Excuse me for a second while I get up on my soapbox...
Over the weekend a friend sent me this blog post
on salon.com. I encourage you to read it but beware, feelings of anger and thoughts of throwing
something across the room may happen. 
The Cliff Notes version is the author (who has never actually finished a marathon, but tried once) writes about how Oprah and all the slower runners have wrecked the competitive spirit. He writes:
"With all these runners, and all this technology, you'd think America would
be turning out faster and faster marathoners. Instead, the opposite is
happening. The more we run marathons, the slower we get -- an average
of 45 minutes slower over the last 25 years. Ryan Hall is the swiftest
American-born marathoner ever. His best race isn't in the top 250 of
all time."
He must not have done his homework when he wrote this blog on Friday because Ryan Hall beat the Marathon Trials record from the early 80s with an outstanding 2:09:02 on a very challenging, hilly Central Park course. And it was only his third marathon ever. That, and the top three men (Dathan Ritzenhein and Brian Sell) a spot on the Olympic Marathon Team are training on "Teams"sponsored by Nike, Brooks/Saturn, and Asics. These companies are investing in developing elite US marathon runners BECAUSE of the masses. And it is working.
He also fails to mention Deana Kastor who broke the American Marathon record and won a bronze medal in Athens. Little does he know that the elite runners are getting stronger because of the masses of mortal runners toeing the line at marathons. The elite runners are also the first ones to encourage mortals to run. They are by no means negatively affected by the slower runners. The larger the race, the larger the prize purse and sponsorship. Runners fast and not-so-fast contribute to their winnings.
It also hit a cord with me because he blames Oprah and the Penguin, who just happens to be my loving husband. I don't know Oprah but I love who she is and what she's done. Her marathon was all about transformation in
her own life. And she ran it in a very respectable time too. John has spent the better part of 12 years motivating inactive people to get active and discover the runner within. With obesity creeping up to being the most deadly disease in the nation, getting people active is a very good thing.
And yes, the average finish times are slower than they were 20 years ago, but there were a mere 1,000 or fewer runners in marathons then too. The times are slower because there are 30,000 runners not 1,000! It simple math. Not to mention, had the author tried to run a marathon 20 years ago, he would have been in the back of the pack. Which is the group he is blaming for the dumming down of the sport.
Today's runners fast and slow are motivating tomorrow's champions. The sons, daughters and even grandkids are watching their parents finish the race and that not only motivates them to run it also gives them permission to try. Life is short. Get out there and run, cycle, and be fit. And never let anyone tell you that you can't. Because being a marathoner is not about how fast you get to the finish, it is about having the tenacity to train, prepare and gather up the courage to show up at the start line.
Coach Jenny
Hi Jenny:
Interestingly, in church on Sunday, the minister based his sermon on this verse: "Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us." I'll close with that.
You I will respond to, because, unlike most bloggers, you signed your name. I met you a few years ago when I wrote about John for the Chicago Reader, an article I know he enjoyed. I suppose I was more opinionated this time. I did mention Deena Kastor in the article and I wish you had noted that I twice praised John, first for throwing away his cigarettes and entering a race, second for luring "overweight, insecure novices off the couch and into a pair of running shoes." Also, I did finish the Chicago Marathon. I don't object to the masses running marathons. I object to the attitude that a finisher's medal is a yuppie trophy, to hang next to the photo of the Mexican vacation. And I really object to the idea that the marathon is the be-all and end-all of the running experience. That encourages people to start running with the immediate goal of a marathon, which is just dangerous. I've been running for 25 years, and only now do I feel I'm truly ready for the challenge of the marathon.
I followed the CES half-marathon training program in 2004, for my story, and honestly, I felt it wasn't good preparation. Our longest run was 12 miles, so I was suffering at the end. It's much more fun to run a race when you're in top condition. I've got nothing against slow runners. I remember a woman in the group who was 5 feet tall, 200-plus pounds, and I thought what she was doing was wonderful. She was doing her best, with what God had given her. But there's an attitude afoot that scorns excellence. John is a musician, who worked hard to master the trombone, and then to teach his students mastery of their instruments. Ask him how he'd feel if the best known musician in America was a guy who only knew a few chords, and told his followers, "It's not important how well you play. It's just important that you pick up the instrument." What effect would that have on American music? And that's the point. More people know that Katie Holmes ran the NYC marathon that know the name of the winner, Martin Lel. We have created a running culture that no longer celebrates champions. When not even fellow runners know your name, why devote yourself to the long, hard discipline of the marathon? It's no wonder a lot of our best endurance talents are choosing soccer. The ONE THING I would ask you to do is talk to your students about Ryan Hall, Dathan Ritzenhein and Brian Sell. They need our support just as much as we need their example. I tried to make the point that we can ALL play a role in making American marathoning great, just by doing our best. In the cycling world, they don't tolerate slackers. Maybe that's why they produced Lance Armstrong.
Anyway, I am training for a marathon, probably Rockford or Green Bay this spring. My long run is up to 16 miles. I'm going to do a 24-25 mile run before the race, because I don't want to hurt like I did last time. Last night, I ran from Fleet Feet Lincoln Square. I wasn't planning a hard run, but the pace just got faster and faster and faster. I thought, "OK, pal. This is the kind of running you were writing about." I didn't lead the pack, but I ran as hard as I could. This morning, I woke up feeling like someone slept on my chest. But I also feel I did my best. Now it's easy mileage the rest of the week.