OK GO

Having amped up my running schedule lately (I would say it’s to enjoy the great summer weather, but irony is soooo 1995), I’ve been wondering what makes a runner. More specifically, when do you call yourself a runner and why? Ple1der wrote an excellent post on the subject, where he states that it's not about the look, it's all about the attitude. Meaning if you push yourself when you're tired, or wake up at ungodly hours to get a run in before work, that makes you a runner. While parts of his argument sound a tad elitist, the fundamental reasoning that a runner is defined by perseverance and resilience, i.e. inner qualities, is one I whole-heartedly agree with. And overall one I tend to practice, or at least try to. Just last Monday I spent 20 minutes of my run (the classic lap around Hyde Park) under a battering rain, with visibility close to zero. And I loved every second of it. In fact I might prefer running under the rain than in sunny conditions, because it clears the roads and gives an extra incentive to go faster. At least I do for 2-3 months a year, as doing this in mid-Feb is a bit more gruesome.

Despite this at no point have I considered or called myself a runner. To me runners are the people who do highly-detailed training sessions (sprint for 400m, then slower for 2k, then fast again for 800m, etc...) and do things like wake up at 8am to go run 12 miles. What I like about running is that it's a very simple act, that generally feels like the most natural thing in the world. My running method is based on 1 rule: if I feel good I go faster, if I don't I go slower. I always try to go as fast as I can, but if I can't so be it. Also, since I did a lot of competitive-level sports in school, ever since I have been looking to sports mostly for pleasure and performance, not really to put a quantifiable result on my level. Which might explain why the upcoming Royal Parks half-marathon in October will be the first time I participate in a race in about 15 years. And even then, I mostly joined because a lot of people at work are doing it and it should be a fun and sociable event.

However I have recently bought the new Nike watch-usb thingy, which connects to your computer to upload your stats after you run, and I L O V E it. I have to admit that getting an immediate feedback on your performance during and after your run is pretty amazing. Not just the timer, because any fake Casio bought in Chinatown could've done the trick for that, but having the pace, calories, and especially the great Nike+ website where you see your updated stats as soon as you plug it it: instant gratification/disappointment. I do understand the point of competing against yourself more now and the thrill to see you've just beat a PR (that's runner-speak for personal record. See, I'm even talking like one now). I still enjoy the sport more as an aid toward a healthier lifestyle than as a primary hobby, but if I can inject a relative level of competition into it, why not. After all a lot of my best memories from childhood are linked to sports, and though my dreams of being an Olympic champion might be far behind, a little competing here and there can't hurt.

So while I might still have a pretty narrow definition of what a runner is and not consider myself one, I think it's interesting to see how this definition might be incredibly different from person to person, just like I encounter dozens of people of different age, fitness level and running style during my jaunts through the parks. It's what makes running the ultimate democratic sport, and shows that it will never go out of fashion.

Oh, and I almost forgot the important part: thanks to running I can get that "occasional" raspberry-cream glazed donut from the Krispy Kreme stand at Tesco, without a single degree of guilt. If that's not something worth sacrificing for, I don't know what is.