More Heat than Light

In the early days of the Boston Marathon, people "knew" all sorts of reasons why running marathons would kill you. It would destroy your heart. It would lead to pre-mature death. It would break you down as surely as ten years of hard labor.

Participants used to be examined by a doctor on race day, and many were told not to run because of heart murmurs. Many of those ran anyway. Such is the personality of the marathon runner.

Several years ago, after many years of debate, it was finally recognized that our notions about how much liquid to ingest during endurance exercise were based more on intuition than science. The science showed that it was entirely possible to over-hydrate during long events, and that old guidelines for drinking during a race were wrong: they over-estimated the amount of fluid intake needed.

There continues to be a lot of information and mis-information about the Chicago Marathon, and the wisdom of running in hot weather. More heat than light, it seems to me. That's why I was very happy to read the following articles on the science of heat stroke and other heat-related ailments.

Here's a representative quote:

"...running [in hot weather] requires the right level of adaptation. And failure to adapt WILL NOT result in heatstroke - it will result in an athlete who feels absolutely dreadful and is unable to continue, but this is not the same as overheating and developing a fatal condition. So while Chicago yesterday proved a tough challenge for many, it should not become a symbol for the impossible nature of exercise in the heat."

Investigating heatstroke: How fast do you actually have to run?

Death at the Chicago Marathon: Report and View on Heat Stroke