Is it a question I wonder all the time – am I real runner? Because in a world of Strava statistics and in current influences (let’s call them “runfluencers”) it is almost impossible not to compare yourself. And that lets you feel like you are nowhere close to hitting the criteria of what it is to be a runner.
I’ve been running for 9 years. And at that time I have gone from being a full running beginner to do 5K, 10k, half marathons, and last year I saw me completing a long -term Ultra Marathon event. Now I run regularly 3 times a week and I am a specialist leader for my local team.
And yet, however, all these achievements, I still regularly wonder that I am a real runner!
I know I’m not alone in feeling that way. It is a question that many people, often women, often close, and so I want to look at his mentality to run in a little more details. Apart from that, I will share how I crush these negative thinking patterns and the things I do to feel more like a runner.
What does it mean to be a runner
To the right, let’s break it, make it extremely clear. If you are running, you are a runner. Right; To the most basic terms set by a runner – someone running.
The problem is that it’s not so simple.
We are very fast to compare ourselves to others and put parameters around what we think should be a runner. It could run a certain distance, a specific speed, or maybe even on the basis of expectations of how a “real” runner should look at.
And if we do not fit into the stereotypical image of a cursor that is paved, lightweight frame, and gazelle-as we see in the social media, it is no surprise to question I am a real runner!
Does not fit this stereotype. I’m not fast, my body shape is not like what needs to run, I have a very strange gait and I have to force myself out on a run. And yet, here I am. A runner. Someone who runs.
Here are some of the things I do to stop the negative conversation and that kept me steadily for the last 9 years:
Dress the place
Even when you feel like an absolute fraudster, if you dress like a runner, you will feel like a runner. And for me, they are the Lycra gaiters and one Hoodie with a slogan that creates this shift of mentality.
In my role as an Adidas blogger, I have the opportunity to choose what I like from their website and then write about it. It’s not a bad concert, huh? And when I put my last adidas with me I found something that immediately fell my eye.
This gender neutral hoodie runners is what I ever want from a hoodie. It’s comfortable, it’s comfortable and most important of all … it has a zip pocket (it won’t lie, if you’re excited about zipper pockets, you’re 100% runner!). But the thing that grabbed my attention was the slogan printed on the back – “Every rhythm has a place”.
And that’s where it sums it up perfectly. No matter how slow you are, whether you have to stop every time and again and walk for a while, or even if you are super fast. Each of you who hit out there the sidewalks on your shoes or hit the trails on your waterproof trainersYou are all runners. And don’t leave anyone (including yourself!) They tell you something different.
If I feel “meh” for my routes, putting something that makes me feel good, like this hoodie for example, it’s sometimes the only thing I have to take back in my step and get me out of the door. And that’s the matter really. Small actions to make you feel good about yourself.
Change the narrative
If you are challenging, I am a real runner, it probably means you need a mindset. And it’s up to you to change the narrative if you want to create a healthy relationship with running.
While there is no doubt that we are affecting what we see on the internet, many of what we say can run much deeper than that. A truly useful phrase that I like to repeat myself when I reach this negative head space is “my thoughts are not facts”. This helps to ground me and rationalize the thoughts that can drag into indefinable.
Here are some other changes you can make to help you redefine your thoughts:
- Change – ‘I finished in the last place’
- To – ‘I finished loud’
- Change – ‘People can laugh at me’
- To – ‘My people accept me’
- Change – “If I have to stop and walk, I have to do it wrong.”
- To – “I hear my body and do what I need”
- Change – ‘I’m too slow’
- To – ‘Every rhythm has a place’
It’s all about the positive mental attitude. Believing in yourself. Get out there and do it. And knowing that whatever you do, this will always be enough.
Stop comparing
I often find myself trapped in a comparison spiral. Where I not only compare myself to what others do, but also look back on the achievements of my “past”. I know it’s not healthy and I still can’t stop myself. When that happens, I know there is only one thing about it. I stop recording my routes and taking out all the follow -up apps. This means that I am no longer able to compare myself against the rhythm and to distance others do because I cannot see their routes. But most importantly, this means that I cannot also look back and compare myself to my own paths.
Because the thing is every route is unique. How do you feel and run one day will never be the same as when you do it another day. And surely it will never be the same as someone else running. We need to move away from the statistics, stop obsessed with numbers and celebrate every running we do.
There are so many factors that can affect the way we run – not enough sleep, they are also not eaten, not drunk enough water, time of month, it is raining, it is very hot – the list is endless. What matters more than anything else is to go out and enjoy yourself. Certainly, you may not necessarily enjoy it all over the road (the hills will never be easy), but if you finish this running with a smile on your face and you feel you can get to the world, this is a victory.
Put the guilt
If you don’t feel like running a day, it’s simple … don’t go. There is no rule of when and how often you have to run. Not if you are not training for something and then you should stick to the training plan! But otherwise you should hear 100% what your body tells you.
Tune in to how you feel physically, mentally and emotionally when you run. These are the best indicators of your progress, not statistics. I treat running as an opportunity to create some space. One time to reconnect with myself, to edit thoughts and to deal with any stuck or difficult emotions. Sometimes I cry in a run, sometimes I come with my most creative ideas, sometimes I am in full angry (these are often faster!). But no matter what happens, I always finish my running feeling better and my head clearer.
Resting days are as important as execution days and should always be taken into account in training plans. Rest does not mean that you have failed if something marks you so stronger. And also if you have to walk during your journey, that’s ok. Most Ultra Runners, walk the hills and run the apartments, so you are in a very good company if you need to walk every so often. All movements count.
Final thoughts
Moral of the story, if you run, you are a runner. No one gets to set the rules of what a “real” runner does. As Adidas Hoodie says – “Every pace has a place” and you are just as worth having the runner’s title as someone who can run a Sub30 5K!
So if you ever find yourself asking, I am a real runner, I want to re -read this blog post and remember that you do not need to compare yourself to others, you just have to believe in yourself a little more, put these trainers and go out there and run.
*In collaboration with Adidas
Ever wonder if you are a real runner? What helps you stay motivated?
Bio writer
Becky Stafferton is a full -time content creator, tissue publisher and blog coach. He is constantly trying to promote a realistic, sustainable and positive picture of how to lead a healthy life. When she does not write or read her teenage diary, she can be found through muddy puddles, hiking through the forest, making lists of lists, having a good old groaning, renovation of her brand new home in the country and ends as her life depends on her. Is also owner of the Blogwell, A blog coaching company that teaches small business owners how to use blogging to marke their business.
