JADE GOODY DOIN THE MARATHON

I can understand people rolling their eyes at the antics of this wretched girl and am thankful that I have not seen as much of her as you would have. however I do take issue with Ed's comments. I think her failure in the event only heightens the awareness of the training and effort that those magnificent people put in to complete a marathon. It does not in my mind cheapen their efforts at all.

Ok some individuals who would have approached the whole event a lot more seriously might have missed out on entering this time.But do you imagine that they would have generated as much attention to the event or attracted as much sponsorship as Jade did? I doubt it.

Even if she did not finish I am sure she has raised plenty for charity even on a "per mile" basis. Let us not forget that the main reason for this event is for the generation of funds to charitable causes and so once again some of you need to climb down off those high horses of yours. Again the ORG and it's magnificent culture of judgementalism.

As daft as a brush as that girl is...I personally say good on you for at least stepping up the plate.

I place before you an extract from a wonderful speech by Theodore Roosevelt that sums up my own thoughts in this particular instance:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

[21QUEST]

Originally Posted by Peter Henry

Good stuff , blah , blah , blah , more good stuff

Well said PH

I have no embarrassment at all about being on my high horse.

I disagree that the main point of doing a marathon - any of the big ones such as London and New York included - is to raise funds for charity.

In each of the four marathons I have done my aim was to do the best I could and to finish. And finish them I did. I also had a target time in mind too. In 3 of the 4 races I beat the target, in 1 I missed it. In 2 of the races I did some fundraising.

Jade Goody admitted that she did no training - if she had had enough after a few hours on a treadmill, how did she think she'd finish within 4 hours??? And wearing her tennis shoes, she couldn't even be bothered to go and buy a suitable pair of Nikes.

And in the races where I did get sponsorship - believe me, it's even harder than doing the race. Disappointed runners who don't get in through the ballot can always get a 'golden bond' place - i.e. you pay a charity for one of their places by agreeing a minimum sponsorship. So many do because they so want to run, and this is what I did when I ran in New York in 2002. You feel exhausted from months of training, it's not easy to churn out 16, 18, 20, 22 milers weekend after weekend as a training run, and then you have to hawk your sponsorship form round and collect the money. Look at the relatively poor results when people on here have asked for sponsorship. I only managed to get £1500 for Cancer Research because my then employer, HBOS, was very very generous in matching what I raised myself.

Perhaps Jade Goody did better financially than she did athletically - I have no idea.

And insofar as the relevance of quote from Roosevelt - well reread it and see who you think it fits better - a self publicist who admitted to doing no training or a committed runner who struggles to get fit enough over a period of many months and then gives it his or her best shot.

Judgemental? Oh I don't think so.

totally totally couldn't agree more ed ! i nearly died yesterday i saw her blundering round and thought what a stupid c*w!!!!!!!!!!! VEXES ME !! she was waving like the flipping queen !!!! and anyone knows whos done one it is hard work
and how much did she raise i wonder

Ed..Having experience of training and running distance races myself I understand what you are saying. However the marathons that you mention have never been solely for the more serious athlete. In fact if you took away the "fun" runners then the number of participants would be reduced massively. I feel that is definitely the case as apart from say, Olympics or world championships when would you ever get the number of television viewers or spectators lining the route or paying that kind of interest in a running race? If it was not for the colour and novelty that the less serious runners bring to the event.
Simply because your view on participation differs from another persons,does not to my mind make yours the only one that is worthy of the name.

It is one of my biggest regrets that I never trained for a marathon. I did though run many half marathons and all of these were run the day following a rugby game in which I had either played wing forward in union or second row in rugby league. Try that one day Ed! :P

[mattSV]

[schoolboy mode on]

Pedro lurves Jade, Pedro lurves Jade, Pedro lurves Jade

[schoolboy mode off]



FWIW I am with Ed - I think she is a stupid lazy publicity seeking bint who would not have done it if her publicist hadn't persuaded her.

Still, at least sales of her fatness video should do well now

[Spiderman]

Shame she didnt have a heart attack and just drop dead. Do us all a favour that way.

She is just wasting the precious oxygen that we have left. There is no reason for her being and the sooner the press turn on the daft cow and rip her to shreds the happier i'll be.

http://www.ranter.co.uk/images/goody.jpg



How can you not fancy that. Its worksafe, but just looks like its not at first glance. Thats why i linked it.

You see as I mentioned in my first post,I fortunately do not have to put up with seeing this specimen on a regular basis like you folks and so my defending her comes from another perspective.

However I do think that Spidey's comments are rather uncalled for in a drama queen kind of way! :P

BTW Spidey...Was she popping a little feeper out in that pic do you think?

Originally Posted by Spiderman

http://www.ranter.co.uk/images/goody.jpg



How can you not fancy that. Its worksafe, but just looks like its not at first glance. Thats why i linked it.

Wahay!

Hot mama!

[Spiderman]

Originally Posted by Peter Henry

However I do think that Spidey's comments are rather uncalled for in a drama queen kind of way! :P

Why is my opinion uncallled for? Its simply my opinion. I dont like the creature and i wish she would drop dead.
Why am i a drama queen for saying that?

Ther are plenty of so called celebs that are a waste of air and space. Take Paris hilton as another fine example of someone who deseves no more of our precious air.

they are parasites of the worst type, setting examples of lazyness and nothing more than a desire for attention and money.

Please dont say my comments are uncalled for. They are my opinions and we are here sharing our opinions.