Posted on 04/01/2012 5:17:49 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
Searchers on Saturday found the body of renowned long-distance runner Micah True, who vanished four days earlier after heading out from a lodge for a morning run in the rugged wilderness near New Mexico's Gila National Forest.
The body was discovered in a remote area of the Gila Wilderness, state police spokesman Lt. Robert McDonald said.
The cause of death was still unknown, but there were no signs of trauma, incident commander Tom Bemis said. "It's too early to say, there was nothing obvious," he told the Boulder Daily Camera.
The 58-year-old True, whose extreme-distance running prowess is detailed in the book "Born to Run," set out on what -- for him -- would have been a routine 12-mile run Tuesday from The Wilderness Lodge and Hot Springs, where he was staying. He left his dog at the lodge and never returned. A search began the next day after.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Heart attack? Saw a picture of him...he looked about 70
That would be my guess.
Sad news. He will be missed. He was an extraordinary man and as passionate as they come. He changed a lot of lives by getting people off their butts and liviving a healthy lifestyle. He went doing what h
e loved to do
The article describes his disappearance as “mysterious” and “mystifying.” There’s nothing mysterious, or even surprising, about the disappearance of someone who takes off alone into the desert. “Commonplace” and “expected” are the words the author was looking for.
Rest in peace.
He and “Born to Run” got me running again (barefoot style) after a 25 year hiatus due to injuries. And after almost a year of very slow progress, I am getting back to my daily runs.
That is great. Good for you!
I have been running for a while. I just bought my first pair of zero drop shoes. He was the inspiration for them.
I was sent there after boot camp for some electronics training and this was my first time out in the desert. On a Saturday morning, I woke up early and decided that I would "walk" into town as it was such a perfect morning. I figured I'd walk out there and catch the bus back. Only, instead of walking along the road, I was going to cut across the desert.
Well as those in the desert know, everything out there looks closer than it actually is. That mountain range that you think you can reach out and touch is actually 30-50 miles away!
After 2-3 hours of walking, I started realizing that the town wasn't getting any closer and now the sun was up high and temps were approaching 100 degrees. Had no canteen either. I at least had the presence of mind to know what direction the road was in so I managed to get to the road and flag down a ride before I became too disoriented and weak to carry on. The guy who picked me up happened to be a gunnery sergeant and he chewed me out big time for being so incredibly stupid.
When he dropped me off in town, I remember sitting outside a store and drinking Gatorade after Gatorade. I threw up a couple times in between. I am convinced that I would have died out there if I didn't manage to get myself back to the main road.
WTF does that mean?
While my old joint injuries cause no problems, I have had many calf cramps and tendon problems getting used to the forefoot strike. I hear that eventually all problems go away but I am still moving forward carefully.
I am wearing Newton Sir Isaacs BTW.
Apparently, his mother's funeral is today. They were very close. Micah went missing March 27. I'm not aware of any evidence pointing to grief-stricken suicide, but I think they may be wondering about the possibility.
Sounds like he is unemployed to me.
Heart attack most likely. Happened to Jim Fixx. Runners have hearts that are rock hard. There’s little capacity for blood. That’s why long distance running is so bad for you. Any sudden jolt, scare or movement that would require a quick rush of blood can kill.
Exercise kills a lot of middle aged guys. But it isn’t politically correct to point that out.
And IIRC Fixx had a family history of heart problems and before he began running was overweight and a two pack a day smoker.
I would rather die fit that live unfit.
He was 58 according to the article.
It has been a little tough adjusting but I am taking it easy by swithing out shoes. I am running the Country Music Marathon in Nashville at the end of the month. I might wear my new shoes.
My shoes are Altra Instinct.
Never heard men pay so much attention to shoes...
What are they, pumps, spike heel, or open toe slingbacks?
How sad. I sympathize with his friends.
Nothing personal about Mr. True, whom I didn’t know ... but I think it means “totally self-centered.”
Tools of the trade.
