running

Running a marathon is an accomplishment that many people have on their "to-do" lists. And to sure, it IS quite a feat. But is the physical stress of running a marathon more than our bodies should ever handle?

The wisdom-du-jour suggests that any form of cardio - especially long slow distance and running in particular "destructive" to the body. Pop diet/exercise books of late accuse long slow distance cardio from causing everything from debilitating joint pain to back hair to the economic woes. If you run long distances, you probably order the "Filet o fish" and think monopoly is a strategy game. A very intriguing article in the New York Times suggests that we humans are in fact suited for running long distances. Here's the gist...

As a fitting follow-up to Fitness Tips from the elderly:

101 year old Buster Martin has set his sights on running the London Marathon.

Why does it seem that so many healthy athletes suddenly die of a heart attacks - while their overweight peers outlive them? Or is it a case of complete anecdotal blindness?

A saying in the news business goes,” If it bleeds, it leads!” As a private pilot, I’m very familiar with the bold headline of a small plane crash, even if it happened half a world away! The rare death of the so-called healthy athlete, being so shocking, is always front page news. It’s not surprising that we would think it is a common event, or even that being active would engender a degree of danger.

Let’s look at the data:

From time to time on Diet Blog, we will feature a "success story".

It's refreshing to know that there are people out there who (despite considerable hardship) still turn their life around.

Positive encouragement can inspire someone to make a change. The opposite approach is bludgeoning someone with fear and guilt - an approach that often backfires.

I was thrilled to receive this email from Lisa White. Lisa was inspired by the story of Jacob - the "400lb Marathon Man".

You may remember a few months back the story of Jacob. Jacob weighed over 400lbs and had pledged to run the Boston marathon (to the disgust and dismay of many long-distance runners). He is now over 80 pounds lighter... and has just completed the marathon.

He came last.

Jacob started his journey at 438 pounds. His goal is to run the Boston Marathon. He is currently just under 400 lbs and is chronicling his efforts on his site "What Would Jacob Do?".