Why Runners Can't Eat Whatever They Want (Read 558 times)

Screw these articles and the fear that they monger.

Pretty much we all die in our 70's, on average.

There are runners with heart disease. There are runners dying today of cancer.

Something is going to get you. When it's your time, it's your time.

There's nothing you can do about it.

Run, eat, live!

Die running,  leaving a good-looking corpse and lighter load for the pallbearers.

 

Amen!

 

Jimmy, I'm guessing you're being facetious.  But, the reality is that there are things that we can do to elongate our lives and make our lives more enjoyable.  Not all of those things are related to running lots of miles.  Some of those things are related to consuming the proper food.  My PCP warned me and said that 80% of type 2 diabetics die due to complications from their diabetes (don't care to debate the percentages or the science behind that statement).  That's enough for me to 'delay' those complications.

 

Don't deceive yourselves by thinking that running provides you with health regardless of what you eat or how you live.  Go to your doctor periodically and ensure you're as healthy as you think you are.

Cheers,
Brian

Was being a bit energetic, but not facetious. Everyone is going to die of something, and no one knows when its going to be, unless you're going to commit suicide or have been given a death sentence by the state, or maybe a doctor has said you have 6 months to live.

No matter who you are or what you do,  your body is going to break down at some point. Sure there are probable realities, and if you stay in the house all the time you'll most likely will never be run over by that creepy ice cream truck that's just waiting for you to come outside so it can get you. If you never eat over 1500 calories a day, you'll probably never have to wear muumuus to the PTA meeting to cover your globules to satisfy your vanity. If you never write the first word,  you'll never get rejected by a publisher. We have creative control with experience in that way.  But I think the heart of this discussion, and why I invoked the spirit and metaphor of the Klingon, is the following:

1) is the purpose of life to live the longest you can?

2) should all our actions be influenced by or an expression of the fear of disease, injury, or death?

It's instinctual to want to survive and to protect your children. It's built into us to either want to flee or fight what we perceive as dangerous to ourselves and families. In a highly developed civilization where the dangers from animals and Mad Maxian gangs are minimized,  we seem to spend a lot of time fleeing from and fighting the micro, if you will. Cigarettes, booze, sugar, GMO foods, vaccinations, people who don't believe what you do, high-fructose corn syrup, aspartame, and in this case, running. There are people who think this is dangerous for us, and that we should be fleeing (since basic fleeing is running, how ironic, especially if we ran from running and died running off a cliff).

But you know, humans have evolved to be more than animals who just procreate, eat, flee, fight, and leave our dung as markers.  Creativity and values are what sets us apart.

We have the ability to conceive ideas and make them real. We have created a vast amount of mediums in which to create. These include the arts, but so many others, like relationships, parenthood, business, gardening, forums, conversation--the list goes on and on—your Life  being the overall "master" medium. It's obvious there are different levels of awareness in the realm of creativity. Different levels of awareness about how much freedom you really have. How limitless creativity really is.

I'm not saying that we should walk in the high speed lane of I-95 southbound, or allow children to do so. Parents should create safe lives for kids, so that they can become flourishing, alive, creative adults. But once someone is an adult, is it then time to start living a life of near complete safety, as if we are children who need to be protected?

One can create a life like that, if one wishes. Or one can adopt the Klingon philosophy of "today is a good day to die", and live life to the fullest one can imagine, within a value system. Values are like artistic mediums. One might value their children more than anything, and will funnel most of their creativity into that relationship. Many will work themselves to the bone for their children, to manifest a vision they hold for them. They value the vision and children more than their own health or life. Maybe some have died at 50 instead of 76, because they worked so hard. But maybe that man or woman was happy when they died at 50, because they saw their kids go to college or get out of of the low-income life. Am I going to tell that person as they're dying that they should have worked less, eaten less sugar, and taken better care of themselves, so they could have lived to 76? I would rather give the person a standing ovation for creative achievement in the mediums of life and parenthood.

So if someone spends 15 years creating the life of a marathoner or ultrarunner, because they value all that comes with and from the sports, and end up with an abnormal heart beat, should they have not lived that life? Should they have not expressed their creativity and values? Should they have only run 30 miles per week and an occasional 5k, because it was safer? I would rather give the person a standing ovation for creating 15 wonderful years for themselves. If they couldn't run anymore, I would tell them find another medium in which to express the same spirit and values. Keep creating, keep loving, and stay passionate about something.

