So, I am a runner. I don't know why I feel sheepish admitting that. I am, for the record, not super fit. I ate two giant sugar cookies at lunch today, despite the fact that I am "doing Weight Watchers" right now. I just never want to be that kind of runner that rubs it in other peoples face that they are a runner. Or that tells everyone that they should become a runner. I fully acknowledge that running is not for everyone. I never thought I would be a runner - I used to wonder why anyone would run if not being chased - and then a few years ago while looking for an easy and cheap way to work out while traveling for work, I took up running. It didn't require any special equipment and I could do it anywhere. First I thought I would never run a mile. Then I thought I would never be able to run 3. But I kept plugging away at it and found that it was actually pretty fun. I love it now. And I love that I know that my body can do difficult things.
On the 24th, I ran my first official race. It was a 10k in Spanish Fork called The Speedy Spaniard. I had the day off work, and my brother's clinic was one of the sponsors and I thought, why not. I ran it with my sister Melissa and my brother Jared. It was the first race for any of us.
I was sort of amazed at the kind of people who show up to run these races. There are a lot of people out there who take running really seriously. Here is a random list of all the things that my sister and I made fun of while waiting at the starting line and as we ran:
- In the grand scheme of running, a 10K is not that far. It only takes about an hour. But there were people there who looked like they were setting out for a 300 mile run - compression leggings, hydra-packs, fanny packs full of Goo (which Melissa described as tasting like orange flavored astro-glide) pace trackers, GPS units. No one was being followed by a support van.
- There are apparently people at races who get to the venue and then RUN while waiting for the race to start. Like they are unaware that we are about to head out on a 6 mile run. They are just hardcore enough that they need to get in a few extra miles before the race starts.
- I have recently become one of those runners who wear the short-ish shorts. Mine end a few inches above my knee. I still feel slightly uncomfortable wearing them, but thought I would wear them to the Spaniard. I had no reason to feel awkward. I may have well been wearing a burkha for how covered up I was compared to the other runners. Despite the fact that the race started at 7 am and it was about 60 degrees that morning, there were a lot of guys there looking like this:
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| I mean, there is barely enough fabric to pin the number to. |
- Lot's of people run with babies in strollers. I could barley get myself to the race by 6:30am, let alone my two toddlers. And it hurts pretty bad when the person pushing two kids in a giant double stroller passes you.
- Also people running with dogs. Those dogs are so mad. They thought they were just going for a walk.
- Really pregnant women. In fact we were beat soundly by a woman who was probably in her 39th week. She was even wearing some sort of pregnant belly holster.
- If you did the Ragnar, it was a rule that you wore your ragnar t-shirt. We get it. Today you are only running a 10K but last month you ran the ragnar! We get it!
- One person who doesn't take running music seriously is my sister Melissa. I have a few running mixes I listen to. Mostly involving music that 13 year old girls like. But my sister Melissa claims to be too busy to make a running mix. So she just shuffles her whole iPod when she runs, which means inevitably she has to listen to Santa, Baby by Kellie Pickler on nearly every run. Rockin Around the Christmas Tree came up at least 3 times in our 10k. Which begs the question, how many versions of that song do you have on your iPod, Melissa?
So if you run any 10ks soon, keep an eye out and see how many of these things you spot. What? You don't run? Oh, you totally should. It's the greatest.
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| Look! I took 186th place!! |
