Elite Runner X does bad thing Y and he is still fast

[Sasha Pachev]

Michelle:
I can see numerous factors that could potentially invalidate the generalization. What exactly leads you to conclude that it is not valid to generalize from Utah to other states as far as the correlation between diet/lifestyle and running performance is concerned?

[Rob Murphy]

Wow! As someone new to this blog in the past year, I sometimes browse through old forum posts. Today I was rewarded with this long string of posts. Here's a thought for you as to why so many local elite runners and Olympic Trials qualifiers from Utah tend to be LDS. Sasha implies that since 30% of the Utah population is not LDS, that a similar percentage of our top runners should be non-Mormon as well. If not, it's probably because they don't lead wholsome enough lives. However, I know for a fact, as a long time high school coach in this state, that most of our really fast non-LDS runners in Utah leave the state to go to college and they almost never return. Patrick Smyth (Notre Dame) and Luke Puskedra (Oregon) are two recent examples of this. Whereas almost all of Utah's top LDS high school runners go to BYU or somewhere else local, and remain in the state after graduation in their distance running prime... Corbin Talley, Seth Pilkington, Teren Jameson etc.

It's hardly a groundbreaking observation to observe that people with healthy lifestyles tend to do better athletically speaking than those who don't.

[Joe Furse]

Interesting topic.  My two cents is that while it is logical and true that unhealthy behaviors will decrease performance, it is virtually impossible to say by how much and to compare the habits of one runner to the next.  There are too many factors to consider, such as how much a particular behavior will affect a given athlete compared to the next.  Natural talent, pain thresholds, possible "immunity" to certain substances, metabolic variations, mental health, and about a million other factors all play into our ability to perform and how much our training effort pays off.  That being said, there is certainly an optimum level of healthy behaviors (while still living a "normal" life) for every runner, based on the particular variables involved for that runner and how much each of those variables will affect that runner's performance, but it is going to be slightly different for every runner.  For example:  I drink caffeinated beverages only very occasionally, and usually when I'm on the road for safety reasons, but I've found that my body does not respond very much to caffeine at all.  It allows me to stay awake more easily if needed, but it does not keep me awake if I want to go to sleep.  On the other hand, some people are wired for 5-6 hours after a can of Pepsi and can't go to sleep until the effects wear off.  This would be an example of how something like caffeine may seriously affect the performance of some, but not others.  I think the key is for each individual runner to find what works and what doesn't and then balance their desire for high performance with the rest of their life.  I could live on a caveman diet if I wanted to, and that might be something that would help my performance slightly, but to me the cost outweighs the potential gain versus eating a normal (but healthy) diet, so I am not willing to do that.  I like to compete and do well, that is true, and my lifestyle is quite different from most of my peers because of it.   However, I still live a relatively normal life.  Besides the time and energy I dedicate to running, I go to school, have a job, participate in many social activities, go to church and actively participate there, and yes, I even eat the occasional double cheeseburger combo meal with fries and a coke.  That is a life that makes me happy while still allowing me to do well in the running world, and that's what it's about for me.  If running a 2:10 marathon were all that would make me happy, then I would certainly live a different lifestyle.

[Colby]

Reading this post, I think we have all gotten our heads wrapped around the specifics of alcohol and caffiene and how they affect a runner. But what about the original question of "runner X does bad thing Y and he is still fast?" In the Army, there are plenty of people that enjoy drinking, and not just an occasional one. I've got a buddy who can get completely plastered one night and come out and run faster and have more muscular strength than me the next morning. He will also smoke and drink only energy drinks all day long...or so it seems. How does this work? Is this just a freak of nature or may there be some kind of short term benefit to living a "crazy" life?

[Rob Murphy]

Colby - I am familiar with the behavior you describe! Let me assure you that this is the sort of thing that your body will let you get away with in your 20s, but not 20 years from now. You will be running circles around him in PT in your 40s if he keeps it up. Happily, most people realize this and mend their ways before it is too late.

I am "exhibit A" in this case.

[Joe]

Hah - so true Rob.  Sure enough I came to that realization right at the age of 30 when the heavy living caught up to me finally.  Although I have seen "freak of nature" exceptions, too.