Am I a runner?

This is something that’s cropped up in a few conversations recently – I was a bit miffed to hear 2^nd hand that somebody had said that I didn’t look like a runner for example!

So am I a jogger or a runner? Does that matter? Am I only a runner if I’m going at a fast pace? Maybe there’s a set distance? If I don’t run for a couple of months, am I still a runner? How about if I only run once a month? Or if I run in the gym on a treadmill but not outside? Is it about my kit?

There was a great article by Sam Murphy in Runners World a couple of issues ago on this topic – well worth a read. Her definition is that if you have your trainers laced up & you are out of the house, you’re a runner. Speed and distance don’t change that.

The difference between walking and running is that both feet are off the ground at some point in the movement if you are running – perhaps only briefly and only a little. No matter how gentle your running pace, you’d be disqualified from a walking athletics event for using this movement! It’s not defined by speed.

I think once you’ve done some running, you always are a runner. If you take a break and return, it’s very likely to be easier than it was learning to run initially – and you’ll know what to do.

I’m not keen on the phrase “jogger” as it implies a low level of effort that I don’t see at any Eastleigh WRN sessions! Jogging is a gentle running pace – but it is still a run.

I’ve found other runners very happy to chat about running with me, even when I know that I’m in a different league of performance – and I know that I’m not alone in that. Don’t be embarrassed to talk about your running with colleagues or friends who run – it’s a great chance to share tips and experiences.

“It is the runner in me who understands that the beauty of my body is in the things it can do, not the way it looks doing them.” - Kristin Armstrong, Runners World September 2010 and it's my new motto.

Anyway, we are all runners – enjoy!