5k's marathons etc.....

Precious_Nissa
Precious_Nissa Posts: 416
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, i'm just really curious here....I know everyone has different goals, etc and I knock noone for their goals and i love to see when people reach their goals, but this question I have is just in general about marathons etc.

why do most people, when they lose weight, they strive to run marathons etc?

That is and has never been a goal of mine and honestly, when I lose weight, it will never be a goal of mine, and when i was skinny, it was never something i desired....

not that anyone is wrong for doing it.

i watch biggest loser and i see they push the issue, i see people post on here, so i'm just curious as to why the idea or where the idea comes from for some people?

Replies

  • nikkishay717
    nikkishay717 Posts: 7 Member
    I can say for myself it's just about pushing myself to see what my body can do. I am doing 3 different 5ks this fall. I'm looking forward to new obstacles, fresh air outside, and a chance to do something I enjoy. I like running because it's freeing. You don't have to think you just go. Running isn't for everyone but it can be really enjoyable.
  • michlingle
    michlingle Posts: 797 Member
    I think the reason people who lose weight are drawn to running races, including marathons, is because, let me just put it bluntly, fat people can't run marathons. Don't get me wrong, I did see some heavier people run the chicago marathon last year, it was my first. But, generally, running and being overweight don't go hand in hand, It's hard, there's nothing easy about finishing, and if you try to do it and succeed, it will be one of the best days of your life. It's like, there's this club that you never thought you could belong to. And now you do!
  • byHISstrength
    byHISstrength Posts: 984 Member
    I have never been into running, let alone running in a marathon, but as I continue to become stronger and want new challenges I am definitely interested in trying sometime in the future. I think that there is such a sense of great accomplishment when you go from being someone completely out of shape to being someone to can complete such an event.
  • GooBeGone
    GooBeGone Posts: 439 Member
    i started runnin 2 lose weight so that's probably where it stemmed from. it's just u against u out there.

    my actual goal is to do an ironman (4 those that don't know it's: 2.4mile swim, 112 bike, 26.2mile run) that's my ULTIMATE goal. i've done mini goals 2 get 2 that point. i'm actually doin a half-marathon this yr & next yr i'll do a marathon. then i wanna do the Disney World Goofy Challenge (that's marathon on saturday & half-marathon on sunday)

    i'm wantin 2 do this b/c i wanna b fit & healthy. i've already done a triathlon & almost completed a marathon (i got injured durin it & was only able 2 do 19miles :cry: )

    but i want 2 b the best possible me. i've not been able 2 do this in the past & with each accomplishment i want 2 shoot for higher & higher. i want 2 b a fully active person. i've been white-water rafting & would :heart: 2 do it again. i've want 2 mountain climb & skydive. i wanna go mountain biking again. i want 2 b me & that's what i like 2 do. i wanna b that 77yr old woman that the 24yr old is envious of b/c she's STILL doin ironmans at that age!!! :laugh:

    i also do this 4 a sense of self. it's a way 2 say that i can do it. if i can accomplish that then i can accomplish ANYTHING that i set my mind to! :smile:

    btw, i use 2 have a saying that i kept on my desk when i started running. it said:

    u know u're a runner when u've stop running to lose weight & start losing weight 2 run faster. :tongue:
  • beutiful5678
    beutiful5678 Posts: 58 Member
    I just enjoy running. It is a good way to challenge myself; it is a simple sport with very little equipment required; and requires little coordination (which is perfect for people like me who can't even walk in a straight line sober).

    As for the distance - it is fun to see how far and how hard you can push your body. There are also far more places you can explore on a 10 mile run as opposed to a 5 mile run.

    I didn't enjoy running when I started running. But then my perspective changed. Rather than just a way to whip my butt into shape it became more than that - it was a social activity, a way to explore new places (I love exploring!) and enjoy the beautiful scenery nature has to offer.
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,271 Member
    For me its 2 fold. First I enjoy running and running in a light rain is one of the most relaxing and fulfilling things ever. My reasons for wanting to run a marathon are: After I reach my weight goals which has been thus far one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life (even worse then quitting smoking). I want to do something I could have never done while I was fat. Additionally I want to do something I never would have done before I was fat and prove to myself that it was worth it and that No matter what I put my mind to I can over come it. And with the right training I can push my body to do incredible things and to never forget that once I couldn't run 25 yards without being winded.

