Last month was the 3-year anniversary of running for me. Today, as I was running, I was thinking of all the greatest moments - realizing the day I was a runNER as opposed to someone who just runs, running my first 5k, finishing my first half marathon, lowering my mile pace down under 8 minutes, and all the other little victories along the way. Along with that, though, I was thinking of all the dumb things I've done in the last 3 years, and I thought I should pass some of the lessons along that I've learned. So, for all you would-be runners, current runners (who may be far better than I am), or those of you who have never run and don't plan on it, enjoy some lessons learned:
- o not go running after eating a huge plate of pasta, 4 enchiladas, or something equally heavy, especially if you do not plan on quitting after less than one mile
- The phrase 'run through your cramps' is a myth, personally disproven dozens of time
- If your dinner involves high doses of anything acidic, do not run. I repeat, do not run
- Interval running is the worst. The absolute worst
- Running with a cockapoo does not make you look tough
- Do not run 5 miles on a trail by yourself. Especially if it begins pouring halfway through
- While running on a trail in the rain, do not get turned around and end up running 7 miles instead of 5
- Getting soaked for over 4 miles during a run causes a horrible, weeks-long cold
- Migraine + 3-mile run = the rest of the night on spent on the couch
Most of these seem like common sense. And really, they are. All of them are. But, that's where the runners and those who run are different. I learned none of these lessons in the first 1 1/2 years of running. t all started when I trained for a half marathon - I became a runner, and all common sense flew out the window. I know all of these things and yet today, after eating a vinegar-heavy coleslaw, I did interval running for 30 minutes.
And, besides the burning running from my stomach all the way up through my throat, and feeling like I was going to puke, it felt awesome. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. That, my friends, is because I am a runner.
