Are Marathons Really for Everyone?

I don’t believe in New Year Resolutions. I believe everyday should be maximized to our full potential and focused the pursuit of excellence.

This time of year, as a running coach, I’m often approached by runners or people new to the sport who want to take the first of the year plunge into running, asking me, “Can I run a marathon?” 

Defining marathon: a 26-mile and 385 yard race that is usually contested on city streets.

I take a brief second to look them up and down, make sure they have a pulse and simply reply, “Yes.” 

The next question inevitably is, “Do I need to train for a year?”

“Well, the answer depends on your current level of fitness, which is where you’ll be starting your marathon build-up,” I reply without hesitation. “If you have two legs and a good heartbeat, you can run a marathon. If you can run one mile, you can run a marathon, with the proper training, of course.”

I spent the better part of the summer of 2017 writing a book about how to run your first marathon titled, RUNNING YOUR FIRST MARATHON. The purpose of the book is to guide athletes who currently consider themselves entry-level runners to finishing a marathon, while stayin healthy and happy. 

My book is not meant for runners who want to crush the competition or to set a world record. But if you want to learn how to train safely for the 26.2-mile distance without getting injured along the journey, it’s a great tool to guide your training.

An update on the Mammoth Track Club athletes training here in Mammoth Lakes: We have snow on Mammoth Mountain, but the track is dry and warm most afternoons, making for great training for the Mammoth Track Club.

On New Year’s Eve, Reid Buchanan from the MTC Elite won the first race of the year in the United States, the New York Road Runners 4-mile race in Central Park. 

From there, Reid jumped in a car and raced the Millennium Mile in Londonderry NH and won that race, in a 3:56.6 time. Both races required Reid to face cool, single digit temperatures, which made for challenging conditions to battle.