Mr. Van Winkle clocking 2:46:07. He cried afterwards.
Too many people want to run/train more miles than they should and they try to race faster than they can. That last part is not so bad.
“Macho mileage” is nothing less than cannibalism. The runner who overtrains is consuming himself. The history of racing is replete with runners who increase their training after a poor performance. [Basically contrary to the optimal response. – ed.] With the end result being no performance at all.
There is the megamileage fanaticism – a fanatic is one who redoubles his effort after he’s forgotten his goals – that literally destroys many runners.
Unless your goal is nothing other than the accumulation mile after mile, you might want to examine the quantity of your training.
The old man knew some people. Gold medal winners, world record holders. Looking back most of them said – if I had it to do all over again – ‘I’d do less.’ Fewer miles, fewer marathons, . A more balanced life. I’d do less.
This is an old note and we were talking about running at the highest national level and I want to go to bed early and start to read a new book. He had watched an hour-long infodocumercial by some company called Skoochers and nobody ever said a single word about trying to go fast.
As his sainted grandmother in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, used to say, what the fuck?
Running is no longer about going as fast as you can? When did that happen???
There’s eight books on the old man’s nightstand.
All thin.
Thinking Fire In The Hole by Elmore Leonard. Sexy no matter who you are.