I detest running. I always have and probably always will.
Growing up, my running goals were to run 60 feet down the vault runway, and no more. I considered myself athletic growing up, but my sports were limited to gymnastics, cheerleading, indoor soccer (one season), track (one season), and diving. (Please save the cheerleading is not a sport discussion for another day.) You could argue that I liked running because I mentioned I did one season of track, but let me clarify that I did one season of running the 100m dash and 4x100m, so basically just a little bit farther than in gymnastics.
I know that running is good for me as it is a good cardiovascular workout, and I concede to that. I even went out and bought a BOB Duallie jogging stroller, used for a steal and definitely not new. My husband would have some serious words if I spent $450+ on a new BOB Duallie, whether it was on sale or not. And I will even say that this new to me jogging stroller is leaps and bounds better than our single jogging stroller to the point where I am okay with running with it. But I still don't like running.
There are numerous reasons why I don't like running, one of which is that I'm not terribly gifted at it and have about zero endurance. My dad and sister were, and still are, big-time runners. I can remember my dad and sister doing all sorts of runs, all the time. They would do 5Ks on up to 10 milers. The first, and last, time I did a 10 miler was in October of 2007. I ran the Army 10 Miler! Yes, the non-runner in me trained for, and finished the Army 10 Miler. The main reason I signed up to do it was because my boyfriend (now my husband) was supposed to be deployed at the time and so I was going to train and run it in his honor. Well, his deployment was delayed and he was actually in attendance at the race, talk about taking the wind out of someone's sails. Now, I was running a 10 miler just to say that I did it. I can tell you now that it is something checked off my bucket list, but it was something that wasn't even on my bucket list at the time. As you can tell from the photo of me finishing the race, I was tired, hot, sweaty, and done.
I don't show you that or talk about it to get any applause for doing a 10 miler. I show you to demonstrate that I am willing to run whether I truly like it or not. I've done my fair share of 5Ks for breast cancer awareness or for my husband's unit, but I'm not doing them because I particularly like running. I run in support of a cause that I believe in and that is good with me.
My husband and I have a very different idea of running too. He prefers to run on a treadmill so that he knows how fast he is going and can maintain one speed. I cannot stand running on a treadmill. No matter how hard you are trying or how fast you are going, you are going anywhere! You can run for an hour and you are still in the same place and looking at the same things. If I'm going to run, it's going to be outside on an open road, hence the need for a jogging stroller. I won't run on a track either. It's the same scenery every lap, not enough to distract me from the fact that I am running.
I also like running on the open road because I feel like there are less eyes watching you, or that they only watch you for a short time. When I'm on a treadmill in a gym, I feel like people are watching me to see what my pace is and how long I will run. When I'm running on the road, passersby see me for maybe a second or two and then they are gone. Inside, I feel like people are wondering why I am taking up time on the treadmill by going so slow, or walking at times. Outside on the open road, I feel like people are cheering me along saying, "yeah, look at that lady running while pushing 2 kids; how awesome" (because that's what I say in my car when I pass someone who is running while pushing a jogging stroller).
Ultimately, I have two main goals for running. First, I want to complete an entire sprint triathlon. I competed twice as a team for a sprint triathlon in Ft. Sill, OK. Both times I did the swim, once while seven months pregnant. But I always wanted to do one all by myself. So I am training to do the 25th Annual West Point Triathlon next August. I know I can do the swim, that part is no problem. But I am training to do the bike and run. I don't just want to DO the bike and run though; I want to do pretty good in the bike and run. Not pretty good for someone who bikes or for someone who runs, but pretty good for me.
My other goal is to track my runs so that I can retire a pair of running shoes. I've never before tracked how far I've run in running shoes. I always just bought a new pair when I'd had the old ones for about 7 years or so (or when there was a super good sale). But not this time. I am actively using the Nike+ Running App ©. I am tracking how far I run and the shoes I wear when I go running. It's also helping me to be excited about running. It tells me if my run was the longest or whether I did my fastest 1K thus far. For once, I kind of look forward to running.
Don't misunderstand though, I'm still not a runner. I prefer to run races where I dress up in a costume or tutu and do a 5K while also testing my physical strength. I love races like the Warrior Dash where I feel good about myself not only for running a 5K, but also for climbing over and under nets and pulling myself over logs in cold water. I see avid runners posting on social media about how they did a race and it wasn't in a tutu, and I say good for you, but that doesn't take away from what I did.
