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Old Mon, Jun-25-01, 14:09
fern2340's Avatar
fern2340 fern2340 is offline
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Default It's a Runner's World, We Just Live in It

It's a Runner's World, We Just Live in It
by Carol Krucoff
Popular Sport Has Become Kinder, Gentler and a Little Slower

The unkindest cut you could give a runner, back when the sport was still new, was to call him (most runners then were male) a "jogger." Jogging was viewed as less serious, less macho and well, slower, than running. The men in shorts who launched America's running boom during the late sixties and early seventies typically ran with fierce determination, striving for faster times and longer distances.

Today the sport is more popular than ever, but runners have changed dramatically. The elitist, "faster-is-better" mentality has been replaced by a kinder, gentler approach with less emphasis on competition and more focus on health. More participants are over 40, a growing number are female and increasing numbers are entering races, joining clubs and getting coaching to help them reach a wide range of goals -- from starting a running program to finishing a marathon.

"Running is becoming a fitness sport rather than a competitive sport," says Amby Burfoot, executive editor of Runner's World magazine, whose circulation has continued to rise since it began in 1966 and jumped 10 percent in the past two years to 505,000. "It used to be that everyone wanted to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Now more people are running for health and fitness, to control their weight and to reduce their stress."

The now-mainstream sport is maturing at the same time as many of its leading proponents. Even Burfoot, who won the 1968 Boston Marathon, admits that at 52 he sometimes…walks!

"I'm a heck of a lot slower than I was, but I'm still enjoying the sport," says Burfoot who has recently discovered that taking walk breaks during his runs allows him to train longer with less discomfort. More people now combine running and walking, he says, and use running as part of a varied fitness program. Instead of running every day, they run a few days a week and do strength training or walking or other sports on alternate days.

"Increasingly people are doing Tae Bo and everything else that comes along," he notes, "But in the end, millions stick with the simplest, least expensive, most efficient way to get maximum fitness in minimum time, which is by running."

While walking is also easy, low cost and effective, it takes more time than running does to achieve similar results. For example, a 130-pound adult burns about 130 calories in a half-hour walk and 300 calories in a half-hour run. The fitness benefits of walking vary depending on whether you're strolling casually or marching briskly. But running -- even at a slow pace -- is guaranteed to be a vigorous activity, with all the corresponding cardiovascular and metabolic benefits -- and some risks.

Sedentary males over 40 and females over 50 (and younger people with risk factors for heart disease) should consult a physician before starting any vigorous activity, such as running. People with joint problems may be advised to avoid running altogether or to alternate it with swimming or other low-impact sports.

"Running isn't for everyone," acknowledges Henley Gabeau, executive director of the Road Runner's Club of America (RRCA), a 41-year-old grassroots running organization based in Alexandria. "You've got to get good shoes, start slowly and give it a chance." But if you work up to running for 30 minutes, three to four times a week, she says, you will become fit.

More than 8 million Americans run at least twice a week, according to American Sports Data, Inc., a Hartsdale, N.Y. firm specializing in sports and fitness research. The number of runners is slightly higher than 10 years ago, but somewhat lower than a 1993 peak. Other statistics reveal these trends:

*Running in Packs. More runners are joining clubs, says RRCA, which now has 180,000 members in 630 clubs around the country, up from 110,000 members and fewer than 400 clubs 10 years ago.

*5K Boom. Today's most common race distance didn't exist 15 years ago, says Ryan Lamppa, a researcher for USA Track & Field's Road Running Information Center in Santa Barbara, Calif. In 1997, 2.3 million people completed 5K races, many of them in charity fund-raising efforts.


*Marathons for the Masses. "People figure if Oprah can do it, they can, too," notes Lamppa, who says most marathons offer training programs to help novices. Last year 400,000 people finished marathons, compared with 25,000 in 1976. Times have increased dramatically as fewer people try to finish fast and more people try to simply finish--often by combining walking and running or walking the whole way.

*More Females, Older Racers. In 1985, men made up 80 percent of race participants. By 1997, they accounted for only 62 percent. In the early 1980s, 28 percent of marathoners were over 40. Now 41 percent are.

*Coaching Common. More runners are working with coaches says the RRCA, which began certifying coaches last year. Some coaches work with groups, usually through a running club. Others work individually, charging from $25 to $75 per hour.

"The biggest problem for beginners is trying to do too much too soon," says Oregon running coach Carl Sniffen, who teaches RRCA's coaching certification class. New runners usually start by walking, then running a little, then walking. Over time, they walk less and run more. "Depending on the coach and the gumption of the athlete," Sniffen says, "a novice could be running in six to 10 weeks."
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