My early running days

In elementary school I loved to play “boys chase girls”, but I think I was more of a flirt than a runner. In middle school, my dad would often tell me after a field hockey game that I “ran like a girl”. In high school I not only dreaded, but feared the days our coaches informed us we would be running four miles at lacrosse practice.

If I’m being honest with myself, I never thought I could run. I was fit, I played sports, and I was capable of running if a fire were to ever light in my house or if a creepy man stole my purse. I could do it. But it was never something I was good at. In Bruce Springsteen’s words, I was not born to run.

I found running incredibly boring. I often thought to myself why would anyone run for an hour only to end up back in the same place? It didn’t only seem utterly unnecessary, but also a wee bit insane. And yet, even more insane, the overly ambitious men and women who would wake up early to run no matter the conditions. Waking up early to work out, I could understand, but being outside – in the dark – in the pouring rain, the snow, the bone chilling Boston air, at 7 am, on Monday, no way.

So, what changed?

Yet now, I am part of that preposterous species I used to refer to as insane. So what changed? Well first of all, I was broke and gym-less. But more importantly, I adjusted my attitude.

Typically, I would set myself up for failure far before I laced up my sneakers. I would press shuffle on my iPod and change the song every four feet as an excuse to walk. I would set an impossible mileage goal making it nearly impossible to finish. When I knew I wouldn’t complete my goal, I would switch to a time goal. I would choose a telephone pole or a tree where I would tell myself it was okay to walk. I would basically do anything as long as it didn’t actually involve me running. 

The first time I ran and enjoyed it, it was different. On this particular afternoon, I didn’t plan on going for a run. It was a spring day in Boston and I was just going to go for a walk to pass some time and clear my mind. I can’t remember what motivated me to start moving my feet at a faster pace, but before I knew it, I was running. One foot in front of the other, my mind becoming clearer and clearer with each step.

I was not “prepared” like I usually was. I didn’t keep track of the time, I had no map of the city, I had no concept of distance, and I didn’t set a goal. Instead, I was free. I enjoyed the city more than I ever had before and needless to say, that run changed my attitude towards running and more importantly, my relationship with mental and physical fitness. I have by no means enjoyed every single run since then, but that day, I learned that I could do it, I could run.

Today, one year after the Boston Marathon

Tomorrow marks one year since I completed the Boston Marathon and officially started considering myself a runner. It has been four years since my first “unprepared” run. I am not sure who sets the guidelines for classifying a person as a runner or not, but running has become part of who I am. I am a runner.

Good luck to everyone running Boston tomorrow! You can do it! If you want to read more about my running experiences, check out 22 Things I Learned From My First Marathon! Are you a runner? What’s your favorite way to work up a sweat?