It was a disappointing London marathon for Eliud Kipchoge, finishing eighth instead of his usual first. The reason given is he had a problem in his right ear which he couldn’t clear and he subsequently didn’t drink all his fluids.That he finished eighth is still so impressive!
The inner ear is just the most amazing organ. It deals with all aspects of sound and all aspects of balance. A standard neurological test includes comparing how each ear perceives sound – does this sound like this? If they are not equal in every way, balance will also be compromised. When just strolling about, this will eventually play out in pain. The faster you go, the more quickly the problems arise. You simply cannot run evenly if your balance is off and you cannot run as fast as you should be able to.
It is interesting that he did not take his usual fluids. Of course, he could simply be at the onset of a cold and this can depress normal appetite, as well as lead to a build up of snot in an ear. Another cause is the brain trying to slow him down – running off balance will cause injury and the brain will do everything it can to stop injury, which, in this case, could well mean suppressing the desire to take those vital fluids for energy.
The brain is not only clever, it is also very crafty. Its prime job is our survival right NOW.
I hope Kipchoge’s ear problem is viral and goes away in due course. Otherwise, with the knowledge of how to use applied neurology in the world being known to a few of us neuro-ninjas, I’m a bit worried about his future career.
Always, the harder we work, the more the stress on the body. If we want to get quicker/stronger/bendier, we have to look to our brakes, which are more than just bones and muscles. To take those brakes off is quite a journey.
Fingers crossed for Kipchoge!