# Is running/cycling very long distances bad for the body?



## Disturbia (Jul 12, 2015)

Obviously, it brings a lot of weight loss benefits etc., but (can post links if anyone wants) there's some evidence that things like running marathons wears down the body more quickly.

I'm in good shape and already run, but nowhere near those distances. Thinking of doing a marathon or cycling something long-distance. I know I'll lose muscle/strength, but also don't want to put a strain on my health.

Anyone know about this?


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## telepariah (Jun 20, 2011)

Moderation in everything, including moderation. ;-)

I've been a runner all my life, since the age of 8. My body is beat up pretty bad and I have to admit my running days might be over. Cycling is not as damaging... until you hit the pavement or the hood of a car.


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## Disturbia (Jul 12, 2015)

telepariah said:


> Moderation in everything, including moderation. ;-)
> 
> I've been a runner all my life, since the age of 8. My body is beat up pretty bad and I have to admit my running days might be over. Cycling is not as damaging... until you hit the pavement or the hood of a car.


Good point :tongue:

Do you run long distances? Unfortunately, even if you're normal weight (I'm borderline underweight) heard that stuff like marathons wears out your knees etc. even if you only train for it once.


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## telepariah (Jun 20, 2011)

I'm pretty large at 6 feet and 180 pounds, same size I was in high school. And my knees have been through a lot with one 5 1/2 hour acl reconstruction with 70% menisectomy and microfracture (and sometimes the other knee hurts more). I have run long distances all my life, mostly on trails at between 30 and 70 miles a week for most of the last 50 years. I ran ultramarathons, both in events and alone unsupported. 

I was also a sprinter in high school and I tried to get back into that on an age group basis this spring. That didn't go well. Three steps and a piriformis-induced sciatica that is still bad and won't let me run any faster than I can walk fast. So I'm kind of bummed, but still holding out hope that it will settle down and let me move my leg like that again. Sprinting feels great when everything's working and I had a blast training for it. But ultimately, both my achilles get inflamed from it and that probably led to me compensating unconsciously leading to another injury on a cold May morning.

So yes, what you say is very common. I know a number of runners who still go big and are my age and older. But not really that many. A lot of people who were really fast when I was in high school are now overweight, stiff, and out of shape. So I feel like my longevity in running is a blessing. If it's over, fifty years is a pretty good run.

I would do it all again. I love running. My body may be breaking down in some areas from it but I'm still very strong. If it's not too hot, pain is the only thing that prevents me from running almost indefinitely without really tiring. I can still hike and climb and ski at a very high level. Running has helped but I can still do it without running. I do need to find another way to stay close to peak fitness and I don't ride a bike, retired from inline speed skating due to a horrendous injury and two major surgeries. 

Running, if you are smooth and have good technique, will not tear your body down if you are smart about it. That I got 50 years out of my body for running at my size is a testament to my ability to minimize impact.


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## Tridentus (Dec 14, 2009)

I honestly think things like muscle, joint or tendon injuries are heavily dependent on genetics more than anything. If you look at athletes for example, fast-twitch soccer/football players are more susceptible to injury yes, but some fast-twitch players have far fewer problems even though they play more games- Leonel Messi being one example compared to Daniel Sturridge or Michael Owen.

Roger Federer is another example of someone who is just blessed genetically (and also technically, which would also be a factor in running I'm sure).


Personally, I have weird thing with my knees which makes running on concrete impossible, and I have to find soft surfaces to run on.

Having said that, human beings were evolved to run long distances right? It's one of our big points during the stone age or whatever. It's the exact thing that makes me laugh when people exaggerate how unhealthy "hardcore" diets are- human beings have evolved specifically to be good at these things.


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## Roman Empire (Oct 22, 2014)

"Is running/cycling very long distances bad for the body?"

Yes, I don't believe we are made to run long distances. Just look at our physiology when we are naked. Guys with dicks, and balls jumping up and down hurting as hell. Women with breasts flapping around. Just from that pure anatomy, I can't see we are made for long distance running. I think like most other mammals, we are just made to walk and short sprints when in danger or fooling around.

Running/cycling long distances seem pretty extreme for how we are made. Just because something is possible, does not mean we are made for it. With that logic you could eat you own poop and claim we were made for eating poop, just because it was possible. Or you can twist, and flip your body like gymnastics, it is possible. But taken to the extreme I doubt the healthy in it.


