The point of this article is not to discourage running a marathon, but rather to prepare you for what it takes to run the marathon distance…
So here are 4 reasons not to run a marathon
- Not enough time to train
- Too many other goals
- “Not good for the body”
- Can just run for fun
Running a marathon is something I think that everyone could have on their bucket list…
At least once in their life, mainly because of how cut and dry it is: did I finish the 26.2 miles or not?
Plus, that feeling of crossing the finish line for the first time after going the distance…
What an amazing experience.
Let’s get it on!!!!
Everyone wants to be rich, but no one wants to put in the work
I remember hearing that saying and it changed my life
Yeah, ‘success’ seems fun…
Traveling, big house, lots of money or prestige, famous, whatever you like about the success idea…
But success doesn’t just happen
And the reality is we have to put in the work to get the results we want.
That last part, “to get the results we want” – that’s the key
What do you want?
Because that determines our success
Do you really want to run a marathon?
Why?
- For physical or mental health benefits?
- To get a runner’s high?
- For the community?
- To push ourselves?
Those may be good enough reasons…
And maybe not.
Because just like “everyone wants to be rich, no one wants to put in the work” …
Maybe…
you like the idea of running a marathon but don’t want to put in the work (or don’t know what the work consists of)
(hint: the reason running a race without training is a bad idea is because your body will be WRECKED and you increase the chances of getting injured)
Here’s another saying, everything looks so much easier from the outside…
Do you know the work it takes to run a marathon? (at least a few hours per week for a few months)
Imagine that, not running at all to now committing to run a few hours per week…
It’s something most people aren’t necessarily willing to commit to.
4 reasons not to run a marathon
- Not enough time to train
Training for a marathon is time-consuming – there’s no way around that
In a nutshell, there are different styles of running for different parts of the workout…
Base building, speed work, long runs, and rest days are typically in some sort of sequence
The long run days? You could be running anywhere from 6 miles at the beginning of your training program, upwards to 18 miles towards the end of your program…
(that’s about 1 – 4 hours of running on a long run day)
Can you manage that with all your other obligations?
Kids? Work? Free time? Errands?
There are creative ways to fit these long runs in like splitting the run up into two runs per day – this is common (and helps)
Marathon training usually takes 12 – 20 weeks depending on where we are starting out, maybe even longer
(actually the longer the better)
- Too many other goals
So you want to run a marathon, build a million-dollar business, save the world from hunger and poverty, start a school, grow 6 inches, and become the president?
How many other goals are you striving towards?
There’s power in setting goals…
but too many? That’s a recipe for disaster because things take time, and we can only focus on one thing at a time
Our focus spreads to thin, which ends up with us falling short.
Where does a marathon goal fit into your life’s plan of attack? Really think about that.
Is this goal that important to you? Or are your other goals taking precedence?
PS Running is a great way to benefit the mental and physical aspects of ourselves – and signing up for a marathon is a great way to see this whole running thing through.
- “Not good for the body”
So running 26.2 miles, with no training? yeah, that’s not a good idea IMO.
A marathon with no training will leave your body WRECKED, taking weeks to recover – even injured and then we’re talking months; walking slowly up and down the steps, to work, aches, pains, soreness – the overall feeling of being just destroyed…
And that’s why training is so important…
because it’s strengthening our bodies to be able to withstand the marathon distance (and beyond)
- Can just run for fun
Yeah, striving towards running a marathon may seem fun and challenging…
And it is
But there’s no law that states “if we run, then we have to run a marathon” right?
We could just run a few times per week, to stay in shape – be healthy.
There are even “streakers” – those who run at least a mile per day, or 5, or 13.1…
The marathon is a goal to strive and push ourselves,
to show us that if we put in the work on something then we will achieve it
Because ya gonna have to work when it comes to running a marathon, there ain’t no doubt about that.
_
What do you think?
Do you still want to run a marathon?
I know running is going to be in my life for a long time because:
- Not enough time to train (I make the time to train)
- Too many other goals (I’m focused on running races to break mental and physical limits)
- “Not good for the body” (I train the body through different forms of movement)
- Can just run for fun (and I keep running fun with new routes, different races/events/ distances)
Thanks for tuning in – I appreciate your attention!
GO get your miles!
Peace!!
Ps: LMK some thoughts down below!
Joe DiAndrea 