1) When you just want to start your run, but you could have written a novel in the time it takes for your Garmin to load.
You have already done your stretching routine five times and your neighbors are starting to look suspicious, but you must wait until your signal loads (unless you want to be daring and run with just the timer).
2) Having to plan your day around your run.
3) Having to plan your day around when you eat.
Similar to planning your day around when you are going to run, you must also factor in when you are going to eat. Not only do you have to plan the time to eat a decent meal a few hours before your run, but plan to eat after your run. You know if you don't, you will be so hangry and won't be able to accomplish anything.
4) Your friends think you are crazy.
"You're running?! It's so hot out!" "You're running? It's snowing!" "You're running?! It's raining?" "You're running?! It's so early!" Yeah, yeah, yeah, you've heard it all, and quite frankly you often don't know why you choose to put yourself through that misery, but find it disgustingly thrilling and choose to do it anyways.
5) You spend all of your money on races.
For some reason, we pay to put ourselves through physical exhaustion. With 5k's cashing in around $50 a pop, half marathons costing anywhere from $80-$100 and marathons $100 plus, it's safe to say that you have to budget your money very wisely. When you online shop for clothes, you often think, "How many races could I run with this money that I'm about to spend?"
6) Wearing running clothes 90% of the time.
What's the point of looking nice if you know that you are going to just change into running attire in a few hours? Similarly, what's the point of looking nice if you just ran? You deserve to wear sweatpants! Right? Right!
7) Knowing where all of the public bathrooms, ports-potties, or hidden patches of woods are are on your running routes.
Hey, nature calls people. While you don't use them 98% of the time, there's always that 2% chance and it pays to know.
8) Being constantly hungry.
"Full" is not in your vocabulary and you are constantly snacking.
9) That feeling when you find your new favorite model of running shoes.
Which then leads to having a closet full of the same pair of shoes (in different colors if you're lucky).
10) Hitting the wall.
It happens to all of us. You are feeling so great (if you're lucky) for the first bit of your race or long run then all of the sudden, you feel as though death has come upon you. However, you consume a Gu as quick as possible and continue on anyways.
11) That feeling when your alarm goes off for an early morning run and you realize that you have to get out of bed to go on a run.
You are in a deep, peaceful slumber, when all of a sudden the devil himself appears in the form of your alarm. As you rise in a sleepy daze, you recall that it is an ungodly hour of the morning and you have to get out of your cozy bed to go run.
12) You hate the treadmill.
The ground is covered in ice to the point where you know if you tried to run outside, you would end up with a broken ankle. You break out in a nervous sweat, as you realize that your only option is the... the treadmill. You attempt to be entertained by whatever is on TV while trying not to look down at the time every 10 seconds. Your original plan is to run 6 miles, however, you bargain with yourself and decide to call it a day after 3. Of course, you tell yourself that you'll make up for it tomorrow.
13) Despite the ups and downs, you will always love running.
It's a love hate relationship, but at the end of the day you know you are going to wake up and do it again tomorrow.