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## mangodelic psycho (Jan 12, 2015)

Running is ultimately bad for your knees, cycling is not. It's much easier to get an injury while running than cycling. I've always had trouble with my knee and my doc told me I need to do more cycling, because it strengthens the knee, without putting any weight on it, and do fast walking instead of running. Aka low impact. That doesn't mean you should stop running of course, just do it in moderation.


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## joshman108 (Apr 14, 2014)

telepariah said:


> So I feel like my longevity in running is a blessing. If it's over, fifty years _is a pretty good run_.



........


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## Grandmaster Yoda (Jan 18, 2014)

The human body was made for long distance running, that is the unique characteristic of our species.


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## Impavida (Dec 29, 2011)

apa said:


> "Is running/cycling very long distances bad for the body?"
> 
> Yes, I don't believe we are made to run long distances. Just look at our physiology when we are naked. *Guys with dicks, and balls jumping up and down hurting as hell. Women with breasts flapping around.* Just from that pure anatomy, I can't see we are made for long distance running. I think like most other mammals, we are just made to walk and short sprints when in danger or fooling around.
> 
> Running/cycling long distances seem pretty extreme for how we are made. Just because something is possible, does not mean we are made for it. With that logic you could eat you own poop and claim we were made for eating poop, just because it was possible. Or you can twist, and flip your body like gymnastics, it is possible. But taken to the extreme I doubt the healthy in it.


If things are flapping around that badly, your form is shit. Proper running technique is very fluid with minimal bouncing up and down. 

Running is definitely hard on the joints. However, life expectancy used to be 30, not 90. We were never meant to live long enough for joint issues to become a problem


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## telepariah (Jun 20, 2011)

But we did evolve to run long distances. That is why we have our particular bipedal posture, foot structure, muscle structure, visual structure, and temperature regulating ability. When chasing an animal that can only evaporate from its tongue, a team of humans has a great advantage as long as they can keep it separated from the safety of the herd. It's only a matter of time before the animal collapses due to heat exhaustion and then we moved in for the kill. The problem with many runners is their shoes. Modern running shoes that feature a thick padding in the heel only and a ramp downward of more than let's say 1 cm strongly encourage runners to heel-strike, and this is what leads to most running injuries. Now that we know this, the availability of so-called minimal running shoes has exploded. Ironically, this too has led to injuries as runners overdo it without adapting their form back to a more natural barefoot technique of forefoot striking. Watch small children run barefoot. That's how we are supposed to run.

Born to Run – Christopher McDougall


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## Impavida (Dec 29, 2011)

telepariah said:


> But we did evolve to run long distances. That is why we have our particular bipedal posture, foot structure, muscle structure, visual structure, and temperature regulating ability. When chasing an animal that can only evaporate from its tongue, a team of humans has a great advantage as long as they can keep it separated from the safety of the herd. It's only a matter of time before the animal collapses due to heat exhaustion and then we moved in for the kill. The problem with many runners is their shoes. Modern running shoes that feature a thick padding in the heel only and a ramp downward of more than let's say 1 cm strongly encourage runners to heel-strike, and this is what leads to most running injuries. Now that we know this, the availability of so-called minimal running shoes has exploded. Ironically, this too has led to injuries as runners overdo it without adapting their form back to a more natural barefoot technique of forefoot striking. Watch small children run barefoot. That's how we are supposed to run.
> 
> Born to Run â€“ Christopher McDougall


^^Love that book 

Much to the horror of every running coach I've ever had, I've always maintained a mid-foot strike and a very short stride. Heel strike just never felt natural or pleasant to me. 

By ignoring the accepted "wisdom" of the heel-strike fan boys and doing what felt right, I have stayed injury free after 20 years as a tall runner (5'10" female). I was also able to return to running with no issues after blowing out both of my knees in a skiing mishap. Since I started to cross-train with minimalist shoes a couple of years ago, running has become even easier.


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## telepariah (Jun 20, 2011)

Me too. For a long time i refused to buy new running shoes because of too much ramp. I felt that worn out flats were better than new ramped shoes and I think I was right. But the wear and tear has finally caught up to me. My knees are still ok most of the time. It was trying to get back into sprinting and being impatient that caused achilles tendonitis and then piriformis syndrome in my left leg that has not settled down yet in 7 weeks. I'm still hoping but my days of running faster than a jog may be limited by the sciatic nerve. Like I said, 50 years was a pretty good run if I don't get it back.


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## joshman108 (Apr 14, 2014)

I have never personally heard of someone stressing their body by pedaling too much. I know of guys who are 55-75 years old who can, at times, put me to shame on a bicycle. My 55 yr old friend just did a 200 mile ride (he does this only once per year I think). I've heard of guys who are 80+ and still riding. Of course, I'm sure there is such a thing as "too much" but I haven't heard of it in cycling like I have running.

