I think the demographi on this forum would be different from the normal office so we're going to get a lot of IMs and marathons as answers I would think....for me (beyond hubby and the kids and more recently our granddaughter) the most amazing experience for me was finishing the Dublin marathon in 2005 - flat out the most amazing experience of my life - I literally sobbed for the last 4 miles I was so moved....
(I said amazing experience twice - I must mean it!)
The last 200 metres of the FLM in 2002 - knowing that come hell or high water I was going to run sub 3 hours for the marathon.
Completing the Three Peaks Challenge in 2003 in a little over 16 hours - an unreal and surreal experience.
As a 16 year old, completing my Duke of Edinburgh Award Gold expedition (the hardest thing I ever did as a teenager).
Being driven along the Hogs Back in my teens (in the youth club mini bus) in the wee small hours of a Saturday morning - "Riders on the Storm" being played on Radio Luxembourg when suddenly we're driving through lightening, rain and thunder - couldn't have been scripted any better.
Age 14 and orienteering on Exmoor on a boiling hot day - standing ankle deep in a wide, shallow babbling river hidden amongst a thicket of trees trying to read the map - a herd of wild ponies suddenly arrives to drink - I stay a while and watch - for some reason those brief few minutes have always stayed with me.
Running round the track at the Ancient Olympic stadium in Athens.
We were on a bus trip with a pile of other tourists, and got dropped off at the gates. Despite the hustle and bustle of the city outside, the stadium was quiet and rather peaceful. I can still picture it really clearly despite a lot of the rest of the holiday being the usual fuzzy memory.
Standing looking up at the stone terraces, I knew that I'd never forgive myself if I didn't do a lap of the track (it's proper running track surface, not sand as I expected) despite being in touristy clothes, wearing sandals and carrying a rucksack, and it being 40C+. I told my b/f (now hubby) that I was going to do it, and he said he'd join me. By the time we were half way round, most of the rest of the bus party were starting their lap, and by the time we'd all finished, we were a sweaty bunch of "friends" who laughed for the rest of the day about how great it had been (and how hot).
I can't imagine running round any modern Olympic track would match up to that memory.
Walking along the Great Wall in November. Our section was almost deserted, and there's no-one else in the pictures. And some humorous incident where "Mongol" sounded like "Womble".
The most fun was probably going on scooter rallies when I was a mod in the mid 80s. Since then it's probably the saturday morning training rides we used to have 5 years or so ago on the bike where we'd go over a series of climbs up to a place called Alport Heights and descend into Ambergate - really just an unofficial bike race every Saturday morning but fantastic fun especially if you had good form and were in the front two or three into the cafe with your mates strung out down the road behind you.
The most satisfied/content would be the last few days of a camping holiday in Scotland when we ended up at a place called Burghead camping at the Red Craig hotel for those that know the area - looking out to sea on a Summer evening and some dolphins swam past in the bay - I'd give up a lot to have that feeling again.
Running round the track at the Ancient Olympic stadium in Athens.
We were on a bus trip with a pile of other tourists, and got dropped off at the gates. Despite the hustle and bustle of the city outside, the stadium was quiet and rather peaceful. I can still picture it really clearly despite a lot of the rest of the holiday being the usual fuzzy memory.
Standing looking up at the stone terraces, I knew that I'd never forgive myself if I didn't do a lap of the track (it's proper running track surface, not sand as I expected) despite being in touristy clothes, wearing sandals and carrying a rucksack, and it being 40C+. I told my b/f (now hubby) that I was going to do it, and he said he'd join me. By the time we were half way round, most of the rest of the bus party were starting their lap, and by the time we'd all finished, we were a sweaty bunch of "friends" who laughed for the rest of the day about how great it had been (and how hot).
I can't imagine running round any modern Olympic track would match up to that memory.
LOL Nessie.
I did a similar thing in Rhodes
Went to some ruins that we used for athletics & there was remains of a dusty old 100 yard sprint track.
I could not help myself & had to complete possibly the slowest sprint the track had ever witnessed due to the heat & my sandals
I can still see all the strange looks the other tourist gave as I broke the imaginary tape & then proceeded to do a Rocky esq celebration after running up the stone terraced seating at the end!
Another "best" experience, though for a totally different reason, and probably "best" is not an appropriate term, but a visit to Dachau over 30 years ago.
We were driving back through Europe after a holiday in Italy and felt compelled to see it as we passed it on our way back.
It had such a profound effect, for the obvious reasons, but one thing that also struck me was that in spite of it being the middle of summer, there was not one single note of birdsong to be heard.
A nice variety of experiences here. I enjoy running but haven't found it so far massively life changing, maybe because I started running age 11 so it feels like it's been part of my life for a long time.
My most life changing experience was travelling through SE Asia and Australia on my own aged 19. I didn't do anything particularly adventurous but I was completely responsible for myself for the first time in my life. When I left I was a shy insecure teenager, who put herself down. When I came back I was more confident, more mature and I went off the University and had a far better time than I would have had I not taken a year out.
Oh and I "learnt" how to drink beer in Australia, which probably has a greater inpact on my life now! certainly on my potential for a beer gut!
