Week Fourteen: Reaping the benefits

As I'm making my way through this massive running journey, I've learned some incredible facts about how running can benefit your health. There really are more benefits to running than just improving the shape of butt and thighs! So, I thought I'd share.

Here are a list of things that running can do to improve your health and overall wellness:

-Improve cardiovascular health: lowers blood pressure and helps your arteries maintain elasticity. This means that running will significantly lower your chance of ever having a heart attack or stroke.

-Slows down the aging process: runners are less likely to experience bone and muscle degeneration as they age than people who are more sedentary. When we run, our bones and muscles become stronger in response to the physical demand; therefore consistent running means that you will maintain bone and muscle strength even as you age.

-Psychological benefits: believe it or not, running makes you happy. It does this by releasing endorphins, which are hormones that give your body a sense of euphoria (i.e. "runners high"). Running has also been proven help alleviate stress.

(Have I convinced you to start running yet? No?? Keep reading.)

-Helps fight disease: running has been proven to reduce the risk of some types of cancer, most notably, breast cancer. Running has even become a treatment option recommended by doctors for people at risk for developing osteoporosis, diabetes, and hypertension. Running also raises "good" cholesterol levels (HDL), can reduce blood clots, and boost your immune system.

-Improved coordination: running may seem like it would involve much less coordination than other sports, however, there is most definitely coordination involved in running. This is mostly true for road runners and trail runners who are often running on uneven terrain (among other obstacles, i.e. rocks, pot holes, tree roots, people who don't care if they drive on the curb as you're running by...). Runners who are consistently training on these types of surfaces will learn to control their body to avoid tripping, stumbling, and, of course, swiftly jumping out of the way when that crazy driver jumps the curb that you're about to run by on. (I've learned from experience that during rush-hour, people don't care what they run over. I've had some close calls. The mentality: "Felony? Whateva! I gotta get home NOW!" I might-as-well consider myself a possum during these hours.)

-Weight loss: running is one of the top physical activities you can perform to lose body fat. 60% of runners begin running to lose weight and, let me tell ya, it works! It works because running burns more calories per minute than any other cardio exercise with the exception of cross-country skiing. It's simple to understand: the more calories out, the easier it is to lose weight.

Now, to reap the benefits of running, I'm not suggesting that everyone should get off their couches and start training for a marathon tomorrow. Rather, adding just 1 - 3 miles to your daily routine will help improve your overall health and wellness. If you are a beginning runner, it's best to start slow in order to prevent injury. Try doing intervals of 10 minutes of slow jogging followed by 10 minutes of walking for 30 - 40 minutes. By consistently doing this, you will slowly begin to build your strength, stamina, and endurance. Once you feel comfortable with this routine, begin adding more minutes, less walking, or more distance to your routine.

And in case you were wondering, I got the facts above from creditable running websites and the book "The Runner's Body." I'm not just making this up as I go along.

Only 11 more weeks until the marathon!

Week Fourteen
9/7 - Rest day
9/8 - Run 4 miles
9/9 - Run 7 miles on a hilly course
9/10 - Rest day
9/11 - Run 4 miles
9/12 - Run 4 miles
9/13 - Long run - 13 miles (halfway to marathon distance!)

Total miles for the week: 32