Marathon vs Skyline Observation

[CXP777]

Hello!

I am not new to this forum but have not posted in a few years. First, I want to say hello to Ellen, who I hiked with back in 2008 and her friend Karin...hello! I have also spoken to many of you at the tramway restaurant after your epic 3-peat of the mountain a few years back (I was out there doing the full C2C).

The reason for my post is that I completed my first marathon a few weeks ago (New York) and finished in a respectful (for me) 4:15 in blistery/cold conditions (20 mph wind was in our face for the first 20 miles). I properly trained for this race by following a prescribed training plan. Afterwards, the question was posed to me if this was the most physical event I have ever done. Ironically, when I gave it some thought, the answer was a sincere "No." This reply was met with an obvious response of "How can that be, since this was your first marathon and it took months of preparation to be ready for it?" For me, the Skyline trail still takes the most out of me and I have done it 5 times, improving my time and stamina every successive attempt I have done it. My current best time is 4:36 and I am not trying to race up but I do go at a nice steady pace...basically, the same approach I did with the marathon; however, the hike seemed to have pushed my physical limits more, which is interesting to me since you can rest/stop to refuel and are basically walking at a brisk pace (I ran the whole 26 miles and refueled while running). I am curious what others opinions/experiences are with this topic, since many here have run a marathon. Maybe, I just had a good race or Skyline is a worthy challenge to a Marathon (obviously, with a few differences). Thank you in advance for any feedback.

Chris in Atlanta, GA

[zippetydude]

I remember that crazy 3 peat day! Good to hear from you. As to your question, here's my 2 cents... My best marathon time was about 20 minutes longer than my best Skyline time, so in that sense our experiences are reversed. In addition, I'd say that with a marathon, because you're running the whole time, it's actually more unpleasant and more taxing mentally.

Now, that being said, let's look at the other side of the coin. If you were to walk a whole marathon at, say, a 6 hour pace, and do Skyline at a 6 hour pace, I think the 8000' elevation gain more than makes up for the difference in distance and I would say Skyline is harder.

Here's an interesting phenomena I have run into over the years. Even when I am in top running shape, my first Skyline after the winter break is always my hardest, and it takes me 2 or 3 times up to regain what I call my "mountain legs". It seems the body makes some adjustments and handles the coordination of going up a steep incline more efficiently after a few repetitions. If you were to do Skyline every week for a couple months you might find the same thing happening, which would maybe make our experiences more similar.

Anyway, an interesting question there, thanks for the post!

z

[CXP777]

Zip,

Thank you for your response and observations. As someone who has done this a lot more than I have over the years, your opinions have strong value...so, thank you! One additional observation that made a big difference in running the marathon with more ease was the vast crowds. In NYC, they estimate 1-2 million people line the whole route, which really took the mind away from internal battles to external stimuli that kept you motivated. On Skyline, you are alone (most of the time) and can see the end of the hike once you get up around 4k and it is daunting and mentally imposing...I guess if we had people cheering you the whole way up you would probably never notice the challenges ahead as much.

Thanks again for your reply.

Chris

[cynthia23]

Interesting post which brings up some things I've also wondered about, though I certainly don't run marathons.

I think the most profound difference between Skyline (or other long, strenuous hikes) and a marathon, is that during a marathon, you can quit. At any point, you can simply stop, say "I give up", and get a taxi or a ride home. Of course, there's no taxi in a wilderness situation, and you're forced to complete your hike (or, if you simply can't, perhaps call for a rescue, but that's obviously a drastic step and not always available.) So, in a way, a marathon requires more will power, although, as stated, social support (or pressure) probably keeps many going. I can't even count the number of hikes I would have quit on in a heartbeat if only the escape pod was available. On the other hand, hikes are inherently more risky, and knowing you can't simply quit produces anxiety, which may also make the activity more difficult. Logistically, you're responsible for your own safety and movements, unlike in a marathon, where everything is planned for you. So mentally, I'm going to say a strenuous hike is perhaps more difficult. However, as only a casual jogger, I certainly can't say for sure. Hope others will comment on this topic