It’s a wet November evening right here in Oregon. As I sit in my bus tapping out sentences on my cellphone, rain patters on the roof overhead. I’ve spent the day operating, making cellphone calls, and serving to my girlfriend Jess construct an A-frame home. At this level within the day, I’m feeling fairly drained, so I sip heat matcha as I work to corral my ideas.
My mind hones in on one thing I’ve been fascinated with in current days; the idea of extra. You’ve in all probability heard the saying much less is extra. It’s a reasonably frequent and straightforward to know phrase. It’s merely the concept that having much less of one thing is healthier than having extra of it. For instance, when tapering for a race, you may remind your self that much less is extra, as a result of the primary goal is to relaxation up for race day, not put in additional arduous miles.
In recent times, nevertheless, I’ve seen folks utilizing the same, however very completely different phrase. Maybe you’ve heard it as effectively. It’s the phrase “extra is extra.” I’ve largely, perhaps solely, heard it utilized inside the context of endurance sports activities. To be sincere, its which means has felt a bit perplexing.
Jess’s home beginning to take form. Photograph: Zach Miller
Initially, I wasn’t positive what folks meant after they mentioned, “extra is extra.” Have been they expressing that doing extra of one thing, like operating, was higher than doing much less of it? In different phrases, is operating extra weekly mileage higher than operating much less? Or, have been they merely saying that having extra of one thing wasn’t essentially higher or worse, simply extra. By this prepare of thought, operating 140 miles per week isn’t essentially higher than operating 70 miles per week. Perhaps it’s, perhaps it isn’t. All we actually know is that it’s extra miles.
Taking a better look, I believe they meant the previous of those two concepts. This might make sense as a result of the concept that having extra of one thing is healthier than having much less of it’s the reverse of the beforehand talked about “much less is extra” phrase. Reverse statements with reverse meanings; the logic appears to take a look at.
However why am I even speaking about this? Fact is, over the previous week or so I’ve been fascinated with humankind’s obsession with “extra.” Why is it that human beings get so caught up on this four-letter phrase? As endurance athletes we will simply discover ourselves wanting extra miles, extra vert, extra races, extra private information, and extra victories.
Zach Miller taking a break on a current coaching run within the Grand Canyon. Photograph: Rob Krar
On this planet outdoors of operating, we appear drawn to different issues. Folks attempt to earn more money. Corporations push for progress. Folks lengthy for a higher return on their investments. We wish a stronger financial system and extra money in our pockets, however the place does this seemingly endless push take us?
On this planet of operating, “extra” could be a harmful factor to chase. Positive, there are occasions when the pursuit is sweet. Extra miles may also help to make us fitter and stronger. Extra depth may also help to hone our pace. However, as many runners are conscious, an excessive amount of of this stuff can backfire with a vengeance. The development shouldn’t be all the time constructive.
I can’t assist however suppose that life is identical. Absolutely extra has its limits. It could’t presumably be an infinite trajectory void of unfavourable repercussions. In some unspecified time in the future, extra turns into much less.
Exterior the rain continues to fall. I don’t anticipate that it’s going to final eternally. It by no means does. Like many issues in life, it has its time and place. A rain that by no means stops can be unhealthy for progress, as would one which by no means begins. In any case, much less is extra, extra is extra, and generally, extra is much less. No single mantra is the key, simply the knowledge of all three.
Name for Feedback
- What do you consider the phrase “extra is extra?”
- Do you suppose it leads folks to fall right into a entice of overtraining, or wanting an excessive amount of from their operating?
- And what about this concept’s software to the remainder of our lives? Is there one thing we will be taught from the phrase in operating than applies to on a regular basis life?