Great on you for getting out and keeping motivated regardless of your result. Just put your disappointment into the next marathon. For me 2020 I lost 20 kg, 2021 gained some of that back with various lockdowns, 2022 the year of continued health and ideally weight loss. I need to keep that disappointment focused into my goals too.
Well done Stef! I applaud you for going our there and giving it a crack. I'm very keen to give the Melbourne Marathon a try in 2022. I certainly agree that it's a lot of training and mental training to get through the 42.2km. Might see you along the way in 2022.
Well done Stef,you didn’t fail! You not only made it to the start line ,actually made it to the finish which in my mind is a win! You kept on regardless of the pain…another win .
your honesty and modesty is always motivating! I also fly a Cirrus which is how I found your channel. After several marathons, including Boston, I took up triathlons. Surprisingly, my running got faster: more training with less pounding. Don't be afraid to substitute a bike ride or two for a tempo or interval run!
Well done Stef, We all strive to meet our goals, even if we don’t, the lessons learned is how we evolve to reach our goals! Congratulations on passing the finish line. One goal achieved! 🤟
Well done. Finishing a marathon is no failure, whether you walked or ran. This year Melbourne was tough given the delay from Oct to Dec and therefore heat played a big part in fatigue. I and many others who ran were cramping at the same point as you (32km) so walk/jog the remaining 10k. Good luck for Goldie! And a side note, as a Victorian, I enjoyed your flights during the last couple of years. The tour of the Vic border was great to watch!
If this video had finished any other way, I'd have been disappointed. :-) Well done Stef, great effort and you were about 18 mins faster than my attempt. Thoroughly recommend getting a decent training plan for the next one. Hal Higdon is always a good shout for this and put in the miles. 16 weeks is a decent training period. I ran about 500 miles in my training for the 26.2. Looking forward to see how you get on with your next one.
Getting there is what matters. The purpose is getting to the other side of pain and the urge to quit. Well done. I have one planned as well and just got more motivated now. Flying and running is what keeps me sane :)
Great job Stef! Last yeah I did a 42km WALK (the walk for ovarian cancer on the Warburton Trail) and oh my god it was such a long way. It took all I had to keep going for about the last 5km and I was sore for weeks. I think it took me about 7 and a half hours. The fact that people try to run that far amazes and and I think you should be really proud of doing as well as you did. I hope you enjoy your marathon at the Gold Coast and I wish you luck!
Top effort, Stef. I was fortunate enough to have completed the last ‘normal’ London marathon back in 2019 in recognition of my mum who had suffered a severe brain injury. I did 8 months of training and finished in 5:30 so 5:02 isn’t bad at all for a walking finish! You’re absolutely right, the race is ran before you get to the start line in your training. I personally wouldn’t categorise your experience as a failure, simply partaking and finishing in a marathon is something that only a small percentage of the worlds population can say they’ve achieved. Undoubtedly you’ll improve on your time in the next attempt. Congratulations on your first ever marathon!
Inspiration mate. You are my inspiration. Last year I stopped running and put a ton of weight on, to the point I haven't been able to run a good 5km since. This year, I a going to try my damn hardest to get back into it. Thankyou for this video. Seeing your face when you had it, really brought it home how much I loved running and have since just given up. I am literally in tears thinking how I have failed myself over this past year. You are no failure mate, yes you finished the race that was awesome, I've done a heap of half marathons and never thought I'd be able to do a whole Marathon. I'll give myself a year. 2023... Please keep up the training videos too.
I am actually glad to hear that you aren't actually injured because it can take a very long time to heal. Plus when you're injured that usually means absolutely no running. At least you can continue to do what you love doing and don't beat yourself up over it. This has been a rough couple of years for us all so let's make this year amazing.
Congrats on your run. Completing a marathon, no matter how you get there, is an incredible achievement. Btw, this video popped up out of nowhere and I couldn't beleive when I saw the start line video at around the 1 min mark, that was me in the blue backwards nike cap! Amazing how these things pop up out of nowhere.
Stef, you absolutely did not fail. I myself have also completed several half marathons, including one in 2019 with a time of 1:27:40. But in 2017 I tried my hand at my first marathon. I’d done a half the previous year in ~1:43, so my goal was to do the marathon in under 4 hours. I had done heaps of training, on top of my normal running routine. I felt good, but I also had a few failures leading up to the race including one of my last long runs - a 32km run about 3-4 weeks out where I broke down at about 29kms due to the heat (was approaching 30 degrees by that stage). The marathon itself was going excellent for the first 25-30kms. Probably too well in that I was probably going a bit fast. At about the same distance as you (32/33kms) my body hit the wall. My mind and my lungs were still in great shape but my legs started cramping horribly. I’m talking full leg craps (calves, quads and hammies). For the next 9-10kms, I had to run, stretch, walk, repeat to get over the finish line. I managed to do it in 4:24 which was outside the time I had hoped for. The point is, I didn’t finish the marathon the way I would have liked, with the last 1/4 being very slow and included lots of walking. But I crossed that line and got that medal. And you did too. You finished a marathon, full stop. You didn’t fail. Ps, you’ve inspired me to give a full marathon another crack at this year’s Melbourne marathon and hopefully I can be better prepared for the inevitable cramps and get that sub 4 hour time. 👍
Good on you Stef. On the 12th of December we were having our work Xmas Party and a few of us begrudgingly agreed to run the Melbourne in 2022. I’ve since sent this video to them to think about what lies ahead. Thanks for sharing.
