It is hard to make that boat go as fast as you want to. The enemy, of course, is resistance of the water, as you have to displace the amount of water equal to the weight of men and equipment, but that very water is what supports you and that very enemy is your friend. So is life: the very problems you must overcome also support you and make you stronger in overcoming them.

George Pocock

As a competitor, winner or loser, one crosses the line into limbo. the adrenaline is gone, the anticipation is gone. The verdict is either comforting or devastating but it neither returns the exhilaration of the race nor helps directly to win the next. Maybe all that matters is that there is a next.

Stephen Kiesling