# I can't believe it. The hardest work is over. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 2, 2003, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-it-the-hardest-work-is-over/179110 "2003-06-02T12:16:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-it-the-hardest-work-is-over/179110/21 "2003-06-02T20:28:32Z")
Ah **zoid** , you’re making me blush, too! Stoppaaaaat! 😃 Yo, my runnin’ peeps **scout** ybaby and **Scylla** bonilla! Yep, I ran that far. There are (as in anything) many philosophies about marathon training. Galloway thinks that beginners profit immeasurably from one run that is longer than marathon length. I’ll tell you what; there is no doubt in my mind: I know I’ll finish. It would be great to do so under 5 hours, but I won’t be disappointed if I don’t. I’ll be too frikkin’ frackin’ excited to be disappointed. I’ll keep my eye out for the Biffinator, **scout**. What time is he expecting to run? > [@](#): > > Just you wait until you finish the marathon for real. You’ll be crying like a baby. I was. > > And when I stood up later that week in my WW meeting to tell them all I’d done it (they knew I was training for it), I started crying again then. There probably wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Ya see, this is why you are my homegirl, **scout** y. I know I’ll be cryin’ a river at the finish! **Scylla** this is my first one; thanks for the advice. I’ll be sure to poop. Heh. Sadly, it doesn’t look like they have an athlete tracker at this marathon. [http://www.grandmasmarathon.com](http://www.grandmasmarathon.com) That’s my second complaint about it. Number one: No online registration. Gimme a breakola. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-it-the-hardest-work-is-over/179110/22 "2003-06-02T20:43:44Z")
The Grandma’s marathon! Oh man! That is supposed to be one of the funnest ones in the Country. I am so jealous. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-it-the-hardest-work-is-over/179110/23 "2003-06-02T20:58:39Z")
As a slight hijack - Did we know that **Scylla’s** wife was pregnant? That’s not ringing any bells. Whee! Oh, and to add to the crying at the finish line - the San Diego marathon did a thing where if it was your first marathon, you could sign up to have a friend or family member give you your medal at the finish line. My mom was there, and put the medal around my neck. Then we hugged and bawled. It was awesome. I was so sore, that it was nice to have a big hug from mom. ---
**Author:** ![Einmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Einmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Einmon)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-it-the-hardest-work-is-over/179110/24 "2003-06-02T20:59:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gazelle \* > \*\*"…my marathon is supposed to be in October." Why the tentative statement, **Einmon**? Have you registered? > > I’m doing one in October, too. Twin Cities. We can motivate each other! \*\* That would be great…yay extra motivation 🙂 Actually, you can’t register yet for the October marathon… “Supposed to be” mainly because I wanted to run it last year but I had problems with my knees. Seems to be better this year, though. Besides running I did extra workouts to strengthen the leg muscles which apparently has helped and I am wearing bandages for my long runs. But I _have_ registered for the Munich City Run which is a half-marathon. It’s July 6th and I’m using it to see how far my training has progressed. But actually I am quite confident. Do you think I should get an athlete tracker? It seems they have them but I never considered getting one. By the way, I am training according to the book by Dave Kuehls (who got Oprah to run a marathon, and I thought: “If she can do it, I can do it”). And it _was_ easier than I thought!! ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-it-the-hardest-work-is-over/179110/25 "2003-06-02T21:35:07Z")
Way to go, **Gazelle**. My dad was a long-distance runner in college; I’ve a lot of respect for someone who can do that. I’m like **Archergirl** ; too many years of waiting tables has ruined the “rebound” in my leg joints. Any chance you can be plastered with an SDMB logo? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-it-the-hardest-work-is-over/179110/26 "2003-06-02T21:44:18Z")
Not ringing any bells with me either, **scout**. Is the gender known, **Scylla**? When you say “Munich City Run,” **Einmon** , do you mean Munich, Germany? Because if you are, I must kill you from pure jealousy. No faaaaaaaaaaaair! I wanna run a half-marathon and then hit the Hofbrau Haus! Also a little corn-fused. What do you mean by, “Do you think I should get an athlete tracker?” When I mentioned it above, I meant that the website for this marathon doesn’t have an athlete tracker like the Boston marathon and some others do. Athlete trackers allow you to check up on your friend or family member while they’re running the race. Boston, for example, has checkpoints at every 5K (IIRC). No video or anything fancy like that, just the distance and time, real time. Anyway, go with your bad self, **Einmon**! I’ll be rooting for you on July 6th. **NinetyWt** , thanks for the high five. I’ll be thinking of you as I spread my lubricant of choice (Bodyglide) all over the bod before the race. 🙂 Queen of Lubricants, Saint of No Chafing, I beseech you! ---
