Nothing gets me through a nasty physics assignment better than a good, long, heart-pounding, sweat-drenching run.
I’m not sure if it’s the endorphins or the nonstop block of Lil Wayne assailing my ears, but either way I always walk away from my runs feeling rejuvenated.
A runner since 2006, I have enjoyed my new sport so much I even put it to the test the next year in a triathlon. But something has kept me from the big marathon dream — fear of injury.
A study published last year in the European Heart Journal found significant plaque buildup in the arteries of more than a third of the endurance runners tested, and several other studies have cited elevated troponin levels, which can suggest injury to the heart, in the blood of marathoners.
What’s more, a few weeks ago two individuals actually died during a half-marathon in San Jose, Calif., and three men died in the Detroit marathon just this past weekend.
Besides the fear of a damaged heart and sudden death, wanting to avoid the wear-and-tear on my body that I’ve heard comes hand-in-hand with endurance training has also kept me far from the race.
However, new research and a best-selling book has given me a little inspiration.
In “Are marathons bad for you?” Andrew Nusca puts some of the heart damage rumors to rest. In one Canadian study, it was found that the negative cardiac states recorded by various studies were only temporary.
As for the deaths, the American College of Cardiology reports that the risk of sudden death during a marathon is .8 per 100,000, while the risk for a sudden cardiac death event in young adults in general is .9 and 2.3 per 100,000 for non-athletes and athletes, respectively.
It seems that it is less risky to be a marathon runner than it is to be a regular athlete or nothing at all.
In Christopher McDougall’s new book, “Born to Run,” McDougall argues the human body is actually engineered to run long distances.
According to McDougall, the only reason marathons have come to be associated with pain and injury is because we are training improperly, training too much, using the wrong form and wearing inappropriate footwear.
Dr. Daniel Lieberman, a Harvard evolutionary biologist, agrees, asserting that humans evolved to run long distances in order to be able to incorporate meat into their diet. The evidence is everywhere, from the length of our toes to the gluteus maximus, which is used almost solely in running.
We can make long distance training safer, McDougall said, by training slower and longer, taking walking breaks, wearing simple, thin shoes and running on a variety of surfaces.
Until you’re ready to take the plunge, or even if you never are, starting up a running program is a great way to improve general health and well-being.
Avoiding injury doesn’t even have to be scary.
Oops, looks like you just ran out of excuses.
Kristen is lacing up her appropriately-sized running shoes. E-mail her at kckelle2@asu.edu.
