As if to illustrate your points about the obsessive nature of marathoners and what they'll put up with, Alberto Salazar almost died after races. Twice! After a 10k in Falmouth, MA, he finished with an over-107 degree fever and was read the last rites, luckily prematurely. But he didn't learn. Four years later he won the Boston Marathon, collapsed, and was taken to an emergency rooom, where he had to be given 6 liters of water intravenously.

There seems to be a fine line between determination, compulsion, and insanity.

The first marathoner ran his milage, delivered his message, and then dropped dead.
I suspect the body is not improved by participation in a marathon and all the training it takes to run one.

Great movie. Not only was it inspirational, but it also helped my wife better understand my passion for the race.

I believe it to be more legend than fact that the "first marathoner ran his mileage, delivered his message and then dropped dead". My understanding is that long distance foot messengers, such as Philippides, were common around the time of the Battle of Marathon and made that type of journey often.

I guess it could be argued what really constitutes improving ones body, but I have experienced increased endurance, speed and even strength without injury during my marathon training and racing. Though,the greatest improvement has been to my self confidence, which I have gained knowing that I can do something I believe most people can do but are too afraid to try. (Besides, does anyone think football players suffer proportionally less injuries?)

BTW, I liked the sound track too, it's great for long runs if you like instrumental stuff. You can get it from iTunes.

Its an oft-heard criticism --by folks who have never run a marathon. Anyone who wants to run a marathon can do so successfully by following a structured training program. If you speak to anyone who has run a marathon, you will learn a lot about what they got out of it and fitness is definitely one element. I am more fit in my 40s than I ever was in my 20s because of running.

But you can easily push yourself too hard and end up injured.

--Zack

In my experience, because it's not something our pathologically sedentary society encourages, marathons tend to attract people with a more compulsive bent. They often take themselves too seriously and like to emphasize their perception that it sets them apart from other mortals (I'm smiling.).

I gave anyone who finishes a marathon my congratulations. However, finishing a marathon is not in fact terribly difficult or grueling (Competing to win is a bit different. I was intensely competitive when my legs worked better.). It does take some persistence. I've helped lots of runners get ready for their first marathons. The only really hard part is the pavement aspect. People are well-suited to endurance activities, and it helps prevent premature aging and mortality. I've done dozens of runs at the marathon distance or further since my first one in 1978.

Everyone owes it to themselves to do the equivalent of training up for a marathon. I'm in my 50s now and have more trouble with longer runs on pavement, so I bike a lot and do marathon level rides or runs on trails. I have lots of friends who've aged better who are still finishing 50 and 100 mile events.

Get away from that computer screen and move around...

Later,

Ross Z