Reaching the finish line of a Marathon is a dream that more or less all runners have, at least once in their lives. Whether one then decides to actualize that image or not, this is something that only a small part carries forward, because not everyone actually feels the need to run the forty-two thousand one hundred and ninety-five meters (in fact, what is the use of running? To nothing). Then there is an extremely important point to consider: not only does not everyone want to run a Marathon, but it is also true that .
Running a Marathon is not for everyone
.
However, if you are among those who would like to run one or have already run one or run one whenever possible, perhaps there are some things you have been wondering about and would like answers for.
WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY
That one has to prepare as well as one can in order to run a Marathon, we take for granted. You don’t tackle such a long distance without proper training, unless you really want to risk injury or agree to do it by going at a very leisurely pace for our physique (but even just walking the entire length of a Marathon is tiring, it’s not exactly go for a walk). Training by doing long and very long runs helps us cope with the distance, but it is not only the
while
that has to keep us focused, it is also-perhaps especially-the
after
. In fact, the time following a Marathon, whether it was run to the best of our ability or quietly, requires a great deal of attention to allow for effective and complete recovery of what we leave behind (metaphorically and otherwise).
The
first thing
one must pay attention to is body temperature. During the race, the exertion made by our physique induces considerable heat production, bringing our bodies to well over 38°, with peaks of 39° on those days with high temperatures for running a long distance. The body, having entered a state quite similar to that of a fever, whereby the heart tries to circulate blood as fast as possible by exerting tremendous effort, is in danger of suddenly (as soon as it crosses the finish line) finding itself in a hypothermic situation, with sweat cooling very rapidly and not allowing gradual heat exchange.
The
second point
is closely related to the first. The increase in temperature, the need to flush the muscle tissue that is exerting the greatest effort at that time, and dehydration due to fluid loss through sweat cause the kidneys to go into distress, and still several days after the race it is common (some studies say as much as two weeks) in both amateur and professional runners to observe alterations on the filtering capacity of the kidneys.
THINGS YOU DON’T THINK ABOUT, BECAUSE …
These two components, macroscopically, are often completely ignored by runners who run Marathons, and this is mainly due to the fact that-if they do not go to the extreme-it is quite another thing that is most noticeable.
The
third aspect
, in fact, is cellular damage to muscle tissue. The celebrated (and abused) lactic acid, which we hear so much about, has only part to do with the zombie-like pacing that marathon runners have in the hours and sometimes days after the race. The reality is not that our muscles have failed to dispose of the lactate produced, it’s that there just aren’t enough cells left to do the work that is required, so we feel discomfort (sometimes actual pain) even walking. The interesting thing (one of many) is that cellular damage is also related to environmental temperature, and there is a direct correlation with the increase in environmental temperature and the number and areas affected by the damage. The ideal temperature, if you want to run a Marathon or any very long distance with as little muscle damage as possible, should be between -5° and 18°. Beyond these, the damaged areas increase in consistency and extent from grade to grade (and with them our ability to walk like zombies).
We then come to the fourth (and final)
component
:
HUNGER.
. Here, know that
no, it’s not really hunger
(or even craving for something good – quote), but .
necessity
. For all the things mentioned above, in fact, our body will
needs to replenish
adequately what it has lost and to put in all the components that will be needed to create new muscle tissue, replace lost sugars and fats, and restore body fluids to the pre-race level. It is not just a matter of eating and throwing in as much food as our bodies can hold, but one should try to eat carefully, evaluating (perhaps with a sports nutritionist who also follows us before races) which components to favor in order to stimulate our physique to get back on track as quickly as possible. Controlled nutrition already in the hours immediately following a long-distance race such as a Marathon can decrease the time needed for recovery by almost half.
BUT THEN, TO RUN A MARATHON OR NOT?
In the midst of all these not-so-pleasant things that happen to our bodies when running a Marathon, you may be wondering if there is at least one reason(satisfaction of crossing the finish line aside) for struggling so hard. Well, know that there is a reason, and there is! In addition to the fact that running and training benefits the physique in general, reducing the chance of catching from the trivial cold to more serious illnesses, long-distance running is good for our bodies because it seems to markedly stimulate the nervous system, keeping in activity a number of connections that would otherwise be lost as we age.
Keeping young
, then,
could also come from running a Marathon
, but only in the long run, because as far as the short run is concerned, as Jeff Scaf well said ,
If you want to know what you will look like in 10 years, look in the mirror after running a Marathon
.
Bibliografia parziale “Effects of wearing a full body compression garment during recovery from an ultra-trail race” di Martínez-Navarro et al., 2021. “How running a marathon puts your body into hell” di Betancourt, 2021 “Recovery of Inflammation, Cardiac, and Muscle Damage Biomarkers After Running a Marathon” di Bernat-Adell et al., 2021 “Relationship between Skin Temperature Variation and Muscle Damage Markers after a Marathon Performed in a Hot Environmental Condition” di Rojas-Valverde et al., 2021 “Effects of Marathon Running on Cognition and Retinal Vascularization: A Longitudinal Observational Study“ di Roeh et al., 2021