Is Alysia Johnson, after her 800 PR and world best, happy, or what? Video. And more. The American record is within reach. Photo.

Is running a marathon a sign you're in a mid-life crisis? Story.

Or is a passion for extreme exercise a sign of being miserable and pursued by inner demons? Story.

Should you split your long run? Link. Depends where you are. The average marathon finisher is around 4 hours. Anyone over that time is not in great shape for the marathon and should take it easier to avoid injury. If serious about being good, they should keep increasing their time-on-feet to get strong enough to handle and benefit from the long run, which should be three hours or more for the better runners.