Forums >General Running>WWYD if this were your friend?
I was your friend 20 years ago. In 1999 I ran the big sur marathon completely under-trained and unprepared. I went out way too fast and did a lot of walking and promising myself never to run another marathon again over the last 6 miles. But I finished.
A year later, having barely run a step since that marathon, I woke up on a Saturday morning in April of 2000 and looked down at the bib number from big sur that was functioning as a coaster on my nightstand. I decided right then that I was going to qualify for and run the next Boston Marathon. And then I did. And then I kept running.
Runners run
Misinformation Officer
Heck yeah!
Runs like a dj mixing songs while wearing festive outfits.5k PR 5/31/21 24:21
HM PR 2/2023 2:13:18
Don't say anything. It's possible the downhill half on little training this weekend will completely wreck her plans for the full the next.
If she really does have superb natural talent then the modest goal of five hours may be perfectly doable with the slight amount of training, not to mention the questionable downhill half followed by an inadequate recovery time. If not, I'm sure all of us who run races have learned the hard way to set realistic goals and train for them. Give advice, but let her do her own thing. Failure may be the best coach.
Slow and steady win the race
You can't fake running. Let her grind it out, she will learn like we all have. And if she does run well, good for her!