{"id":5738,"date":"2013-07-01T07:57:37","date_gmt":"2013-07-01T12:57:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/?p=5738"},"modified":"2021-08-30T22:19:21","modified_gmt":"2021-08-31T03:19:21","slug":"a-marathon-in-russia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2013\/07\/01\/a-marathon-in-russia","title":{"rendered":"A Marathon in Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I\u2019ve been on vacation, traveling the back roads of Russia (which looks a lot like central Illinois) visiting ancient cathedrals and doing a great deal of walking. The trip was organized by a company I\u2019ve been using for years, G Adventures<\/a>, which brings together a small group (never more than 15 or so) of like-minded travellers more interested in seeing sights and keeping active while skipping the shopping and high-end hotels. The group is usually a genial mix, all ages, mid-20s to early 70s, flying in from around the world: Brits, Aussies, Americans, Canadians. By the end of the trip, we know each other pretty well and often stay in touch for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say this as an introduction to a couple in the group. Bill\u2019s a semi-retired internist, his wife Sandy a semi-retired nurse practitioner, the two of them straddling either side of 70. He\u2019s over 70, she’s in her mid-sixties. I dwell on their ages because here\u2019s what they\u2019re like in person: lean, fit, funny, and as limber as yoga instructors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our tour is scheduled to end in the beautiful city of St. Petersburg, home to the famous Hermitage Museum. And the day after we arrive, both of them are running the St. Petersburg Marathon. For the uninitiated, a marathon is  26.2 miles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the local temperature was 93 degrees F.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happily running from Oslo to Death Valley<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, that\u2019s a bit hot,\u201d remarked Bill. \u201cI\u2019ve been in worse. Cold. Now Oslo, that was cold. Rainy, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOslo was horrible,\u201d threw in Sandy. \u201cBut Death Valley wasn\u2019t as bad as I thought it would be. You have to run it in February.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I asked how many marathons they\u2019d run and Bill answered for the pair, \u201cI\u2019m at 68 marathons, Sandy\u2019s ten behind me, 58.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes,\u201d she said, \u201ctomorrow\u2019s 59.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since I\u2019m always kvetching about fitness, I had more questions for them, like when they\u2019d started running marathons. Bill said he\u2019d never been a long-distance runner until his late 30s, Sandy her early 40s. He says Sandy is the serious runner (he preferred cycling, and still rides, usually 30 miles or so at a stretch), adding that he has trouble keeping up with her, especially toward the end of the course. He likes to swim as well. With running, biking, and swimming, I asked about triathlons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, I\u2019ve lost count. At least 100.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Runn<\/a>e<\/a>r\u2019s World<\/a>\u00a0as their homepage, what they do, Sandy explained, is to keep track of scheduled marathons, which she pointed out are held somewhere in the world every week of the year. So for Bill and Sandy, a vacation always includes a marathon. Being semi-retired, they can manage three, even four, a year. Obviously, it was fewer \u201cwhen the kids were small.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bill\u2019s sound advice is inspirational<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bill added a couple of facts that I think are really quite important, first acknowledging that (of all people) exercise guru Richard Simmons opened his eyes to the benefits and shortcomings of exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFirst,\u201d Bill said encouragingly, \u201cTell your readers that in terms of calorie burning and cardiorespiratory fitness, fast walking is exactly as effective as running. Runners like speed so fast walking, effective as it is, feels too slow for them. But you definitely do not have to run to get the health benefits of running marathons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSecond, don\u2019t hope to lose weight by exercising alone. In fact, we know you\u2019ll burn 100 calories running a mile. You finish running and you\u2019re hungry. If you feel entitled to some extra food, you\u2019re fooling yourself. One slice of bread is 110 calories. If you want to lose weight, it\u2019s all about what you eat and portion control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThird, it\u2019s simply never too late to start a program of physical fitness. I began in my late 30s, Sandy in her 40s. I\u2019ll be 71 on my next birthday. Never dreamed I\u2019d be running marathons or triathlons at this time of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd fourth, probably the most important. Start slowly! Walk briskly around the block every day for a few days. Then walk faster, and break into a jog. You\u2019ll be amazed at the sense of pride you\u2019ll feel when you\u2019ve jogged around the block for the first time. Then you\u2019ll hit a mile, then two, and you\u2019re on your way. In winter, just use a treadmill. Same results exactly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bill strongly recommended the Getting Started<\/a> page on the Runner\u2019s World website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sandy\u2019s tip: strengthen your core <\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I had to ask about health issues. Anything at all? Any medicines? What do they eat?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKnock on wood, Sandy and I are both fine. No medications. We eat pretty much what we like although we\u2019ll carb-load during the days before a marathon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sandy interrupted, \u201cLet me tell you this: my mother and all my sisters have had joint replacements, back surgeries, hips, knees, all sorts of orthopedic problems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I told them I\u2019d always thought running increased problems with hips and knees. That the reason you don\u2019t see older runners is because they\u2019ve been crippled by repetitive strain injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sandy responded, \u201cThis issue is all about developing core musculature. Runners who fail to develop their core muscles are the ones who develop chronic knee and hip injuries. Once your core is strong, your joints are kept in alignment and the wear and tear on joints is minimized. If something starts hurting, hold off a while–it\u2019s an overuse injury that needs to heal. Consider seeing a chiropractor or a sports injury physician if things don\u2019t improve. Work with a personal fitness trainer if you don\u2019t understand doing core work<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSometimes it just boils down to a bad pair of running shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bill added, \u201cOh, by the way. Being 70, Sandy and I are small potatoes compared to the world\u2019s oldest marathoner. He finally called it quits at 101.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh yeah,\u201d I snarked. \u201cProbably began when he was 20.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWrong,\u201d smiled Bill. \u201cRan his very first marathon at 89.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c89?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBelieve it<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be well,
David Edelberg, MD<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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