Running has it’s own kind of math.


I’m pretty sure that 6 x mile workout feels a whole heck of a lot more than ‘only’ six. There has to be some kind of undocumented numerical gap between 2 and 3, 3 and 4, and for SURE between 4 and 5. I’d say that it’s 4.25 or 4.5, but it feels way longer than something a decimal point could quantify.

But then there is something fishy going on with numbers when it comes to cookies, cupcakes and Pop-Tarts. 6 x Pop-Tart goes down in the blitz of an eye…so there is no WAY the number six is consistent here…

How about 6 x minute of foam rolling? Your eyes start to bulge at around minute 1.37 as your IT Band cries for mercy. Has anyone ever start to feel almost nauseous working out the knots of that little bugger?

And what about running that darn 600 that comes at lap 2.5 of a 1600? That third lap there is where the mind can kill you, if you start to dawdle, day-dream (maybe day-nightmare??) a bit and lost focus. The bell can act as a little alarm clock but by then it may be too late, so let’s all agree that next time we catch ourselves dawdling we’ll break those laps into halvesies and wake-up an extra 200 meters early. Hey, it could save your race.

Runners, there is the mathematical madness that are the speed intervals. If you blast out 8 x 200 meters, you get all excited if you run some super fast splits, you’re firing on all pistons. By the end you’re jacked, thinking, “Hey, I’m turning into a kicker!” Then you start doing the math and think, “Wait a minute, that was only a total of 2 miles?!!?”

One tempo mile for sure as heck is not the same number when it is one mile of a warm-up mile. One mile of an ‘easy’ run the day after a that tempo workout for sure is not the same number as one mile of an easy run two days after a hard workout.

Sixteen miles of a long run. What does that equate to in hours? Is that runner hours or ‘normal’ people hours, because running hours have an odd way of elapsing at a different rate than in any other point of the day. Sometimes they seem to speed by, other times they crawl.

The chasm between the seconds is opened up infinitely more when you’re in the drive for the finish line. When tenths of a second, (Flipping TENTHS!!) could separate ecstasy from crushing disappointment.

Oh well, I’ve given up on you, Math, you’ve let me down. Not that I liked you all that much anyways, so us runners are going to play by our own rules…

6 x mile = 60 x Pop-Tart.
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Hey…have you checked out the September Miles Madness Competition going on?? Talk about numbers…are you going to be donating your month’s miles to Team Cait?! Check out the growing roster and email me if you’d like to join. Then, keep a record of all the miles you run and each Friday email me your totals for that week and then Ashely and I will do the math and give you guys updates each weekend!
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1) How about this math people? In this logic, tell me what you think 6 x mile equals for you?

2) Are you a big math person, do you like playing with numbers?
Actually, nerd alert, I’m not going to lie I was pretty good at math in school. Super nerd alert: there may or may not be a rumor going around that I was in the Square Rooters Club in high school.

3) What say you, how would you more accurately quantify: 1 mile of a tempo : 1 mile easy run : 1 mile long run : 1 mile worth of 200′s?
1 tempo mile = 3 easy run miles = 2 long run miles = 0.67 miles of 200′s
PS- this could be my most confusing question to date…those who answer get 3.8755 bonus point