Artiwara "Toon" Kongmalai of the rock band Bodyslam gets set to start the longest run of his life today: 2,191km over 55 days. The frontman expects to raise 700 million baht for the procurement of medical equipment for 11 state hospitals nationwide.
While a lot of Thais debate his choice of hospitals, which eventually stirs up controversy over the country's healthcare-budget management, we should also ask a much more basic question: Is this run worth it in terms of health?
Running and rehabilitation-medicine specialist Dr Phattarapon Atimetin said that such an extremely long run is likely to do more harm to the body than good.
"Running such a long distance is very tough," said Dr Phattarapon. "It's not an impossible mission for those who plan and practise it well. But it's tough."
Dr Phattarapon is the doctor who took care of Artiwara last December, when the rocker ran 400km from Bangkok to Bang Saphan in 10 days to raise funds for medical equipment for Bang Saphan Hospital in Prachuap Khiri Khan. His exhausted body raised 63 million baht for the cause.
Today's journey is more than five times the distance of last year's. Setting off from Betong district of Yala province, heading up north to the finish line in Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district, Artiwara's plan is to run for four consecutive days with a one-day break, repeating the cycle until he covers the entire distance. Each run day, he will do 50km, divided into sets of 10-12km between breaks.
This running strategy, said Dr Phattarapon, is logical given the singer's predesignated distance, which coheres with the running period. Artiwara is not the first to challenge himself in such a long-distance run. In the US, for example, 55-year-old Mimi Anderson is now attempting to break the world record for running across America -- over 4,500km from Los Angeles to New York. For a much longer distance, Australian round-the-world runner Tom Denniss ran 26,000km in 2013, spending 622 days in 18 countries. Two years ago, Kevin Carr of England completed his 621-day run through 26 countries, covering a distance of 26,232km. Carr became the fastest person to circumnavigate the planet on foot -- at least for now.
"It's all about how runners handle and control their fatigue. As for the case of Toon, I presume he will not be running at full speed from the very beginning. If he can keep the pace stable until the end, he will be fine. It's going to be hard. But it's not impossible," said Dr Phattarapon.
So the question is: Is running (including long-distance running like marathons and beyond) good for the body?
Different schools apparently have different takes on this mode of exercise, especially compared to walking. A study published in the American Heart Association (AHA) journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis And Vascular Biology, for example, reported that brisk walking reduces the risk of heart disease more effectively than running, when the energy expenditure of both activities is balanced out. Yet many studies suggest running may be better when it comes to weight loss. However, research reported by the AHA finds that walking is just as good as running when it comes to lowering the risk of heart disease. Some say running has downsides, such as more stress on the body and increased risk of injury.
Artiwara 'Toon' Kongmalai, centre, running garlanded with donations. Photos © Facebook: Bodyslam
Dr Phattarapon said that running is in fact an ideal workout for those trying to losing weight, because it burns more calories than other aerobic exercises. "Each step you take while running bears three to four times of your body weight."
For health and wellness in general, he added, running helps improve the body's fitness and prevents such diseases as diabetes and high blood pressure more significantly than walking. He then cited recommendations of 150 minutes of mild exercise, like brisk walking, per week or 75 minutes of vigorous exercises, like running. Running therefore might be a better option, especially for urban people without much time for working out.
An extremely long-distance run like what Artiwara is undertaking is of course not for everyone, Dr Phattarapon stressed. Doing it requires well-thought plans and proper training.
The same goes for standard long runs such as marathons, which, according to the running specialist, requires four months of training for runners determined to make a satisfactory finishing time of 2-3 hours.
"It's true that running a marathon puts the body through toughness, but it's also up to how well runners get themselves prepared and how much they push themselves during the run. If they just run for, say, five or six hours without pressuring themselves to make records, it's no problem. But if you push so that you finish within a certain time, it's a must that your body is ready and runners must do it right -- before, during and after a marathon," Dr Phattarapon said.
Before jumping into a long-distance run, runners are advised to undergo a treadmill test and an echocardiogram to check the functioning of the heart and how much exhaustion it can tolerate. Then again, Dr Phattarapon said that even good test results are not a 100% guarantee that the run will be a bed of roses. Besides the treadmill test and echocardiogram, runners might also check for diseases by physical exam and blood tests. Runners with disease or even a family history of illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol should be extra-careful and thoroughly checked for their fitness to run.
VO2 max is another test runners commonly use to evaluate their physical fitness, by measuring the maximum rate of oxygen-consumption during incremental exercise. While the procedure examines the highest rate at which the body can transport oxygen to the muscles so they can produce energy, it does not tell how the heart functions.
It is paramount that marathon and other long-distance runners give themselves enough rest after each run. A typical plan is one day for every mile, meaning if you run a marathon -- 42.2km, or 26.2 miles -- you should take 26 days' rest.
"Most runners do not rest that long. Usually they do one or two weeks only. During the rest period, they may do mild training or stop running completely. Such a plan is not for athletes only. It's for everyone and it benefits everyone. If you run without plan or strategy, your body will end up damaged, injured and worn out. Your capacity won't be fully improved."
Artiwara is now 39 years old -- an age considered, by many, too old for a cross-country run. But according to Dr Phattarapon, such an age is appropriate.
"Long-distance running does not require speed," he said. "It requires endurance and experience. The age from 37 to around 38-39 is therefore best for such an endurance workout. Runners in their 20s are mostly wild. When it comes to planning, the experienced might do better.
"During a long-distance run, runners should be vigilant. Self-evaluation is key. Generally, marathons have fewer risks than fast runs. In fast runs, heart rates rise very fast, which can be detrimental. Runners might be at risk of heart failure and other injuries," said the specialist, adding that after a long-distance run, people are recommended to soak the lower half of their body in cold water for 15 minutes to lower the risk of muscle inflammation. The cold will also help with fast recovery. Other health risks for long-distance runs include heart attacks, heat stroke, heat exhaustion and mineral imbalance -- a result of drinking too much or too little water.
Artiwara is going an extra mile for a good cause. He has trained for months and has had himself evaluated. But for those who might want to follow suit, Dr Phattarapon simply disagrees.
"Now that Artiwara decided to do this for a good cause, as a Thai, I think we should support him in whatever way we possibly could. But as a doctor, I wouldn't recommend people do likewise. If you are not creating such a huge public impact or social change that benefits people on a large scale, let's not do this. Let's do something else," he said.
"Running long doesn't necessarily mean you are among the best runners. After all, moderation does the trick. Everyone is entitled to improvement, but you have to do it right -- not too fast, not too slow. Too much of anything is as bad as too little."