Maybe you failed to achieve your time goal but completing a marathon, even walking the entire race, in itself is a great achievement! I did my first HM in December and it took 2:42 to complete it all the while putting up with ITB pain. Going from 10k to HM was a lot of work and I can imagine how much more effort is needed for a marathon! Great job, if you ask me! Good luck with the next one!
Well done Stefan, that is nowhere near a fail. I did a marathon in Bendigo in May last year, set myself a time goal. I kept pace for 32 k's, then is all went south. But I finished, I was disappointed too. But most people you meet will not have even attempted a marathon, you can be proud of this achievement,
This was a good learning experience for you. I dropped-out of my first marathon at 23 miles then completed 24. Considering your age and build, I think you would be able to complete the marathon in 3 to 3.5 hours if you dedicated yourself to reaching such a goal. Training with a group and getting some guidance from a trainer would be very helpful. Juggling family, flying and work into the equation are the big hurdles.
Watching this brings back the memories of that dreaded 32km, this was my first marathon to, did it in 4h40, you did amazing for 10weeks training, next year we'll smash it!
I remember my first few marathons. I thought I was training enough. I was not. After hooking up with a new co worker who was a good runner, he explained what I really need to do to achieve a fully run marathon at a decent pace. It is miles, and miles and miles and there are no shortcuts. My first 2 marathons, I walked after 32km similar to you. Once I stuck with a proper plan, I ran 2.46! Anyone can do it but you cannot if you half train for it.
Stefan, I have always used your strategy of running slow and steady. That was when I was younger. Now I stick with the treadmill. Stay strong and keep doing it as long as possible.
Not a failure. A failure would have been giving up and not making a video and not allowing this to let you grow. Life is full of ups and downs and it’s the downs that help shape us to be who we are. You my friend are an inspiration, and I know that when you set yourself that goal for that next marathon you will come back stronger and get that victory. You finished what you started and for that you earned my respect. Im currently studying for my FAA knowledge test and this was a quick break, and your passion is fueling me to finish my “marathon” so I can be the pilot I always dreamed of being. Thanks for all your videos, they have gotten me and still do get me excited about aviation all the time. PS your story telling is amazing. You had me hooked and it was all without the help of clickbait. Keep up the hard work!
You didn’t fail, your a champion for doing putting mind over matter, sure may not be the fastest time you were hoping for. You will do very well in the Gold Coast.
I had a similar experience back in 2000. My knee went half way through the London Marathon, just as I crossed Tower Bridge. I was on for a 3 hour 30 time but had to walk/hobble the second half. I finished in 5 hours 25! I'd run loads of halfs but this was my first full and as it happens my only full. After physio, 9 months later I entered a local half which unfortunately proved my injury was more serious than first thought as it went again even though I was ok during training. Even surgery and physio didn't help. I can no longer run, I cycle instead! I still consider I completed that marathon and the memories of that day, some painful, will live with me until I draw my last breath. Neither of us failed but you have the chance to improve on your time next year. Train well and good luck.
Good Job! I honestly can not stand to run, I will do any other workout you present me with. More power to you to even train and stay in shape running! One step at a time
Well done Stefan, finishing a marathon irrespective of the time is a great result. As a person who has run around 10 Melbourne Marathons including one Ironman Triathlon as well, I can assure you that a marathon is not just a physical event, it is as much a psychological event as well. My training methodology was to train for 'time-on-the-legs's meaning that I knew I would cover the distance, but I never knew how long it would take me so my training regime was to increase the time on the legs over the 3-4months out from the event. Am also a great believer in visualisation and I would picture myself running various parts of the course so come race day, that part of the course held no surprises for me. I also subscribed to the approach that a marathon was 'simply' 4 x 10km jogs with a 1.92km warm down at the end. By breaking the overall distance down into smaller chunks, I found it wasn't as intimidating. Good luck with your training for Gold Coast, maybe there is another vlog series right there.
Stef this is not a failure. It’s like the first solo to your aviation journey. A circuit solo is still a solo. And now you are prepare to go further and faster!
Awesome man!!! Good work up to this point!! And continue the hard work. I am a amateur runner, no wait, a beginner runner who shouldn’t even have a title as cool as “amateur runner”. Through this pandemic i have taken up running again and indoor rowing. March 2020 I could barely run a mile. This march i plan on running a 10k. Like your training there have been ups and downs. But such is life. Great video and I can’t wait to see the Gold Coast video at the finish line. And running is a sport against your self. So beat the 5 hour mark and hopefully the 4 hour and change mark!!!
