Last week The New York Times ran an article entitled, “Is Marathoning Too Much of a Good Thing for Your Heart?” The gist of the article is that a lot of marathon runners are getting older, and the number of heart attacks during races — many of them fatal — has skyrocketed. A contributing cause — perhaps the primary cause — may be heart damage caused by long distance running.
As if right on cue, this past weekend there was a fatality in the Tucson Marathon. The victim was only 40. He dropped dead during the last quarter-mile, meaning he had completed 26 out of 26.2 miles.
Runner In Tucson Marathon Dies At The Finish Line
12-11-2006 8:01 AM
(Tucson, AZ) — Marc D. Witkes of Durango, Colorado set out yesterday to tackle the Tucson Marathon but collapsed less than a quarter-mile from the finish line. He was later pronounced dead. Forty-year-old Witkes competed in 30-marathons and 25-ultramarathons including the Double and Triple Ironman competitions. His death came as a shock to his fellow runners. He broke down at 10:51 a.m. near North Oracle Road and East El Conquistador Way. Witkes was in cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived. Rescuers tried to resuscitate him and he was taken to Northwest Medical Center Oro Valley where he was pronounced dead.
I’ve run eight marathons. I can assure you that while chugging up mile 18 of the Boston Marathon, the notorious Heartbreak Hill, your heart feels like it’s trying to escape from your chest.
For now I’m not running, due to tendinosis in my right ankle, caused by wear and tear from 33 years of running. I’m told that if all goes well, I’ll be able to start running again in three weeks, after the first of the year. I’ve been told by the foot doc to forget about running the Boston Marathon this year. Maybe my body is also trying to tell me something.
It’s interesting, I think, to note that we all accept when professional athletes are past their prime and retire: baseball pitchers, boxers, football players, even ballet dancers. We all understand that they just don’t have the same arm anymore, or legs, or reflexes, or speed.
But we’re seeing how some amateur athletes don’t want to realize that the same thing applies to them: the 40 or 50 year old body simply won’t respond the same as it did at 20 or 30, to the same type of strong exertions in sports, or in military bootcamp either, for that matter. Injuries become more common and healing is slower.
Professional athletes have to bow out, of course, or else they are fired from their teams. But there’s nothing to stop the amateur from pushing the envelope too far, except for his/her own sense of personal limitations as time marches on. The “never say die” attitude can sometimes lead to the exact opposite result, with surprising abruptness, unfortunately. That’s a tragedy which the rest of us do well to ponder seriously.
But isn’t too much moderation a bad thing, too? 😉
Just proves the old adage: Everything in moderation!”