Site Presented By
Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
But a plagiarizer. Thanks to the earlier post with the Slate link.
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.
Oprah may be the most recent, and most famous, amateur marathoner, but she's certainly not the first. After reading this article, I had a vague memory of a TV movie that I watched as a kid, about a housewife who finds empowerment by running a marathon. I looked it up - it was called See How She Runs and came out in 1978. I don't think you can blame Oprah for that. It may be more trendy now, but running the marathon "just to finish" has been around for a few decades.
Troll much? Search and replace on any human endeavor practiced by a few elites and a host of enthusiastic but untalented amateurs (golf, music, acting, beer making, blogging, etc.). In none of those cases does it follow that the elites aren't good anymore because there are too many amateurs around. In fact, just the opposite is true. Participation in amateur athletics/music/whatever increases interest in general and builds the pool from which the elites can eventually be found and nurtured. Plus, it's good for business. The running bums I know, who do still work at shoe stores, are the most friendly and welcoming semi-pros I've ever met (just try to join a poker club sometime--those guys are pricks). The running bums are genuinely enthusiastic when I mention that I finally ran below an 8-minute mile for the first time ("Hey, dude, that's awesome!"). And then they hand me a flyer for the 10K they're running this weekend.
I admire anyone who completes a marathon, however slowly. I used to be a fairly good recreational runner. Yes I could scrape under 12 minutes for 2 miles, 20 minutes for 5K and 90 minutes for the half marathon, but I never, ever ran a marathon. Just too much hard work and too much pain for me. At least Oprah got off her fat butt, in spite of her numerous other committments and put in the time, effort, and mileage to get herself in shape to complete a marathon. I do not suffer from Oprahphilia, but give credit where credit is due, and she has inspired many people to achieve beyond what they thought they could go. (My God, what am I saying?)
This debate is almost as old as marathoning. And this article adds nothing to it. It is just intended to stir the pot.
You can find better arguments for and against "middle-aged recreational joggers" running marathons any day of the week in the "Clubhouse" forum at the Cool Running website.
http://www.coolrunning.com/cgi-bin/ubb/forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&forum=Clubhouse&number=1
They even have some people there who are as big an ass as McClellan is, but their arguments are better and better written.
So what's the logical conclusion to this line of thinking, that only those who can win a marathon on any given day should be running it? Otherwise there is always a level of runner that can make McClellan's complaint about slower runners ruining the sport.
McClellan, you're a pot-stirring idiot with nothing new to say. A slow idiot, at that. And a pussy. When you run your marathon, make sure to stay out of my way, okay? And when you finally reach the finish line, maybe you can tell me how my 65-year old friend who has run 70 marathons in the last 15 years is ruining the sport, or my 74-year old friend who just qualified for his first Ironman (Swim 2.4 miles, Bike 112 miles, Run 26.2 miles) is ruining that sport.
Sheesh... I expect better than this from Salon.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
219 Democrats and one Republican join in favor of the legislation, which passed by a narrow margin
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Salon headlines in your mailbox
