There is moment when you realize that you are being lead on and seduced. That moment is when you have given in. This is my story.
The beautiful picture appeared on my news feed. It was not a
link that I subscribed to, but on a site an algorithm had decided I was
interested in. I have to say my interest
was piqued. I know that I should not
have been interested because I am married with a family, work obligations, and very
little spare time. I was also in my upper 50’s at the time so maybe this was my
midlife crisis. I stared at the pictures
and she spoke to me. She was beautiful
and exciting. “You are not too old. It is now or never.” She said. I knew this was not me searching for this
excitement but an algorithm preying on me for money. My saner side was winning at first but the
more daring side was interested and kept taking a peek. It was wearing my logic down. I did not give into the seduction the first
few times but I could not forget it either. Finally, I gave into the seduction
and clicked on to join. Maybe the algorithms knew me better than I knew
myself.
Being the good husband that I am, I confessed to my wife
“Hun I signed up to do a 50 mile ultra-marathon”. I had never even run a
marathon before, so this was a big and daring step for me. Maybe my wife knew me better than I knew
myself because she was not shocked nor surprised. Maybe everyone knows me
better than I know myself.
The thing is I knew from that moment, was that I was being
targeted. Targeted not because I am a
nice guy, smart, or even wealthy. No. I was targeted because I am a
runner. The algorithm knows that runners
are easy prey. Put any new race in front of them with smiling runners and
photos of beautiful landscapes, and a t-shirt and they are interested. We are
like cats following the red dot of a laser pen.
They are also hard to avoid especially since I also shop online. Doesn’t matter what news story I am reading whether it is on public education, global warming, impeachment, or a grisly murder; there are my brand of trail shoes happily following me as I scroll through the article. Telling me that I need a new pair, even though I just bought a pair last month.
I would like to say that I learned my lesson and have stayed
away from unsolicited running ads but I cannot lie. I do click on the many races that appear but
it is almost a flirtatious relationship on my part not one of commitment
because while I will tease them with numerous clicks. They are almost always too
far a drive for me to commit to. Though
once and a while if the race is close by and fits in my schedule I commit.
One however did not play fair and that was Vacation Races. Because it not was not just a race but it was
numerous races, set in places of natural beauty. This captured my other passion
besides running and that is seeing national parks and being outside in areas of
immense beauty. They also had a variety
of dates and locales to choose from so my biggest reason for not succumbing,
the date, was off the table. Fitting one into my schedule was relatively easy.
Then they also included epic short videos with dramatic music. I saw myself running in these beautiful
places. There now was only two obstacles, traveling a long distance to get to
the race (and the costs associated with that) and convincing my wife.
Luckily for me, that while my wife has little interest
watching me run for hours she does enjoy, like me, traveling, and seeing our country’s
beautiful places. My strategy was
set. We always wanted to go back to the
Southwest and see places like Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park and Vacation Races provided me the
perfect cover to say that this was about the both of us when in reality it was
about the race and me.
Despite my knowledge that my wife would love to visit Zion
and Bryce and that this is something we both wanted I did have pangs of guilt
about asking her because the motivation was not about our pleasure but was
about my race. It was time for me to admit that running and racing, was my
mistress and the algorithms knew that and played on my weakness.
That realization however, did not stop me from pursuing the
Zion Ultra and telling my wife that the race was only one day and the rest of
the time, I would be hers. I then picked the 50k over the 100k because it was a
shorter race. It would be only one day just about me, instead of the longer race
that would go on into the night. I was
proud of myself for being so thoughtful. I could have easily opted for a half
marathon and it would be about a two-hour commitment. Yes, I could have, but
the views that my race mistress flirted in front of me made me commit more time
to her.
The issue though is not just this race. It is that the algorithms know me and can prey
on me. While I am set to do the Zion Ultra this April there are other beautiful
races out there almost all of them calling my name. I even joined the Friends
of Vacation Races Facebook page. Now I am seeing posts from other runners also
seduced by the algorithms. Yet we are
happily seduced. We are very willing victims.
It took me a month or so of cajoling my wife about how great
this time alone would be for us and that the race was just one in a series of
events that would have on this trip before we committed. Though she saw right through my charade and
laughed at my attempts to make this trip about us. I am like a man coming home
with lipstick on my shirt collar.
After this race, I plan on turning over a new leaf. I will
no longer succumb to these race ads. I
am a new man. I know that my wife would love to see Yosemite, Yellowstone,
California wine country, or even go overseas to Italy or Ireland. I will gladly
join her and even help plan the dates we go. It will just be a simple
coincidence that there happens to be a race going on at the same time we are
there. It is after all only a few hours and the rest of the time I will be
hers. I think that I may need help.
