[Singletoned]

Even his first metaphor falls down:

> You can’t simply start training today and run a half marathon tomorrow, for example. You can, however, create a system in which you consistently increase the number of miles you run.

The marathon will be on a specific day, ie a deadline. If you haven't finished your training before the day of the marathon, you fail.

[jeltz]

As someone who has run many half marathons, one marathon and followed several training programs: no, that is not what happens. If you have not finished your training the only thing which happens is that you will probably run slower than you would have if you had finished your training. A common advice is to not follow the plan slavishly because that way there is only injury and burnout.

So, yes, races are deadlines but not deadlines you can rush towards because then your body will break and then you will fail the race for real. You still need to slowly and consistently build up your body just like if there was no deadline at all. It is much better to not have finished your training than to be injured.

> You can, however, create a system in which you consistently increase the number of miles you run.

This is indeed how you become a fast runner and how most training plans work, except they often peak at a mileage most people do not want to sustain to top the form right before the race.

[laserlight]

Can you elaborate? I couldn't understand how the metaphor fell down. How does the existence of a deadline help me achieve it?

[Singletoned]

Creating "a system in which you consistently increase the number of miles you run" is pointless if it doesn't get you to the point where you can run the marathon on the day that it happens.

How long you have until the marathon would determine what kind of training schedule (system) you create.

[dahfizz]

This is a straw man that the article argues against. I don't think it is a common belief that deadlines make you more productive. Deadlines exist because that is reality.

The marathon happens on a specific day. You can train however you want, but if you want to run the marathon then you need to be ready on the day of the marathon. Deadlines exist.