I am a runner.

Run one for the week done and done. I think I have run Burke Lake something like twelve times in the last couple of weeks. Twice I have been able to do it without walking, oh I'm sorry, make that three times after last night, BOOYAH!! Let's get something straight right off the bat, I don't feel like I have ever been a runner, it's not something that has agreed with me very much. It's hard for me to run, always has been. I do think running is absolutely necessary though in order to be physically fit, it's pretty much a yard stick for me on how fit someone actually is. You may have the biggest bulging biceps in the world but that does not mean you can run a mile without stopping. I have found that running is an incredibly useful tool in regards to health, fitness, and all around well being. I finished the run last night and while I was tired, I felt fantastic. A runners high. All the stress of the day was gone, work was completely forgotten, and I was even more excited to be home with my family. Maybe I am a runner, I may not love the act of running but I love everything that follows. I am not a fast runner so maybe in my head I think that I need to be able to run a six minute mile consistently to be a runner. The fact of the matter is, I went out and ran. I put one foot in front of the other, over and and over and over again. That makes me a runner. I may not be the fastest but still I am a runner. A twelve minute mile is just as far as a six minute mile. Tonight I will try to run the lake again without stopping. I will try to do it a little bit faster. I will focus on the end of the run rather than the moment itself when it hurts. Funny thing about a run is that they all end, yes it may hurt but it will end. I'll crank up the iPod, I'll push harder, I'll know the end is in sight. I will do this, I am a runner.