As someone with a passing interest in nutrition and diet, I occassionally read
Mark's Daily Apple, which is "primal eating" based but pretty balanced and reasonable in its approach (he actually analyzes whether certain foods are horribly unhealthy or not without strictly adhering to any arbitrary rules about whether they should or should not be healthy, which is what "Paleo" people seem to do). Without going into the confusing details of these eating approaches, but by way of background, people who are into the fad "cave man" style of eating ("Paleo") also tend to be die-hard Crossfit junkies (another fad if you ask me) and generally prone to drinking all the Kool-Aid that goes with those dogmatic eating and workout philosophies. Crossfit, which has a lot of really quick hard workouts (like, lift heavy weights as many times as possible in three minutes), is super anti-running. This is one of the main reasons I quit. I obviously love running and grew tired of people knocking my favorite activity, as if their ten minute workout makes them an elite athlete bound for eternal life. I had sort of let all this go (deep breath) but noticed in a recent discussion on Mark's website some people commenting that "ultra running is not healthy" and some endurance athletes seeking advice "did not even look fit." My annoyance with this specious point of view flared up as a result and today, while running (while I should have been resting), I contemplated whether running long and far is healthy and whether I really care.
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| My bike enjoying the view on Saturday's bike ride on Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park |
As I thought this through, I thought about why I was even out for a 14 mile trail run when I am supposed to be tapering for a very difficult race next weekend. And, why I was lining up for a difficult race when I have no hope of doing anything more impressive than making cut-offs and finishing. (Evidently, some people think this is the pinnacle of pathetic-ness). Just yesterday I was harassing my buddy Brad, who is also doing this difficult race next weekend, about his plans to run a ton all weekend. "That isn't a taper!" I said. Well, color me a hypocrite.
The answer to the first question (why did I go out for a longish run?) is that the sun came out and I wanted to enjoy myself outside and catch some solitude and listen to tunes. It has been miserable here and the sun was cause to frolick and celebrate. The answer to the second question (why go to a race when I don't actually "race") is that the race is going to be pretty and I am going to have a ton of fun with my friends in Colorado. The answer to the question about whether ultra-running or long distance running (doesn't have to be "ultra" to be hated by the Crossfit set) is healthy or not is that I don't really care. I do all of these things because I derive pleasure from them. The second glass of wine is never optimal from a health standpoint, but it tastes and feels good. Running for a few hours when I should be resting may not be optimal from a racing standpoint (ha, like I "race" anyhow), but it sure felt good. These people who worry about what is "optimally healthy" are boring and are likely humorless as well.
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| Linda, Stormy and me at the end of the road (as far as it was open anyhow) |
I used to frequently read the Shape Magazine forums and they too had their collective dogma -- eat exactly 1800 calories/day and the key to satiety is mixing peanut butter, fiber one and cottage cheese. HIIT was the thing to do, then it wasn't, then it was. Frankly, all of these people are just kidding themselves anyhow if they think they really hold the key to optimal health. These things change so quickly it's impossible to believe any "fad" approach is genuinely the "right" approach, if there is such a thing. The Shape people seem so silly now, though secretly also wanting the ANSWER I tried that nasty combination (I do not recommend it though it is filling). It seems to me that the REAL ANSWER is to live life for happiness (which includes not being a selfish jerk who makes others unhappy). Running hasn't thus far caused me any harm, and I don't think it's hurting anyone else. I doubt my failure to adequately taper will really make much difference in my power hike next weekend. Whether I make cut-offs will be related to how I deal with the high elevation and my general fitness -- it's too late to do much about that. I know I won't care that I am nothing more than an enthusiastic participant -- I generally don't. I will be happy. And that should be the question -- what will make me happy. Because without good mental health, what good is physical health anyhow? Buzz off dogmatic boring losers. :-)
20 comments:
The old adage, "everything in moderation" holds true (at least for me) to most things in life. You mentioned "balanced" - and hit the nail on the head. And why do you go "race" just to make cut-offs? Because you CAN and you WANT to. It's a celebration of life - enjoy the ride!
PS: You girls look too cold on your bike ride! :-)
This is basically why you are so awesome. You do what you like and don't care about others' opinions of you.
And if you run races to just "Red Lantern" them all, who cares, the view is just as good from the back of the pack as it is from the front, right? :) I'm pretty sure that's where I'll be at high elevation race I'm doing in July.
And I think that so many people have it all wrong.... As with just about everything in life, there's always more than one way to reach a goal.
