Type one, two and three fun
Hello happy readers, long time no type! Let me introduce you to a very handy grading system for fun. My friend and I devised this and have found it very effective to help access activities you willingly decide to do under the banner of "This'll be fun". Maybe... maybe not...
Type One Fun: The activity feels like fun when you're doing it, you remember it as fun after the fact. I would think getting a massage by a good looking man in a loin cloth while on the beach with the sounds of ocean waves serenading you could be Type One Fun, happy finish or not.
Type Two Fun: The activity is probably more work or harder than you expected. There could be a fear factor associated with it, ie: "If I fall off my bike now this is going to really, really hurt". You may even question your sanity in the moment of doing the activity. "If I ever decide to run another marathon, I hope someone punches me in the stomach". HOWEVER, something quite remarkable happens with Type Two Fun activities. After the fact, once you can actually breath, your feet are firmly planted on the ground, the soreness has worn off etc, you remember the activity as fun. You will tell your friends it was fun and you will start planning your next Type Two Fun event. There is some sort of selective memory thing at work here because we've all done it.
Type Three Fun: You thought the activity was going to be fun, however once you're engaged in it, you realize its not frick'n fun at all. It probably feels like some form of torture or hell. Trying to get off a mountain in a blinding snow storm, with the temperature dropping and you're scared as hell to slip - might be Type Three Fun. Limping across a finish line with a torn hamstring could be Type Three Fun. You don't remember Type Three Fun as being fun either. You're usually glad you came out alive or you wonder what the hell you were thinking in the first place. Your brain remembers Type Three Fun quite vividly and its not a good memory.
This past weekend I experienced all types of fun, one, two and three. However I could say they were in reverse order. The assorted dubious running characters once again hopped on a plane to partake in a Relay Race. Past years have seen us burning up the pavement in the 200 mile Hood to Coast relay race starting from Mt Hood and ending in Seaside, Oregon. Last year we discovered the beautiful Willamet Valley and all the Pinot Noirs waiting to be drank. Other years we've wine tasted wine in Sonoma and Napa and oh ya there was this thing called "The Relay" 199miles from Calistoga to Santa Cruz. This year we decided to mend our wicked drinking ways and head to Utah for the Wasatch Back Relay. 180miles from Park City to Logan. They have weird drinking laws in Utah but in the end that didn't dissuade us from imbibing.
This is where my Type Three Fun started.... on my first leg of the race. 10km of running in approx 98degree heat, hell I don't even know what that is in Celcious except to say it was fucking hot. Nothing about that leg was fun and while I was desperately dousing my self with water, running through sprinklers and just praying for the leg to be over. I also discovered the joys of Chafing. Now I know why babies can be so miserable, need I say more?
The other two legs were definitely Type Two Fun which I don't mind abit. Running hard could never be mistaken for Type One Fun but when its done a runner tends to remember the good feeling of crossing the finish line and your teammates giving you high fives and telling you you ran a good race (even if you didn't) Its that feeling of accomplishment that you remember fondly. The pain during the run is what you have to do before hand is all. :-)
The rest of the weekend is sheer Type One Fun hanging with good friends, seeing a new part of the USA. Sandra said it well after the race when she said "These relays remind me how good life can be" and its true. Being with folks you like, that you have a history and trust with is important. You leave your worries and issues in the car at the airport and enter into a different world for 3 days that has sillyness, laughter, challenge and accomplishment.
There's a reason we all keep coming back for Type One, Two Fun and suffer through Type Three.
Type One Fun: The activity feels like fun when you're doing it, you remember it as fun after the fact. I would think getting a massage by a good looking man in a loin cloth while on the beach with the sounds of ocean waves serenading you could be Type One Fun, happy finish or not.
Type Two Fun: The activity is probably more work or harder than you expected. There could be a fear factor associated with it, ie: "If I fall off my bike now this is going to really, really hurt". You may even question your sanity in the moment of doing the activity. "If I ever decide to run another marathon, I hope someone punches me in the stomach". HOWEVER, something quite remarkable happens with Type Two Fun activities. After the fact, once you can actually breath, your feet are firmly planted on the ground, the soreness has worn off etc, you remember the activity as fun. You will tell your friends it was fun and you will start planning your next Type Two Fun event. There is some sort of selective memory thing at work here because we've all done it.
Type Three Fun: You thought the activity was going to be fun, however once you're engaged in it, you realize its not frick'n fun at all. It probably feels like some form of torture or hell. Trying to get off a mountain in a blinding snow storm, with the temperature dropping and you're scared as hell to slip - might be Type Three Fun. Limping across a finish line with a torn hamstring could be Type Three Fun. You don't remember Type Three Fun as being fun either. You're usually glad you came out alive or you wonder what the hell you were thinking in the first place. Your brain remembers Type Three Fun quite vividly and its not a good memory.
This past weekend I experienced all types of fun, one, two and three. However I could say they were in reverse order. The assorted dubious running characters once again hopped on a plane to partake in a Relay Race. Past years have seen us burning up the pavement in the 200 mile Hood to Coast relay race starting from Mt Hood and ending in Seaside, Oregon. Last year we discovered the beautiful Willamet Valley and all the Pinot Noirs waiting to be drank. Other years we've wine tasted wine in Sonoma and Napa and oh ya there was this thing called "The Relay" 199miles from Calistoga to Santa Cruz. This year we decided to mend our wicked drinking ways and head to Utah for the Wasatch Back Relay. 180miles from Park City to Logan. They have weird drinking laws in Utah but in the end that didn't dissuade us from imbibing.
This is where my Type Three Fun started.... on my first leg of the race. 10km of running in approx 98degree heat, hell I don't even know what that is in Celcious except to say it was fucking hot. Nothing about that leg was fun and while I was desperately dousing my self with water, running through sprinklers and just praying for the leg to be over. I also discovered the joys of Chafing. Now I know why babies can be so miserable, need I say more?
The other two legs were definitely Type Two Fun which I don't mind abit. Running hard could never be mistaken for Type One Fun but when its done a runner tends to remember the good feeling of crossing the finish line and your teammates giving you high fives and telling you you ran a good race (even if you didn't) Its that feeling of accomplishment that you remember fondly. The pain during the run is what you have to do before hand is all. :-)
The rest of the weekend is sheer Type One Fun hanging with good friends, seeing a new part of the USA. Sandra said it well after the race when she said "These relays remind me how good life can be" and its true. Being with folks you like, that you have a history and trust with is important. You leave your worries and issues in the car at the airport and enter into a different world for 3 days that has sillyness, laughter, challenge and accomplishment.
There's a reason we all keep coming back for Type One, Two Fun and suffer through Type Three.
posted by Lise B at Monday, June 23, 2008
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