Why are we here, existentially? As far as I can tell, creativity, the fulfillment of values, and love—not to live long—because in the grand scheme of things, no one lives long. If that's what you want most and what you value, then go for it. I hope you set the record for longevity. But if you don't, while you're on your deathbed reviewing your life, give yourself a pat on the back, because it was your personal best no matter what age you will have died at.

Kah-plah!

+1 This may be one of the most brilliant essays I've ever read.

 

Was being a bit energetic, but not facetious. Everyone is going to die of something, and no one knows when its going to be, unless you're going to commit suicide or have been given a death sentence by the state, or maybe a doctor has said you have 6 months to live.

 

No matter who you are or what you do,  your body is going to break down at some point. Sure there are probable realities, and if you stay in the house all the time you'll most likely will never be run over by that creepy ice cream truck that's just waiting for you to come outside so it can get you. If you never eat over 1500 calories a day, you'll probably never have to wear muumuus to the PTA meeting to cover your globules to satisfy your vanity. If you never write the first word,  you'll never get rejected by a publisher. We have creative control with experience in that way.  But I think the heart of this discussion, and why I invoked the spirit and metaphor of the Klingon, is the following:

 

1) is the purpose of life to live the longest you can?

2) should all our actions be influenced by or an expression of the fear of disease, injury, or death?

 

It's instinctual to want to survive and to protect your children. It's built into us to either want to flee or fight what we perceive as dangerous to ourselves and families. In a highly developed civilization where the dangers from animals and Mad Maxian gangs are minimized,  we seem to spend a lot of time fleeing from and fighting the micro, if you will. Cigarettes, booze, sugar, GMO foods, vaccinations, people who don't believe what you do, high-fructose corn syrup, aspartame, and in this case, running. There are people who think this is dangerous for us, and that we should be fleeing (since basic fleeing is running, how ironic, especially if we ran from running and died running off a cliff).

 

But you know, humans have evolved to be more than animals who just procreate, eat, flee, fight, and leave our dung as markers.  Creativity and values are what sets us apart.

 

We have the ability to conceive ideas and make them real. We have created a vast amount of mediums in which to create. These include the arts, but so many others, like relationships, parenthood, business, gardening, forums, conversation--the list goes on and on—your Life  being the overall "master" medium. It's obvious there are different levels of awareness in the realm of creativity. Different levels of awareness about how much freedom you really have. How limitless creativity really is.

 

I'm not saying that we should walk in the high speed lane of I-95 southbound, or allow children to do so. Parents should create safe lives for kids, so that they can become flourishing, alive, creative adults. But once someone is an adult, is it then time to start living a life of near complete safety, as if we are children who need to be protected?

 

One can create a life like that, if one wishes. Or one can adopt the Klingon philosophy of "today is a good day to die", and live life to the fullest one can imagine, within a value system. Values are like artistic mediums. One might value their children more than anything, and will funnel most of their creativity into that relationship. Many will work themselves to the bone for their children, to manifest a vision they hold for them. They value the vision and children more than their own health or life. Maybe some have died at 50 instead of 76, because they worked so hard. But maybe that man or woman was happy when they died at 50, because they saw their kids go to college or get out of of the low-income life. Am I going to tell that person as they're dying that they should have worked less, eaten less sugar, and taken better care of themselves, so they could have lived to 76? I would rather give the person a standing ovation for creative achievement in the mediums of life and parenthood.

 

So if someone spends 15 years creating the life of a marathoner or ultrarunner, because they value all that comes with and from the sports, and end up with an abnormal heart beat, should they have not lived that life? Should they have not expressed their creativity and values? Should they have only run 30 miles per week and an occasional 5k, because it was safer? I would rather give the person a standing ovation for creating 15 wonderful years for themselves. If they couldn't run anymore, I would tell them find another medium in which to express the same spirit and values. Keep creating, keep loving, and stay passionate about something.

 

Why are we here, existentially? As far as I can tell, creativity, the fulfillment of values, and love—not to live long—because in the grand scheme of things, no one lives long. If that's what you want most and what you value, then go for it. I hope you set the record for longevity. But if you don't, while you're on your deathbed reviewing your life, give yourself a pat on the back, because it was your personal best no matter what age you will have died at.

 

Kah-plah!

We should just be happy for Jeff

  Jeff is super thin now because he is on a heart diet and has been forced to exercise and he can't possibly eat enough real food to keep the weight on.  Ass.

