Why do these people do this thing?

ecchi · 2009-04-26, 09:59 AM

At the moment I am looking after a friend's penthouse (and dogs) while he is away. By coincidence the London Marathon is on today, part of it runs in front of the building, and the return loop runs less that 50 yards away. From my friend's patio I can see both the 13 mile and 22 mile point. Unsurprisingly the faster runners were passing the 13 mile point while the main bulk were still passing the 22 mile point. But now only the stragglers are passing the 13 mile point and the clear up lorries are already lifting the barriers and sponsor's boards, and the dustcarts are picking up the litter. I began to feel sorry for the poor runners who are running behind them. Then I did the maths.

These are not the idiots who run in dinosaur costumes or dressed as telephone boxes, nor are they (for the most part) elderly or infirmed. They are 20-40 year olds in apparent good health dressed in running gear. And they have just taken nearly 5 hours to run 13 miles. I am overweight, unfit, and middle aged, yet I could walk it in less time. And that is not just an idol comment, my top walking speed is about 4 mph, in other words 13 miles in about three and a quarter hours. I doubt if I could keep "top walking speed" for 13 miles, but in the good weather I often take the dogs on a walk that is just a smidgen under 12 miles, and including lots of stops for the dogs to piss on interesting trees and lamp posts, and that takes me less than 4 hours. So if these people are in worse condition than an overweight, lazy, middle age, fat guy who has often said "If you see me running start running too, because the only time I run is if a psycho is chasing me with a chainsaw", then why the bloody hell did they enter a marathon????

2009-04-26, 09:59 AM	#1
ecchi Banned Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: About to be evicted!!!! Posts: 4,082	Why do these people do this thing? At the moment I am looking after a friend's penthouse (and dogs) while he is away. By coincidence the London Marathon is on today, part of it runs in front of the building, and the return loop runs less that 50 yards away. From my friend's patio I can see both the 13 mile and 22 mile point. Unsurprisingly the faster runners were passing the 13 mile point while the main bulk were still passing the 22 mile point. But now only the stragglers are passing the 13 mile point and the clear up lorries are already lifting the barriers and sponsor's boards, and the dustcarts are picking up the litter. I began to feel sorry for the poor runners who are running behind them. Then I did the maths. These are not the idiots who run in dinosaur costumes or dressed as telephone boxes, nor are they (for the most part) elderly or infirmed. They are 20-40 year olds in apparent good health dressed in running gear. And they have just taken nearly 5 hours to run 13 miles. I am overweight, unfit, and middle aged, yet I could walk it in less time. And that is not just an idol comment, my top walking speed is about 4 mph, in other words 13 miles in about three and a quarter hours. I doubt if I could keep "top walking speed" for 13 miles, but in the good weather I often take the dogs on a walk that is just a smidgen under 12 miles, and including lots of stops for the dogs to piss on interesting trees and lamp posts, and that takes me less than 4 hours. So if these people are in worse condition than an overweight, lazy, middle age, fat guy who has often said "If you see me running start running too, because the only time I run is if a psycho is chasing me with a chainsaw", then why the bloody hell did they enter a marathon???? Last edited by ecchi; 2009-04-26 at 10:02 AM..