I was proudly telling our 30-something year old babysitter of my 30-something minute jog this week in the cold, hard rain. Another example, I thought, of why, as I turn 50, her 18-49 year old demo is finished as a meaningful category. That’s when our babysitter said something that hit me like a cold hard rain.
The Atlanta Half-Marathon
Our 30-something babysitter’s name is Anna. And, apparently, Anna runs more than I do. Not necessarily better. Just more. She’s going to run in the Atlanta Half Marathon on Thanksgiving Day.
When I told her how much I enjoyed running in the cold rain this week, she asked me if I wore a hat.
A hat? … I chuckled. What kind of hat?
One of those new high-tech UnderArmour hats with the little flap in front that protects your face from the biting rain, she answered.
I recently went on an UnderArmour shopping spree, which you can read about here, but I didn’t come across any hat.
Besides, I chuckled again, I loved the feel of the cold rain on my face as I sailed through the hills of my neighborhood.
That’s when she hit me with this aside.
“I find that without a hat, the rain hurts your face when you’ve got speed.”
When you’ve got speed?!
A HARD RAIN
Oh, I get it. The faster you run, the harder the rain hits your face.
So the fact that it was raining hard in the first place but that it wasn’t bothering my face might be an indication that I DIDN’T HAVE SPEED!
Well, I can’t deny it. I’m running strong as I approach 50. Strong but slow.
I won’t reveal my speed. It’s measured in minutes per mile. That’s as specific as I’ll get.
But the idea that I never picked up enough SPEED for the rain to hurt my face stings me.
Where can I get that hat, I asked Anna.
That’s when she informed me of the pre-half-marathon runner’s paradise going on today a couple of miles from my house. The Runner’s Health & Fitness Expo!
THE RUNNER’S DOG TAG
Our babysitter, Anna, is hoping that, among other products they’ll be selling at the Runner’s Expo today, is the Lance Armstrong style band that allows you to wear your name and contact information on your wrist.
Aah, yes. I understand. Those of us in the heart of and the about-to-be-out of “the demo” have a lot more in common than you’d think. We all want to be identified … just in case.
And a wrist band is less cumbersome than carrying your driver’s license if you’re trying “to get speed.”
Our babysitter’s description of the variety of paraphernalia that might be available at the Runner’s Expo has convinced me I must pay a visit today. I will report my findings to you in this space.
MY RUNNING DEMO
I’ve told Anna, about my 50on50 campaign to destroy the 18-49 year old demo worshippers. When I asked her whether I could expect to meet a lot of people “out of the demo” at the Runner’s Expo, she was encouraging.
The people in her training group include a wide variety of ages, she said, adding that there are “people in their 50s!” … Pause … “And 60s too.”
At The Runner’s Expo, I will try to enlist them in my campaign against the 18-49 demo.
And while I’m there, I may buy that hat.
Because in this battle to create a new demo for a new age – as I turn 50, I plan to pick up speed.
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About Michael Schulder: Michael Schulder is a Senior Executive Producer at CNN. He's also a man on a mission. A mission to take on the myth of the 18 - 49 "Demo" and create a New Demo for a New Age. Schulder is a frequent contributor to Anderson Cooper’s CNN site AC360.com: News and Commentary Direct from the AC360º Newsroom. |
