Some Awesome Facts About Running

Some Awesome Facts About Running

Running is a universal activity that cuts across every human distinction. Almost everyone knows when to run. Thumping the feet against the ground or treadmill, one after the other, is a simple process that’s packed full of many benefits to your body.

There are many reasons people run. Whatever your own reason is, you can rejoice in the fact that your body benefits from it.

Running is quite an effective way to keep fit and improve your mood. If you live in an environment where people love to run, you might also make some new buddies.

If running is not part of your routine, you are missing out. Asides the health benefits, there are many other great reasons to get a pair of running shoes. Or dust out the ones you kept away.

Maybe you have been contemplating hitting the sidewalk but you have not come around to doing that yet. Perhaps you are being lazy, we won’t judge you, or are a bit scared. Here are some points of encouragement to fire you up.

young-african-runner-running-on-racetrack

You will keep the doctor away – You may know some health hacks that can help you prevent a visit to the doctor. Now you can add running to that list, thanks to us. Regular running adds some activeness to your lifestyle. Research shows that people who are active are less prone to developing colon cancer.

Great for your skin – If we asked you to guess, you might link this benefit to sweating and you would be right. Sweating can help you clear out your skin pores of those clogs that cause breakouts. It also increases your skin’s production of natural oils. So, make running a habit and you will soon have a smoother and clearer skin to thank you for it.

Run off the pressure – In this fast paced world we live in, high blood pressure is beginning to cut across ages. This is one natural way to keep the pressure on the low. A man with a high blood pressure can lower it by increasing workouts within some weeks.

You will become stronger – What man does not want to be strong? Experts suggest that running might help increase bone density than weight routines will. It works a lot of muscles in the body, including some that lower impact exercises might ignore.

Energy boost – You get fatigued sometimes and this might tempt you to stay indoors. Instead of doing that, you can go out running. It might sound a bit counterproductive, but there is proof that a single run can reduce fatigue. Not only that, it can boost your energy levels too.

Improves memory – If you have become slow to remember, going for runs might be all you need to jug your memory back. It is no news that exercise is great for keeping the mind in top shape. Running can protect your brain against Alzheimer’s, even if you come from a lineage with a history of it.

Great for the heart – Heart problems are a common illness these days and everyone is doing a lot to prevent it. One way you can do your heart some good is to run. If you run for at least an hour per week, you can cut your risk of having a heart disease by half. You don’t get that advantage if you aren’t yet convinced to start running. Start running, it will help you live longer.

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Be the ‘real’ alpha male – If all the benefits so far didn’t hit the cord, this one will. Running helps you stay in shape to maintain that masculine figure the ladies like. Regular exercise improves flexibility and stamina which are great for under the sheets. Moreover, it would help you be in the mood more often. *wink wink*

We hope that with our long list of benefits we have convinced you to man up, do yourself the favor, and start running.

Kudos to you for your courage. You won’t regret your choice. We understand that it might be hard to form a new habit but if you prepare well, you won’t have a problem.

There are things you need to put in place if you are to enjoy your newly found routine.

The shoes – If you don’t already have running shoes, you need to get a pair. You can’t go for any running shoes, you must be selective. The type of shoes you run with might make or mar your running experience. The good news is that there are always some good deals on running shoes that you can take advantage off, so definitely keep your eyes open for a Puma promo code or something of the sort. The most important thing to look out for in running shoes is comfort. You cannot afford to compromise on this.

The socks – Once you have gotten yourself a nice comfy pair of shoes, you need to pick out a comfortable pair of socks to go with it. Go for socks that are breathable and are a snug fit. Some wick away sweat from your feet to prevent the accumulation of bacteria that cause odors.

You are ready to go, we know. You do not want to gas out after a few yards running with the smashing damsel you met at the park. We don’t want anything demotivating you, so it’s important to get it right from the start.

You should fuel up before hitting the road. What you eat for fuel when you start running is quite important too.

A sports dietitian at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center suggests that eating carbs and protein, in a small portion of course, is ideal for fueling up.

After the run, ingest the same amount of the snack you ate earlier within 15 minutes. This will help you recover faster and re-synthesize the glycogen in your muscles.

The more you sweat, the more dehydrated you get and that isn’t good for the brain. So, you need to rehydrate when you get thirsty.

You can choose to carry a water bottle or run routes that have water fountains so you can rehydrate at intervals.

What about those sports drinks? They contain electrolytes, nutrients soluble in water which you lose through sweat. So, taking them can help replenish electrolytes in the body.

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Dr. Jordan Metzl, who runs marathons himself, says that if you don’t run for up to one hour, drinking just water will suffice for you. But if you go beyond that, your body will need to replace those electrolytes.

