The Trials and Tribulations of Running YouTubers

History repeats! He spends weeks hyping up his comeback and now “pivots” to lowered expectations. It’s always something with this guy - illness, chefs that season their food, dudes with tree trunk legs.

Why can’t Shoe Tubers be like regular runners? A normal athlete would pick another race a week or two later once the get over their cold. This isn’t a major or trials. It’s a half marathon that caters to local runners in New Jersey (why fly across the country for such a race?). He could easily find another one to do later in the month.

SJD is really beginning to represent the worst traits of elite hobby joggers: big talking, obsessive planning, not training in a consistent and logical manner, hedging before race day, and finding excuses to explain away a slower than expected performance. You’re 39 and not an elite athlete, Seth. Why do you twist so hard to protect your ego and image? You look like a fool to serious athletes and fans. Your minions are impressed that you run everyday and don’t know what true performance is. Why the act and the mental gymnastics?

We both know he's never going to.
Tbf to him, he doesn't half taper for every race so probably goes in fresh enough - usually has about 5 days off in the week leading up to every time he walks around a course.

The man annoys me almost as much as Bester. Crazy how many people rate him when you talk to any middle of the pack runner after most UK marathons as well.

Apparently Fordy is "aiming" for a 3:30 at Chicago. Potentially this is a BQ for him.

He said this block is all about speed or endurance or something culminating in 20 miles at "goal pace" at London before "walking it in with the lads" - wasting a bib he's been gifted and taken of a "real everyday runner"

His real block starts then. The man is a joker. Why he needs a year of build up is beyond me. Last year he had the same plan and injured himself the week after the London marathon.

His mileage is extremely low for someone marathon training with probably 50% of his mileage on the long run

It amuses me we're getting downvoted. Admittedly, the majority of letsrun doesn't like facts.

I'm more interested to know how you've survived "video after video of him hobbling through 4+ hour marathons".

Don’t forget that he’s a coach!

They just make all these "****WOW****" and "OMG, CAN I FINALLY GET... [insert unachievable time here]" hype videos to get the clicks, and then come out with "Ah... But.... Next time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" when the "plan" inevitably fails.

Rinse and repeat.

Fordy Runs gang = ex packet heads.

actually i don't, really! I look at the titles and skim through some times, so I didn't even know he was 'aiming for chicago' (!!) like WTF that is so far out it's PERFECT for putting off any real attempt and can easily be forgotten or pushed aside once we get closer and his fitness hasn't progressed an iota

in my opinion, having run several half marathons and a few full marathons, if you are a regular, daily or semi-daily runner, you need 6 or 7 weeks of serious training to get into good (at your 85 - 95% percentile of success) shape. obviously 2.5 - 3 months is ideal. but after 3 or 4 months, you're losing any type of focused training and probably just losing the plot.

more generally, i just do not get the appeal of Fordy. His monologues are self-indulgent, his PRs are not worth mentioning, and he seems to have the most basic level understanding of running. do people just like pink vests this much?

Fordy is early 40s iirc

3:30 is nowhere near BQ for that age group.

I don't think gifted bibs by sponsors to celebs/athletes affect entrants though. Its not like him taking the bib means 1 less person gets to enter

He's relatable to a certain type of runner.

Many people in the UK hit 30/35/40 and realise they're unfit and take up running to get fit. They don't follow the sport at all. Never have.

They don't know know, or care about the Ingebrigstens, Kejelchas, Bekeles or Tolas of the world one iota.

You go into any Weatherspoons in Kent/Essex/London and there's dozens of Fordys.

People like Bester and Felton banging on about lactate and Ketone and bicarb is completely alien to them. Unrelateable.

Irrelevant.

They just want to watch a video by someone who reminds them of who they go to football with, and go for beers with.

This is his crowd. He's done well at harnessing this sector of the running community.

I mean with only 25 weeks to go until Chicago, can't help but feel he is running out of time to fit this this pre-pre build in. Should probably start the taper now, nothing left to be gained.

Late addition of speedwork might have cooked the OG for Jersey? On the one hand, it's nice to know that some things don't change and the OG fails to meet his goals yet again. On the other hand, I did hope that this time would be different. But nope. Lucy will always pull the football away from Charlie Brown.

Just took a glance at his video. I guess 4 orders a day for the store? He has so much inventory. I have no idea how he is making any money. Spending all day at it.

I agree.

Without wanting to be too harsh, he typically attracts the "simpler" crowd. A lot of them seem to be a far better runner than he is, which I find interesting.

Honestly, I'm quite surprised people gravitate toward him at all. I've seen barely any of his content besides shoe reviews - even then he doesn't seem very clued up, despite saying everything as though he's an absolute genius. It's weird.

One of this thread's great mysteries. A few days ago he was pleading for donations to keep the channel going.

That’s either Pure Sport Run Club or Hyrox bros.

I sort of understand what your saying. You cant peak for an event 10 months away by rumbling away at "easy pace" for 7 months. So genuine question

Are you saying that you are better off having a long term goal (in Fordys case 3:30)

But in the meantime have a set of 2 or 3 goals that are going to help you achieve that end goal. Maybe setting a goal 10k race time in 3 months. A half run at X pace in 6 months away. Which you then run through a training cycle for each?

There is nothing wrong with having a goal race 12 months out but you'd expect any reasonable person to have b goals during that period. Maybe a speed block for 12 weeks with plenty of 5ks and 10ks, then a HM block before the main marathon block.

Fordy is in that group of people, mostly "fun runners" and charity people who are obsessed with the marathon and the marathon only. He talks about goal pace only in the sense of marathon goal pace. He uses every run as a build towards a marathon. He's missing out on so much

In response to the Matt Fox news, Boom shakalaka