BUTCHER BLOCK DELICATESSEN
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484-9867
BUTCHER BLOCK DELI
13th & Franklin (next to Williams Bakery)
just three blocks from the track
CONTROL
YOURSELF.
The stability line of running shoes from
NIKE. They'll control that rearfoot motion that
too often brings runners to their knees.
THE ONLY 'NIKE ONLY" STORE
iiwr 10th & Olive • IN THE ATRIUM
JUShurruc 542 5155
EUGENE jhe Term’s Almost Over!
Is running good for you?
Some say yes;
others say no
By MAHLON BEACHY
It seems wherever you go in
Eugene, you see runners.
Everywhere, there are groups,
couples and solitary in
dividuals sweating and strain
ing, risking their lives at every
crosswalk and, in general, do
ing their best to pound their
feet into shapeless stumps.
They run in all types of
weather, they come in all
shapes and sizes and they
take their running very
seriously.
If you’re new to the “runn
ing capital of the world,” you
may wonder at this activity,
though running is certainly not
an exclusive Eugene trend.
Why do these people run?
What benefits, if any, does it
give them and is it something
you should do? If so, what
should you know about it?
There have been an endless
list of benefits and problems
attributed to running since it
became a fad as part of the
fitness craze of the 1970s.
Everything from a longer life
and lower blood pressure to
protection from heart attacks
was attributed to it. Converse
ly, everything from joint and
muscle injuries to “runner’s
nipple” and infertility in
women was raised against it.
With all these opposing
claims, it becomes confusing
whether you should run and, if
so, why you should. Obvious
ly, many people run becasue it
is a great way to stay in shape
or to lose weight. Others run
because it improves their per
sonal appearance.
Dr. Steven Roy, who
operates the Sports Injuries
and Running Clinic of Eugene,
says that there are many
benefits for those who enjoy
the activity of running, and dis
counts many of the claims
against it.
“My feeling is that most
people don’t cause
themselves permanent injury
purely from running,” Roy
says. He feels the studies
against running are not well
enough controlled, and often
unscientific. Thus, many of
the claims are unsubstan
tiated or wholly invalid.
“But the newspapers worry
about the lack of reliability and
so when they find anything
that’s published, they assume
it is gospel. A few years ago,
there was a big thing about
running causing heart attacks.
But it’s been shown that heart
attacks happen most often
sleeping. You have to be
careful when interpreting
reports.”
Roy believes there are
several undeniable benefits of
running, other than fitness
and appearance. First, even a
modest runing program will
decrease the risk of a heart at
tack. Of less tangible but
equally clear benefit is the
stress release involved, the
chance to release pent-up
emotions in a healthy way.
“We see this in students a
lot, as they’re under tremen
dous pressure,” Roy says. “If
they can run 40 minutes to an
hour a day, they often get
relief from stress. For many,
running is aimed at release
more than it is toward physical
fitness.”
Another benefit, Roy claims,
is an overall increased level of
productivity. "Runners find
they are able to be active for
longer hours at higher levels
of intensity.”
Finally, there is a social
benefit for those who like to
run as a group as a social ac
tivity as well as to the in
dividual who just wants to get
out and run by himself, getting
away from the pressures of life
and meditating or enjoying the
scenery.
Roy emphasizes these
benefits over the fitness or
nutrition aspects for a reason.
“I disagree with those people
who hate running, but do it
because it’s good for them or
will make them look better. If
the only reason for running is
so you may live a few extra
years in theory, you should
use the time for something
else. I think that at least half
the benefit of running is men
tal. I don’t think you should
run just so you’ve appeased
your conscience about having
had an extra piece of cake at
lunchtime, either.”
Dolly Warner, trainer for the
University track teams, agrees
that running should only be
done if it is enjoyable. “As
long as they do some kind of
aerobic activity, whether it be
biking, skiing, swimming, or
running, they’ll get the
benefits. In fact, some of
these involve a lot less poun
ding, and thus less joint
degenerative changes, than
running.”
But whatever the activity,
the amount of aerobic work
done must be the same as
would be attained in running,
to attain the same benefits.
For the person who wishes
to begin a running program,
both Roy and Warner recom
mend starting slowly and
gradually working up. The
great majority of injuries stem
from doing too much too fast,
or overtraining. Roy recom
mends a six-week walking pro
gram for adults who haven’t
run in years.
“Then you gradually bring
running into the walking pro
gram, and slowly increase the
time you’re running. When you
get to fifteen minutes at a
time, you can go to just runn
ing by itself."
Warner recommends star
ting with a mile a day and
gradually week by week mov
Continued on Page 19
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