Funny. I feel like I've trained for the last several months. And I vaguely remember participating in some large, long distance event in Denver last year (silly me, I thought it was a Marathon, but I guess I was wrong). I guess I'll just be heading out to New York next week to run around the city (but not literally, since I don't do that) and take in the sights. I'm so glad these women set me straight before I embarrassed myself!
But now seriously - I'm out there for hours, upon hours at a time. Do you think I wouldn't like to be faster? Trust me, I'd love to get out there, bust out 26 miles and get home in time to catch the morning news. The fact of the matter is, it's just not gonna happen, at least not this time. I've trained hard, trying to keep a balance between running, exam studying, working and trying to remind the hubs that he's still married. I don't think I've worked any less - or any more - than most people. Yes, there are some that put in 100 mile weeks...and there are some that put in 10 mile weeks, but I really think that for the most part, I'm right there in the "average" section with most of them.
The thing is, being out there for 6+ hours is a long time. It's that much more time to allow negative thoughts into your head, more time to question your sanity, to wonder if you're capable, if you've done the right thing, if you should keep going, for injury to set in or flare up. I'm not saying that being slow makes me (or anyone) better than someone who's fast, but being out on a course for that much time really messes with your head and your body in ways that being out there for 3 hours can't.
I usually hate it when people tell me that I'm their inspiration or a superhero or things like that. I don't deserve any of that. I'm just a girl who decided to try something one day - the same as anyone else can be. We ALL have the ability to do things like this - and even more than this. But when there are people out there saying "No, you don't deserve the opportunity to be out there because you don't meet my standards," it really bothers me. It takes away some of our ability and it hinders some people who already have doubts. I think we need to remember that there will always be the people you can't please, and as long as you're making yourself happy - and doing things for YOU - you'll keep on rocking on. And that's what running is about anyway.
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I need to give credit to The Athena Diaries, which is where I found this article. The Athena Diaries is written by a tough, amazing triathlete, marathoner, ultramarathoner that I've met once before at a race. She probably doesn't remember me, but her blog has helped me through my training many, many times.
6 comments:
OMG I also saw that article and think it completely ridiculous! My favorite part is when Julia Given, a 4:05 marathoner, passes judgment when her time isn't even fast enough to qualify for Boston for her age group. I'm sure there are plenty of Boston runners that would pass the same judgment on her for being "slow"
If speed is so important to her, perhaps she should stop worrying about other people's speed and start focusing on her own. That way the rest of us slow runners can get a break.
And I also think that taking 5, 6, 7+ hours to finish a marathon takes so much more determination and mental toughness then a 3 hour marathoner could even imagine.
I ditto the previous poster, I think taking longer to finish takes SO much more determination and mental toughness than those 3 hour marathoners!
Hmm...turns out that Ms. Adrienne, one of the women quoted in the article, ran a 5:49 at NYC back in 1985 - her second marathon. Doesn't sound like she has much room to talk.
http://www.athlinks.com/myresults.aspx?rid=25910826
Wow.
Just...wow.
How self-centered can you get? Regardless of how long it takes you, you deserve to be there all the same as anyone else. In fact, in my book, you deserve it more. Running for 6+ hours requires infinitely more strength and endurance than someone else running in a shorter period of time. How horrible to say that you don't deserve to be there, or shouldn't be there. You trained the same as everyone else - you worked as hard, if not harder, than everyone else - and your 26.2 miles is the same 26.2 miles everyone else does.
One day I hope that person realizes how inane and stupid her comments are.
Grr. People are stupid.
PS - thanks for the link to Athena Diaries...I've already bookmarked the site.
That article is absolute BS! Every marathoner runs the exact same 26.2 miles!
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