Thank you for writing this! Their are endless combinations of nutrition and exercise that can make us happy and healthy. Getting dogmatic about it is boring at best, ugly and damaging at worst. I see way too much of that.
There, not their. Grammar error due to more than optimal amount of alcohol.
I think I love you <3
Thank you!! I wanted to try Crossfit, but then I noticed that all the people I know that got into it turned into obnoxious, holier-than-thou assholes (who for some reason think that microwaving bacon for breakfast is EXACTLY what caveman Grok used to do).
Work hard, play hard. I think that is pretty much all there is to it, in the end.
I bike to my Crossfit workouts, bike to work, run at lunch time, bike to martial arts training, bike home, go for a run to thaw out my quads and do it all again the next day (throwing in some rock climbing and playing soccer).
I use Crossfit to train for ultras, so anyone that wants to be a dick about any aspect of my training can pretty much pound rocks up a drainpipe as far as I'm concerned. If I can run midfield at soccer for nintey minutes, bike home and then race the next day- then I'm doing something right.
Also, a ten mile run is a great way to recover from a metric-century bike race. :)
You certainly hit this subject head on and I couldn't agree with you more: each one of us is different. We are all athletes, pursuing different goals, challenging our own 'impossibles'. We start to fail miserably at LIFE when we judge others for their approach, denigrating their effort or their goals.
Crossfit is just one little tiny tool in a giant toolbox (or arsenal). If it works for you, great. Better still, if you find companionship in the workout endeavor. If it becomes asshattery, move on.
It occurs to me that people that can't run ultras (or never have, or think they can't) are the first ones in line to squawk about it being "bad for you".
Personally, I don't pass judgement on an athlete based on their appearance. Learned that about 20 YEARS ago. I actually had a guy tell me once that if I couldn't run a marathon at an 8-minute mile pace that I couldn't climb the route I was about to attempt on the highest glaciated peak in the Lower 48.
I laughed. I humped a seventy-five pound pack up that 'hill' and looked around for more.
Each one of us has a gift. A motivation. An internal drive. Unleash your own and accept no limitations.
Ha I always thought I was bad at moderation but I think I actually do moderate pretty well.
Thanks Karen. To each his own, right?
Tracy, I think you're right. If we were focused on just not all being such gluttons it would be more productive.
Oh Emily I love you.
Ingunn, I am not totally anti-Crossfit -- I did enjoy it and saw some benefits. But it definitely is based on a cult business model and generally encourages that sort of behavior. I guess people like to feel "right" and part of some bigger smarter better revolution.
Ti you always say the most well-said thoughtful things. I'd add that I learned a lot of great lifting techniques and moves in Crossfit and basically do Crossfit style lifting (well, Oly lifting) when I manage to go to the gym. But I don't have to listen about how "if only you stopped all that running you'd be _____"
What were the questions? Ah...long distance running is not healthy per perfect adoration, but I don't care because I love it. Anyone sticking to things because they are good for you as an only reason are going to fall off those things rather quickly. Whatever is that you love - you stick to. And even as you get injured while being addicted to your unhealthy exercise of choice, and read about other options, the only one that matters to you is the one you were in love with. I was thinking about Crossfit for bit, but read how much they feel superior, and didn't go. Same for barefooting. I don't care what you do, just please don't think what I do is not as awesome. Definition of awesome? Love the way it makes me feel. Blisters, dehydration, injuries, sleep deprivation, and the whole 9 yards. Makes me feel awesome. Out there, crapping my pants and shoving yucky gels in. All 70+ of them for this upcoming weekend. I am going to love it and feel awesome. Screw them all, bastards!
I run because I love being outside. And because it's the most convenient, efficient workout for me -- I just have to have my shoes with me, and I can go. I can't always get to a class or keep a schedule, so I need something super flexible -- which is why I also never follow a running program. I do as much as I can, whenever I can, and hope to do that for as long as I can, you know?
And all my friends run, so when we get together, at 5 a.m. or whenever, that's what we do. We run.And talk about our lives. So it's also super social to me.
So let's see ... mental health, physical health, enjoying nature, stress-relief ... AND I can eat like a pig? I'm in!
I love it when you work your deep perturbations out on the internet for us all to enjoy! I will just say this: run as much as you can now, because if and when you guys decide to start a family, you will find that lots of running may actually be hurting others and then it is not as fun anymore! Okay, not that I don't enjoy long runs anymore, but there is always a certain amount of guilt with it now .
