John U. Bacon Ran a Marathon by Himself Today
There might not have been a spring game, but there WAS a sporting event in Ann Arbor today!
If you follow John U. Bacon (Michigan author) on social media, you know that he launched a personal mission called "Operation Fat Ass" nine months ago on his birthday, when he realized he was a fat ass. He started running a lot and he lost 35 pounds, all the with goal of running in the Boston Marathon this spring.
When that got canceled, he kept his promise to run a marathon, and he did it today. He charted a 26.2-mile course around Ann Arbor and he ran the whole damn thing today. He did it in 5:30 (he called it a "staggeringly slow" time, but he ran the whole way. That's about a 12:30-per-mile pace.
Dude is in his mid-50s and has never been a runner or jogger before this year. But he did it. Way to go, JUB.
I hope this link works. This is him crossing the finish line. LINK.
I'll never be convinced that part of Kevin Bacon's success is that his last name is Bacon. He's not making 27 movies with the name Kevin Hotdog.
Jim Gaffigan
Impressive performance and I give him credit for keeping it going despite the marathon being cancelled.
I ran in high school and then after high school was into the 10k events that at one time were plentiful, often you had 2 to choose from nearby on any given weekend. Have known many serious distance runners. For those that kept doing it over many years the significant injury rate is close to 100 percent, in some cases to where they can no longer run again. In a few sad cases they can't even walk very far and/or have required hip or knee replacements.
I switched to walking quite a few years ago which provides nearly all of the same benefits (if you have enough time). My advice to runners today is to be sensible about it and do not push thru minor or nagging injuries, just because you are tough or can do it.
Remember: you're only immortal for a limited time.
Good for him. That’s very ambitious and a nice goal to set and accomplish.
As someone who tried this I can attest that this is often the wrong strategy. It is far, far easier to lose weight by changing your diet. And running when you are overweight is frustrating, slow, and hard on your body.
Don't run to lose weight. Lose weight so you can run.
April 19th, 2020 at 10:59 AM ^
Run? No. Exercise? Yes, absolutely. Walking, bike riding, yoga, rowing, jumping rope, etc. All excellent means of getting fit.
April 19th, 2020 at 10:36 AM ^
In February of 2017, at 45 years old I was about 270# and decided that was enough. I lost about 50 by April jus by changing how I ate. I had never been a runner. I played football and baseball (including college) but hated running. I decided i needed something to focus on and keep me losing weight and ensure I didn’t rubber band back to being heavy. I signed up for the Walt Disney World Marathon. I trained, continued to lose weight and finished the Marathon in January of 2018.
Since, I have tried to stay in decent shape and continued to run. Last April, I decided to do it again, except I wanted to do the challenge this time. I signed up for the Dopey Challenge (5k, 10k, half, full in 4 straight days..48.6 miles total). At 47, this past January, I completed that too. People can truly do anything the little their mind to.
April 19th, 2020 at 12:08 PM ^
Yes, they can. Motivation is the key. Stay focused on the big picture every day and also, be patient as it won't come all at once.
April 19th, 2020 at 10:40 AM ^
I have never, ever been a fan of traditional running. I play a lot of basketball and it's all short distance, stop, walk, run, etc. You never really have to run straight distances for awhile.
So, when this thing started and I knew I had to start again, I was shocked at how much I could barely do. I could maybe run like half a mile and then I'd walk 2. Just yesterday (definitely not fast at all), I finished a 4 mile running after a month or so of conditioning.
It is surprising how quick you can build your endurance with traditional running simply by doing a small amount each day.
April 19th, 2020 at 12:06 PM ^
Congats John U! You still achieved your goal. Maybe you can run Dexter to Ann Arbor next year, the half marathon.
I'll bet Coach Ron told you it will take 2-3 weeks to recover and get your legs back to normal. Don't worry, it happens to all of who has run a full marathon. In the end, it was worth it.
DXA2 is moved to Labor Day weekend this year and hopefully they still have it. He should be recovered by then for the half marathon.
I'll be honest, I don't get the appeal of marathons, other than that it seems to be a bucket list to do. Jogging is good exercise, sure, but going that long of a distance can be brutal on your body if you're not adequately prepared.
But good for him.