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Being a runner it is addictive. After running for over 30 years when I stop for a few days I miss it. I've never run a marathon, but know many that do and love it.
When I was younger and more physically fit, I loved to run. It was very addicting. Love those dopamine. (?) Endorphins (?).
Quote:
Originally Posted by miu
NO!! I didn't refer to them by RACE. I was only being very factual about the nationalities that have been winning the Boston Marathon for many decades. Kenyans have won the majority of the races, with Ethiopians also being a factor. A non-African continent winner is really quite a rarity.
In that poster's defense, they clarified that they were referring to nationality and not ethnicity, with the implied understanding that most African countries are hot.
That being said, some parts of Ethiopia are cool, including the capital Addis Ababa which stands at an altitude higher than Denver.
But yes, I agree that ethnicity is irrelevant; everyone is capable of acclimating to either cold or heat. The only racial adaptation to weather that human beings have is evidenced in the Inuit and related peoples, who evolved facial features that are adapted to cold, dry weather. Otherwise, the average Caucasian, Asian and African are genetically similar in their heat tolerance and cold tolerance.
A bunch of years ago I found a wonderful movie at the Colorado Springs library about the Ethiopian runners. It covered their life, their hard training, most of it barefoot in their mountains. Many were poor, and doing well in running meant better living for them, and their families. I'd love to watch it again. Maybe youtube has it.
Running is part of daily life for many Ethiopians, and Kenyans. So over thousands of years I'm sure that some adaptation has taken place. Not all live in the city. Many are rural, and have cattle that they tend on foot. They run to school many miles. The ones who succeed are more apt to marry, and have many children. Therefore their genetics would be more widespread = adaptation. The ones who don't do well are less desirable.
We must not forget persistence hunting which is big in some areas of Africa. That is where the hunters take turns running an animal to exhaustion to where it collapses. I found out about that in the book Born To Run. The Raramuri mentioned in the below link are the Tarahumara Indians who are famous as long distance runners. They live in the Copper Canyon of Mexico, and are supremely adapted to their environment, tough as nails.
That was so long ago, in the good old days... when it was more of a local race and not the huge event that it has grown to and appealing to runners all over the globe. Maybe the prizes shouldn't be so large.
My brother ran the marathon. It was a miserable experience. He ended up having to go to the medical tent after finishing to get treated for hypothermia. Today he's still sore and ragged, has some skin rash because of the wet clothing rubbing his skin and has decided this is his last marathon, even though he's already classified for next year.
Lol, give him a month, or two to recover, and he may change his mind. It's a little like having a baby in that it was so rough you think "Never again". Then you forget how much it hurt, haha .
and how the US women had a better shot at a win than usual because so many internationals were targeting London or Rotterdam as their 2018 spring marathon instead.
There were plenty who started the race, but dropped out. Only 3 out of 16 of the African runners finished the race. This is the rest of the story.....
Women's Race: "defending Boston (women's) champ Edna Kiplagat was the lone African elite to record a finish, as she crossed the line 9th in 2:47:14."
"An African had finished in the top four in the previous 24 editions of the race, including 19 victories."
Both men, and women:
>>>>>"Of the 16 African runners in the men’s and women’s elite fields, just three finished the race:"<<<<<
"Edna Kiplagat was 9th in the women’s race, Geoffrey Kirui was 2nd in the men’s race, and Stephen Sambu was 14th in the men’s race. All six Ethiopians dropped out."
That is the most racist thing I have heard in 30 years. And look where I live. Sheesh.
I guess we shouldn't speculate why Norway came on top in the Winter Olympics. And why is the Jamaican bobsled team is always news? Could it have anything to do with snow and Jamaica or are we not allowed to bring it up?
Location: Formerly Pleasanton Ca, now in Marietta Ga
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Crashj007
That is the most racist thing I have heard in 30 years. And look where I live. Sheesh.
Seriously?
That's the most racist thing you've heard in 30 years and you live in the south? Riiiiggghtttt.
Your comment is one of the most overly politically correct statements I've ever heard to a point where it's not even pc, it just sounds like someone trying to start an argument. I'm a minority and wasn't offended in the least by that post, but I am offended that someone would get so worked up over that statement and try to make the poster a bad person.
True Diversity is always good
It increases the talent pool
However If you only allow opportunity to one group under what ever name it is no longer diversity
It’s the old system with a new favored group
True Diversity is always good It increases the talent pool
However If you only allow opportunity to one group under what ever name it is no longer diversity
It’s the old system with a new favored group
I don't think that the talent pool needed to be increased.
Well, in the case of marathon races, I don't see the point of "true diversity" if the newcomers (the Kenyans and the like) keep dominating the playground. Maybe like in golf, the better athletes should be handicapped.
As far as some of the others, many world class runners live, and train in Boulder, Colorado for the high altitude training that it affords. That way they get the cold too. It's very inspirational for the rest of us since you are forever seeing runners everywhere you look. Then you think to yourself dang, I need to start running again, lol. At least it worked for me when I lived there in the 80's .
I ran the Bolder Boulder 10k back in 83, 85, and 88. It was so much fun, a real event with entertainment along the way, and beer at the end. The Boston is the same way, a tradition. You can't just enter it, you must qualify in another race by time. It's an honor to finish . There is no way around it, running makes you feel better.
I ran in 81, 82, 83, 90, 91 & 2004! My now 88 year old uncle has ran it every year ... It is very inspirational; especially finishing in Folsom Field, sort of makes you feel like a star for a minute.
Although I am way slow; definitely not Elite status. I don’t even care about beating my own best time; my goal is always to finish & have fun along the way.
I noticed that very few of those Elite athletes compete in the Pikes Peak Marathon, which goes from 6,000ft elevation to 14,115ft. In fact, the top 10 are almost always from Colorado (2015 first place was from Japan).
There are a few more who only run the ascent (you can register for just ascent or the full marathon), I wonder if that is out of concern for injury? My dad & sister have both done the PP but I’m afraid I’m not marathon material.
I do know that altitude conditioning is one reason the Olympic Training Center is here.
I think it’s strange that the narrative formerly known as: “Celebrate Diversity” has now changed to: “Deny it.”
Or that to acknowledge racial characteristics is now characteristically racist & we are going to have to revise all the science textbooks & get rid of all those offensive references to Adaptation, Natural Selection & Evolution.
It’s a good thing we don’t have to depend on ourselves to “Live off the land” anymore ... I can just see some enlightened yet bewildered rancher; wondering why his one-humped dromedary camel isn’t herding the sheep. Or an Inuit in Alaska whose Chihuahua dog sled team is performing underwhelmingly.
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. There is no way around it, running makes you feel better.
