Jog? For some reason, I was mildly irritated the first few times I heard this.
Er... pardon me, but I run, not jog. After all, I completed the Singapore Bay Run, the Mt Faber 10k Run, the Laguna Phuket Run Paradise and not too long ago, the Passion Run. Long ago, I also passed my 5 km run during my NS days. I also tell my boys not to run, and I run faster than them!
So one time, I mildly (perhaps a little testily) replied, "No, I am going for a run." I felt like a mean son-in-law for some weeks, until she asked me again, "Go jog?"
Well, it is not only my mother-in-law. In fact my father-in-law, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, neighbors and other people also refer to my jogging. One exception is MBH, who knew how sensitive I can be (thanks, dear!)
Recently, there were a number of posts on SGRunners about running versus jogging. One interesting thread (July 23, 2008 by Ice Lady under Chicken Talk) was "Is Jogging a running bad word?" The premise was that when we do a marathon or LSD, we are in fact jogging, not running. As to be expected, there were many views and opinions raised.
To some extent, jogging gets a bad name from the likes of advertisements by a major shoe company. I am sure you have seen them.
But to be more objective, I ask: what is the definition of jogging? I looked up the etymology of jog, which is to prod or move at a jolting pace. Some dictionaries define jog as being to run at a leisurely, slow pace, to run or ride at a steady trot.
Some sources are more specific. They define jogging as moving at slower than 6 min/km (some hope for me). Others are more stringent... anything slower than 5 min/km is still considered jogging (no hope for me!!).
The killing blow came from, surprisingly, my Garmin. Garmin Training Center declares the following lower limit for speed zones:
Slow jog: 8:42/km
Jog: 7:27/km
Fast jog: 6:12/km
Slow run: 5:36/km
I am not even looking at the upper limits! My speedwork is only a slow run! Devastating!
Interestingly, this is not the first, nor last time, we see debate on running versus jogging. Thanks to Gentle, there were some excellent discussion on the SGRunners Forum in Oct 2007. I reproduce some of those posts below:
Half timer:
Ripley, who has completed no fewer than 30 marathons including 50 km, 50 mile and 84 km ultramarathons, puts it aptly:
One of my favorite authors, John Bingham wrote an article for Runner's World entitled, "I am Not a Jogger: I may waddle when I run, but I'm running all the same" (November 2007 issue). He writes: "If you were motivated enough to train for and participate in an organized running event, then you were a runner."
The point is that definitions are meaningless. Instead, Bingham argues that the distinction is intrinsically personal -- "those of us who call ourselves runners already know why we call ourselves runners." Here are his reasons why he calls himself a runner:
Janette wrote this:
In the final analysis, I am because I believe.
So when my mother-in-law said to me this morning, "Go jog?" I merely smiled and said, "Yes, it is a nice morning to jog."
Well, it is not only my mother-in-law. In fact my father-in-law, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, neighbors and other people also refer to my jogging. One exception is MBH, who knew how sensitive I can be (thanks, dear!)
Recently, there were a number of posts on SGRunners about running versus jogging. One interesting thread (July 23, 2008 by Ice Lady under Chicken Talk) was "Is Jogging a running bad word?" The premise was that when we do a marathon or LSD, we are in fact jogging, not running. As to be expected, there were many views and opinions raised.
To some extent, jogging gets a bad name from the likes of advertisements by a major shoe company. I am sure you have seen them.
"We are not joggers... Running is an endeavor and jogging is a synonym for half-assed... You have all those joggers out there calling themselves runners, and real running is beginning to suffer... Run easy is an oxymoron."
But to be more objective, I ask: what is the definition of jogging? I looked up the etymology of jog, which is to prod or move at a jolting pace. Some dictionaries define jog as being to run at a leisurely, slow pace, to run or ride at a steady trot.
Some sources are more specific. They define jogging as moving at slower than 6 min/km (some hope for me). Others are more stringent... anything slower than 5 min/km is still considered jogging (no hope for me!!).
The killing blow came from, surprisingly, my Garmin. Garmin Training Center declares the following lower limit for speed zones:
Slow jog: 8:42/km
Jog: 7:27/km
Fast jog: 6:12/km
Slow run: 5:36/km
I am not even looking at the upper limits! My speedwork is only a slow run! Devastating!
Interestingly, this is not the first, nor last time, we see debate on running versus jogging. Thanks to Gentle, there were some excellent discussion on the SGRunners Forum in Oct 2007. I reproduce some of those posts below:
Half timer:
Is slow runner a jogger?
What's the line drawn between joggers and runners? Is it about attitude?
A jogger symbolizes someone who just does not take running very seriously or never enter a race.
A jogger wouldn't run in the rain or in the blistering heat. A jogger may perspire, but not the full body sweat that you get after an all out 5km run. Some joggers just put in an appearance, more worried about fashion than about effort, more concerned with colour coordination etc. When it starts to hurt, a jogger is smart enough to stop.
A runner on the other hand welcomes the vagaries of weather, confronts the limitations of their abilities and acknowledges the discomforts of muscle. A runner willingly takes up the challenge and costs placed before them to stretch the limitations of their body and mind. Our social map is dotted with race dates and routes.
