Bob, thanks for your comments in the other day’s daily on my idea that it might be okay to walk a marathon if injuries prevent running in it. I’m not a daily or even very regular poster but I try to skim the dailies and definitely devour for my own all the rr’s and race preparations you and others are doing (as long as not too much about training). I don’t think you are the kind of runner like some I’ve known over the years who would gladly risk (and sometimes get) serious injury for the sake of an important race or cause. However, if you’re like I used to be, you probably don’t give much consideration to slow running or walking a marathon either. In fact, for me, walking would have been anathema in my early running years and we would rather drop out and DNF (as I did once at mile 23 when my knee seemed to buckle) than be humiliated by having to walk. In those days, I’d have rather had to walk to the South Pole in bare feet than be caught walking in a marathon. . . . . uhmmm. Thus, when my father died and I just had to do the 2006 Yakima River Canyon Marathon for him even though I was midway through recovering from a stretched hamstring, I never once considered walking and did it with 50% shortened strides within the hamstring limitations not to exacerbate it or risk adding more time to full recovery. The resulting SPB (slow personal best) of 7:09:54 was slower than many walkers that day but I could proudly say that, unlike them, I hadn’t walked even a single step. This winter though, after a couple of four mile walks in about an hour, I got to thinking about how a 15m/m pace would almost meet the cutoffs in some ultras I’d like to do so this year so I decided to try to walk all 26.2 miles in last weekend’s Yakima River Canyon Marathon. Starting out like I like in my bare feet for 11 miles at a 14:45m/m pace, I had to switch to thongs thereafter because of sharp, crushed rocks embedded in chip-sealed asphalt. After a couple of miles in thongs and about four hours into the big walk, my pace slipped a little over 15m/m with a couple of 16's but I fast walked the last mile in 13:55 and a 6:52:50 finish time. Along the way I walked with two sisters from Oregon celebrating a 50th birthday, a veteran walker from Texas doing her 25th marathon, an out-of-shape guy walking 26.2 miles for the first time in his life with the bib number of his running brother who had just passed away, and several even slower otherwise faster runners who were staying within the limitations of various injuries (back, hip, and knee respectively), etc. As is typical of barefoot/thong running, the walking didn’t waste my legs as used to be the case in my shodden, heel-striking, marathon days but I did discover for the first time some walking muscles that got real sore on the tops of my arches. At the finish, no one asked why I was so slow but, instead, only about the run, enjoying the scenic course, the weather, etc. Everyone is different so I’m not recommending you walk the Boston Marathon or even run it slowly but just wanted you to know that, based on my experience, it might still be possible to walk or run slowly within any risk of further injury and keep healing/recovering right on schedule so you can get back to runnin’ as you like. However, if you do decide to run slowly or walk instead of staying home, be sure to be able to DNF at the first sign of any pain that might be doing further damage. Amy will be proud of you either way and won't care one iota if you walked only one mile or all 26.2 let alone how fast. Me too. whatever you do though, please don’t go so slowly to break my current boomer marathon SPR of 7:09:54. Since I’m doing a mile walk for amy that day too, you’ll have virtual company for a mile on April 21 whether you’re in Boston or you have to stay at home and can just go around the block. Good luck - jon ps - for lots of crowd support, tape up your knee, carry a cane or walking stick, and write “walking for amy - from Bob!” on your shirt! You gotta have fun, you know.

Mr. Tetsujin, First and foremost, thank you very much for taking the time to write such a thoughtful response. I read it several times over. And while your subject line directs the post to me, I think that everyone here could benefit from your words, perhaps you will think about a different title to draw more people to read it. There is much useful information here, as well as being a great touching story. I will carry your words in my head as I am out on the course in Boston. Thank you again, and thank you for keeping Amy in your thoughts on April 21st. I will try not to break your SPB, since the cutoff time in Boston is 6'45". The prospect of walking in Boston traffic will be a powerful motivator to keep moving! Hi Arf! If it's not fun, what's the point, right? Thanks for the well wishes! Keep up the great work!

Me, too!

trust me, Bob . . . we all read this thread . . . whenever something says "sekrit message" or "private message to . . . " that draws everyone in. . . .

lol - i was thinking the same thing tammy

trust me, Bob . . . we all read this thread . . . whenever something says "sekrit message" or "private message to . . . " that draws everyone in. . . .

I didn't read it. If someone says private, I honor that.

Charming and inspirational as always.

Tammy......

Hey, anything marked "private" is like the mail I open marked "confidential," I read that first! Good stuff, Tet. You're priceless.