'this that time of the year (again)

[LadyV]

check this out
nothing new, but this looks like racers vs plodders is being discussed in the 'mainstream media'
there was an article in La Presse this morning, refering to this http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/sport ... =2&_r=2&em

[seuss]

hope i never meet her:

Longtime marathoners like Julia Given, a 46-year-old marketing director from Charlottesville, Va., still find ways to differentiate the “serious runners” from those at the back of the pack.

“If you’re wearing a marathon T-shirt, that doesn’t mean much anymore,” Given said on the eve of this month’s Baltimore Marathon, where vendors were selling products that celebrate slower runners. One sticker said: “I’m slow. I know. Get over it.”

“I always ask those people, ‘What was your time?’ If it’s six hours or more, I say, ‘Oh great, that’s fine, but you didn’t really run it,’ ” said Given, who finished the Baltimore race in 4:05:52. “The mystique of the marathon still exists. It’s the mystique of the fast marathon.”

as if the shirt was really the hallmark of her marathon performance...

what exactly about my 6:22 marathon takes away from her 4:05 one? does she honestly think that i am fooling myself into believing i can run as fast as she can?

i have to say nothing ever looked better than mr seuss heading out in his RVM MARATHON jacket. he probably got more joy out of completing a marathon than she ever will.

[ultraslacker]

lol, like her 4:05 is a blistering pace!

I don't understand why people need to be that way.

[seuss]

lol, like her 4:05 is a blistering pace!

I don't understand why people need to be that way.

well, if we wanted to round it to the nearest minute it would be 4:06, but i wanted to be generous.

it just seems so different from any runner i have ever met who is happy to encourage another runner, no matter what ability.

[MINITEE]

lol, like her 4:05 is a blistering pace!

I don't understand why people need to be that way.

Because there are wonderful people who feel the need to make their own accomplishments seem better by putting other peoples accomplishments down.

Now, if she had run under 4:00 then she can talk. Our very own QuickChick (amongst other RM ladies) can beat her hiney any day!

[Sir Crashalot]

I think I would love to have a conversation with her. I happen to like all my shirts.. enev the dnf/dns ones

[ultraslacker]

lol, like her 4:05 is a blistering pace!

I don't understand why people need to be that way.

Because there are wonderful :roll: people who feel the need to make their own accomplishments seem better by putting other peoples accomplishments down.

Now, if she had run under 4:00 then she can talk. Our very own QuickChick (amongst other RM ladies) can beat her hiney any day! ;)

the vindictive side of me hopes that someday (soon) a sub-3 marathoner tells Ms. Given that she is too slow to be a marathoner.

[seuss]

lol, like her 4:05 is a blistering pace!

I don't understand why people need to be that way.

Because there are wonderful people who feel the need to make their own accomplishments seem better by putting other peoples accomplishments down.

Now, if she had run under 4:00 then she can talk. Our very own QuickChick (amongst other RM ladies) can beat her hiney any day!

the vindictive side of me hopes that someday (soon) a sub-3 marathoner tells Ms. Given that she is too slow to be a marathoner.

well she didn't REALLY run you know...

[eme]

hope i never meet her:

Longtime marathoners like Julia Given, a 46-year-old marketing director from Charlottesville, Va., still find ways to differentiate the “serious runners” from those at the back of the pack.

“If you’re wearing a marathon T-shirt, that doesn’t mean much anymore,” Given said on the eve of this month’s Baltimore Marathon, where vendors were selling products that celebrate slower runners. One sticker said: “I’m slow. I know. Get over it.”

“I always ask those people, ‘What was your time?’ If it’s six hours or more, I say, ‘Oh great, that’s fine, but you didn’t really run it,’ ” said Given, who finished the Baltimore race in 4:05:52. “The mystique of the marathon still exists. It’s the mystique of the fast marathon.”

as if the shirt was really the hallmark of her marathon performance...

what exactly about my 6:22 marathon takes away from her 4:05 one? does she honestly think that i am fooling myself into believing i can run as fast as she can?

i have to say nothing ever looked better than mr seuss heading out in his RVM MARATHON jacket. he probably got more joy out of completing a marathon than she ever will.

