Yesterday at the gym, I ran into an acquaintance, who has done marathons and triathlons, including an ironman. During the course of our small talk, he made an off-hand comment, “I think you’re not really running if you aren’t doing an 8 minute mile.”
Oh, reeeee-aaaaa-lllll-yyyyy? I’d like to see him maintain an 8 minute per mile pace over 50 miles of rugged single-track trail that climbs 9,000 feet.
I vehemently disagree with such arrogant and condescending pronouncements of who is and is not a runner. However, I figured in the interest of a quick conversation, I wouldn’t argue the point. So, I let the comment pass. (Granted, this was done with a great deal of effort in restraining myself, which is quite uncharacteristic of me.)
But, you know what? I’m still just a little annoyed by that comment. And, when I write “a little” – I mean “a lot”. I’m familiar with the ilk of person who believes there is a particular speed at which “real” running begins. I’m sure you are too. You can find them at races, in gyms, at the track. They are a part of the broader running society, like it or not.
On the one hand, I understand their belief that running is a special, exceptional activity. There is just something about it…
However, I think these running snobs have incorrectly identified “pace” as the key element of what makes running special. Pace is relative. My fast could be the equivalent of your slow, and vice versa. Either way, when I run, I try to run to the best of my abilities. Not to mention there are also some really important training reasons for varying one’s pace – recovery, tempo, intervals, endurance, force, and so on. Not all of those workouts can or should be done at a pace of 8 minute miles or less.
So, nope, it’s not pace that makes running special. It’s something else.
Running is an attitude as much as it is an action.
Yes, running is a physical motion. But, it’s so much more than that. It’s a mentality, a way of thinking, an urge that you cannot ignore, propelling you out of bed at 5:00 a.m. to feel the muscles, the oxygen, the flow of blood through your veins, the pounding of your heart in your chest, the satisfaction of knowing you–and only you–are making your body move.
If you got that attitude, that way of thinking, you are definitely a runner. I don’t care if you are running 15 minute miles, 10 minute miles or 5 minute miles. Those feelings, that way of thinking – that is running.
I am so in love with running. I am never more alive than when I am running–at any pace–from a sub-6 minute/mile to over a 12 minute/mile – I’ve run them all. I wish everyone I know could experience the simple joy of lacing up your sneakers, and feeling your body come alive as you move through bustling city streets, or quiet wooded trails, or along picturesque beaches.
But, these types of comments about who is or is not a “real runner” are discouraging and mean-spirited. They are said to boost one’s self-esteem while crushing another’s. That’s just ugly, and not what running is about.
When I talk with people about running, I frequently hear them say, “Oh, I’m not really a runner, I’m slow.” Or, “I could never be fast.” Or, “Oh, I was barely running, more like jogging.” Newcomers to the sport of running frequently think they have to run fast, winding up discouraged, injured or both. I blame these misconceptions about speed–at least in part–on these jackasses who have arbitrarily and self-servingly decided when “real” running begins.
The problem with the magic pace at which “real” running begins is that it depends on how fast the particular runner is. So, I’m assuming this acquaintance of ours has been doing his long runs a little bit faster than the “magical” 8 minute mile. If he were slower, I imagine he would have to adjust his calculations a bit. Again, pace is relative to one’s ability level. My 8 minute mile effort could be the equivalent of your 10 minute mile effort. Either way: we are both exerting heart-strengthening, lung-boosting, endorphin-generating effort. Sounds like running to me.
Please don’t misread this post and think I am simply being defensive. I am not. I like to run fast. I call it “letting the horsies out of the barn.” I felt the need to write this post to protect my beloved sport of running, to be an ambassador of what is beautiful about loping, and dashing, and sprinting, and scuttling, and scampering.
So, if someone makes some type of pronouncement about speed being the defining element of what running means, just smile and tell the person s/he should watch this video. After all, s/he has a lot in common with Joe.
*Thanks to Brandon Wood for sharing this video on his blog, which can be found at http://brandonsmarathon.com/.
Is speed an important part of what makes someone a “real” runner? What does running meaning to you? Please share in the comments section!