The most important aspect that will make your running routine and all its benefits happen is you. Your will to commit to it is what will make all these happen and if you do, we can promise that it will worth your while.

We have some more information that will help you blend into the running community. These are facts and figures that will surely make you a knowledgeable runner.

Some Running Facts

Running-Facts

Achievements

  • The marathon with the highest number of finishers is the Atlanta Peachtree of 2015. It reported a total of 54,752 finishers. Wouldn’t you like to be part of such statistics?
  • A Moroccan, Hicham El Guerrouj, set the record for the fastest mile ever run with a time of 3:43:13. Svetlana Masterkova from Russia is the female record holder for the same feat.
  • One of the most memorable feats in running was in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. Abebe Bikila set the record time for a marathon race on barefoot!
  • The ‘Marathon Man’, a Belgian runner named Stefaan Engels, ran one marathon distance every day for a whole year. He covered a total distance of 9,569 miles.
  • The Kenyan, Dennis Kimetto, still holds the official record for the fastest marathon, setting a time of 2:02:57. It happened in the Berlin Marathon in 2014.
  • Budhia Singh is the youngest person to have completed a marathon. He had completed 48 of them before he was 5.
  • The oldest marathoner in the world is Baba Fauja Singh. He finished the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 8 hours 25 minutes and 16 seconds at the age of 100.

Historical

  • If you have been wondering about how the marathon started, you’re in luck. Legend has it that in 490 BC, the Greeks won the battle against Persia. A soldier ran approximately 25 miles from the city of Marathon in Greece to Athens to deliver the news. This is almost the same distance, 26.2 miles, of the modern marathon.
  • Long before now, in the 20th century, women were prevented from running. This was because doctors thought running will make their uterus fall out.
  • The first event recorded in the ancient Greek Olympics was the sprint.
  • One of the cheapest marathon to organize was the first New York City Marathon in 1970. It cost only $1 for the 127 runners that participated.

Physical

  • Based on scientific research, considering how the human body responds to varying temperatures, scientists concluded that 45 degrees is best for a race day.
  • A lot of runners develop black toenails, caused by bleeding under the nail. The major culprit being shoes that don’t fit well. That’s why we hammered on that earlier.
  • Your testosterone helps develop your muscle mass and boosts red blood cell concentration. This is one of the main reasons men, on average, run faster than women over all distances. Now that’s something to be proud of, boys.
  • One of the most common injuries suffered by runners is the ‘runner’s knee’. This is when the cartilage under the kneecap becomes irritated.
  • If you run for 10 miles, your feet will thump the ground about 15,000 times with up to four times your body weight.
  • Research shows that humans can outrun almost every other animal over a long distance.
  • Running for only 2.5 hours a week can increase your testosterone by 15%. We were not kidding about when we said running can make you an alpha male.
  • There are 112 ligaments, 26 bones, and 33 joints in the foot.
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General

  • Enthusiasts that run every day might need to change their shoes every 200 miles. If you don’t run as often as that, your pair can serve you for up to 500 miles.
  • Recreational running in the United States started about half a century ago. It was started by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman after a trip to New Zealand.
  • Katie Holmes, Oprah Winfrey, President George W. Bush, Sean Combs, and Will Ferrell. These are some popular figures to have completed marathons.
  • The northernmost marathon is the North Pole marathon. It has been rightly dubbed ‘world’s coolest marathon’.
  • Before the 1960’s in the UK, in races that were not longer than 10 miles, runners were not allowed to drink water. It was assumed that it would make the runners weak. That had to be grueling.
  • The southernmost marathon is the one which takes place in Antarctica. The windchill temperature on average is -4oF.
  • Experienced runners who want to push beyond limits can try out The Badwater Ultramarathon. It covers a 135-mile distance from Death Valley to Mount Whitney. Fortunately, it is only by invitation.
  • The most popular days for running in the United States are Sundays and Tuesdays. Fridays are said to be the least popular. We are sure you can figure out why.
  • Registering under the name K. V. Switzer to fool officials, Kathrine Switzer became the first female to run the Boston Marathon. She did that because the marathon was considered too difficult for women.
  • 53% of male runners spend more than $100 a year on running apparel.

With these facts in your knowledge arsenal, you can get a lot of admiration from fellow runners. That is, if you don’t share them in a way that makes it obvious you just want to show off.

If you are cool with dishing out what you know, you will notice that more females will want to run alongside you. This is not a fact, though.

You now know why running is good for you and we have also intimated you with some facts and figures.

All you need to do now is create a routine and stick to it. As time goes on, it will become a part of you and you will start to notice all the benefits we told you about.

Happy running!

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