I thought this was an interesting article about running too much. It sounds like there is no conclusive answer, but I am glad to hear that being a relatively amateur runner (a couple times a week for 3-4 miles) seems to be pretty good from a health perspective. Some highlights:

“… runners on average had a 19 percent lower risk of death during the study period (1971-2002) than a control group of nonrunners. The runners with the lowest death rate were those who ran less than 20 miles a week in 2 to 5 days of running at a pace of about 8:35/mile. Runners who ran more, or more days, or faster, had higher death rates.”

More good news: you don’t have to be super speedy either! (Although often I am more in the 9:00-9:30/mile pace.)

“… a group of 60+ year-old runners had half the death-rate of a matched group of their nonrunning peers. They also had much more “functionality,” and their improved-health gap vs. their peers appeared to be increasing with age.”

I imagine that the occasional half marathon is not too bad! (Especially if it gets you to come down from 318 lbs!)

November, 2006

July 2011