Anti-Marathon

[Shivani05]

Hello all! I haven't been very active on here or the 5k forum lately, so apologies if you've already seen and discussed this, but I thought I would leave this on here in case you haven't. I'm just shaking my head at this.

slate.com/articles/health_a...

[Bazza1234 Graduate10]

I am a bit anti-golf. I mean, you hit a small white ball as hard as you can and then go look for it . If you didn't hit it so hard , it would be much easier to find!! Total waste of time.

[Shivani05 in reply to Bazza1234]

hahaha yes, I don't understand the appeal of golf either! Seems very boring to me.

[runningnearbeirut Graduate10 in reply to Bazza1234]

That's a great point, Bazza.

Saw a great description of football (soccer to you?) today - 22 millionaires running round after a bag of wind. Sums it up to me.

[Sarah-A Graduate10 in reply to Bazza1234]

Ha ha. I suspect it's the 19th hole that takes up most of the time

[JoolieB1 Graduate10]

Seems the person writing the article is wasting their own time pretty well. In the time it took them to write the piece, they could have helped an old lady across a road! For me, running has given me a lot of pleasure - while running, I have space to be alone, relax and enjoy the beautiful countryside, I have splashed through puddles, slipped in mud and jumped over fallen trees - truly feels like I am being a child again! My confidence has improved, I have a goal and purpose I set myself that I can work towards. I am part of a supportive, caring community of runners who share a common interest, I have raised money for a charity. I have noticed my lung capacity has improved, my heart is stronger and fitter and my muscles more toned. Only thing I would change, should have found the joys of running earlier!

The people I know who are struggling with weight issues, inactivity, diabetes, sore knees requiring surgery - none of them ran or even managed to walk much. I am thankful I can move around. I do get some aches and twinges from time to time but it is totally worthwhile running, better than writing negative articles that benefit no one and further confirm to the millions of inactive people they should stay on the couch

[Shivani05 in reply to JoolieB1]

I don't understand the negativity...if you don't like running, or think that running a marathon is pointless then...don't...there's no need to write a negative article about it and start a movement against it!

And I agree with everything you've said. Running is my alone time, I'm fitter and healthier because of it, it's making me make better food choices, I lift weights to cross train because I want to be even healthier and fitter than running alone can make me, I've lost weight, am no longer lethargic, my injured knee has actually improved...sure, I've been in a bit of a running slump lately, but that doesn't matter. The benefits far outweigh possible downsides. We should introduce the writer to Laura. Convert him. *evil laugh*

[Realfoodieclub Graduate10]

Bah humbug, that's what I have to say. Even when I wasn't a runner I was in awe of marathon runners and I still am. You could write this article about so many things in life but it still won't make it right. We are all different and like different things.

[Shivani05 in reply to Realfoodieclub]

Marathoners will probably just laugh and run circles around these arguments. I'm amazed that the writer took the time and effort to justify his opinion...as JoolieB1 said, he wasted time writing it too!

[davelinks Graduate10]

Hello Shivani..Golf! What is that?! Every time I here the word I yawn!😀 Sorry! I can't read it all word for word, I just start yawning again! I'm afraid there are so many internet trolls around, who are hell-bent on voicing their own narrow mindedness!😬

[Shivani05 in reply to davelinks]

Agreed on the internet trolls...but when a publication starts an anti-marathon movement that's some serious level trolling!

[Slowstart Graduate10 in reply to Shivani05]

Sorry, I had the same problem as davelinks , boredom set in before I could finish the article. What a sad little publication this must be to stoop so low, definitely a slow news day!

[ju-ju- Graduate10]

I wonder if he is a sociopath? Sounds like it to me.

[davelinks Graduate10]

Sounds a bit like Narcissism.. I knew a fella with that, seen as self-involved attitudes and behavior where there is little or no empathy for others, he could be at times sound very negative with this, so we eventually fell out!

[poppypug Graduate10]

I think hes just an Herbert trying to stir up some controversy xxx

[Slowstart Graduate10 in reply to poppypug]

Publicity seeking, trying to make a name for himself...............should we suggest some????

[AncientMum Graduate10 in reply to poppypug]

Thought it was only my husband who called people Herberts x

[JoolieB1 Graduate10]

I like Herbert, perfectly defines him (sorry if your name is Herbert) but I would rather spend time writing positive reports, no point in knocking runners of any description, we are hooked on running because in so many ways we know it is doing us good!

[John_W Graduate10]

And this very enjoyable pro-5k article references the anti-marathon Skate posted by Shivani05 .

fivethirtyeight.com/feature...

The links to the Strava workouts look interesting too.

[marco83]

I know I am going to be provocative, but stay with me... I agree with the article: running a marathon is not healthy, puts your body in a very difficult position, probably the stress and the pain have consequences and it is sort of pointless. I also agree it is a random arbitrary distance decided to please the king on UK.

But it is one of the most exciting experience one ca go through! You do train for hours and day to prepare and the day of the marathon you go to hell and return, but when you cross that line, no matter how much pain you feel, you are over the moon! you feel you have achieved something incredible and you can do pretty much anything after that!

The stress of your boring job or not so nice friend goes away and makes you a better person!

I am not saying it is for everybody, my wife would prefer to be killed rather than run a marathon and I respect that! But articles like this do not add anything to what I know and do not take anything away from me trying to get to the next marathon (or whatever I have in my target).

Runners are incredible person who do not really care of what others think of them and so articles like this one or people who ask why we do it can only get one answer: "I do it because I can and I like it :)"

enjoy your running!

[Shivani05 in reply to marco83]

It's actually not a random distance - it's apparently how far the messenger ran from Marathon to Athens to announce victory at the Battle of Marathon!

I agree with you that it puts a lot of stress, pain etc on your body...that's why not everyone does it. But those who do run it do so for a reason, so just because the writer of the article doesn't get it, why knock the experiences of the millions (thousands? am I being too ambitious?) of people who have run marathons and enjoyed them, AND gained positive experiences? Anything you don't enjoy is a waste of time.

Just curious, have you run a marathon? I'm debating a half, but seeing as I can just about manage 5K it'll probably take a while before I can do even half.

[marco83 in reply to Shivani05]

I have run a marathon twice and a few half marathon. build it up, you need about 8-10 weeks to prepare a half, 16 to prepare a full marathon (at least this is what they say

On the reasons, I like this version more too, but unfortunately it isn't.

There are two roads out of the battlefield of Marathon towards Athens, one more mountainous towards the north whose distance is about 34.5 km (21.4 mi), and another flatter but longer towards the south with a distance of 40.8 km (25.4 mi). Also the poor guy died because he ran much more than that, her ran to Sparta and then ran back, a distance of over 240 kilometres (150 mi) each way apparently...

The current distance has been set in the the 1908 London Olympics, when the King of England wanted the course to be laid out from Windsor Castle to White City stadium, about 26 miles. However, to locate the finish line in front of the royal family's viewing box, an extra 385 yards was added inside the stadium. The reason it sticks is that the first one who finished it (apparently an italian guy) spent many days in the hospital and many thought he was dead, making people believe that 25 miles was the human's body limit (we cannot store more than a certain amount of carbohydrates, which we need to run). Of course today we have gels and other stuff so we do not die

But honestly i do not care, and I do not listen to people like the guy in the blog

all the best

enjoy your training

Marco