Here’s something– some of my running blog friends are SERIOUS about their running. They are out there slicing time off their PRs, and they are training with intense regimens. That is SO awesome. You all rock hard!
Some of my other running blog friends are running, and they’re enjoying it, and they’re trying hard to stay in the game. But they feel worried that they’re not serious enough. That they’re not “real” runners. I’ve seen this before in other lifestyle choices I used to embrace.
There are circles within circles. It exists in ALL avenues of life, I’m starting to believe.
In this world, runners are newbies when they’re out there whacking the sidewalk with inappropriate shoes, and when they can barely get from one phone pole to the other without wanting to walk. Hack, hack, hack.
Runners get a little more respect when they hit some distance goal within their own mind. For some, it’s running three miles. For others, a full hour out there hacking away on the distance. And for others, it’s a race.
You get that first 5K and you feel jubilation for just finishing! If you somehow manage to place, in your age, for left-handed females wearing purple that day, whatever, you are even happier still. You’ve raced, so now you’re a serious runner, right?
But wait. That guy’s done a marathon. That 64-year-old woman has finished FOUR marathons in times you can’t imagine getting. You must still not be a serious runner.
Do you own technical clothing? Do you know what wicking does? Can you set the pace mechanism on your supercomputer wristwatch? Do you now own tights, even though you’re still not officially a superhero? Getting serious now, aren’t we?
No!
Just like the old scenes I’ve been involved with, there are always a plethora of ways in which the scene itself conspires to make you feel like you’re “in”, but not that in. You’re not in that inner circle within all the other rings. You’re on the edge.
Well, I’d like to grant you all special dispensation. You are officially hereby considered an official, bona-fide, definitely not kidding here runner. If you throw your shoes away, quit racing, and start hanging out at Krispy Kreme waiting for the HOT light to come on, you can still belong. You’re in the tribe forever. Yep. Congratulations! You’re in!
Now, why do you run? I imagine you’ll tell me you started with something to prove. Maybe you wanted to lose weight. Hell, you might’ve taken it up in school and just carried on, sharing our secret addiction.
But if you’re running to belong, is that a problem?
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