The simple answer is YES. Many of us already know that...we can see the physical changes, feel the emotional changes and those around us know that without our running fix we are not fun to be around. I may not be that fun to be around WHEN I am running consistently can you imagine what it would be like if I wasn't?
So we all can feel the differences in our lives that running has made but NOW there is empirical rock solid proof that running has a positive effect on our lives. Stanford University researchers began to study 538 middle aged runners back in the 80's. It was the height of the first American running craze and many critics were sure that the runners were destined to suffer serious knee injuries and other injuries as a result of running too much. DID IT HAPPEN??? No, in fact the Stanford study showed just the opposite. It showed that runners do not have higher rates of osteoarthritis and total knee replacements. AND the onset of normal aging disabilities appeared 12 to 16 years later in life within the runners studied than among non runners.
THINK ABOUT THAT.....being able to move more freely maybe without using a cane, walker or wheelchair for an extra 10 years or more...
The study also showed that there were half as many deaths in the group of runners than in the non runners studied. The co author of the Study Dr. James Fries, said "the longevity effect was big. It surprised us. But the even bigger difference was morbidity rate - your overall quality of life."
Running and other weight bearing exercise like vigorous walking or using an elliptical machine work to strengthen your bones, tendons and muscles. they also help you reduce your risk of America's biggest killer...Heart Disease.
One of the keys to avoiding injuries while running is the investment in a good pair of properly fit running shoes. Also confirmed was that the best time to stretch is after you run, ideally for 15-20 minutes. The muscles respond better after they are warm.
Dr. Amadeus Mason, an orthopedist at Emory University's Sports Medicine Center says "Studies show running itself is not bad on the joints. the issue is if you get an injury and keep running on it."
So what we intuitively knew all along is true...Running is good for you. What are you waiting for get out there and start running and don't stop.
Happy Trails
Friday, November 21, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
NYC Marathon
I believe its important to write something today about the NYCM and marathons in general. I was lucky enough to be able to travel across the Hudson and watch the NYCM on Sunday. Andrea went with me and was whooping it up for all of the runners but especially those we knew or any TNT runner that passed by. It was a beautiful running day and I was a bit jealous of the runners as it was the best day at NYCM weather wise that I ever remember. A friend, Drew M, owner of Ridgewood Cycle and a Friend of TNT, commented to me that it was the best weather day he ever experienced and he has run NYC 7 straight years now. For the spectators it was equally as beautiful although when not moving it got a bit chilly at times. It is an incredible experience to watch as the number of runners making the turn from Fifth Ave onto Central park South by the Plaza Hotel increases dramatically...at that point they have about .7 of a mile to go and I know from personal experience that the crowds cheering make all the difference in the world...your body is about done but the crowd will not LET you walk...and when you pick out a runner whether by the name on their shirt or by their organization or color of their shirt and encourage them individually and then they pick up their pace or start to run again...you know that you made a little bit of difference.....seeing Andy and my sometime running partner Rob I, run by on their way to a sub 3 hour finish and then Drew, Andy V, Kevin M, Kathy B, Carrie, Varda, Kevin H, Carlos P, Beth O'C, Beth M, Joann B (I did not see her), Jenn M, Megan M...the list goes on and on everyone running their own race against their watch and their mind and body...its inspiring....
Then this morning I mentioned that a second runner had died and Andrea asked whether that people dying was a usual or unusual circumstance...and that made me realize that many people may be asking the same question ....do people die in every marathon? is marathoning safe??? NO, people do NOT die in every marathon, the two deaths this year were the first since 1994 at NYC....so in 14 years approximately 500,000- 550,000 runners had finished NYC without a death....in Chicago last year one young man died in the terrible heat but he had a pre-existing heart condition....did these men die because of the marathon? who knows..only the Doctors can say...were these men in good health? did they train properly? did they take something which contributed to their deaths? we may never know ....BUT marathoning is safe..you have to prepare but its safe...in fact a study by Stanford University was just completed that studied long distance runners over a 21 year period and found that LD running reduced the risk of all major diseases by 40% AND there was a reduction in knee damage in comparison to non long distance runners so running actually improves the health of your knees.....HOWEVER, it is important to check with your doctor at least yearly and especially before starting a long distance training program to determine whether you have any condition which would prevent you from running long distances safely...even the most fit athletes in the world...elite marathoners are not immune...Ryan Reed Shay, one the USA's most promising marathoners died during the US Men's Olympic Marathon Trials in Central Park in November 2007....he had a pre-existing condition which resulted in his death...his brother flew in from Korea and ran with some of Ryan's Notre Dame teammates on Sunday...his family including his widow Alicia, a world class runner in her own right spectated from the spot in Central park where Ryan died last year...as I watched the runners in the ND singlets pass by I smiled and got emotional at the same time and then read how several of the ND runners and Ryan's brother had a rough patch but Ryan pulled them through...know that in each run that you do (race or training) that there are Ryan Shay's out there helping push you through as you raise money to wipe out blood related cancers...so RUN Safely and be proud of your accomplishments.
Run well!!!
Then this morning I mentioned that a second runner had died and Andrea asked whether that people dying was a usual or unusual circumstance...and that made me realize that many people may be asking the same question ....do people die in every marathon? is marathoning safe??? NO, people do NOT die in every marathon, the two deaths this year were the first since 1994 at NYC....so in 14 years approximately 500,000- 550,000 runners had finished NYC without a death....in Chicago last year one young man died in the terrible heat but he had a pre-existing heart condition....did these men die because of the marathon? who knows..only the Doctors can say...were these men in good health? did they train properly? did they take something which contributed to their deaths? we may never know ....BUT marathoning is safe..you have to prepare but its safe...in fact a study by Stanford University was just completed that studied long distance runners over a 21 year period and found that LD running reduced the risk of all major diseases by 40% AND there was a reduction in knee damage in comparison to non long distance runners so running actually improves the health of your knees.....HOWEVER, it is important to check with your doctor at least yearly and especially before starting a long distance training program to determine whether you have any condition which would prevent you from running long distances safely...even the most fit athletes in the world...elite marathoners are not immune...Ryan Reed Shay, one the USA's most promising marathoners died during the US Men's Olympic Marathon Trials in Central Park in November 2007....he had a pre-existing condition which resulted in his death...his brother flew in from Korea and ran with some of Ryan's Notre Dame teammates on Sunday...his family including his widow Alicia, a world class runner in her own right spectated from the spot in Central park where Ryan died last year...as I watched the runners in the ND singlets pass by I smiled and got emotional at the same time and then read how several of the ND runners and Ryan's brother had a rough patch but Ryan pulled them through...know that in each run that you do (race or training) that there are Ryan Shay's out there helping push you through as you raise money to wipe out blood related cancers...so RUN Safely and be proud of your accomplishments.
Run well!!!
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