People like this woman make my blood boil - how dare she deem another person as 'unworthy' just because they are slow. I am darn proud of my 5:49 marathon!

[Irongirl]

Because there are wonderful people who feel the need to make their own accomplishments seem better by putting other peoples accomplishments down.

Now, if she had run under 4:00 then she can talk. Our very own QuickChick (amongst other RM ladies) can beat her hiney any day!

the vindictive side of me hopes that someday (soon) a sub-3 marathoner tells Ms. Given that she is too slow to be a marathoner.

well she didn't REALLY run you know...

she probably took *gasp* walk breaks too!

[turd ferguson]

she probably took *gasp* walk breaks too!

And wore an iPod

[Nicholas]

And it's not even a BQ time.....so, how can she be "fast"? But, who really cares, anyway.....

[Jwolf]

hope i never meet her:

Longtime marathoners like Julia Given, a 46-year-old marketing director from Charlottesville, Va., still find ways to differentiate the “serious runners” from those at the back of the pack.

“If you’re wearing a marathon T-shirt, that doesn’t mean much anymore,” Given said on the eve of this month’s Baltimore Marathon, where vendors were selling products that celebrate slower runners. One sticker said: “I’m slow. I know. Get over it.”

“I always ask those people, ‘What was your time?’ If it’s six hours or more, I say, ‘Oh great, that’s fine, but you didn’t really run it,’ ” said Given, who finished the Baltimore race in 4:05:52. “The mystique of the marathon still exists. It’s the mystique of the fast marathon.”

as if the shirt was really the hallmark of her marathon performance...

what exactly about my 6:22 marathon takes away from her 4:05 one? does she honestly think that i am fooling myself into believing i can run as fast as she can?

The odd thing is that it's not the elites that seem to care about the slower marathoners. It's the "sort-of fast" people. 4:05 is not fast (and yes, that's almost exactly my time, too). Then again, not all 3 or 4-hour marathoners are elitist, either.

I'm not sure why people think that the slower marathoners somehow cheapens their experience. Some people will even say that you didn't "run" a marathon if you took walk breaks even if you finished faster than someone who ran every step. All these people need to get over themselves.

[Jwolf]

There was also a thread in Letsrun about this:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read. ... ad=3269100

Some of the faster guys there agree with the article, but the best (sarcastic) reply was:

It is time to separate out the real marathon from the rest. The marathon should be defined as having a maximum finishing time of 3:59.59 for men, 4:29.59 for women. After 4 and 4:30, you are not allowed to finish. Armed guards are dispatched to the finish line. Medals go to age group top 3. You must finish to get any free marathon gear, even the free goody bag from sponsors.

For those who can't run a marathon, we will create the "Spirit Life Opportunity Wonderful Achievment in Superior Sportsmanship Run". No time limit. The distance will be 26.3, so everyone can think they are superior to those running the real marathon because they went a smidge further. There results will be graded for BMI (fatter runners will be given a time reduction over skinny runners). There will be buffets and picnic tables along the race course to maximize fueling. And you get your medal at the start, because being brave enough to start the run is what it is all about.

[seuss]

oooh - SLOWASS perfect! - that's me! let see, i could get a cupcake company and a potato chip company to sponsor me...who else? maybe la-z-boy?

[Jwolf]

oooh - SLOWASS perfect! - that's me! let see, i could get a cupcake company and a potato chip company to sponsor me...who else? maybe la-z-boy?

I didn't even get the acronym.

This guy is being tongue-in-cheek, though. There are others who actually would support what he's saying.

[seuss]

oooh - SLOWASS perfect! - that's me! let see, i could get a cupcake company and a potato chip company to sponsor me...who else? maybe la-z-boy?

