No Whining Pledge

When I swam with Pitt masters at the U Pittsburgh pool, there was a morning group (up at 5 a.m.) and an evening group (practice starts at 5:30 p.m.) As an unconscious whiner who emitted little whimpers involuntarily, the way a person with halitosis exhales puffs of putrescent breath that he has gotten so used to that its smell seems like normal air, I was informed one day by Pitt's excellent masters coach Jen that I didn't need to be this way. There was, Jen told me, a legendary non-whiner who swam in the 5 a.m. practices, a fellow named Rich Durstein who never complained about anything. The man could have a spike through his head and he would not have mentioned it, nor the impact said spike would have on his ability to hold a tight interval. Perhaps, Jen suggested, I could try to be a little bit more like Rich Durstein. I am nothing if not suggestible! And from that day on, I determined to Durstein my way through the vicissitudes of life, shouldering no shortage of woe and handicap without so much as a micro twitch of my mouth corners! This was approximately five years ago. I have yet to meet Rich Durstein; indeed, I have come to wonder if he even exists. They say that if God did not exist, then Man would have had to invent him. Perhaps it is like this with Rich Durstein. I don't know. But I do know this: after five years of Dursteining my own way through life's teary veil, the thought of ever uttering a whine or complaint has become inconceivable to me. I am, in my own way, a model of Dursteining swimming. Take your pledge? No need, my good man! This would indicate I am capable of backsliding, of paying attention to my corporal state, my fevers and colics and headaches and cramps, and commenting about same either through soliloquy or groan! But I am incapable of doing either! Sometimes I believe that when Man felt the need to invent Rich Durstein, Man inadvertently invented me! If you would like help following my path, I will do my best to help. My disciple Leslie is making progress. I shall not comment on the nature of this progress. It is not the Durstein way.

I think if I took a pledge it would have to encompass even more than just swimming. Work, kids, traffic, etc. The more I think about it, I whine and complain quite a bit! :blush:

It would be fun to take non swimmers and figure if they were swimmers what they would be. For instance, George Costanza would be a sprinter clearly, along with Steve Urkel. en.wikipedia.org/.../John_Calvin

Perfect timing, Allen! I went late to practice this morning, a short one because we have a meet Saturday. Coach said to warmup 500 and he would time me for a 50 sprint before he left. Did so. Upon hearing the time, I immediately said, "That's pitiful!" Then I stopped and realized I had almost no warmup, it was during a hard working section of our program, and, besides, I'm lucky to be still swimming anywhere near that at my age and my shape. Count me in!

I'm in!!

I'm in, but I confess that I am having trouble imagining what the sprinters are going to talk about in this new world order :D I think the D folks should have their own pledge -- No Incessant Bragging about how tough they are, how they don't need rest between events, how cheap their meets are because they swim a zillion events, etc. Is this not just as tiresome as sprinter whining? :) Honestly, I figure it's an extremely rare occasion when one is actually "ready" and firing on all cylinders for a meet or when one does not have some form of injury/ache/pain. So it probably makes little sense to dwell on it excessively. On the other hand, I remember Jimby saying that some chatter to this effect may just be chatter, a person's way of working out nerves, and hence fairly harmless.

I resolve that no matter what I think about my swim,if someone says "good swim" I will graciously thank them. QUOTE] Along with Chris, this is the one I need help with and pledge to control. I needed my wife to point out how unseemly whining is after being congratulated on just setting a world record. Need to stifle expressing those personal expectations. Does anyone remember Rick Carey's reaction after winning an Olympic gold medal-but not breaking his own world record? He was obviously very disappointed immediately after the swim and took huge rafters of grief from the press for not suppressing those emotions.

I think the D folks should have their own pledge -- No Incessant Bragging about how tough they are, how they don't need rest between events, how cheap their meets are because they swim a zillion events, etc. It ain't bragging if it's true.

It ain't bragging if it's true. Is this another convoluted saying invented by distance swimmers? Logically, something can be both bragging and true. Bragging is no less annoying than whining. Next you'll be bragging about not whining. Though having just caught out pwb, I will now be tracking and reporting all distance swimmer whining. I may have to create a "Lane" for that a la Ande.

Is this another convoluted saying invented by distance swimmers? Logically, something can be both bragging and true. Bragging is no less annoying than whining. Next you'll be bragging about not whining. Though having just caught out pwb, I will now be tracking and reporting all distance swimmer whining. I may have to create a "Lane" for that a la Ande. I think it was invented by Bear Bryant and I don't think he was a swimmer. But, if he was a swimmer, he would have been a distance swimmer. I would cut pwb a break. After all, he did go over to the whiny side of swimming for a while. He hasn't fully recovered from that and, thusly, is still shrouded in the deep and gloomy funk of wallsitteritis. It would be fun to take non swimmers and figure if they were swimmers what they would be. For instance, George Costanza would be a sprinter clearly, along with Steve Urkel.