**Author:** ![Einmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Einmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Einmon)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-it-the-hardest-work-is-over/179110/27 "2003-06-02T22:31:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gazelle \* > **When you say “Munich City Run,” Einmon, do you mean Munich, Germany? Because if you are, I must kill you from pure jealousy. No faaaaaaaaaaaair! I wanna run a half-marathon and then hit the Hofbrau Haus!** Yep, that Munich. Though the only reason I’m going to the Hofbräuhaus after my run is because they set up massage tables there AFAIK 🙂 > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Gazelle \*\*\* > Also a little corn-fused. What do you mean by, “Do you think I should get an athlete tracker?”_\* Oh, the aforementioned City Run offers this chip that you can attach to your clothing which broadcasts your time directly to a website. I thought that was what you alluded to… I thought it was kind of useless for little slow me. It could be kind of fun for everybody who is not going out at 8 a.m. to root for me to still be able to see my progress on the internet. [QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Gazelle \*\*\* Anyway, go with your bad self, **Einmon**! I’ll be rooting for you on July 6th. [QUOTE] Thanks a bunch, I’ll keep you in mind when I’m training - now and especially after your amazing triumph June 21st 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-it-the-hardest-work-is-over/179110/28 "2003-06-03T00:06:44Z")
gazelle, this is fantastic news. i guess the yak trakers paid off!? i’m very impressed. i have feet that were made for ooooohhh ing and aaaaahhhh ing over but not running on. i’d have to be in mortal danger (ie the dental chair and the ilk) to run. ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2003, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-it-the-hardest-work-is-over/179110/29 "2003-06-03T13:13:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gazelle \* > \*\*Hey **Atrael**! Wow, you hate running? That bites. I sure as heck wouldn’t do it if I didn’t love it as much as I do. I’m confused; what’s holding you back from starting back up full time? Are you training for something? Right now, there’s a lot of other things going on in my life that is taking up a lot of mental energy, and that I’m worrying and stressing over. Now for some people, running is a way of relieving stress, of working things out in their minds. For me, it’s the opposite. Running takes concentration, and mental will power for me to make myself get out there and do it. So if I’m using mental effort trying to keep things straight in my life, I don’t have any to spare to force myself to run. If that makes sense. I haven’t stopped running, just cut back in my “training” Mostly just doing daily runs a few speed days here and there. Yesterday was 4 miles, and I was still able to keep at a 9minute mile pace, so I’m not losing conditioning, just not improving right now. > [@](#): > > **garius** , three years ago I was 30 pounds heavier and sedentary. If you find thoughts like, _Hmmm, maybe **I** can run a marathon._ running through your head, go for it! Because if I can get through a marathon training program, anyone can. \*\* This was about my same motivation. I was 29, and weighed 240lbs. I got tired walking up stairs, and couldn’t have run a mile if I had to. Add that to the fact that my cholesterol came back high, and it was time for a lifestyle change. Out with the crap food, in with some exercise. Now just over a year and a half later, I’ve dropped 40lbs, and can run at that 9 minute pace for 4 or 5 miles, can run 10 miles as my long distance (marathon doesn’t interest me…yet) and can do a 5K in 24 minutes. And I’m still working towards a faster time. Since I ran Cross Country in High School, I do have a goal that I’d like to reach. And I do take a certain pride in it. While we may not be olympic level runners, lets face it, we can do a lot that other people can’t. The expressions on my family and friends face when I talk about running 10 miles is very …encouraging, and satisfying. So Gazelle, keep it up. I am very much in awe of you. Marathon training is hard, a real mental as well as physical effort. Post before race day, so we can all cheer you on, I’ll be with ya in spirit. And be sure to get you’re nifty t-shirt. “Where the rubber beats the road” ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2003, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-it-the-hardest-work-is-over/179110/30 "2003-06-03T13:14:53Z")
Gazelle, Scout: I’ve been quiet about it. Last one miscarried. She’s three months along though, and all is well, so I’m hopefull. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-it-the-hardest-work-is-over/179110/31 "2003-06-03T13:23:15Z")
Harr, mateys, prepare to be hijacked! **Gazelle,** was that you I heard on the KQ Morning show today? ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-it-the-hardest-work-is-over/179110/32 "2003-06-04T12:52:04Z")
**Scylla** you and your goddess are in my thoughts and prayers for the safe arrival of your babe. Big hugs, my friend. Yop **Ethy** , that was me. :😊: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-it-the-hardest-work-is-over/179110.md?page=1)