I wouldn't do what she did myself, but I've done many stupid things in my life and I thought (at the time) that my reasons for doing them were valid. So I can't really judge her here... But I do not like a race that gives out a medal to someone who could not finish the race within the allotted time. Still,  I would not care enough about it to complain to the race organizers... It's their event, after all.

I have been around these types of boards for almost 6 years now and I still am flummoxed at people who give 2 shits at what other people do on a run or a race. SO.WHAT.

She didn't run/walk under your name, so who the eff cares!?

The majority of the "healthy living bloggers" I've heard of stop mid-race, or even mid-long run, to take pictures and update Twitter. From their blog posts I can tell that they take their training/racing quite seriously.

I'd never run Disney for a serious PR - I'd want to just have fun and take pictures and crap.  I grew up with a dad who REALLY liked Disney, so Disney World = childhood to me.  It just makes me happy.  I would run down Main Street and tear up like a dork.   

I don't care that she stopped for pictures - like someone else said, she was so far off the cutoff pace that pictures didn't do her in.

I do feel bad for her, TBH.  I went back and read a good bit of her blog (work was slow this afternoon), and she did the Higdon Novice Supreme, so 30 weeks before the race she could barely run 3 miles at a time.   Every long run, even the 5 mile ones, were new distance PRs when she did them.  She just set a goal that was WAY over her head, got injured along the way, and then couldn't meet the goal in the end.

Honestly, I know how *exactly* how miserable that training must have been for her.  My first marathon, I had gone couch to a HM in November, run sporadically through the spring, and started Higdon Novice 1 in June.  So, I had previously done at least 13 miles (and knew that, having done a HM In 2:13, that I could finish a marathon within the time limit), and had been running probably 10-15mpw pretty regularly.  NOT that this is a good base for a marathon, but I'd been doing it for a while at least.  With that kind of base, Higdon Novice 1 basically did me in.  Every long run was really tough on my body, I wasn't experienced enough to get out before the heat of the day (which the blogger had trouble with as well), and it was really, really hard.  She did the same thing, except that 12 weeks before starting Higdon Novice 1 (the second half of Novice Supreme = Novice 1), she was basically starting from nothing, whereas I had 5-6 months of running under my belt.

I am not sure, that if I knew that I would probably not finish, that I'd have gone out and put myself through that though.  No amount of pictures with characters and running through parks would make that much pain enjoyable.

 

I'd never run Disney for a serious PR - I'd want to just have fun and take pictures and crap.  I grew up with a dad who REALLY liked Disney, so Disney World = childhood to me.  It just makes me happy.  I would run down Main Street and tear up like a dork.   

 

I don't care that she stopped for pictures - like someone else said, she was so far off the cutoff pace that pictures didn't do her in.

 

I do feel bad for her, TBH.  I went back and read a good bit of her blog (work was slow this afternoon), and she did the Higdon Novice Supreme, so 30 weeks before the race she could barely run 3 miles at a time.   Every long run, even the 5 mile ones, were new distance PRs when she did them.  She just set a goal that was WAY over her head, got injured along the way, and then couldn't meet the goal in the end.

 

Honestly, I know how *exactly* how miserable that training must have been for her.  My first marathon, I had gone couch to a HM in November, run sporadically through the spring, and started Higdon Novice 1 in June.  So, I had previously done at least 13 miles (and knew that, having done a HM In 2:13, that I could finish a marathon within the time limit), and had been running probably 10-15mpw pretty regularly.  NOT that this is a good base for a marathon, but I'd been doing it for a while at least.  With that kind of base, Higdon Novice 1 basically did me in.  Every long run was really tough on my body, I wasn't experienced enough to get out before the heat of the day (which the blogger had trouble with as well), and it was really, really hard.  She did the same thing, except that 12 weeks before starting Higdon Novice 1 (the second half of Novice Supreme = Novice 1), she was basically starting from nothing, whereas I had 5-6 months of running under my belt.

 

I am not sure, that if I knew that I would probably not finish, that I'd have gone out and put myself through that though.  No amount of pictures with characters and running through parks would make that much pain enjoyable.

In their case, it isn't just Disney, it's all the races ever. It actually makes more sense to stop at take pictures at a race like Disney compared to a normal marathon, if you were going to do that.

I was a volunteer at Boston last year, and couldn't understand why so many runners asked me to take their pictures in front of a mile marker. (I couldn't) I guess I understand that logic more now after having posted on RWOL about the tourists on the course. In prior years other than a woman asking me to kiss her in Wellesley that hadn't happened before.

I was a volunteer at Boston last year, and couldn't understand why so many runners asked me to take their pictures in front of a mile marker. (I couldn't) I guess I understand that logic more now after having posted on RWOL about the tourists on the course. In prior years other than a woman asking me to kiss her in Wellesley that hadn't happened before.

Two things:

1. 2012 was lava boston.  Most of us blew off the PR attempts early on and either ran for survival or entertainment value. This amped up the "do entertaining things" stuff for some.  Then again, most people were zombies after M10.

2. Behind the seeded corrals are the folks who showed up with no BQ via the charity and running club slot route.  And behind them were the bandits, which Boston tolerates well.  These folks have a different approach to running.

Anyway, people run for allllll sorts of reasons.  Running is a personal thing.  I feel badly when someone is undertrained and gets hurt because they don't know any better.  I feel less badly when someone knowing does something risky and hurts themselves... which, well, come on.  Every single one of us has done this at one time or another.  Lots of times, perhaps.  But anyway.

It's just running.

Quite the ham aren't you SRL? Love it!! Keep em coming.

Me and some grave diggers.

 

 

From the Haunted Mansion?  I honestly don't know WHAT these guys were from.  But they were very very into their characters.  They spoke in grim tones and encouraged me to lay down while they did their work.

 

True true.

 

When a person-not-from here does something like this, 90% of the posts about it are "what an idiot".  10% are "eh, whatever".  When a person-from-the-forum does something like this, 75% of the posts are all "haha, what fun!" and "there, there... you'll get em next time".  22% of the posts are "respect the distance".  1.5% are "what an idiot".  1% are "hey haters, don't you see the fun in this?" which may or may not devolve into an internet fight. 0.5% are unknown substance.

 

Those numbers were scientifically derived.

 

(the internet explained)

Agreed.  I have no idea how many times I saw someone write a first marathon report that involved doing the stumbling walk of shame for the last 5 miles and the vast majority of responses were along the lines of WAY TO GO YOU MARATHONER YOU!!!!!  YOU ROCK!!!!!  (All caps and multiple exclamation points are required).