Ironman-Marathons: The Cure or The Problem?
Ironman-Marathons: The Cure or The Problem?
This is not a hate Article against Marathons/ IronMans or any similar Long distance training or competition.
As Athletes we are seeking to improve our overall health and wellness. There are many ways to do so in the world of fitness, all having their ups and downs. It is important to know that there is no perfect system.
Trying and utilizing IronMans/Marathons is all well and good but I want you to know what you are getting into both good and bad.
I don’t agree with is the advertising that using one tool in health/wellness/fitness/strength is the only thing you need to reach all your goals or a healthier body. I am not being biased here and attacking Distance Running either. This rule applies to everything. Goes along with the sayings “Everything in Moderation” and “Too much of anything can be bad for you.” too much milk can be bad, too much water can kill you.
The GOOD That Marathon training brings to the table
It is very Easy to Start doing
Probably the second easiest exercise option to start doing other than walking.
Here is an easy guide to start jogging or running….1. Stand Up 2. Start Jogging. It really does not get easier than that.
Being so easy to start makes it one of the most popular ways to start off on a path to improve yourself. As a Trainer who has worked in many different settings, Running is always the go to option in the mind of the beginner. Go out and run a mile in 45 minutes who cares. Just next time, see if you can do it in 45 minutes or less. After you do it long enough or consistent enough guess what….you will see some body changes to go along with your hard work.
The only equipment you need is…space.
You really do not need anything besides appropriate clothes depending on the weather. You are more than welcome to train for your Ironman/Marathon in the Nude; that my friend is up to you. Now a day with the new barefoot Running revolution it is true that you really do not need any specialized running equipment to train and begin to improve your running. That is a Huge Plus. You don’t need a treadmill or any variation of the sort, you just need space that you can run in and a surface you can run on. This lack of a need for equipment makes running again an easy place to start with exercise.
Everyone Can Do It
You read above that it was easy to Start right? Well I meant that pretty much 100% across the board. When you were a crawling infant the idea in your parents head that the dreaded day will come when running replaces all walking will be haunting them, because they have to chase you. Just this Past year the retirement of the world’s oldest marathoner was broadcast on the news…he was 101 years old. If you end up enjoying the thrill of running, you can participate in the marathons and Ironmans as a challenge. So, if you are interested in getting started on changing your life…why not pick something that is cheap and easy to get involved with.
You can Run for a Charity and raise money for different Causes
The first three points ( easy to start, No Equipment, Everyone can do it. ) Make it one of the easiest ways to organize an events to promote a cause or charity. That fact alone is AWESOME! How many people usually show up for these charity runs? Even the events that are not marathons but, 5k and 10k races usually have great showings from racers and spectators. Raising money and bringing awareness is always the focus of these events and they reach a huge audience. Most of the time you will hear quite an inspirational story about someone who is competing in these races who no one ever thought would and it is an empowering and inspirational when you hear some of the stories.
You can be a Lonewolf runner or run with a pack of wolves
**Dont actually attempt to run with a pack of wolves…it will end badly for you**
Whether you choose to go on this marathon training journey alone or with a group is up to you. You can get a group of family or friends together and take the challenge of a marathon or Ironman as a group support system. If you have the problem of friends or family wanting to physically join you in the races you can always look into adult running clubs and teams in the area. There are running clubs all across the americas and while I have not looked in depth I am sure you could find some on the worldwide scale as well.
Progressable/ Regressable
There is no strict timeline to follow. You can progress your training as you see fit. There are races of all levels all over the place and they happen pretty much year round.
You can Run for “Cardio”respiratory Efficiency or Aerobic Fitness(← — Click! great article by Joy Victoria Explaining this further)
Yes they are different. As Joy explains in her article.
“True cardio means your heart is efficient at pumping blood to the muscles that need it” Meaning that your body becomes better at supplying the energy it needs to complete an activity.
“Aerobics or endurance means the ability to perform prolonged, low-intensity exercise” Meaning that on top of the Cardio benefits of the distance running you have the benefits of getting better at running longer, if it were to be put simply for you. Which means in simple simple terms you can get better at running certain distances.
Stress Relief
Some people use running for an effective way to get some mental stress relief. Just lace up and go. Maybe strap on your walkman, pop in your newest Bon Jovi Cassette or radio recorded mix tape and just run, bike or swim until you feel better. The mental clarity and stress relief you can get from a run can change your whole day. It can turn a bad day into a good day or a negative thought into a positive action or reaction. Exercise in general is a good way to break creative blocks in problem solving and critical thinking.
Goal Oriented
Since there are races all year round you can really easily set a physical competition date for yourself. Also since there are mini races along the way you can use them as “check in” points to make sure you are on top of your programming and progressing instead of regressing.
Mental Toughness/Endurance-
These races are long. You are more likely to hit a mental barrier before you hit a physical barrier. Even if you are running with the support of a group sometimes those conversations you are having with yourself can be louder then the group. just like in most sports there is always a mental component you have to find a way around before you can really excel. You think that every person who played football LOVED to get hit hard…nope, it was something they had to deal with, knowing it goes hand in hand with the activity. Same rule applies for running long Distances. There is only one way the finish line get closer; you just have to jog to it and stopping is out of the question.
The BAD That Marathon Training brings to the table
ITS EXTREME!
