Marathon: a race too far? RT article

[ultraslacker]

I will let Holly answer for herself, but I would think it would be because most trail races aren't exact distances- for example the 5 Peaks races have distances like 12.6km. Or because they're weird distances, like 28km, or because the courses are so distinct that the wouldn't compare to another course with the same distance. You could probably think about pb's for each race, though, when you're comparing each race to itself.

Yeah, all of the above.

There's more than an hour difference between my slowest 50k and my fastest 50k, and they're both faster than the 44k race I did. If I were to run 50k on a road it would be faster (but way less fun).

Lots of people will count their pb for a specific course... that's about as specific as you can get though!

And for me, personally, the time it takes me to do a trail race is secondary to the race experience.

[LadyV]

Don't get me wrong - PB's are beautiful - everyone is happy to PB

I did mention "running the best we can on a given day" - to me, it is so different from gunning for a PB
This feels very different too - I don't really know how to explain this
and when you try your best, maybe you do end up with a PB, maybe you don't
But you do have the satisfaction of trying as hard as you can on that particular day

I like the comments about trail running - because they are hard race courses - not "flat and fast" (like most marathon advertisements say these days)
People who do trail races don't PB (unless they run the same trail course over and over again then at some point they do PB )

...or maybe I am just thinking about this because I am not PB ing anymore

OK enough said about this - I will move to the scenic route forum now...

[Dstew]

Don't get me wrong - PB's are beautiful - everyone is happy to PB


I like the comments about trail running - because they are hard race courses - not "flat and fast" (like most marathon advertisements say these days)
People who do trail races don't PB (unless they run the same trail course over and over again then at some point they do PB )

.:

A personal best in trail racing is meaningless because I have seen the exact same course be 20 minutes slower over a 6 k because one year the track was hard and fast, the next year literally a mud bath where you were pulling yourself up hills with roots and rocks. Plus, the Race Director and runners like to mix things up a little and change routes for a change.

The best thing about trail racing is that you are not going after a PB but it is the RACE. In the 5 peaks series you race against the field, against your gender and against your age category. If you are running the series, it does not matter what you did last year, it only matters that you are faster than the next runner. So tactics and strategy come more into play and so you may be holding back or surging or doing other things that would screw up a PB but will defeat your opponent. One can do that with a road race but trial racing just seems to be nothing but the competition.

[Jo-Jo]

And for me, personally, the time it takes me to do a trail race is secondary to the race experience.

Sigh...I wish I could trail race.
They sound awesome.

[MichaelMc]

And for me, personally, the time it takes me to do a trail race is secondary to the race experience.

Sigh...I wish I could trail race.
They sound awesome.

Awesome?

They hurt like Hell, wreck your shoes, give you blisters and bruise your ego... well maybe that last one is just me...

They are inexpensive and over quickly: I'll give them that!

Michael

[ultraslacker]

And for me, personally, the time it takes me to do a trail race is secondary to the race experience.

Sigh...I wish I could trail race.
They sound awesome. :D

Awesome?

They hurt like Hell, wreck your shoes, give you blisters and bruise your ego... well maybe that last one is just me... :lol:

They are inexpensive and over quickly: I'll give them that!

Michael :D

over quickly?!

[QuickChick]

Races other than ultras, yeah!
I'm too klutzy to do trail races and too ADD and speed-happy to do ultras.

[MichaelMc]

over quickly?!

Not trail ULTRAS, but most trail (XC) races are. Amazing how we all focus on OUR focus, eh?

[bruyere]

That's what I was going to say... not all trail races are ultras. There are some nice shorter distances ones and compared to marathons, they're done pretty quickly!

QC - Hey, I'm the queen of klutz in a lot of ways (do you remember my injury list at the end of 2008?). I've lost count of how many times I've fallen down. You get used to it.

[ultraslacker]

over quickly?!

Not trail ULTRAS, but most trail (XC) races are. Amazing how we all focus on OUR focus, eh?

I used to participate in the XC series in Edmonton (fall and spring). I considered them speed/hill workouts! lol They were great though.

[alexk]

I read this article and felt like he had written it just for me! In my running life, I'm totally at the juncture he describes. For many reasons (time, family committments, motivation) I can't take my training to the next level needed to run a faster marathon, right now. For a while, this frustrated me. But now I'm ok with it. I've spent my summer doing some shorter races, still logging lots of miles but not obsessing over my runs. I plan to race a half in September and run a full in October with my brother who wants to break 3:50. For some reason, I always placed limits for myself in terms of when and for how long I could get faster and stronger. I turn 40 next year and I saw that as a wall I'd hit in terms of my "growth" as a runner. I realise now, I'm in better shape at 39 than I was at 29 and I've still got some good years left! There was one part of the article I had trouble absorbing though; he mentioned reserving marathon training (to race) only for those times in our lives when we truly have the time to dedicate to it. I don't know about anyone else, but with children, a husband, a job etc, time is a luxury for me. And when I REALLY have the time, my time to race will be long gone...

[fingerboy]

I really didn't see any coherency in his article. Seems like he notices that everyone's got an opinion (with his many anecdotes) and wants to share his own.

I think he did get the point when he said people run for praise. I think all of us want to impress somebody, whether someone in our family or even ourselves (doing it for the challenge). However I think he should have stopped his article there. There is no consensus on what "proper" distances are for training or level of effort, also evidenced by our own vying points here. I think there is a general belief (I can't even say truth) that the more effort one puts in to something, the better they will become and that's about all you can get from it.



Plus I think the math is terrible.