Question:
Jeff Galloway regards using regular
walking breaks in your marathon
run. One side of me sees this as
eminently pragmatic, another sees
it as somehow invalidating
the experience. Nonetheless, it
may be my only way of getting through
my first marathon in one piece,
so I was interested in what the
marathoners on here think of it.
The whole idea of the marathon is
a bizarre one in some ways - you
set up this ridiculous challenge
to yourself, and the reward is presumably
the sense of triumph in having achieved
the nigh-on impossible, to run that
26.2 miles. So, if you throw in
walking breaks, are you not somehow
running a 'real' marathon? But,
if making it easier for yourself
diminishes the meaning of the experience,
why all the fancy running shoes
and the sports drinks and gels?
Surely attempting to do it, without
prior training, in your normal clothes
is the only real way for the purists?
Answer:
I had to walk to finish my first
marathon, and there will be PLENTY
of people who will say that I didn't
really do a marathon because I walked
some of it. I look at that logic
as similar to saying you don't really
drive a car if you never raced at
Indy or Daytona. You do it if you
can, and if not you do what you
can.
I think the
accomplishment can only be viewed
within the context of preparation.
The marathon is not so much about
completing the distance as it is
about preparing for it.
If one is
out there 16 weeks out, having built
up a good base, preparing for the
distance, then the race is just
a graduation exercise celebrating
that preparation. If an 80 year
old has been preparing and come
in in 8 hours running and walking,
then great, as long as the preparation
is there to the best of that persons
genetics, age and ability.
If one hasn't got the time to prepare
for it then it shouldn't be done.
Reminds me of the Mayor of Toronto
who, while running for office touted
she ran a marathon. Turns out she
completed the thing in something
like 7 hours because she only put
in 15 mile weeks. She attributed
the lack of mileage and training
to lack of time. Her marathon run
simply cheapened the accomplishment
for all of those who did prepare
and did their best within their
genetic, age and physical abilities.
