RUNNING IS THE MOST DANGEROUS SPORT
My daughter, a mother of three, recently completed her first marathon race. Twenty-six miles…she ran twenty-six miles in under five hours. I am very proud of her accomplishment. I hope she does not try it again.
Boxing is a dangerous sport. Football even with all the equipment is a dangerous sport. Baseball players have been killed when beaned with a ninety mile an hour fast ball.
Running is the most dangerous sport.
Runners have serious problems with their knees and ankles. The pounding from constant running on pavement is damaging to all joints below the waist. Runners also get addicted. They get addicted from the adrenaline and endorphins which running creates. “The runner’s high” is not just an expression, it is a condition. Addicted runners run through their joint pain and the problems are exacerbated.
Hunters will tell you that when working dogs, you have to be able to call them off the hunt or they will literally run themselves to death. When a boxer is hurt, they stop the fight. When a football player is hurt, they take him out of the game. If a baseball player tweaks a muscle, he is replaced.
Runners don’t know when to stop.
A distance runner hooked on endorphins will run like the hounds on a hunt. Drugged by their own running induced chemicals, distance runners lose the ability to take themselves out of the game even when they are completely out of energy. Heat exhaustion will not stop a runner. Dehydration will not stop a runner. Even diarrhea will not stop a runner.
I once watched a marathon runner in the Olympics stagger most of the last lap, completely dehydrated, poop running down her leg, finally crawl the last fifty yards to the finish line. The crowd roared and applauded her courage.
She almost died.
If it was boxing the crowd would have demanded they stop the fight.
I think recreational running is great exercise. Jogging two or three miles two or three times a week is a safe and healthy exercise. Unfortunately many recreational runners get bored with a steady routine. They force themselves to run farther and faster. I am willing to bet there are more serious injuries and deaths caused by long distance running than any other sport.
I am proud of my daughter’s accomplishment, but I hope she hangs up the running shoes and takes up something a little safer.
She has a pretty good left hook, maybe she could try boxing.
Runners will 'hit the wall' before they get teh runners high. The wall is a killer, but once there and past it- you will and can run yourself into the ground without realizing it. The Olympian, I am surprised they didn't pull her off the track. Hopefully her story will prompt those in charge to prevent it happening again.
ReplyDeleteI used to jog. Then I went further. Then I was a runner. I get you on this. My lower back used to always hurt. I quit running (can't remember why) and my back felt a lot better. I walk now :-) Walking is GOOD!
ReplyDeleteEveryone is a marathon runner now. It's weird. Like the latest craze or something. I don't get it. It's like an elite club all the moms want to belong to. Maybe it's a way to prove they are still in good shape?
I will take you up on that bet. How much? Your daughter should not give up running. It has been an extremely healthy thing to get her through a rough time and probably saved her life and sanity. Running can be dangerous and addicting, and damaging to the body, however, it's benefits can be endless. Happy Holidays.
ReplyDeleteMatt, take a relax!
ReplyDeleteSheesh my own son taking me serious. What is this world comming to?
Cranky Old Man
Okay, I'm perfectly safe. As safe as can be. Because running, especially of the marathon kind, is the last thing on my bucket list. Actually, it isn't even on my bucket list, so I can't even say it's last. It's non-existant on my bucket list. It's a non-bucket list thing for me. Let's put it this way, in my worst nightmares I am running away from something. Running = nightmare for me. My worst memories are in junior high school when we were FORCED to run the mile every Friday. We weren't even allowed to walk it! We had to RUN. I hated it. So no, I won't be doing any recreational running anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I love how your son comments on your blog!
Oh, and in our family, we don't say "relax" and we don't say "chill" but instead we combine the two words and say, "Chillax!!" If my hubby comes home from work and starts yelling at the messy house, the kids will say, "Dad....chillax....it's nothing we can't clean up in five minutes! Sheeesh!"
(we also say "sheeesh" a lot)