TITLE: The Theory of Relativity, Running Style
AUTHOR: Eugene Wallingford
DATE: September 16, 2009  5:31 PM
DESC: 
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BODY:
A couple of ideas that crystalized for me while
<A HREF="http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/blog/archives/monthly/2009-09.html#e2009-09-13T14_06_38.htm">
   racing Saturday</A>.

<B>The Theory of Special Relativity</B>

<BLOCKQUOTE><EM>
     The faster you run, the closer together the
     mile markers are.
</EM></BLOCKQUOTE>

Later, this made me think of a famous story about
Bill Rodgers, one of the greatest marathoners of
all time.  He was talking with a middle-of-the-pack
marathoner, who expressed admiration for Rodgers's
being able to finish in a little more than two
hours.  Rodgers turned the table on the guy and
expressed admiration for all the four-hour
marathoners.  "I can't imagine running for four
hours straight," Rodgers said.

Those mile markers are awfully far apart at a
four-hour marathoner's pace.

<B>Corollary: Relativity and Accelerating Frames</B>

<BLOCKQUOTE><EM>
     Runners who accelerate near the finish line pass
     no one of consequence.
</EM></BLOCKQUOTE>

Attempts to gain on competitors later in a race
usually fail due to this law.  As you change your
speed, you find that most of your competitors -- at
least the ones you care about -- are changing their
speed, too.

At the start of a race, beginners sometimes think
that they will save some gas for the end of the race,
accelerate over the last few miles, and pass lots of
people with the surge.  But they don't.  Many of those
runners are surging, too.

Passing runners who don't surge doesn't count for much,
because most of them have slowed down and are easy
targets.  It's not sporting to revel in passing a
stationary object, or one that might as well be.
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