Anyone run in college, keep running after college into 40's and not run a marathon?

socal cush - I'd be very interested to hear your reasoning for why you don't plan to run a marathon. I tend to agree, but I'm wondering what got you to that conclusion.

I have been running for over 45 years, tried one marathon and dropped out. I never did another, their too boring.

I ran D1 cross country and track and field in college (long sprints, middle distance and even one season running the steeple and one 5k thrown in). Ran 5K-10K road and trail races and did triathlons after college (won quite a few). Never had the desire nor the time to do a marathon (marathons are where fast runners go to die). I ended up pacing my wife at one years later (after I had given up competitive running) as it was on her bucket list (it was on one of my lists too that rhymes with bucket). Never want to do another one. Not that it is difficult (because it isn't). It is because to competitively train for one requires insane amounts of time and it really isn't good for your body.

ukathleticscoach wrote:

I did one when I first started running aged 18 then avoided it for the next 20+ years

No I don't suddenly feel like running one

10 miles is long run. Its double that + a 10km!

A lot of poepl claim to have run a marathon when what they have actually done is a hike the weight of a backpack

Lol! So true

Matters not what others have done or the reasons why they did such things. If you don't want to run a marathon, then don't.

You are not alone. College miler and CC runner and now masters' runner. Have run 1 1/2 mare and found it kinda fun, but pretty boring. Never have and never will run a full mare. 0% interest. Still love speed and the ROI you get from training for 5ks and track.

reality czech wrote:

socal cush - I'd be very interested to hear your reasoning for why you don't plan to run a marathon. I tend to agree, but I'm wondering what got you to that conclusion.

1) i like running daily too much (especially with coaching). the recovery period from running a fast one would be no fun.

2) as noted by others, i'd hate to put all my eggs in one basket, then have it go awry--that'd be too frustrating for me, mainly because i have a very limited amount of time and energy to devote to running and racing. to run a marathon, and do the training required to run one well, would require some tweaking of my routine, and a greater amount of time and discipline than i probably am able to muster up right now. but if i did, and then had something go wrong beyond my control, i'd lose my mind...

3) i still like running fast (or at least the feeling of running fast). i'm aware that is a relative term, and will continue to be, but in a 5k, there is still that feeling of running fast all-out, especially at the end. i can't quite duplicate that in a half-marathon--i'm assuming that would doubly be the case in a marathon. yes, i know a well-run marathon takes maximum effort/focus like any other race, but i'm pretty sure legendary miler mark twain said "a marathon is a good walk spoiled"....

4) i really don't have the desire. yes, i occasionally feel the pull when people go on about iconic races like boston, and i am at least slightly annoyed when people (mostly non-runners or recreational runners) ask if i've run one and are visibly shocked or even disappointed when i say no, but at the end of the day i have as much a desire to run almost 8-26 times my preferred distances as i have to run 1/16th or 1/50th my preferred distances...

socal cush wrote:

1) i like running daily too much (especially with coaching). the recovery period from running a fast one would be no fun.

2) as noted by others, i'd hate to put all my eggs in one basket...

3) i still like running fast (or at least the feeling of running fast)...

4) i really don't have the desire...

Thanks for the reply - for me, #3 and #1 are the biggest reasons, with #2 close behind. I still love the feeling of hitting a downhill towards the end of a 5K and hitting the big red 'GO' button. It's like throwing yourself off a cliff for the thrill of it.