The word "Jogging"

We don't jog. We run. Yes, we do have our "slow, easy run" days, but we are always running, not jogging.

"Wow, you're lucky to be so comfortable to run in a sports bra/without a shirt"

Me running without a T-shirt on has nothing to do with me trying to show off my body. I would just rather run my 10-mile run in this 85-degree weather with the least amount of excess fabric possible.

"Cross country isn't a sport."

This I have never understood, because cross country is a difficult race that requires perseverance and athletic ability just like any other sport. Every runner is pushing their body to the limit, running as fast as they can. They are racing against the clock: trying to beat the other runners and their own past race times. It takes mental and physical discipline to run cross country just like any other sport.

"I saw that picture of you running in that last race and..."

Just stop right there. Unfortunately, it's actually quite impossible to photograph well when running a cross country race that makes me feel like I'm dying.

"When's your next track meet?"

Well, not until next spring, because it's cross country season now. You asking me when my next track meet is is just like me asking when your next basketball game is, when it's clearly football season.

"Yeah, our game got cancelled because it was raining."

Runners have competed in hail, rain, snow, sweltering heat, and everything in-between because cross country meets rarely get cancelled.

"Wow, I don't understand how you can eat so much"

Runners are always hungry, but with good reason. We run two miles in our warm-up, two miles to cool down, and we have a nice workout in-between, which probably explains our ability to eat everything in sight.