MARATHON FAMILY MATTERS

This is my marathon family.

We all lived in Seaside at the time.

I couldn’t tell you any of their names because I don’t know them.

But they’re still family, temporary family.

We all shared similar dreams and aspirations, like finishing near the time we trained for, hoped for, sweated for.

Family life should be so simple.

The marathon family boils down, literally, to intentions and the work done to fulfill them.

Set goal.

Achieve goal.

Set next goal.

Maybe join the ultra-marathon family?

As a marathon man I have an inkling of turning seven minute miles one after another for twenty-six miles.

 

What’s It Like For Runners

From Run Motion:

 

In an effort to illustrate just how challenging it is to match the pace of the world marathon record, we’ve drawn up a comparison based on various levels of athletic ability.

• 10 meters: 1.7 seconds – Virtually anyone

• 50 meters: 8.5 seconds – Suitable for a child or an active individual

• 100 meters: 17 seconds – Attainable for a casual athlete

• 200 meters: 34 seconds – Within reach for an occasional runner

• 400 meters: 1 minute and 8 seconds – Achievable by a community-level runner

• 800 meters: 2 minutes and 17 seconds – A mark for a competent regional female runner

• 1000 meters: 2 minutes and 52 seconds – Comparable to a skilled soccer player or a talented regional youth runner (aged 15)

• 1500 meters: 4 minutes and 18 seconds – The pace of an experienced national-level veteran runner

• 3000 meters: 8 minutes and 36 seconds – Possible for a seasoned regional runner

• 5km: 14 minutes and 21 seconds – The speed of an elite French runner or a female Olympic medalist

• 10km: 28 minutes and 42 seconds – A time typical among France’s top 10km runners

• Half marathon: 1 hour, 0 minutes, and 34 seconds – Standard for a professional half marathon athlete

 

If you feel like going out and turning a few hot laps after reading about the times and distances, you’re normal.

Go ahead and check in. What kind of runner are you?

What kind do you want to be?

 

The Permanent Family

These are two brothers.

One lived in Alaska, the other in Washington.

The one on the left went to the one on the right’s funeral.

Maybe they visited one another, maybe they didn’t, but they were part of the same family, and it wasn’t the marathon family.

 

Join The Marathon Family

Every family has hurdles to clear.

A big one for me was answering the continuous question of, “Why is it so important to you to stay in shape and work out?”

This is usually a question from people who are not in shape, who don’t work out.

What’s the right answer? There isn’t one since it’s not a real question.

I’ve worried about weight control most of my life, worried about making weight.

I’ve been an up-close witness too many times.

What have I learned? People pork out.

I’m porked out enough right now to set goals for next year because taking a walk today won’t make thirty pounds disappear.

Delayed planning is still a plan, but it’s weak. The plan starts the day you make it.

For example:

The dynamics in my family changed after my parents got divorced.

No surprise there, right? It’s just something I never wanted to see.

One sibling still lived at home.

I asked my dad about their relationship.

He dodged the idea of doing something with, “We’ll get to know each other again later.”

But something happened with the ‘Later Plan’ after he died.

They ran out of time.

 

The marathon family never runs out of time.

All you need to do is show up ready to go.

Who’s ready?