I run...therefore I am.

By: Stephanie Geraghty

 

As you know, we embrace all ability levels with Stroller Warriors. In fact, I think we even get most excited about the members that have never ran a day in their life but want to start their journey with us. As far as I’m concerned, the day they show up to a workout and do run/walk intervals, they are a RUNNER!

 

But for some reason, that term “runner” is frequently deemed something that must be earned. What are the qualifications? Do you have to run a certain pace? Do you have to run a certain mileage? Do you have to run for several years?  Do you have to run the entire way? Do you have to run a half marathon? Maybe the real runners are only the marathoners?

 

I don’t recall ever seeing a list of requirements somewhere to call yourself a runner. If you run, even if it’s 1 block, doesn’t that mean you are a runner?



You may be surprised to hear that long distance running never came naturally to me. In high school, I woke up nervous and dreaded the cross country workouts. We typically ran 1 or 2 miles and I thought it might as well be 100. But, I made myself do it, because it was beneficial for basketball and track & field (my "real" sports) and I enjoyed the camaraderie of my team mates. Regardless of our team’s success, it was still a mental struggle for me and I never really felt like I was a distance runner. I saw myself as a jumper, a sprinter, a hurdler, a basketball player. Distance runner? NOPE. I didn’t feel great doing it, nor was I the winner at our meets, so that surely meant I didn’t rate that title.

The funny thing is, the title of this blog, "I run...therefore I am," was on the back of one of our team track shirts.  I should have paid closer attention to the message that our outstanding coaches Nancy Collins, Deb McCarthy, and Frank Nelson were trying to convey to us.  They valued every runner on the team, no matter their ability, no matter their event.  When I reflect back today, so much of how Stroller Warriors operates is because of how they led our team.

 



Here's an entertaining throwback photo for you,

dating back to 1998! This was was one of my senior

year XC meets. I was always chasing my speedy
counterpart and dear friend Steph (Collins) Harder. 



Years passed and I took up road races as a hobby following college. I set a goal to run a half marathon and followed a training plan carefully to get to race day. At that point, I finally considered myself a distance runner. But why did it take me completing a half marathon to feel like I earned that title?! IT SHOULDN’T HAVE.

 

Everyone has different talents. Perhaps running is not your first and most natural talent.  Perhaps it's still a new sport to you and you are still learning.  Or maybe you feel awful during most of your runs and assume only the "real" runners feel good.  (Trust me, it hurts for everyone at some point!)  No matter what you believe running is or what it should feel like, if you are out there trying, whether that's running 1 mile a couple times a week, training for a 5K, aiming for a 10K, or maybe even an ultra, you have more than earned your title as a RUNNER.

 

Here at Camp Lejeune, we have a lot of runners training for the Marine Corps Marathon or the Outer Banks Marathon, both later this year. The weekend mileage is climbing, with most of their long runs now in the double digits. I’ve heard people discuss them and comment on how someday, they want to be like that…a real runner.

Our weekend early morning crew at Camp Lejeune, NC.
All distances, all paces...all RUNNERS.

  

My response…you already are! Don’t sell yourself short. Training for shorter distances is less time consuming but is still challenging.  We all have a distance that works for us. And we all have our own pace.  Every distance at every pace is a great accomplishment.  It seems to be a natural succession to aim for the longer distances after meeting a goal, which is great!  But there are also alternative ways to improve that should not be overlooked or undervalued.  You can take on more advanced training plans and focus on increasing your speed and endurance for those shorter distances.  Or perhaps take on a new type of race, like a duathlon, aquathon, triathlon, or Tough Mudder to incorporate running with other activities.  All these different goals keep us moving forward and that's all that really matters.

There is no such thing as a real runner.  I run…therefore I am. And that goes for you too, RUNNER.

HAPPY RUNNING,
Steph
Stroller Warriors Founder & Camp Lejeune Coordinator