The Wall Street Journal had an article today about "The Fleeting Benefits of Marathons." Much of it rang true for me -- I am one of the many that not only didn't lose weight during my training but gained weight afterward, when my weekly mileage decreased, but my food intake did not. And I have no doubt that it is my regular running of short distances that keeps me cardiovascularly fit, rather than the few long training runs I ran in preparation for the marathon. Perhaps I am in the minority because running one marathon ultimately made me want to be better prepared to run another. But even if I weren't planning to run again, I believe the psychological, emotional and social benefits of marathon running - especially having a huge goal and reaching it - make the upsurge in marathon running a big benefit for Americans, even if we aren't seeing corresponding improvements in health and fitness.