Well done Stef: I ran five marathons when I was much younger and fitter. A marathon is a world of difference compared to a half marathon, much more than twice as hard. I always said that a marathon was the hardest 7km you'll ever run, preceded by a 35km warm up!! I crashed an burned on my second marathon trying to beat 3hrs, after I did my first fairly comfortably in 3hrs 15min. I did it in the end, but only after months of training and averaging more than 100km a week, with one run of at least 30km. There is no substitute for kms in the legs!
Great and inspiring video Stef! You made me want to finish that Half Marathon I was thinking about while running my record 10K distances. Also July in Australia seems a lot more suitable for a marathon, so fingers crossed :) My optimal temperature for running is about 13-15 degrees Celsius.
I think people forget how gruelling a marathon actually is. Well done on finishing it. 10 weeks prep is probably a bit tight alright, especially when you see online training plans for 6 months prep (granted with probably no running experience at all). But you now know what's involved and should motivate you even more. Sometimes a kick up the arse is needed!!!!
Thanks mate, yes the learnings (as with aviation) are a positive outcome from the experience. I'm grateful for the feedback, hope the Mooney's flying well, cheers.
I hope you took the time to reflect on your subscribers (105K) which by the way would fil the MCG!!!! Well done mate. Keep the chin up and posting awesome vids!!!
One of my early comments was that I hoped we'd someday run together, as that's my favorite way to find friends. I really do hope we find ourselves in the same hemisphere grinding out some miles together. I'm signed up for a 50k in ten months. My FIRST 50k in over five years. My COVID quarantine ends tommorrow (It wasn't a bad case, I feel healthy), and this video is a reminder I need to start taking my training seriously. One of your first videos I watched was a running a video. I'm WAY more a runner than I am interested in General Aviation, but the lessons are the same. It can be a perfect day, and everything can still all go to shit. When I ran my first road marathon, I didn't take it seriously. I had run the distance who knows how many times (dozens of 50k+ ultra-marathons), but I had never run the full marathon distance on the road. It was always trail. I was foolish to think I could just go pound the hard pavement, in full sun, in Florida, and breeze through it. It was an entirely different animal. And I paid for my hubris. Now older and wiser, EVERY race distance is hard. Sure, you and I could run 5k and feel nothing, BUT could we RACE a 5k, trying to set a time, trying to set a pace, and NOT limp for a week? No way. It's ALL hard, and it's ALL worth doing.
Did you do Gold Coast? I loved the video, and felt absolutely shattered for you.. I hope you achieved your goal. I'm running Melbourne and my first marathon in 3 weeks and am terrified, so not sure this was the right video for me but also really glad I watched it
I've only participated in one marathon and this speaks to me; my last training run I made it to 18 miles and blew out my knees with double tendonitis. Recline cycle the last month before the marathon and Race day I was doped up, lubed up, and double knee braces. Guess what? Made it to mile 18! (and then run/walk the rest of the way!) Still have my finisher's medal! But I know that deflating feeling. Good luck with your next!
Fantastic job doing the training and going the full distance. Doing the marathon within a certain time, that's just style points/bragging rights. You didn't give up and have some tips for next time. You've already started the prep for the next one, so you didn't waste time and effort.
I wouldn't really view it as a failure, completing the marathon is a huge achievement in itself, something people who have never done it can't appreciate. We are people are all too caught up sometimes on position in a race, or times or whatever. A great story from a cyclist has stuck with me during there years. He was talking to his kids one year when the Tour de France was on and mentioned that he completed that race. They immediately asked where he came and his response was simply, he finished. Now cycling is a team sport and there are obviously differences on the individual efforts, but the core point is just finishing is the achievement, at least initially. And for your first marathon, getting across that finish like *IS* a huge achievement and something to be super proud of.
Stefan you didn't fail!! The only way NOT to have a chance to finish or not finish is NOT to have participated at all!! You finished, just not the way you would have like to have finished!! This is not the end of your story, but just the beginning!! Improvise, Adapt and Overcome!!
Well you won’t see me at the Gold Coast Marathon , or any marathon come to think of it , but Stef you didn’t fail , you finished and should be proud of yourself . I like most , am the failure . Keep ya chin up , you’ll blitz it next time around . Good luck mate .
I have had a similar experience. Ran a lot of half marathon since I was 12 and thought at 38 that I could do a marathon. Registered for the Amsterdam marathon and started training 3 months before the start. I finished but walking the last 7km in agony and went over 5 hours… I’m planning to give it a new try but with better preparation and coaching (personal trainer for muscles). Pretty much the same way I trained for my PPL and Instrument rating…
Truly an inspiration! I have my very first marathon here in Austin, Texas. I am extremely nervous but very excited at the same time. Any tips for a first timer?
Firstly, awesome that you're doing your first marathon. I am no expert but if I did it again I'll tell myself - start slow, then slow down some more. I went out way too fast as I was dragged along by the people around me. Since this race I've been working on low heart rate easy runs a lot more and it's helping. So ease yourself in and don't get excited and burn yourself out in the first half. Have a great day and congratulations, it's an amazing thing you're doing.
