Slate has a cry baby article from an avid marathoner who is upset at the number of people who are becoming marathoners:

Among autumn's sporting rituals there is one tradition that fills me with mounting dread: the return of marathon season. If you've been to the gym or attended a cocktail party recently, you know what I mean. Chances are you've bumped into a newly devoted runner who's all too happy to tell you about his heart-rate monitor and split times and the looming, character-building challenge of running 26.2 miles. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a slovenly couch potato who abhors exercise. I'm an avid runner with six marathons under my New Balance trainers. But this growing army of giddy marathon rookies is so irksome that I'm about ready to retire my racing shoes and pick up bridge.

He then goes on to complain that the average marathon time has increased in the last twenty years as participation has skyrocketed, and then goes on to say that people who aren't avid runners don't belong in the race.  Of course, he explains why it's for their own good of course.  What a crock.

I may not run marathons, but I do triathlons, which is another endurance sport.  And since I tend to do the shorter races, I see the effects of what he's saying every time I go out in a race myself.  It's especially bad when you're doing the bike leg because first time triathletes tend to ride in packs, and don't stay to the right which makes it harder to pass and can screw up your pace.  But that doesn't mean they shouldn't be out there.  Sure they may not take it as seriously as others do... but so what?  Maybe next year they'll work to increase their time.  Maybe that is the only race they'll ever do.  But how does that really change how or why you run your race?  It's an individual sport after all.

A couple years ago I was at the Lake Mills triathlon, waiting for my wave to take off, when I saw this frantic woman looking around worried.  They always announce that you need to cross the timing mat before your wave takes off or you won't get a time, and she was worried because she didn't know where it was or what to do.  So I pointed it out, told her not to cross it until her wave is called, and she immediately calmed down.  She mentioned that it was her 40^th birthday, and that she was doing this as part of a birthday challenge to herself, and then found her friend who were all there supporting her.  There's usually at least one frantic newbie every race, and I more often than not take the time to answer their questions when I see that "Oh shit, now what?" look on their face.  I was a newbie once myself.

If you saw her on the street, you'd never guess by the look of her that she was a triathlete, and the author of that article would probably laugh at her if she claimed she was one after finishing that race.  I say, fuck him and his elitist attitude.  Do the race, be proud of yourself, and don't listen to the jerks who say you're not good enough.  The irony is that he also probably complains that too many people in this country are obese.