Runners!

deannalfisher

GiddyupTim wrote: »

A few years back our local newspaper interviewed a group of the most prominent, mostly-amateur runners in our area. One of the questions they asked all of them was: What's your favorite distance?
Now, a lot of these runners were a bit older -- late 30s and 40s --and they were notable for marathon running.
So, naturally, I assumed most would answer "the marathon."
But they didn't.
Far and away the most popular distance mentioned by these runners was the half-marathon. They said it was such a long distance that it was a great workout, but it did not leave someone feeling as beat up afterwards as a marathon does.
I lived in Boston one year and we 'bandited' the marathon, as many used to do back then.
I'd probably never do a marathon again. I love to run. The race was great fun and left me with a tremendous sense of accomplishment. But the training for a marathon is so extensive, too excessive. It gets boring.
I like a six-mile run. I feel free when I run, and I find it meditative to be out moving, underneath the trees, in the fresh air. But when you have to run 12 miles and 15 miles? Ugghh! You're out there for two-hours -- same motion. So tedious.
And, after a two-hour run, your energy is gone for the rest of the day. You are totally spent. It is even hard to concentrate sometimes.
I would not discourage anyone who wanted to do a marathon from doing one. But I found that it was not particularly pleasurable.

i can see that - a marathon takes over your life with training whereas a half lets you have a life

i make the same argument/discussions about ironmen vs half-ironmen - ironman will take over your life; half you can maintain some kind of life - its more doable

mserickson99

GiddyupTim wrote: »

A few years back our local newspaper interviewed a group of the most prominent, mostly-amateur runners in our area. One of the questions they asked all of them was: What's your favorite distance?
Now, a lot of these runners were a bit older -- late 30s and 40s --and they were notable for marathon running.
So, naturally, I assumed most would answer "the marathon."
But they didn't.
Far and away the most popular distance mentioned by these runners was the half-marathon. They said it was such a long distance that it was a great workout, but it did not leave someone feeling as beat up afterwards as a marathon does.
I lived in Boston one year and we 'bandited' the marathon, as many used to do back then.
I'd probably never do a marathon again. I love to run. The race was great fun and left me with a tremendous sense of accomplishment. But the training for a marathon is so extensive, too excessive. It gets boring.
I like a six-mile run. I feel free when I run, and I find it meditative to be out moving, underneath the trees, in the fresh air. But when you have to run 12 miles and 15 miles? Ugghh! You're out there for two-hours -- same motion. So tedious.
And, after a two-hour run, your energy is gone for the rest of the day. You are totally spent. It is even hard to concentrate sometimes.
I would not discourage anyone who wanted to do a marathon from doing one. But I found that it was not particularly pleasurable.

Well said. As an avid Half runner this distance is a big challenge but not to the point where I’m miserable...and the training isn’t an overload. Running stays enjoyable...mostly

HealthyFreya

It is an amazing achievement - I did my first ultra marathon this year and it shocked me how strong one can be in the moment and how we can push ourselves despite self-doubt. Go for it! You won’t regret it!