This is an essay I've been wanting to write for quite some time.
You may have heard the expression "double-edged sword." This refers to a situation, action, or choice that offers both positive benefits and negative consequences at the same time. There's an undeniable benefit to what you're doing. But there's an equal, almost unavoidable risk or hidden cost as well. Examples include:
- Going viral on social media (you get instant fame but lose your privacy).
- Working from home (you can work in your PJs but it also blurs your work-life balance and makes you feel isolated).
- Winning the lottery (you have become incredibly wealthy but fake friends suddenly crawl out of the woodwork asking for money).
Did you read about the 3 men who ran the Detroit Marathon and died? One of them was only 26. Running is not necessarily an inherently risky activity. But people do die while running marathons. Sometimes the cause of death is cardiomyopathy -- an enlarged heart. These deaths are almost always due to a pre-existing heart condition. The fact is, people who rarely exercise are 50% more likely to die of a heart attack during vigorous exercise than those who exercise 5 times per week. So the odds are pretty good that running will lengthen your lifespan rather than cut it short.
For your body to get strong, you need stress and recovery. Both are vitally important. But the balance between them is also important. Too much stress? Your body breaks down. Not enough recovery? Your body isn't ready for the next level of stress. Only when your body is continually healing itself can it become strong, fit, and healthy. Without adequate recovery, your body will not become stronger.
For a very long time I thought, "Maybe that's true for others but not for me!" I overtrained every part of my body that I trained. I really believed I was invincible. One year I even ran two marathons on back to back weekends (Richmond and Baltimore). What I didn't realize at the time is that the only way to be prepared to do workouts with the intensity they deserve is to allow your body time to relax and recover. Instead of rushing into the process or hurrying it along, I needed to take it slow and enjoy each step along the way. What's important is that you find the frequency that gives you maximum improvement with minimum risks.
My point is this. Exercise does not necessarily equate to good health. In fact, the harder you push yourself in your sport (whatever that is), the more damage your body can sustain. It's well known if you assess the the blood chemistry of marathon runners (I've done 20 of them) post-race that you will find evidence of heart muscle damage, skeletal muscle damage, kidney disease, and elevated markers for stress hormones. Another study showed that 44% of ultramarathon runners (I ran an ultra a month ago) had elevated creatinine levels (a byproduct of the kidneys' blood filtering process), which is high enough to indicate acute kidney damage.
I'm reminded of how risky life can be even when you're just out doing something you love. Every time I run an ultra or climb a high mountain or go surfing when the waves are breaking over 8 feet, I suppose there is risk involved. But you have to keep on living, right? Beyond taking standard precautions (as I do), what else can you do? I'm sure there were times while surfing on the North Shore that I almost died without knowing it. I think we all have at least one memory of something we did and God somehow protected us and we didn't perish. Yes, there are sharks in Hawaii, but that doesn't keep me from going surfing every time I'm on Oahu. I had a near drowning experience when I was 16 and surfing huge waves at Pipeline. I had lost my board and had been been swimming for maybe 20 minutes when I ran out of air. Thankfully I wasn't too proud to call out "Help!" and another surfer came and let me recover while hanging onto his board. I can't tell you how many "unplanned dismounts" I had while riding my Thoroughbred Traveler cross country. By God's grace, I never even broke a single bone. My cousin Pila died while surfing at Waikiki when I was 12.
Like anything in life, you take a risk. You find what you love to do (be it jumping out of an airplane or riding a big wave or climbing a tall mountain) and you accept the fact that you are taking chances. How are we supposed to live life to its fullest if we are consumed by every little thing that could happen to us? On the other hand, I do try and be responsible. When I climb the alps, I always hire the best mountain guide I can find (he charges $850 per day). I eat and rest well. I get regular physicals. I listen to my body. Still, there are risks.
To go back to running, studies show that marathoners over 50 are twice as likely to have a heart attack while running than runners under 40. That said, the odds are still in our favor. Only 1 in 100,000 marathoners ever die during a race. Not to mention the fact that by running we reduce our risk of so many other conditions such as diabetes, various cancers, and heart disease. We simply can't let risk and fear stop us from doing what we love.
Yes, I am a risk taker. Anything we do will have inherent risks, even driving to the store. Here's my take if anyone cares: the benefits far outweigh the risks.
