What Runners Can Learn From Golfers
How to fairly assess running performance
Every running journey is unique. I started mine in my mid-twenties after undergoing two knee surgeries. I recently became more passionate about running. Even though I know I will never be an elite athlete, I still want to compete at my own level. This begs the question:
How can I assess my own performance, and my progress?
Using race time does not capture the full picture
One simple way to describe a runner’s ability is to look at race times. For example, there are time predictors that can convert any performance over any distance into, for example, a 10k time. We could look at those adjusted 10k times and rank runners this way.
However, for recreational runners, this does not make much sense. Life gets in the way! Should I really compare myself to another runner of my age who has never been injured? Is it fair to compare people living very different lives?
How golf solved this for amateurs: handicap
I find the concept of golf handicap really powerful — it simply puts everyone on an equal footing, so all players have a chance to win. Who over-performs the most wins. In theory, I could play Tiger Woods and win. Well, in theory only.
In practice, it means that I am allowed extra strokes as a bad player. The lower my ability, the more strokes I get.
How to incorporate handicap into your running
Many things can impact our running performance: sleep, nutrition, family and professional situations, motivation, training, age, etc. As an amateur runner, I cannot control all of these aspects every day (well, the ones I theoretically can control. I don’t see myself pulling a Benjamin Button anytime soon). Elite athletes have the luxury to solely focus on performance, with the rest being delegated to their team — coach, nutritionist, and so on.
In that sense, I have a higher handicap and that’s fine!
Set contextual goals
For personal reasons, I may not be able to train the way I want for a month or two. My handicap therefore increases. For example, even if I know my current 10k pace, I may need to adjust my target time to account for anything that is currently happening in my life — moving to another city, switching jobs, etc.
Avoid comparing to others
I’m not winning races. It is already difficult to compare different versions of myself over time. Why should I look at other people’s performances without knowing their running journey? It’s never an apples-to-apples comparison!
Win your own race
I aspire to grow within my handicap. I know I need to be very conservative in my training to limit my chances of getting injured and to be successful. Therefore it will likely take me more time than the average runner to improve. But at the same time, I can’t compare myself to someone who has never had an injury. That’s unfair! Focusing on myself will curb my frustration and make my running journey more sustainable in the long term.
