My only full was faster than easy pace, 15-45 seconds depending on what month it was. That said, my easy pace is slower than what any calculator says it should be.
So when I give advice to beginners, and tell them that they should at least be able to run the marathon distance at easy pace, I'm not being too drastic? Too "elitist" in my advice?
There are plenty of people happy to finish at any pace, even if it involves a lot of walking. Actually in the NYCM Facebook group one person's advice was to walk the first mile. Lol
I wouldn't give advice unless they ask you for it.
There are plenty of people happy to finish at any pace, even if it involves a lot of walking. Actually in the NYCM Facebook group one person's advice was to walk the first mile. Lol I wouldn't give advice unless they ask you for it.
I don't give advice to people who don't ask. I talk behind their backs
approve.
Running a marathon at easy pace seems easy enough, but may be a tall order for a beginner or someone running limited mileage. I actually try to discourage people from running a marathon. lol
But why? Almost no one regrets it. No matter how miserable
About your RP. I try to stay away from unreliable people. To me, being on time and being true to your word is important. So when I give advice to beginners, and tell them that they should at least be able to run the marathon distance at easy pace, I'm not being too drastic? Too "elitist" in my advice?
About your RP. I try to stay away from unreliable people. To me, being on time and being true to your word is important.
Hey, that RP was a running expert to me. I didn't really know people who ran, and I had not really read much. I started perusing the RWOL forums shortly before my race, which started to give me an inkling that I had no earthly clue WTF I was doing. But I still thought I'd be fine. It was only during the torturous late miles of my marathon that I recalled some of the things I read & swore to myself I would train better next time. No idea why I didn't just say I would never do this fucking thing again.
And the correct advice to give beginners is to turn back before it's too late.
Seriously (if asked) I would tell people to run consistently for 1-2 years with mileage at least in the 30s on 4-5 days/wk, and run a few HMs, before trying a marathon.
Dave
Former Bad Ass
This. For some that’s their only marathon and they feel they achieved something. For others it’s the start of an obsession.
Damaris
Strange but true. You had a smart first marathon, I had a dumb one, but we both sort of evolved similarly after that. I think I would have rather had a smart first one, but really it turns out not to matter.
origin stories
Ha, I love this.
Fun factoid for Marvel fans. Stan Lee created the X-Men because he got sick of coming up with ideas for origin stories, so decided to just create characters who were born with their powers.
My first response is always, OH HELL NO. I then go on to talk about how awful the training was and how stupid the whole idea is, but then finish with how fulfilling it can be and how great the sense of accomplishment is. So I guess it's just my thing with mocking it and not being too serious. And besides, most anyone a n00b asks is going to tell them how wonderful it is, while I like to talk about what's real.
Ha, I love this. Fun factoid for Marvel fans. Stan Lee created the X-Men because he got sick of coming up with ideas for origin stories, so decided to just create characters who were born with their powers.
Thanks. I did not know that DavePWikipedia.
To this day I am unable to give a straightforward, credible answer when asked by non-runners why I run as much as I do.
One of the things I miss RW's forums for is the common sense approach to running. I miss the 'tough love' that was prevalent. Lately I keep running into people online who think that if they run 15 mpw they are ready to start training for a marathon. They finished C25k, so now it's time for a marathon. They are the same ones who run 8 as their longest run pre-HM, so they figure that 14 should be enough for a marathon. A lot of people have no idea how much time and effort it takes to train well for a marathon, so when they do, they skip half their runs and get on the forums to say, "I haven't run in the past month, because I wasn't in the mood, so now I'm only up to 14 miles and my marathon is in 3 weeks." They are told, over and over, "You'll be fine. Go for it." Of course, then there's the other extreme, the folks on Letsrun who say that unless you are running 100 miles a week you have no business doing a marathon.
I think with any race it comes down to your expectations. A reasonably healthy person can probably complete a full on a long run of 14 miles. There will likely be a lot of cursing and walking. The only time I would discourage someone is if their half time (or any race) projected out to slower than the cut off time. If they think they can run/walk/stagger to the finish on low mileage, have at it. Plus, I like having a lot of races to chose from--only way that is possible is to be fairly inclusive of a wide range of participants.
I found the advice on RW rather 1 dimensional. If someone achieved good results on an unconventional plan (ie. 3 or 4 days per week), it was always met with "but you would do so much better if you ran more". Those folks (who were on there) tended not to offer training advice. According to the common advice on there, I have no business doing even a half because I don't run 40 hours per week. There were also very few posters on there who really understood the challenge of being a slower runner and balancing improving with not over training.