Less
I recently listened to an interview with Leidy Klotz on The Morning Shakeout Podcast. Klotz is a former professional soccer player who runs recreationally, but is now primarily a researcher with an engineering background, exploring how design affects our daily decisions. His research suggests we tend to focus on more rather than less in various domains resulting in cramming more into our days than can possibly be done. On the podcast he and host Mario Fraioli looked at ways applying less might benefit our running. The conversation inspired me to buy one more book, Klotz’s Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less.
This comes at a time when I, and I expect many, are looking ahead to 2024 and thinking about the running season. Spurred on by Subtract, I’m considering how less might improve my running experience and focus my time and effort. Here are three things I came up with:
Limit the pairs of running shoes I own. I counted 18 pairs, all in good condition. This does not include five older pairs used for the gym and walking around. I waste time making daily decisions about which of these to use! I expect six pairs would do it: A regular trainer; a light trainer; another pair of the regular or light trainers that allows for transition as the first ones wear; two racing flats – one for 5Ks and 10Ks and track workouts and one for longer distances; and a winter shoe — I have IceBugs, which are great (and necessary!) for icy conditions. Maybe I keep one older trainer for rainy days. That would take it up to seven pairs. Or 11 less than I have! Fewer shoes to deal with should save me a bit of time. And maybe someone else can put them to good use.
Fewer miles and days of running but at higher quality. Many runners are accustomed to running six or even seven days a week. I’ve never averaged more than five. For 2024, I’m thinking four. If I average 6.0 miles per run, that would be 1,250 miles for the year. Considering that injury resulted in only 825 miles this year, that’s a big increase – 48%. Though I expect to log 1,370 “miles” of running equivalents (Stairmaster, water running, fast walking, cycling) as well. I used to think an average of 7.0 miles per run was the sweet spot. Maybe 10 years ago that worked but I believe less is now in order. A long run of 10+ miles every two or three weeks is doable even with 25-mile weeks. But any reduction in mileage can and should be offset by quality: two days of faster work comprised of striders, tempos, intervals, or hills, with the other two days pretty easy. And limiting the runs to four a week should leave me fresher for all of them.
Fewer target races. I love to race. It keeps my training focused. But I know the energy spent to get up for and then recover from an all-out race effort where top age-class runners show up. We all want to put our best foot forward, literally. For those of us in Vermont the options for racing are more limited, especially between November and March. Many runners are on skis during that time. I haven’t gone that route. During the warmer months, there is a tendency to squeeze in as many races as possible. For me, the important races include the six USATF-NE Grand Prix races from 5K to half marathon. It’s where the best age-class competition shows up – people I have run with and against for many years. Overall, I used to run 25 races a year — one every two weeks on average. Covid and injuries more recently pared that down. In 2024 I see doing 16 races with 8 to 10 at maximal effort, the others at strong tempo effort. This seems a good balance.
Plans tend to unfold as they will in spite of our best efforts. Maybe in this case less will prove to be less. But I’m going to give less a try in 2024 and see if it leads to more!