I came home after a long day of work today and settled into the couch, looking forward to another rest day and a Super Hot Date with my Google Reader.
And then I came across this post by Megan (cool name!) over at My Marathon Diaries.
You should go check out Megan's blog, not just because of that post and her awesome name, but also because she's a great blogger with good info!
But you if don't, here's a brief synopsis of the post: there's been a lot of buzz in the Running World lately over what makes a runner a true runner. Some diehards contend that one can only be considered a true runner if they've finished a marathon in a certain time or able to keep up with a certain pace. Others maintain that a runner's a runner if they just... run. Any pace, any time, any where.
And so I have to throw in my Two Cents. (I'd throw in more, but I bought a Blizzard for a student class fundraiser at work today, and I'm now out of change.)
Cent One: For a long time, I never considered myself to be a real "runner". Sure, I own some running gear - Nike shorts, a few tech shirts, a Garmin watch. I subscribe to Runner's World, and I stock up on Gu packets for sustenance like we're going back into the Cold War-bomb shelter days. I've run races long and short - a marathon, two halfs, a few 10ks, a smattering of 5ks. I completed races with fairly respectable (for my ability) times. Sometimes, I'd drop lines at the gym so that passersby know that I run ("Hey, husband, can you believe we have to run 18 this weekend? Ugh, marathon training is nuts!)
If I blend all of this together, will I have a real runner?
I think I used to believe that if I talked about it enough, and bought the crazy gear, and signed up for crazy races, that I'll be considered a runner. But all of that does not a runner make.
Cent Two: Now that I'm getting a pinch more serious about running and racing, I (think... ) I've come to a conclusion about my own Status as a Real Runner. And I am one. Because here's the thing - a runner isn't a runner because of the gear they own, the times they run, the races they do, or the bib collection they've amassed.
We are runners because it's what we know. It's what we do. It's what we love. It's what we hate.
We are runners because we bust our asses to improve every day, every mile, every race.
We are runners because we'll lace up our shoes anyway and head out to the roads, the tracks, and the trails even when others tell us that we aren't good enough to be out there.
We are runners because it's about showing up and (in the words of John Hanc) simply putting one foot in front of the other. And that's precisely what we do.
I'd love to add to this list.
So Tell Me: What do YOU think makes YOU a runner? I want to hear what you have to say on this one.