It is an extreme sport…not a recreational activity. Yes, we make recreational events called marathons but it is more extreme than often thought. Most people think “ its only Jogging…that’s not extreme”. I agree that it doesn’t seem to fit in the category along side base jumping, sky diving, bull fighting etc. The reason is because the “extremeness” about jogging only happens in excess repetition or with an added element. Jogging through the streets of Pamplona, Spain isn’t extreme until the bulls are released; the same sense of extreme applies when the distance of the race is not 1 mile but ,as great as 26–100+ miles.
Demands Time
One of the most heard excuses for not participating in fitness is that the individual “ does not have time to do it”. Running may be easy to get started doing but if you are training for some long races you are going to have to run long distances every once in a while. Running for distance is time consuming and it is only working one side of the fitness spectrum. If it takes you 10 min to run one mile, how long will it take you to run 5, 10 or 20 miles? That could take up a huge chunk of your available time during the week. Marathon and Ironman Training can really eat into that “1 hour workout is only 4% of your day” Bullshit that seems to float around the interwebs a lot.
Fastest 26.2 miles in the recent NYC marathon was just over 2 hours and the Iron mans typically last for a day or more to complete.
So, If you are pressed for time on a consistent basis I would rethink your quest to marathon until you have optimized your scheduling.
The Calories Burned myth
Running and Jogging are often seen as a jumpstart into fitness or a way to ease your way into working out. When you start off, you see some nice results in weight loss, breathing is easier, less soreness and some leg muscle definition. Truth is that if you continue to run the same or similar distances at the same or similar paces respectively…your calorie burning potential will level off and then drop off entirely.
Our Bodies do not want to be Inefficient at doing/completing something. The body will adapt in ways to make it as energy efficient as possible and when we are energy efficient we will use less energy(CALORIES) to complete a task. When we train Aerobically we are trying to get to a place called “Steady State”. In this place energy expended levels off. If you are well trained aerobically then you are able to get to this “steady State” quickly thus reducing the amount of time of wasting energy. So, if you are not continuously progressing your running training you will start to hit plateaus and then results will level off.
OverTraining and Overuse is everywhere.
I hate Couch to marathon running programs. It is very easy to train too much in the beginning of training for a distance race. The top three reasons listed in “the Good” section are the top reasons why it is so easy to over do it. There are a lot of people that start running distances races in varying lengths to jump start them on their fitness journey. Hopping up out of a chair and one day deciding to run 1 mile is a far greater task than you think about. There are 100s or thousands of steps that you need to physically take in order to run a mile. It’s like going into the gym DAY 1 of your journey and doing 1000 squats, ludicrous. And trust me you will understand why when the DOMS(Delayed onset Muscle Soreness) come out to play or when you’re sidelined with injury.
You probably have Horrible Technique
Just because you can do something does not always mean that you can do it the right way. While there might be some slight variation in technique due to the vast body types we have as humans…THERE IS A BIOMECHANICAL TECHNIQUE TO RUNNING AND JOGGING. Running is a skill that we are never really taught growing up, unless of course you participated in track and field. Yes, pretty much everyone can execute their own variation of moving their legs fast but, solid running technique is a skill. Running with horrible technique will lead you to a road riddled with injuries; some will happen sooner and some will happen later….BUT THEY WILL HAPPEN.
Overuse Injuries Are in Your Future
Horrible Technique+ Miles of Repetition = Overuse Injury breeding ground. They can happen pretty much anywhere, it depends where you have the flaws in your technique. You could sustain injury to your feet, ankles, shins, knees, hips, back, shoulder, neck all from being in bad positions all the time. The same hold true in numerous other activities, exercises and skills. If someone wants to compete in a bench press competition they will need to have good technique to avoid as much injury as possible. Without the technique they would never be able to compete in events and have a long career doing it.
Lack of Strength Proper Training
An alarming and common problem is that there is a large portion of runners (new and old) that do not take advantage of strength training properly when they run so much and so often. More often than not, strength training is seen to have a negative effect to running performance when the opposite is actually true. This is something that has to change in order for you to stay healthy as a runner/triathelete. Strength Training is helpful to your running career but bodybuilding is not. Don’t get the two mixed up.
Mediocrity is Accepted
Everybody Wins
If you finish you get a medal….First, middle or last…you get a medal for participation. Sounds too much like the problem we have with every kid in their youth sport getting these trophies and honors for simply being there. Sure people can have their personal goals and that is not what I am talking about here because personal goals are great and important.
What I am talking about is the idea that just because you finished a marathon you are now some new sort of special. Sure, it is hard but it’s not supposed to be easy. That doesn’t mean you now DESERVE praise or a higher amount of respect from others who don’t run.
If you run for your own goals then, great keep running because then the reward is the completion and not the medal you received for just crossing the finishline.
The Conclusion
While some of the examples are strictly talking about running they apply to biking and swimming as well. Can Biking, Running or swimming these long races be beneficial to you if you are looking to jumpstart your way into fitness, Absolutely. What I hope you got from this posting is that running is great to point but,s needs to be monitored, progressed and accompanied by other factors in fitness in order to keep you healthy and actively participating in the sport of Life. There is no perfect training system so when you choose one, make sure you know what you are getting yourself into.
Originally published at fitletes.com
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