I will never understand the psychology of signing up for a marathon when you can barely stumble across the line a nudge ahead of the SAG Wagon.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
Former Bad Ass
I ran my first marathon last year and am signed up for it again in March. Partly because I wanted to say "I did a marathon" but partly because I have been roped into it by a dear friend who organizes a charity team. I'm not looking forward to March 15. I really wish I had waited and achieved more success at the half-marathon distance before attempting marathons. Like DR, I don't mind running a long time; 2-3 hours seems to go by really fast when I run! But 5-6 hours - not so much. My half-marathon PR was 2:25 when I ran the marathon last year, and it still took me 5:52 to finish the marathon. So I would be really hesitant to sign up for a marathon which has a 5:30 limit.
I ran my first marathon last year and am signed up for it again in March. Partly because I wanted to say "I did a marathon" but partly because I have been roped into it by a dear friend who organizes a charity team. I'm not looking forward to March 15. I really wish I had waited and achieved more success at the half-marathon distance before attempting marathons.
Like DR, I don't mind running a long time; 2-3 hours seems to go by really fast when I run! But 5-6 hours - not so much. My half-marathon PR was 2:25 when I ran the marathon last year, and it still took me 5:52 to finish the marathon. So I would be really hesitant to sign up for a marathon which has a 5:30 limit.
Oh, just for clarification, I love running 5-6 hours.
Damaris
No more marathons
I wonder if Meb questions the wisdom of those that can barely stumble across the finish line just under 3 hours. Nah, probably not, he has more class than that.
Boston 2014 - a 33 year journey
Lordy, I hope there are tapes.
He's a leaker!
When does the madness end and you stop going longer distances? Let's hear it!
I'm not familair with your profile so there's nothing for me to consider to provide insight on your personal journey but I can answer your last question.
First, while I no longer participate at the marathon distance I do not conider it madness when you've prepared yourself properly. I would call it madness to challenge that displine when you're not ready. Your choice.
I began my marathon career at an early stage in my life as a runner, actually my 2nd life as I ran in high school for two years then quit [for life I beleived] in college. Then my city held it's inaugural marathon in 1980 which reminded me of watching the '72 Olympics as a child. I said "I'm going to run that next year". So I began running in the Spring, ran my 1st race since 1974 in June and couple more during the summer. Then I realized the marathon was only three weeks away and I haven't trained [specifically] a lick. No mileage bump, no long runs, no pace runs. Brilliant. Most people would shoot for '82. But I said let's go for a really slow jog and see how far we can comfortably run. That turned out to be 17 miles and I mailed my entry form along with my $20 the next day. I don't recall what the remainder of my training was but I did no more long runs. Because I treated that race as a long, slow jog that was the easiest and 2nd most enjoyable marathon I ever ran.
For the next three years the marathon was my focus and I set my PB two years later. Then I ended up running [for me] a bad marathon in '84 and the following year I lost my desire to train competitively. I quit running for three years. I gradually began jogging again, racing shorter distances. Then I read somewhere the B.A.A. had lower the qualifying standards to enter the Boston marathon, something I knew was beyond my reach with the previous standard [2:50]. So I began training in '91, eventually qualified in '93, again in '94 and '95, and ran Boston twice.
Training for Boston in '96 I tore my post-tib tendon but it wasn't discovered for another two months, after many long runs. So I decided to go ahead and run in the 100th running since it was only 4 miles longer than my training runs. The injury kept me on the sidelines for many years, though I did run a couple of 4-5 hour marathons that only made me realize how much I lost. I stopped running completely for three years to allow my injury to fully heal. After my 5:04 marathon I said if I'm able I want to re-qualify and run Boston when I turned 50 in '07. Eventually the injury did heal and I begain my 3rd life as a marathon runner. That gave me 5 years to slowly ease back into training and regain my fitness. I qualified and ran Boston, as promised, in '07.