Man I can really see the pain towards the end, but you didn't give up and you finished. Ok get that out of the way, you have 6 months to train for the Gold Coast. As soon as you see this message do 30 squats!
I ran the second London marathon back in the day, a lot of training and I ran it in 3:27 but the first and last marathon I did, half marathons, seven k runs, no problems but you can stick marathons.
I was signed up to Melbourne 2020 (cancelled), 2021 (postponed and I lived in Queensland so I couldn't make it), 2022 (I was recovering from covid and could barely walk let alone run). 2023 I wasn't signed up. I was just out of shape. 2024 though. That's my year. See you there?
Imagine being able to run in 4min 20sec. Dont worry about feeling like you failed. Your 1st one is the hardest one. 1st solo, 1st date, 1st partner. Its never easy and you trained the best of your ability and even trained in poor weather. I would say a definite well done for a 1st go.
I had a half today, and I got there an hour late. We made a wrong turn and ended up on the highway again. This was supposed to be my first and I’m pretty slow, so I I knew if I did it I wouldn’t have finished. So I just bandoned ship after 20 mins. I was also getting lost I didn’t know which way to do. I feel awful. I had been training for months sad. I’ve been in bed all day since. It is now 7pm
Marathons are not supposed to be easy so don't beat yourself up. It's definitely a training issue. Good luxk with the next one and remember to smile, its fun.
Watched this over breakfast and I almost coughed up my pancakes laughing at “I’ve googled it a couple of times and it turns out I’ve got a form of cancer” 😂😅
If it means walking 10km to the finish line to get the hardware, then so be it. The failure would be if the time was 7:02 as then you wouldn't be classified as a finisher. Trust me as I ran a 5:10 on the same GC race registered for at the end of the vid, and completed my 8th Melbourne in 5:00 battling groin issues.
Well, Stef, that person that said “if you finish in over 5 hours, you haven’t run a marathon” just needs to be put to bed. It’s an awful statement, with an awful ‘made up’ line, where 4:59:59 is a marathon and 5:00:01 isn’t. You did a marathon. And, if and when you run a second one, you’ll be better prepared.
There's only 1 thing worse than not finishing a marathon - not starting. Gold Coast Marathon 2022 - what happened??? Time to make amends. Don't just enter it - DO IT!
Take your "fail" this way: Shortly before my first marathon run my back broke and left me with a partially paralyzed right leg. An emergency surgery and 1.5 years of recovery later I could start running again. But a half marathon is about the max I can run now with the weak calf muscle. For a runner like you, a 5 hour marathon is very OK. Especially for a first.
In my mind you did not fail, you have made a wonderfull experience possible for yourself and you mentally kept going and thats a very good thing🍀🙏🖼
Great on you for getting out and keeping motivated regardless of your result. Just put your disappointment into the next marathon. For me 2020 I lost 20 kg, 2021 gained some of that back with various lockdowns, 2022 the year of continued health and ideally weight loss. I need to keep that disappointment focused into my goals too.
Thanks Glenn, all the best with your health goals in 2022 mate.
Well done Stef! I applaud you for going our there and giving it a crack. I'm very keen to give the Melbourne Marathon a try in 2022. I certainly agree that it's a lot of training and mental training to get through the 42.2km. Might see you along the way in 2022.
Thanks, hope to see you there
Amazing achievement Stef! Most people don't even make it to the start. You've done brilliantly!
Great effort Steff, you made it into the MCG well done, and thanks for taking us on your runs with you. Epic video!
Well done Stef.. You finish beyond all odds. When I was at High School I couldn't even run the three mile cross country, let alone a Marathon.
Well done Stef,you didn’t fail! You not only made it to the start line ,actually made it to the finish which in my mind is a win! You kept on regardless of the pain…another win .
Athletes must know the difference between pain and injury. Pushing through the latter can result in permanent damage to the body.
your honesty and modesty is always motivating! I also fly a Cirrus which is how I found your channel. After several marathons, including Boston, I took up triathlons. Surprisingly, my running got faster: more training with less pounding. Don't be afraid to substitute a bike ride or two for a tempo or interval run!
I’ve watched a LOT of your videos and never felt the need to comment, but man I just want to give you a hug. Good on you for doing the Gold Coast.
Always fun following you through some of the things in your life. You’re a really good narrator and pleasing to hear!
Well done Stef,
We all strive to meet our goals, even if we don’t, the lessons learned is how we evolve to reach our goals!
Congratulations on passing the finish line. One goal achieved! 🤟
Thank u for the honesty, gives me hope for myself 🙏
Just getting to the start line of a Marathon is a win. Good luck on the GC!
Congrats Stef! Great Video as always
Thanks as always for watching JBA.
Well done. Finishing a marathon is no failure, whether you walked or ran. This year Melbourne was tough given the delay from Oct to Dec and therefore heat played a big part in fatigue. I and many others who ran were cramping at the same point as you (32km) so walk/jog the remaining 10k. Good luck for Goldie!