    On top of that I want to it because most people cant do in their current physical state and most people wont do it in their life. I want to better myself

    Ive already run 2 5K's thus far this year and intend to run at least 2 more before Fall. I hope by this time next year to have completed at least one Half Triathlon and be ready for a full marathon.
  • beutiful5678
    beutiful5678 Posts: 58 Member
    PS GooBeGone - I love your quote! It made me laugh. :smile:
  • jheller
    jheller Posts: 194
    I ran my first official 5K this past Saturday with a personal best of 42 minutes. I have NO desire to run a marathon but to run 3-5 miles a few times a week is. To do a triathlon next summer is one. To go backpacking is another. I've always considered myself a runner in a fat person's body so my decision to run to lose weight and stay fit is not out of my realm of reason. My husband on the other hand wants to ride a century (100 mile bike ride). To me that doesn't sound like fun. 4-6 hours on a bike saddle -- OWWW! And he doesn't like to run but wants to do the Tri with me.

    For me its pushing myself and proving to myself that I can do it. I'm competing against no one but myself and I have no other aids but my legs and my lungs - its all me.
  • Precious_Nissa
    Precious_Nissa Posts: 416
    It definitely makes sense...thanks...maybe now i can understand it more...I also understand, its just not me lol....even when i was small and in shape, running has never been an interest for me....
    guess i'll stick to driving marathons etc lol...

    good luck though for all you current and future runners.
  • golddogs
    golddogs Posts: 42 Member
    GooBeGone - I LOVE that quote and I LOVE you attitude!!:smile:
  • maureensm
    maureensm Posts: 183 Member
    I am so one of those people! I've lost over 80 pounds and am currently training for the Portland marathon. I've completed two half marathons this year. Before I lost the weight, I was a terrible goal setter. I would come up with some weight-loss or workout scheme and fall off the wagon two weeks later. Losing the weight has given me new perspective on goal-setting. My first goal was simply to walk the two miles home from work, which I accomplished. I worked my way up to jogging short distances and finally a 5k. The marathon had always been an impossible goal -- something that only trained athletes could accomplish. However, as I slowly met my goals with determination, the pinnacle of the marathon became more and more obtainable. Having the marathon on the horizon helps motivate me to keep pushing myself, little by little. When I finish it in October, I can look back and see how far I've come. It wasn't what I'd originally set out to do: become healthy and happy; but it's like icing on the cake!
  • carilyn39
    carilyn39 Posts: 91 Member
    One reason why I am training for the 5K's. Number one it is a challenge to see if I can do it. and Number 2, I can burn more calories running in the same amount of time I would spend walking. I too have lost a large amount of weight so I need to keep challenging myself to keep the weight off. I have to have something to look forward to or strive for to keep in focus.
  • valeriebpdx
    valeriebpdx Posts: 497 Member
    I think marathons are such a lofty goal because your body and mind have to come together perfectly for a good day. It's 4.5 months of sacrifice and dedication to prep for it, and it takes a heck of a lot of mental strength to get through those last 8 miles. If the training isn't there, no matter how tough you are, you aren't going to run well, and even if you're well trained, if your will breaks down, you also can't finish well. I am training for my fourth full marathon (also Portland--Maureen, are you local?) right now. I am not outrageously heavy (my BMI is less than 25, but not by enough), not enough so that losing the weight and running a marathon would be the way I capped my journey (the extra weight does make a difference in my running, though), but for the Biggest Loser contestants, I can see that after all the barriers they push through and all the ways they increase what they thought their bodies were capable of, a marathon would be an appropriate finale, because it's something most people think is out of reach. I have issue with how little time they give them to train on the show, but I guess that's just TV for you. BTW, Preciousoohana, I also thought I would never be a runner. Never say never!

    ETA we get to such a ridiculous distance in the first place because each race is about double the distance of the last. You do one 5K to see if you can (how I started running after my first son was born in 1999). Barely finished it running. Then a 10K is only twice as far, so you do that. Then a half marathon is only about twice as far as that, so you do that, too. Then there you are plunking down your money for marathon race fees, and they are so expensive you train and finish so you don't waste your money! That was my journey, anywho.
  • carilyn39
    carilyn39 Posts: 91 Member
    okay that started off sounding stupid but you get the idea don't you??? :huh:
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