Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Opportunity privilege in running


The morning long run (22M) couple Sunday’s ago took a bit more than four hours to finish. It was raining steadily before I headed out, and the forecast was rain for most of that day. So, I opted for one of the “intestinal” routes to stay closer to home (less than 3M), just in case. This post, though, is actually not (mainly) about the run itself. It’s more about a thought that occurred during the “intestinal”part of the route, where I encountered a man, who had a significant midsection, delivering newspaper in a car, as he and I weaved into and out of different culs-de-sac (outlined in blue on the map).




But, first, a side note on the run itself. Even accounting for the steady moderate rain, the pace for that run was about 1.5 minutes slower than my long run training pace for the Pocono Marathon back in spring. The difference in pace was not because of aging—at least not mostly (😊)—but because I’m following a new training plan (for the upcoming Harrisburg Marathon) by James Graham, a medical doctor from England who began running marathons in his mid-40s (4:46) and, within five years, ran his first sub-3 (2:56). There are two key differences between Graham’s plans and my previous one: (1) There are three rest days per week vs. one, though, of course, the individual runs are longer for the same weekly mileage and (2) there is a greater emphasis on training by heart rate (HR). It’s the latter that resulted in my slower long run pace. Whereas, before, I was running by target pace, Graham’s long runs are paced by HR. In the plan I’m using (50-mile peak week), the recommended long run HR = HRmax – 60 to 50. I’ll find out in Harrisburg whether this works better. But, regardless, I definitely appreciate the three rest days!

OK, back to the newspaper delivery man. What came to mind was this: There is a certain privilege (or luxury) in being able to go out on a Sunday morning and run 3 or 4 hours, without being constrained by the need to work or by any number of other reasons, personal or otherwise. I have the privilege of opportunity. And, like other privileges that one has had for a long time or is born into, my opportunity privilege is one that I’ve not been at least keenly aware of.

That thought opened for me a different and broader perspective on what is obviously a major problem in this country. One just need to spend a few minutes watching the crowd go by at airports, malls, or other public spaces. That this country has an obesity problem is well documented; some 40 percent of the adult population are considered to be obese. Watching the passing crowd, at times I would think to myself, if I could do it, why couldn’t they? If I could keep running and stay fit, even as I age, why couldn’t they? What I’d been leaving out was the many and varied personal situations that could prevent or constrain opportunity, situations such as the need to work delivering newspapers or mowing the lawn for some apartment complex (which I saw four or five Sunday long runs ago).

In running, in sports in general, in any endeavor that requires dedicated effort to excel, natural talent and hard work are two requirements that come to mind. Opportunity, however, does not always. A key idea in David Epstein’s book, The Sports Gene, is that exceptional talent plus lots of correct practice plus help in timing or favorable circumstances or environment—opportunity—are necessary for greatness. One example of the importance of opportunity is the dominance of Jamaican sprinting, a key to which is keeping the best sprinters on the track. Jamaica is better able to do this than, e.g., the U.S., because there are no other more popular sports like basketball or football. Someone like Usain Bolt in the U.S., on the other hand, would much more likely end up in the NFL than the Olympics (or at least NFL after the Olympics). Hilary Hahn growing up had the "gift of nature" and practiced 4-5 hours a day. She also, however, had supporting parents and teachers, who created the favorable environment. She also had the privilege of opportunity.

Now, when I attend the Church of the Long Run every Sunday, I’m filled with even more gratitude.


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