Groundhogs and Bunnies

The air was hot and humid and, even though the temperatures were lower than the last few mornings, it still felt oppressive. We ran slow and easy - well, maybe it didn't feel easy but we weren't pushing ourselves hard this morning. I've made a habit of looking for wildlife along the trail because it takes my mind off the work. Today we saw a bunny and it saw us, too. It just sat there watching us run past. Up ahead, a groundhog saw us and took off full speed. I had no idea they could move so fast! It reminded me of the tortoise and the hare. The fast one sat still while the slow one dashed ahead.

Two years ago I decided to start running. I found a training program called "Couch to 5K", which promises to take even the most devoted couch potato and prepare them to run a 5K in nine weeks. I was skeptical. The first time I had to run for 30 seconds, it felt like a very big victory. Nine weeks later I ran a 5K in 34 minutes. It was cold and rainy that day and I ran the entire distance without walking. It was a very proud moment for me. A milestone, to say the least.

I've done other runs since then. Now I'm training for a half marathon and wondering what I got myself into! The schedule I'm following has me running four days a week, no less than three miles each time. Yesterday I had to run six.

I ran with three friends from boot camp: Thor, Bobby Mach, and Fiona. Talking to Thor before we began, I almost called myself "a runner," but caught myself, still unable to say it. You would think, after two years of semi-consistent running, and in the midst of a 4-day-a-week running program, I might not struggle with that, but I do. Why is that?

My theory is that a label comes with expectations. Ones you will either live up to, or fail in. If I call myself a runner, I'm opening myself up to criticism and potential failure. It is scary enough to sign up for a race you're not sure you can handle, but to identify with a group of people who are often better than you takes guts!

The hare didn't have to prove he was fast. Everyone knows that. Even when he isn't running, he's still a runner. The tortoise may not be fast, but his consistency made him a runner. Like Thor said to me:

You're a runner because you run.