Runners don't be so hard on us non-runners. We are out there trying, and that is what really counts. And non-runners, don't worry about those runners who try to bring you down. Be proud that you are out there, period.
Growing up, my running goals were to run 60 feet down the vault runway, and no more. I considered myself athletic growing up, but my sports were limited to gymnastics, cheerleading, indoor soccer (one season), track (one season), and diving. (Please save the cheerleading is not a sport discussion for another day.) You could argue that I liked running because I mentioned I did one season of track, but let me clarify that I did one season of running the 100m dash and 4x100m, so basically just a little bit farther than in gymnastics.
I know that running is good for me as it is a good cardiovascular workout, and I concede to that. I even went out and bought a BOB Duallie jogging stroller, used for a steal and definitely not new. My husband would have some serious words if I spent $450+ on a new BOB Duallie, whether it was on sale or not. And I will even say that this new to me jogging stroller is leaps and bounds better than our single jogging stroller to the point where I am okay with running with it. But I still don't like running.
There are numerous reasons why I don't like running, one of which is that I'm not terribly gifted at it and have about zero endurance. My dad and sister were, and still are, big-time runners. I can remember my dad and sister doing all sorts of runs, all the time. They would do 5Ks on up to 10 milers. The first, and last, time I did a 10 miler was in October of 2007. I ran the Army 10 Miler! Yes, the non-runner in me trained for, and finished the Army 10 Miler. The main reason I signed up to do it was because my boyfriend (now my husband) was supposed to be deployed at the time and so I was going to train and run it in his honor. Well, his deployment was delayed and he was actually in attendance at the race, talk about taking the wind out of someone's sails. Now, I was running a 10 miler just to say that I did it. I can tell you now that it is something checked off my bucket list, but it was something that wasn't even on my bucket list at the time. As you can tell from the photo of me finishing the race, I was tired, hot, sweaty, and done.
My husband and I have a very different idea of running too. He prefers to run on a treadmill so that he knows how fast he is going and can maintain one speed. I cannot stand running on a treadmill. No matter how hard you are trying or how fast you are going, you are going anywhere! You can run for an hour and you are still in the same place and looking at the same things. If I'm going to run, it's going to be outside on an open road, hence the need for a jogging stroller. I won't run on a track either. It's the same scenery every lap, not enough to distract me from the fact that I am running.
I also like running on the open road because I feel like there are less eyes watching you, or that they only watch you for a short time. When I'm on a treadmill in a gym, I feel like people are watching me to see what my pace is and how long I will run. When I'm running on the road, passersby see me for maybe a second or two and then they are gone. Inside, I feel like people are wondering why I am taking up time on the treadmill by going so slow, or walking at times. Outside on the open road, I feel like people are cheering me along saying, "yeah, look at that lady running while pushing 2 kids; how awesome" (because that's what I say in my car when I pass someone who is running while pushing a jogging stroller).
Ultimately, I have two main goals for running. First, I want to complete an entire sprint triathlon. I competed twice as a team for a sprint triathlon in Ft. Sill, OK. Both times I did the swim, once while seven months pregnant. But I always wanted to do one all by myself. So I am training to do the 25th Annual West Point Triathlon next August. I know I can do the swim, that part is no problem. But I am training to do the bike and run. I don't just want to DO the bike and run though; I want to do pretty good in the bike and run. Not pretty good for someone who bikes or for someone who runs, but pretty good for me.
My other goal is to track my runs so that I can retire a pair of running shoes. I've never before tracked how far I've run in running shoes. I always just bought a new pair when I'd had the old ones for about 7 years or so (or when there was a super good sale). But not this time. I am actively using the Nike+ Running App ©. I am tracking how far I run and the shoes I wear when I go running. It's also helping me to be excited about running. It tells me if my run was the longest or whether I did my fastest 1K thus far. For once, I kind of look forward to running.
Don't misunderstand though, I'm still not a runner. I prefer to run races where I dress up in a costume or tutu and do a 5K while also testing my physical strength. I love races like the Warrior Dash where I feel good about myself not only for running a 5K, but also for climbing over and under nets and pulling myself over logs in cold water. I see avid runners posting on social media about how they did a race and it wasn't in a tutu, and I say good for you, but that doesn't take away from what I did.
Runners don't be so hard on us non-runners. We are out there trying, and that is what really counts. And non-runners, don't worry about those runners who try to bring you down. Be proud that you are out there, period.
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