There is an interesting article published today about the negative effect of extreme runners. Most of us that have been running seriously most of our lives have known about this for many years. It is the basis of the reason for my never wanting to race Marathons over a long period and I spent the bulk of my road racing in 5K's and 10K's. We had a term for extreme runners and athletes that we called "negative fitness." You reach a point with training for any athletic endeavor, where the positive fitness aspect turns negative and starts to cause damage to the body rather than be beneficial.
Jim Fixx, who wrote The Complete Book of Running
died on his run at age 52. Many have concluded that he "ran himself to death."
died on his run at age 52. Many have concluded that he "ran himself to death."
We had a very good friend, Marvin Atwood, who was an extreme biker. He set many bikes across Arizona records, and had a California record ride at age 57 A couple of weeks later he died on his training ride. Did he strain his heart on the record ride and then over-exert in his training? Most likely another victim of negative fitness.
I've always followed a training and racing regimen based on moderation. When I was at my peak of Road Racing, I use to log about 40-45 miles a week including speed work. Many of the elite I raced against carried 70-90 mile week training regimens.
Whatever way you decide to pursue any athletic training, I would advise you to lean towards moderation in your training and events.
No comments:
Post a Comment