jeffkao.net

If you happened to be reading today’s Chicago Tribune and you made your way past the front page, past the sports, and stumbled into the section marked “Q” you might have read the main article about the dangers of flip flops. To the left of the picture of the disgusting feet you would see me.

That’s right, I’m in the paper today. Back in April I was interviewed by this writer who had recently ran a road race and came in close to last place. She was interested in hearing what others who had been in similar circumstances had to say and well, I’m a pro at not being terribly terrific. The interview itself was only about 15 minutes & was done over the phone. Later a photographer met up with me on one of my first training rides since the break and took pictures. It being August it might seem strange I’m wearing long sleeves & knee warmers, but remember the picture was taken back in April.

You can see the article online here or just read the article below.
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Drag your self-respect over the finish line .
By Emilie Le Beau
August 12, 2007

Signing up for a summer race seemed like a fun idea. Now you’re in near last place, and it’s not the best feeling. The crowds are thinning, and the volunteers at the water station are beginning to pack up. The race is winding down for everyone but you.

Jeff Kao knows the feeling; he began bike races three years ago. One race was on a closed circuit, so the winners passed him several times.

“Sometimes you don’t even know you’re last until you see people pass you for the second time,” said Kao, 27, of Bucktown.

This summer, many Chicagoans are participating in running, biking or triathlon races. And someone has to finish at the back of the pack. Can you handle a last-place finish?

People have a problem with losing because we live in a competitive society, said sports psychologist Alan Goldberg. Goldberg is the director of Competitive Advantage, an Amherst, Mass.-based performance consulting firm

“People care because they are socialized to believe they should care,” Goldberg said.

A near last-place finish may also be bothersome if the athlete put a lot of time into training. “They say they don’t care because it was recreational, but they still invested a lot,” Goldberg said.

Kao combats that waste-of-time feeling with a reality check.

“My outlook is I really like riding my bike, so that time isn’t wasted,” he said.

“Riding your bike is never a waste of time. What [else] are you going to do, watch TV and eat ice cream?”

Runner Sarah Brown also keeps a positive attitude. She averages a 9-minute mile and finishes races in the front of the pack.

But competing in two triathalons last summer put her with the slower crowd.

“I was really disappointed; I definitely finished really low,” said Brown, 27, of Rogers Park.

But she finished the race, and that offered a sense of satisfaction. She also feels motivated by fellow racers.

“You see the people out there who are running 5-minute miles,” Brown said. “You also see the 70-year-old grandmother out there, and it just inspires you.”

Although races offer a sense of community, Goldberg advises against comparing yourself.

“That’s where people get into trouble,” he said.

Instead, focus on achieving your own goals.

“Maybe a time goal or the fact that when you got tired you didn’t back down, you stayed with it. Or maybe the fact you finished,” Goldberg said.

And keep in mind, there is always next year. Kao joined a racing team, xXx Racing-Athletico, and improved his performance.

“You gotta figure if you finished last, it can only get better,” Kao said.