For this issue, I set out to answer a pretty common question: Why do we do it?
Strength training for runners can help with two of their most important issues: injury prevention and improved running economy.
For this issue, I set out to answer a pretty common
question: Why do we do it? My goal was to get some answers as to why more of us
are being drawn to endurance sports.
It’s pretty obvious that marathon and triathlon numbers continue to grow at a steady clip. Good luck trying to get into an Ironman less than a year ahead of time, and even then you have to get lucky. The Chicago Marathon had about 8,000 entrants the first time I ran it in the early ’90s. This month, the October race will most likely reach its limit of 45,000 runners. But marathons and triathlons are just the starting point for many people.
While the numbers of ultraruns (longer than a marathon) and other hyper-endurance events are still relatively small, they’re growing. About 300 people participated in the 50K on Chicago’s Lakefront in April, up about 10 percent from the year before, even though the brutal winter weather made it difficult to train for a 30-mile race. Four hours on the treadmill, anyone?
But while I hoped to bring some kind of understanding to the reasons why these sports are so appealing, I have to report that when pressed, most people cite the same reason for participating: the challenge.
I guess it’s not surprising that pushing ourselves to the limits has an appeal. And in thinking about my own experiences with endurance sports, testing myself is certainly a big part of it. We all like to see how we react to adverse situations. While some people may look at you like you’re crazy for participating in these tests of stamina, it’s the good kind of crazy—the that’s-admirable-as-hell kind of crazy that gives you a sense of pride.
But let’s be honest with each other. While the whole process of self-discovery is nice and all, there are plenty of great reasons why it’s more fun to do endurance events than sprints:
• The stories are better. Sure, if you’re a track nerd, you can understand the drama of shaving a few seconds off a PR. But to the vast majority of people, you may as well be speaking Greek. It’s easy to comprehend the suffering involved in running 50 miles. In fact, most people probably overestimate it. If you string a couple of 60-second quarters together, the mostly likely response will be, “Is that good?” It’s far better to talk about bonking after 8 hours in 90-degree temperatures than how you won your age-group in a 5K.
• Endurance events are impressive. Thanks to the broadcasts of the Ironman, Eco-Challenge, Everest climbs and other endurance events, most people look in awe at those of us who participate in these sports. You may be competing in a sprint-distance triathlon that takes 40 minutes, but the word “triathlon” still makes people think of Ironman. Lucky us.
• Slow people are still cool. Speed is greatly de-emphasized in most endurance events. To finish is to win. Which is great for all of us who are, more accurately, losers, when it comes to most races.
• You can eat whatever you want. Who wants to worry about counting calories? Start doing ultras and you’ll be adding meals to your day. You’ll be too tired to go out at night to show off the body, but it will look good.
• Lower your standards on sanitation and hygiene. Forget all your food hang-ups. You’ll eat just about anything when you really need it. And after a few events, you’ll be able to go to the bathroom anywhere…
I think part of the reason we can be so self-deprecating about endurance sports is that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes them so appealing. Why do you love your kids? Sure, you can point to dozens of reasons, but none of them really explain it. You love them because that’s how you feel. It’s an emotion that supercedes any logic or explanation.
I view endurance sports the same way. We can talk about the challenge and training and camaraderie, and those are all true. But it’s really about that feeling when your body is moving, and you escape the everyday. It’s after the race is over, when you can bask in the effort and experience the surge of power and accomplishment. I don’t know why I feel that way, but I do. And it’s the reason you keep jumping on the bike or tying on the running shoes.
And it’s why people who’ve experienced that feeling never asks you why you do it.
They just know.
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What’s the appeal of endurance sports? 
