"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure." - Mark Twain
Amen brother Twain. Time to work on the confidence...
I feel like I have commented on this issue before, but apparently it continues to raise its ugly head.
My oldest sis, is signed up to do the Fargo marathon. This is an awesome thing, and she is going to have an amazing race. However some "friends" (a loose term) of hers made the bold statement that "anyone who doesn't run every step of the race, isn't really running it, and isn't a runner." (Quotes here indicate my second hand interpretive paraphrase.) Well, excuse me for going all obnoxiously medieval on your backsides, but I find that a whole big load of bunk.
I know the argument regularly flares up and spews out in running circles, about the "slow" runners "polluting" the marathon and such things.
e.g. The usual mish mash:
Overall review of both sides
In support of slow pokes
Anti-Slow Marathoners
But to suggest that anyone who doesn't run every step isn't a runner? IMHO these comments are absolutely ignorant. Now I'm not so ignorant to suggest that every elite marathoner uses the Jeff Galloway Walk/Run method (something another person tried to convince me of) but to me if you gotta walk, walk. And I clearly understand the differences between a dooood like me finishing a marathon in 5 hours + and a Boston Qualifier, but for people (who, btw HAVE NEVER RUN A STINKIN' MARATHON) to tear someone down who is trying to do something amazing? If being a runner means I have to be a snob, run under 2:50 marathon times, and/or having all my running clothes be complementary colors, then I clearly am not a runner (red, green, bright yellow, and orange ftw!). My suggestion to these "friends"? Kindly, shut yer yapper. kthxbai
p.s. Apparently these people aren't runners either, cus they walked a bunch and stuff...
Derek Redmond, British record holder and World Champion (pulled a hamstring in an Olympic race, still finished)
Paula Radcliffe, Women's Marathon World Record Holder (she had to walk to the side of the road to...take a pit stop...) (if you want that video you can youtube it yourself...)
Amen brother Twain. Time to work on the confidence...
I feel like I have commented on this issue before, but apparently it continues to raise its ugly head.
My oldest sis, is signed up to do the Fargo marathon. This is an awesome thing, and she is going to have an amazing race. However some "friends" (a loose term) of hers made the bold statement that "anyone who doesn't run every step of the race, isn't really running it, and isn't a runner." (Quotes here indicate my second hand interpretive paraphrase.) Well, excuse me for going all obnoxiously medieval on your backsides, but I find that a whole big load of bunk.
I know the argument regularly flares up and spews out in running circles, about the "slow" runners "polluting" the marathon and such things.
e.g. The usual mish mash:
Overall review of both sides
In support of slow pokes
Anti-Slow Marathoners
But to suggest that anyone who doesn't run every step isn't a runner? IMHO these comments are absolutely ignorant. Now I'm not so ignorant to suggest that every elite marathoner uses the Jeff Galloway Walk/Run method (something another person tried to convince me of) but to me if you gotta walk, walk. And I clearly understand the differences between a dooood like me finishing a marathon in 5 hours + and a Boston Qualifier, but for people (who, btw HAVE NEVER RUN A STINKIN' MARATHON) to tear someone down who is trying to do something amazing? If being a runner means I have to be a snob, run under 2:50 marathon times, and/or having all my running clothes be complementary colors, then I clearly am not a runner (red, green, bright yellow, and orange ftw!). My suggestion to these "friends"? Kindly, shut yer yapper. kthxbai
p.s. Apparently these people aren't runners either, cus they walked a bunch and stuff...
Derek Redmond, British record holder and World Champion (pulled a hamstring in an Olympic race, still finished)
Paula Radcliffe, Women's Marathon World Record Holder (she had to walk to the side of the road to...take a pit stop...) (if you want that video you can youtube it yourself...)
Comments
BTW, you scared me with the title of your post!!! You running WS #3 this week in the snow?
Whatever.
Goes back to my fave George Sheehan quote: "When runners do their best, they are all equal. But the paradox is that those far back in the pack exceed the designated winners in the time they must endure the forces that would make them quit."
Annoying.
Steve
Forgot to get your permission to post our mugs on the blog - let me know if you are OK with having your identity revealed!! :)
Nice meeting you too!
Steve