So a friend posted a few links to articles on a running message board that a friend of hers provided her as "evidence" that running was the worst thing in the world and that she will surely die of a heart attack any moment. This friend has had a journey much like my own, learning to love fitness and becoming healthier. I povided the first section below as a response and overnight decided a little extra sass and sarcasm was necessary as well. I'll provide the links to the 2 articles as well as my notes and humor. Enjoy!
1st article: complete crap
Just as the editorial near the bottom states...it was not a true scientific study. They didn't have a starting point analysis of the heart/cardio system of each "participant" to compare to the end. Also, they're talking about elite runners that push limits that *most* of us never would because of skill/life/time. Essentially running and being elite runners is their job and mine is a network engineer. I work a full time day job and I run for health, which by the way, much to their study's great wisdom...has IMPROVED IMMENSELY since forgoing my former fatty lifestyle.
2nd "article" which is an editorial/rant/blog and not even an article: also complete crap
This is clearly written by some meathead that thinks lifting weights and doing "sprints" is the end all of fitness. Cut the crap? He's right, because I wish he would too! He's saying that the girl on the treadmill continued to get fatter despite running and then that her thyroid was messed up. Well jeez...I have known many people that had thyroid go bad that weren't athletes at all! It's pretty much heredetary on that one and despite the poor girl's effort when she was no doubt wiped out for energy because of her thyroid, she kept pushing to lose the weight and was gaining despite her cardio efforts. I'm pretty sure synthroid (or other synthetic thyroid hormone) is the recommended treatment for low thyroid...not SITTING ON YOUR TUCKUS to get alllllll better! To the point that he sees girls wolf down entire Chinese buffets in 10 seconds and get fatter despite their cardio... uh HELLO you can't lose weight working out if you're taking all that/wrong stuff in! Working out burns very little compared to your intake and the key to losing weight is creating a "calorie" (I say that as a term of measurement because that's what you're burning despite the makeup of the various carbs/fat/protein within it... like kcal/hr)... Anyway, so you take in this much - what you burn off = net gain or loss and you need that defecit to lose. So if you burn off a good 400-500 on a decent run, and your ideal range for intake is 1500-2000 cal a day and you eat like 4000...well then you've overconsumed by a couple thousand and that's going to make you gain weight! Last I checked lifting weights wasn't burning 3000 calories either. Jeebus!
There's a balance to everything. Everything in moderation. Run and do strength training, rest and recoup, eat mostly healthy, but enjoy some tasty stuff now and then (in moderation). If you achieve a balance in all of it, you'll be just fine. This all or nothing stuff makes me want to punch someone like this guy "right in the ovaries...right in the babymaker!!" Yes, I am ready for Anchorman 2.
*steps off soapbox*
As if we haven't provided enough evidence to refute the ridiculousness of it all, I provide you with 2 nuggets of wisdom that I have come up with overnight:
1) "There's a marthon epidemic in America right now" - Said no one, ever (outside of anti-running Facebook feed drivel, but no one with credentials)
2) I have created a meme for the purpose of this. Enjoy!
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