I think that goal is a bit much. what's your average distance and time for a run right now?

I mean I was running half marathons in about 2 hours during the late end of the season this year and I'm not convinced I can get up to a marathon next season. Personally I'd rather put in some strong 30km runs and maybe shoot for the full marathon in 2 seasons. But you never know what will happen...

Yeah, it's pretty lofty. Right now I'm doing 2 mile runs at a pace of just above 9 minutes per mile, but that's not sustainable at my fitness level for a race of any distance aside from a 5k.

The only real experience I have was the Vegas half marathon, which was 8 years ago. I ran that in just under 3 hours.

On paper, I absolutely should not do sign up for a marathon next year. On paper, I should run a few 10ks and work my way up to another half and obliterate that 3 hour embarrassment. That sounds pretty rational and pragmatic. But still, the thought of completing a marathon lingers. What better fuel than delusion?

isn't this going to cut into your posting time?

God I hope so.

hall of fame nomination withdrawn

That's amazing. Hope I'm still doing this at 72.

wm, the houston marathon looks cool. Why not shoot for the half? That's still a pretty lofty goal that won't completely take over your life the way getting ready for a marathon in 12 months would.

In other news, I failed to dress for the weather today and as a result, sustained some sort of windburn in a sensitive place. I'll be waddling around in sweat pants the rest of the day.

I’ll probably end up doing the half. My sister is looking for someone to train with, and she’s doing that race.

Dammit though, I just want to get a marathon in before I die or have kids!

(Good luck with your chodeburn, guestT )

Honestly, both dev and reid could easily train for marathons in 4 or 5 months. From what I've seen both of you are reasonably fit.

Marathon training is not hard.

It's about the commitment and with several hugely successful low-milage plans out there, there's no reason either of you couldn't do it.

I’ll do it if you do it, devlin.

I prefer to evolve at a natural pace and as a complete athlete. To me it doesn't seem realistic. I will push myself as far as I can go next season, but I know my limits and I have to respect my recovery time.

Could I run a marathon? yes.

Would I run it in a way I would be proud of? I doubt it.

This is pretty much how I feel minus the well rounded part. I'm not a well rounded athlete.

When put that way, it's hard to argue.

I'm pretty psyched because I am starting to outplay all my friends in hockey

I credit a big part of that to running

I have a jump in my step that no one else can match

for that matter I feel like a better runner the more I develop my upper body

I really think everyone should try to be a more rounded athlete in general

Why do you think people get so hung up on distance as a metric for success, dev? I would say the sentiment I'm spouting on these last couple of pages is in line with a lot of people's thoughts on what makes an "accomplished runner", but your thinking here is much more practical and, I would imagine, rewarding.

Even though I know 100% that to perform more respectably in a half marathon than I did the last time around is not only possible but probable, I want to go the full distance for no other reason but to see if I can do it. Is it a symptom of a deeper greed or vanity plaguing human nature? Some sort of inferiority complex? Just plain old FOMO?

You don't really "evolve" into a good marathon runner.

The marathon taxes specific systems of the body that have to be trained. You have to push your VO2 max and lactate threshold AND train your body to burn multiple fuel sources.

Everybody has a first marathon and you have to grind it out and push yourself.

If you're not interested in that distance, that's cool, but you shouldn't really pretend that your gonna naturally wander into marathon shape.

I'd argue if you're gonna do that, you may as well go straight into ultras, because at those distances most people don't really worry about the VO2 and lactate threshold stuff.

The marathon is so intriguing to most people because it really does seem like the furthest most people can go and still "redline" themselves the whole way.

Dude, I never said I was going to wander into. I just said I was going to incrementally train my muscles, V02 and lactate threshold. I doubled my long distances distances last summer. I understand that you have to push yourself.

I laid out my plan specifically. I want to get comfortable running 30km next season, and then full marathons the season after that. Of course, it's all hypothetical. It might go faster or slower. I don't really care. I just have to respect my recovery time.

My hope is that if I train at the proper pace that I can redline at even greater distances than a full marathon at some point.

Y’all should race to the death.

What's your plan between your running "seasons?"

Well, I still try to run once a week if the weather permits. Mostly I am playing hockey and weight training during the colder winter months. Hockey can't really compete with running in terms of cardio tho...

Jesus, Jim Walmsley ran a 1:04 HM at Houston.

Crushing the Western States CR, then a 1:04 HM six months later.

Dude's insane.