"That time is important. It gives a comforting illusion of permanence not found in running by the mile"
About this Quote
Henderson’s line lands like a runner’s confession: you don’t chase miles just for fitness, you chase proof that life isn’t sliding away under your feet. “Time is important” sounds like training advice, but the sneaky emotional core is in the next sentence: time offers “a comforting illusion of permanence.” In endurance sports, everything is built to disappear - soreness fades, routes repeat, seasons turn, the finish line is always temporary. So runners reach for the one thing that feels bankable: the clock.
The phrase “illusion” is doing the heavy lifting. Henderson isn’t pretending the stopwatch delivers meaning; he’s admitting it’s a coping mechanism. Time becomes a trophy you can carry out of the moment, a number that survives when the memory of a run blurs into the rest of your week. It’s also a subtle rebuke to the romantic idea of running as pure freedom. Freedom is nice, but freedom doesn’t keep receipts. A pace chart does.
“Not found in running by the mile” sets up a tension every athlete recognizes: distance is noble, but it’s vague. Miles are experiential; time is comparative. You can tell yourself you ran far, but you can also tell yourself you ran faster than before, faster than someone else, faster than the version of you who was tired, injured, or doubting. In that context, Henderson’s intent feels less like worship of metrics and more like a clear-eyed explanation of why we cling to them: because numbers feel stable when the body (and everything around it) doesn’t.
The phrase “illusion” is doing the heavy lifting. Henderson isn’t pretending the stopwatch delivers meaning; he’s admitting it’s a coping mechanism. Time becomes a trophy you can carry out of the moment, a number that survives when the memory of a run blurs into the rest of your week. It’s also a subtle rebuke to the romantic idea of running as pure freedom. Freedom is nice, but freedom doesn’t keep receipts. A pace chart does.
“Not found in running by the mile” sets up a tension every athlete recognizes: distance is noble, but it’s vague. Miles are experiential; time is comparative. You can tell yourself you ran far, but you can also tell yourself you ran faster than before, faster than someone else, faster than the version of you who was tired, injured, or doubting. In that context, Henderson’s intent feels less like worship of metrics and more like a clear-eyed explanation of why we cling to them: because numbers feel stable when the body (and everything around it) doesn’t.
Quote Details
| Topic | Time |
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