The Difference Between Running and Jogging
What’s the difference between Running and Jogging?
It seems “Jogging” was originally
intended to be a subset of running; a less strenuous, less serious form of
running. It was running for the non-competitive masses.
I asked my friend Rich on our long
run this morning and he immediately replied “8-minute miles”. I was expecting a more thoughtful, if not
philosophical response. I asked him why
8-minute miles? He said, “Because that’s
what the Garmin defaults are!” It
turns out when you get your new Garmin GPS device it will have the transition
from run to jog at an 8-minute mile.
When I first got this
question I thought to myself “Don’t touch it! There’s no way you can answer
this without making someone mad…” Then I
asked some friends and fellow runners this question. I was surprised by the quick answers I
got. It turns out most runners have, at
least in their own minds, a solid opinion of what delineates ‘jogging’ from
‘running’.
We all know what running
is, right? I mean the physical act of
running, regardless of pace, form or effort is easy to differentiate from
walking, sitting, swimming, crawling or laying on your back in a Hawaiian shirt
in a hammock. The term itself isn’t
controversial.
However when you ask a
runner if they are going ‘jogging’ be prepared to get a scandalized dirty
look. “We’re not jogging!” They
protest. “We’re Runners!” It’s as if
you’ve accused them of not being worthy.
I looked up the etymology
of ‘Jogging’. As a word it is a gift of
the British from the mid-seventeenth century that had none of the emotional
overtones. It simply meant to
perambulate in some form or other.
Saying “I went for my morning jog” was just a tad more whimsical way of
saying ‘walk’ or ‘brisk walk’. Those
whacky Brits.
Jogging presumably
acquired some of its less-favorable overtones when Bill Bowerman went ‘jogging’
in New Zealand with Arthur Lydiard and subsequently wrote the book titled, yes
you guessed it, “Jogging” in 1966 proposing this recreational form of running
as the solution to many social ills and
health problems.
It would seem that during
the first running boom of the 1970’s ‘jogging’ was just a way to describe
running for your health with no particular competitive inclination. I think this is where jogging starts to get
painted with a negative patina. It came
to be seen as a slower, lower effort, non-competitive version of running.
It seems “Jogging” was
originally intended to be a subset of running; a less strenuous, less serious
form of running. It was running for the non-competitive masses.
Dr. George Sheehan is
famously quoted as saying that the difference between runners and joggers is a
race number. The thought being that as soon as it becomes a competition – you are
running. This is one of the most common
responses I got when I polled my virtual running friends with this very same
question.
Curious man that I am I
spent the weekend asking every runner I met if they could describe the
difference in the terms.
I asked my friend Rich on
our long run this morning and he immediately replied “8-minute miles”. I was expecting a more thoughtful, if not
philosophical response. I asked him why 8-minute
miles? He said, “Because that’s what the
Garmin defaults are!” It turns out when
you get your new Garmin GPS device it will have the transition from run to jog
at an 8-minute mile.
Of course, that’s just an
arbitrary number set by some Product Tech.
Not all responses to my question were that definitive but many framed the
difference as one of pace, effort or distance.
People seem to sense that running is ‘more’ and jogging is ‘less’ in
some way but they are hard pressed to come up with a quantification. The border between running and jogging is
apparently amorphous and mostly self defined.
One interesting wrinkle I
got on the ‘effort’ argument was ‘conversational’ pace. Meaning that if you can still hold a
conversation while you’re running, then you’re jogging! I guess that would put an end to my long runs
because they would now be long jogs.
When pressed, most people
will cite ‘intent’ or ‘purpose’ as the difference. I tend to fall into that group. This cadre believes that the difference
between running and jogging is not speed or distance. For this group running requires a more
focused purpose, perhaps the existence of goals, maybe the following of a
plan. This faction believes that the
runner is not just aimlessly moving about, but is working, to the best of their
ability and resources to achieve something.
I think my favorite
response was ‘Sweat Pants’. Meaning if
you’re out in your Chuck Taylor’s and sweats, chances are you’re a jogger. Another great observation made was that whenever
the news talks about it, as in “Miley Cyrus was seen jogging” or “Jogger
attacked in the Park”, they never say ‘running’, they always say
‘jogging’. Therefore, if you’re not on
the six o’clock news, then you’re a runner.
Why are we so offended
when someone asks us if we have been ‘jogging’?
Why the personal affront? Because,
when you call me a jogger you lessen the value of what I’m out there
doing. You take away from the personal
sacrifice, the miles and the pain I’ve invested in my sport. I’m not winning any races, but I’ve worked
hard my whole life, as a runner, to walk the talk.
We see what we do as
clearly different than the casual and occasional jaunt around the neighborhood
in sweat pants. Is there a point where a
jogger becomes a runner? Is it the point where recreation gives way to focus? Is it the point where we start to care? Is the very fact that we are offended by
being called a ‘jogger’ proof in itself that we have made the transition?
Running, is not about
speed, time or miles. Running is not in
our legs. Running is in our hearts and
our heads. Running is what we bring to
the sport, what we sacrifice and what we burn on our alters of shoes and shorts
and race bibs.
The truth? The truth is
that a runner is that person that defines themselves as a runner because as
soon as they do that, they have made the transition from jogging to running.
Either way, you’ll see me
out there…
Chris Russell lives and
trains in suburban Massachusetts with his family and Border collie Buddy. Chris is the author of “The Mid-Packer’s
Lament”, and “The Mid-Packer’s Guide to the Galaxy”, short stories on running,
racing, and the human comedy of the mid-pack.
Chris writes the Runnerati Blog at www.runnerati.com. Chris’ Podcast, RunRunLive is available on
iTunes and at www.runrunlive.com. Chris also writes for CoolRunning.com
(Active.com) and is a member of the Squannacook River Runners and the Goon Squad.
Email me at cyktrussell at
Gmail dot com
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