After Boston my training / mileage ramped up and I had a string of successful and unsuccessful marathon attempts. My last two marathons were in '09 and '10 which qualified me for Boston again. The '09 race is my grand master PB [55 YO] 3:28:17 which is 7 minutes faster than my debut @ 24. Ramping up mileage I aggravated my achilles and developed plantar fasciitis. That made marathon training tough and compromised my last marathon. Even though I ran 1 minute slower than my master PB in '10 and re-qualified I knew I had a better race in me. I felt cheated. So I turned my focus to the half marathon since my ongoing injuries only began to affect my performance beyond the 13 mile distance.
For the next three years I trained for two halfs, one in the spring, another in the fall and set master PB times consistently. For the last two years I've been struggling with heath issues that only now am I better understanding.
If it wasn't for the injury in '96 I could see myself still racing at the marathon distance since I set my 2nd fastest time a year earlier - 7 minutes short of my PB. That would have bugged me and caused me to training even harder. But fate took a turn on a bitter cold training run in January. I felt at an early age I had the right stuff for the marathon but into my mid-50's nagging injuries kept me from competing at the same level. And since I found success at shorter distances it was an easy decision to walk away, after 20 races, from that disipline. I began to embrace speedwork more than I ever did as a youth and found those long steady distance runs boring as hell.
I've run my last marathon race.
Youth Has No Age. ~ Picasso / 1st road race: Charleston Distance Run 15 Miler - 1974 / profile
Point taken. But a [barely] sub-three marathon by a middle-aged man is not a stumble. I'm sure there are elites 20 years removed from their prime that would be thankful of such an effort.
With a month and a half to go I'm ready to say screw this, I wish I had never signed up for it. My goal I guess is to not die and finish before the sun goes down. I'd be happy with a 5:30 but at this point I may not even make 6.
Unless there's something else behind the scenes going on it's not uncommon to feel that way in the last stages of training. In my 20's I wish I had more time to train, because I didn't really put in the work. In my 30's I prepared longer but mentally it began to take a toll on me and physically I felt I peaked a month too soon. Or maybe I just didn't fine tune my training correctly the last 6 weeks.
Eventually I realized in my 50's I no longer benefited from the traditional long build up. Instead I divided my schedule by running my highest mileage during the winter, building a huge base, and worked on my speed in the spring / summer. Then trimmed my marathon schedule to 8-11 weeks built around long runs and extending the volume of my race pace runs. As you can see it took me a long time to learn how to train properly and what system worked best for me.
Really, what is the point of running a marathon?
Why an otherwise sane person would subject themselves to the rigors of training for and running 26.2 miles is one of the great mysteries of the free world!
For some, the lure of the marathon is as strong as the gravitational pull, as once their minds lock onto the idea it becomes a fixation, similar to that of a moth to a flame. And like the moth who wants nothing more than to fly towards that light, there is no place on earth we would rather be than in that starting corral race-day morning (been around anyone that had to take a DNS? Yeah, it ain't pretty!).
So, what is the point of running a marathon? The answer to that is as varied as the millions of people who run them. I viewed it as the ultimate challenge to the distances I run (the mile, 5k, 10k, & half marathon), one that I originally pondered during the last mile of my second half marathon. And like many before me once the seed was planted it took on a life of its own.
The only advice I can offer is to not worry about appeasing others who would question your sanity, ability or reasons for doing it because in the grand scheme of things none of that matters. No, what matters most is that you want to do it (if you do), so the task at hand is to get yourself in the best possible shape and condition for where you are now to have a fair shot at completing what is a very challenging event regardless of the time you intend to run it in.
That might be longer for some than others but it's all relative so do not get caught up on what other people are doing or can do, just focus on what you can do.
Do this and upon its completion you may feel the greatest sense of accomplishment ever, or, you may not. The only way to truly know if you should do it or not is to actually do it. Then the answer to your question might be similar to most of ours; that it's completely fuckin pointless to run a marathon, but we do it anyway.