And a side note, as a Victorian, I enjoyed your flights during the last couple of years. The tour of the Vic border was great to watch!
If this video had finished any other way, I'd have been disappointed. :-) Well done Stef, great effort and you were about 18 mins faster than my attempt. Thoroughly recommend getting a decent training plan for the next one. Hal Higdon is always a good shout for this and put in the miles. 16 weeks is a decent training period. I ran about 500 miles in my training for the 26.2. Looking forward to see how you get on with your next one.
What a real and raw video, great watch!
Getting there is what matters. The purpose is getting to the other side of pain and the urge to quit. Well done. I have one planned as well and just got more motivated now. Flying and running is what keeps me sane :)
Great job Stef! Last yeah I did a 42km WALK (the walk for ovarian cancer on the Warburton Trail) and oh my god it was such a long way. It took all I had to keep going for about the last 5km and I was sore for weeks. I think it took me about 7 and a half hours.
The fact that people try to run that far amazes and and I think you should be really proud of doing as well as you did. I hope you enjoy your marathon at the Gold Coast and I wish you luck!
Top effort, Stef. I was fortunate enough to have completed the last ‘normal’ London marathon back in 2019 in recognition of my mum who had suffered a severe brain injury. I did 8 months of training and finished in 5:30 so 5:02 isn’t bad at all for a walking finish!
You’re absolutely right, the race is ran before you get to the start line in your training. I personally wouldn’t categorise your experience as a failure, simply partaking and finishing in a marathon is something that only a small percentage of the worlds population can say they’ve achieved. Undoubtedly you’ll improve on your time in the next attempt. Congratulations on your first ever marathon!
Great stuff Stef, thanks for all that content last year!
You did great, Stef! Just keep it up and hope high for the next!
Inspiration mate. You are my inspiration. Last year I stopped running and put a ton of weight on, to the point I haven't been able to run a good 5km since. This year, I a going to try my damn hardest to get back into it. Thankyou for this video. Seeing your face when you had it, really brought it home how much I loved running and have since just given up. I am literally in tears thinking how I have failed myself over this past year. You are no failure mate, yes you finished the race that was awesome, I've done a heap of half marathons and never thought I'd be able to do a whole Marathon. I'll give myself a year. 2023... Please keep up the training videos too.
I am actually glad to hear that you aren't actually injured because it can take a very long time to heal. Plus when you're injured that usually means absolutely no running. At least you can continue to do what you love doing and don't beat yourself up over it. This has been a rough couple of years for us all so let's make this year amazing.
Congrats on your run. Completing a marathon, no matter how you get there, is an incredible achievement.
Btw, this video popped up out of nowhere and I couldn't beleive when I saw the start line video at around the 1 min mark, that was me in the blue backwards nike cap! Amazing how these things pop up out of nowhere.
Stef, you absolutely did not fail. I myself have also completed several half marathons, including one in 2019 with a time of 1:27:40.
But in 2017 I tried my hand at my first marathon. I’d done a half the previous year in ~1:43, so my goal was to do the marathon in under 4 hours. I had done heaps of training, on top of my normal running routine. I felt good, but I also had a few failures leading up to the race including one of my last long runs - a 32km run about 3-4 weeks out where I broke down at about 29kms due to the heat (was approaching 30 degrees by that stage).
The marathon itself was going excellent for the first 25-30kms. Probably too well in that I was probably going a bit fast.
At about the same distance as you (32/33kms) my body hit the wall. My mind and my lungs were still in great shape but my legs started cramping horribly. I’m talking full leg craps (calves, quads and hammies). For the next 9-10kms, I had to run, stretch, walk, repeat to get over the finish line.
I managed to do it in 4:24 which was outside the time I had hoped for.
The point is, I didn’t finish the marathon the way I would have liked, with the last 1/4 being very slow and included lots of walking. But I crossed that line and got that medal. And you did too. You finished a marathon, full stop. You didn’t fail.
Ps, you’ve inspired me to give a full marathon another crack at this year’s Melbourne marathon and hopefully I can be better prepared for the inevitable cramps and get that sub 4 hour time. 👍
Love this video and you got a nack for these vlogs mate! Catch you on Sunday hopefully for the long run 😎
Good on you Stef. On the 12th of December we were having our work Xmas Party and a few of us begrudgingly agreed to run the Melbourne in 2022. I’ve since sent this video to them to think about what lies ahead.
Thanks for sharing.
Ha, if you end up doing it let me know, I may just be there as well…
This vid has nothing to do with failure Stef, you are truly inspirational mate.
Maybe you failed to achieve your time goal but completing a marathon, even walking the entire race, in itself is a great achievement! I did my first HM in December and it took 2:42 to complete it all the while putting up with ITB pain. Going from 10k to HM was a lot of work and I can imagine how much more effort is needed for a marathon! Great job, if you ask me! Good luck with the next one!
