#being a runner

I miss being a runner

Runkeeper tells me that I became a runner on June 27, 2012 at 3:05pm. That was the very first run I tracked by GPS. I did 1.72 miles in 36:37, a pace of 21:18 per mile. That’s slower than I walk a mile now. But it was the first time I had succeeded at running, and I am still proud of that. Unfortunately, I have not felt as though I’ve succeeded at running in a very long time. I don’t think of it…

HOW TO Become a Real Runner: Phase 3 #runthisyear #runchat #runcoach

Still don’t see yourself as “real runner”? Maybe you run sometimes because it’s part of your workout of the day. Or because your friends like signing up for those fun runs. Still, you don’t consider yourself a real runner. Maybe you’ve never truly just gone for a run. Just because. But you’re here because you want to, kind of, maybe, be a runner. Don’t worry. It’s easy. In Become a Real Runner…

Become a Real Runner: Phase 2

By now, I’m sure you’ve diligently followed all the steps in Phase 1 of how to become a real runner; you can make your pain face on command and have learned how to do your own runner’s pedicure at home to save time and money. Great! Now, it’s time for Phase 2 – learning about the glorious sport of running. Why? The best way to become something is to be about it. If you want to be a runner, then…

How to Become a Real Runner: Phase 1 (It's super easy!)

So you want to become a “real runner”, eh? That’s great! Being a runner is as awesome as you can possibly imagine and probably more and I’m going to help you! I’ve got some basic tips in this Become a Real Runner Series that you’re going to LOVE. Don’t worry, it’s easy. By the end of it you’ll have one of these moments: Be a Real Runner: Phase 1 First, you’ll need to learn how to make these…

It's kind of cool how committing to training for and running a marathon has made me feel like a runner. I'm certainly proud of what I'm striving for right now and love to talk about it whenever I can, but often what I say is one of the following:

"Training really sucks right now. It's so [hot/humid/gross] that it's hard to stay motivated."

"I can run far, but I'm still pretty slow."

"I put myself in the second to last corral."

"I just want to finish."

Most of those comments have at best a tinge of negativity to them, but surely everybody struggles with how their interests define them as people. Maybe it's a twisted kind of humility.

My drawer of running shorts, tank tops, and--second only to shoes--bras could certainly communicate to a stranger that I'm a runner. I have a few running-related books on my shelf and a stack of Runner's World Magazines in my living room. But really, anyone could have those things.

What I am loving the most about training now is not collecting products (although I still love that) but sharing running with other people. I frequently invite people to run with me; that's where the second bullet comes in.

My school offers a really cool Expanded Orientation program, and I am doing two 1-mile runs a week with students during the first quarter of the year.

RWD and I are running a half marathon in November.

Just yesterday, I proposed a Doctor Who Homecoming 5K for my school, and I think it's going to happen.