Emily's Cat
Rarely prone to hissy-fits
Every time you type this, I read the remainder of your post in a kiwi accent
. I'm sure it's a very bad accent, but it makes me smile, it adds a particular flair to your posts.
-
Security incident: ISF was recently accessed by intruders. Please change your password, and change it anywhere else you used it. Read more
Merged Arday life and death
- Thread starter Nessie
- Start date
. I'm sure it's a very bad accent, but it makes me smile, it adds a particular flair to your posts.W.D.Clinger
Philosopher
I would assume that 99.99% of those who make that assumption have never run a marathon.
Firstly, because 99.99% of the world's population will not run a marathon this year, and roughly 99.8% of the world's population has never run a marathon.
Secondly, because a large fraction of the population has met enough PE teachers to suspect (correctly!) that the average PE teacher has never run a marathon either.
Thirdly, because those who have run a marathon know it isn't something you just hop out and do without training for it.
Fourthly, because most people who have run a marathon had enough trouble walking the next day to be aware that running a marathon on 5 consecutive days is quite a feat.
The only thing that makes Arday's claim of 30 marathons in 35 days remotely plausible is that (1) they weren't competitive marathons, so (1a) who knows whether he was actually running the standard 42.195 km distance?, and (3) even if he was running the standard distance, taking 6 hours to run that distance implies an extremely slow jog. (One way to to do it is to jog for an hour at 10 minutes per mile, walk four hours at 3.5 miles per hour, and then jog for another hour and two minutes at 10 minutes per mile.)
But running with a hairline fracture for the last several days? I'll believe that when I see the x-rays.
Emily's Cat
Rarely prone to hissy-fits
I mean, sure maybe I'm completely wrong, but I don't think I was implying that 50% of PE teachers would do it with no training whatsoever and had already made plans to do so. Just that I think more people would assume that an average PE teacher would be capable of training for and completing 5 marathons in a row. Maybe PE teachers are in much worse shape than the ones I was subjected to as a kid.
I certainly don't think it's not a big deal, it's not something I have ever been capable of, and probably will never be capable of. I don't think most people would be able to do it. I just assume that people who teach a subject actually know that subject and employ it regularly, I guess?
Isn't that what I said? That's what I was trying to say at least. That if they aren't competitive but are just running a marathon length each day, and at a moderate pace, and maybe developed a hairline at the very end of the last race, it would be plausible... but when you add those other things into it, the overall yarn is kind of incredible for reasons that I think most people would see. I dunno, maybe I'm wrong. I just don't think I'm in disagreement with you.
junkshop
Otto's Favourite
I don't believe that you are this naive.
Emily's Cat
Rarely prone to hissy-fits
I admit the possibility, sure. It is entirely possible. Someone could probably make a good argument that it's likely.
But what I personally have read does not demonstrate it to a degree that I find reasonable when labeling someone with a universally reviled belief. The laxness of assuming malicious motivations these days really bothers me. It's a big ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ deal to be labeled a racist, socially it might even be worse than being labeled a murderer or a rapist! The least you can do is to make very, very certain that it's well documented and beyond a reasonable doubt before you start casually applying it to people your view as opponents.
ETA: We've had a few posters here who I absolutely would call blatant racists. I've seen it, and those are people I do not and will never read. Nothing that I personally have seen from Trausti has risen to the level at which I would take action, and is within my tolerance level of "well, I can understand the argument they're making, and I can understand why some people would infer racism, but I also see an argument that such may not actually be the case, so let's not engage in a (small scale) social media pile on and harassment campaign on ISF".
Especially in a thread discussing the risks and downsides of social media pile ons and harassment campaigns.
But what I personally have read does not demonstrate it to a degree that I find reasonable when labeling someone with a universally reviled belief. The laxness of assuming malicious motivations these days really bothers me. It's a big ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ deal to be labeled a racist, socially it might even be worse than being labeled a murderer or a rapist! The least you can do is to make very, very certain that it's well documented and beyond a reasonable doubt before you start casually applying it to people your view as opponents.
