[USMA:36751] RE: Jade: I didn't know how long a mile was!

[Stephen Humphreys]

Ok I see what your asking now: ""How many yards in a mile?"
In the case of Jade I don't hink it was how many yards (or feet or whatever) 
were in a mile.
It was more do do with the concept of how far 26 miles is.
I live about 26 miles from where I work.  I've never measured it but my 
estimate is this - which coincidentally is about the length of a marathon.  
I think that if you ask anyone "how far do you live from work" then almost 
all will be able to roughly estimate.  Except Jade - who wouldn't be able to 
find her elbow, if you asked her.


From: "Stephen Davis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: "Stephen Davis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
CC: "USMA" <usma@colostate.edu>
Subject: Re: [USMA:36736] RE: Jade: I didn't know how long a mile was!
Date: Wed, 10 May 2006 18:48:54 +0100

Well....my question was (apart from your wife, apparently) was how many 
British people actually know how long a mile is in yards?

The answer is not that many.  Before I took any interest,12 inches in a 
foot and 3 feet in a yard was about the limit on my knowledge in imperial 
measurement.

I'd never heard of poles, perches and rods along with countless other 
people in Britain.

Rather ironic given the efforts in some quarters to keep hold of imperial 
measurements at any cost yet hardly anyone in this country knows much about 
imperial measurements apart from the simplest ones.

If you ask most people: "How many yards in a mile?" how many would 
automatically say "1760 yards?"

Less than 40%, I'd say.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Humphreys" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 9:15 AM
Subject: [USMA:36736] RE: Jade: I didn't know how long a mile was!


> My wife is a marathon runner and as a matter of course she, along with
> others in the marathon training community knows how long a mile is. The
> "pacing" technique leading up to a marathon means you need to know. She 
is
> currently pacing the 10 mile stage. (She also has totally no interest in 
the
> "measurements" debate, by the way).
> I'm not a marathon runner but I, along with countless others, would be 
able
> to answer a question like "How far do you travel to work each day?" in 
miles
> with some degree of accuracy.
> Similarly those familiar with kilometres would be able to answer the 
same
> question.
> Neither would be able to answer with scientific accuracy, obviously.
> Incidentally - you may be aware of the yearly national charity event 
called
> "run a mile" which is coming up soon.  Somehow I doubt people will be
> saying, "Heck, how can we do that? I don't know what a mile is"
>
> Apart from "genius extraordinaire" Jade Goody.
>
>
> >From: "Stephen Davis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >Reply-To: "Stephen Davis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >CC: "USMA" <usma@colostate.edu>
> >Subject: Re: [USMA:36733] RE: I didn't know how long a mile was!
> >Date: Tue, 9 May 2006 19:49:54 +0100
> >
> >How many Brits (never mind Jade Goody) knows how long a mile is?
> >
> >In paces or yards?
> >
> >Regards,
> >
> >Steve.
> >[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Stephen Humphreys" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu>
> >Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 10:03 AM
> >Subject: [USMA:36733] RE: I didn't know how long a mile was!
> >
> >
> > > It would be unfair to put Jade Goody across as a good argument for
> >anything
> > > without explaining a little bit about the young "lady" to those who 
will
> >not
> > > know her as (unfortunately) well as a Brit.
> > >
> > > It's summed up in wikipedia:
> > >
> > > "Goody's fame may be also due in part due to various quotes 
portraying
> >her
> > > as being extremely uneducated and ignorant, and a symbol of British 
chav
> > > culture. She is considered a representative for the perceived 
attitudes
> >of
> > > the British public towards deliberate apathy, trivia, and dumbing 
down."
> > >
> > > If you asked her what a centimetre was should probably scream and 
say
> >"take
> > > it away, get rid of it, I hate creepy crawlies"
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > >From: "Stephen Davis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > >Reply-To: "Stephen Davis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu>
> > > >Subject: [USMA:36732] I didn't know how long a mile was!
> > > >Date: Mon, 8 May 2006 17:24:48 +0100
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >   04 May 2006
> > > >   Goody confused about marathon length
> > > >   Former 'Big Brother' star Jade Goody has admitted that she only
> >agreed
> > > >to run the London Marathon for charity because she didn't know how 
long
> >a
> > > >mile was.
> > > >
> > > >   Goody collapsed after running 21 miles of the 26-mile race and 
was
> > > >treated for exhaustion afterwards.
> > > >
> > > >   Speaking on television show 'This Morning', she said: "I don't
> >really
> > > >understand miles. I didn't actually know how far it was going to 
be."
> > > >
> > > >   "I'll be honest, I didn't take it seriously which is really bad 
of
> >me
> > > >because there's people out there who actually want to do the 
marathon,"
> >she
> > > >said.
> > > >
> > > >   "I didn't realise how much commitment the marathon was. I had 
four
> > > >training sessions, that's all I did. At most I could run half an 
hour
> >on a
> > > >treadmill," Goody said.
> > > >
> > > >   "I was expecting to do five miles, not even more than that, so I
> >think I
> > > >did extremely well to get to 21 miles."
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >         RELATED STORIES
> > > >         Goody collapses during London Marathon, 24 April 2006
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >         03/05/2006 - 19:14:36
> > > >
> > > >         Jade Goody has admitted she agreed to run the London 
Marathon
> > > >because she didn’t know how long a mile was.
> > > >
> > > >         The dippy Big Brother winner collapsed 21 miles into the
> >26-mile
> > > >race and had to be treated for exhaustion by paramedics.
> > > >
> > > >         She told ITV1’s This Morning: “I don’t really understand
> >miles. I
> > > >didn’t actually know how far it was going to be.”
> > > >
> > > >         Before the race she had just four training sessions – and 
ate
> >a
> > > >diet of curry and Chinese takeaways.
> > > >
> > > >         “I’ll be honest, I didn’t take it seriously which is 
really
> >bad of
> > > >me because there’s people out there who actually want to do the
> >marathon,”
> > > >said Jade, 25.
> > > >
> > > >         “I didn’t realise how much commitment the marathon was. I 
had
> >four
> > > >training sessions, that’s all I did. At most I could run half an 
hour
> >on a
> > > >treadmill.
> > > >
> > > >         “I was expecting to do five miles, not even more than 
that, so
> >I
> > > >think I did extremely well to get to 21 miles.”
> > > >
> > > ><< JadeBigBroPA.jpg >>
> > >
>