Running A Lot Doesn't Hurt You

That seems to be the conclusion of a study to be published in the British journal Heart next month. The press release published by the WSJ spins it differently though, stating that running a lot later in life eliminates the mortality benefits. With the tone they take it's hard not to be tricked into thinking the evidence being presented is that running hurts you, but nowhere (in the summary piece at least) is this claim made.

It's a strange article to say the least. "Danger! Danger! Doing activity X that you enjoy doesn't harm you!" doesn't seem to be a crucial finding. To quote Kenneth Cooper in the article: "If you are running more than 15 miles a week, you are doing it for some reason other than [physical] health."' Agreed! (Qualifier mine.)

Ohio State and BCS Rankings: Always Transparent, Meaningful

From the "ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" department, a team that can't possibly go to a bowl because of sanctions ends up outranking Florida. I'm not a Buckeye or Florida fan but I like it because it makes a mockery of the whole system. I'm waiting for a good Onion article, which has consistently led the way in BCS-pointlessness-highlighting.

A Fake Marathon. No, Not The Running Of It, The Actual Race Itself

Some goober has created a website for a marathon which is admitted on its face to be fake; maybe s/he is hoping a real event will grow out of the online presence. For the Borges fans out there, it's a sort of Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius of endurance events. The internet abounds in such opportunities!

If you haven't yet read it, this New Yorker account of a Michigan dentist's much more deceptive faking of marathons is fascinating.