The Day I became a runner

For several years I ran inconsistently. I would train a few days a week for a couple of months and then do nothing for a couple more months. I always blamed it on changes at work taking up too much of my time, but that was just an excuse for my lack of commitment.

The day I became a runner was not when I completed my first full marathon. It was not the day I completed my second full marathon. It was not even the day I completed my 5^th half marathon. I clearly remember it was a warm, breezy winter afternoon and I was on a cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. On Sunday, December 14^th 2008, I was on the second day of a seven day cruise. The previous weekend I had just gotten a new PR at the New Las Vegas Marathon, running the half marathon. On this day I had spent the morning and much of the afternoon laying on the deck of the cruise ship drinking fruity alcoholic beverages with little umbrellas in them. I had taken the past week off of exercising and decided it was time to start again. I generally do all of my training outside. I don’t usually like running on a treadmill, it is too monotonous. The cruise ship has a tiny running track on the very top deck. The waters were rough. The ship was noticeably listing side to side and front to back. The wind was blowing around 30 knots, and I couldn’t keep my hat on my head without using my hand to hold it. I’m very fair skinned. The thought of being outside in the bright sun without a hat on is very daunting to me. I decided my best option is to go to the onboard gym and use the treadmill. The gym is located at the very front of the ship with lots of windows giving a great view of the ocean. I jumped on a treadmill to run an easy 5k. The rocking of the ship seemed to be in a counter-clockwise circular pattern. It took a few minutes for me to get used to it and realize it was actually the ship motion and not just the several drinks I had earlier. Since I’m not used to running on a treadmill, I neglected to bring a towel with me. When the sweat started dripping in my eyes, I used both hands to lift the bottom of my shirt up to my face to wipe it off. As my hands covered my eyes and the boat rocked to the side, I accidently stepped off of the moving part of the treadmill and tripped. Luckily I was able to catch the handrail and avoided injury. I learned a valuable lesson that day. If you are going for a run on a treadmill while intoxicated on a moving cruise ship, it is a good idea to hold onto the handrail before closing your eyes. I finished the run feeling like I sweated out all the alcohol, so I was ready for a few more drinks. I took a shower, got dressed and went to find my friend lounging on deck. He asked me how the run was. I told him about the wind on the track, the rocking on the treadmill, and the incident of stepping off the treadmill. I then announce “I must be a runner, because I’m really looking forward to my next run.” I proudly sat down and rewarded myself with a few more of those fruity drinks with the umbrellas in them.

Previous to that day, when people asked me if I was a runner I would reply “No, I’m just a guy who enjoys running.” After that day, my answer now is “Yes, I Love it.” Another strange thing happened to me after admitting to myself that I am a runner. I started running faster, feeling stronger and recovery from my long runs did not take as long. I confess that I was always a slow and steady, back of the pack kind of guy. I like to tell people that I have now graduated to “average speed”. My long runs are now a pleasure from start to finish. In the past I enjoyed the middle of the run, but really dragged physically and mentally near the end. Now I feel great the whole time and have to stop myself when I get to that days planned distance even though I want to keep going. Announcing to the world that “I am a runner” has made a big impact on me. I realize that the power of positive thinking really works. I hope to apply this lesson to other parts of my life. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll also say “I’m a cyclist”, but for now I just enjoy riding my bike.