Domhnall MacAuley is a CMAJ Associate Editor and a professor of primary care in Northern Ireland, UK
Couch potatoes say that you never see a happy jogger, and they might be right. Too many runners train too hard, think “no-pain-no-gain” and don’t take time to step back. Intelligent middle aged high achievers (like us doctors) often make the same mistakes. Forget the Sports Guru nonsense. Your body is not a highly tuned Grand Prix racing machine. Most of us just chug along like a four-door family saloon. So, here are a few suggestions to help you avoid injury, burn out, and boredom. Basic, simple and obvious, they won’t sell many running magazines but they might be of some use to middle of the road athletes expecting miracles, underachievers who mismatch training loads and life circumstance, and obsessives who feel rest and relaxation should be avoided at all costs. ...continue reading
