105 marathons in 2008

[Ryan]

"Amateur runners who race just for time need psychotherapy," says Nishi

Gee, that seems much like the attitude we're discussing on another topic. Another example of a lack of respect for an effort that one has no comprehension of.

Anyway...eco-marathoner? Jet setting around the globe doesn't come across as eco-friendly. Just because you reuse your band-aids after flying from Charlotte to Vegas doesn't make you eco-friendly. Staying in Charlotte and using a new pair of band-aids would be far more eco-friendly.

Want to run a lot of marathons and be eco-friendly? There are 22 marathons this year in Wisconsin (an "official" count I saw was at 23 but, from what I can see, the Icebreaker relay and half was counted separately from the full marathon - I come up with 22). Come on out, you can probably ride bike to several of them if you set up shop in the Milwaukee area, you could arrange carpools to others. You probably wouldn't be able to run all of them but there are enough that you should be able to keep yourself busy.

[Andrew A.]

Right, when I saw that quote I wondered if maybe I should have posted this under "The Jogger Manifesto," instead.  Hence the term, "kook."    He seems to be earnest about spreading his message, which is fine though nothing new.  However, when you do not walk your talk, like Al Gore for example, you not only lose people who might otherwise be open to your message but also give fuel to your critics (pun intended).

[grasshopper]

He gives off a self-righteous vibe. 

[Andrew A.]

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/a-marathon-a-day-lets-the-kids-start-to-play-112712014.html

[Ryan]

So where does this stop? Is 365 coming? Other than 366 in a leap year, will anyone try to top 365?

[r-at-work]

from the article Andew cited

  Running with schoolchildren on many days -- a total of 12,000 throughout the year -- kept him positive and upbeat.
 

I am big fan of 'whatever'... especially if you can share it and even more so if it's with kids...
 
whatever makes YOU happy... whatever keeps YOU going... I couldn't do what this guy does nor could I do what you guys do (run fast)... so I do what I can do... ENJOY my running, even if it means jogging through(marathons) or run/walking as the spirit moves me... or even (dare I say it) cross-training with deep water running...
 
Happy New Year one and all, may the new year bring you happiness in whatever form you want it to take...
-Rita

[Andrew A.]

Yep!  He chose to essentially stay where he is and make the biggest difference that he could given the resources he was investing in this endeavor.  He did not make it a big, year-long vacation for himself.  Oh, and go figure, he had both a far higher goal and a far higher year-end sum for his charitable fund-raising than others who have self-promoted and self-congratulated as much, if not far more.  Also note that it was not editorially classified as a sports story.

[Andrew A.]

So where does this stop? Is 365 coming? Other than 366 in a leap year, will anyone try to top 365?

I would say that Gerry Lindgren already did essentially that when he averaged 200+ mpw for a calendar year.

[Ryan]

Rita, very true. Maybe I've been soured by the other stories, which seem often to be attention seekers who are more concerned about publicity and/or having a good time than with the issue they say they are doing it for or, essentially, anything else. This guy doesn't seem to be seeking attention or a free world tour. He's out just running for a personal reason. Good for him.

Andrew, yes, we could look at Lindgren or likely other elites (I once saw that Geb logged 50K per day and Tergat 25 miles per day while in base training) but they aren't logging that just to log that. They are doing that as a means to an end. As such, it doesn't get any attention.

[r-at-work]

Andrew, yes, we could look at Lindgren or likely other elites (I once saw that Geb logged 50K per day and Tergat 25 miles per day while in base training) but they aren't logging that just to log that. They are doing that as a means to an end. As such, it doesn't get any attention.

you're right about VOLUME not getting enough attention... I laugh every time I see a forum thread (other sites) titled "how little mileage can I do"

[Ryan]

Actually, I would say very little about what they do that doesn't fall on race day gets much attention. Especially the things they do that set them apart from others. I just find it somewhat amusing that, when someone does some fraction of what they do and seeks attention for doing so, it sometimes becomes big news. At least in some cases, probably more a reflection on our media and society than on the individuals doing these things.

[dring]

I have read this thread and I have read threads similar to this one on other sites.  I run 40-60 mpw.  I run two marathons a year.  I compete against my own times.  Don't get me wrong  I am a competitive person, and I like passing people, but I rate my marathons by my finishing times.  I will never win a marathon, and yet I compete. I also try to finish in the top 10%.  Yet some would suggest it is not worth my time.  Maybe this old fella was competing against himself to do 105 marathons.  Maybe he did not even ask for the publicity.  I would love, if I had the money, for my long runs to be at a marathon.  I cannot afford that but it would be cool. 

[Andrew A.]

I have read this thread and I have read threads similar to this one on other sites.  I run 40-60 mpw.  I run two marathons a year.  I compete against my own times.  Don't get me wrong  I am a competitive person, and I like passing people, but I rate my marathons by my finishing times.  I will never win a marathon, and yet I compete. I also try to finish in the top 10%.  Yet some would suggest it is not worth my time.

Indeed, and I certainly agree that your focus meets the primary category of four levels of competition. 

Maybe he did not even ask for the publicity.

That would be doubtful in any likely scenario. 

I would love, if I had the money, for my long runs to be at a marathon.  I cannot afford that but it would be cool.

Which is respected as much as being your right as what Macon did is his, yet as pointed out here that sort of thing can be self-indulgent and irresponsible.

[DoppleBock]

To me it is not a sports story, but a human interest story.   Larry does what he loves, his skill is not high but his dedication to do what he loves is very high.  I am not azamed by the athletic feat, but by a person on the very fringe of the sport that is spending this much time and money to jog 2 marathons a weekend.

Sometimes people like to see what they can do ... because it is a physical sport, we balk at the accomplishment because it is not that phsycially challenging.  To me it is not different than the 50 state club - interesting - more on the human interest level than anything else.

Just Finishing a marathon, 50k, 50 miler, 100 miler is given way too much credit  ... Just finishing any of these distances to a weel conditioned athlete is not really that big of a deal.  To the offended 4:00 marathoner - Think about doing your next one in 7:00 hours.

But people like to be overly impressed.

Sometimes I read about someone that has run for 1-5-10-20-30 years straight - Again more of a human interest story in stubborness and persistence than a great physical accomplishment.

[Double]

Doppel, I could have wrote what you just wrote.  The only exception is the streaking thing and again I guess it is what the length of the run is.
In HS I had a streak over a year.  I found myself running hurt or sick as a dog trying to hit 2 miles which always seemed to be in the dead of winter.
I decided it was just dumb (for me) and let it go.  Guys like Ron Hill who went out on crutches are just animals.  Some of these streakers try and keep
higher limits.  I am just not built that way, which leads me to believe no one is.  My biggest hurdle is the weekly wing night.