Teaching is a full time job
You have to do the planning an prep work, preparing for class, grading papers. Maybe that provides some flexibility in when you do that (you can do it late at night). Yes, you don't work during the summer, but you also don't get paid for that time either. So many teachers pick up other jobs to supplement their low income.
Plus dealing with kids all day is tiring. Working a mindless desk job from 9-5 and than going home without a care is much easier
It's rare just to run the 2:30. I'm pretty sure that the 2:17 teacher could run way under 2:30 even with whatever you consider to be a "real job." You have to make time for the training somehow, but if you can then the job should not otherwise hurt you too badly unless it is very physically demanding. Family taking up your time hurts more. When I get home from a 20 miler, it's not like my 5 and 3 year old kids will just let me take it easy for the next few hours. They have needs! :) And my wife is already pissed at how much time I spend running. If I wanted to do doubles every day for 6 months she'd probably put arsenic in my bottles.
HRE wrote:
There were more sub 2:30 marathoners in the US when the sport was amateur and almost everyone worked full time than there are now.
Completely off topic. 2:30 is not even remotely close to elite, unless you are talking about women.
I work with a guy who ran the 5000m in the 2012 Olympics. He's now training for the marathon (I'd consider that elite). Works 40+ hours a week.
I'm not sure that replying to someone's post is off topic but we probably had as many and likely more sub 2:20s then as well.
More sub 2:15s too.
There is a woman who ran around 2:34 at the Chicago Marathon who works 12 hour days at a bank. She was in one of the LetsRun pre race interviews.
black blue collar wrote:
Dennis Kimetto could probably run 2:08 when he worked full time as a farmer before he was "discovered" by Geoffrey Mutai.
Zero chance.
I work full time.
120 miles/week and sub 2:20 marathon. It's possible.
Laura "MF" Portis
I never said teaching was easy, just that it does not qualify as a Full Time job. Total number of hours in a year for a full time job is in the neighborhood of 2000 hours. Teachers do not approach 75% of that value, probably 65% is a better average estimate.
And more power to them for making a full time salary (though maybe a little low) for part time work and getting summers off and getting a pension for the rest of their life after teaching 25 years. I may be the dumb one for not being a teacher. But I know many teachers and they don't work full time by my definition.
Also, there is a big difference between a full time "job" and a full time "career". The career requires consistent focus and being responsible for things. A job is where you punch in and punch out, likely without much overtime, stress or extra responsibility. Both qualify as Full Time, but would have a different impact on training at a high level.
Again, I am not slamming anyone here. Just that the original post was about full time work. And as others have said, It is a rare individual who can run under 2:16 and an even more rare one who can put in that effort with a full time job. It is the exception, not the rule.
nnt wrote:
Anything over 2:08 is not elite.
Derek Clayton worked full time and ran 160 miles per week. WR holder
Bud Edelen worked full time and set the WR
Sergio Reyes
I NO A GUY wrote:
I work with a guy who ran the 5000m in the 2012 Olympics. He's now training for the marathon (I'd consider that elite). Works 40+ hours a week.
I'm going to assume you meant 2012 Olympic TRIALS. Rupp, Lagat, and Lomong are not now training for the marathon, and definitely don't work 40+ hours a week.
No he caint wrote:
black blue collar wrote:Dennis Kimetto could probably run 2:08 when he worked full time as a farmer before he was "discovered" by Geoffrey Mutai.
Zero chance.
John Ngugi was a full time farmer throughout his 'cross reign.
Dick Beardsley was a farmer.
PartTime wrote:
I never said teaching was easy, just that it does not qualify as a Full Time job. Total number of hours in a year for a full time job is in the neighborhood of 2000 hours. Teachers do not approach 75% of that value, probably 65% is a better average estimate.
And more power to them for making a full time salary (though maybe a little low) for part time work and getting summers off and getting a pension for the rest of their life after teaching 25 years. I may be the dumb one for not being a teacher. But I know many teachers and they don't work full time by my definition.
Also, there is a big difference between a full time "job" and a full time "career". The career requires consistent focus and being responsible for things. A job is where you punch in and punch out, likely without much overtime, stress or extra responsibility. Both qualify as Full Time, but would have a different impact on training at a high level.
Again, I am not slamming anyone here. Just that the original post was about full time work. And as others have said, It is a rare individual who can run under 2:16 and an even more rare one who can put in that effort with a full time job. It is the exception, not the rule.
Too bad you don't make the rules as to what is what.
Or maybe there are people that aren't american?
PartTime wrote:
Teaching is a part time job. 9 months a year, 6-7hours a day, 5 days a week with lots of teacher planning days, every holiday imaginable including 2 weeks at Christmas. A full time job is 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year with 2 weeks vacation.
It is a very rare individual who can hold down a real full time job and run under 2:30 for a Marathon.
I agree that it is very rare for a male teacher to run under 2:30. I do know several male MDs who have done so.
Except for elementary and junior high school teachers and non-science (yes that includes the repetitive math courses) it is not possible to teach lab science courses (such as Biology, AP Biology, Anatomy and Physiology etc) and still have time to train at a high level.
High Schools have at least 150 students per teacher (multiple sections and grades) and they have to prepare, teach, prep labs, create exams and grade everything (not graded = not performed in a HS students mind)
The "transparent grading" programs on the Internet mean that all parents are looking, every day, at all grades and notations from the teacher about their student. If a homework assignment, a quiz or a test isn't immediately graded and in the on line program with the great grade the parent wants: HELL is to be paid.
I got more sleep as the mother of a newborn than I ever did as a high school science teacher....
But, even though I had been an elite female marathoner in the days before there was an Women's Olympic Marathon (my time was among those included in setting the 1984 trials time) or Title Nine, I got at least as much out of teaching HS Science as I did out of my running which I continue today at 62. How much do 2:11 Marathoners make even today?
grounded wrote:
Teaching is a full time job
Working a mindless desk job from 9-5 and than going home without a care is much easier
Tell this to virtually everyone who works in the private world where they are always just a step away from losing their jobs.
I am married to a teacher. It's a challenging, rewarding, and respectful profession but compared to the rest of the world it's part time.
I own a business and work twice as many hours as she does or any of the other teachers we know. I'm not complaining or saying what I do is more important I'm just saying on the scale of professions that are time consuming teaching is not on the level with most jobs. 90% of the teachers we know do not work over the summer and the ones that do are not doing anything anywhere close to full time.
So I respect all of the teachers who work 180-200 days per year but I'm not sold that is more tiring than someone who has to work 300+ days per year.
When I worked in the business world I had tons of energy to run. However, now as a teacher I am exhausted at the end of the day.
It's not about hours it's about effort!
I spend 180 days a year trying to jump through hoops to teach kids who would rather be playing video games.
Believe me 300 days in sales working with adults is much easier than 180 days of kid attitude.
With that said I would still rather teach than be an "elite" runner or work in the business world. My profession contributes positively to the world because it is unselfish.