New york post writes garbage article on how marathons are bad for you

i swore that i would never race a marathon, having run x country all out and could not stand for a half hour after i won.

horrible and satisfying, but no doubt this stuff harms you and you must be paid a lot to do it.

and i never did run a marathon.

however, in training i got lost and covered the marathon distance at an easy 650 per mile plus or minus, which is easy, more or less running backwards.

it was the Waitakere plus.

the take away is that you can run very long distances easily if you back off the pace.

today, the guys that run 203 ish, it is not the same distance as for mortals.

meaning that it is more like a 20 miler in terms of damage to the body, because they are so fit and go so fast.

the fitter you are the less damage.

the guys that ran 209 maxed out felt much more pain and damage.

running backwards is a term, where the elites run most of the time at 5 min per mile pace.

and on the way up, you run 5 minutes high doing quality and 620 min miles or so regularly.

650 is basically standing still.

and then we have guys doing their quality at 430 mile pace in abundance.

there are levels.

you want to train with quality 2 or 3 times per week, and run very easy the other days.

you'll build up.

but don't do the college death trap routine trying to race or keep up every practice.

and skip a quality day if you're not advancing.

you should be advancing after EVERY quality workout.

or at least NOT going backwards.

Murdock wrote:

Based on the posts you make, you’re generally just trolling. I’m not going to waste time proving anything to you because you’d never admit to being incorrect. I’m not a teacher here to educate you - try reading the voluminous amounts of peer-reviewed research. Start with Google Scholar, it’s pretty easy, but I’m sure you’re not interested in that.

I did Google endurance training and immune system before I asked. This was the first result.

anecdotal, I'll admit wrote:

I completed one Marathon at age 33 and ruined by legs and hips. I raced the Marathon on 25 miles per week. Yeah. My fault. I am not a high mileage guy. No way was I going to run over 60 miles per week. Training for 5Ks are good for one's health, not Marathons. I do not think Marathoners are doing them for their good health.

I think this is the main reason people get hurt or run down - people run marathons on too little mileage! Their bodies are not physically or structurally prepared for the stress, I don’t think any person should be running marathons without other a couple of years of consistent running and slowly/carefully built mileage. I also think a lot of people who run them on a 16 week training plan just to say they’ve done one are silly, I was consistent with 40 mile weeks for at least 3 years (building base for 5ks) before I even entered my first half marathon. Another two years later now averaging 55mpw I run marathons twice a year, one leisurely and one where I race. People do too much, too soon and although they might be mentally tough enough to get through the training and the event, their bodies are too psychically weak to handle the training and event.

Building the fitness necessary to run a marathon doesn’t happen overnight, at least not without moderate risk. These short term training plans to complete your first marathon in a few months that seem to be plastered on every running website are dangerous. A lot of people end up with injuries that land them out of work or leave them bed-bound due to treating the marathon like it can be done overnight. It is “sort of” fair enough if one has a background of being on their feet a lot, is a very all round fit person and has a background such as soccer or MMA - people like that might be able to get away with a couch to marathon attempt if they recover properly after.

manupfolks wrote:

Lateral thinking wrote:

Some might respectfully point out to you that a 3'30/4' or whatever you are running these days is not as good as guys out there still laying the wood at your age and running mid 30' on a 10k..... give some thought to that will you

What does "laying the wood" even mean?!

Macking broads and getting cake dude. You're pretty slow on the uptake, no?

"Guys out there" at 64 are not running "mid 30' on a 10K" -- at Peachtree for example the AG winner barely broke 40 mins and the next two on the podium ran 41:xx. A "mid 30" time would be extraordinary, world class.

Hardloper wrote:

Running injuries aren't real injuries. The worst case scenario with a running injury is you have to stop running and cross train, which puts you in the same situation as someone who doesn't run in the first place, so it would be inaccurate to say running "wrecks your body." Be happy you don't play a sport where people get real fractures or concussions.

Wrong. Unbelievably wrong.

Tear a tendon and see or snap a ligament in your knee. Or get a fracture that won’t heal.

Idiot.

40yrsandrunning wrote:

As I transitioned from late-30s to early-40s, I've been much more healthier and injury free after I stopped training to run fast over the 5k and 10k distances and caught the bug of running for distance at slightly more comfortable paces. I couldn't run a 6:00 mile right now if I had to, but on Sunday I'll enjoy running 26.2 miles at an 8:00 pace in New York.

Just wait...just wait...time stops for no one.

Cool story.

Meb keflizigi (African runner) now says every human should run a marathon.

Not everyone has the body to run a marathon. Even if trained properly for it. They are the ones risking long term health damages.

Just like not everyone has the body to play linebacker. Yet anyone can go run 26.2 miles or at least try to. Imagine if any 5’5” 125 pound person could play in an NFL game. And football is dangerous enough if you have the physical tools.

"The health benefits from running probable peak around 30 to 50 mpw "

The best medical research today shows that running no more than 15 miles per week is best for optimal health. Any more and you're running for other reasons. After 15 miles per week the risk of injury goes way up and so does the risk of oxidative stress. Walking is ideal, if done regularly and at a brisk pace.