It is hard to believe that anyone could run this kind of distance, it must take an incredible amount of training, high levels of pain tolerance, and a huge amount of mental strength!
This morning I discovered this article:
http://discovermagazine.com/2006/may/tramps-like-us/article_view?b_start:int=0&-C=
You should read it. It is kind of long, but super interesting. It is all about how humans are designed to run. from the ligaments in our legs that do nothing for walking, but are essential for running, to our BIG butts that balance us when we run, but do nothing when we are walking or sitting (It is even believed that our butts have to be "big" for us to be able to run. That makes me feel better about the size of my buttocks!). The article talks about how our body is more efficient at regulating heat than any other animal, and that is the reason why we can outlast any animal when running long distances whether they are faster than us or not. At some point the animal will have to stop or it will overheat and die of heat exhaustion. Even our neck and shoulders have evolved to help steady us when we run. Incredible.
I don't think I'll go out and run 100 miles any time soon, but it is nice to know that if I set my mind to it and trained intensely I could do it.
This is my sister Jannifer and my brother Nick, the two most amazing runners I know :)
4 comments:
wow! 100 miles, that's impressive!! i cannot even imagine.
it is amazing how much the body can handle and how quickly it adapts.
Oh I know! The body is amazing! My sister says she isn't even sore!
I always remembered you as a runner. I didn't know that it ran in the family. (no pun intended) I found your blog on your facebook. How's it going?
oh my goodness.. I can't imagine running that long and not being sore! she was definitely born to run!
when i read things like this i have a better idea why people can push themselves to do even crazier races... it's still a bit hard to fathom!
Post a Comment