I don't think any of my reading today is going to produce a gem of greater brilliance than this, so I'm posting an early Quote of the Day:
"Only in our lifetime has running become associated with pain and injury; if you search history, folklore, and mythology, you'll find that prior to our generation, running was always associated with freedom, vitality, and enduring youth."
Christopher (Born to Run) McDougall
Yeah, that would be the most obvious exception to McDougall's rule...why didn't I think of that?!
Well, versions of the battle of Marathon have it that the runner who does the first marathon dies of exhaustion...