Reuters Life!—November 1, 2010
But they caution that overall fitness is not built by running alone. Going the distance takes mindful training, whether you're an elite runner or a rookie on your maiden dash.
Dr. Jordan D. Metzl, a sports medicine physician with the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, urges everyone to take on a marathon at some time in their life.
"You can do it walking," said Metzl, who will run, not walk, his 29th marathon on November 7. "On TV you see these really fast people, but that's not the majority."
One of Metzl's runners is an 84-year-old woman. Another was 300 pounds (136 kgs). She had a heart attack, started walking, then slowly jogging. Now she's doing her third marathon. He said it takes her about six hours.
"I preach preparing your body by cross-training," Metzl said. "Strength training, jumping, landing. I always say if you want to keep running, a strong butt is a key to a happy life."
He basks in the excitement of first-timers, but admits rookies are twice as likely to injure themselves.
A common mistake is running through the pain.
"Dehydration and overuse injuries are most likely to thwart the hopes of Sunday's marathoners, according to Polly de Mille, an exercise physiologist at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
"Cramping is the thing that makes people drop out or slow down, or not having fueled themselves really well," said de Mille, a former marathoner.
She said entrants will have likely run their last long race two weeks earlier.
"By now their training is in the bank. They're resting up. Better to go into the race a little undertrained than overtrained."
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