Winners at both Ends

The Week that is the MR340 is one of the highlights of my year and after its conclusion I always feel as though I'm drifting, a little lost and rudderless, so to speak. I'm drawn back to the rivermiles forum over and over to try to reconnect with the race but afterwards it is different.
The stories are great, the praise for the staff and volunteers, heartwarming, but the anticipation is gone. Replaced by pride in a job well done from some of the paddlers. Anquish from others and a pervading sense of an adventure completed by most.
As in years before the athletes were finishing in the 30's and 40's and 50 hour time frames. That is a good and wonderful thing, it keeps the back of the pack from becoming too congested. For there, you see, is were I've always found my comfort zone.
I've always contended that anyone can paddle for forty or fifty hours but it takes some special kind of grit to keep hammering for seventy or eighty hours. Just the logistics of keeping a man alive and working after eighty hours of grinding down the river places these teams at the back of the pack in a class of their own.
No they aren't the fastest, they don't set the records or take home the trophies. But they are the grinders who grab a couple of hours sleep and then roll back into the boat still wet from the last run. Only now they are also cold and stiff from lack of exertion. With stomachs sour from 3 days and nights of odd hours and odd food. With arms and backs and butts in pain. And they do it over and over again.
With minds fogged and sight blurry and blistered hands these people have all the marks and scars of champions except one....Speed.
If I were looking for traits to pass on to the next generation I might choose tenacity, attitude and perseverance over speed. I might choose compassion and congeniality over competitiveness.
Now don't get me wrong I would never suggest that these traits aren't exhibited by the winners as well, in fact they are and in spades. That is one of the things that has come to mark the MR340 as the spectacular venue it is.
But this is very important, I must impress on the "Back of the pack gang" that they are recognized as champions as well. Not speedy champions maybe, but champions none the less.