What does it mean to be a runner?

I ran the Beyond the Rainbow 5K on Sunday up in New Market, New Hampshire.

Usually I run the Great Bay Half Marathon at this event each year. You know why I opted for the 5K this year, so I wont go into that again. At the 2.5 mile mark the Half Marathon runners went straight and us 5K runners turned right and headed back into town.

Many times I’ve been in the group that was just warming up at 2.5 miles. I was running my 5K pace Sunday and was happy to take the right turn. After the race, while hanging out with some friends at the VFW, I started feeling like I should have signed up for The Half. I know I did the right thing, but part of me still wanted to run long Sunday.

Part of being a runner is knowing when to say when and look to tomorrow. Knowing what you can do and what you should do and then doing it. I made the right choice but my heart wanted to go long and run through the woods and fields of New Hampshire with my tribe.

Last week I read this post by Chris Cudworth on his blog We Run and Ride. He talks about his journey as a runner from being a 6-year-old running laps in his back yard through the wisdom the years have given him. The article conveys the philosophy so many of us understand and live by.

Enjoy.

On what it means to be a runner

By Christopher Cudworth