Here’s something you might not have considered. Some people actually love their jobs. I am one of those rare findings. I love my job. I write about athletes and events around the world. I love the traveling, meeting new people, enjoying the sport of athletics and seeing my friends year after year.
One of my favorites is Tirunesh Dibaba. I have watched Tirunesh since 2003 and have seen all of her Olympic and World Championship medals. Her level of competitiveness, her ferocity in her finishes are mind boggling. Watching her run in Boston for the NB Indoor GP and setting world records and bests were fascinating.
Tirunesh Dibaba, RAK 2017, photo by PhotoRun.net
When Dibaba would go from chasing a record to finishing so hard over the last few laps of a Mondo 200 meter track, one could not help but being caught up with her Ethiopian fans, who would shake up the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury, MA. After a few laps of cheering, the entire crowd of five thousand would be cheering and screaming.
The baby faced destroyer, as some called her, had this combination of ferocity and speed!
In London yesterday, Tirunesh Dibaba had something she has experienced few times in her career. She had a DNF. Going out step for step with Mary Keitany, Tirunesh Dibaba went out hard, and ran as hard as she could for as long as she could. Around 30 kilometers, the competitiveness and the reality of the body came to battle. With Mother Nature beating down on Tirunesh Dibaba, it was time for the most winning woman distance runner in Olympic history to call it a day. She would learn a major lesson on Sunday, April 22, 2018. Dibaba stopped running, and then, tried to start up again twice, but it was not to be.
Tirunesh Dibaba had some challenges on the track with the 10,000 meters. Her victories have not come easily. The marathon, well, racing a marathon where one is pushing oneself to the brink, and hoping, against hope, to talk oneself to the finish line, is dangerous. Sometimes, one is successful, and sometimes one is not.
Tirunesh had a marathon life lesson. We will see her back on the roads soon. But, after she recovers and reconsiders her approach. Here is how Tirunesh Dibaba commented on it with her Instagram:
