To run the Marathon or not

Hadddisciple wrote:

Has anyone some advice on whether I should do this or not?

I'm not sure I see the downside of running. You already put in the time. You're not a pro. You don't sound like you're injured. Presumably you already paid for the race. Might as well go for it. Run slow, oh well.

On the starting line with all your ~4H mates in wave 12, force extended awkward eye contact with anyone willing to meet your gaze and remind them that the race has two equal halves: the first 20 miles and the rest.

Then tell them you will hit that marker just under 3H God willing, and if 'you' are still there, that you will launch a merciless 10k kick and announce to everyone that nobody from wave 12 could possibly touch it, not on this day, anyways. Because today is the day...

You sit and kick

Without trying to be mean about it, it doesn't really matter if you run or not. Nobody outside of you & your close family and friends will give a shit so just do whatever makes you happy. It makes absolutely zero difference if you run 2:25 or 4:25 or not at all. Run if you want to do it, don't run if you don't want to.

If your times have fallen off I think you might have over trained for your level. What I think you should do is spend the next week in an extreme taper. Run just a couple of miles a day, super easy, to keep your legs limber. Give them time to heal. Get lots of sleep. Eat clean. Have plenty of carbs and protein but don't overdo it.

Then run your race. Make sure to follow a sensible nutrition and hydration plan. If you don't have a plan, google around and figure one out. Whatever happens happens.

And then, if you really want to get faster: A) Do some self reflection. Do you see any issues? B) Hire a decent personal coach and stop winging it. You're doing something wrong. Even just 3 months with a coach will give you loads of insight.

Good luck!

Whocares? wrote:

Without trying to be mean about it, it doesn't really matter if you run or not. Nobody outside of you & your close family and friends will give a shit so just do whatever makes you happy. It makes absolutely zero difference if you run 2:25 or 4:25 or not at all. Run if you want to do it, don't run if you don't want to.

It matters. It makes a difference.

I would not listen to any assholian rhetoric otherwise. A 2:25 Marathon wins most major marathons this decade if you are a human equipped with ovaries. (I stole this phrase from Beck). And a 2:25 time wins a good number of mid major marathons if u are male. (Ie: Big Sur).

It matters wrote:

Whocares? wrote:

Without trying to be mean about it, it doesn't really matter if you run or not. Nobody outside of you & your close family and friends will give a shit so just do whatever makes you happy. It makes absolutely zero difference if you run 2:25 or 4:25 or not at all. Run if you want to do it, don't run if you don't want to.

It matters. It makes a difference.

I would not listen to any assholian rhetoric otherwise. A 2:25 Marathon wins most major marathons this decade if you are a human equipped with ovaries. (I stole this phrase from Beck). And a 2:25 time wins a good number of mid major marathons if u are male. (Ie: Big Sur).

As the former winner of a small market race, in time that was only slightly faster than embarrassing. I have to say that winning that race did not change a single thing in life and its highly unlikely that anyone remembers or cares. Run because you want to, not because you think it will matter to anyone else.

Life lesson here: what you do in running, however small a feat you perceive that it is, often makes an impression on others.