Three men collapsed and died on Sunday October 18 while running the half marathon portion of the 2009 Detroit Marathon. The three deaths occurred within 16 minutes of each other, a stunning rarity for marathon running. At ages 26, 36 and 65, all three men were reported to be in excellent health and properly trained to tackle the long distance.
Deaths during distance events are not the norm; Dr. William Roberts of the University of Minnesota says that people are more likely to be struck by lightning golfing! In fact, only 1 in 200,000 people die on average during exercise, and the fitter you are, the lesser the chance. The deaths this weekend seem to be related to freak cardiac arrest as all men had no problematic medical history and must have had some unknown and untreated heart problem. The 65 year old man reportedly collapsed around the 11 or 12 mile mark, hitting his head on the pavement and succumbing to the suffered blow. The 26 and 36 year old runners died at the hospital after collapsing, but autopsies are scheduled to uncover more detailed information.
This weekend's Detroit Marathon had ideal long distance running weather and the air quality in the city was not at any sort of elevated level. The three deaths seem more disturbing as in recent weeks other marathon-related deaths have occurred: two people died at the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in San Jose, CA and a Boston man died at the Baltimore Marathon.
These deaths should not deter runners from racing hard, long distances. When training for a marathon, make sure to build up your total mileage tolerance and ensure your body is ready to cover the distance. About 50 to 70 miles a week is adequate for more serious recreational runners, and including speed work and core training is a beneficial way to prepare your bones for the beating.
Proper nutrition and especially adequate hydration is essential for completing a marathon successfully. The color of your urine post-run will let you know your hydration levels: the darker the urine, the more you need to drink. You can also weigh yourself before and after you run to see how much water weight you lost. Try not to overhydrate, but make sure to replace the lost liquids with water and electrolyte drinks such as Gatorade. Pre-race, don't drink or do anything that could promote dehydration: consume excess caffeine, alcohol or soak in a hot tub. Eat plenty of calcium-rich foods during training and take a multi-vitamin and vitamin D plus calcium supplement to ensure bone health.
A great way to build up your heat tolerance is to do some of your runs-- especially faster tempo runs-- on a treadmill. Treadmills are a great way to teach your body how to handle the heat and cool down with natural sweat regulation. Most importantly, do not ignore any warning signs--heartburn, chest tightness, arm tightness-- no matter how insignificant they may seem.
Deaths during distance events are not the norm; Dr. William Roberts of the University of Minnesota says that people are more likely to be struck by lightning golfing! In fact, only 1 in 200,000 people die on average during exercise, and the fitter you are, the lesser the chance. The deaths this weekend seem to be related to freak cardiac arrest as all men had no problematic medical history and must have had some unknown and untreated heart problem. The 65 year old man reportedly collapsed around the 11 or 12 mile mark, hitting his head on the pavement and succumbing to the suffered blow. The 26 and 36 year old runners died at the hospital after collapsing, but autopsies are scheduled to uncover more detailed information.
This weekend's Detroit Marathon had ideal long distance running weather and the air quality in the city was not at any sort of elevated level. The three deaths seem more disturbing as in recent weeks other marathon-related deaths have occurred: two people died at the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in San Jose, CA and a Boston man died at the Baltimore Marathon.
These deaths should not deter runners from racing hard, long distances. When training for a marathon, make sure to build up your total mileage tolerance and ensure your body is ready to cover the distance. About 50 to 70 miles a week is adequate for more serious recreational runners, and including speed work and core training is a beneficial way to prepare your bones for the beating.
Proper nutrition and especially adequate hydration is essential for completing a marathon successfully. The color of your urine post-run will let you know your hydration levels: the darker the urine, the more you need to drink. You can also weigh yourself before and after you run to see how much water weight you lost. Try not to overhydrate, but make sure to replace the lost liquids with water and electrolyte drinks such as Gatorade. Pre-race, don't drink or do anything that could promote dehydration: consume excess caffeine, alcohol or soak in a hot tub. Eat plenty of calcium-rich foods during training and take a multi-vitamin and vitamin D plus calcium supplement to ensure bone health.
A great way to build up your heat tolerance is to do some of your runs-- especially faster tempo runs-- on a treadmill. Treadmills are a great way to teach your body how to handle the heat and cool down with natural sweat regulation. Most importantly, do not ignore any warning signs--heartburn, chest tightness, arm tightness-- no matter how insignificant they may seem.
Three die at the 2009 Detroit Marathon
Source: Examiner.com
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