Chapter 12 "Running Life" - 11 Arranging time

11. Make Running Fit Your Life Some comments on finding time Jerry Noah (not his real name, for reasons that will become clear later) was a key executive at an advertising agency in Manhattan.He had a big apartment in the city, a summer retreat on Long Island, two cars, a dog, and kids who went to prestigious colleges.Advertising executives in Manhattan. Especially some important managers are very hardworking.But to an outsider, it sometimes seems that they have nothing to do all day long, but this is because the outsider does not understand what they do.The main thing outsiders notice is that they take three hours to get to lunch.What they don't realize is that a lot of their work is done right at lunch.So eating lunch for three hours is not a luxury or an indulgence without which there would be no advertising in the civilized world today.

So Jerry Noah left his big corner office at noon every weekday and didn't return until three o'clock, never attracting special attention.He's been doing it for some years, and will be doing it for many years to come--that is, if he's still lucky.Actually Jerry Noah didn't go to lunch at all, didn't have lunch with the client or anyone else.Instead, he took a taxi to the corner of Sixty-third Street and Central Park West, walked into the West Side YMCA, and changed into his tracksuit.A short while later, a documentary filmmaker, a securities analyst, a magazine editor, and a man who worked for a large accounting firm arrived.Their situation is very similar to that of Jerry Noah.Their bosses thought they were having lunch with someone who could help their business.

These are secret runners, and there are a lot of them.This secret runner is easy to spot once you know what to look out for.He (or she, because many of them are women) has been exposed to the wind and sun all year round, and his face has turned black and red.If it was near noon and the meeting seemed likely to continue beyond the allotted time, he would become fidgety, almost twitchy.He always carries a handy leather bag that is not afraid of sweat soaking. On top of that, when anyone asked him about his lunchtime activities, he babbled like amnesia. (In most corporate American offices, it's perfectly fine for a person to come home from lunch so dazed from a martini that he can barely find his desk, but in tracksuit Exercising for an hour is considered indecent.)

For secret runners, running comes first.On the surface, he and she may look like everyone else, but there are important differences between them.In a society that has yet to understand the true meaning of running, it seems that secret runners live to run.He was ahead of his time.This raises a number of issues, some of which are tinged with misbehavior.For example, the secret runner conceals his whereabouts, or even surreptitiously amends his expense report to show that he is doing something legitimate at lunchtime.It was for this reason that he was probably a distressed man.However, this is a choice he made after careful consideration: he would rather be distressed than delay a run.

Even the world's best runners have problems interacting with people who don't understand their love of the sport.Bill Rogers set a new record when he won the Boston Marathon in 1975. He is a middle school teacher.He loves his students and often gives them souvenirs like shoes and tank tops he wore at important games.But he's also keen on his workouts, usually running around mealtime.Rogers said to me: "One day, my principal took me aside and said, 'Isn't it time you should start paying attention to your side job as well as your side job?'" Rogers said, these words are really amazing. It was hard, but he knew that if he canceled his noon run, he would be far behind among his fellows before long.

Cindy Bremsey was an elite 1,500-meter and 3,000-meter runner who worked as a nurse at Madison General Hospital in Wisconsin.She also encountered similar difficulties.A ward director once said: "She has to decide what is more important to her—nursing or sports." These instances are but extreme examples of a problem we all encounter.Here's the problem: how to find the time to run.I have a friend named Wolfgang, a tall, imposing man in his late forties who is the manager of a publishing company.He knew his body was failing.He used to ski on the weekends and go for a run in Central Park when he had time, but business volatility in recent years has kept him from exercising.He was distressed by the situation he was in, and he asked me what I thought he could do to remedy it.When I suggested he set aside half an hour for a run each day, he had a distressed look on his face.

"I just don't have the time," he said. Whatever Wolfgang thought, time wasn't hard to find if you knew where to look for it. Many people with busy jobs and successful careers run regularly.Think of the thousands of doctors, managers, financiers, lawyers, judges, and other people in positions of responsibility who, just as they never forget to brush their teeth, don't miss their daily run.The trick is knowing where to find the time.We all have different schedules.Running may be impossible at one time of the day, but much easier at another time of day.So the first step is to honestly estimate your day's activities.

What if there is no part of your day that is ideal for running?In this case, some sacrifices are necessary—either giving up part of your cocktail hour, or waking up a little earlier than you actually want to.You'll find that the joy of running more than makes up for any inconvenience you feel. Most people, however, can easily avoid serious inconveniences.It's just about identifying the right time and then finding the willpower to get out the door.Another way is to choose a different time each day depending on your schedule.If you're a student, you're luckiest - you can choose any time after school.

