Running is cheap. Or so I thought. Since I started running in May 2013, I ran a total of about 8,200 miles and purchased 31 pairs of shoes. Assuming an average cost of $130 per pair, that adds up to $4,160. Looking at my Amazon order history, I purchased gels, bars, wafers, waffles, poles, bodyglide, vests, tape, socks, clothing, and other running-related stuff for $4,065 since then. That does not include the (admittedly overpriced) Salomon clothing that I like and worship. Let’s add another estimated $1,000 for Salomon shorts, shirts, jackets, gloves, hats, etc. So that gets us to $9,225. Let’s make this $10,000 because I surely did not account for everything I ordered. Oops, yes, there was Tailwind too, GPS watches, and what the heck. Holy wow.
Okey-dokey, so without even considering the registration cost (oh, and the travel expenses…) of the many races I did, how much does it cost me to run a mile? I’m not good with numbers, but I think this is what it is: $10,000/8,200 miles = $1.22 per mile. Oh my.
According to the AAA, the 2015 cost per mile for a medium sedan is 58 cents. We therefore come to the shocking conclusion that running a mile is roughly twice as expensive as driving a mile. Ha.
Well, I did not expect that. What is there to conclude from that? At first sight it seems I’m not a very cost-effective runner. Although, according to a Runner’s World article on “How much does running cost over a lifetime?,” I don’t seem to be an overly expensive instance actually. Could I run cheaper. No doubt. By how much? I don’t know. Surely, some of the gear I bought will last well beyond the current mileage, so the actual cost per mile may actually go down a bit over the years.
Or maybe that’s the wrong way to look at things. There is always a cost (and risk) for doing something. But there is also a cost (and risk) for not doing something. What kind of health-related expenses would I have if I would just sit on the sofa instead? And what would be the cost of not having all these amazing running experiences? I might be depressed. I might need therapy. I might need expensive meds.
I think for now I’d rather be running. As Mark Manson put it in his essay: “A more interesting question, a question that perhaps you’ve never considered before, is what pain do you want in your life? What are you willing to struggle for? Because that seems to be a greater determinant of how our lives turn out.”
Tomorrow’s morning run will cost me $9.15. It’s a reasonable pain tax that I’m very grateful I’m able to afford.
Is it cheaper to be lazy? Hammock: $44.90.
Or should I opt for some expensive suffering? Salomon S-Lab 12-set vest: $180. Salomon Gore-Tex jacket: $350. Buff: $25. Gillette Mach3 blade (lasts one week): $2.10. Suffering: priceless.