Is a marathon hard? Or an achievment?

brianon

--amadeus-- wrote: »

Actually I wasn't referring to your thread (apologies if that dents your ego! ) - I don't 100% agree with your approach but I do think you've put the work in.

There were a couple of more recent threads that got me thinking, eg a tri in 2 months when incapable of running a mile, a full marathon in a month from nothing and a tilt at a sub 3:10 in 7 months with no running experience. With all due respect to the posters of those threads they are all being very ambitious...

No legendary status for me so

earlyevening

Of course I know some would scoff at my efforts, but I think anyone who runs the whole thing after following a solid training regime deserves respect.

It wasnt complete and utter arrogance. Anyone who runs 5.30 after training hard has done their best and ought to be congratulated. Its the girls who walk the thing with a full face of makeup on and maybe jog a little every few miles and then think they've "done a marathon" that irritate me. - not the seventy year old asthmatic who does his best.

tunney

Technically they have done a marathon.
They just haven't run one.

hunnymonster

There are some marathons, that are tough no matter what..... A friend is just back from the north pole
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=lAeuY563B-U

RacoonQueen

Me: "I ran the Dublin marathon last October."
Everyone I've said it too: "Oh well done, how long was it?"
Me: *bangs head on wall*

thirtyfoot

mp1972 wrote: »

Me: "I ran the Dublin marathon last October."
Everyone I've said it too: "Oh well done, how long was it?"
Me: *bangs head on wall*

I used to get something similar, sort of:

Me: Yeah, I'm a runner, an athlete.
Everyone: So did you do the marathon (with respect and awe in their expression)?
Me: No, I do much shorter stuff, 200m or maybe 400m.
Everyone: Oh right. So what kind of stuff do you do in training, how many miles.
Me: Don't really do miles, more shorter stuff like 6 x 200 on the track.
Everyone: Is that all?
Me: Yeah, but really fast and with short recovery, its very hard.
Everyone: Blank look, slow nod (with you're not really a runner and a bit soft in their expression).

Sometimes, a "would you not do a marathon for training" might be added but usually thats the end of the conversation.

hunnymonster

Tingle, Personally I think the 400m is the hardest race out there. I was a sprinter as a youngster. 100m was where I won most medals but Ive a couple at 200m. Occasionally my coach got me running 400m's mostly relays for the county team. I was a very quiet, shy teenager but take what he got after those races, they nearly killed me, I was swearing like a fish-wife at him! Even now when I run much longer distances, I know I would be a much better runner if I added some track sessions to my training. They're just too hard though and I'm a softie.

RRSC

hi amadeus

finishing a marathon is both hard and an achievement. Anyone who finishes (in whatever time) should be proud of themselves.

Taking it on a little from there...... finishing is good, finishing without walking is great, finishing under 3 hours is a real badge of honour. Maybe some day I will....

I was a Dublin regular in the 80s and through 92. Got back into running a few years ago to find the badge of honour was now under 4 hours. So yes, the bar has been lowered.
No doubt.

RRSC

Deliaquad

Regarding the "anyone-can-do-it-have-a-go" approach, the much-touted "smoker, drinker, first-timer 101 year old" Buster Martin London marathon "runner" has been outed as a cheat! Turns out he is 94 at best, and his story was spun as a gob****e PR stunt. Took him over 10 hours to finish btw.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3740118.ece

onekeaneo

--amadeus-- wrote: »

That's an excellent article and I agree with everything in it. Running is democratic and anyone can do it. I think it's great that no talents like myself can line up with world champions in the big races.

I suppose what I was grumbling about is that the increased participation and increased numbers of people of all shapes and sizes completing a marathon may make some people think that it's in some way easy. They then jump in with both feet and commit to doing marathons (or triathlons come to that) that they aren't trained for. Or they decide that they'll target a sub 3:00 (or whatever) even though they haven't run since playing U-13 Gaelic. At the least it strikes me as disrespectful and at worst they run the risk of doing themselves serious damage.

Ahhh, I've turned into a bitter and twisted grumpy old man!

Christ!!!! For me some of these elitist comments were very hard to read…I could understand how a “first timer” reading some of these posts could be put off entering at all. A marathon is for everybody not just those who can cross the line sub 3hrs. If I wanted to see that I’d stay at home and watch the Olympics.

