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I had a couple of things occur this week that reminded me of the number of people that have a very set routine, their daily actions are the same, and get a little upset if this routine is altered. There is a saying that if you want to change something you have to, “think outside the box.” In other words, venture out and try something different.
I started thinking about why runners enter 5K races and the large majority do not know what a kilometer distance is. They enter a 5K and say, “It is a little over three miles.” It is actually 3.1068560 miles in distance. When you measure a course for race certification you must list each of the kilometer landmarks. Each kilometer must be 3280.84 feet in length, or .62137119 miles. The point of this data on kilometers is that if the race director only put down markers for the kilometers in a race, I seriously doubt most of the runners would be able to determine their pace. As a race measurer, for certification, the paper work has to be in kilometers if you are trying to certify a 5K race distance. But, for the race director the course also needs to be measured in miles (one mile equals 1.609344 kilometers). I have seen very few races even bother with putting out both the kilometer landmarks and the mile markers.
This measurement in kilometers started with U.S. runners competing in international races that use the metric system. In order to qualify to enter a meet a time in kilometers must be used. It didn’t take long before all races, both high school and university, began to have race distances measured in kilometers, or meters (100-meter dash versus the old 100-yard dash).
The question I had when “thinking outside the box” is why do we have 5K distances instead of the much more familiar three miles? In the United States we still measure distances in miles instead of kilometers. Even speed is measured in miles per hour. We can certify miles the same as kilometers, and in most instances that is what race directors want. If area runners were trying to qualify for international competition the 5K would be warranted. But, for local races the runners look for mile landmarks and know that after the three mile mark it is just a short distance (.1068560 miles, or 188.066 yards) to the finish line. What would happen if race directors advertised a three-mile race, instead of a 5K race? Or a six-mile race instead of a 10K distance of 6.2137119 miles. Most runners would know exactly how far they ran if the distance was 6 miles. I would guess most runners do not know that after the six-mile mark they have .2137119 miles, or 376.1329 yards, farther to run. It is a little farther than just .2 miles that is advertised.
One other thing that started me thinking of things that are “outside the box” way of doing things is the Thankful Turkey 5K on Nov. 23 in San Marcos put on by the Bluebonnet Lions Club. The race starts at the First Baptist Church on McCarty Lane at 9 a.m. The race entry fee is $30 right up to the day of the race. You can contact Martha Moore at 512-757-2429 for more information about the race. Having been the lead bike for several of these races I can tell you that it has a couple of hills to run up — and down — over the 5K distance. It is an out and back course in a very scenic sub-division with lots of trees along the route.
What makes this race different is that instead of the usual trophy, or medal, or some sort of an award, the first place runner in age groups gets a turkey for Thanksgiving Dinner, the second place runner gets a ham, and third place goes home with a baked pie. If I remember, the choices were apple or pumpkin pies. And if the first place runner would rather have a ham instead of a turkey, the second place runner can get the turkey. I know several runners that show up every year at a chance to go home with Thanksgiving dinner for their efforts.
The other “outside the box” thinking with this race is that the traditional age groups are eliminated. Instead of the usual, 19 and under; 20-29; 30-39; 40-49; etc. the race has changed the age categories. Starting at 10 years and under, the categories are 11-17; 18-27; 28-37; 38-47; 48-57; 58-67; 68-77; and 78 and over. I don’t know of many races that have a 10 years and under category, or one that favors the senior age runners over 78 years. The changed age categories will favor a few runners, and put a few in a different age category that may, or may not, be in their favor. It just seems that runners, and people in general, tend to get into established routines and very seldom venture outside that routine to try something different. It is refreshing to see someone try something different and go “outside the box” at doing things.
A runner has certain routes that they take in training. How many have tried a different route that they have never tried before, just to run somewhere different? I have taken several trips outside of the United States and would never have done this on my own until somebody encouraged me to try it. I still take trips to other states in the United States, but it is not quite the same as going to another country. Time to try a routine, or adventure that is “outside the box” way of doing things.
