New runner, training for 1/2 Marathon (Read 2088 times)

To the non-runner, the marathon has an allure that other races just do not. And because the half marathon has the word "marathon" in it, it works almost as well at cocktail parties.

How about a deci-marathon?

(if I may be so bold as to interpret Amores' subtle intonation)

When you take my nearly content-free wise-ass comment, and "interpret" out something intelligent, I'm not sure that's really interpretation; I'm not sure what it is. Maybe interpreting in the sense that people "interpret" the people speaking in tongues, into something that actually makes sense.

Therein lies the kernel, nay, the nuclear bomb, of ire, of rankled debate, of deceased equines.

Of that phrasing, I can only say, wow.

I hate whenever this subject comes up. It always seems that there is resentment toward these "non-runners" who run long distance races just to finish. I'm slow. I'm young but i have knees that quit on me whenever I try for speed. Even without that I am sure I'd be slow. I do not have anything near a runner's body. I'm a member of my county running club but don't do any of their road races because I'm afraid I would be dead last. I just signed up for a 10-miler because when I was 15 and at my most self-loathing, I never would have believed I could finish a 10 mile race (I'm still not sure, but I am hopeful). Finishing a 10 mile race means more to me than knocking down my 5K time by a few minutes. I will never be fast, I will never place in my age group, I'm not even sure yet whether my body will let me be a "real runner," but if I do manage to run this and the half marathon I have on my calendar, it will be something I can always look to when I need a dose of confidence. This analogy may be weak, but: my college thesis plays the same role. Whenever I feel that I'm not smart enough or dedicated enough for something, I think back to the hours and hours I put into my thesis, the whole exhausting process, and how I ended up doing a pretty great job on it. I obviously put more time, work and tears into completing the entirety of my coursework for my degree, but my thesis is the accomplishment I can draw strength from. Completing a 10 miler or a half marathon would be like that, for me.

I'd say something very similiar. I wasn't just a non-runner when I started running, I was an anti-runner. I'd never done anything the least bit athletic. I started with a local women's 4 mile race that is the first race for a large number of women in my community. It's run labor day weekend. That race dovetails into a training program for a local 10 mile race that's run in the Spring, so i just transitioned into training for that race, as many do around here. When I ran that 10 mile race, i was pretty sure I'd done something extraordinary! 10 whole miles! Practically a superhuman feat! It really never occurred to me to try to run much faster for years. I figured if I could maintain a 10 minute mile, I was doing pretty well. Now I do regular speedwork (well, I haven't been lately, but I usually do for those who look at the log) and have gotten faster relative to where I was., but am still solidly in the mid-pack. What I most want is structure and a goal, and to run as much as my body will let me. I don't much enjoy running 5Ks, and just do a few (like on New Year's Day and a run for our local women's shelter). I do really enjoy half-marathons, even though I'll never be all that fast (my last was in 1:55). I liked training for and running a marathon, even though it wasn't as fun as the half. It's an achievable goal, but hard and I enjoy the effort. I recognize how hard it is to run a 5K fast, but that sort of work doesn't sound fun to me. I approached the academic work parallel from the other side. When I'd despair over my dissertation, I'd think "this is like a long run. some parts hurt, sometimes you think you'll never finish, but somehow you always do and feel good after." It doesn't work as well these days, as my long runs are never quite as painful now as they used to be ...

I hate whenever this subject comes up. It always seems that there is resentment toward these "non-runners" who run long distance races just to finish..

Not at all. However, for people who have been running a long time, the Just Finish boom is a curiosity. It's a major shift from the days when most people started out with shorter races for years and then moved on to longer races. I (or anyone I know) certainly don't "resent" any runners.

I see it more as frustration than resentment. Many non-runners come here wanting to run a marathon. Most of their logs show little in the way of a mileage base. Anyway, they are told they should be patient and wait until they have built a sufficient mileage base which is what they don't want to hear. So they end up ignoring the advice and do what they want anyway. I'm not saying that every non-runner acts this way but it is certainly a common enough occurrence.

Perhaps impatience, and perhaps the complexity of the new sport is either unknown or unwanted. Speaking personally, friends who like to 'just finish' the event marathons have time for three hour runs on Sunday and other long runs during the week, but can't find time for a few minutes of stretching, form drills or strength work. "Real running" to them is slogging through miles.

Perhaps impatience

Yeah, that's the part I don't get. What's the hurry? Most of the beginners that come in here are young. They have time. I didn't run my first marathon until I was 44. Go over to the Masters Group and you'll find plenty of people that run multiple marathons a year. No one is told that they shouldn't run a marathon. They are simply told to be patient and properly train for it. Even if you are just looking to finish you should still properly train for it. Why torture yourself? Believe me, it will hurt enough even if you are trained. Maybe it's because we now live in a world where people want instant gratification.

Would form drills, pilates or working on your core be considered "real running"? Or is that only accomplished head down, pounding the pavement. My 14-year old son is already a sub-five minute miler. Should we tell him to forget about the medicine ball and resistance bands and go slog some more miles.

Maybe. I was faster at 14, no medicine ball. (Hard to figure out which emoticon to use.)

pilates is not running.

Is stretching?