The election happened a few weeks ago, and one aspect of the election that always gets talked about is voter turnout. How many people will come out and vote? My dad was talking to one of his friends/co-workers, who is from Australia, and he said that in Australia that it is mandated that everyone votes in the election, and if they do not vote there is a penalty. It is not steep, $50 for a first offender, and $75 for a recurring offender, and then if the fine is not paid, a driver’s license could be suspended. Thankfully, I am not here to talk politics, although I do enjoy it to a certain extent, but this idea of the government making something mandatory intrigued me.
I would say that it is safe to say that there is a health epidemic in the U.S., specifically when it comes to obesity. With our vast advancements in technology, it is easier than ever to sit around and do “nothing.” People need to stay moving and motivated. So I think that the government should make it mandatory for everyone to run a marathon. They will be given a time period, let’s say from the time they turn 21 to the time they turn 30 to complete a marathon. I will use the word “run” loosely; I just want people to do 26.2 on their feet in a day. Also a $50 fine would not be steep enough to encourage most people to compete, so the penalty would have to be something closer to having their license suspended to me a little more motivating.
Part of this is of course bias. I thought long and hard about this while I was at professional development on election day, and I know there are plenty of other exercise options and caveats to this idea, but I think running is the best, not only because I love it, but also because it is an excellent way to burn calories with a low barrier for entry. (I know once you get fully into the sport you can spend infinite amounts of money, I literally just bought new shoes while writing this.) But people can just go outside and start walking for their training, because again technically no running needs to be involved, plenty of people walk marathons. Swimming you need a pool or a body of water and to know how to swim, biking needs a bike and to know how to bike, but with running/walking you just need shoes, and people walk every day. Again, I know there are other limitations like people with disabilities, so there are exceptions for every rule, but the special Olympics and Paralympics exist, and they have people of all varying abilities compete in races, including the marathon, so for the most anyone is capable!
Also I am a firm believer in the fact that exercise does not just create the good habit of doing the exercise, but it also creates the other adjacent good habits. Exercising also tends to lead to healthier eating and an increased body awareness. When you are trying to get the most out of your body, you do not want to put garbage into it, at least not as much garbage, I love a good reward pizza as much as the next person, but I can also feel the reward pizza greasing up my stomach and actively making me feel worst as I eat it. So this leads to healthier eating habits. There is nothing wrong with eating rice, veggies, and protein!
Another problem that people deal with is sleep. Either not getting enough of it or not being able to fall asleep. Well exercise can help with that! Nothing helps a person sleep better than physically using their body to exhaust themselves. It is easier to put the phone down or turn the TV off, when you tell yourself that you will need that energy the next day to exercise. The sleep will be better and easier to get. (Until you get race anxiety, but that is not what this is about)
As mentioned before, training for a marathon does not have to be all running or walking, if you enjoy doing other activities like biking, swimming, or other cardio based activities like playing basketball, these activities do not need to be stopped, they also help to build your fitness, some long runs may need to be thrown in, but for the most part, you could cross train your endurance up high enough to be able to complete a marathon.
One of the main reasons this idea intrigues me is because I do not think I am anything special. I think that just about anyone could do what I do running wise, if they really wanted to do it. I am just an average dude who works really hard. So I think that if this happened, the running scene would explode with so many people who had no idea how much talent they had! By proxy this would make my running standing in the community get worse, but I would be okay with that if it meant that people were potentially finding a new passion, and if it meant that people were getting healthier.
Exercise also teaches discipline. A person needs to practice to get better, and they need to steadily increase their training to help them be able to achieve their goal. Discipline is a very transferable skill as well. As mentioned, part of this discipline comes with dieting, but it also can involve work and family life. I think one of the main reasons that I stay on top of all my tasks is because I learned discipline from exercise. I know all the things I want to get done in the day and how long they take, and I make sure I plan accordingly. This also means placing tasks in order of importance. There are no excuses. At one point I was training for Boston, taking multiple grad classes, and working full time, but I still found time to get my all my runs and get all my work completed. I know I live alone, so that gives me a large amount of freedom, but I know of many others that have families and full-time jobs and successfully train for marathons. Everyone can do it!
The community as a whole could also benefit from this. When people sign up for races of any distance, they potentially start going outside more. People will go to run clubs, people will run around their community, and both of these experiences can lead to a person having a much greater understanding of the world around them. They can learn more about others and how they live, and they can learn about new spots in their community or spots that need help. I met the vast majority of my friends in New York from running groups. I also have seen basically every part of Syracuse and its surrounding communities from running. I almost always know where I am from my exploration on runs. With a world that is increasingly going digital, it is so refreshing to be with people and do something outdoors. (Although if you are against outdoor activities and meeting new people, no judgment, there is still the treadmill in the gym or at home.)
Running goes beyond just physical health, but it also is a mental health enhancer as well. Exercise in general releases endorphins, and this helps to increase a person’s mood and feel better. It also helps to release stress. There have been MANY runs where I have started with a problem on my mind, and by the time I finished the problem had been resolved or forgotten and all has felt right in the world. Sometimes the negative stuff even helps to fuel the fire and makes you push harder!
Running can change your life, and running a marathon is not an easy undertaking. It will help people to learn about themselves and others, and it will not only help their lives physically, but it will help them mentally as well. Just like any activity, there are some barriers that may be harder to climb, but most people are capable, and I can promise the feeling of accomplishment/relief when it is done is like no other. So yes, we should make the marathon a mandatory thing, so in 2028 vote yes to Prop 26.2!
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