Project 440: The Redux

Music, Running, and Tracks

I think of a trail race, and I think about Jazz. You have a general idea of what’s coming, the notes, the progression, but not entirely. There’s room (or necessity) for improvising, there is room for mistakes no one notices but you. You recover, you keep moving along. Success can be defined in many ways, finishing, a specific time. Likely there are A and B and even C goals.

I think about a track race, and I think of a symphony. There’s not much room for error without everyone noticing. It has to go right, or it just goes wrong. My recent race at Dawn to Dusk to Dawn is a pretty good example, of how even at long distances, seconds matter. The metronome has to tick…. tick… I beat that record by 2 minutes and 13 seconds over a 125 lap race. I had very little margin for error. There was no B goal, or C goal. It was make it, or not. I wasn’t even sure until I had 2 laps left, and even then a trip over someone else on the track, a pulled muscle, would have spelled FAIL on the whole day. It’s pretty nerve racking really, to run for that long and be on that edge, for four hours.

So, this brings me to my Project 440, a redux from last year’s Pettit center effort, and ultimately failure to run 50 miles in under 7:27. The race is called 6 Days in the Dome, and each day they also have 12 and 24 hour races. (I was entered in the 12 hour version). I did reach 40 miles in 6 hours and 10 minutes. But the margin was gone, The conductor having thrown his baton at me in disgust. I was a mile (10 minutes) behind pace and a lower digestive track that went so far south it was speaking Spanish. No más!

I’ll be at the Pettit Center again, for the this year’s version of the race. In just under three weeks (June 28), I’ll toe the line at a 12 hour race. Hence, the Redux. So, 440, the graphic above. It’s my own creation, and has three meanings.

The track at the Pettit center is just over 440 meters (443). Note my track has three lanes, same as the Pettit Center.

The time I am shooting for is 440 minutes, or 7 hours 20 minutes. Note the time on my clock. (the record is 7:27).

The treble cleft in the middle, the musical notation. 440 Hz frequency is the pitch "A," the same "A" used to tune the orchestra, usually by the oboe. That note is the first pitch heard at every symphonic concert. It reminds me to begin, and then play the notes. Run the laps. The practice is done, now it’s time to perform. Set the metronome, let’s begin.

So let’s begin.