If you ask my mom, it's great when others do it but it's not healthy for Her Daughter...

My SO just ran his 9th marathon, in his never ending quest to qualify for Boston. He's pretty darn healthy, though is a little tired these days...

Chantal

When I'm training for a marathon I eat better, drink less booze and get more rest. That along with a whole lot of aerobic and weight bearing activity and stretching. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.....

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Life is a journey-not a destination
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Not meant to run 26.2 miles? I guess you're right. I think the number was closer to 50!

I know I sound a little testy, but I'm frustrated with continuing to here this Running is bad for you. The expectancy and quality of life for a runner (I'm not quoting, but I'm confident) has got to be higher than for just about any other athlete. And I would imagine that its way better than the sedentary person.

My dad started running when I went to college. He had a heart attack three years later. When then did the bipass surgery and rehab ALL the cardiologists and rehab specialists agreed that had he not started running, it was likely that the heart attack would have killed him!

Finally, to get back to my original statement. Remember that our ancestors were hunter gatherers. They did that amount of running and more. And then they got up the next day and did it again! We were meant to do that type of activity!

Running can be a great part of anyones life, but it needs to be a balanced part that is appropriate for the individual, that's all.

For a good laugh read through the myths about running on the post:

"what are some of the craziest things a nonrunner has told you about ur running?"

Its hilarious!

Infertility, impotence, liver disease. All kinds of interesting quotes!

quote:<HR>Originally posted by JaiRunner:

Finally, to get back to my original statement. Remember that our ancestors were hunter gatherers. They did that amount of running and more. And then they got up the next day and did it again! We were meant to do that type of activity!.<HR>

1

Yes. Mostly, the sick ones stay home and DNS.

If running makes people "ill" and "weak" and "unhealthy" - what does that say about the rest of the folks who are not physically able to start and finish a Marathon?

Can hard training reveal physical imperfections? Yes. More so than sitting on the couch and drinking beer, which feels good always, but will obviously not improve your health much. Are you more likely to get bumps and bruises and aches and pains when you use your body, rather than abuse it by letting it idle? Of course.

Ask someone who sells life insurance, or an actuary or something.

It's the training that probably offers the most health benefits, rather than all out at-the-limit racing.

I know a lot of marathon runners who are certainly healthier than the average population. On the other side of the coin, I also know a lot of runners, particularly older runners who have given up marathon running precisely because it does break down one's body, but who still run shorter distances and are quite competitive at it.

If you are looking at health aspects alone, your doctor does have a good point. While running shorter distances increases your overall health, improves your cardiovascular system, your immune system and your joints as well, that's not true of the marathon distance. It's better for your body from a lot of aspects (immune system, joints, and even heart) to avoid those long runs over 3 hours when you go into glycogen depletion and start releasing all those stess hormones that tear your down. That's why I'm really happy to see a lot more half marathons being offered these days - much better for one's health!