Marathon runners..........

[StephinAL]

I wanted to use a competition to motivate me to train this year, but heard on the Doctors show that they are not good for you. They said they raise inflamation in the body and can lead to heart attacks. Just wondering what you think.

[ChristyB in TN]

I think you can have a heart attack doing anything if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, etc. I suppose it is safe to get a physical before you start training for anything. I personally believe that running keeps me FROM having these problems. Because I run, I am one of the healthiest people I know. I think starting with something a little shorter than a marathon is a good idea for a beginner. Maybe a 5K? Even a half marathon is a fantastic goal! Just listen to your body! Eat a healthy diet without corn syrup, tons of sugar, lots of whole grains, and meals based on fruits, veggies, lean meats, and whole grains. I can't imagine a marathon training program in itself causing inflammation and heart attacks, that seems a little bold to me.

[plansrme]

I'm no doctor, but that cannot possibly be right. It reminds me of the old wives' tale that a woman shouldn't engage in long-distance running because her uterus will fall out. I've run 2 fulls and 4 halfs (halves?), and I've never seen someone's uterus fall out.

 

I will say that the marathon itself is hard on your body. This is one of those cases in which I had more respect for the distance after having done it. But you recover--blisters heal, and eventually you'll be able to walk down an incline without wincing. A half-marathon is a much less painful race, the training is far more manageable, and the race itself can be very fun, whereas a full is mostly not fun.

 

My first race ever was a half-marathon, so I highly recommend them. It's long enough to be impressive to non-runners (and that's what it's all about, right?), but it's not necessary to kill yourself to get there.

 

Terri