Your thought experiment intrigues. Parker himself ponders some aspects of these questions in the new sequel to Once a Runner called Again To Carthage. Perhaps we should have the first ever RWR Blog Book Club and then discuss on line. Unless of course you and Ted prefer A Duel in the Sun about Alberto Salazer's epic (and waterless) run back in the day at the Boston Marathon.
More generally, the quest for possibly unobtainable perfection, accomplishment, or recognition is a universal question that haunts us all. It is the stuff of dreams, heartbreak, and novels. It is also about as existential as it gets. But it is what drives most of us forward to the finish line even if someone else gets their first.
A book discussion is a good thought. It might give us something to write about when it's too cold to run!
ReplyDeleteThis is a thoughtful response. Is it a question of perfection? If Quenton hadn't succeeded he couldn't have justified continuing to run (for a living), if only because you can't monetize mediocrity (as an athlete). Of course, in most other endeavors you can.