I made up my mind to run the Dublin Marathon early last year. And completed it in 4hrs 1min.. I joined these boards, gathered as much advice as I could from helpful experienced runner’s comments, drew out a plan and stuck to it. I battled through the sore joints and stiff limbs and a paid out for GP’s appointments for vertigo (I later discovered was because of my training and the long mileage I was covering). Through naivety I too was guilty of setting myself an unrealistic target for my first Marathon of 3hrs 30. However I quickly realised during my training that 4hr finish was a bit more realistic first time round. I made sure to line up at the correct point on the start line so as not to get in anyone else’s way. Looking back now I know I could have run it faster but for me my first Marathon was not about running the best time ever. It was about

1. Enjoying the whole experience.

2. Encouraging other runners around me and appreciating the encouragement that they gave me.

3. Finishing.


I’m certain I could have run a faster time first time round. Actually I’m positive I could cause towards the end I helped a lad that was struggling and we both finished together. If I had ran past I would have finished in a quicker time but I’m not sure that’s the be all and the end all in your first Marathon. I was much more into soaking up the atmosphere and intent on enjoying the experience. Does this mean I sold myself short? Or because I ran within myself for my first marathon that I disrespected it or it’s traditions?
I’m not going to lie this year I will be interested in coming home in a fast time for me, but my first time round like I say I just wanted to enjoy the experience.
In my opinion ANYONE!! who finishes a marathon deserves praise. I don’t care if you cross the line in 2hrs 30 or 5hr 30 dressed up like a donkey. The only thing I would say that if you know you are not going to finish in a quick time that you have a bit of consideration for the other runners who are and don’t do anything silly like line up at the front row.
Also…. I can’t imagine that anyone would just get off the couch and announce to the world that tomorrow they are going to “run a marathon”. I can’t imagine anyone would be that naïve. Even if they were surly the realisation would hit home after they go out for the first run with no previous training that this will take a bit more preparation. If someone was so stupid as to line up for a marathon without any previous training then surely they would drop out and not make the finish and maybe learn a valuable lesson. If by some miracle they did finish (although I couldn’t see how they would) then should they not be applauded as much as anyone else for battling to the end, for surely they have demonstrated to everyone that they have tremendous willpower if nothing else. I don’t think they have devalued or disrespected the distance.
That is the beauty of the marathon for me, it’s just you, your will power and determination not to give up, to push yourself and your body to the end. You have nowhere to hide and no one to hide behind. No short cuts, no corners can be cut. The distance is the distance and it can only be covered by putting one foot in front of the other.
In my years of playing league of Ireland football I have come across plenty of lads who hid on the pitch, cheated themselves and the team. They were usually the loudest ones in the dressing room giving the big “I AM”. But when push comes to shove they hid on the pitch.
I think the experience runner who is capable of running a sub 3 hr marathon and finishes in 4 hrs is more guilty than the person who never ran a marathon before, maybe underestimated the distance but pushed themselves to the brink and crosses the line in a heap in 6 hrs….

For you first timers out there thinking of running a marathon. Don’t be put off by these elitist comments. YOU CAN DO IT. And it’s the best feeling in the world crossing that line in your first marathon…

HardyEustace

onekeaneo,
While I don't disagree with your mail I'm baffled as to why you choose to quote Amadues and then said

onekeaneo wrote: »

Christ!!!! For me some of these elitist comments were very hard to read

If you're a regular member of this forum and/or the athletics forum then you'll be aware that Amadeus is a regular contributor and a great support and source of knowledge to both newbies and regular runners.

I can't believe that you're singling him out by quoting him. As you mentioned yourself

onekeaneo wrote: »

I joined these boards, gathered as much advice as I could from helpful experienced runner’s comments,

I'm pretty sure that you were able to take advice from a thread that Amadeus had either started or contributed to.

I'm beginning to wonder if you've read through this thread properly at all as you're actually arguing similar points that I've often read Amadeus defending. He's expressing a concern that people aren't respecting the distance and are not putting in the training and putting themselves at risk of injury or worse by not properly preparing. Yes, AWFULLY ELITIST THERE!

Watch out for that first step down from your soap box, I've heard they can be fairly steep.

Playing God and deciding to unfairly and incorrectly single out a poster and accusing them of being elitist has detracted wholly from a lovely post.

