# Oh, dear...I think I might have just agreed to a 13 mile marathon. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 31, 2003, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-think-i-might-have-just-agreed-to-a-13-mile-marathon/192173 "2003-07-31T17:11:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aries28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Aries28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aries28)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-think-i-might-have-just-agreed-to-a-13-mile-marathon/192173/1 "2003-07-31T17:11:04Z")
So I get this email earlier from our HR department talking about a Half Walk/Run Marathon coming up in February 2004. I think to myself that Hey…that might be fun so I jot off a response and say I will be happy to participate. I mention it to **Sauron** who starts laughing and says, “Uhh…honey…you DO know that a regular marathon is something like 26 miles so I’m guessing a Half Marathon is going to be around 13 miles don’t you?” WHAT? 13 MILES? Are you kidding me? I am such an idiot! Let’s see…if I start training now, ban all Turtle Tracks ice cream from our freezer and hit the gym more regularly, then by February I should just about be ready to tell them they are nuts if they think I can do this! Oh, dear. ---
**Author:** ![badmana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@badmana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badmana)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-think-i-might-have-just-agreed-to-a-13-mile-marathon/192173/2 "2003-07-31T17:15:08Z")
Heh, my GF almost did the same thing. “Run 46 KMs? Are you insane?” I asked when she told me. She has a bum knee and I have an aversion to having a heart attack at 25 😃 ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-think-i-might-have-just-agreed-to-a-13-mile-marathon/192173/3 "2003-07-31T17:38:32Z")
You’ve got plenty of time to train! No problem. And yes, I’m being serious. Just start slow. Here’s a link to a really good book that I used for my first marathon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1570281823/ref=lib\_dp\_TFCV/104-1573273-2062354?v=glance&s=books&vi=reader#reader-link ]The Non-Runner’s Marathon Trainer. Yes, it’s really a program for a full marathon, but it’s equally as useful for a half. If you decide you’re going to do it, good luck! BTW, you don’t have to throw out your ice cream. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-think-i-might-have-just-agreed-to-a-13-mile-marathon/192173/4 "2003-07-31T18:15:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aries28 \* > \*\*… ban all Turtle Tracks ice cream from our freezer… > > Oh, dear. \*\* “Oh, dear” is right. Since you’re married to [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=156156&highlight=turtle+tracks) Sauron and you’re banning Turtle Tracks. I await the fireworks… ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-think-i-might-have-just-agreed-to-a-13-mile-marathon/192173/5 "2003-07-31T18:24:52Z")
Did somebody say “Turtle Tracks” around here? I was over in the Pit, but I distinctly heard the term “Turt …” WHAT!? _BAN_ Turtle Tracks ice cream from our freezer?! Are you mad, woman? Look, you wanna run your little race, you go right ahead. There’s no reason to punish _me_ for your itchy e-mail response finger. ---
**Author:** ![meow\_meow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@meow\_meow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meow_meow)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-think-i-might-have-just-agreed-to-a-13-mile-marathon/192173/6 "2003-07-31T18:32:10Z")
Maybe it’s half walk and half run, not half marathon. I once signed up for a charity ‘run’ and it was supposed to be 3 miles. It turned out to be 3 laps around a high school track. Lame! I walked around it 9 times. I think that might have been almost three miles. good luck, whatever it is! ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-think-i-might-have-just-agreed-to-a-13-mile-marathon/192173/7 "2003-07-31T19:10:16Z")
A half marathon is easier than it sounds (do not tell this to people… keep the mystique going) but even if you decided to walk the entire thing the day before with no training, you’d finish in 4 hours. You have 6.5 months. From what I read about them, Turtle Tracks aren’t my thing… I certainly never banned Mint Chocolate Cookie. That would be insane. I’ve used [these plans](http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/index.htm) for 5ks and 10ks - and I like them. And they only take 12 weeks, so no real need to worry before mid-November. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-think-i-might-have-just-agreed-to-a-13-mile-marathon/192173/8 "2003-07-31T19:11:01Z")
I hope not, **meow meow** , because then a half run/walk marathon would be a marathon. Marathon = 26.2 miles I’m pretty sure the “half” applies to the term marathon, meaning it’s 13.1 miles (don’t forget the .1, because after 13 YOU SURE WON’T!!!). You can finish it with whatever kind of stride you like. [sub]I’m not coming in here to piss on anyone’s parade, but this is kind of a pet peeve of mine. A marathon is 26.2 miles (or equivalent in km) and it ALWAYS is. So when I say I’m training for a marathon, please don’t ask me how far the race is. When I say I’m training for a race, feel free to ask the distance. Sorry, I’ll go away now…:D[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![meow\_meow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@meow\_meow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meow_meow)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-think-i-might-have-just-agreed-to-a-13-mile-marathon/192173/9 "2003-07-31T19:53:53Z")
Oh. Well! I did learn something new today after all. (don’t worry. i will never ask you how far the race is.) non-athletically, mm ---
**Author:** ![greck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ab992/32.png) [@greck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greck)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-think-i-might-have-just-agreed-to-a-13-mile-marathon/192173/10 "2003-07-31T20:49:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aries28 \* > \*\* > > Let’s see…if I start training now, ban all Turtle Tracks ice cream > > Oh, dear. \*\* You see, THAT’S the beauty of training for a distance event, you can afford the calories, eat all the turtle tracks you want. travelling 13 miles running or walking, you’re likely to burn about 1000 calories. Eat some bacon while you’re at it! run slow, run long. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-think-i-might-have-just-agreed-to-a-13-mile-marathon/192173/11 "2003-07-31T20:51:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sauron \* > \*\*Did somebody say “Turtle Tracks” around here? I was over in the Pit, but I distinctly heard the term “Turt …” > > WHAT!? _BAN_ Turtle Tracks ice cream from our freezer?! Are you mad, woman? > > Look, you wanna run your little race, you go right ahead. There’s no reason to punish _me_ for your itchy e-mail response finger. \*\* Well, you could just continue to eat it before it gets to the freezer. Or install another one in the basement that **Aries** doesn’t know about. Just hide it behind some plywood and call it your workbench. You just didn’t hear it from me 😉 ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-think-i-might-have-just-agreed-to-a-13-mile-marathon/192173/12 "2003-07-31T22:43:15Z")
Heh. Want to hide food? Just ask us. We’ll come through for you every time! Not that I’d ever hide food. :: gives a shifty-eyed glance :: ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-think-i-might-have-just-agreed-to-a-13-mile-marathon/192173/13 "2003-07-31T23:52:18Z")
Fun Runs are very popular here in Hawaii. I haven’t gone on any in several years so they could have declined in popularity since then. Let’s see, there’s the Zoo run, symphony run, rain forest run, Great Aloha Run, Visitor Industry, and maybe a few others. They usually wind through neighborhood streets. The symphony one was real fun since they had live music distributed throughout the course. And they dressed up too. My favorite was the group doing “Fiddler on the Roof” and yes, they were on a roof. The Visitor Industry one had free food at each of the 21 rest stops supplied by various places. The chocolate booth was one of the favorites. At the end of the zoo run you got into the zoo for free where they had live music. They’re not that difficult and lots of fun. Most people just walk it although there are people who try for the best times to get various prizes. The best thing to do is get a group of friends, stick together and have fun. Jog some, walk some and enjoy the entertainment if they supply any. They should. We usually got a t-shirt, plate lunch and they usually have some sort of enterainment and lucky draw prizes at the end. I never won anything though.