More on Aforementioned Record Attempt
I'll get blamed for "bashing" a noble attempt because I raised a few questions, but I've learned some interesting information in asking questions about the record quest of Reza Baluchi below.
In trying to gather more information to post something on the RunHouston Chronicle blog, which, by the way, has gotten lost in the Chronicle's website redesign (oh, well), I was curious to find out where he was going to be running in the next two days (in case there might be some runners who wanted to run some with him.) Karnazes and others have welcomed this.
I learned that those that wanted to speak with him could go to the 1 p.m. gathering and that perhaps afterward those interested could go and run with him at Memorial Park.
I also found out that the next day he would be in San Antonio!
Hmmm .... did the border - or perimeter of the United States - change and I'm just now figuring it out?
Well, I was told that he only needed to run 10,608 miles for the record and that only required him to run along I-10 from Texas to San Diego. That's kind of not the perimeter, if you ask me.
I might be wrong, but the closest you could get to the perimeter from the state of Maine to Brownsville, Texas would be running on the beach as much as possible. Right?
So my next question was whose record is he attempting to beat and when was it performed?
Don't get me wrong the fact that he is logging that many miles is very admirable, but trying to build and write a story around facts makes it difficult when there appears to be a bit of spin to things.
In trying to gather more information to post something on the RunHouston Chronicle blog, which, by the way, has gotten lost in the Chronicle's website redesign (oh, well), I was curious to find out where he was going to be running in the next two days (in case there might be some runners who wanted to run some with him.) Karnazes and others have welcomed this.
I learned that those that wanted to speak with him could go to the 1 p.m. gathering and that perhaps afterward those interested could go and run with him at Memorial Park.
I also found out that the next day he would be in San Antonio!
Hmmm .... did the border - or perimeter of the United States - change and I'm just now figuring it out?
Well, I was told that he only needed to run 10,608 miles for the record and that only required him to run along I-10 from Texas to San Diego. That's kind of not the perimeter, if you ask me.
I might be wrong, but the closest you could get to the perimeter from the state of Maine to Brownsville, Texas would be running on the beach as much as possible. Right?
So my next question was whose record is he attempting to beat and when was it performed?
Don't get me wrong the fact that he is logging that many miles is very admirable, but trying to build and write a story around facts makes it difficult when there appears to be a bit of spin to things.
posted by WalkSports.com | 6:16 PM
7 Comments:
Jon, the record was set by Robert Sweetgall in 1982-83. He ran 10608 miles in a 9 month period. Reza is attempting to do the same run in 6 months.
But still, you've completely missed the point of the endeavor.
elf
The point is that it is a run for peace and raising money for children - and for the Children's Hospital of Denver (or Denver Children's Hospital).
As I indicated, noble effort, which I applaud and have absolutely no problem with.
But when you use the idea that you're shooting for a world record by running the perimeter of the U.S. - and you're doing something short of that, the initial message gets distorted.
It is sort of like 17,339 participants in national publications and press releases ... when it was really 17,339 registrants.
Sure, the event is big and you're trying to sell that to people. I've got no problem with that ... but do it by being accurate and telling the truth.
Oh ... and is it an acceptable marathon training practice to "kickoff your marathon training" on September 20 for a January 13th marathon?
I find it hysterical for you to be questioning anyones decision as to WHEN to start marathon training.
When are YOU going to start?
Whenever I damn well please. :)
I have never established myself as the authority and never will.
However, how many other heads of marathons would advocate in an event's official press release starting their training in less than what is generally recommend?
More importantly, when will you ever reveal who you are?
Keep them coming. I like a challenge.
Jon, Sweetgall is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for the exact same feat, so I think it's a fair statement to be made.
As for your shot at the marathon, the online training programs are all 18 weeks long, so I don't think you can really say they're "advocating less time than is generally recommended." I think September is a great time to have the kickoff party. It isn't kicking off marathon training, it's kicking off marathon prep season, and it's about the time that everyone's long runs start ramping up. Kickoff party in September, Half in October, 25K in November, 30K in December, Marathon in January. Seems like the best time to me.
That aside, did you have to drag the marathon into this? It's completely unrelated.
This is all an exercise about accuracy. That's all this is.
I think the question up for grabs is really then, "What is the definition of the perimeter of the U.S.?"
To me, it would be going as close to the Rio Grande from Brownsville to El Paso.
If Sweetgall went from Beaumont to El Paso on I-10, then I stand corrected regarding Baluchi and don't have a point to raise about being accurate.
As far as the marathon is concerned, for an individual or an event that is supposed to be spending so much time crafting and planning their event and working to get attention, why not look - as they're getting their message out at each and every way - on how it can be interpreted - and adjust it accordingly?
Why even take the chance?
And I never said that a kickoff party in September wasn't acceptable or a great idea.
It has been generally accepted by the community as a good time to have it and it is very well received. It is my understanding that they planned to hold it two weeks earlier but that there were some conflicts in scheduling with the City or the parks.
The runners in the community benefit from the energy and excitement that the Marathon is giving to it.
When I wrote my story this past weekend on Tri One O One, I had a source give me information that was off the record. I wrote something that made reference to a particular piece of information, but before it printed, I realized that by saying earlier in the column that the Executive Director of the Series wouldn't respond to e-mails or a phone call and then saying that the item was the issue that it would reveal the source.
So I changed it to be accurate.
Completely agree, regardless of the point of his fundraising, that the "perimeter" of something is not "cutting through the middle of it".
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