What Becoming a Runner Does to You

Running brings a lot of different things to different people.  It can make you look cool, or weird.  It can bring you as much happiness as it does pain.
It can make you feel totally awesome, or totally not so much. 

I love to tell it how it is, which is why today I thought I'd share with you some of the effects that becoming a runner does to you.  Hope this brings you smiles as it did to me while I wrote it.


*  If you run with a partner, you will share things with them that you likely wouldn't do with anyone else.  Running with friends, you'll find you've bared your soul shared your pain, you life stresses after a few long runs with a running partner, eventually you'll find they know more about you then possibly even your best friend does.

* You will find you enjoy sweating, and sometimes you might even feel like you didn't run hard enough if you aren't sweating enough to make it look like you just stepped out of the shower by the time you finish.

* Unlike many other sports and activities that a shower after sweating feels fabulous and always good.  A shower after certain runs can bring you so much pain and tears as you discover all the area's you chaffed raw during your run.

* You may find yourself saying to others things like.  I have a SHORT 6 miler to get in today.  Or, I ONLY ran 16 miles today.  To your running friends they will nod and get it, to your co-workers or non running friends you're going to get some weird looks but you will keep on saying things like that anyway, because that is how you think and you will start to not know any different.

* When in conversation with others talking about PR, Fartleks, Hill Repeats, Strides, Dreadmill, Pace, Cadence or other running lingo.  They will look at you oddly, but you will continue talking because why wouldn't the whole world know what your talking about, that and talking about those subjects is just fun.

* You will find yourself talking about running a lot!  This will probably get annoying to a few others, but you probably won't notice yourself.  No matter if at work, with family, or in the store you will find yourself finding reason's to bring up the topic of running.

* You will wear race shirts with pride, and no matter to work or to the store.  You're always hoping someone will ask you about your shirt so you can take that as an official request to hear the entire detailed version of the race.

* Even if you are a dog lover, you will find while out on a run dogs off leashes can be your worst nightmare.  You may even find you have to use your pepper spray more times on dogs than you'll ever have to use on an (person) attacker.  But you'll also secretly wish you could just spray the dog's owner with it, as a take that for not leashing their dog.

*  You will sport some of the most awesome tan lines!  You will also find yourself proud of your GPS watch tan line, like its an unwritten statement to others that you are in training.

* You will turn into a course expert.  Whether its on your way to work, on vacation or riding as a passenger in someones car.  You are going to find yourself looking at the road and thinking or saying things like, this would be a great course to run, or I would love to run up this hill.
Or as you are stuck in traffic or traveling slow, you're mind will immediately think, I could run home faster than driving this car.

* You might find yourself swallowing down or gagging down the most disgusting tasting gels or energy supplements, because everyone else swears by them.  Then years later you will find that if you had just stuck to the original basics you're probably just as good off as you were with the trendy stuff, the difference will be you no longer have to gag it down and you will smile at those "newbies" in races who haven't figure out supplements don't have to taste awful.

* Most your wardrobe is running apparel or your race shirts.  You're family probably rarely sees you in anything but running shoes and workout clothes.  You may even find yourself thinking you're dressed up if you're in one of your nicer pair or workout capri's.

* A nap becomes part of your routine after your long runs.  If you're a distance runner you may even find a nap becomes part of your daily routine, that or you'll wish you could add it!

* Eventually when you see bad weather conditions, you're mind will shift to... I wonder what it would be like to run in that...  Then you will, and you'll feel tougher for doing so, even if everyone driving by is staring at you blankly.

*  Of course come a race day, you'll know the upcoming weather possibilities better than the weatherman!

* At some point you'll probably buy a Garmin or other GPS device, and regardless of the fact that it won't actually help it sync to a satellite faster, you will still hold it up in the sky and try:)  (If you didn't know that until now, the next race you go to, you're going to look around at the runners who still haven't figured it out, and have a fun little laugh before you start!

*  Especially if you are a blogger or on social media.  As you are on a run, if you see something great or beautiful your first thought is going to be to take out the phone and take a running selfie with it, so you can post your daily run stats for the world to see.  Because we all know everyone wants to know each day how great our run was, why wouldn't they, running is awesome, we are awesome!

* You'll find yourself creating entire different tune tracks, just for running.  Each time you hear a new song on the radio, your subconscious will tell you, you should remember to add it to your running playlist.

* You will look at people who say they are on a no carb diet like they are insane, especially as you pile your plate full of more carbs than you probably should.

* You will find you create an entirely new budget, a running budget.  For races, new shoes, clothes...  Because, $150 shoes every 6 months, and $200 entry fee's, $50 shorts or $60 sports bra's almost require a second job to keep up with.

*  You will also find yourself rolling your eyes as people tell you that your lucky because you are in one of the cheapest sports, that costs nearly nothing to do... Oh if they only knew:)

* You will feel proud or tough as you tell your co-workers or friends that you just spent 20 minutes sitting in an ice bath.  You'll also ignore or totally not get the weird looks they give you, because of course ice baths are part of a completely normal routine.

*  When your friends ask you to go out, or someone wants to make plans with you, you will find yourself telling them.  Okay, but first I have to get my run in.

*  Of course as runners we rarely bring a Kleenex, so at some point in time (or many) you will find yourself blowing your nose into your shirt.  Of course you will deny this completely, even to other runners who say they do it.

* Competition will eventually kick in, and you will often find yourself at a local track or on a trail, using all the other unsuspecting runners as your competition.  You'll take pride in passing them, even if it almost kills you to do so.  You'll also find yourself trying to pass them and making it look as effortlessly as possible, like you haven't even broken a sweat to do so.
You'll also find yourself racing the person on the treadmill next to you, of course they won't actually know that you are.

* Additionally, if anyone on the trail or road passes you while you're out on your run.  You're brain will automatically assume and decide that they are going a much shorter distance than you, so of course that's the only reason they passed you.

* At some point you will go out on a run on a day you feel great, and pretend you are being chased.  Maybe by zombies, maybe by some other figment of your imagination.  Don't worry, you're not alone, we all do it:)  It's also known as a great way to add speedwork!  (If you haven't done it yet, don't worry you just haven't used your imagination to it's fullest potential while out on a run yet.)

* When leaving for a trip or long vacation, before you even book your hotel you start searching fun and interesting or scenic running routes.  Because no vacation would be complete if you couldn't say you saw the best parts in the mornings before the crowds on your own two feet.

* If you have a great race and even sometimes even if you don't, when that running bug hits you.  Even if you can't walk or are leaning on your family and friends begging them to bring the car closer.  You'll find yourself at the finish line of your race, talking about and deciding just how soon you will do it all again.


Those are just a few of the things running can do to you.  What about you, do you have any fun things to add to the list?