- Top Features:
- War Room
- Glenn Greenwald
- Broadsheet
- Joan Walsh
- Camille Paglia
- Since You Asked
- Follow Salon:
Read other letters about this article
One respondent called you a pot-stirrer, and that's about the only purpose I could fathom for your article. It was appalling enough that it's goaded me to put in my own two cents.
My background--I'm a long time runner at various distances, including three marathons, and various half-marathons, 12k's, 10k's, 5ks, and high-school cross-country meets. Like you, I feel more suited for shorter distances, partly because I tend to have a fast pace and I like running that way, and partly because it's hard for me to find the discipline to hold back my pace for longer than about 10 miles.
I respect anyone who takes on the challenge of training for and completing a marathon. Maybe you want to "kick ass" but each runner has his own goals and reasons, and brings his own gifts to the table. This is something I experienced first hand while training with a group called USA Fit, which is like Team in Training except minus the onerous fund raising. I was one of the fastest runners there but I was there more for the company and moral support (without which I wouldn't have been able to finish) than the competition. Part of what I learned was not running fast, but slowing down and being patient so I could endure the miles and months of training. I stuck with the group for several years because of the friends I made, even after it was becoming plain that the marathon was not my favorite race.
I think the experience of training for a marathon is something that should be available to all who want to challenge themselves, not just those that meet whatever your arbitrary standard is...I guess it's somewhat faster than your own 4:16 or Oprah's 4:29. Most of my friends in USA Fit were slower, but I couldn't imagine thinking they shouldn't be out there, as long as they were having fun and not hurting themselves. Even if you attain your goal of 3:30, you'll certainly be faster than the majority of the field, but there are going to be plenty of runners kicking your ass, because they've been training more or are more gifted physically. Maybe if you can't qualify for Boston you should just hang it up and not try. Or maybe you could imagine that the other runners, faster and slower, all have their reasons for being there.
I was irked at first by the attitude shown by your article, but now I wonder if you are judging others because you need to prove yourself after your first marathon which you were less than happy about. In any I case, I've been in your shoes so I wish you good luck.
