Sifan Hassan Is Fine the Way She Is
disappearingmoment.comI've written an 8,000-word essay on my favorite athlete, Sifan Hassan. You may find it interesting if you're a runner, like to watch the Olympics, or can relate to a person who creates extraordinary challenges for herself in order to avoid being bored.
This is a lovely, inspiring essay. The 8,000 words flew by. I enjoyed reading the quoted passages about what Sifan Hassan said about her own performance and thoughts about running. I ran track and cross-country in high school and cross-country (briefly) while in college. I wasn't good enough for college sports though.
I'm amazed at Sifan's breadth of talent! She has genuine speed to be able to win 1500 meter races on the track yet also win marathons! This caught my attention toward the beginning:
>Like my other favorite runners, Des Linden and Nikki Hiltz, Hassan’s running kit is gendered more as male than female. The extra fabric in their singlets and covering their thighs does not appear to be a hindrance.
I preferred wearing a men's type singlet. The feeling of air on my bare midriff felt odd. As for the other half, the bottom garment like Sifan wears, it stays put. The abbreviated ones were a distraction, as they wouldn't stay in place. Of course, I was not as thin as professional athletes nor even college athletes. If I were, it might have been more comfortable.
P.S. I liked that mentioned tantek in your disclaimer at the end, about no LLM use. I've read his cleverly designed website for many years.
Thank you for reading this essay and for your kind, thoughtful comment. This is different from anything I've written and it took me a long time to get to the point where I felt like I could share it with anyone. It means a lot to me that you enjoyed it.