NC Penguin

You want to be the male model wearing pasties then? Go on!

runningbird

I've done the London 4 times and the New Forest once

I haven't done any since living here because i need to be stressed to train that flippin hard. Now the sunlounger gets all my stress

Are you thinking of doing one?

another bloody yank

****in crazy. It's unnatural and goes against God's will.

Englishtart

I agree! <-----26 miles-----> = car!

another bloody yank

I know a family in my town that embodies every horrible stereotypical lazy Yank trait I've ever seen mentioned on this forum. Their son played soccer on my son's team a few years ago. At one end of the practice field (The front lawn of the elementary school) is a grocery store, at the other end is the school parking lot. The kids would use the "facilities" in the grocery store because the school was locked. During one practice, their son walked off the practice field to where we were sitting and told his mother that he needed to use the bathroom. They walked over to the Tahoe, pulled out onto the road, drove the length of the soccer field to the grocery store and up to the door where she let him out to go in and do his business. She then drove him back. During this time, there were two seperate cellphone calls between the husband and wife.

This also, coincidentally (), was during the windsprint part of practice. The kid was fat, and hated running. That, and the fact his parents fed him nothing but Lunchables and Mountain Dew probably didn't help with his juvenile diabetes much, so he was fitted with an insulin pump.

Leslie

It's blasphemy and an abomination against God.

God's pissed.

Englishtart

Lots of it about! actually my son (16) is a juvenile diabetic, diagnosed when he was 7, I would love him to get the pump, mainly because of all the 'bumps' he has now from sticking needles in his arms,legs etc. His Dr says that he doesn't need it though, because he has such good control over his blood sugars! My son is not interested in having it fitted, so no big deal really. He has a hard time controlling his weight if he doesn't stay active, he plays raquetball and lifts weights, but he hates all the team sports in school.
This rental we are in till May, has a community postbox about 500 yards from the unit, my next door neighbour will get in her car (in her p.j's) and drive to the box to get her mail!! :curse:

another bloody yank

500 yds is a pretty fair walk!

Hiro11

I know lots of people who see completing a marathon as the gold standard of being a good runner. I disagree. I'm a fairly serious runner, but for two reasons, I'm not a big fan of marathons:

1. They're really bad for your body. The amount of mileage you need to put in to train for one (say 35-40 miles a week at peak) almost guarantees injury. Also, they're so punishing that it takes at least a couple of weeks to recover after completing a marathon. If you're running to keep your body healthy, a marathon is almost counter-productive.

2. For most people, a marathon is more about finishing than about the time. This seems pointless to me. Almost anyone can train for a few months and shuffle 26 miles at 12 minutes/mile pace. Doing a marathon fast (say, 8 minutes/mile or faster), now that's a challenge. Personally, I think it's harder to do something like complete a 5K in less than 17 minutes than to simply finish a marathon.

All of this is, of course, in my opinion only. I fully understand the sacrifice necessary to complete a marathon, it's just not for me. Personally, I'm more interested in shorter, faster races. More fun, less chance of injury and they can be just as challenging (in a different way).

Captain Cheesestick

I have about as much interest in marathons as you do. I cannot for the life imagine why anyone would want to run with anyone else. I do middle distance running because I love running, I can set my own pace (if I want to run ridiculously hard for 3 or 4 miles I can) I can pretty much go anywhere and it's ME time. A good 8-10 mile run with just my headphones and a relatively predetermined route is wonderful stuff.

sime303

I look at our treadmill several times a year.

Octang Frye

Thanks Runningbird. Meep-meep/bottle-bottle.

I have to agree with you Hiro11, but I'm still torn. It would be a nice achievement, but as you say, it can be bad for your body. I read something yesterday about a study on recreational marathon runners where they found evidence of heart damage following the event.

My main goals are to lose some weight, get fitter, and experience the runner's high. To that end, I'm probably going to train for a couple of half-marathons and then possibly think about doing the full thing next year.

We'll see how it goes.

And I don't want to get all skeletal either.

Octang Frye

Not with an iPod. I don't know how people ever ran/walked without one.

I'm guess the distance is closer to 200 yards. Can't say for sure though. Just a feeling.

Soccer Ref

I have run 3 Marathons, one London and 2 Humbersides.

I also ran a lot of half marathons, including the Great North Run (the field was 31,000 runners the year I did it). One of the most scenic was the Clumber Park Half Marathon in Nottinghamshire.

All this took place many years ago, when I was a fit referee, performing on the higher leagues. I used to run 3 miles every morning, as well as officiate on 3 football matches every week! Ah, those were the days!!

orangemirror

I did a half-marathon and a few 10ks back in the UK. And one time a "friend' of mine persuaded me to do Tough Guy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tough_Guy_Competition
It was comfortably the most miserable experience of my life and will never be repeated.
I do promise myself to one day to a full marathon - just once.
Anyway I stopped running after moving to Atlanta and it being about 100 degrees every day for the first few months i was here.
Does anybody have any advice how you are supposed to run in that kind of weather because i'd like to start again?