105 marathons in 2008

[GTF]

I might not say that some of the posts here are bitter and angry, but I would prefer to not call Mr. Macon an "old coot". This can be taken as an insult, as can "old-fart" and "old-fogey". Wanting to avoid these names might make me seem like I'm a "nicey-nicey," but it's been said that affability does no harm.

This is an interesting comment coming from one who apparently feels that dumping huge personal problems onto a bunch of strangers on a forum on a running site is perfectly acceptable.  Especially a message that could imply a desire to harm oneself.  Perhaps affability and self-loathing really can coexist, stranger things have happened.

Anyway, I think both stories like these as well as stories of runners running fast times can have a place. People can be inspired and/or motivated by seeing people do "big" things, but maybe more when they see people doing "big" things they can see themselves doing. Consider Jaouad Gharib. "'My love for the sport was triggered one day in January 1992 as I watched the live retransmission of the Marrakech Marathon. It was wonderful and I asked myself why I also could not run like these people and one day win this Marathon which is renowned internationally? This was the starting point of my life as an athlete'." ( http://www.iaaf.org/news/athletes/newsid=26572.html ) But I can wonder, would he have been moved in the same way if he was 52 instead of in his early 20s? Maybe a lot of people in their 50s would still be moved to start running by reading about or seeing runners running 2:30 marathons or better, but maybe a few would think something like, "Well, there's no way I could do that" and never begin running. But maybe some would of these who wouldn't run, would run if they saw everyday people running marathons, even if the people they saw ran very slowly compared to elites.

Anyway, maybe in the news world reporters will give stories about unusual things, and maybe this was one of them.

Because 105 marathons in a calendar year is so much more realistic to an inactive person than a 2:30 or any other given time in the marathon?  I still have not been shown conclusively to any degree that marathons and the people who already have an abiding interest in them are in and of themselves any part of the answer to an inactive and fat nation.  Running a marathon (or even just walking one) represents an extreme expenditure of effort.  Again, in the long-term (i.e. what really makes a difference) people are more likely to integrate and adapt to a routine of a much lesser and ongoing expenditure of effort, such as walking or cycling to work or to get groceries or to get to the library or to visit friends.  Throwing the notion of an everyman finishing a marathon (let alone 105 in a year) in front of inactive people and expecting there would be much inspiration and motivation among them to aspire to the marathon would be like putting the notion of some everyman summiting Everest (or even just Mt. Rainier) before inactive people and expecting to get much reaction in terms of people ready to become mountaineers as a result.  It is far more likely to engender apathy and resignation than anything else.  Yes, of course there are plenty of inactive people who get on the TiT program to try to jump-start themselves into a fitness routine (I have yet to see the retention numbers once the first marathon is finished, however) and yes that number is of course better than zero and yet even all of them are such a small proportion that there is little basis for claiming it to be an effective answer.  The people in the article linked above who are directly introducing kids to running are likely having an exponentially greater impact.  There is of course room for both, there is just no comparing the two in terms of effectiveness.

[GTF]

Hmm, I read the posts again. I don't see any of them that make anyone sound bitter and angry that the "slow" runners exist.

Well of course!  Anyone who actually read this thread would have seen the following:

. . . kudos to [Macon] for following his bliss all the same.

To me, it was just refreshing to see [Macon] going out and completing was undoubtedly a difficult personal goal . . .

I like these stories, they are fun to read.

I could not blame Macon at all, he's just doing what he likes and in his position I doubt anyone would turn down the press requests.

What on earth could lead anyone who did indeed read (and comprehend) the above to come away with the impression of "bitter and angry?"  Seems like such a person needs to take his own advice of "relax," since he is apparently intentionally misinterpreting comments.  Would it be appropriate to dole out to SBSpartan a dose of his own medicine and presumptuously speculate what really was behind that? 

[GTF]

I'm not bothered by a person's speed.  But honestly, I cringe when I'm in a running forum, or I get an email from a fellow runner that contains a Dean Karnaze quote.  I can't help it, I just do.  I'm inspired by different people for different reasons, people doing things without a goal other than "I can" just don't inspire me.  I understand that the goal is to finish for some, but when you have done that 100x, maybe the bar needs to be set higher.  Do I want to see Michael Jordan dunk a shot in person.  YES!!  I might get tired by the 100th time if he doesn't change it up.  Would I be inspired if I read he dunked 5000 in a row.....what do you think?  Will I be inspired if he dunks one when he's 80?  I'm just not a quantity person.

QFE

[Double]

I run to beat people.  This has never changed.  I do it for the competition.  I am however deeply embodied to my friends no matter what their background is.  I believe I'm about as easy going as you might see in a person.  I enjoy people from every field of life because this is who I am surrounded by everyday.  Who doesn't want to see people have their day in the sun.

Ryan is a friend of mine.  I want to beat him someday.  He doesn't hold that against me, in fact he encourages this sort of mano y mano.  I want to crush our friend Woody every time I see him.  In fact, their is nobody I know I wouldn't want to beat.  This is what has always drawn me to running.

