- Top Features:
- War Room
- Glenn Greenwald
- Broadsheet
- Joan Walsh
- Camille Paglia
- Since You Asked
- Follow Salon:
Read other letters about this article
Well, sort of. I've never run a marathon and probably never will - I just don't think my body was built to handle it. At least not without paying more than I could afford for a physical therapist during the entire training period, because my hips and lower back can be exceedingly petulant. I did, however, train for and run a half marathon. And when I say "run", I really mean jog, because that's really what you're doing if you average a 10:25 minute mile. So I jogged a half marathon, and probably in your opinion, had no business doing so. And so I'm half defensive about your article, and the other half thinks you're probably right.
When I decided to run the half marathon, I was already running (ok, jogging) about 15-17 miles a week on a regular basis, and had been for over a year. I signed up because it was something to look forward to, a goal to set, a way to bond with friend, who also signed up and wanted to train with me, and because it felt significant. I have never been particularly athletic. I had spent the previous year getting into shape and I felt better than I ever had. I thought it would be fun. And it WAS fun. I finished near the back of the pack, sure. My aforementioned bad knees and back hurt for a few days afterwards. I didn't particularly impress anyone - 2 hours and 20 minutes is probably enough time for most "real" runners to run the course twice. But I really enjoyed the experience. The weather and scenery were beautiful, my friend and I finished together and we were exhillarated all day. It was really, truly fun. I'd like to do it again next year, and beat my own personal time.
On the other hand, I guess I sort of see what you mean. If you open the door to all comers, it dilutes the achievement. Maybe if I tried, I could drag my protesting carcass across the finish line of a full marathon in five hours or so, but I what would I be proving? That I have a high pain threshold? That I feel superior to other people of my (average) fitness level who did not decide to spend five hours running 26 miles? Because the truth is, you can jog forever if you go slow enough and build up your distance over enough time. you don't need to be a great athlete to run a 2:20 half or a 5 hour full - you just need to have put the time in before hand. It's pretty amazing, at the actual race, my friend and I chatted the whole way. We had gotten to a point where we could maintain ten and a half minute miles at a converstational pace. Try to kick it up to 10 minute miles, though, and we both would have been cooked 5 miles in. your body is funny that way - and we're not elite athletes.
I guess what I'm saying is that I see your point. If you're not racing a race, why are you IN the race? My friend and I could have done our jogging by ourselves, and stretched the distance to 13.2, 17 or any number of miles we felt like. But we wouldn't have - without the race atmosphere, it just woudn't have been any fun.
So I guess that's my best defense. If you're doing it because it's fun, even if you're slow, then I think you should be allowed to do it. If you're doing it because you have something to prove, then yeah, I guess you shouldn't be wasting race bibs.
