A marathon a day... what are the mental and physical consequences?
We’ve been captivated by stories of a man called Michael Shattuck who runs a marathon every day. There’s no doubt that this is extreme running behaviour - but what are the impacts on his body, and what motivates this daily challenge?
An article in Outside Inside by Stephanie Pearson last week has really captured the imagination of the Exercise for Science team. It focuses on Stephanie’s discovery - via sports tracking app Strava - of a 42 year old man in Wisconsin who runs a marathon every day.
Stephanie’s absorbing piece explores what drove Michael Shattuck to begin this relentless challenge and what it means for his daily life. Her article speaks for itself, but there are a couple of areas that particularly stand out from a Running for Science perspective: the physical impact, naturally, but also the motivation that drives him.
The physical impact of a daily marathon
Shattuck covered more than 10,000 miles in 2019, and is able to run dozens of miles every single day in all weathers. He does mention heel pain, tendonitis in his right calf and tightness in his hamstrings, but to us it’s deeply significant that these complaints aren’t joint related. It goes without saying that we would love to perform MRI scans on his hips and knees!
The daily demand on Michael’s diet is also very compelling - he consumes 6,000 calories per day and no less than seven bananas. He’s also a great customer when it comes to running shoes, as Michael replaces these every 700 miles. For him, that’s around once a month.
A ‘never quit’ mentality
The other side to this is the motivation. Many of us struggle to find the motivation for a short run or any other form of exercise, so what drives Michael to lace his trainers up each day, even battling sub zero temperatures and icy terrains to achieve his running goals?
For Michael, the challenge is closely linked to his mental health. Having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2018 and subsequently rejecting his medication, it’s likely that his illness is a key factor in driving his daily runs.
He also seeks inspiration from some of the world’s toughest survivors, including podcasts featuring ex Marines and Navy Seals, leading to a ‘never quit’ attitude that fuels his running.
Enthralling insights
Clearly, the majority of people lack the time and inclination to adopt such an extreme commitment to running. But that doesn’t make Michael Shattuck any less fascinating. It’s unlikely that his physical qualities differ vastly from the rest of us - which means that any of us could potentially work our way up to running 10,000 miles a year. It’s the mental drive and commitment that make Michael different. We’ll be watching his story with great interest.