DF - I did the Grand Canyon visit the wrong way round. I spent two weeks travelling across the states, seeing lots of amazing geology and rock-type stuff. By the time I got the Grand Canyon I was a bit 'another hole, ok. Wow, a SHOWER BLOCK.' I had a shower and got a bit tipsy, which was a rarity on that trip. I was mightily impressed with Bryce Canyon though and Zion was beautiful.
Edit - I don't mean that the Grand Canyon is a bit of a 'meh' experience by the way. I'm just saying it should have been amazing, but I had my itineray all wrong and that spoilt it for me.
DF - I did the Grand Canyon visit the wrong way round. I spent two weeks travelling across the states, seeing lots of amazing geology and rock-type stuff. By the time I got the Grand Canyon I was a bit 'another hole, ok. Wow, a SHOWER BLOCK.' I had a shower and got a bit tipsy, which was a rarity on that trip. I was mightily impressed with Bryce Canyon though and Zion was beautiful.
Edit - I don't mean that the Grand Canyon is a bit of a 'meh' experience by the way. I'm just saying it should have been amazing, but I had my itineray all wrong and that spoilt it for me.
but if you did it the other way round would everything else not have seemed a bit sh!t after the grand canyon?
probably but isn't that how things should be? Grand Canyon - one of the wonders of the world. Bryce Canyon - a bit orange. Zion - a place where RV's roam free.
sorry to be boring...but finished Ironman switzerland..................just an amazing feeling afetr an amzing day with a great bunch of people.......................
after that I think it would be the eclipse around 2000.............I was in devon with the kids small........we travelled up to haytors rock in dartmoor................loads of people just sitting in the rocks looking south quietly as it got darker......they were anticipating something remarkable......................
It was a deeply moving experience as it made me think of biblical times when people were on the mountains waiting for jesus to come and talk..............the anticipation in the silence was amazing.......even my kids kept quiet for the only time ever......
sorry to be boring...but finished Ironman switzerland..................just an amazing feeling afetr an amzing day with a great bunch of people.......................
after that I think it would be the eclipse around 2000.............I was in devon with the kids small........we travelled up to haytors rock in dartmoor................loads of people just sitting in the rocks looking south quietly as it got darker......they were anticipating something remarkable......................
It was a deeply moving experience as it made me think of biblical times when people were on the mountains waiting for jesus to come and talk..............the anticipation in the silence was amazing.......even my kids kept quiet for the only time ever......
Shark diving of the coast of Oz....nothing like the feeling of fear looking out into the dark water and then the excitment when you see a dark shadow coming towards you...terror when you realise it's a tiger shark and a big female at that, which is replaced by pure joy when she swam up to me, looked me over and then swam off slowly into the gloom.
sorry to be boring...but finished Ironman switzerland..................just an amazing feeling afetr an amzing day with a great bunch of people.......................
after that I think it would be the eclipse around 2000.............I was in devon with the kids small........we travelled up to haytors rock in dartmoor................loads of people just sitting in the rocks looking south quietly as it got darker......they were anticipating something remarkable......................
It was a deeply moving experience as it made me think of biblical times when people were on the mountains waiting for jesus to come and talk..............the anticipation in the silence was amazing.......even my kids kept quiet for the only time ever......
Like that
How could I forget the eclipse? We sat by the Hoe, looking out to the Sound. It was a last minute decision to go, we were going to stay at home, but decided to walk round first thing in the morning. We could see the giant screen in the distance, with film of the sun, but mostly ignored it and just sat and gawked in amazement at the landscape. I still remember being surprised that it got cold as well as dark.
Comments
I think the demographi on this forum would be different from the normal office so we're going to get a lot of IMs and marathons as answers I would think....for me (beyond hubby and the kids and more recently our granddaughter) the most amazing experience for me was finishing the Dublin marathon in 2005 - flat out the most amazing experience of my life - I literally sobbed for the last 4 miles I was so moved....
(I said amazing experience twice - I must mean it!)
Without giving toooo much thought (because it is a damn good question), I would probably say......
Watching Northampton Town beat Liverpool at Anfield in September (the whole day was just mental) and this topped it off.
The same NTFC coming from 2-0 down away at Shrewsbury in 1993, to win 3-2 and preserve our football league status.
Various other football cup finals (including scoring winning penalty in a shootout last year), must be up there too.
Holly - no I did a swim start with.... Plum!
gfb - there must be something about Dublin. I cried the last mile and then for about 20 mins afterwards and made my friend cry on the phone too.
Coops - surely giving Lyra one in the back of your Mum's Corsa must've been pretty special?
The last 200 metres of the FLM in 2002 - knowing that come hell or high water I was going to run sub 3 hours for the marathon.
Completing the Three Peaks Challenge in 2003 in a little over 16 hours - an unreal and surreal experience.
As a 16 year old, completing my Duke of Edinburgh Award Gold expedition (the hardest thing I ever did as a teenager).
Being driven along the Hogs Back in my teens (in the youth club mini bus) in the wee small hours of a Saturday morning - "Riders on the Storm" being played on Radio Luxembourg when suddenly we're driving through lightening, rain and thunder - couldn't have been scripted any better.
