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- May 16, 2012
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well, i mean you could say that about world cups - they are very infrequent. Greatest players in the world could get crocked and miss their shot.before I read this I was wondering why Tommy wasn't at the Olympics but he was already there in 1992.
the thing that ruins marathons for is how little competition there is. 5 marathons per year is a good amount.
in cycling there's guys doing over 70 days racing p.a. and over 50 days is unremarkable.
so there's quickly another chance if you mess up and from a viewing point it adds some soap opera rivalry and polemics.
a friend on mine trained for the Dublin marathon and got injured and really suffered. her time was far off what she was capable of. some years later she is still a keen runner and cycles but AFAIK didn't bother with marathons after that.
if someone eats properly and does some moderate exercise and is near there correct weight, then unless they have elite level ability personally I'd leave it that.
overall though it's empowering to challenge yourself to do this - maybe that's where the buzz is.
if I ran, I'd wreck my feet, get pains in my shins and get a hernia sooner or later. I have a track record with those three.
I couldn't image doing a marathon in under 5:30-6 hours in my best days as slim 20 year old.
'
people are generally racing against time rather than each other also
Kipchoge only runs 2 or 3 marathons per year
The thing about running a 5-6 hour marathon is that it's probably harder and tougher than running a sub-4 marathon
Training is as much about shortening your time on your feet on raceday as it is about getting faster (these are kinda the same thing, but the emphasis is all the difference)
Tommy there running his 2:30 had an easier day than the lad who skipped a bunch of his training and ended up fighting for every mile over 4 or 5 hours on the course.
Part of the buzz is adapting your body over time and bringing something you thought impossible into the realm of the possible.
It makes your world bigger, it changes what you think is possible for you in life itself.
Which is a nice thought for old lads
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