ETA: We've had a few posters here who I absolutely would call blatant racists. I've seen it, and those are people I do not and will never read. Nothing that I personally have seen from Trausti has risen to the level at which I would take action, and is within my tolerance level of "well, I can understand the argument they're making, and I can understand why some people would infer racism, but I also see an argument that such may not actually be the case, so let's not engage in a (small scale) social media pile on and harassment campaign on ISF".
Especially in a thread discussing the risks and downsides of social media pile ons and harassment campaigns.
Last edited:
Agree with all of this. The Melbourne Marathon (which I have run a number of times) has a maximum time limit of 7 hours, which illustrates how sluggish Arday was.
angrysoba
Philosophile
This is just wrong. It doesn't have to be an organized race. Running 42.195 kms is hardly a "casual jog" with mates. But if someone actually did 30 of them in 35 days, then claiming 30 marathons is completely fine. The example here is Eddie Izzard who famously did a number of those kinds of challenges.
SpuriusMaximus
Penultimate Amazing
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2009
- Messages
- 25,401
I'm more concerned about the fracture claim and its specific details than whether someone jogged for 27 miles. I'll admit that medicine is nowhere near my thing, so hopefully someone more clued (like Rolfe) can set me straight where I'm wrong.
1. His claim was NOT that it was a STRESS fracture, but that he had a seizure, fell down and injured his leg that way. You know, part of his being a supposed epileptic.
Weirdly nobody ever saw him having a seizure. I think it would have been even more notable even to random people on the street if some jogging guy had an epileptic seizure in the middle of the street. (Oh wait, he supposedly ran at 3AM
) But otherwise this is just a side-note. The actual payload is below.
2. He claimed that not only he got that hairline fracture, but that his leg had swollen to twice its size by the next day. I present to you my lords the concept of "compartment syndrome." The leg muscles are enclosed in fascia. Those CAN'T just suddenly stretch all the way to twice the usual size from one day to the next.
Even a lesser swelling would be EXTREMELY painful, probably even more so than the hairline fracture. And twice the size? That would be an immediate medical emergency, if even possible, because the pressure blocks blood flow. It's not something you can just run on for another 230 miles, without even affecting your time. Not the least because no blood flow, muscle doesn't work so well.
3. There is an article where 4 other people, including the one who wrote it, joined him on the last half of his supposed 24th marathon. (Strangely the only one anyone ever witnessed.) That's AFTER the supposed fracture and massive swelling. Not only they don't mention such a massive elephant leg, but Arday didn't seem bothered either. They just had a jovial chat and exchanged stories as they jogged. Sorry, you're just not gonna do that on over-the-counter Ibuprofen.
1. His claim was NOT that it was a STRESS fracture, but that he had a seizure, fell down and injured his leg that way. You know, part of his being a supposed epileptic.
Weirdly nobody ever saw him having a seizure. I think it would have been even more notable even to random people on the street if some jogging guy had an epileptic seizure in the middle of the street. (Oh wait, he supposedly ran at 3AM
) But otherwise this is just a side-note. The actual payload is below.2. He claimed that not only he got that hairline fracture, but that his leg had swollen to twice its size by the next day. I present to you my lords the concept of "compartment syndrome." The leg muscles are enclosed in fascia. Those CAN'T just suddenly stretch all the way to twice the usual size from one day to the next.
Even a lesser swelling would be EXTREMELY painful, probably even more so than the hairline fracture. And twice the size? That would be an immediate medical emergency, if even possible, because the pressure blocks blood flow. It's not something you can just run on for another 230 miles, without even affecting your time. Not the least because no blood flow, muscle doesn't work so well.
3. There is an article where 4 other people, including the one who wrote it, joined him on the last half of his supposed 24th marathon. (Strangely the only one anyone ever witnessed.) That's AFTER the supposed fracture and massive swelling. Not only they don't mention such a massive elephant leg, but Arday didn't seem bothered either. They just had a jovial chat and exchanged stories as they jogged. Sorry, you're just not gonna do that on over-the-counter Ibuprofen.
