No, no, it really doesn't. Trust me on this. It totally can be that bad.
Like, in a thousand meter rowing race, "last" is when everyone else finished before you do. "Dead last" is when you hear the buzzer for the first finisher(s) just as you enter the final 250 meters. "Dead fucking last" is when you hear the buzzers for *all* the other finishers before you enter the last 250 meters.
Ask me how I know.
On the other hand, "embarassing" and "DFL" are not necessarily synonymous. "EMbarrassing" is when you hear all the buzzers while you're still far from the finish and you give in and row less than your best for the rest of the race. I don't do that any more, not since one of the races we filmed years ago, when I did just that and had to watch it on video. Now I have a commitment to myself: no matter where I finish in a race, no matter how well I know the outcome, I finish it rowing the best my body will permit. WHich is what it sounds like your father did, for as long as *his* body would permit.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-17 04:11 pm (UTC)Like, in a thousand meter rowing race, "last" is when everyone else finished before you do. "Dead last" is when you hear the buzzer for the first finisher(s) just as you enter the final 250 meters. "Dead fucking last" is when you hear the buzzers for *all* the other finishers before you enter the last 250 meters.
Ask me how I know.
On the other hand, "embarassing" and "DFL" are not necessarily synonymous. "EMbarrassing" is when you hear all the buzzers while you're still far from the finish and you give in and row less than your best for the rest of the race. I don't do that any more, not since one of the races we filmed years ago, when I did just that and had to watch it on video. Now I have a commitment to myself: no matter where I finish in a race, no matter how well I know the outcome, I finish it rowing the best my body will permit. WHich is what it sounds like your father did, for as long as *his* body would permit.