Love your work - you gritted out that last 10k on a hot day too! Hope to see you out there training and loving the outdoors as you prep for GC.
Love ur vids keep it up mate
Thank you 🙏
Well done Stefan, that is nowhere near a fail. I did a marathon in Bendigo in May last year, set myself a time goal. I kept pace for 32 k's, then is all went south. But I finished, I was disappointed too. But most people you meet will not have even attempted a marathon, you can be proud of this achievement,
This was a good learning experience for you. I dropped-out of my first marathon at 23 miles then completed 24. Considering your age and build, I think you would be able to complete the marathon in 3 to 3.5 hours if you dedicated yourself to reaching such a goal. Training with a group and getting some guidance from a trainer would be very helpful. Juggling family, flying and work into the equation are the big hurdles.
Watching this brings back the memories of that dreaded 32km, this was my first marathon to, did it in 4h40, you did amazing for 10weeks training, next year we'll smash it!
I remember my first few marathons. I thought I was training enough. I was not. After hooking up with a new co worker who was a good runner, he explained what I really need to do to achieve a fully run marathon at a decent pace. It is miles, and miles and miles and there are no shortcuts. My first 2 marathons, I walked after 32km similar to you. Once I stuck with a proper plan, I ran 2.46! Anyone can do it but you cannot if you half train for it.
Stefan, I have always used your strategy of running slow and steady. That was when I was younger. Now I stick with the treadmill. Stay strong and keep doing it as long as possible.
Your videos always surprise me, great videos also well done in the marathon!
Stef, well done you finished!!!!
Still better than the 99% of the population that haven’t even tried a marathon. And the rubbish about under 5 hours is just rubbish. Well done mate.
Not a failure. A failure would have been giving up and not making a video and not allowing this to let you grow. Life is full of ups and downs and it’s the downs that help shape us to be who we are. You my friend are an inspiration, and I know that when you set yourself that goal for that next marathon you will come back stronger and get that victory. You finished what you started and for that you earned my respect. Im currently studying for my FAA knowledge test and this was a quick break, and your passion is fueling me to finish my “marathon” so I can be the pilot I always dreamed of being. Thanks for all your videos, they have gotten me and still do get me excited about aviation all the time.
PS your story telling is amazing. You had me hooked and it was all without the help of clickbait. Keep up the hard work!
Thanks for the inspiration Stef ! 💪🏼
Thanks for watching Rohan.
You didn’t fail, your a champion for doing putting mind over matter, sure may not be the fastest time you were hoping for.
You will do very well in the Gold Coast.
I had a similar experience back in 2000. My knee went half way through the London Marathon, just as I crossed Tower Bridge. I was on for a 3 hour 30 time but had to walk/hobble the second half. I finished in 5 hours 25! I'd run loads of halfs but this was my first full and as it happens my only full. After physio, 9 months later I entered a local half which unfortunately proved my injury was more serious than first thought as it went again even though I was ok during training. Even surgery and physio didn't help. I can no longer run, I cycle instead! I still consider I completed that marathon and the memories of that day, some painful, will live with me until I draw my last breath. Neither of us failed but you have the chance to improve on your time next year. Train well and good luck.
Finishing is winning mate, I ran my first one back in Berlin back in 2019 4:11:27, I want to go sub 4 next time..
Good Job! I honestly can not stand to run, I will do any other workout you present me with. More power to you to even train and stay in shape running! One step at a time
Well done on this achievement! 👏
Well done Stefan, finishing a marathon irrespective of the time is a great result. As a person who has run around 10 Melbourne Marathons including one Ironman Triathlon as well, I can assure you that a marathon is not just a physical event, it is as much a psychological event as well. My training methodology was to train for 'time-on-the-legs's meaning that I knew I would cover the distance, but I never knew how long it would take me so my training regime was to increase the time on the legs over the 3-4months out from the event. Am also a great believer in visualisation and I would picture myself running various parts of the course so come race day, that part of the course held no surprises for me. I also subscribed to the approach that a marathon was 'simply' 4 x 10km jogs with a 1.92km warm down at the end. By breaking the overall distance down into smaller chunks, I found it wasn't as intimidating. Good luck with your training for Gold Coast, maybe there is another vlog series right there.
Stef this is not a failure. It’s like the first solo to your aviation journey. A circuit solo is still a solo. And now you are prepare to go further and faster!
Awesome man!!! Good work up to this point!! And continue the hard work. I am a amateur runner, no wait, a beginner runner who shouldn’t even have a title as cool as “amateur runner”. Through this pandemic i have taken up running again and indoor rowing. March 2020 I could barely run a mile. This march i plan on running a 10k. Like your training there have been ups and downs. But such is life. Great video and I can’t wait to see the Gold Coast video at the finish line. And running is a sport against your self. So beat the 5 hour mark and hopefully the 4 hour and change mark!!!
Thanks for your inspiration!
