So You Want to Become a Runner…
So you want to become a runner?
Aside from my relationship with Christ, running is my joy. It is something that I am passionate about, it spurs me on to become better and stronger, and it has taught me many things.
So you want to become a runner? That is awesome. It is an exciting, crazy, and strange journey sometimes.
I wanted to warn you what will inevitably happen when you become a runner:
1. You will want to practice. A lot. Practice makes perfect and running is no different.
2. Races are amazing. Because they are amazing, you might find yourself addicted to them. Signing up for every one that comes your way is to be expected.
3. When you finish a race you will probably become emotional. It is to be expected. The drama, the emotions, the energy (or lack thereof) is overwhelming when you cross the finish line.
4. You will find you have a hard time satisfying the never-ending pit. Carbs will become your friends.
4. A running buddy is the best thing since sliced bread. Find yourself one.
5. Shoes will come and go. (It is emotional.) Make sure to rotate them every 300-500 miles.
6. There is no such thing as bad weather. Just bad gear (which is obvious in this picture.)
7. Runner’s World may be the most exciting magazine that comes in the mail. It is also great when paired with proyo.
8. Race bling is the best bling.
9. Running will become an excuse to wear crazy colors all day.
10. Your excitement about race goody bags might be embarrassing. I have concluded that the goody bags at races are adult versions of the goody bags that we got at birthday parties when we were all young.
11. After a while, a ten-miler will feel short.
13. Your garmin will become your closest companion. And at the end of a race, it will weird amazing feel to stop it.
14. You may start to take a strange amount of pictures of your shoes. (Especially if they are new!)
15. You might lose toenails. (Trust me, you don’t want to see this picture…I have realized I am never going to be a foot model.)
16. Winter runs might be hard, but you will soon realize they are so worth the feeling afterward.
17. You may or may not have to budget a whole new amount in your finances for the amount of protein bars you end up purchasing… it will happen eventually.
18. You will probably become interested in everything related to time, speed, distance, and how you stack against ‘normal’ runners.
19. You may begin to have dreams about finishing your first marathon. (This just happened to me, my time in my dream was 2:34. That would be awesome!)
20. Your pinterest account may start being filled with pins like this:
22. You might find yourself justifying cookies. It’s ok, we all do it. (In moderation of course!)
23. You’ll find each run is a new adventure.
24. If you get out of bed early enough, you may witness beautiful sunrises.
25. Hopefully, you will develop a love for veggies and grocery shopping.
26. Lastly, you won’t want to stop.
Running, like the Christian walk, is a continual journey. It is a journey of finding your strength, embracing your weaknesses, and pushing yourself even when you don’t want to. Running has taught me a lot, and has given me another thing to be passionate about. Running has made me grateful for the life and legs God has given me and for the ability to strive after a goal.
So, you want to become a runner? Great. You are in for an amazing ride.
1 Corinthians 9:24
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.”