flashlight and sidewalk
Inspired by PGDave's post...when did you know you were a runner?
I knew I was a runner when...I found myself buying a pair of those shorty shorts with the slits on the sides.
**Ask me about streaking**
when planning a visit to see the in-laws in Ohio, I made a search ahead of time for places to run. Discovered 15 miles of paved trail less than a mile from their house and was literally overcome with joy.
They'll tell you that failure is not an option. That's ridiculous. Failure is always an option. It is the easiest and most readily available option. It's your choice though.
@runjerseygirl
...I experienced that "clear mind" that runners always talked about. I never believed it until it happened to me. It took me totally by surprise, and I didn't even realize it happened until I finished my run.
Do you even run?
I can't remember, I started in 2000 so it's been too long!LOL
Maybe when my neighbours stopped asking if I wanted a drive up our mountain, because
no matter how bad the weather I always said no.
I didn't let the cold or rain stop me from getting out there at 6:30am in my shorts.
Ultra Cowboy
WYBMADIITY
Save
When I had a hard to catch horse and I just kept after him until he gave up and never tried to out run/outlast me again.
Thats awesome
OK sorry to kick up an old old thread, but I recently realized that I FINALLY consider myself to be a real runner, and I was surprised by the catalyst. I always thought that once I got my weekly mileage up to a consistent 40-50 mpw I'd feel like a real runner (still have only managed 35 mpw once or twice) or finally running a FAST 10k race would do the trick (what a nebulous concept, "fast" is kind of a moving target) or once I won 1st in my age group I'd feel it (I've gotten that once! But it still didn't quite make me feel like a REAL runner.)
But now that I'm slowing down little by little every week, and the chance of placing in my age group of setting any PRs is out the window, and even my best weeks see no more than 20-25 miles run, I finally feel like I'm a legitimate runner. And I guess I can understand when people say that rehabbing from an injury or something similar made them feel like a runner. It's easy to keep at it when the results and rewards are so readily apparent (and in the form of shiny placement medals) but the fact that I'm able to keep it up through this pregnancy (so far!) makes me realize that it really is an integral part of my life now.
Running for two!
Pre-Preggo PRs--5k 23:00, 10k 49:07, HM 1:57:40
Post-Preggo PRs--5k TBD, 10k 54:45, HM 2:28:05
levitation specialist
Great job, kitteh!
For me, it was the same. When an injury wasn't the end of my running career, that was when it clicked for me that I was a runner and not a "fadder". That internal drive to want to heal and run again. Until then, I worried I was faking it. But once I let go of the "have to" and it became a "want to", that was the ticket for me. And it made me less worried about taking a rest day or slowing down. It wasn't the end of the world.
- The first time I ran four miles
- When I was deployed and needed to do a bunch of errands but had no vehicle, so ran from place to place doing the errands and getting people saying You RAN from there?! Total was about 8 miles.
- When on my way into theater was running on the treadmill in the gym. As I was closing in on finishing my 10 miler, one of my very young Soldiers ran up to the treadmill and say You motivate me Ma'am! and ran off.
- When a group of my early 20s Soldiers wanted to do a half marathon and came to me to run with them and keep them on track.
When the battery in my garmin would die before the week was over!
The minute I entered my first race 6 weeks after being told I would not on a dare.
Don't fixate on whether or not you are a "real runner" or not, just run.
Skirt Runner
As mad as I am about the ITBS, it kind of makes me feel like a "real" runner haha
PRs: 5K- 28:16 (5/5/13) 10K- 1:00:13 (10/27/13) 4M- 41:43 (9/7/13) 15K- 1:34:25 (8/17/13) 10M- 1:56:30 (4/6/14) HM- 2:20:16 (4/13/14) Full- 5:55:33 (11/1/15)
I started a blog about running :) Check it out if you care to
Are we there, yet?
The question/statement never seemed relevant. I started running, therefore I was a runner. It never occurred to me to ask the question or consider the statement. It still baffles me why people are concerned with this. I see it as akin to asking someone who's been working for several years if they are a wage earner. The answer is obvious and the question is superfluous.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.