It is the start of a New Year and for many it is viewed as a chance to start over in a new path. This might be a path to better health, a path to a better occupation, a new adventure, or just improve on what you had last year. When you think about this possible change it is more difficult than most people realize. Looking at the habits of people in general people are creatures of habit. Most things that are done on a regular basis are always done the same way. Chances are that even putting on our clothes on in the morning have a certain pattern as to what piece of clothing goes on first, and second, etc. When you watch athletes prepare for a game the ritual is very organized with a series of movements set in a specific order. Have you ever counted the number of bounces a basketball player goes through before a free throw, or a tennis player bounces a ball before a serve? It is almost always the same ritual and number of bounces every time before the shot. Most people do things similar to this in daily life.
The point being made is that taking a new path for the New Year is harder than it looks. Runners are as bad at following a series of rituals before a run as anyone else. One ritual I had was making sure I knew how long I ran so I could determine my pace. I even took my watch off to break this habit – but made sure I checked the time on the clock on the wall before I left and checked it again when I got back home. Habits are tough to break.
The same can be said on the route that a runner does on a daily basis. There might be a series of routes that a runner might take to vary the distance, or to include hills, or use a distance for speed work. Looking back on running days I tried to think of how many times I tried a new route that I had never done before. How many different routes are you willing to try when you do not know the distance, the hills, or neighborhood before you venture out on the run? I know runners that may try a new route not knowing the distance, but will get in their car and drive the route to get a close estimate of the distance immediately after the run. Some runners have their pace down so that they can look at their time on the road and calculate the distance. How many runs have you been on where you did not know the time you ran, or the distance you covered, but just ran to enjoy the run?
This can be a problem if you are an avid bike rider. A bike rider can cover a greater distance and most bikers enjoy rides back in the county roads where traffic is minimal. A 30 – 60 mile ride is not out of the question for seasoned bike riders. Trying a new road that you have never ridden before can be confusing if many of the landmarks you relay on are no longer visible. I had one bike ride where I had to ask a driver in a car which direction it was to get back to San Marcos. The planned 30 miles ride took me off into territory I had never been before and ended up closer to 50 miles before I got back home. But, I can say that I at least tried a new route and broke a pattern of riding the same roads that were part of my routine.
This is a little easier on a bike, but trying a new path running can be a harder. Riding for an hour or two on a bike is not as difficult as running for an extra hour or two trying to get back home. Riding an extra 10 miles is not as hard as adding 10 miles to a run. The one thing that modern technology has helped runners with is that their cell phones have a GPS app that will let them know where they are and the best way to get back on track before you run into problems.
There is one other problem with trying a new route to run or ride. This is when you rely on the advice of a friend who thinks they know a short cut or better path to follow. I recall one ride with Bibb Underwood when he said that the road to our left would lead us back to Hunter Road and back home. I was starting to get a little worried when the road went from being paved to dirt, and from two lanes to a narrow dirt path. After about five miles down the road it came to a dead end. The only choice we had was to ride back five miles to the starting point and forget this short cut to Hunter Road. I must say that Bibb and I had some memorable bike rides over the years and never really regretted any of them.
The chance to try something new with the start of another year is looking at a new route as a minor adventure. Try running in new neighborhoods, parks, or even short excursions outside of town. Try breaking the same routine and enjoy adding to your information about the town, or countryside, for something new this year.