Well done Stef: I ran five marathons when I was much younger and fitter. A marathon is a world of difference compared to a half marathon, much more than twice as hard. I always said that a marathon was the hardest 7km you'll ever run, preceded by a 35km warm up!! I crashed an burned on my second marathon trying to beat 3hrs, after I did my first fairly comfortably in 3hrs 15min. I did it in the end, but only after months of training and averaging more than 100km a week, with one run of at least 30km. There is no substitute for kms in the legs!
Great and inspiring video Stef! You made me want to finish that Half Marathon I was thinking about while running my record 10K distances. Also July in Australia seems a lot more suitable for a marathon, so fingers crossed :) My optimal temperature for running is about 13-15 degrees Celsius.
I think people forget how gruelling a marathon actually is. Well done on finishing it.
10 weeks prep is probably a bit tight alright, especially when you see online training plans for 6 months prep (granted with probably no running experience at all).
But you now know what's involved and should motivate you even more. Sometimes a kick up the arse is needed!!!!
Mate, I couldn't even walk that far without serious medical intervention. Well done for giving it a go - lessons learned are our friends!
Thanks mate, yes the learnings (as with aviation) are a positive outcome from the experience. I'm grateful for the feedback, hope the Mooney's flying well, cheers.
I think your effort deserves an applause because you didn't pull a DNF! Well done!!!! Best of luck next time; may the Force be with you!
I hope you took the time to reflect on your subscribers (105K) which by the way would fil the MCG!!!! Well done mate. Keep the chin up and posting awesome vids!!!
You committed to finish the marathon and you did! You never gave up. So you did not fail! 👊🏻
One of my early comments was that I hoped we'd someday run together, as that's my favorite way to find friends. I really do hope we find ourselves in the same hemisphere grinding out some miles together. I'm signed up for a 50k in ten months. My FIRST 50k in over five years. My COVID quarantine ends tommorrow (It wasn't a bad case, I feel healthy), and this video is a reminder I need to start taking my training seriously.
One of your first videos I watched was a running a video. I'm WAY more a runner than I am interested in General Aviation, but the lessons are the same. It can be a perfect day, and everything can still all go to shit.
When I ran my first road marathon, I didn't take it seriously. I had run the distance who knows how many times (dozens of 50k+ ultra-marathons), but I had never run the full marathon distance on the road. It was always trail. I was foolish to think I could just go pound the hard pavement, in full sun, in Florida, and breeze through it. It was an entirely different animal. And I paid for my hubris.
Now older and wiser, EVERY race distance is hard. Sure, you and I could run 5k and feel nothing, BUT could we RACE a 5k, trying to set a time, trying to set a pace, and NOT limp for a week? No way. It's ALL hard, and it's ALL worth doing.
You did the distance Stef. That is what matters, nothing else. Keep on training, the GC beckons :)
Thanks Mark 🙏
Did you do Gold Coast? I loved the video, and felt absolutely shattered for you.. I hope you achieved your goal. I'm running Melbourne and my first marathon in 3 weeks and am terrified, so not sure this was the right video for me but also really glad I watched it
I've only participated in one marathon and this speaks to me; my last training run I made it to 18 miles and blew out my knees with double tendonitis. Recline cycle the last month before the marathon and Race day I was doped up, lubed up, and double knee braces. Guess what? Made it to mile 18! (and then run/walk the rest of the way!) Still have my finisher's medal! But I know that deflating feeling. Good luck with your next!
Fantastic job doing the training and going the full distance. Doing the marathon within a certain time, that's just style points/bragging rights. You didn't give up and have some tips for next time. You've already started the prep for the next one, so you didn't waste time and effort.
Well done. You got across the line.
I wouldn't really view it as a failure, completing the marathon is a huge achievement in itself, something people who have never done it can't appreciate.
We are people are all too caught up sometimes on position in a race, or times or whatever.
A great story from a cyclist has stuck with me during there years. He was talking to his kids one year when the Tour de France was on and mentioned that he completed that race. They immediately asked where he came and his response was simply, he finished. Now cycling is a team sport and there are obviously differences on the individual efforts, but the core point is just finishing is the achievement, at least initially. And for your first marathon, getting across that finish like *IS* a huge achievement and something to be super proud of.
3:30 "I've googled it a couple of times and apparently I have cancer!" xD LOL! That really made me laugh, mate! Cheers!
Well done stef for giving it a crack 👏
Stefan you didn't fail!! The only way NOT to have a chance to finish or not finish is NOT to have participated at all!! You finished, just not the way you would have like to have finished!! This is not the end of your story, but just the beginning!! Improvise, Adapt and Overcome!!
Congratulations on finishing your first marathon
Keep up the vids😄
Well you won’t see me at the Gold Coast Marathon , or any marathon come to think of it , but Stef you didn’t fail , you finished and should be proud of yourself . I like most , am the failure . Keep ya chin up , you’ll blitz it next time around . Good luck mate .
Thanks David, I appreciate that
I have had a similar experience. Ran a lot of half marathon since I was 12 and thought at 38 that I could do a marathon. Registered for the Amsterdam marathon and started training 3 months before the start.
