The difference between a jogger and a runner is an entry blank.
GEORGE SHEEHAN
Dave Paul had a Walking is Fitness podcast about the Myrtle Beach Marathon and Half-Marathon where he asked a question. Who did the harder thing? Naturally, I had thoughts. I am now going to share those thoughts with the Gentle Reader.
Dave compared the first place finisher of the half-marathon who ran the distance with the last place finisher who walked the distance at 3 mph. This speed is fairly standard for most walkers. But I don't ask who did the harder thing. Clearly, running is harder than walking and always will be. This is why Yours Truly doesn't care to do running for fitness anymore. Dave's question was fairly ridiculous.
Walkers shouldn't enter marathons or half-marathons or any other type of race. Walkers don't belong there. This may sound elitist coming from me, but it isn't. I think these races are vanity and utterly stupid. If you want to walk 13.1 miles, go walk for four hours in your neighborhood or park. You don't need a starting line or an entry fee. You can time it on your watch, and it is FREE. The only downside is that no one is going to give you a finisher's medal or celebrate your "achievement."
These road races are utter vanity even for the runners who run them. They want credit and validation for "doing a hard thing." (Whenever Dave utters that line, I want to gag.) For some reason, people are fearful that they are going to slide through life unrecognized. This lack of recognition would be humility. Humility is a virtue while vanity is a vice.
George Sheehan got it wrong when he said that the entry blank is what turns a jogger into a runner. Today, you have mothers pushing strollers across these finish lines. People walk these events or shuffle often wearing ridiculous costumes and drinking beer. Road races are now a mockery of athleticism. By the entry blank standard, all of these people are runners. As for the town, they have to endure the inconvenience of having these clowns clog up their roadways as they pretend to be athletes.
As a fitness walker, I refuse to participate in this insanity. I am not an athlete. I am not going to pretend to be an athlete. I don't care to compete or turn exercise into a competitive endeavor. I walk for my own health and enjoyment. That is enough motivation for me to get out the door.
I have already pointed out that Dave Paul suffers from Failed Runner Syndrome. If you want to be a runner, then take up running. Two things will happen when you do this. Either you will feel pride in your achievement, or you will see the utter stupidity and vanity in it all. To be in between these two is foolish. If Dave Paul desperately wants to do a hard thing, the hardest thing for him to do would be admitting his Failed Runner Syndrome and curing it.
Fitness walkers are humble. They don't do marathons. They might walk 50 miles in a day, but they don't run in road races. This is vanity. Somewhere, our culture has forgotten that vanity is a vice. Pride is a deadly sin, and the first casualty of pride is common sense. Take the humble path and leave the entry blanks empty.