 

I find that the more serious I am about running, the healthier I eat.

I am not very serious about running (The last 15+ months) right now and had the annual health assessment done.

Fat (Lost 6 of 8 points)

Low vitamin D (But hell, April in WI ... almost everyone has low Vitamin D)

Borderline high Blood Pressure (lost 1 pt)

LDL borderline high (Lost 1 point)

82/100 points

Previous worst core ever 96/100 points

Nothing 6 months of actually caring about running cannot cure.  At least the liver function was good to go ... so I can keep drinking beer

JB you are awesome

Absolutely agree...

My goal is to slide into my coffin completely worn out and a smile on my face... and to have taught my kids to do the same.

Carpe Diem!

Exactly, live life to the fullest.

Endurance (aerobic) Karvonen et al. (1974) Finnish champion skiers born 1845–1910 Male 396 LE: 2.8–4.3 years longer than the calendar period-adjusted general male population in Finland

Sarna et al. (1993) Finnish long-distance runners and cross-country skiers competing
internationally 1920–1965. Male 303 LE: 5.7 years longer than age- and area of residence-matched reference male cohorts in Finland OR: 0.59 compared with age- and area of residence-matched

reference male cohorts in Finland

Mixed-sports
(aerobic + anaerobic)
Belli and Vanacore (2005) Italian soccer players active in the three top leagues 1960–1996 Male 350 SPMR: 1.0 compared with the national death rates specific for sex, age, cause and calendar period

Sarna et al. (1993) Finnish soccer, ice hockey, and basketball players, track and field jumpers, short- and middle-distance runners, and hurdlers competing internationally 1920–1965. Male 1,185 LE: 4.0 years longer than age- and area of residence-matched reference male cohorts in Finland OR: 0.90 compared with age- and area of residence-matched reference male cohorts in Finland.

Power (anaerobic)

Abel and Kruger (2005) U.S. major league baseball players debuting 1900–1950 Male 2,604 LE: 4 years longer than age-adjusted controls from the general public

Abel and Kruger (2006) U.S. major league baseball players debuting 1900–1939 Male 4,492 LE: 4.8 years longer than age-adjusted controls from the general public

Abel and Kruger (2006) U.S. professional American football players debuting prior to 1940 Male 1,512 LE: 6.1 years longer than age-adjusted controls from the general public

Beaglehole and Stewart (1983)
New Zealand international rugby players since 1884 Male 822 LE: the same survival curve as the general male population in New Zealand

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (1975)
U.S. major league baseball players debuting 1876–1973 Male 10,079 SMR: 0.97 for players debuting 1876–1900, 0.64 for players debuting 1901–1930, and 0.55 for players debuting 1931–1973 compared with the general male cohorts in the U.S.

Parssinen et al. (2000) Finnish powerlifters placed 1st–5th in weight series 82.5–125 kg in national champions 1977–1982
Male 62 MR: 12.9% compared to 3.1% among the age-matched general male population in Finland during a 12-year follow-up (4.6-fold
higher risk of death)

Sarna et al. (1993) Finnish weightlifters, wrestlers, boxers, and track and field throwers competing internationally 1920–1965 Male 909 LE: 1.6 years longer than age- and area of residence-matched reference male cohorts in Finland OR: 1.02 compared with age- and area of residence-matched reference male cohorts in Finland

Waterbor et al. (1988) U.S. major league baseball players beginning careers 1911–1915 Male 985 SMR: 0.94 compared with the general male population in the U.S.

All-sports

Gajewski and Poznanska (2008)
Polish athletes participating in the twentieth century Olympics since 1924 Male 1,689 SMR: 0.50 compared with the age-specific urban male population in Poland Female 424 SMR: 0.73 compared with the age-specific urban female population in Poland

Menotti et al. (1990) Italian track and field athletes competing internationally as members of the national team since 1940 Male 700 SMR: 0.73 compared with age-matched general male controls in Italy Female 283 SMR: 0.48 compared with age-matched general female controls in Italy

Schnohr (1971) Danish athletic champions, record-holders, and members of national teams from 19 different sports born 1880–1910 Male 297 SMR: 0.61 in the life period of 25–49 years, 1.08 in 50–64 years, and 1.02 in 65–80 years compared with the age-matched general male population in Denmark

Notes
: LE, life expectancy; MR, mortality rate for all causes of death; OR, mortality odds ratio for all causes of death; SMR, standardised mortality ratio for all causes of death; SP