PowerBar founder (and former world-class marathon runner) Maxwell collapses, dies at 51

USA Today ^ | 3/20/04

[Libloather]

SAN ANSELMO, Calif. (AP)

[battlegearboat]

He was stamped out.

[Fitzcarraldo]

What was it that Ian Fleming said about not wanting to waste the time he had left by worrying about prolonging it?

Absolutely. On my long commutes I reason that if I died right now, my surviving family members would enjoy a maximum in their benefits, and not have to take care of me growing old in the process.

[wardaddy]

Genetics, genetics, genetics.

Behavioral contributors pale in comparison.

[wardaddy]

Fixx was only 40 or so wasn't he?

[Fitzcarraldo]

It can also be said that many people live too long and make complete fools of themself in the process.

[Texas Eagle]

His fate was sealed.

[billorites]

"It can also be said that many people live too long and make complete fools of themself in the process."

You know my plan!

[PackerBoy]

I sometimes wonder if extreme heath regimens might cause the body to experience stress, too.

Nonetheless I am sad for his family and friends.

[B-Chan]

Eat right, exercise — drop dead at 52 anyway.

I strongly suspect that health is largely genetic. I drink a quart of whole milk every day, eat meat, cheese, and butter in large quantities, drink wine, beer, and spirits in moderate amounts, and avoid strenuous outdoor exercise (it gets hot here in Texas), yet my cholesterol, blood pressure, and other health measurements are perfectly fine — and I'm pushing forty. Other people with different genetics might not do so well living the way I do, but it works for me.

And who wants to live forever if the price is giving up those things that make life enjoyable? Frankly, I'd rather drop dead than have to eat compressed sawdust bars.

Anyway, what a sad story. May God bless this poor man's soul and ease his family's grief.

[cyborg]

A lot of these long distance runner, aerobic type fanatics don't seem to last long.

[cyborg]

Prof has a way with words doesn't he? LOL

[PatriotBill]

The health food craze is crap!

[Capriole]

This kind of thing always amazes and appalls us, and we think there is nothing we can do to control our health. Gee, if a guy who runs marathons just drops dead, clearly we're powerless to control our health, right? I think what often happens is that folks who run marathons, play racquetball, eat a lot of salads, and are very slender and active think that that's it, they don't have to do anything else. They figure they're skinny so they must be healthy, right? But they should still keep track of their blood pressure and cholesterol, and they should probably still have a heart scan every few years, even if it's expensive. You can have five mostly-occluded coronary arteries and feel pretty good right up to the time you keel over dead. Best to check this stuff out before you keel over.

[wardaddy]

One can be "fit" yet quite "unhealthy" paradoxically.

I am of course living (Thank You Lord) proof of the genetics factor.

My surgeon says he does surgeries not infrequently on vegans and triathletes.

A nice clot breaks off upstream and blocks one's otherwise fairly clear LAD and it's over....end game. Some folks have apparently benign arrythmias too which for some reason go haywire and lapse into ventricular fibrillation and again....draw the curtains unless very very very lucky.

Life is fickle.....and so are hearts.....cardiologists actually talk about them like they have feelings.....as in "irritable" or "ticklish"...lol

[Capriole]

My diagnosis: inadequate beer intake.

[Squantos]

Oat bran....the silent killer ...............

[BluH2o]

I've done two marathons and try to run about 25-30 miles a week but who the hell knows what works nowadays????

I'm impressed ... I walk approx. 1.5 to 2 miles a day at a pace of 120 steps per minute. Don't run because of an old knee problem that jogging only serves to exacerbate. Anything that gets the heart rate up (without overdoing it) for 30 plus minutes a day will go a long way to promoting health and longevity. There will always be exceptions ... but a regime of moderate exercise will almost always put you on the winning side ...

[Drango]

the Berkeley, Calif.-based firm

I munched a lot of powerbars doing triathlons...switched to other brands when I discovered they were made in Berkeley.

[zarf]

I swear by the Power Gels. During marathons they are invaluable. I also load up on the Power Bars (Peanut Butter-Chocolate!).

They make a good product.

[omniscient]

Maybe he was pushing the envelope.