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Blame the winners for not pushing the standard higher. They're the ones "content" to finish and who aren't working to break records.
As a middle-aged non-athlete who rides hunter/jumper (well, for me, it's more like hopping at this point than jumping), I know I will never ride in the Grand Prix. But I challenge myself every time I get on my horse. And that's the reason I do it. I do show in low-level events and I have ribbons to show for it and those are a kick. But it's also a tremendous kick if I've tried something new and harder, or if I've pushed my endurance further than I did the week before. It makes me a different person than I was before I accomplished whatever it was I did. A person who can meet other challenges in life in a different or better or more effective way than I did before I jumped maybe three inches higher on my horse.
It's the same thing for the Oprahs who are running marathons. Another letter writer said it was about a personal best and that's so true. They might not be pushing the bar on marathon times, but neither is McClelland, apparently.
