It has been said that runners have their best thoughts of the day while out running. Runner and writer
Michael Selman shares his
"Thoughts on Running" with us here at ontherunevents.com.
Have you ever noticed that, when runners get together and talk about
running, it's hard for anyone to complete a sentence that doesn't have a
number in it? Runners and numbers, for the most part, just seem to go
together. And, if you think about it, numbers are an intricate and
integral part of every runner's life. Every decision we make, and every
goal we have must be numeric in order for us to plan how we're going to
get where we want to be.
For example, a typical day for me always starts with a number, and
that number is 4:40. That's what time I get up if I'm going to have
enough time to get in a good run before work. And the honest truth is,
when I turn my alarm off in the morning, and look at the time, the clock
actually says 5:00. That's because, like many other runners I know, I
keep my clock about 20 minutes fast in order to give the illusion that
I'm actually somehow stealing an additional 20 minutes of sleep every
night. Somehow, 5:00 seems so much more palatable than 4:40.
And there are runners who are much more numeric than I am. They
couldn't possibly start their day without measuring their resting heart
rate before ever crawling out of bed. For them, this first measurement
of heartbeats reveals more about their future than today's Horoscope.
Ten additional beats per minute may be the difference between running
the planned 400's at race pace and going back to sleep for another hour.
But I'm not much into Astrology.
Numbers continue to dominate my thoughts as I drink my coffee and
anticipate my run for the day. I can't start a month without having a
goal for total miles I want to reach by month's end. And every day, I
calculate how far I have gone, how far I still have to go, and how much
more I need to run to get me there. I'll usually make my monthly mileage
goal aggressively high, so I can keep tight tension on that fine line
between success and the alternative. In February and March, I made my
goal exactly. In April, unfortunately, I'm going to be about three miles
short for the month (Unless I wake up at 4:20 tomorrow instead of 4:40,
and decide to run 8 instead of 5. Hmmmm.)
Track workouts are another relationship we have with our numbers. How
can they be avoided? Once again, there are expectations going in, and
data spewing out as the workout progresses. And it is all digital. I say
to myself that I plan to 5 X 800 in 3:20 or less with a ΒΌ mile jog in
between next Wednesday. Then, I meticulously hit my watch every time
around the track so I can see what each 400 within the 800 looks like.
Then, I write every split in my log, reliving each one as I do.
Once again, when it comes to numbers, I run in the back of the pack
compared to some. For example, I don't wear a heart rate monitor, but
many who do could not envision running without one. More numbers to
juggle, compile, and sort out. And you have to be half mathematician,
half masochist in order to first figure out your maximum heart rate, and
then to calculate the percentages which give you those important
threshold numbers.
And the smart marketers of anything having to do with running know
about our love/hate relationship with numbers. That's why an apparel
manufacturer names itself Sub 4, and a sports drink company names itself
10K. And when was the last time New Balance ever christened a new shoe
with a name? I'm honestly not sure they ever have. They just number
them.
My main fixation with numbers right now has to do with my 5K race
goal. I'm kind of like a Pit Bull, as I have my teeth so firmly clenched
on that sub 22 minute mark that I won't let go. Now I understand that a
sub 22 is not so earth shattering for many of you reading this. I
remember a time that 22 minutes was a swift training run, but that's
when my teeth were wrapped around the sub 20 barrier. I've been close
the last couple of races, clocking in at 22:16, and 22:19. Maybe a few
more weeks of 800's at the track, or 4:40 wake-up calls, or increasing
my weekly mileage from 35 to 40 miles will do the trick.
The truth of the matter is, most of you reading this have some kind
of a running-related goal that includes at least one number and possibly
more. It could be a distance goal for a given run, or a mileage goal for
a given week, or a time goal for a given race. And the beauty is that
none of it is really a "given." The joy is in going out and
earning it.
And so, I digress. Alas, at the ripe old age of 45, and after almost
20 years of running, I have not come close to kicking this numbers
habit. In fact, over the years, it had probably gotten worse. But I urge
you to listen carefully the next time you're in a room full of runners,
and just see how often numbers come up in conversation. It could be
anything from "Ah yes, I remember way back in 1985 when...."
Or, "I just missed placing in the 45-49 age group" or
any of a zillion other examples. Sometimes I honestly feel that without
numbers, runners would have nothing to talk about. And for some, without
numbers, there may not even be reason to run at all.
And so tomorrow morning, I will close out another month of numbers,
as my alarm goes off at 4:40 (or maybe 4:20). I'll run 5 to 8 miles, at
an 8:30 to 9:15 per mile pace, and then add up my monthly mileage, and
close the books on April. And then the next day, I get to start all over
for May. Isn't life grand?
Will I ever be cured of this numbers infatuation? I wouldn't
"count" on it.
Have a great month (that would be 31 days) of running in May.
The Roads Scholar, Michael Selman runs and writes in Atlanta GA. He
would love to hear from you. Please e-mail him at TheRoadsScholar@aol.com
with any questions or comments.
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