Golfers talk about their clubs. Hunters talk about their guns. Musicians talk about their instruments.
No difference.
Jack LaLanne being the best example, I suppose.
Yeah, for every guy that drops dead while running at age 58, I wonder if they would have had that heart attack a dozen years before as non-runners. Personally, I can think of worse ways to die than a massive heart attack in the middle of a run.
I know, just couldn’t resist!
Too good of an opening...
“The cause of death was still unknown...”
Ooo, I know that one. The cause of death is running, in rugged wilderness, leaving neither a map of your route or your estimated time of return with someone who will care if and when you don’t show up on time. And likely having no means of self defense or communications with you.
Either that, or “bad luck”. Much of a muchness.
You rattled off quite a variety of shoes so...
I don’t run in my sling backs. I can never find matching shorts.
Maybe you have to be a runner to appreciate the accomplishments of Micah True. He certainly was an inspiration to me—a 65 y.o. grandmother who has been running for 15 years. I’m usually one of the last runners in a race, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is giving it my best.
Read “Born to Run” to learn about Micah, a running legend.
I considered taking up running for excercise about ten years ago, but opted for biking instead. I was always a bit worried about all that force/trauma to the knees, from running. Having a few relatives with knee troubles as they got older, I wanted to avoid that scenario.
My take on that is not that one should live a self centered life and not do what makes you temporarily and superficially happy, but rather find what makes you truly and deeply happy and when you find it, stick with it. When you find that, you will be a better person, a more successful person in all aspects of your life. Life is too short to be miserable.
Here’s a great running program for beginners, Couch to 5K. In just 2 months you could be running a 3 mile race. Sounds impossible, but thousands of people have done it with this program.
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
The problem with biking is that if you are really pushing hard and are tired, you become accident prone.
I had a really bad wreck (hit a bump in the road and went sailing through the air). Broke three ribs and punctured a lung (5 days in hospital).
I hung up my bike and started forefoot strike running. Forefoot strike (or natural or barefoot style) running is pretty much injury free once you get used to it. That said, it takes a long time to get used to it.
Natural running prevents all the banging of the knees and feet and uses leverage and muscle instead. Check it out.
I absolutely agree!
I know. He looked much older.
“One of the most ignorant posts I’ve ever seen on FR.”
...read “The Doctors Heart Cure” by Al Sears, MD. Better yet, go for a 26 mile run. a—hole.
Im not trying to be rude here but all you folks that are implying this guy was self-centered or some how dumb or stupid because he set out on a wilderness run by himself are greatly misinformed. Micah True running 12 miles on trails where he logged literally thousands of miles running is like a majority of us here walking to our mailboxes to check the mail. Every once in a while stuff just happens - my bet a heart attack. Rest in peace fine Sir - you died a legend.
I’ve run daily (or almost daily), 3 to 5 miles, for years, but I’ve never heard of this guy. I guess I just don’t follow the fads of the industry. I also run alone, don’t like races (I’ve been in a few, no marathons), always wear shoes. At age 55 I’ve never had any problems, other than my shirt rubbing my nipples raw and I’ve tripped and fallen a few times.
‘Not exercising kills a hell of a lot more.’
We all die in the end, but when I go there will be a reason. I would hate to be the old ‘jock’ in the Hospital, dying of nothing.
Don't tell anyone it's there
Thank you for that wonderful picture
How Jim Fixx died isn’t as important as what he left behind. His book “Jim Fixx’s Complete Book of Running” is a classic. It was written over 30 years ago, but very little of it is outdated.
Another great running author is Dr. George Sheehan who wrote about the philosophy of running. His book “Going the Distance: One Man’s Journey to the End of His Life” is a journal he kept when he was diagnosed with prostrate cancer. He died at 74, after running for 35 years.
If you are a beginning runner, any book by John Bingham will help you. His books “The Courage to Start”, “No Need for Speed” and “Running for Mortals” are all inspiring.
Just more proof that exercise will kill you.
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