NOVA: Marathon Challenge

October 30, the evening after American Masters shows the Charles Schulz program, NOVA on PBS will present Marathon Challenge.

NOVA wanted to investigate these questions through the “Marathon Challenge,” and with the help of a dozen enthusiastic recruits, we set out to see if “ordinary people” could transform themselves into marathoners in just a matter of months. The results were extraordinary.

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The timing of this program is interesting, because a runner died in the Chicago Marathon this past Sunday; not from the 84° heat, but from a pre-existing heart condition. I have completed six Boston Marathons, under a wide variety of weather conditions, including a day when the temperature hovered around 90°F. And take it from me, it’s not something you want to try unless you’re totally in love with the idea of doing it and are prepared to do the work to get ready.

Does the idea of heading out the door to run 16 miles, even when it’s raining, because that’s what the training schedule says to do, appeal to you? No? Then forget marathon running.

The NOVA participants benefited from expert guidance throughout their 40-week training — hmm… the same number of weeks it takes to have a baby. The idea that anybody can run a marathon is simply wrong. Jon Krakauer is a favorite author of mine, and in his book Into Thin Air he is critical of people who want to believe that anybody can conquer climbing Mt. Everest with proper training and adequate equipment.

WALKING the Boston Marathon course is do-able, with proper preparation. A good friend of mine did exactly that recently. But if you aren’t already a runner, and you’re more than ten pounds overweight, and you’ve never jogged more than three miles, I strongly suggest that you not get it in your head that 26.2 miles is nothing more than 13.1 miles times two, because doubling the effort it takes to do 13.1 miles occurs at about 19 miles. And you still have another 7 miles to go.