Friday, March 8, 2024

Two Brief Thoughts about Running

Two things from today's run:

1. When it comes to distance running, bigger isn't always better. I thought about this when I saw these guys on the trail today. 

My guess is they were from the local high school. One of them was short, the other tall. Running's a sport where the Davids almost always beat the Goliaths. I once read that the average height of Boston Marathon winners is 5 feet 6 inches and 130 pounds. I'm 6 feet 4 and 230 pounds. (I believe the polite term term is "large framed" haha.) Your average 50-year old weighing less than 155 will almost always outrun your average 30-year old weighing 200. For this reason, some have argued that just as races have age groups and male-female divisions, allowances should also be made for weight with at least two weight groups. Maybe someday. Either way, I'll just keep plodding along! 

2. If you run and have injuries, running probably didn't cause those injuries. Most injuries have their root cause in a structural weakness you were born with. In my case, that's a rather obvious case of pigeon toes. 

It's just one of many possible foot abnormalities. This doesn't stop us from running, of course. But since biomechanical factors play a role in running injuries, you should always be aware of your own deficiencies and adjust your running form accordingly. 

Hope you're well!