Are Ultramarathons Healthy?
As I write this I'm sitting in the middle of Oak Mountain State Park waiting to run a 50K. Part of me wonders why I signed up to run over 31 miles and more than likely suffer for most of it, while the other part of me relishes the selfish opportunity to spend the next 4-5 hours in the outdoors.
Last weekend The FARM team worked the Lake Martin 100. This race is put on by David and Mary Jo Tosch, AKA the King and Queen of Alabama trail running, and it consists of a 27, 50, and 100-mile option. While chatting with a friend, who happens to be a general surgeon, who just finished the 27-mile "fun run", he asked me, "Hey, can I get your honest opinion on these races?"
He went on to ask me if thought that ultra-endurance events were actually good for you or not. It took me all of two seconds to answer him with an authoritative, "Absolutely not!"
While I have somewhat normalized the hedonistic suffer fest of ultras, the reality is less than 2% of the population participates in these types of events, and even less than that actually completes the endeavor. Ultra events, in particular trail running, have seen an exponential explosion of growth over the last 5-10 years, and I believe much of this is due to the fact that humans are starting to realize the primal importance of mental and physical struggle.
If you have been living under a rock you may not have heard of social media phenoms such as David Goggins or Cam Hanes, both known for their extreme bouts of endurance and a hard-nosed mentality of embracing the suck. Individuals like these are the antithesis of much of modern-day life. As Michael Easter states in his book, The Comfort Crisis “today’s comfort becomes tomorrow’s discomfort”. This is the tradeoff we see with most of society. We seek cozy, nice, warm, and easy, but in a strange twist, mother nature shows us who’s boss when our comfort-seeking behavior leads to a multitude of health issues. Ultra is a far cry from ,warm and cozy.
Balance.
The concept of balance is largely idealistic, in particular if you strive to be great at something. So, what does going the exrtra mile, or 100, make you great at? Well, mental fortitude, overcoming perceived limitations, and coming to a realization that you are ultimately in control no matter what comes at you. While those are all fantastic virtues drawn out of the tortuous process, we should not fool ourselves into believing that indulging in excess exercise is actually leading us to be healthier.
As with anything, too much of a good thing, well, it just isn’t that good. Both the training, and in particular the actual races and events can wreak havoc on musculoskeletal, hormone, and endocrine health. Not to mention that many of the folks that take part in these adventures have traded one vice another, one addiction for a seemingly ‘healthier’ one.
So long as we realize that balance in almost all aspects of life is unrealistic and that some amazing lessons can be gleaned from ultra training and competition, why not push the limits of what we think is possible from time to time.
