As Per Spective

I have a hard time comprehending big numbers. Like 7,000,000,000 - this is what the worlds population is or is very close to being right now. To better understand some of these large numbers I break them down into smaller number with almost real life circumstances. To better understand what 7,000,000,000 is I attempted to figure out how long it would take me to count to 7,000,000,000 - I came up with 111 years. This helps me understand a little more what this number actually means.

I did the same with some of the 2010 totals that were posted by a few guys. GZ and Nick both ran 4,100 miles this year. That would be like running from San Diego to NY, then NY to Miami. Nick also did 655,850' of vertical which would be like doing the PPM course 84 times in 1 year. It's also 125 miles of vertical. Picture yourself in an airplane at cruising altitude about 6 miles up, that's pretty high, right? Well, now picture that at 21 times higher, that's the total vertical Nick ran this year.

Then there's Tony who ran 6,285 miles and did 1,108,100' of vertical this calender year. His milage alone would have taken him from Seattle to Miami and then back to Seattle. His vertical would have been like going from sea-level to the top of Everest 37 times, or the PPM course 141 times. It's also 210 miles of vertical, the International Space Station orbits between 173-286 miles above the earth. It's that fact that puts Tony's vertical in perspective for me!

For me, this year, I'll be trying to keep a better balance so I can keep things in perspective for myself. I'm hoping to make the most out of the 52 weekends I have with my family as well as the 365 mornings and nights I have with my kids. My goal is to be there every morning for my kids this year. Well, unless they are with the grandparents giving Maureen and I a little alone time!