I found this great article in Runners World today called I Am Not A Jogger that made me wish today was not a rest day for me.
And here is the list of what the Author, John Bingham says makes you a runner and not a jogger:
I AM A RUNNER because my runs have names. I do tempo runs and threshold runs andfartlek runs. I do long, slow runs and track workouts. My runs are defined, even if my abs are not.
I AM A RUNNER because my shoes are training equipment, not a fashion statement. The best shoe for me is the one that makes me a better runner. I choose the shoe that goes with my running mechanics, not my running outfit.
I AM A RUNNER because I don't have running outfits. I have technical shirts and shorts and socks. I have apparel that enhances the experience of running by allowing me to run comfortably. I can say "Coolmax" and "Gore-Tex" in the same sentence and know which does what.
I AM A RUNNER because I know what effort feels like, and I embrace it. I know when I'm pushing the limits of my comfort and why I'm doing it. I know that heavy breathing and an accelerated heart rate--things I once avoided--are necessary if I want to be a better runner.
I AM A RUNNER because I value and respect my body. It will whisper to me when I've done too much. And if I choose to listen to that whisper, my body won't have to scream in pain later on.
I AM A RUNNER because I am willing to lay it all on the line. I know that every finish line has the potential to lift my spirits to new highs or devastate me, yet I line up anyway.
I AM A RUNNER because I know that despite my best efforts, I will always want more from myself. I will always want to know my limits so that I can exceed them.
I AM A RUNNER because I run. Not because I run fast. Not because I run far.
I AM A RUNNER because I say I am. And no one can tell me I'm not.
Waddle on, friends.
And I officially became a runner when I got lost on one of my new longer loops towards the end of my run and had to run all the way home way past what I thought were my limits because I couldn't be late getting back to my kids. It ended up being my first 6km's ever.
Yay, for you! I did 7 kms the other day ... first time in a long time. Feels good!
ReplyDeleteWTG! I agree with everything in the article except the 'running outfits' comment - I love my running outfits :-) Figures a man wrote that.
ReplyDeleteme to...BUT, our running outfits are technical not just cute. I think he means the running outfits made of cotton.
ReplyDelete10 years ago was the first time I picked up running and I used to run with inappropriate runners, no sports bra and cotton everything. eek!
I started running in university. My first 'running' shoes were LA Gears with tulle pink laces, lol. And no foot support whatsoever ;-)
ReplyDeleteRe: Outfits-
ReplyDeleteI agree with lulumum - I think he means: don't call it an outfit, these items each have a purposes.
When I started running, I wore cotton t-shirts, mesh shorts, and sports bras that didn't give me the kind of support I know now from my better sports bras. I remember when I first started running about 3 years ago, it was a big accomplishment to run a full mile without walking! This April I ran my first half marathon :)
@Running on Coffee, Wow, awesome on the half marathon in such a short period of running. RIght now those types of distances are pie in the sky aspirations for me. I'm getting pretty close to being able to do 10k though so I know it's not impossible. I just have to get rid of my mental hang-ups that make me feel like there is a limit to the distances I can do. I think if I had a running name it would be "runningonempty"
ReplyDelete