Running Ruminations

It’s the first Wednesday in June, so that means happy global running day (GRD)! If you’re a runner and are even remotely active on social media, you probably already knew it was the one arbitrary day of the year where runners feel very validated about their love of running and will thusly probably proclaim their love for the sport. 

As an added bonus, oftentimes a lot of races and running shoe or apparel companies offer GRD discounts, so if you’re in the market for an in-person race (they are coming back!) or shoes or whatever, today might be a good day to do some research and get after it.

My GRD run wasn’t too out of the ordinary, another run from home into the park, but not without a small adventure first. Initially, G and I were going to do some playground runs, with her on bike, after we wrapped up distance learning, but after only a half-mile or so in, she had an irreparable flat, so we came home, I replaced the tube, and then I managed to somehow completely screw up the bike as I was assembling it… so it’s currently sitting in the garage, waiting for C to finish working so he can try to figure out what the heck I did wrong. I can’t say I didn’t try, but dang, I really hope I didn’t royally screw up her bike. 

At any rate, by the time I finally got out for my run, for real this time, it was nearly 1:30pm. It was already hot and sunny — nearly 80 — so I figured today was as good as any to be the first sportsbra run of the season. That, and the nice breeze, made for a lovely, very toasty run. 

While certainly GRD is one of those “made-up holidays,” akin to national hamburger day or national margarita day or take-a-nap day or whatever, I think it can be an opportunity to reflect on the role this sport plays in our lives. I run for tons of reasons, much like you do, for everything from relieving stress, to helping me sleep/eat/make my bowels work better, as a way to stay connected with friends or to meet other people, to role model healthy living for my kids, to be competitive with myself — all of that and more. I don’t know that I’d ever fully be able to describe all the reasons I find such immense satisfaction in putting one foot in front of the other, over, and over, and over again… but I do. 

In the decades-plus that I’ve been doing what I do, my experience, time and again, has been that there is always someone in your life watching — and not menacingly, more curiously than anything. They are intrigued about what you do, this weird running hobby you have, and think that maybe, just maybe, they, too, could try. 

People know that you’re that one person who likes to run marathons or whatever, and they may have been considering starting running for a long time but are convinced they can’t because (fill in the blank). Eventually, these people will get up the nerve to talk to you about it and will probably ask you some questions, convincing themselves in the process that they need to first go out and buy or go do (fill in the blank) before they can get started. 

It is our responsibility to convince them that all they need to start is the willingness and interest to try. Everything else can come later.

The best thing we can do for this sport is to make it as accessible to people as possible, and included in that is becoming a positive ambassador, a positive steward, of this sport that’s as old as time. (Enter: arbitrary days like GRD). 

All of us got to where we are today in our running by making mistakes early on (and continuing to make mistakes; such is life), learning from our experiences, and proceeding forward.

So many people think that they’re not a “real runner” because of some convoluted reason they’ve created for themselves, and as runners, I feel like it’s our responsibility — or duty, whatever you want — to encourage people and let them know that yes, in fact, they are a “real runner.” 

If you like to run, and you propel yourself in a generally-forward direction (my working definition of “run”), then voilà: you are a runner. 

It really is as simple as that.

May you have miles of smiles today, on global running day, as well as every day you are lucky enough to move your body. xo