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Question 1: How many kilometers are in a mile?
Question 2: How many miles are in a kilometer?
Question 3: How far can you run and still do the distance conversions in your head accurately?
One of the things I’ve been working on in my training for Comrades is developing my metric fluency. While I’ve known for decades that 1) there are 1.6 kilometers in a mile and 2) 0.62 miles in a kilometer, I’ve never been pressed to translate between the two measurement systems with a fatigued brain. This is a skill I will want to have for certain on race day, now less than two months away!
Experienced Comrades runners aim for at least 1000 kilometers (620 miles) of training between January 1 and race day. To help myself understand how well I’m progressing toward that goal, I’ve been keeping my running log in both miles and KMs. This is giving me a reinforced understanding of how far my standard training distances in miles (9, 12, 15, 18, 20) are in kilometers (14.5, 19.3, 29, 32.1). So far, I’ve run 441 miles/705.6KM since January 1. This means I’m very well on my way to meet my training distance goal with two months to go.
Because I don’t often run a set course when I set out to train– instead I usually run for time– I map my run when I get home on mapmyrun.com. I like to toggle between the mile and KM markers on the map so I can see both distances. I’ve also identified local landmarks that are 5 and 10KM away that are on my frequently trod routes. All of these tricks are helping me better understand both how far a kilometer really is and what my pace per kilometer translates to.
As if doing the distance and pace calculations on the run isn’t going to be tiring enough for my already mathematically-challenged brain, the way the distance is marked at Comrades is foreign to me as well. Rather than mark the distance already covered– as is done in every road race I’ve ever run– the Comrades route is marked with kilometers to go.
I can’t decide yet whether I’m going to love or hate this marking method. On the one hand, the big numbers are at the very beginning, when I’m fresh and it’s dark outside, and I’m in a thick pack of runners. On the other hand, when I see 40KM and realize I still have almost a full marathon left to go, that seems less inspiring than knowing I’ve already covered 50KM. Yet, it’s pointless to spend much energy on this…it is what it is. I do know, however, I will be THRILLED to see the 1KM marker at the edge of the cricket oval in Durban!
And regardless of whether the course measures in at 90KM or 56 miles, I know I’ll keep on running until I get to the finish.
Good health and great happiness to you.
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