I was reading about bruce lee's workouts and one thing that stuck out to me was that he never trained so hard that he was unable to fight the next day. Both myself and people I know often train so hard we are unable to workout the next day or atleast to the same workout the next day. I've been trying to adopt that philosophy to all physical things I do: never go so hard that you are unable to do it again the next day.


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## telepariah (Jun 20, 2011)

Chris Carmichael, who was Lance Armstrong's trainer, says that our easy days are not easy enough and our hard days are not hard enough. So I take it really easy most days and take a lot of days off. Then I go out on weekends and totally destroy myself. :exterminate:

Still doing pretty good with that method when it comes to ski mountaineering but for running? Like I said...

I don't ride. Never got good at it and never could afford nice bikes. But my friend is 64 and rides both road and mountain bikes a lot. And when ski season rolls around he is always in top condition and he consistently crushes everybody on both the up and down. It's ridiculous how strong and fit he is. At 58 I notice that I'm slowing down on the up but he just keeps on crushing. Mad respect. And he's a fine guitarist to boot.


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## Roman Empire (Oct 22, 2014)

Impavidus said:


> If things are flapping around that badly, your form is shit. Proper running technique is very fluid with minimal bouncing up and down.


Did you even read what I wrote? What you write has nothing to do with what I wrote. I am looking very forward to you explaining how a dick and balls jumping around when running naked is to do from "bad form". Jesus..


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## Roman Empire (Oct 22, 2014)

telepariah said:


> But we did evolve to run long distances. That is why we have our particular bipedal posture, foot structure, muscle structure, visual structure, and temperature regulating ability. When chasing an animal that can only evaporate from its tongue, a team of humans has a great advantage as long as they can keep it separated from the safety of the herd. It's only a matter of time before the animal collapses due to heat exhaustion and then we moved in for the kill. The problem with many runners is their shoes. Modern running shoes that feature a thick padding in the heel only and a ramp downward of more than let's say 1 cm strongly encourage runners to heel-strike, and this is what leads to most running injuries. Now that we know this, the availability of so-called minimal running shoes has exploded. Ironically, this too has led to injuries as runners overdo it without adapting their form back to a more natural barefoot technique of forefoot striking. Watch small children run barefoot. That's how we are supposed to run.
> 
> Born to Run â€“ Christopher McDougall


This is utterly bullshit. I am sorry but you jumped in with both feet. Just because we stand up, does not mean we are made to run long distances. But of course with a little bit of pop-science I can see it can be difficult to sit down, think for yourself and come up with another conclusion than some people. It is also to see it is not even your own knowledge you are just repeating what you found, and then you believe.

Just because we can train or body to do a certain task is not equal to it being natural for us. We are just intelligent enough to shape, and get certain results out of the body. I would also like to see you run barefooted in the African Savannah and chase down an animal with a spear just for my own amusement  - Then let's see how your feet feels afterwards running through bush, and stones for 42 km's straight without even catching that animal you speak about.

I think it is definitely possible with teamwork, coordination, and stubbornness. But just like acrobatics, we are not made to do it. But with practice and patience it is possible. I could imagine the reason why we did it, was because as some scientists say, then the rain forest in Africa got more and more dried out, and because we have the intellect we have, we find a way and another food source. For time being to survive. Does not mean it is the ideal at all. But of course you would rather do plan B and survive when plan A is not possible.


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## Impavida (Dec 29, 2011)

apa said:


> Did you even read what I wrote? What you write has nothing to do with what I wrote. I am looking very forward to you explaining how a dick and balls jumping around when running naked is to do from "bad form". Jesus..


Yes. You obviously didn't read mine though  Again, I reiterate, if any body parts are jumping around so badly that it's painful, your running form is shit. You can't stop the bounce and jiggle entirely through technique, but you can most certainly minimize it to the point where it's no longer an issue.


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## Roman Empire (Oct 22, 2014)

@Impavidus

Do you mind expand on your great experience in running long distances naked? and share about your techniques which makes balls and dicks stop jumping with the rest of your body? As far as I know primal african runners had "horns" attached to their woopwoops to stop the jumping, like underpants. But again I am looking forward to getting my horizon expanded.


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## Impavida (Dec 29, 2011)

@apa I never said "stop." I said "minimize." Feel free to continue to argue with yourself though :wink:


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