I have been sitting on this for a couple of days because I didn't want to react too quickly. One word: Craft. People like their craft. People wish to hone and

I have been sitting on this for a couple of days because I didn't want to react too quickly. One word: Craft. People like their craft. People wish to hone and refine. Become better. Find themselves with some level of mastery. Speed is inherently a part of the craft of running over any distance. It's the sign you're doing it well. Your diet is working. Your stride and gait are optimal. (Almost) anyone can run. Our ancestors were selected for it. The amount of time you do it in is the only reasonable discriminant of performance when the distance is fixed. Why learn to paint a painting? Why learn to play a musical instrument in time, in tune, and in key? Why learn to write formal mathematical proofs? Why learn to tell a joke? People who run faster are better at running. Why not want to be as good at running as you can be?