{"id":29714,"date":"2013-01-10T15:48:59","date_gmt":"2013-01-10T21:48:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/artofmanliness.com\/?p=29714"},"modified":"2023-07-05T08:04:11","modified_gmt":"2023-07-05T13:04:11","slug":"5-myths-about-distance-running","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/health-fitness\/fitness\/5-myths-about-distance-running\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Myths About Distance Running"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Vintage<\/a><\/p>\n

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Jason Fitzgerald<\/a>, a USA Track & Field certified coach.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Hey Skinny, looks like it\u2019s time for some push-ups!<\/p>\n

So, you live on pasta and bagels right?<\/p>\n

Running isn\u2019t a real sport!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

After more than 14 years of running experience \u2013 in high school, college, and ever since \u2013 I\u2019ve heard every insult and misconception that exists about the sport of distance running. Some are true (yes, our shorts are short), but most are false.<\/p>\n

Running has a bad reputation that seems to be exaggerated by some fitness circles that don\u2019t understand the right way to train for road races like the 5k, 10k, or even the marathon. Indeed, running is a one-dimensional form of exercise that has the potential to create specific weaknesses or imbalances.<\/p>\n

Flash back about 40 years and you\u2019ll see that runners ran a lot of miles at a slower pace \u2013 and did little else in the general fitness and strength departments. The conventional wisdom insists that marathoners are doing the same today.<\/p>\n

If we look even further back in history \u2013 back to the 1950s when Roger Bannister became the first man in history to run a sub-4:00 mile \u2013 training looked wildly different. Instead of high mileage and sparse speed workouts, runners favored low mileage and high intensity. Track intervals were so common that they comprised almost every training session! This training style resembled the popular HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) or Tabata workouts of today.<\/p>\n

As our understanding of training theory, physiology, and exercise science has matured over the decades, the training of today now takes a more balanced approach than both the 1950s and 1970s. And in turn, modern runners are more well-rounded and athletic than their predecessors. The dramatic improvement in world records as varied as the mile and the marathon is a testament to today\u2019s state-of-the-art training.<\/p>\n

Runners don\u2019t just jog slow miles and eat platefuls of spaghetti. Nor do we shy away from lifting weights, sprinting, and working on coordination. In fact, these are skills necessary to successful distance running. These skills allowed me to (somewhat surprisingly) win the 2012 Maryland Warrior Dash<\/a>, beating nearly 17,000 other CrossFitters, Parkour athletes, and runners.<\/p>\n

Today I\u2019ll dispel the popular misconceptions about runners, running, and the sport\u2019s effect on your health. By the end of this article I hope you\u2019ll be lacing up your running shoes and pulling on your short shorts (well, one step at a time).<\/p>\n

MYTH #1: Running Decreases Muscle Mass<\/b><\/h3>\n

This myth is actually partly true \u2013 but for the majority of men there\u2019s no need to worry. If you\u2019re particularly bulky and don\u2019t practice any aerobic exercises like swimming, cycling, or even hiking, then starting to run can<\/i> slim you down.<\/p>\n

However, running doesn\u2019t \u201ceat muscle\u201d or break it down as fuel. To get to that level of catabolic activity, you\u2019ll need to combine a diet almost entirely void of protein with a high mileage, high intensity running schedule. Like any extreme form of exercise, that combination will certainly reduce your overall muscle mass.<\/p>\n

A more realistic running program \u2013 say an introductory marathon training plan \u2013 will instead just prevent additional muscle gain<\/i>. Your weight will stay about the same and muscle mass can easily be maintained by most men who are doing complementary strength workouts<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The elephant in the room, of course, is the image of an elite distance runner who weighs 120 pounds when he\u2019s soaking wet. With thin legs and even thinner arms, how can I say that their running doesn\u2019t make them so scrawny? Simple: running doesn\u2019t make them look that way, their genetics do. Elite runners are often natural ectomorphs with a slight build, an incredibly low body fat percentage, and a tendency of staying skinny. This body type is one of the pieces that make them so damn fast.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, running will only reduce your muscle size if you stop lifting and start running significant mileage. Most men will find it rather easy to train for a road race without sacrificing their biceps. Plus, running is only going to help define those washboard abs.<\/p>\n

Myth #2: Running Requires No Skill<\/b><\/h3>\n

Just put one foot in front of the other, right? Wrong.<\/p>\n

Running is a skill-sport<\/strong>. There\u2019s no question about it. Training consistently over weeks and months without injury takes coordination, strength, and athleticism. Indeed, this study<\/a> shows that running economy (i.e., efficiency \u2013 or skill) improves as beginner runners naturally refine their gait.<\/p>\n

When you consider that running is actually a highly coordinated series of one-legged hops, the importance of learning the proper way to run is underscored. Without a basic understanding of good running form, you\u2019ll not only be slower but your risk of an injury caused by overuse will skyrocket.<\/p>\n

So what are the fundamental aspects of running form that will help you be a more skilled runner? Stick to the basics:<\/p>\n