Numbers Matter

I am training for a 5K, yet I am attempting to walk 3 miles.  Why?  Because the United States (and some of the UK) does not typically use the metric system, like the rest of the world.  So, I measure, and time, and walk.  I walk and walk and walk, trying to get to the 3 mile mark and be assured of finishing this 5K.  I have also been timing myself – one mile, two miles, three miles . . .

A friend, who is a seasoned runner, advised me to just be consistent and not worry about the timing.  But how can I not be concerned? All of our lives revolve around numbers.  We wake at a certain time, arrive to work at a certain time, count calories, count steps, time our commutes, measure miles driven, know how much money we have, know phone numbers, know our weight, record the years we have lived, and build our number of Facebook friendships.  We cannot escape using numbers to measure and place value on daily activities. Some numbers stir emotions deep within us – good or bad.  To demonstrate this point, think about how you feel when you see your weight on a scale or the total on your unexpected bonus check at work.  My obsession with the numbers led me to the following facts; or as Oprah says, here is what I know for sure:

440 steps (3 feet in length) = ¼ mile                       

1760 steps = 1 mile

I kilometer = .62 miles

5 kilometers = 3.1 miles

I had been walking the track at AC, which at 4:00 p.m.  is very hot; only the part of the path on the far back side is shaded at that time.  I noticed while driving home one day that the Allegany trail is completely shaded at that hour, due to the mountainside.  I was trying to count and determine the distance so I could continue timing myself (you can see how impossible this was).  All of this was too difficult to keep up with, especially since I like listening to music while I walk.  So this weekend, I brought my bike to my usual starting point (Valley and Lee Street trail parking lot) and measured with my bike odometer.  I discretely marked ½ mile increments up to 1.5 miles.  Now I can walk in the shade and know the distance: 1.5 miles up, 1.5 miles back = 3 miles.  If anyone reading would like to know my secret markings, message me and I will tell you.  Yes, I am walking all 3 miles now!!!

Although we typically measure in miles, it sure feels like I accomplished more by saying I walked 5k rather than 3.1 miles.  I am actually walking 5k four times a week – so 20k a week!  Wow, that sounds even better.  Numbers do have an impact on how we feel about what we are doing.

-Patty Wright