Are you a runner?

I was recently asked to speak at the GoRun awards social.  GoRun is the Greenville Organization of Runners.  We are composed of runners of all ages, shapes, sizes and speeds!  Many of the runners tend to look at me a little differently since I run fairly fast, some are a little intimidated.  What most don't realize is that they share many of the same experiences as I do (and vice-versa!)  So here is the talk I presented to the group was:

Are you a runner?  Yes, anyone who runs is a runner, you don’t have to be fast, you don’t have to run a marathon to be a runner.  Anyone who gets out and runs is a runner!  While we may move at different speeds or cover different distances we still share the same experiences. 

• The joy of running 1 mile for the first time without stopping, or 3 miles or 10 miles!
• The excitement of running a personal best, of finishing a race
• The struggle of trying to get out the door when you are tired, or not wanting to get up early to workout
• The challenge of balancing life, work, family, commitments while still finding time to carve out that little bit of time for yourself.
• Trying to find motivation when you have none.
• The solitude of going for a run by yourself, and the feeling of belonging when you join up with friends for a run
• The challenge of resisting that piece of cake or scoop of ice cream because you know you have worked hard to lose a couple of pounds
• The frustration of going for the run and your legs feel like they are made of bricks
• The challenge of getting out the door
• The joy of new running shoes
• The runner’s high (and the runner’s low)
• The frustration of an injury
• Freezing your butt off in the winter at the start of a run, then realizing you wore too much clothing!
• Cursing the heat and humidity of Eastern NC
• The intimidation of being around someone we know is considerable faster
• Worrying about that dog running out of a yard trying to chase you down!

We are all the same, we all go through these challenges. Conquering them is what brings us the joy.  It is the journey as much as it is the destination.  By going through this we discover something about ourselves, we learn we can do it, that we can overcome.

We all have different motivations for running, different goals.  But I think in all of us there is something that we all have in common.  It is a drive to prove something to ourselves, and maybe the desire to have people looks at us like we are nuts!