Why do slow runners write articles?

i love how the slowest people are on high fat diets.

lol ive literally never heard high fat low carb.

"A few pro runners, like 2:31:29 marathoner Zach Bitter, have switched to LCHF diets."

That's a good marathon time... but def not "pro"

halpmeronda wrote:

lol ive literally never heard high fat low carb.

"A few pro runners, like 2:31:29 marathoner Zach Bitter, have switched to LCHF diets."

That's a good marathon time... but def not "pro"

You've seriously never heard of the Atkins diet?

Wow.

Atkins is for overweight 40 year olds who think they will feel better eating bacon.

Fast Runner wrote:

No disrespect to this person, because it happens all the time. But why should I care about someone's grueling journey to a 4:07 PR? Obviously they don't care. Why would I?

I didn't read this article, but someone's PR has little to do with how well they can write or talk about running. Chris Berman never played football, but has had an amazing career reporting on it.

And when I read the blogs of pro runners, it usually is so poorly written and lacks insight, that it offers almost no running knowledge value to the reader.

Chris Berman isn't writing about his experiences playing wide receiver. No one who gives a gosh darn rinds 4:07, like it was some epic breakthrough.

Seems like a decent mile time.

1. Most people, including those with elite backgrounds, are dirt slow compared to someone else.

2. It's perfectly legitimate to write for an audience of "slow" runners, which a slow runner would be ideally positioned to do.

3. The validity of your argument has nothing to do with how fast you are.

4. How much you know about training and diet has nothing to do with how fast you are.

Those slow runners may want to actually train instead of thinking that they will gimmick their way to a good time with a new diet. She probably runs 30 mpw, but is desperate to find the key to breaking four hours.

Those slow runners may want to actually train instead of thinking that they will gimmick their way to a good time with a new diet. She probably runs 30 mpw, but is desperate to find the key to breaking four hours.

My point is not that only world-class runners, or even BQers should be writing personal narratives about their training. But I have a difficult time understanding why I should have any interest in what this woman has to say about her experience. She ran a bunch of marathons in the 4:20-30 range. She's a classic "finisher." She finishes in the back half of the field in every marathon she runs, presumably. She seems to be reasonably healthy - it's not an inspirational tale of someone who tipped the scales at 300 pounds and now runs marathons. Then, she writes an article in the most widely read running magazine out there about how this time she was really going to lay it on the line for a good time. And she runs a 4:07 while admitting that she wasn't mentally tough enough to run it any faster than that. If you don't enjoy running enough to put any real effort into it - and it doesn't take that much effort to break four freaking hours - then find another exercise hobby. And certainly don't pretend to be an avid runner by writing training articles about it. And, for God's sake Runner's World, don't publish this tripe.

(Again, I'm picking on this one person and this one article. But you see these pieces all the time. "This time I really gave it my all. I looked up at the clock at the finish line. I had broken 25 minutes in the 5K!")

More people are going to relate to someone running around 4 hours for a marathon vs a pro shooting for sub 2:10 so they write them because more people read them. Why would a female hobby jogger bother reading an article about someone that runs 100 mpw when they're never going to do that and even if they did it wouldn't make them run that much faster anyway. Running is about 90% natural ability - "caring" doesn't make you that much faster.

Fast Runner wrote:

Those slow runners may want to actually train instead of thinking that they will gimmick their way to a good time with a new diet. She probably runs 30 mpw, but is desperate to find the key to breaking four hours.

1. Many people would never break 4 hours no matter how they trained.

2. There's no evidence that running more than 30mpw is necessary to reach any level of performance.

You really think that there are people under age 50 or so, who don't have any obvious physical limitations, who can't break 4 hours? I really don't.

halpmeronda wrote:

lol ive literally never heard high fat low carb.

"A few pro runners, like 2:31:29 marathoner Zach Bitter, have switched to LCHF diets."

That's a good marathon time... but def not "pro"

He's an ultrarunner. Holds the 100 mile world record (11:40).

Im sure everybody under 50 that doesn't have disabilities or health problems can be trained to run 3:30(Men) and 3:50(Girls)

DFASDFAFADF wrote:

1. Many people would never break 4 hours no matter how they trained.

I just don't believe this. That number has to be vanishingly small. Four hours takes some level of commitment - you can't just show up that day and run it like it's a turkey trot at the VFW. But I would say 99 percent of people in reasonably decent physical condition could easily break it with a little bit of effort.

DFASDFAFADF wrote:

2. There's no evidence that running more than 30mpw is necessary to reach any level of performance.

Explain this further.

I know where you are coming from. A self promoting Instagramer followed me, and he predominantly gives tips on stretching, warming up, diet, etc. There are a couple videos of him running and pictures of his watch after workouts. He is like a 16:50 5k runner. Yet, he has a cult following of like 200k who treat him like a running god.

Tips are very RunnersWorld esque. I have no idea why, but listening to him give very mediocre advice makes me irrationally angry. It shouldn't! But it does.

Fast Runner wrote:

My point is not that only world-class runners, or even BQers should be writing personal narratives about their training. But I have a difficult time understanding why I should have any interest in what this woman has to say about her experience.

And yet you posted this year-old article and have written five responses about it. Sure sounds like you have an interest in it.