Abstract
Endurance sports such as marathon and triathlon are prolonged athletic practices over an extended period of time and distance of suffering. They have been well enjoyed all over the world in recent years. Endurance sports have been concerned with their previous studies in sport sociology. In general, they have been taken and meant for kinds of personal practice on purpose to re-integrate one’s way of living under complicated or destabilized contemporary society. And some qualitative researches have argued such practice is facilitated by communal relationship between the self and others through endurance sports.
In light of the above discussions, this paper explored the communal experiences in endurance sports with others by gathering the data through participant observation and interviewing intended for triathletes in western Hiroshima. Their experiences with significant other triathletes having mutual supports of the practice known as “NAKAMA” were focused in particular. Moreover, how such experiences are positioned in the process of re-integration of respondents’ life was concerned.
The findings revealed occurrences of intercorporeality in triathlon that is ultimate individual sport with pain and exhaustion. For example, respondents are inspired their subjectivity from efforts or cheers of “NAKAMA” while having training and competition. Besides, the realization of the self from such preconscious experiences has leaded their life re-integration. It was discussed and concluded that the research case is possible to add new logic to self-reflexivity which is referred to as broad infiltration in today’s society. Further, its detailed theoretical consideration is pointed out as a future issue.
