OK, all you sports fanatics I know you are into numbers. If it’s baseball it’s RBI, ERA, K, HR, IP etc. If it’s basketball it’s AST, STL, BLK etc. If it’s football it’s TD, Rec, Pnt, Int etc and if it’s hockey it’s plus/minus, PIM, PP, GW, GA, SO etc.
Don’t ask me what they all mean, don’t have a clue in most cases. For us runners, there are very few numbers we care about and, just like we don’t much know what the above numbers mean, non runners don’t know what our numbers mean. So, if you’re the non running spouse of a runner, a good non running friend or just hang out with non runners (although that’s pretty weird), here you go.
Pace:
This is the time it takes to run a specific distance, usually stated in minutes per mile, as in, “the leader is holding a pace of 5 ½ minutes per mile”. This would be the pace of an elite, professional runner and something you might hear from a TV announcer while viewing the Boston Marathon, (although most non runners would find watching a marathon on TV about as boring as me watching a football game) Forgive me, that’s a personal opinion.
The rest of us hoi polloi would never come close to this type of pace but we all keep track of our own. A typical non runner faux paux is to ask a runner what their pace is. Even if they give you a number it’s probably a number they can only dream of. Age does take its toll!
Calories:
If you’ve taken up running as a way to reduce your weight, congratulations, this is a number you are really concerned about. Unfortunately, there is no way to measure this with any accuracy since it’s dependant on many factors such as weight, metabolism, the course you’re running (lots of hills perhaps) etc., so the best recommendation is to use the following formula just as a consistent baseline.
Calories = your weight x distance run x the factor 0.76
Example: 190 lbs. x 3.5 miles x 0.76 (a factor) = 505 calories burned. I’ve found this to be reasonably consistent with the algorithm on a treadmill or a running app.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you can now go out and have a couple of Big Macs! If you do, you’ve negated all the good work and are now in the hole. Have a nice salad and a piece of fruit instead after you are done.
VO2Max:
No, this is not the maximum VO whiskey you can drink in 2 hours. This is a measure of aerobic capacity. Typically of concern only to professionals who want to improve their results although any runner can get better results through increased mileage and/or harder workouts.
RHR:
Recommended Heart Rate. Sometimes you’ll see this chart posted in an exercise room. Based on your age, it will advise you of what your heart rate in beats per minute (bpm) should be in order to maximize the benefits of your workout. It’s easy enough to calculate:
Maximum Heart Rate = 220 minus your age
Recommended Heart Rate = 55 to 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate.
Example: 220 minus age 55 = 165 bpm = Max Heart Rate
RHR = 165 x 55% to 85% = 91 – 140 beats per minute.
As a beginner, you want to shoot for the low end but as you progress you’ll want to shoot for the high end to improve your fitness.
While I see plenty of people out walking, getting sunshine and fresh air, while to be applauded, unless they are achieving a minimum of 55% of the maximum they are not getting exercise of any real benefit.
Sorry, but the old maxim is still true “no pain, no gain”