I would never question the ability of a sub 3 marathoner - but neither will I question the desire of someone who "just wants to do it".
The attitude of "if you can't train like me, get fit like me, race like me, then why do you even bother" just rubs me the wrong way. If you carry that to it's extreme, since few on these forums are going to train like Meb, then why do we bother?
I don't believe I've ever seen a 4 hour marathoner criticize someone who is hoping to finish in 5 hours.
Does that mean I think people should go out and attempt a marathon (or a half, or a 10K) without proper (adequate?) training? No, but neither will I diminish their desires or efforts with a statement like "stumble across the finish line a nudge ahead of the sag wagon".
Why an otherwise sane person would subject themselves to the rigors of training for and running 26.2 miles is one of the great mysteries of the free world! For some, the lure of the marathon is as strong as the gravitational pull, as once their minds lock onto the idea it becomes a fixation, similar to that of a moth to a flame. And like the moth who wants nothing more than to fly towards that light, there is no place on earth we would rather be than in that starting corral race-day morning (been around anyone that had to take a DNS? Yeah, it ain't pretty!). So, what is the point of running a marathon? The answer to that is as varied as the millions of people who run them. I viewed it as the ultimate challenge to the distances I run (the mile, 5k, 10k, & half marathon), one that I originally pondered during the last mile of my second half marathon. And like many before me once the seed was planted it took on a life of its own. The only advice I can offer is to not worry about appeasing others who would question your sanity, ability or reasons for doing it because in the grand scheme of things none of that matters. No, what matters most is that you want to do it (if you do), so the task at hand is to get yourself in the best possible shape and condition for where you are now to have a fair shot at completing what is a very challenging event regardless of the time you intend to run it in. That might be longer for some than others but it's all relative so do not get caught up on what other people are doing or can do, just focus on what you can do. Do this and upon its completion you may feel the greatest sense of accomplishment ever, or, you may not. The only way to truly know if you should do it or not is to actually do it. Then the answer to your question might be similar to most of ours; that it's completely fuckin pointless to run a marathon, but we do it anyway.
Well said.
I would never question the ability of a sub 3 marathoner - but neither will I question the desire of someone who "just wants to do it". The attitude of "if you can't train like me, get fit like me, race like me, then why do you even bother" just rubs me the wrong way. If you carry that to it's extreme, since few on these forums are going to train like Meb, then why do we bother? I don't believe I've ever seen a 4 hour marathoner criticize someone who is hoping to finish in 5 hours. Does that mean I think people should go out and attempt a marathon (or a half, or a 10K) without proper (adequate?) training? No, but neither will I diminish their desires or efforts with a statement like "stumble across the finish line a nudge ahead of the sag wagon".
race obsessed
The reasons are our own.
In my case, first was to do it in a respectable time. Second beat other people.
Oh and PAD, like Moth mentioned, totally normal. Keep your nose to the grindstone and before you know it, you'll be at the finish line.
Does the race allow you to downgrade or upgrade once you are registered? So you could register for the full. If training goes well and you feel confident in finishing under the time, you go for it. If training seems to point towards not meeting the time requirement, you could drop down to the half.
on my way to badass
Still waiting for the perfect race picture. 5K PR-33:52 , 10K PR 1:11:16, First HM 2:42:28
KillJoyFuckStick
Marathons are over-rated. Seriously, over-rated. There is nothing magical or special about the distance. But, if you desire to do it then you sure don't need internet peoples to sway your decision. My only suggestion is to think how you felt after your last half marathon; now imagine that you're only half way done.
You people have issues
If I felt, at the half way point of a marathon, the way I do after racing a half marathon, there's no way I'd be able to finish.
OP, I would choose a marathon with a more generous cutoff if you are planning to be close to the 5:30 point because a lot can go wrong in a marathon and you may end up needing more time than you think.