After making sacrifices for a year and flopping in my marathon, I am going to eat junk food and binge drink all winter

You will be the next Biggest Loser.

umm sounds like he already is.

I say 161.

But you should keep training and keep the fitness up

Define "training harder".

Gaining 15 pounds like that is ruining your overall health. It's probably why you ran so much slower. Keep your fitness up all year. Have some respect for your body.

Why do people feel entitled to a good marathon every time out? I have run 10 and would only claim two as being successful. The marathon is a bitch. Just look at how many elites DNF at the major races.

You had a bad day. Get over it. Move on. Grow up.

ritz is being really hard on himself for how he did at new york.

Precious Roy wrote:

Why do people feel entitled to a good marathon every time out? I have run 10 and would only claim two as being successful. The marathon is a bitch. Just look at how many elites DNF at the major races.

You had a bad day. Get over it. Move on. Grow up.

Yep. This is why I hate the damn marathon. You train yer ass off for 6 months and have a good chance of either A - just having an off day; B - Bad weather; C - an injury; D - unknown problem or a combination of the above causing you to underperform on race day. That's why I always race frequently at shorter distances so that if any of that shit occurs I can look back on a good 5K/10K/HalfMar time even if I don't do great at the marathon.

Oh, and keep your fitness up ALL THE TIME. Somehow, when you do that the chances of withstanding A,B,C and D above magically increase.

Do I sound like someone that can't get over it? Can't move on? Being too hard on myself?

Quite the opposite. I'm done with the marathon! I'm not going back. I'm liberated. I'm free. I'm going to eat what I want and jog at whatever pace feels nice. I'm going to stay up late on Saturdays, sleep in on Sundays, and watch football while drinking beer all day. Maybe I'll even lift weights. I'm going to enjoy gaining weight without worrying about carrying extra weight for 26 miles.

You're confusing health with fitness. OK, so you had a bad marathon and you may not be as fit as you had hoped. Does that mean that you have to go to the extreme of ruining your health? Maintain a good diet and, if you feel like it, exercise once in a while but dont think that a little (or even a lot of exercise) is going to makeup for poor health habits.

winter layer wrote:

Do I sound like someone that can't get over it? Can't move on? Being too hard on myself?

Quite the opposite. I'm done with the marathon! I'm not going back. I'm liberated. I'm free. I'm going to eat what I want and jog at whatever pace feels nice. I'm going to stay up late on Saturdays, sleep in on Sundays, and watch football while drinking beer all day. Maybe I'll even lift weights. I'm going to enjoy gaining weight without worrying about carrying extra weight for 26 miles.

this is so completely defensive that it is almst satirical

dare to dream, champ. sounds like you're really shooting for the stars in life.

winter layer wrote:

I'm now running 3 to 4 miles in 30 minutes a day 4-5 days a week.

This is going to be the biggest impediment you have to getting up to an average american weight. I like your dinner plans, but if I were you, I'd combine the 6-8 beers with more of that domino's pizza you had for lunch.

"The marathon is very predicatable for those that understand the training involved" Kevin Hanson

How did you lose the 15 pounds?

want to lose wrote:

How did you lose the 15 pounds?

Step 1: Gain 15 pounds

Step 2: Run a lot

I just had a Chipotle burrito. It was delicious. I'm going to get a milkshake.

Hey man, I agree with you. I gave up on the marathon after this happened to me the second time. It's just not worth it. I've tried to do more shorter races, but mostly I just stopped running.How I miss college and being on a team.

winter layer wrote:

Step 1: Gain 15 pounds

Step 2: Run a lot

I just had a Chipotle burrito. It was delicious. I'm going to get a milkshake.

Are you only racing once a year?

fantasyfeeders.com, there's some helpful tips and strategies there.

Quoter of Quotes wrote:

"The marathon is very predicatable for those that understand the training involved" Kevin Hanson

Bingo.