I absolutely love this post! I don't really care if boot camps or crossfit or triathlons or cycling up giant mountain passes are the next "it" thing...if I do those things, I will do them because it's working for me. Running is where my heart lies, but I do want to get fitter and think that I may try crossfit a bit more...but it won't be because everyone tells me I must. I hope it will make me a stronger runner somehow. Thanks for your great thoughts, made me smile! :)
There is no perfect answer to food. I love nutrition an read just about everything but it boils back down to clean eating. As for ultra runner it isn't good for you. There is tons not so great things about it especially for proper hormone function but with moderation it really doesn't matter. With that said as someone who pushes the limits of back to back racing and rides the line of over training I do it because I love it. My estrogen levels might be super low, my cortisol might not respond properly, my iron is too low but overall my body has adapted. I don't like to hear people talk smack about my choices because I am sure they have a list of "not so good for you things" too. :) Rock On Danni!
One more thing: I find Cross Fit and similar fast twitch exercises to be very beneficial for running. Why do you think it hurts your running?
T I think that Crossfit on the whole helps running performance. As a company they promote anti- distance running propaganda which is my gripe. Lifting is awesome for everyone and should be part of all or regimens... Crossfit would be better if they self-promoted as awesome cross training rather than an uber solo sport unto itself.
Dabbi, where is the like button when you need it? Ditto on last statement. I would love to try CF if didn't feel inferior for subscribing to love of running long:)
Yeah, that was Danni...for the last comment of hers:)
Wait a minute ... running is supposed to be good for you? Huh, news to me. I thought it was a injury-prone reaction to endorphine addiction. Kidding aside, I'm inclined to believe the recent studies that show that the healthiest habits for long-term health and life span are moderate exercise, in the range of an hour a day. But as to what makes me happy ... I believe in moderating moderation.
I'm similar to you — always willing to try new things but unwilling to subscribe to dogmas. Great if it works out for you, but if you're convinced everyone will have the same outcome, you're wrong.
Fuck people who try to tell you what's good for you. a) what do they know about what you want? b) medicine is barely a science to begin with ... I think you can easily deconstruct most arguments being made in the nutrition arena (other than the obvious - if you weigh 300 lbs you probably have a problem). Even decrying "processed" foods is bullshit. The reason we live longer these days is heaps and heaps of chemicals and pharmaceuticals. There are probably things that aren't good for you, especially in large quantities - which is why I think mixing up ice cream flavors is important. But really, solid information is extremely hard to impossible to come by for serious researchers due to the inability to really control parameters and circumstances.
Also, a colleague of mine from India told me about his granddad who is quite old - 90s I think - thinks the key to longevity is drinking some of your own urine every day. You can't really argue with that, given he's really old. I think you should demand of your crossfit colleagues they start doing that. I, for one, have so far resisted the urge though.
Anyways, do what you love to do, with as little moderation as you want. This run may or may not have hurt you (I think not - 14 miles is far too little to impact you negatively) but it doesn't really matter. You know my opinion - the best taper for an ultra is running an ultra the weekend beforehand :) Worked quite well for me so far ...
Cheers, Beat
I've been a bad commenter of late, but here I am about 3 weeks later chiming in to say: that was just about the greatest blog post ever written.
I love the way you think. Joe and I have brought this post up in conversation multiple times between ourselves since initially reading it.
We've gotten sucked into Mark's Daily Apple and are enjoying it, but I sometimes have to avoid the comments b/c those people can be so strict with themselves and others. I need room for moderation and the idea that, guess what? Even if you're the "healthiest" person on the planet, you're still going to die of something, so you might as well have a little more fun along the way (while not entirely ignoring health, of course).
Anyway, whenever I get down about stuff like this I now think of Danni's line "I want to run dogma over with my car" and all is well. So thank you.
Sometimes when I read your blog and others like it I feel like a spy looking in on a different world, since I am not an ultra runner. It is always amusing to me how intense some people can be, and how hard some of y'all are on yourselves, because what must you (not you, specifically, but ultra runners and serious athletes in general) think of regular folk like me who are pretty proud to have gotten up in the a.m. and cranked out a 3 miler? Hee hee - my whole workout is your warm up! : )
On a related note, if you would like to join us for a 1/2 Marathon in mid-Missouri in late September, please do! We will be slow and under-prepared. The race description does sort of sound right up your alley: "Get ready for the 2012 edition of the Roots N Blues N BBQ Half-Marathon and 10k. This year the race is taking place on Saturday, September 22, 2012. Come out and enjoy music along the course, delicious BBQ and beer at the Finish line." : )
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