“Yes, I run. But I am not a runner.” And, right now you are wondering to yourself “Is this really Jeff, the guy who runs ultras, or is this a guest blogger?” In full disclosure, it’s me, Jeff, the guy who runs ultras. And I have said this to myself multiple times over the past 9 years of running. The voice has become less frequent recently, but on occasion it still pops in.
Before getting involved in ultras I was often plagued with the question of whether or not I am a runner. I have always been slower (than my peers) and some runs are harder than others. In my tiny brain, real runners always look happy and carefree. They can talk the entire time with those that they are running with and also clip off 7:00 min/miles while doing it. They don’t sweat as they run 10 miles in the south, during the summer, with 100% humidity, at noon. These runners aren’t real, but they are real on social media and in my head.
Your Measuring Stick
Perhaps you run and also question whether or not you are a “runner” or “real runner”. The reasons for your doubt could be as varied as the number of people who run.
Maybe you have run a 5k, but never a 10k. Or maybe you have never run a marathon or an ultramarathon. Or perhaps you have never run in an organized race.
Maybe you run slow, like me.
Maybe you run slower than me.
Maybe you have only been running for 1 month or 10 years.
Whatever the reason, or reasons, you have told yourself, there is a commonality between them all. I believe that the reason many of us question whether or not we are a runner is due to the fact that these statements reveal what we see in others and not in ourselves.
We measure ourselves based on others to determine what a runner looks like.
A Turning Point
I really began to pay attention to this level of mental insanity through my training and running ultra marathons. Yes. It took me that long for it to really sink in. As an ultra runner, I get a lot of attention for the fact that I have run a variety of ultra distances. But, the secret to them all is that I don’t “run” them all. There is a fair amount of walking that will take place the longer the distance. And, well, if you walk…then you aren’t a runner, right? Wrong.
When I learned that even the elite ultra runners incorporate walking into their races, it helped me understand that walking is part of the overall strategy. Walking is not running. I get that. But when you walk at times, it does not detract from the running that is taking place. Instead, it allows you to run further and faster overall.
The Myth of Forrest Gump
The question remains. Why does it take knowing that elites occasionally walk in their ultras to come to terms on whether or not I am a true runner? Because it shatters the myth of the Forrest Gump machine that never stops, never tires, and makes it look easy.
We don’t think of ourselves as a “runner” because we compare ourselves to others that are faster, run further, look effortless, don’t sweat, are always smiling, you know…people who are actual runners. They are not like us. Or at least that is what we have convinced ourselves of. These “real” runners are not even elites, they are our friends, our peers and individuals we see on social media.
The “real runners” are everyone else that appears to perform better than us. And, until we look like they do, it is hard to call ourselves a runner. Besides, we are still trying to figure out what a conversational pace really looks like without just going on a walk.
But that is the issue. We will never see ourselves as a runner, when all we are doing is looking at other runners and not at ourselves and how far we have come.
You Are, What You Say You Are
So, at what point do we get to officially call ourselves a runner? For me, I have embraced the fact that it isn’t based on how fast I am or how many miles I have run. Being a runner isn’t even about running races, qualifying for Boston, or winning your age group in the local 5k.
You start becoming a runner, the moment you decide you want to run. The moment, you lace up your shoes, head out the door and begin putting one foot in front of the other, regardless of your pace. At that first moment, you have started the journey of becoming a “runner.” Then you do it again, and again, and again. Once the consistency sets in, you will be out on a run, and it will hit you. In that moment you will realize you are a runner.
Quite simply, if you run…you are a runner. Welcome to the club.
What About You?
I would love to hear from you. Do you think of yourself as a runner? What do you think makes someone a runner?
Feel free to leave a comment below, catch up with me on Instagram at @winchesterjeff or send an email to [email protected]. Don’t forget to head over to our Video and Blog pages for more content!
