I am a runner.

“I am not somebody who just likes to run. I am a runner. This is the difference between a pastime and a passion. I like to play golf, but I am not a golfer. I like to cook, but I am not a chef. I don’t just like to run. I am a runner. It is a passion. It is part of who I am and is woven into the fabric of my personality, character, and psyche.”
                                                                  
                               – Adam Goucher from “Running the Edge”


I haven't always considered myself a runner; in fact, I used to run the minimum amount I had to for soccer and would call it a day.  You never know where your life may lead you though, and many years after my last college soccer game, I now consider myself a runner.  How did I go from the point of running just enough to get by to loving running?  Well, it started for me back in 2002 when I was diagnosed with exertional compartment syndrome.  I had to have a double fasciotomy - surgery on both legs.  I decided that a post-surgery race was in order so I signed up for the Lou Holtz 5K and started running with one of those crazy cross country friends.  I think it took me almost 30 minutes to finish and I was told I probably I wouldn't improve much from that.  Those are fighting words to a girl like me.  I started running more, signed up for a 10-miler, ran the 10-miler, and was hooked.  I was actually enjoying running, but I wouldn't say that I was a runner at that point. 



Over the next few years, I ran, but didn't really run.  I ran because it was good for me and kept me in shape.  I started training for the Kiawah marathon, wound up injured after the race, and took some time off.  Then, my life put me back on the path to becoming a runner.  I met a boy who I fell head over heels for.  I began running even less due to being tired from traveling to see him and the stress the relationship was causing.  Our relationship ended in heartbreak.  I had learned from a past experience that instead of looking back it would be wiser to walk away and keep moving ahead.  I decided to not just walk away, but to run away.  I started running and racing again, which led me to joining the Lexington Running Club.  Never in a million years did I expect to meet a group of lifelong friends.  I also didn't expect to fall so much in love with running that I would consider myself a runner. I had found a love for running, or maybe I should say running had found me.


I now find myself at the beginning of another path in my life; I'll be moving to a new state within the next year.  Am I worried about finding a job?  No.  Am I worried about going from being single to being someone's wife?  No.  What I am worried about is not being able to find what I have here.  My running group isn't just a running group.  They are an integral part of my life and are a lifeline of sorts.  I'm worried about not being able to find good running routes.  I'm worried about not having others to run with.  My main worries have to do with running.  Some might think this is crazy, but as Adam Goucher said, "I am a runner. It is a passion. It is part of who I am and is woven into the fabric of my personality, character, and psyche.”