Today was my 12 mile training run for Rock ‘n Roll Philadelphia. I’m not going to lie, I totally rocked it, and I had about 1 hour 42 minutes and 41 seconds to do some thinking.
Here is a summary of my thoughts.
- 12 miles is definitely longer than 10 miles. My knees can feel it.
- I am thankful for the cooler air up north. No wonder why the major races (Boston and NYC marathons) are up north.
- I’m super excited to go to Houston this week and I thought about all the different things that I need to pack into 7 days.
- What is a runner?
That last thought is one I really want to focus on and dive into a bit more.
I consider myself a runner. I enjoy running. I always have a sense of accomplishment upon finishing whether it be 2 miles or 13 miles. Running is my means of stress relief which allows me to enjoy running even more. I strive to improve with each and every run. I am not the fastest runner and I know there are many distances that I have yet to conquer, but I am still a runner. I believe that the definition of a runner is much like beauty, it lies in the eye of the beholder. Some people may think that runners are those people that participate in multiple marathons a year or hold records or have extraordinary speed. I think that a runner is someone who is passionate about the sport and is constantly trying to improve and reach new goals. I have yet to run a full marathon (I plan to though…in 2012!) and even though I have not conquered the 26.2 mile distance, I believe I am still a runner. I have now run in 5 half marathons, but I believed myself to be a runner after the first. It was addicting and I wanted to keep going and to get better!
Anyone out there who thinks they’re a runner, remember that this is completely up to you. The definition is so vast that as long as you believe you’re a runner then you are! Remember to keep training to reach new distances, speeds, heights, etc. Believe in yourself because that is what this sport is all about.
Now here is a great picture of JP after our run this morning.
Yes, that is blood on his shirt from him nipple. If bleeding due to nipple chafing from a 12 mile run doesn’t qualify you as a runner, than I don’t know what does! JP did an awesome job during his run today as well! He finished just a few minutes behind me and is on track to finish his half marathon in under 2 hours!
I’m headed off to go pack up my suitcase now! I’m taking an EARLY (6am) flight to Houston tomorrow and I’ll be there for the week. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll be able to give everyone a weekend recap and I’ll share some super awesome recipes with everyone!
Food for thought: What is a runner to you? (Leave a comment! I love to read them!)
Until next time…
With love and God bless,
Amy, JP and Maggie
