"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible." TE Lawrence

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

You might be a runner if. . .

more race numbers litter your floor than used running shorts,

you run no matter what the weather is like,

You keep a spare pair of running shoes in your trunk in case your car breaks down... just run to the closest town!

your shoes have more miles than your car,

You can swallow a bug during a run and not slow your pace,

you can farmer's blow (or snot rocket) in mid conversation and no one around you looks at you like you did something gross.

you're ALWAYS complaining that your effin shins hurt,

you need a bigger office at work to hold all your race bibs and finisher medals.

You find it difficult to walk on a sidewalk because you are so accustomed to running in the street.

ran to the hospital (3 miles away) to deliver your second child, pushing your 16 month old in a stroller.

When on the road in your car you think how long it would take you to run the mileage given on the freeway signs.

You swear you hate every step of a run, yet you show up again tomorrow and do it again.

Not having toenails is totally normal.

you wake up at 3:30am to get your long run in before work...and don't complain about it

if you have to apologize for every blister, callous, and missing toenail to the poor lady who does your pedicure!

What others see as running attire, you see as a daily outfit .

when youre driving and see another runner, you eaither want to pull over and join them, or honk your horn and cheer them on.

You tell me. I just did my first half but still talk about what "real runners do".


People ask you every Monday how you did in your race.

If u walk in on your significant other rubbing chafing cream on their 'tender' bits and think nothing of it...

You can't make it thru the day or night... Without getting a run in...you make time ..


Hallucinations are part of your long runs at night....

you don't laugh when you hear the word fartlek.

you love the smell of your own sweat after a long run

you choose a cell phone based on whether or not it will fit in the zippered pocket of your running shorts.

tear your ACL & cant run, & everyone aound you tells you you need to run to fix your attitude. :)

your nipples bleed.

You hobble around on Monday following a marathon and can't wait for your next one!

You sleep with your running clothes & SHOES on just so you can sqeeze in some miles
for a challenge that you really want to win.

If you know your calf needs a rest but its too nice out not to get in a quick 3.

you have more finisher t-shirts than work shirts and more running shoes than dress shoes!

You plan your vacations and weekend getaways around races in different cities!


if you fall asleep before sunset so you wake to enjoy running in the calm predawn stillness with the sunrise on one side and the stars on the other.

you drink from a handheld bottle at the dinner table....and actually use the strap

your non-runner friends know what a fartlek is, what your favourite distance is and they know about the upcoming races - because you're talking about running all the time.

you find out you need to have surgery and the first question you ask is "how soon can I get back to running?"

after crossing the Finish Line you run the course a 2nd time.

you ever wondered during a marathon what made you think running a marathon was a good idea, knowing full well you will do it again, and again, and again just because you can.

when you're in your car and see people running somewhere scenic you've never run before, you immediately want to pull over and do it, too.

Driving past woods has you wondering if tehre is enough room for a single track trail...

You remember a town not for its tourist attractions, but for where you started/finished, puked/potty stop, kid who high fived you, and where you realized that having the Chinese food last night was not a good idea.

Your main wardrobe is running clothes and a Garmin!!!

You use your lunch break for running instead of eating.

If you never leave the house without your running gear just in case.

When other people talk about 100 mile runs, no toenails, chafing, excess money spent on races, "peeing" on the run-you feel normal.


You complain about spending $150 on groceries because that would be almost 2 early registration fees for marathons.

if you smell your running clothes to see if they can be worn again....ok maybe that is just me..

You only feel comfortable wearing running shoes

You are grouchy all day if you don't do your daily run!

your blisters have blisters

You have 6 pairs of the exact same shoes

you can't remember the last time you had ten toenails

The nail on your big toe is gone forever, never to grow back.

getting up at or before 4:00 A.M. doesn't faze you, whether for a training run, a race, volunteering, or being support crew for someone else!

you can convert from miles to kilometers in your head in a matter of seconds.

You are planning the changes you'll make for your next marathon while being carried off course during a marathon with a blown hamstring. True story. Happened to me yesterday and it totally sucks.

you don't like having to take a "rest day.

you smirk when non-runners ask you, "So how long is this marathon?"

You complain about being in pain all the time but still go running.

You pick races and events just to put the stickers on your car!

You've never had to buy safety pins.

You know how to secretly sneak into the local track, even with the gates locked.

when you've heard the line "I'll only run when some one is chasing me" way too many times to count!
your stuck in traffic and as you look out the window you wonder if you got out and ran how far you would go and at what pace....

You fight through the pain only to feel more pain!

Your already stoked for your next run , after you come back from a run..

You get more excited about using body glide then astraglide!

You start a run on a Thursday night and end Saturday afternoon, 150 miles later. . . .

when your not running ,you size up every runner you see.

...if, on your birthday, your first thought is..."I'm in a new age division!"...lol

you respect the fact that a 5 minute mile is the same distance as a 10 minute mile...

You understand this FDL>DNF>DNS


Your "To Do" list looks like this:
1. Run
2. Everything else


You spent the past 15 min reading this and realize how far you could have run in that time.


This question was posed on a FB post. Too funny not to share with others.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

When a good deal is not a deal.

So I get this e-mail. 50% off running shoes your daily Groupon. Charlotte running Co. $25.00 for a $50.00 gift card for shoes only. I'm thinking great deal. New shoes are definately needed.

My next shoe however is the NB Minimus. I'm slowly moving to zero drop. This shoe has awesome reviews. The shoe arrives early at my normal dedicated store RFYL. I swing in to try them out. Of course I get great service as always. I'm even notified about the dangers associated with minimal running.

Knowing I'm not buying that night I get my usual service.

I send a e-mail to Charlotte Runnig Co. requesting to let me know when the Minimus arrives. I wait until March 1 and still no reply. I call the store, and find out they are in. However theey did not order a 13 for fear a minimal runner may not buy this shoe in a larger size.

I drive down to try the 12, if it doesn't fit i'm ready to buy my wife her Asics.
No luck the 12 is too small and they don't sell the Asics. Now i know I went in with the attitude of what I wanted. The service or advice I recieved was he thought the shoe had a low arch and felt he rolled in on the inside.

Just as im ready to sell my Groupon to a customer he tells me we can order them. I agree to this and we make the sale.

Now a week later and i have yet to get a call my new kicks are in. I call the store to find out maybe by Friday.

Now I am not writing this to bash anyone other than myself. I should have passed on what I thought was a good deal. Gas at 3.50 a gallon and I need to drive 15 miles out of my way to pick them up whenever they do arrive. I'm thinkin the $25.00 bucks I saved may not be worth it after all.

Gotta run. ( in my old shoes.)