So the entire thinking about being a runner (it doesn't matter running slow or fast) boils down to the difference between a jogger and a runner.."Once a runner, always a runner"
Ripley, who has completed no fewer than 30 marathons including 50 km, 50 mile and 84 km ultramarathons, puts it aptly:
i used to feel demoralised when people who are fast, said that they are slow... sometimes, i wonder why i run so slow though i've been running since 1994... then i realised its the way i train + genes... when i train harder, i get faster... but i also got more injury + couldn't recover fast to run again...
so i ask myself... does it matter if i run slow? it doesn't matter, as long as i enjoy my running... in training or in events... and i shall never be affected by talented and fast runners who claimed they are slow... (at worst, i could remind myself these speedsters are indeed slower than my friend who can do a 2hr 18mins marathon
One of my favorite authors, John Bingham wrote an article for Runner's World entitled, "I am Not a Jogger: I may waddle when I run, but I'm running all the same" (November 2007 issue). He writes: "If you were motivated enough to train for and participate in an organized running event, then you were a runner."
The point is that definitions are meaningless. Instead, Bingham argues that the distinction is intrinsically personal -- "those of us who call ourselves runners already know why we call ourselves runners." Here are his reasons why he calls himself a runner:
I AM A RUNNER because my runs have names. I do tempo runs and threshold runs and fartlek runs. I do long, slow runs and track workouts. My runs are defined, even if my abs are not.
I AM A RUNNER because my shoes are training equipment, not a fashion statement. The best shoe for me is the one that makes me a better runner. I choose the shoe that goes with my running mechanics, not my running outfit.
I AM A RUNNER because I don't have running outfits. I have technical shirts and shorts and socks. I have apparel that enhances the experience of running by allowing me to run comfortably. I can say "Coolmax" and "Gore-Tex" in the same sentence and know which does what.
I AM A RUNNER because I know what effort feels like, and I embrace it. I know when I'm pushing the limits of my comfort and why I'm doing it. I know that heavy breathing and an accelerated heart rate--things I once avoided--are necessary if I want to be a better runner.
I AM A RUNNER because I value and respect my body. It will whisper to me when I've done too much. And if I choose to listen to that whisper, my body won't have to scream in pain later on.
I AM A RUNNER because I am willing to lay it all on the line. I know that every finish line has the potential to lift my spirits to new highs or devastate me, yet I line up anyway.
I AM A RUNNER because I know that despite my best efforts, I will always want more from myself. I will always want to know my limits so that I can exceed them.
I AM A RUNNER because I run. Not because I run fast. Not because I run far.
I AM A RUNNER because I say I am. And no one can tell me I'm not.
Janette wrote this:
When I first starting the act of running, I would have only called myself a jogger. I only ran because I was carrying about 30 extra pounds. I didn't need to run, I didn't crave it. I could have just as easily gone to the gym and rode the bike to shed the weight. Now, I need to run. I crave running - almost as much as ice cream. When I'm not running, I'm reading about it or writing about it or talking to someone about it or thinking about it. I'm obsessed with it. My name is Janette and I'm addicted to running. Seriously. I am a runner.To put it succinctly, I quote from a post in the Runner's World Forum:
One is a runner when running "becomes a way of life."
In the final analysis, I am because I believe.
So when my mother-in-law said to me this morning, "Go jog?" I merely smiled and said, "Yes, it is a nice morning to jog."
3 comments:
Yours was a blog I found by googling "why do I run so slowly?" and I have to admit, it spoke straight to my heart. In all respects, I guess one would define what I do as jogging rather than running. My darling hubby says part of my problem is my "thrust to weight ratio." Can you tell I'm married to an aviator? What I lack in speed, I make up in determination.
When I look at where I came from, a waddling 363 lb, 5'11" woman who was determined to fix her weight, to one who is almost 200lbs lighter and who hits the street 6 miles a day, 5 days a week, to ME, what I do IS running. I run at 0430 in the morning because I am self conscious of my form and my lack of speed. I wear the shoes best for my feet & running mechanics, in whatever hideous colors are left for Amazons with big feet. I run in the sultry 100% humidity & heat of the predawn hours of the deep south. I run in the least possible amount of comfortable clothing, but I wear 3 sports bras because God was generous.(Finding a sports bra that secures in all different directions is darned near impossible).
I run in the cold and wind. I run in the rain. I ran when we went on safari in Africa. I've never entered a race because I am embarrassed to be so slow.
I used to run because I was trying to lose weight. Now I run to keep from losing my mind.
I run when I ache. I run when I'm sick. I run when I'm recovering from my surgeries I've had to put my sagging body back to its original form. I run on days when my body argues with my mind that it just can't do one more mile.
And there are mornings when the few other moon lit members of early morning lunatics whizz past me. I feel defeated and demoralized. I'll never be like them. Why do I bother? And then I remember my journey has been the longest. My trail has been the hardest. THIS is my marathon. I run because I have to. I run, because now I can.
Run on, Lavikinga! You put many others to shame with your determination and resolve!
Stumbled upon your post about this topic from Tekko's blog. Nice write up :)
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