the correct answer is always the one that gives PM the most mileage. And then add 5% as just sort of a rounding error.
Also, to the other guy who asked the question about the astronauts - they don't get much credit in the frequent marathoner world. One small step? Get back to me when you've hit 1,000,000 small steps, Neil. Then we'll talk about medals.
Another thing is this: for every 7 hour time period that goes by I consider that the fact that I could have run/walked 26.2 miles in that amount of time fairly easily.
Think of this like the "conceded putt" in match play golf. If a putt is so short and automatic, the golfer need not bother tapping it in. Likewise, a 7 hour marathon would be so easy and automatic, I need not actually do it.
Thus, whether or not I actually covered 26.2 miles in any given 7 hour period is not really the point and you're damn straight I'm counting each one as another marathon. This is how I do 3 marathons per day plus have an extra 3 hours left over just for "me" time.
I'm currently making up some rules that will allow me to complete several conceded marathons in overlapping time periods. Think of a one mile loop course that has a single chip mat. Only, instead of split times, this chip mat is starting line of a new and different "official marathon" that I also happen to RD. So, I will complete the first mile of "I-run Marathon A" while simultaneously starting "I-run Marathon B", and so on. After 26.2 miles, I've completed the first marathon and only have one mile to go to complete marathon "B".
I guess there will need to be a second chip mat .2 miles into the loop in order to record my many finish times or I can always just record whatever round number I am close to when I was probably at 26.2 miles each time around.
I don't understand why so many people complete an entire marathon before starting another one when the miles can work just as well for both.
And, of course, I'm not actually running or walking these loops, remember. Just using the conceded putt analogy that I could do it so it counts just the same.
What I'm working on now is whether I should make the loop smaller, so I can start new marathons more frequently or if I should just cover the entire loop with chip mats so that I am continually starting and finishing marathons as frequently as current technology will allow.
This scheme will surely get me into the Marathon Maniacs Hall of Fame