Age 14 and orienteering on Exmoor on a boiling hot day - standing ankle deep in a wide, shallow babbling river hidden amongst a thicket of trees trying to read the map - a herd of wild ponies suddenly arrives to drink - I stay a while and watch - for some reason those brief few minutes have always stayed with me.
Shorter one for me.......
Running round the track at the Ancient Olympic stadium in Athens.
We were on a bus trip with a pile of other tourists, and got dropped off at the gates. Despite the hustle and bustle of the city outside, the stadium was quiet and rather peaceful. I can still picture it really clearly despite a lot of the rest of the holiday being the usual fuzzy memory.
Standing looking up at the stone terraces, I knew that I'd never forgive myself if I didn't do a lap of the track (it's proper running track surface, not sand as I expected) despite being in touristy clothes, wearing sandals and carrying a rucksack, and it being 40C+. I told my b/f (now hubby) that I was going to do it, and he said he'd join me. By the time we were half way round, most of the rest of the bus party were starting their lap, and by the time we'd all finished, we were a sweaty bunch of "friends" who laughed for the rest of the day about how great it had been (and how hot).
I can't imagine running round any modern Olympic track would match up to that memory.
The most fun was probably going on scooter rallies when I was a mod in the mid 80s. Since then it's probably the saturday morning training rides we used to have 5 years or so ago on the bike where we'd go over a series of climbs up to a place called Alport Heights and descend into Ambergate - really just an unofficial bike race every Saturday morning but fantastic fun especially if you had good form and were in the front two or three into the cafe with your mates strung out down the road behind you.
The most satisfied/content would be the last few days of a camping holiday in Scotland when we ended up at a place called Burghead camping at the Red Craig hotel for those that know the area - looking out to sea on a Summer evening and some dolphins swam past in the bay - I'd give up a lot to have that feeling again.
LOL Nessie.
I did a similar thing in Rhodes
Went to some ruins that we used for athletics & there was remains of a dusty old 100 yard sprint track.
I could not help myself & had to complete possibly the slowest sprint the track had ever witnessed due to the heat & my sandals
I can still see all the strange looks the other tourist gave as I broke the imaginary tape & then proceeded to do a Rocky esq celebration after running up the stone terraced seating at the end!
Another "best" experience, though for a totally different reason, and probably "best" is not an appropriate term, but a visit to Dachau over 30 years ago.
We were driving back through Europe after a holiday in Italy and felt compelled to see it as we passed it on our way back.
It had such a profound effect, for the obvious reasons, but one thing that also struck me was that in spite of it being the middle of summer, there was not one single note of birdsong to be heard.
A nice variety of experiences here. I enjoy running but haven't found it so far massively life changing, maybe because I started running age 11 so it feels like it's been part of my life for a long time.
My most life changing experience was travelling through SE Asia and Australia on my own aged 19. I didn't do anything particularly adventurous but I was completely responsible for myself for the first time in my life. When I left I was a shy insecure teenager, who put herself down. When I came back I was more confident, more mature and I went off the University and had a far better time than I would have had I not taken a year out.
Oh and I "learnt" how to drink beer in Australia, which probably has a greater inpact on my life now! certainly on my potential for a beer gut!
The Grand Canyon
Ice Skating on natural ice in Holland
Getting my PhD
Playing Gigi in a play that toured primary schools
Getting the keys to our family house
Hitchhiking as a student; that sense of freedom
Winning a frame of snooker on a respotted black
DF - I did the Grand Canyon visit the wrong way round. I spent two weeks travelling across the states, seeing lots of amazing geology and rock-type stuff. By the time I got the Grand Canyon I was a bit 'another hole, ok. Wow, a SHOWER BLOCK.' I had a shower and got a bit tipsy, which was a rarity on that trip. I was mightily impressed with Bryce Canyon though and Zion was beautiful.
Edit - I don't mean that the Grand Canyon is a bit of a 'meh' experience by the way. I'm just saying it should have been amazing, but I had my itineray all wrong and that spoilt it for me.
Glastonbury 1990
Getting my degree (and a much nicer job!)
Finishing a marathon
but if you did it the other way round would everything else not have seemed a bit sh!t after the grand canyon?
Getting my degree after 7 years' study, in a subject I was told I'd never be good enough to get O level in.
Watching Queeen at Maine Road in 1986...fecking unbelievable show.
Add it to my list above!
April 27 1974
Law famously scored a goal against Manchester United which guaranteed their relegation from the First Division,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRgAW_lvplo
Again,why let a good story get in the way of the truth!
Not sure if this is one of my favourite moments???....nah this just makes me want to laugh out loud
sorry to be boring...but finished Ironman switzerland..................just an amazing feeling afetr an amzing day with a great bunch of people.......................
after that I think it would be the eclipse around 2000.............I was in devon with the kids small........we travelled up to haytors rock in dartmoor................loads of people just sitting in the rocks looking south quietly as it got darker......they were anticipating something remarkable......................
It was a deeply moving experience as it made me think of biblical times when people were on the mountains waiting for jesus to come and talk..............the anticipation in the silence was amazing.......even my kids kept quiet for the only time ever......