This is an interesting concept. Using the theory of marathon training, you pick an event or purpose or project to “train” for. Can be about exercise - or could be learning a new language, be a better cook, write a book draft…sky’s the limit!!!
What idea is sitting on your mind shelf that you’d like to train and tackle??
Very interesting! I “train” when I’m going on a big hiking trip. I’ve never considered applying training to a non physical endeavor. When it comes to exercise I am very focused, other tasks not so much.
I was an avid writer from early childhood into early adulthood, but then life got in the way. I am going to tackle writing a draft for a novel. I’m someone who definitely needs this type of push and structure to tackle things. But once I set my mind to anything, I stick with it.
Thanks for sharing!
Yeah, I find it interesting too! I’m someone who does like a list or a timeline. Loosey goosey often means a process doesn’t get done.
I’m giving some good thought to where I could apply this anti-marathon mentality into my life.
One of my “bucket list” items is to do the NYC Shorewalkers “Great Saunter” which is a one day walk around Manhattan. Literally. There is a route which encircles the entire island and it is 32 miles in one day (typically the first Saturday in May). For various reasons, I won’t be doing it this year but I plan to in the next few. I’m active but I definitely need to train for it.
That sounds like “fun”! I’ve done 15 miles walks for charity, but never one as long as the one you describe. I will have to investigate.
@1214mom -I’m willing to train separately and meet up in NYC for the walk.
I love this! Have never heard of it. Gosh, how interesting!
Haven’t looked fully, is it “rain or shine”?
I believe it is rain or shine. A friend of mine and her husband (avid walkers) did it in 2016. I think it is better organized/more support now.
Same offer to you.
This is really tempting! Keep me in the loop. 
Hmm. I have been contemplating a great improvement in my verbal Spanish language skills. When I was a kid (second grade! We are talking about a LONG time ago!), I was enrolled in a pilot Spanish language class which continued through high school and included a month in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico with Puerto Rican junior high school kids, and three weeks in Spain during high school. Later, I lived in Mexico for a year.
I can give directions like a pro (a useful skill riding the subways in NYC!) en espanol, and in general I can make myself understood. When I was studying for my MSW during the Trump years, it occurred to me that there would be the need for A LOT of therapy for the families separated at the border.
Of course there are a zillion educated New Yorkers who grew up in households where Spanish was the first language, including many I know from social work school and beyond. But I think it would enrich my work as a psychotherapist with clients who have fallen between the cracks because of inadequate support from mental health professionals. In my current work as a therapist at a community mental health clinic, I have several of those clients, and when I get my LCSW license and join a group practice to make more money for less work, I will keep my affiliation with the clinic to continue to work with clients who fell between the cracks in the past. And I would not mind at all having enough Spanish language skills to do therapy en espanol. I have a Serbian speaking client now for whom I use the Language Line (a widely used interpretation service) and it has worked well for us, mostly, but the back and forth of translation makes everything take forever. Not that I plan to learn Serbian (or Bosnian; very similar I am told); in my community, Arabic is also important, but I am too old to take on a completely different language.
Anyway, a very long way to say that I am not in a position to devote three hours a week for months, then four hours (as stipulated in the Slate article), but I like the idea of setting a specific time goal to enhance my skills in Spanish.
I mentioned this to my H and he reminded me that his brother did this to run an actual marathon. What was interesting, at least to me being a max 5 mile runner, is that during training you never actually run a marathon.
Yes, most runners planning to run a marathon follow a training plan over a course of weeks building up (usually to 20-22 miles) and then tapering off.