Sensei Talks  

“Study Shows Marathons Aren’t Likely To Kill You”

Is that what they mean by damning with faint praise?

“Fewer than 1 in 100,000 people died while running a marathon. Half the people who died in a marathon did so while running the last mile. Almost no deaths occurred in the first 13 miles. The chance that a middle-age man--the typical marathon fatality--would die while running a marathon was about the same as the chance a middle-age man would die suddenly anyway.”

This is not the most enthusiastic endorsement of exercise I’ve ever read, but don’t let that stop you from giving it a try in 2008.

Two physicians, who are also marathon runners, studied the risks of dying while running in a marathon. Though few in number, deaths occuring during marathons have received tremendous publicity. It’s a pity the benefits of healthy eating and exercise don’t receive the same kind of headlines. Imagine: ‘Lost waist resurfaces, amazes man in Boston’!

Exercise is good for you! It improves your outlook, your waist line and your self-confidence. Combined with a healthy eating plan, exercise reduces your risks for diabetes and heart disease . That’s good news for all of us.

Life is now. Seize the day! Get up, get out and make 2008 the beginning of your healthier life. See you out there. I’ll be the one walking the last mile very slowly.

- Nancy