Last edited:
angrysoba
Philosophile
Yeah, those elements are definitely dubious to say the least.I'm more concerned about the fracture claim and its specific details than whether someone jogged for 27 miles. I'll admit that medicine is nowhere near my thing, so hopefully someone more clued (like Rolfe) can set me straight where I'm wrong.
1. His claim was NOT that it was a STRESS fracture, but that he had a seizure, fell down and injured his leg that way. You know, part of his being a supposed epileptic.
Weirdly nobody ever saw him having a seizure. I think it would have been even more notable even to random people on the street if some jogging guy had an epileptic seizure in the middle of the street. (Oh wait, he supposedly ran at 3AM
2. He claimed that not only he got that hairline fracture, but that his leg had swollen to twice its size by the next day. I present to you my lords the concept of "compartment syndrome." The leg muscles are enclosed in fascia. Those CAN'T just suddenly stretch all the way to twice the usual size from one day to the next.
Even a lesser swelling would be EXTREMELY painful, probably even more so than the hairline fracture. And twice the size? That would be an immediate medical emergency, if even possible, because the pressure blocks blood flow. It's not something you can just run on for another 230 miles, without even affecting your time. Not the least because no blood flow, muscle doesn't work so well.
3. There is an article where 4 other people, including the one who wrote it, joined him on the last half of his supposed 24th marathon. (Strangely the only one anyone ever witnessed.) That's AFTER the supposed fracture and massive swelling. Not only they don't mention such a massive elephant leg, but Arday didn't seem bothered either. They just had a jovial chat and exchanged stories as they jogged. Sorry, you're just not gonna do that on over-the-counter Ibuprofen.
angrysoba
Philosophile
Basically, I agree as a person who has also run marathons (albeit a mere sub-4 and not a sub-3 runner), but I think an important point is not that he was slow and untrained, he claims a certain amount of training before doing this, but that none of these runs would be "full-sends". It's one thing to know you have a big race coming up, train at marathon pace for 16-20 weeks or so, taper etc... and another to have an endurance challenge of 30 marathons to do. A run-walk / "Jeffing" strategy would be perfectly sensible and perfectly reasonable, in my humble opinion. And no, it wouldn't have to be actual races.
Counterpoint: The Running Channel's Jess Furness ran 42 marathons in a year, last year, and she is an accomplished sub-3 runner. In this video she talks about running 8 in 8 days. They were not competitive - just 8 laps of a park. I think even without the claimed epileptic fit and running on a monstrously swollen leg, it would have been insanely difficult.
(Oh, and that is discounting the later, and frankly obviously bollocks, claim of 600 miles in 6 days. That absolutely never happened!
As a runner, we all know "if the run isn't on Strava, it didn't happen". Were any of his achievements on Strava (or Garmin Connect at least)?
angrysoba
Philosophile
I think some of these things would either have not been available or were pretty new back in 2010.
Ah, I've only looked at a few pages of this thread and didn't see the dates. The running thing interested me, that's all.
He didn't claim his leg muscles swelled up, butt his leg did. That could certainly swell up 'overnight' e.g. if he developed a blood clot at the top of his leg,I'm more concerned about the fracture claim and its specific details than whether someone jogged for 27 miles. I'll admit that medicine is nowhere near my thing, so hopefully someone more clued (like Rolfe) can set me straight where I'm wrong.
1. His claim was NOT that it was a STRESS fracture, but that he had a seizure, fell down and injured his leg that way. You know, part of his being a supposed epileptic.
Weirdly nobody ever saw him having a seizure. I think it would have been even more notable even to random people on the street if some jogging guy had an epileptic seizure in the middle of the street. (Oh wait, he supposedly ran at 3AM
2. He claimed that not only he got that hairline fracture, but that his leg had swollen to twice its size by the next day. I present to you my lords the concept of "compartment syndrome." The leg muscles are enclosed in fascia. Those CAN'T just suddenly stretch all the way to twice the usual size from one day to the next.
Even a lesser swelling would be EXTREMELY painful, probably even more so than the hairline fracture. And twice the size? That would be an immediate medical emergency, if even possible, because the pressure blocks blood flow. It's not something you can just run on for another 230 miles, without even affecting your time. Not the least because no blood flow, muscle doesn't work so well.
