First there was this:
Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin - by John Cloud
And now, 1 week before the NYC ING Marathon day, there’s this:
Plodders Have a Place, but Is It in a Marathon? - by Juliet Macur
(you might have to create an account or sign-in to read it but it’s worth it)
Anyone who writes an article criticizing a movement of people who jog or walk 26.2 miles can kiss my FIT ASS! It’s not about how fast marathoners run, jog or walk a marathon—the point is people are out there doing it and that’s a HUGE accomplishment.
The NYC ING Marathon brings tens of thousands of unique people together from all over the world on a day that celebrates athleticism. It might as well be a holiday given the amount of people that run. Athletes and fans form a special bond on marathon day because dreams are being lived out on New York City streets.
Juliet Macur’s article belittles the meaning of marathon day for all runners, including these groups: charity organization runners and walkers, wheelchair and hand-cycle participants, disability runners, and everyday people who consider the marathon an incredible fitness goal. Her article focuses on negative views on plodders. Was she not enthralled enough to write about the spirit of the NYC marathon or the inspiring stories of runners and walkers for whom 26.2 miles is a personal feat? One thing’s for sure, timing this article 1 week before marathon day is totally lame and the type of thing a Debbie Downer would do.