The marathon meltdown continues. I met Wes this morning at Yolk for breakfast after his overnight shift. He said Northwestern saw 300 people from the marathon yesterday, and those were the ones the aid tent at the marathon deemed serious enough to seek formal medical treatment. One man, a 35-year-old police officer, died, and others suffered significant organ damage due to dehydration. Wes said people were coming in, talking about vomiting and bloody stool (this was over breakfast, mind you), and how they kept running several more miles after that.
Attention runners: whoever told you to "run through it" should now be responsible for your medical bills. I had a swim team coach who used to say, "Pain is only in the imagination." Sometimes, though, pain is your body's way of letting you know it's shunting blood away from important organs -- like your bowels, or say, your heart -- so that your brain gets enough. The guy who won the marathon here last year came in fourth this year -- because he had stomach cramps and knew enough to back off. So should you.
Lots of people are crying foul because the organizers shut down the race after 3 1/2 hours. Police officers told people they would not receive medical treatment if they kept running and even threatened to arrest people if they did so. Two hours later, though, I could still see Roosevelt (which leads to the finish line) full of people -- well, at least jogging. Water was available every 2 miles, but runners said they should have had it available every mile (for 45,000 runners, mind you). OR you could just stop if you can't handle it. I know it's hot. I know you trained for a long time. I know it's disappointing. But hey, having permanent organ damage from your first marathon is kind of disappointing, too, don't you think?
If you decide to go do some really challenging athletic event, that's great. But be prepared to know your own body. And if you don't, take responsiblity for you own idiocy. No one made you do it, and lots of people told you to stop for -- your own good.
2 comments:
Yeah, my basketball coaches would always say, "Pain is weakness leaving the body."
I think that was before we all puked from the running and one girl passed out.
LOL
<3 Knikki
Amen sistah!
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