But for most of us, planning is necessary. The most leisurely time of day to run is early morning, the time least likely to be disrupted by unexpected disturbances.All it takes is waking up a little earlier than usual.Even in winter, there is a special pleasure in being out at dawn at dawn, a sense of peace and tranquility not found at other times.In the summer, this has the advantage of getting the run done before the heat of the day begins. It goes without saying that there are some people who don't like to get up early, not even for a run.If you fall into this category, try to schedule your run around lunch time.Unless you're fussy, you don't even need a place to shower - just a place to change.Jim Nolan, introduced earlier, has been working in a large company in Manhattan, and he keeps his running clothes in the office.When it was time for lunch, he closed the door of his room, changed his clothes, took the elevator down, and went for a run in Central Park.Then he dried himself off with facial tissues in the men's room. (At first, his colleagues thought his behavior was eccentric, but soon got used to it; after frequent repetition, even the strangest behavior was taken for granted.)

If the thought of not taking a shower freaks you out, it's worth recalling the words of one of the best British runners who worked out three times a day.When an American says he has to spend half his time in the shower, the Brit replies: "Who takes the shower? You Americans are always thinking about how to smell." We're like— — This is unnecessary, since real workout sweat is almost odorless. If it's a lunchtime run, it's handy to join a YMCA or join a sports organization.That way, you can store your running clothes in the closet there without having to carry them around.However, even if there are indoor tracks, run outside unless the weather is really bad.This way you can avoid joint problems caused by constantly turning in one direction all the time.Plus, running outside is less monotonous and you'll find the fresh air and ever-changing views refreshing.

There are benefits to running after work.This is the perfect time to clear away the mental stress of the day.Also, as mentioned in Chapter 6, exercise can reduce your appetite, keeping you from overeating at dinner.Incidentally, as long as the roads are flat, you're clothed, and you're easily spotted by motorists, there's no reason why you shouldn't run at night. Or, if your office isn't far from your home, why not run to and from get off work?Many people run this way.Considering that driving is slow during commute times, running doesn't actually take much time.Jerry Maller is an elementary school teacher in the Bronx.He ran five miles from home to work, and back again after get off work.Ted Corbett was a former Olympic marathon runner.He runs to and from get off work.He said: "I adjusted my route to take the road with as few cars as possible. I used to run around the perimeter of Manhattan, but now I run right through downtown. To reduce pollution, I took the road with the fewest cars. street." Another way to fit running into your life is to be aware of every opportunity to run.For example, run home from the garage while you take your car in for service.You can also run back and forth when you go to the post office, or run back and forth when you visit a friend's house.Bill Rogers wore sneakers most of the time so that whenever he wanted to run, he could run right away. Finding time to go for a run can be especially difficult if you have kids to watch each day, but it's often not impossible. Kathleen Lance writes: “Once running women become mothers, it is not uncommon for them to immediately stop running altogether, or drastically reduce the amount of time or distance they run.” Try to avoid this.Maybe you can go for a run while your husband is free to babysit.Or hire a babysitter, which can be worth the money.Or find another woman who is running, and the two alternate babysitting.No doubt it was difficult, but you'll feel so much better doing it. Certain conditions place a particular burden on even the most ardent runner.Traveling on business is one such situation. When you're out of town, it sometimes seems like you don't have time for even a short run.If, as is the case from time to time, you're entertained late into the night, it's not pleasant to have to wake up with an alarm clock the next morning.That said, I've found that there's usually a time in the day when I can slip a run into my schedule: the hour or so before dinner.Meetings tend to break up around five o'clock, and dinner is usually scheduled to start at seven o'clock.Some people go back to the room to take a shower and rest; others get together for a drink or two, and that's time for a run.You may not even be noticed, but if people notice you're missing and make a comment, don't hesitate to announce, "Ah, jogging for a while."* People will compliment you for it .Notes: * Although for convenience we favor calling all running, regardless of pace, running rather than jogging in this book, when you're with people who don't run, call it jogging. It is more strategic to call it jogging. "Jogging" sounds less conceited.Even if you've just come back from a two-hour work-out with limp legs and call it a "jog for a while," why annoy someone for no reason? During the holidays, running can be both a pleasure and a problem.First, it's a form of sightseeing.But getting used to running while you're on vacation can be difficult, especially if you wait until dark to run. You're probably tired by then, eager to sit in the hot tub, or grab a drink at the hotel.Also, running at night can be dangerous due to uncertain road conditions.The best solution is to run in the early morning.Still, you can always run into the unexpected.One of my happiest runs in England was at Weston-- Su Lang-Meier performed it after dark.My wife and I have been traveling in the car all day and I am tired. The hotel we were staying in was a huge Victorian building on the waterfront, with towers and turrets here and there.To my delight, there was a two-mile wide, lighted boardwalk outside our window.I put on my tracksuit and went out.It was a warm night, and the air smelled of sea water.Suddenly, I felt my strength come back, and I started to run easily and calmly.A Scottish dentist has recently opened a practice in Weston-Sulang-Meir.He was also exercising and we went for a run together.An hour later, I was back to normal again. But don't always wait until dusk to run, because you can't expect to be as lucky as I was.If you're not sure about the weather that day, run in the morning!