You are super-tough. Good for you.

I wonder... When you were at the bar after the boston marathon?

If you had bought a round of drinks for everyone and they never brought them, but took your money and told you that you DID get them if you'd be mad.

You've made it clear what a marathon means to you.

For others like me. I trained to run 26.2 miles. Then I paid someone $110 to have water and gatorade for me because I didn't want to have to carry 2 gallons on my back. They did not give it to me.

I am mad.

You, on the other hand, had a nice day it seems. But then... You came home and were forced to read some internet forums and disagreed with hundreds of posters and had to make sure you explained to them what marathons mean and how tough you are. How could you not? They are all so stupid, weak and wrong. They just won't stop whining. Hordes of them keep coming and posting. You find a couple other people as tough as you and you write long posts so that all the whiners understand just how un-tough they are.
Oddly... They do not listen. They keep coming and posting more. And different people arrive and post similar complaints.
What else can you do?
Condescension and ridicule! Thats it! That will teach them. Call them whiners. call them weak. Tell them they do not know what marathons are or why EVERYONE runs them. Tell them what THEIR goals should have been!

What a perfect plan!

Edited Tue Oct 9th 2007 1:29 pm by gruesome

Lol, Gruesome I like your sense of humor man.

I took that thing about carrying 2 gallons on your back by the way in response to a "personal responsibility" guy. If you think about everything you'd actually have to carry to get through a marathon by yourself safely in this heat, it's amazing. You couldn't run at all.

rpehrson - I've noticed you have had a lot to say on this marathon forum. But from your original posts from one of the two threads you have going, you neither ran the Chicago Marathon yesterday nor did you actually attend the event. Would you mind if I ask if you have ever actually run a marathon? Or are all of your opinions just flying face-first out of your ass? Because if you haven't actually run a marathon, you are just a huge pantywaste and your stated opinions are beyond worthless in this entire discussion.

So please share with all of us your vast marathoning experience. Or is this just some macho defense of your girlfriend's difficult day on Sunday. Do tell...

Marathonsy, shut up, it didn't take a genius to see things were F(*&(*& up. If even Carey Pinkowski was out on the course he'd have seen it. Instead he was holding a tape at the finish line and posing for the photo op.

Hell, normal everyday Chicagoans saw the issue and intuitively rushed to get garden hoses and buy water bottles for people.

No, I didn't run the marathon. I have deep respect for people who trained all year and did.

Yes, I did attend the event and I ran all over hell trying to get water gatorade and snacks to runners I knew. I saw people faint in front of me. I saw a man lose his mind and start punching people. I saw way more than you probably saw Mr ELITE.

Yes, I've run distances before. I'm currently on the injured list, jackhole. I broke my ankle. Since you're all about personal responsibility, you should know I had the personal responsibility to not train for the marathon on a broken ankle. In my 20-some posts since Sunday that's the first time I've mentioned that.

I kinda had respect for you even in your intemperate elitism until you called me a pantywaste.

So take your elitist ass back home and keep training until what's left of your brain boils away when Carey Pinkowski doesn't provide you enough water one day. Oh right, that's you isn't it???

Everyone has the right to speak here. Even you, Carey Pinkowski.

Edited Wed Oct 10th 2007 4:01 am by rpehrson

runnermom58
No one could anticipate temperatures 20 degrees above normal. ...

Those who started SHOULD have been experienced racers who have dealt with heat and humidity and also know how to pace themselves. ...

Sometimes it is up to an individual to use common sense and to recognize their limits instead of expecting to be bailed out if they cannot recognize when it is wise to just say NO.

Ever hear of a weatherman? They can predict temperatures! Passing out from Heat exhaustion just hits. One might feel hot... next thing they know they are being awaken by paramedics and have a severe headache. The weather was predicted for a week previous to the marathon. Orders for water and Gatorade should have been doubled. Don't blame the victims!

marathonsy -

Whoa whoa whoa wait just a minute!

So you're calling me a pantywaste for commenting while not having run this marathon, but in another thread I find you say:

I was down at mile 21 in Chinatown cheering on all the runners.

You hypocrite. Who's the "pantywaste" now?

By your own logic your commentary is of no value, so I guess we're even aren't we?

:D

Fredrick
i think a bit of reason is called for here. Maybe some of the faster runners took too much and there wasn't enough water for the slower runners as a result. I'm sure the organisers put more water on the course than normal. Why wouldn't they? They would not have wanted these problems. If runners threw cups of water over themsleves of course they ran out. People were asked not to do that. Spare a thought for the organisers...

Yes this is a statement from someone who doesn't understand running at all. First there is not a coach in the world that would not encourage this. Cooling oneself in a hot weather race is a basic necessity and is a best practice to be able to finish strong in these types of races. By the way, I taped the coverage and watched after I finished the race, and not only did the elites douse themselves with water the volutneers threw cups of water over them!

For the organizers to use this as an execuse just shows how little they truly understand a hot weather marathon. They never had to deal with it frankly, they've been running cool October marathons for many years. Did they not bother to ask for the advice of any of the typical hot weather marathons that are organized throughout this world. I've run them, and these guys just didn't know what the hell they were doing.

And yes I did finish the marathon this year under four hours, this was my 12 stand alone marathon and I'm an Ironman athlete as well. Watch the Kona athletes use water to cool themselves. Marathons in Ironmans are almost always hot, they are run in the afternoon for crying out loud. Those marathons are so much better prepared for the heat than Chicago. You'd think Pinkowski might call one of them up, and seek advice! Ice at every aid station and sponges... EVERY AID STATION. I recall receiving an email about this a few days before the event from Chicago. I got a sponge at one aid station and the only ice I saw was after the event!!! It was truly a joke from my perspective. However the volutneers were truly fantastic and because of the support is the only reason I've run this marathon for the last four years. If I threw water over myself in any of the last three events, I would have froze! Of course they were unprepared, I just want them to admit it and stop blaming us.

I admit, that I did not see the problems that others are seeing besides the broken promise of ice and sponges, only because I finished a little early. And now Pinkoswki is trying to make runners like myself feel regretful for using too much water? Because we are employing the best and only marathon practice in hot weather running. This guy is a complete idiot, and has no understanding of what really goes on out there. Resign now...

Edited Wed Oct 10th 2007 2:00 pm by niemsco

The only thing missing from the official spin about this 'blame the victim - everything was really fine' disaster is to hear some city official say "Pinkowski, you did a heck of a job."

This was my first marathon and of course I was disappointed about the conditions but and I felt like dropping out at mile 6. I made it past mile 13 and felt pretty good and kept on going . . . The only problem I had was at the first or second aid station so I just ran over to the fountain and cooled off. Then, at mile 16 they had no water (but they had Gatorade).

I was around mile 20 when they cancelled the race but at that point I just kept on going. I managed to finish at 5:07 which was way under my goal of 4:15 or 4:30 but at that point I was just happy to finish the race standing up!

Despite the heat and water problems, I thought this was a fantastic experience. The crowds were amazing and the support from the spectators (water, hoses, cheering) was nothing like I've seen before. I have ran half marathons in Cleveland and never saw this type of support (and probably never will in Cleveland).

I don't think we can blame the organizers because they did everything they could to help the runners. I would definetely run this race again and I'm sure after this running a marathon in cooler conditions will be a piece of cake!