I didn't even get the acronym.

This guy is being tongue-in-cheek, though. There are others who actually would support what he's saying.

i am reading that thread now. very um, entertaining.

[QuickChick]

Come on... chill that blood out... there will always be people faster, and always (probably) people slower than all of us. 4:05 is not that fast... probably not even in the top half. She's just got a chip on her shoulder and too big of an ego. Who really cares... it's so not worth getting upset over. That's probably what she's looking for- to start a big knock-down-drag-em-out debate in which runners, mostly slower runners, get all pissed off. Notice most of the fastest people on RM haven't said anything. Instead of getting all mad, get out and run, and run your best. You won't win your next race probably, but you know what- neither will she!!

[DougG]

When I read the article I thought "ho hum another non story". So, a few people feel that slower runners don't belong? So what, it's not news. Who cares what they think. I'm slow, but I don't run for others, I run for me.

[La]

And it's not even a BQ time.....

That's the first thing I thought!

The odd thing is that it's not the elites that seem to care about the slower marathoners. It's the "sort-of fast" people. 4:05 is not fast (and yes, that's almost exactly my time, too). Then again, not all 3 or 4-hour marathoners are elitist, either.

I'm not sure why people think that the slower marathoners somehow cheapens their experience. Some people will even say that you didn't "run" a marathon if you took walk breaks even if you finished faster than someone who ran every step. All these people need to get over themselves.

hope i never meet her:

Longtime marathoners like Julia Given, a 46-year-old marketing director from Charlottesville, Va., still find ways to differentiate the “serious runners” from those at the back of the pack.

“If you’re wearing a marathon T-shirt, that doesn’t mean much anymore,” Given said on the eve of this month’s Baltimore Marathon, where vendors were selling products that celebrate slower runners. One sticker said: “I’m slow. I know. Get over it.”

“I always ask those people, ‘What was your time?’ If it’s six hours or more, I say, ‘Oh great, that’s fine, but you didn’t really run it,’ ” said Given, who finished the Baltimore race in 4:05:52. “The mystique of the marathon still exists. It’s the mystique of the fast marathon.”

as if the shirt was really the hallmark of her marathon performance...

what exactly about my 6:22 marathon takes away from her 4:05 one? does she honestly think that i am fooling myself into believing i can run as fast as she can?

The odd thing is that it's not the elites that seem to care about the slower marathoners. It's the "sort-of fast" people. 4:05 is not fast (and yes, that's almost exactly my time, too). Then again, not all 3 or 4-hour marathoners are elitist, either.

I'm not sure why people think that the slower marathoners somehow cheapens their experience. Some people will even say that you didn't "run" a marathon if you took walk breaks even if you finished faster than someone who ran every step. All these people need to get over themselves.

+1

Whatever.

[Darth Tater]

There was also a thread in Letsrun about this:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read. ... ad=3269100

Some of the faster guys there agree with the article, but the best (sarcastic) reply was:

....

.... And you get your medal at the start, because being brave enough to start the run is what it is all about.

I LOVE this part of that response. AWESOME!

[HCcD]

Probably just another newspaper writer/columnist looking to get a raise from their Editors ... by increasing the readership of what they write ... blah blah blah ...

[La]

Runners in the Honolulu Marathon have no limits. Race rules state, “All runners will be permitted to finish, regardless of their time.”

Last year, 44 percent of the field for that event finished in more than six hours — with some marathoners stopping for lunch along the course.

Um, I think I'd draw the line at the "stopping for lunch along the course" part. For me, the differentiator is whether someone continued moving forward (except for potty breaks, water stations, stopping to stretch, etc.).

[dgrant]

Um, I think I'd draw the line at the "stopping for lunch along the course" part.

Elitist!

[ultraslacker]

Um, I think I'd draw the line at the "stopping for lunch along the course" part.

Elitist!

ultrarunners do it. :)

Seems to me ShinSplints has done it too!