In Praise of the 5K

by Jacob Sheff, D.O., F.A.A.P. Co-chair of FJMC Health and Wellness Committee President of Congregation Neveh Shalom Men’s Club

“Healthy, wealthy and wise” are what we all strive to be. It describes a flourishing person, one who has acquired three valuable traits. For complicated reasons that are beyond the scope of this paean to a footrace, it is more noble to pursue gains in health than it is in wealth. Wisdom, we all know, comes only by learning from mistakes (i.e. experience). (Health is the maintenance and enhancement of our first and last property, the body; so, in a sense, good health is the first step towards being wealthy.) It is rare to come by wealth for the individual participant in a five-kilometer (a distance equivalent to 3.1 miles) walk or run, but it is the rule that all will gain in health. In many, all receive a souvenir medal, which is more a form of bragging rights than it is wealth. Wisdom there is to be had (but that is never guaranteed to all), because life is like a race and in both mistakes are inevitable. Therefore, a wrong step in the one should teach a lesson that is applicable in the other, but in this article, I will focus on the 5K’s health benefits.

The event itself is held outdoors. Being in nature is good for the soul, which is to say, for one’s mental health. These events typically draw a large crowd of both runners and audience members, and being around others—that is, not being alone—is also good. The social aspect to the race is intentional—the 5K combats loneliness. At those held mainly for adults, oftentimes a ticket for one beer is included with the price of admission. (Beer, it goes without saying, can be harmful when abused and should only be used responsibly and in moderation. Also, one can choose to not use this ticket.) An additional social lubricant would be what is commonly referred to as a “runner’s high,” that buzz one gets from the release of endorphins that follows prolonged physical exertion. Also, immediately after crossing the finish line, many are “on cloud nine,” having just surprised themselves in a positive way, either by completing the race or by doing so faster than they ever had previously. (N.B. One need not run the race for all these benefits. Many participants can and do walk them as well, and they get the exact same benefits from doing so as do the runners.) This widespread ruach makes for easy socializing after finishing, making the 5K doubly good for one’s spirit; our happiness is increased when we share it with others. Men are more likely to congregate if there is something to do—say, watch a game on TV, build or repair something, play poker, gather around a barbecue, etc.—than they are to sit around and converse without that stimulus. With the 5K, they can get stronger (and live longer!) together, then have that experience to kibitz about later.

If a runner should choose to train beforehand, not only will that translate into spending more time outdoors and with others, viz., a company of friends and fellow runners, but he will also look for other ways to improve his performance. That is, he will have a reason to eat healthier and make sure he gets proper sleep (e.g. “early to bed, early to rise…”). (As someone who has trained for multiple races, I can tell you doing so is a good reminder of why rest, a Jewish value, is so vital.) He will now have a reason to drink less alcohol and to abstain from smoking. He will likely set a goal—say, to run the entire race or complete it under a certain time—and he will adjust his daily choices, his lifestyle accordingly. Along with that, he will have a deadline: the date of the event. This makes any goal’s being achieved more likely. While the changes will be made to do better in the 5K, the secondary gain will be a significant boost to his overall health. If he is lucky, they will become habits that die hard long after the race which originated them. If that happens, it will result in a healthy weight along with a lean muscular physique, things a runner needs to both optimize his performance and avoid serious injuries. (And, to borrow from an old advertisement, “You’ll like the way you look. I guarantee it!”) That lifestyle is the best way to lower the risk of developing metabolic problems that are common to men as we get older, such as high cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes.

Staying adequately hydrated is of the utmost importance to a runner, whose regular work outs put him constantly at risk of developing dehydration. For this, I can only suggest that one stick to sugar-free options. Water is good most of the time, but after a long run, it is important to replenish one’s electrolytes, so in that case, I would recommend Gatorade Zero or something like it (e.g. Propel, Vitamin Water, etc.). Cutting back on sugary beverages goes a long way in helping one to both maintain a healthy weight and reduce one’s risk of painful tooth decay. Dehydration, as is well-known, can result in constipation, and, according to Robert Burton (in his The Anatomy of Melancholy), it is depressing to be even a little backed up. Hydration, a high-fiber diet and regular exercise—the lifestyle of a 5K runner or walker striving to do his best—are all great ways to keep away this undesirable condition. Along with regular sleep—also important to the thoughtful runner—they forestall headaches in migraineurs and others prone to experiencing them.

The 5K is hard to top when it comes to providing spiritual benefits as a secular and physical activity. What promotes bodily well-being does so for the spirit too: one is in G-d’s creation putting to use his G-d-given body; to quote the bard, “What a piece of work is man.” There is a freedom in this purposeless exercise which some refer to as play and others pure joy; the child-like mindset, so eager for wonder, to see what one can do and to do the unexpected, is almost as rejuvenating as a properly observed Shabbat. It shows you that you are made b’tzelem Elohim. When a Jewish runner sets a new personal record (what runners call a “PR” for short), he can recite the Shehecheyanu with a grateful and a healthy heart.