Forums >General Running>Going (Half) the Distance
"You can't have everything. Where would you put it?" - Steven Wright
sometimes i think we reach for the next distance up when trying for our next achievement simply because its easier than trying to go faster.
Runners run
i have a variety of finishers medals from all sorts of distances. but then i'm a firm believer that pretty much anyone can run a marathon if they put their mind to it. actually though i don't like this whole "longer is better" or "longer is harder" thing. is it harder to run a marathon than to run a half marathon well? i know for sure i'd find it easier to run a 4.40 marathon than a 1.40 half. or for that matter a 22 min 5k. sometimes i think we reach for the next distance up when trying for our next achievement simply because its easier than trying to go faster.
Well said. At some point going faster becomes much, much harder than going longer.
Michelle
Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson
Why is it sideways?
If your JUST looking to go longer true. BUT if your looking go LONGER FASTER well that's another story.
It all depends on your goals. I spent 6 years chasing sub 15 in the 5k. That's 6 years of progressive, cyclical training and approximately 70 all-out attempts at the distance. In comparison to that effort, my recent marathon training has been recreational. If you are looking to run to your potential in either event, the quality and quantity of work is going to be comparable. Sure, in marathon training, you spend more time running. But in 5k training, you've got to lift, do drills, and deal with more intensity--the quantity of training is still there (as much as your body can handle without breaking down), but it is distributed over different types of work. Frankly, for me, marathon training is psychologically easier because I get to spend more time doing what I love--just rolling down the road. But maybe that's because I've never seriously trained for the marathon, and whatever moderate success I've had is based in large part on the effort I put in chasing my 5k goals.
I dunno, Pam. I just posted the following on another message board, and I think it speaks to the question at hand. Since my name came up earlier, and at the risk of sounding like an elitist jerk, I'll state my opinion. What's essential about the difficulty of the race and race preparation is the intentions behind the race, not the distance of the race.
What's essential about the difficulty of the race and race preparation is the intentions behind the race, not the distance of the race.
Now that I re-read your post, I'm not sure why I said I was disagreeing. Ah well. Such is the message board world. Maybe someone out there in virtual land disagrees. Maybe not. I think you need to work more on your abs.
As for bettering my abs, marathon training is taking my focus right now. I'll get back to the abs and rest of my body AFTER I've done Philadelphia!
i agree pam - if you are looking to go longer and faster at the same time then that would be harder than just trying to go faster (obviously!) but how many people ever do that? your upcoming marathon isn't longer and faster - its just faster - you've already done a marathon. .
Pam. I was joking.