for the soccer team as a "role model" since the soccer coach saw me running laps. :) I tell people that running or going to the gym for years on end is largely a waste of time because you don't learn a skill, like karate. (However, if you're in shape from running or lifting, it can help with karate.)

nradov 5y ago

That's fair. I lack the coordination to ever be good at ball sports. But I can be decent at triathlon just by grinding away. I actually enjoy most of the training and don't get bored, except for pool swimming. There's usually something interesting to look at and if you're following a structured workout you're changing targets every few minutes.

randycupertino 5y ago
Have you tried waterproof ipod while you're swimming? I have one from underwater audio and I love it. Total gamechanger for pool workouts.
- Scarblac 5y ago
  Or just embrace the fact that some activities are boring, and zone out. Your brain needs some downtime too.
bmitc 5y ago
Just to be clear, I didn't mean anything as in one way is better or superior than the other. I was only seeking to explain why I think these certain sports may be popular amongst adults, but I also meddled my own opinion in there too in that I personally find certain sports to be boring, which is a quirk of my personality.

jmopp 5y ago

Growing up as a kid I hated sports because I had zero hand-eye coordination. I also didn't like competing against people. Nowadays I enjoy hiking, cycling, and roadwalking. I love the fact that none of the three sports require much in the way of skill, and you can pretty much just compete against yourself. The thing that I like the most about them is the exploratory aspect. I love discovering a place on foot, or not knowing where I am until I make a corner and suddenly see somewhere familiar. It's like filling out the blank spaces on a map in an RTS game.

bmitc 5y ago
That's a great take on another perspective. Thanks! :)

kovac 5y ago

I grew up playing sports too mostly full contact sports and ball games like football. Haring the endurance part really resonates with me too. I absolutely hated the endurance training in those sports. It's really the skills I learnt and the competition in the pitch that kept me in them.

mint2 5y ago

>” I have a running theory that many become interested in endurance sports as adults because they actually don't know how to play other sports. So in a way, these endurance sports are the so-called "easy" way in because they don't require the skill refinement that more skill-based sports require like basketball, martial arts, etc” that’s the only theory notable enough for mention and just so happens it paints endurance athletes in a negative light… How about this theory, those who don’t take up endurance sports don’t have the mental strength and dislike the meditative quality of them and instead favor short term gratification and rewards. Of course that’s accurate for a subset just like the first theory was but a very gross generalization

Scarblac 5y ago

As an adult those sports you mention sound fun, but they require other people. Other people at roughly similar skill levels, who are available at the same time and place. That's not trivial to arrange. Whereas with running I just put on shoes and leave the house.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

enduroman 5y ago

Grew up as a standout soccer and volleyball player. Got burned out before college and switched sports. Found endurance sports in my late 20s and love it bc I can go out and disconnect from everything. Still play competitive sports, but being out in nature is what I love.

timeon 5y ago

> I've played sports my whole life. ... I dislike more than endurance sports. Doing anything repetitive You are comparing doing vs playing. In some languages there are two words for sport. One for game/competition and one for physical activity. Obviously there is physical activity in game but my point is: do not try to find game when there is not one. Anyway I have other anecdote. I've played sports since childhood but got bored with repetitive games and stayed with endurance sports because they offered excitement from new environments. It was not something I discovered as an adult. Running was basically second thing I did after I had learned walking. There is obviously expensive gear with all those bikes/skis etc. But running really is low-hanging fruit of sports. Just tie your shoes, open the doors and you can just start.

rich_sasha 5y ago

I used to think that. Then I got into endurance sports. It’s akin, I guess, to bodybuilding. You’re building a well-oiled machine (you). You’re tweaking your training plan and seeing how you respond. You monitor your resting HR and see it go down as you get fitter. It helps to go do the sport someplace picturesque. While it’s true that you can spend any money on a bike, I bought my best bike for £180. Running is even cheaper, I buy a pair of shoes every 18 months or so for about £100 and that’s more or less it.