What are some of the biggest running myths?

The number one myth is peaking too soon. That's called poor coaching.

#2 is the need to run your miles right up to marathon week/day.

For those that say running is healthy or running doesn't hurt your knees, Keep training at your current level, wait 50 years and then get back to me.

That peer-reviewed research is the be all/end all when it comes to sports physiology.

He has great "Foot Speed".

Africans are so fast because they run to school every day

That a runner must finish a marathon, or other race, at the hydration level they started the race with.

That a runner needs to ingest gels/gu/protein bars/recovery drinks etc rather than just plain old food.

USAF_run wrote:

Here are some very regular comments from the uninformed military members:

- "I wish I was born naturally fast like you"(they disregard the 70+ mile weeks that I run)

- "Of course he's going to run faster on his PT test than me, his legs are MUCH longer" (I'm 6'2)

- "He can run his 1.5 mile real fast but I bet he couldn't carry me in a war zone" (I'm the only military member in my wing to score a 100 on the PT test. You need 67 pushups in a minute, 58 situps in a minute and 9:06 for 1.5 mile run. On top of that I can still bench press 255, being one of the stronger members of the group. And if you lost some eff'ing weight and got down to a reasonable size, maybe I could carry you in a war zone)

That's a little different than how it worked when I was in the Army (mid 90s). I was one of the 300 guys (max PFT), however our standards were something like 80 pushups in 2 min, 80 situps in 2 min, and 11:54 2 mile. Those are max scores, I think the mins were around 50/50/16:00. I'm kind of surprised that I was able to run 10:50 to 11:10 two miles on what was likely 12 to 15 miles per week (and every one was basically hammer the guys in the A group into the ground).

I can't believe no one has posted this one yet. You will get sick from running in the cold. Amazing I hear this every year.

kcal wrote: Calories in/calories out is the final determinant for body weight.

Can you please elaborate?

Ray wrote:

The number one myth is peaking too soon. That's called poor coaching.

#2 is the need to run your miles right up to marathon week/day.

For those that say running is healthy or running doesn't hurt your knees, Keep training at your current level, wait 50 years and then get back to me.

It's still a debated topic.

USAF_run wrote:

- "He can run his 1.5 mile real fast but I bet he couldn't carry me in a war zone" (I'm the only military member in my wing to score a 100 on the PT test. You need 67 pushups in a minute, 58 situps in a minute and 9:06 for 1.5 mile run. On top of that I can still bench press 255, being one of the stronger members of the group. And if you lost some eff'ing weight and got down to a reasonable size, maybe I could carry you in a war zone)

You put this part just to brag. Very unnecessary and not relevant to the thread topic.

People don't take into account maximal weight lifting exertional effects....increased metabolism, thermic effect, etc.

New York or Boston will host the 2012 Olympic Marathon trials.

That women's ovaries would fall out if they ran a marathon.

Seriously, doctors actually put that in writing in the 1950's.

Teg runs the 10K.

kcal wrote:

People don't take into account maximal weight lifting exertional effects....increased metabolism, thermic effect, etc.

You understand that increased metabolism and other exertional effects would fall under the category of "calories out", right? Weight loss really does come down to calories in vs. calories out, your objection is just that we can't accurately measure one or the other (or both).

sports drinks

tempo runs

Telling white kids,"If they work hard, they can secede in Athletics".

JokeStore wrote:

Teg runs the 10K.

Damn, you beat me to it.

Hormones are what govern weight gain/loss. They do so by increasing/decreasing your appetite. Or, if that doesn't work, they will increase/decrease the energy usage of your body cells.

It comes down to the fact that "calories in vs calories out" is a vacuously true statement.