I finished but walking the last 7km in agony and went over 5 hours…
I’m planning to give it a new try but with better preparation and coaching (personal trainer for muscles). Pretty much the same way I trained for my PPL and Instrument rating…
Good on you for giving it your best! I know there's no chance I could even walk the Melbounre Marathon, let alone run it! Keep up the great work?
Well done for finishing. Awesome achievement but seriously…what do you do for work?? No way could I get the time off to do something like this
This is a carbon copy of my first marathon... in the same race! Still not exactly sure where it all went wrong!
See you on the GC!!
I feel less alone now, thanks Marco. Hope to see you there for sure.
Truly an inspiration! I have my very first marathon here in Austin, Texas. I am extremely nervous but very excited at the same time. Any tips for a first timer?
Firstly, awesome that you're doing your first marathon. I am no expert but if I did it again I'll tell myself - start slow, then slow down some more. I went out way too fast as I was dragged along by the people around me. Since this race I've been working on low heart rate easy runs a lot more and it's helping. So ease yourself in and don't get excited and burn yourself out in the first half. Have a great day and congratulations, it's an amazing thing you're doing.
@@StefanDrury thank you so much Sir! You got a new subscriber 🤙🏼
Might see you at the Gold Coast marathon mate. Are you going to fly up in EYZ?
Yeah that would be my aim. Fly up, finish, fly home.
Man I can really see the pain towards the end, but you didn't give up and you finished. Ok get that out of the way, you have 6 months to train for the Gold Coast. As soon as you see this message do 30 squats!
Stef,
I wish i had your inspiration.
I might go pull a few weeds out of the lawn.
D
Good on ya Stef, I'd be lucky to run 40 metres !, Cheers
I ran the second London marathon back in the day, a lot of training and I ran it in 3:27 but the first and last marathon I did, half marathons, seven k runs, no problems but you can stick marathons.
Nice storytelling!
Thanks Andreas, I worked on that a lot for this video so I appreciate you saying that.
Good job
Failure? You completed the first marathon you tried. Glad to hear you weren't actually injured.
Well done. Will you be running again in just over 5 weeks?
I was signed up to Melbourne 2020 (cancelled), 2021 (postponed and I lived in Queensland so I couldn't make it), 2022 (I was recovering from covid and could barely walk let alone run). 2023 I wasn't signed up. I was just out of shape. 2024 though. That's my year. See you there?
Imagine being able to run in 4min 20sec. Dont worry about feeling like you failed. Your 1st one is the hardest one. 1st solo, 1st date, 1st partner. Its never easy and you trained the best of your ability and even trained in poor weather. I would say a definite well done for a 1st go.
I had a half today, and I got there an hour late. We made a wrong turn and ended up on the highway again. This was supposed to be my first and I’m pretty slow, so I I knew if I did it I wouldn’t have finished. So I just bandoned ship after 20 mins. I was also getting lost I didn’t know which way to do. I feel awful. I had been training for months sad. I’ve been in bed all day since. It is now 7pm
Marathons are not supposed to be easy so don't beat yourself up. It's definitely a training issue. Good luxk with the next one and remember to smile, its fun.
Did you do the goldie marathon?! Howd ya go. New vid coming???? Please haha 😄
Got my first marathon in 6weeks at sunny coast. 🌞
Well Done!
Nice Ben Parkes hat! Get one of Ben’s training plans for the GC marathon and you’ll be giving Kipchoge a run for his money!!
Yeah I like Ben's content, good channel for inspiration. Good idea to try his training plan actually. I'll take a look, thanks.
Training never stops, it only pauses. 🤗🤗🦊
Failure is such a shit word. You’re still amazing.
Watched this over breakfast and I almost coughed up my pancakes laughing at “I’ve googled it a couple of times and it turns out I’ve got a form of cancer” 😂😅
If it means walking 10km to the finish line to get the hardware, then so be it. The failure would be if the time was 7:02 as then you wouldn't be classified as a finisher. Trust me as I ran a 5:10 on the same GC race registered for at the end of the vid, and completed my 8th Melbourne in 5:00 battling groin issues.
Well, Stef, that person that said “if you finish in over 5 hours, you haven’t run a marathon” just needs to be put to bed. It’s an awful statement, with an awful ‘made up’ line, where 4:59:59 is a marathon and 5:00:01 isn’t. You did a marathon. And, if and when you run a second one, you’ll be better prepared.
Why run when you have a perfectly good airplane to get where you need to go? 😎
Anyways, good stuff Stef! Keep at it!
There's only 1 thing worse than not finishing a marathon - not starting. Gold Coast Marathon 2022 - what happened??? Time to make amends. Don't just enter it - DO IT!
Take your "fail" this way: Shortly before my first marathon run my back broke and left me with a partially paralyzed right leg. An emergency surgery and 1.5 years of recovery later I could start running again. But a half marathon is about the max I can run now with the weak calf muscle. For a runner like you, a 5 hour marathon is very OK. Especially for a first.