Energy Express by Marilynn Preston

I'm in New York City this week, and Marathon Madness is in the air. There is no known cure. On Nov. 1, approximately 40,000 runners of every age, shape and thighs will line up at the starting line for the 40th anniversary year and attempt to run the magical, mystical, maniacal distance of 26.2 miles. I will not be among them — not this year, not any year. I've decided long-distance endurance running is a form of body abuse I'd rather not indulge in. Call me crazy.

I've paddled through class-5 rapids in Costa Rica, climbed over 18,000-foot mountain passes in Tibet, driven in dogsleds in Lapland where the outside temperature was colder than 30 below, but when it comes to putting myself in harm's way, I draw the line at long-distance running. Also pro football.

Running can be a perfectly fine way to get fit. I cheerlead for running! Running rocks! But it has a serious dark side when it comes to injuries and pain, especially as we age. All that accumulated pounding — mile after mile, crushing amounts of body weight on tight, vulnerable muscles and dry, misaligned joints — takes its toll. At the same time, the joys of running — the endorphin flow, the calming effect, the social side — help make it totally addictive.

You can't tell another person what to do, and I would rather eat a tower of Twinkies than tell a person to stop running marathons. What I do say is if you're a runner — of any distance — be a smart one. Master the basics of self-care and injury prevention. Buffer your running with strength and flexibility training. Do yoga regularly. More running tips to come, this week and next, but before the tips, more truth.

Marathon running is a high-injury sport. About 90 percent of all people who train for a 26.2 mile marathon wind up injuring themselves in the process, studies show. Other sports medicine reports indicate that 60 percent to 65 percent of all runners are injured during an average year, with "injury" defined as something that hurts so much you are forced to stop or reduce your training.

"Sudden cardiac death" — a popular subject in running blogs — also stops your training, and while running-related deaths are still rare, they are proving to be a story with legs. Three participants in the 2009 Detroit Marathon died within 20 minutes of each other.

The 2007 Chicago Marathon produced only one dead runner, but 49 others were hospitalized. And sports docs are still talking about the shocking death of Ryan Shay, a competitive American distance runner who was experienced, totally in shape and still died of a heart attack due to an enlarged heart during the 2007 Olympic Trials marathon in Central Park.

I could go on and on about the increasing number of running injuries being reported and studies that show running can suppress your immune system for brief periods of time. Instead, I'll just sprint to the finish, because I was a runner before I was a race-walker, and I know what a great sport it can be:

— Start Slowly, Build Gradually. You can achieve a high level of fitness, with fewer injuries and greater satisfaction, if you concentrate on form and fun over speed. Many newbie recreational runners make the mistake of running too fast, too far. They overdo it and get injured. Run every other day, with a day or two of rest and recovery in between. Train for endurance — focusing on strength, flexibility, relaxation, breathing — and value moderation over suffering.

— Google Yoga. There's a lot of continuing confusion and controversy over the benefits of stretching and cool-down. I side with the experts who suggest smart ways to warm up your muscles and juice up your joints before and after you run. Research "yoga for runners," and you'll find the path to a soul-satisfying routine that boosts flexibility, reduces soreness and speeds recovery.

— Cross Train. Too much of one sport is bad for your body. Balance your running regimen with strength training, flexibility exercise, and activities that develop your upper and lower body, front and back: i.e., swimming or tai chi. NEXT WEEK: Smart Running 101 — the course continues.

ENERGY EXPRESS-O! INJURY EQUALS DISTANCE OVER PAIN

"Marathon runners most often suffer from foot problems, middle-distance runners specialize in back and hip maladies, and sprinters prefer to tear apart their hamstrings." — Owen Anderson, www.sportsinjurybulletin.com

Marilynn Preston — fitness expert, personal trainer and speaker on healthy lifestyle issues — is the creator of Energy Express, the longest-running syndicated fitness column in the country. She has a website, http://marilynnpreston.com and welcomes reader questions, which can be sent to MyEnergyExpress@aol.com. To find out more about Preston and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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