Lance Armstrong and the Marathon

you guys dont get it, he said he wants to live a much calmer life now. now way in f***ing hell he'll ever put the amount of effort into training for a marathon needed to run sub 2:15... chrissake, doing that is equivalent to the amount of training he does for tour de france.

Funny you should write that about the gap between 2H12 and 2H20... I always had the same impression

As for the guy who wrote he can go sub 2H20 but definitely not sub 2H15... wtf???? You haven't got a f***ing clue mate...

Here's a quote from Lance:

"No, there’s no possibility of returning to racing with a number on my back," he said. "I won't be like Michael Jordan. I'll still ride my bike to stay fit and I could also participate in a few mountain bike races or ‘cross just for enjoyment, but no more road racing." Then again, Armstrong didn't rule out a little competition in his new life completely. Asked whether he preferred golf to a marathon now, he said, " No doubt: marathon. I would like to train to run under two hours and 30 minutes, and perhaps I will shoot for two hours and 15. I know that I will face my challenges on other roads of life - but not soon. In the end, winning, being the best was a necessity for me, almost an obsession. From now on I won't have that any more. I need a normal life. Of calm."

Absoulutely not way he will run 2 hours 15.

I am inclined to agree. We're getting into pretty talented runner territory there.

However, Nell Mcandrew, a british page 3 model with no previous athletic record of any description has managed 3:10 so it doens't take much of a leap of faith to imagine lance being capable of sub 2:30 does it?

I definitely believe he could do 2:30, not so sure about 2:15. But who knows, never underestimate Lance.

Under 2 hrs 30mins, its pretty good running, given his age and amount of actual time he has spent running...i would say 215 is out of his reach. He knows what it feels like to ride for 6 or 7 hrs a day with his team...does he know how it feels to go run 20+ miles on a training run solo?

Uhh, he may be with his team in the tour, but he rides those 6, 7, even 9 hour training rides alone. I wouldn't underestimate his drive and determination. I'm not saying that 20+ miles of running is easy, but compared with 2,000+miles of biking over the course of three weeks in the mountains of France, come on...

junior wrote:

Under 2 hrs 30mins, its pretty good running, given his age and amount of actual time he has spent running...i would say 215 is out of his reach. He knows what it feels like to ride for 6 or 7 hrs a day with his team...does he know how it feels to go run 20+ miles on a training run solo?

I think mentally cycling solo for 7 hours is tougher than running solo for 2.5. I've tried both!

I've thought about it a bit more and think there's no question he could manage 2:30. He has a world class runners level heart and lungs and after a few months his legs should adapt to the different stresses of running. He's not just used to long rides either. A typical TDF time trial is similar to a half marathon in terms of time and he'll be used to the tough couple of hours at the ends of stages so performing at marathon intensity should be something he's used to.

A true elite level time would likely be out of reach but a 2:30 - no problem!!

He'll get 2:30 if he really wants to. The engine and running form are there. 2:15? I'd love to see him at the Olympic trials. Man, would that boost the sport!!!

Where'd that quote come from?

Lance is genetically right up there with the best when it comes to low lacate production. His body fat/weight will be ideal. And he sure know how to train.

Almost anyone can go and do 2:30 if they train hard and smart. And nobody trains harder and smarter than Lance.

If he WANTS to go for it (and that is the big question) he will definitely be able to go sub 2:20 and probably 2:15. Maybe even faster still. 2:30 would hardly be a challenge!

seeing how the general public would not know how much of a difference there is between a 2:30 and 2:15 in the marathon, and really wouldn't think there's much of a difference between a 2:30 and 2:22, - if lance starts to marathon, the powers of our sport should slow the trials qualifier to a time lance could hit....call it 2:30. It would get lance into the trials (sure, and another 200 runners who run between 2:22 and 2:30) but the trials would be a media circus as the the public is convinced that lance has a shot at making the olympic marathon team. of course they wouldn;t know that would have realistically no chance of making the team, it could briefly promote the sport to a new level. of course, then all we'd do is bitch about lance getting all the press.

you really think ALMOST ANYONE can run under 2:30 if they train hard and smart enough? I've got to call bullshit.

LA quote is from:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2005/jul05/jul28news2

Absolutely no way will he win 7 Tours in a row.

I'm not saying that he will run 2:15 or even that he could if he tried, but it's silly to rule him out just like you did. There's no doubt that he has the engine and the drive; the question is whether he has the running skills (see Jordan play baseball).

I think there would be disappointment from the US (non-athletic) general public if Lance took part in the US Olympic Trails Marathon and came (like) 20th in 2.24 or some such.

He has attained a status as some kind of sporting God, and the fact that he did not win would be a huge surprise and disappointment to his adoring public.

He should not (seriously) compete again. And make it very clear that he is not doing so.

he's been running since he was ten ive read in an article. I'm sure in his triathlon days he could run low 30's for a 10k. i'd say give him a year of training and he'll run 2:20's first time out.

stranger things have happened. There are a number of elite triathletes who are elite/sub-elite level runners. Granted Lance isn't now and hasn't been a triathlete for a long time, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him run well under 2:30 if he wants to.