But I don't believe most people see me this way in life.  Put the number on however and let's throw down.  It's a race, life is life.  They are mutauly exclusive.  I don't even read those stories or attachments posted here because they don't interest me.  I come on here to talk about running or see what the people on the board are doing.  That is intersting to me and this board has drawn me to many people who are personal friends I would have never met.  There are so many personalities on here and this is why I enjoy this site.

[cesar]

double, do you run in the morning or in the afternoon?

[Double]

I run everyday I can at anytime of the day.  I don't worry about how I will feel tomorrow.  Lately I have been running in the evening during the week and in the morning on weekends.  The past couple weeks I have been off from work so I run when I feel like going.

[Ed]

Double is as he purports to be.  He is very easy going and it is a blast to be at a race with him.  He is a runner in the true meaning of the name "runner."  His competitiveness is awesome to see.  Prior to a race he is very mild mannered and throws a couple of very good-natured competitive jabs out there to a few passers by.  At the gun - it becomes all business - one runner at time, pass as many as I can. 

Ryan is much the same way.  It is from these two that I draw my inspiration to get out there and run.

[Ryan]

Ryan is a friend of mine.  I want to beat him someday.

Been there, done that. The correct statement would be that you want to beat me again.

He doesn't hold that against me, in fact he encourages this sort of mano y mano.

Of course I don't because, just as much as you want to beat me, I want to beat you.

That's the great thing about running. There are so many stories out there, there are so many personalities, there are so many reasons for running. Some of us, like Double and myself, are out there to beat people. Some are out there to beat a previous effort, some are out there to improve our health, some for other reasons. Honestly, most of us are probably out there for multiple reasons but line up at a race with one primary goal and everything else on the back burner. I know of very few people who would hold any of these goals against anyone. We all have our personal reasons for running. My only point as this topic has strayed a bit from originally being about a fascinating personality and his humble attempt to do something pretty amazing if you think about it was that a sports section is normally expected to capture the competitive aspect of all other athletic pursuits but doesn't seem to be given the same expectation of our sport.

By the way Ed, while I'm sure Double and I share some traits, I think we're also a fair bit different on race day, at least pre-race and probably post-race if the race was less than hoped for. This is meant as a compliment to Double in every way possible. I've been striving over recent years to take my personal performances less seriously, not that I don't strive to run to the absolute best of my possibility but to not be so uptight about everything before a race and to not be so upset if things don't go my way afterward. This is what I'm in the process of learning from Double. Honestly, I think being more relaxed pre-race this year has made me a better and more consistent competitor. I can thank Double for that and I hope to reap more benefit as I continue to learn from Double and apply that knowledge. Hopefully, that will help me stay one step ahead of him on race day.

[GTF]

 . . . yet very little media hype:
http://www.coloradorunnermag.com/read_new/ulrich-completes-record-setting-run-across-america
I had never even heard of this guy before I saw this item from the local running mag.

[Ed]

I wish we could hear about something like the story GTF posted a link to before it was completed.  Then we could alert local media and hope they do a little story about the person and create a bit of hype as they pass through local communities - thereby raising awareness of running and getting more children to think about what running is.

I wasn't into running until I had a graduate class teacher cancel a class to go run the Disney Marathon.  I asked him how one gets into running a marathon and he replied "by asking that very question."  Now I love running and racing.

[GTF]

I can respect what this guy is doing much more: http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/feb/13/erie-man-running-marathon-month/
He is not gratuitously jetting off to far-flung locales while simultaneously begging individuals and businesses to subsidize his indulgences.  Additionally, he is not making it about himself and as near as I can tell this article is the only publicity about his endeavor and clearly is more about raising awareness for the cause than anything else.  Also note that this was not a sports story. 

[Andrew A.]

A belated addition to this thread: Man runs 52 marathons in 52 days

[SBSpartan]

Hmm, I read the posts again. I don't see any of them that make anyone sound bitter and angry that the "slow" runners exist.

Well of course!  Anyone who actually read this thread would have seen the following:

. . . kudos to [Macon] for following his bliss all the same.

To me, it was just refreshing to see [Macon] going out and completing was undoubtedly a difficult personal goal . . .

I like these stories, they are fun to read.

I could not blame Macon at all, he's just doing what he likes and in his position I doubt anyone would turn down the press requests.

What on earth could lead anyone who did indeed read (and comprehend) the above to come away with the impression of "bitter and angry?"  Seems like such a person needs to take his own advice of "relax," since he is apparently intentionally misinterpreting comments.  Would it be appropriate to dole out to SBSpartan a dose of his own medicine and presumptuously speculate what really was behind that? 

Actually I just read the comments you posted on page one.  The word "sideshow" comes to mind.

[Andrew A.]

Good!  I expect no different.  By the way, welcome to 2009. 

[Andrew A.]

Another kook:
http://health.msn.com/fitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100165579
While it is good to conserve band-aids, paper cups, and mylar blankets, apparently his "EcoTips" and "socio-environmental philosophy" must not include anything about the impact of burning so much jet fuel to get to all these far-flung marathons.