3. There is an article where 4 other people, including the one who wrote it, joined him on the last half of his supposed 24th marathon. (Strangely the only one anyone ever witnessed.) That's AFTER the supposed fracture and massive swelling. Not only they don't mention such a massive elephant leg, but Arday didn't seem bothered either. They just had a jovial chat and exchanged stories as they jogged. Sorry, you're just not gonna do that on over-the-counter Ibuprofen.
If he had developed a compartment syndrome , that is a medical emergency, and would need treatment in hospital. A stress fracture is painful but wouldn't be associated with much swelling.
What worries me is his 'research' is data free. It was based on interviews with anonymous persons. (Or interrogating his own experience). He should have copies of those interviews, transcriptions of those interviews. One thing that struck me was his lack of triangulation, classic qualitative research would take themes from focus groups in a few people, turning them into structured interviews in a larger group then, validating them by sending out questionnaires to a large group.
I think that once a question was raised about his research then people began asking about his data integrity, and wanting to see the transcripts and recordings of those people he claimed to have interviewed.
He was also a professor at a research based university; where were his PhD students? His output was minimal. What grants was he bringing in? Conferences organised? Journals edited?
SpuriusMaximus
Penultimate Amazing
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2009
- Messages
- 25,401
And where do you think that oedema goes, when a blood clot blocks a vein? There's not all that much blood that goes into the fat around your legs. And what does it do to your muscles when the same blood flow is restricted to them either way? Where does that extra fluid GO when it can't go out?
But yes, that kind of swelling AFAIK causes compartment syndrome. In fact, any massive swelling in the legs does. Blood clots are a common cause of compartment syndrome. (@Rolfe, you're the expert, help a bro out here one way or another.)
Last edited:
Vixen
Penultimate Amazing
When you understand that a very large number of news reports in the UK media are actually 'press releases' from various PR agencies representing 'clients' (the usual luvvies who want to stay in the news) you begin to take it with a pinch of salt. It's not news, it's self promotion or someone with an axe to grind, like Cofnas.
smartcooky
Penultimate Amazing
No, I don't either, but at least she's not playing the race card!!
Vixen
Penultimate Amazing
The human body has 206 bones of which 52 are in one's feet (26 bones in each foot)! So we can't diagnose what Arday's swelling problem was from our armchairs. My right foot swells up after walking, much to my chagrin because I have some kind of posterior tibialis tendonitus, i.e., my right arch over pronates causing my right ankle to swell and sometimes stiffness radiates up the inner right leg from the ankle to the calf. A podiatrist I was once referred to a while back diagnosed a form of 'flat feet' - low arches - and gave me arch support prosthetics. So we don't know whether Arday had simple shin splints, a hairline fracture or a stress fracture. I doubt it was anything to do with thrombosis or cardiovascular, but who knows. If self-diagnosed, it seems altogether possible Arday was able to resume running not long after albeit painfully. We don't know which one of the 26 foot bones or appended leg bones it was!
A friend of his did come forward 4 Aug 2026 in his defence after the TES article that he did have a seizure in her office, although who knows whether she is simply trying to shield him from the hacks or whether this is true. We can't know from the sparse info we have.
Last edited:
smartcooky
Penultimate Amazing
Someone earlier put up Spencer Matthews for comparison with Arday's claimed efforts. but there is no comparison.
Matthews completed his 30 marathons in 30 days which were organized BY a charity (and officially timed because he was going for a Guinness record) across the Jordanian desert (in 40°C heat) in roughly 4 to 5 hours each day with his final 30th marathon taking 4 hours and 17 minutes. He also has a sub 3 hour recorded time for the Toyko marathon. Matthews is an accomplished endurance athlete and long-distance runner. He holds multiple Guinness World Records for extreme long-distance running and endurance feats.
Seriously, is there anything you are not an expert in? Suddenly you are an experienced long distance runner. You have expert knowledge of foot biology. I could go on.
The strong impression I get is that your google insights are extremely superficial and when you are found out by people who know what they are talking about, you deflect and put your fingers in your ears. It is extremely tiresome, frustrating and above all boring.