SUNGOD

prob just a misunderstanding as at the time of amadeus original thread in april there was a few threads along the lines of running a 3:10 marathon in 6 months with no running expierence and others along those lines.
but one thing you could'nt call amadeus is is eliteist
maybe a lesson to us all to read the full thread before posting

onekeaneo

HHHHmmmmm!!!! HardyEustace think you may have got your wires a little crossed here. Actually what I most had a beef with were some of the responses to the question asked by Amadeus (obviously cause I read the whole thread) which I consisered to be Elitist and if anything would discourage first timers from thinking of running a marathon. Which I’m sure is not what anyone would want.

HardyEustace wrote: »

Watch out for that first step down from your soap box, I've heard they can be fairly steep.

QUOTE]
Sorry for expressing an opinion mate. Couldn’t possible come back at you with such a witty comment as this.

hunnymonster

OneKeano, you quoted Amadeus so it's hardly surprising that she took that to be who you were having a shot at.

Also, since when is not ok for her to challenge your view/opinion but perfectly fine for you to challenge the views other people expressed in this thread.

Christ!!!! For me some of these elitist comments were very hard to read…

I agree with Sungod, there were a lot of unrealistic threads here a while ago from unfit people expecting to practically place in the prizes at marathons. That's not to say it can't be done. I won my 3rd marathon less than a year after taking up running but it take hard work, and luck . it also helps to be female where the field is weaker.

The point I think Amadeus was trying to make (and he is currently on holidays - yes I am big brother!) is that people often think the marathon is easy, and if you walk it there is a certain logic in that but if you push yourself, do all the miles, deal with the niggles, get out of bed on a Sunday morning when the rest of the world is having a sleep, then the marathon really is an achievement. I'm no taking away from the walkers, casual runners but it's a completely different league from someone who puts their heart and soul into the event and races it (be that a race against the leaders or their personal clock).

How Strange

[QUOTE=hunnymonster;56705026 if you push yourself, do all the miles, deal with the niggles, get out of bed on a Sunday morning when the rest of the world is having a sleep, then the marathon really is an achievement. I'm no taking away from the walkers, casual runners but it's a completely different league from someone who puts their heart and soul into the event and races it (be that a race against the leaders or their personal clock).[/QUOTE]
+1

I read this thread a few months ago but have to say that everyone here, Amadeus et al, who are without a doubt in a different league to me are definitely not elitest. If anything they are always willing to give information and advice and for a first timer like me that is invaluable.

I'm training for the Dublin marathon and am taking it very seriously. That means no boozing at the weekends as I've to do my long runs, drag my lazy ass off the sofa even when I'd rather pluck my eyelashes out than go for a run in the rain and suffer all those little aches that I never knew existed.

When I see the commitment of sorts that I have to put into my training to do the marathon I have the utmost respect for people like hunnymonster, amadeus et al who strive for excellence.

onekeaneo

What are you talking about Hunnymonster?
You seem to think that I have my back up with people disagreeing with my point of view. Strange!! I don’t have a problem with that. I never said it was not OK for anyone to challenge my opinion at all. Good luck to them!
I did say if someone thinks they can run a Marathon in Sub 3hrs without any prep then they are naive and foolish. And the chances are they won’t succeed anyway. Of course walking a marathon is not in the same league as running it I neve claimed it was.
But someone who is guilty of being a bit naïve and posting on these boards an unrealistic finish time should not be pillared and made to feel silly which might lead them to not entering at all.

By the way Hunnymonster if you disagree with this post feel free to say so. Just to clarify…I have no problems with this! After all from reading these posts you are probably 10 times more experienced than me but we were all first timers once!

hunnymonster

onekeaneo wrote: »

Sorry for expressing an opinion mate. Couldn’t possible come back at you with such a witty comment as this.

no doesn't sound like you have a problem with people disagreeing with you at all?:rolleyes:

onekeaneo

Said in response to a sarcastic comment Hunneymonster. That’s all..
Still not sure where you think I can’t hear other peoples comments and disagreements. Isn’t that what these boards are all about. Different people with different view points. Would be pretty boring if everyone agreed.

robinph

onekeaneo wrote: »

Of course walking a marathon is not in the same league as running it I neve claimed it was.

Walking harder than running?
Probably depends if you are walking and carrying a picnic along with you as well or doing that funny wiggling type of walking. I suspect it was the former that you were on about though.

Edit: Looks like the record for "walking" 50k is way faster than I'm expecting to do the 42k in. :eek:

onekeaneo

Yes definitely the former. The likes of Olive Loughnane, Jamie Costin and Robert Heffernan... walking would still leave me for dust running