What
defines a “runner”? What makes someone identify him or herself as a “runner”? I
am a firm believer that whether you exclusively run 5Ks or whether you are an
ultra-running beast logging over 100 miles a week, you are a runner. On more
than one occasion, I have found myself in a conversation where the other person
says something like, “I only run 5Ks, I’m not a real runner.” I can’t help but
smile and shake my head when they say this because they are saying, “I only RUN
5Ks, so I’m not a real RUNNER.”
The
truth is that whether you like running 3 miles or 30 miles or 300 miles, you’re
still running and that makes you a runner. The key to defining yourself as a
runner, however, is not in how many miles you run, but in your mentality when
you run them.
Running
is a physical activity, but for anyone who does it and enjoys it, they know it
is much more than that. Running is not just putting shoes on and cranking out a
few miles at a pace faster than walking. Running can be a mental state in which
your mind clears and solutions to problems become easier to find. It can be a
mental state that amplifies joy and dulls sadness. It can be a mental state in
which anger is released and serenity takes its place. The massive release of
endorphins from a run can be a form of therapy for the every day man or woman.
You
don’t need to run marathons or ultra-marathons to achieve this kind of running
effect. Some people may only need 3 miles, while others crave hours of it. Some
people like pushing hard and feeling spent after 20 or 30 minutes, while others
enjoy the struggle of high mileage. Either way, you’re a runner if you lace up
your shoes and start taking those strides.
Personally,
I always say that more than 85% of my major life decisions have been made
during a long run. For me, it’s true that solutions present themselves when I’m
in the clear minded state that running puts me in. I discover the pettiness of
silly problems when I’m running and am able to move passed them. I also
discover the severity of big problems and am able to formulate plans to tackle
them. As the miles pass under my feet and as my body gets fatigued, my mind
loses any walls or safety nets and I become raw and when that happens, I become
honest with myself and it’s in those moments when I am able to truly see what
it is that I’m facing and respond appropriately.
Another
reason I run is the joy. This is something that people who don’t run have a
hard time understanding but it’s key. When running makes you happy and when you
have fun doing it, you run stronger and better and your times are faster. The
Tarahumara Indians in Mexico are some of the best runners in the world and
their secret, besides genetics and their lifestyle is the fact that they find
joy and bliss in running. If you can tap into that, your mind gives you a boost
that no drug can safely give you. The second running becomes a punishment or a burden,
it stops being fun. The second an athlete focuses on winning and performance
more than their enjoyment of the sport, it stops being fun, and when something
loses its fun, it's only a matter of time before that activity becomes something from the past.
Many
people have different reasons for running and they may not even resemble mine,
but the point is that every runner, from the weekend 5K warrior to the
hardened, ultra-trail runner, has his or her reason for being out there and you
should never downplay the fact that you’re one of us. You are a runner.
By Johann Warnholtz
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