Just How Much???

Tim

Regarding your enjoy comment...why people do push themselves in running is one of the great mysteries, although I do it myself.

As a beginner running a marathon, for example, the difference between running say 4.30 and 4.50 must be enormous. If you need to grit your teeth, suffer, dig deep etc to achieve the former, you could probably manage the latter in comfort and waving to the crowd all the way round.

When I finished NYC I remember thinking that marathons are such fantastic events and taking part at any pace - ideally a nice comfy one - is a wonderful experience. Then four months later I pull out of my FLM training with only a few weeks to go because I've injured myself over doing it.

We forget the pain of running marathons, but we also forget many of the pleasures.

Neil

Yes, I push myself to silly lengths sometimes and I suppose one must answer why - it is all part of that "seeing how far you can go" thingy. Both distance and time. It is very rewarding afterwards to have done well, and very disheartening not to have done well. This can help motivation. The latter can be negative however, one can feel jolly disappointed in "only" achieveing a 4:30 marathon, but that;'s silly. If you know you trained well and ran well, you should be jolly pleased. Beat a PB - over the moon, no matter where you came in the "race" - after all, mthe majority of us are racing ourselves and our dreams, not the other people.

Ha! that last sentence is quite cute.

Tim

Yes I've also had to take a longer lunch break, but then I just put in an hour of work after kids have gone to bed.

I was thinking about possibility of running while looking after the new boy child. Maybe if I had a treadmill I could listen out for all the sprogs while running at the same time?

Neil

Neil - Certainly possible. Otherwise a flat route and a running buggy?

Sorry LT - I am now worried about having offended you by not answering properly! But it was too good an opportunity to miss, and my humble running distances would probably not impress (0-10 when not training for a 1/2M, 12-26ish when following a schedule).

If I had one running buggy I'd need three as the other two would want to come. Could maybe tie them together and make a train?

Regarding "chasing our dreams", it may be true that we are trying to achieve our own personal goals, but often these are derived from the achievements of others. For example, at the moment I would love to do London to Brighton and would be happy just to finish within the allowed time. But I know that I would quite soon analyse past finish times to try to work out what someone of my age should be able to achieve - which would be based on what others of my age have achieved - and that would become my goal.

So all our goals are interwoven.

If all the other 33-year-old males running marathons would just sloooow down a bit please.

Neil

Neil, it is not the 33 year olds, it is the verans who are fast. But then they can spend more time training as they are not working. AND they probably do not use a computer and so do not waste time here....

I like the idea of a running choo choo - could be another money-spinning idea. MartinH over on training indirectly suggested a treadmill with in-build ironign board. Set a PB *and* get the ironing done!

Hi Doobs
No offence taken I'd much rather talk about biscuits but if my boss found me researching on the internet (this is what I have told him)about biscuits he would have one of his turns. - Obsessed health freak with perfect diet put on earth to provide help to all.(insane health club owner)I can get away with this of course as I do live with him