Are marathons harmful?

This weekend I completed the Walt Disney World Marathon in Orlando, Florida. It was a well organized and fun race. The Disney characters lined the course cheering on runners in the areas where other spectators could not go. There was plenty to see as we ran through all four theme parks, which helped keep my mind off how badly my body felt.

This was the third marathon that I have completed in the last 10 months. When I began training for my first marathon about a year ago, I wondered how my body would respond to the stress long distance running can place on the body. I heard horror stories about fifty year old marathon runners who could barely walk. I also read news paper headlines describing the tragic deaths of prominent runners in London, Chicago and New York this year.

I have been apprehensive about what, if any, damage I am doing to my joints as I have trained for and run these marathons. In all three races, as I approached mile 21 I experienced pain unlike any that I have ever felt. It is a pain that is hard to describe, as it seemed to encompass my whole body. Each step becomes harder than the next and the voice in the back of my mind telling me to stop grew louder. At the same time, I watched sixty and seventy year old men pass me by. As a 25 year old who is in decent shape, it was disheartening to see people who did not appear to be athletic pass me by.

I still do not have evidence that marathons are either harmful or beneficial. My body is still sore from the last race, but overall I feel strong. The pain that I experienced during the race is mostly forgotten and I am once again contemplating running another race. I believe that wearing the right equipment, eating a balanced diet and participating in proper training will lead to the successful completion of a marathon.

Pretty much the hardest thing I have ever done

3 months ago i decided that i would attempt to run a marathon. As a virile young man, i thought to myself, "how hard could it possibly be?" Well, as it turns out, it was pretty darn hard. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to train with a co-worker of mine who is a veteran marathon runner. She is disciplined enough to make sure that we followed through with our training, including grueling 15, 18 and 22 mile long weekend runs.

Besides enduring torture treatment from Jack Bower, running 26.2 miles could possibly be the most painful thing to do to your body. I was prepared for the chaffing and the pounding that results in blisters and bloody nipples. I was ready to be dehydrated. What i was not ready for was the mental and emotional exhaustion that slammed into me around mile 23. The thought of going 3.2 more miles became emotionally devastating. During our training runs, a 3 miler would be completed in 25 minutes with barely a sweat broken. Now it seemed an impossible distance.

Somehow Jess and I were able to finish. For her account of the race check out her blog (Jess Blog). At the finish line, a wave of emotion flooded through me. It was amazing to me that i was able to complete something that less than .1% of Americans have ever done. I quickly moved on to help Jess into the medical tent and then to the food tent to guzzle down delicious bagels and oreos.

In the hotel after it was all over, i laid on the bed barely able to move. In between complaining about soreness and pain, we discussed the high and low points of the race. Within a few minutes our conversation turned to discussions of upcoming races. I am proud to admit that i have already signed up for the Disney Marathon and am in the pool for the New York Marathon. Thanks Jess for getting me hooked.