I Am A Runner

When people used to ask me "Are you a runner?" I would shrug my shoulders and say "No, not really" or "I try but I'm really slow" or "Well, I run but not regularly". I didn't feel worthy of the title "runner" for many reasons: I didn't do it enough, I wasn't very fast, I could only run a mile or two, etc.

But now I feel like a runner. I've been running regularly now for about two months - by regularly I mean at least 2-3 times per week - and I finally know what it feels like to reach that zone where you feel like you can run forever. I'm signed up for several races, one of which is my first ten miler. So yes, I am now officially a runner.

Now that I'm a runner, I can say that I've learned a few things about running and about myself. Perhaps my words of wisdom will help those of you who are thinking about running but just don't know where to start.

No matter how long you've been running, that first mile always sucks.
I hate the first mile of any run. I'm short of breath, everything hurts and I find myself thinking "WHAT am I doing? WHY am I doing it? WHO do I think I am?" The first mile always feels like death. I hate it and probably always will.

After the first mile is done, you feel like you can run forever.
Is this the runner's high? I don't think so. I think you have to run a lot farther to get that. But maybe I'm wrong. All I know is that once I've gotten about a quarter of the way through the second mile, something changes. Breathing feels easier, nothing hurts, and I feel like I can run for hours. It doesn't hurt that the second mile of my usual run has a slight downgrade for about 75% of the time. Yes, I cheat a little. So what?

Running without music is pure torture.
I can't run without my ipod. This morning I couldn't find my ipod and I panicked. I was dressed and ready to run and freaking out. Then I found it and gasp! it was dead. So guess what I did? I plugged the ipod into the charger, ran some errands and shifted my run to later in the day - all because I couldn't stand the thought of running without it. Music keeps me going. If I ever sign up for a race that doesn't allow ipods, I'm wearing it anyway. I'm such a rebel.

I'm a shuffler.
The best trick I've learned with my ipod is to shuffle my running playlist. I usually create a playlist of about 30-40 songs - enough to last much longer than my average run. Instead of listening to a playlist in order every single time I run, I hit shuffle and never know what song is coming up next. I don't know why I think this is so great, but it is. Try it, you'll see. It's like a nice little surprise every time the song changes.

If you sing along with your ipod, people around you can still hear you.
There's something about running with earbuds stuck in your ears that makes you feel like no one can hear you. They can still hear you. Trust me.

I love cold weather.
So weird, but the colder the better. Even in sub-freezing conditions, your feet will still thaw out sometime after the second mile. When I run in the cold I love the fact that I'm doing something that not very many people would do. I feel smug when I pass walkers who are bundled up against the cold. By the time I've completed two miles I'm toasty warm and ready to keep on going. The best part is that you never get hot when you run in cold weather. I hate being hot.

I like to run alone.
I have friends who also run who suggest that "We should run together." I usually say "Sure, sounds great!" but quite honestly, running is one of the few times I actually get some time to myself, when I don't have to talk to anyone or be responsible for or accountable to anyone but myself. (Sorry running friends! Don't take it personally.) I don't mind the occasional joint run, as long as the other person realizes that I don't want to talk while running nor do I want the pressure of trying to keep up with them since I'm so slow. That's why I love running with Jack - he runs way ahead of me and gives me a target to focus on, but has no expectations of me beyond the fact that I will always be trailing WAY behind him.

Running is when I do my best thinking.
My mind is running along with my body when I run. I get the best ideas when I run. I practically wrote this whole blog post in my head when I was running today, although it sounded better in my head than it does on the screen.

In two months I will be running ten miles in the GW Parkway Classic, which is ironically the same race during which I did my first 5K four years ago. I hope I make it. I'm sure I will, because now I know I'm a runner. Anyone can be a runner - all you have to do is put one foot in front of the other and just keep going, even if it feels hard. Eventually it's not hard and it can fill you with a sense of euphoria like no other type of exercise. I love it.

Here I am running my first 5K in 2009 . . .

I love how neither of my feet are in contact with the ground in this photo. It's like I'm flying, even if it's just for a millisecond at a time. Perhaps this is why running is so addictive.