How You Know You Are a Runner

By Sabrina Grotewold

Do you remember when somebody referred to you as a runner for the first time, or when you first called yourself a runner? You probably beamed with pride at that moment because you know how much dedication it takes to push past the hard and become a consistent runner.
If you've been a runner for a long time, the running-related habits you practice daily have probably become so second nature that you view them as normal—not quirky or weird like your non-runner friends and family might.
You know that you're a medal-collecting, number-worshipping, get-'er-run-done-no-matter-what runner when...

You Know You're a Runner When...

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most days you don't consider not running

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You Know You're a Runner When...

2 of 26

you bring your own mylar blanket to the start area of races when it's cold

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You Know You're a Runner When...

3 of 26

you can, and have, relieved yourself in unconventional places

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You Know You're a Runner When...

4 of 26

you plan a vacation around a race

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You Know You're a Runner When...

5 of 26

your running clothes and shoes take up half of your suitcase on trips

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5K 10K half marathon marathon ultra mud run

You Know You're a Runner When...

6 of 26

you complete workouts with funny names like fartlek, threshold, tempo

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5K 10K half marathon marathon ultra mud run

You Know You're a Runner When...

7 of 26

you're always hungry

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8 of 26

you invent creative ways to recycle race shirts, such as car-waxing cloth, giant tissue, mop

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5K 10K half marathon marathon ultra mud run

You Know You're a Runner When...

9 of 26

you name your running routes. And all you have to say to your running buddies is, "new houses, 8 a.m.," and they know where to go

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5K 10K half marathon marathon ultra mud run

You Know You're a Runner When...

10 of 26

you know that sciatica and Piriformis syndrome are fancy ways of saying pain in the ass

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You Know You're a Runner When...

11 of 26

your running watch/GPS/heart-rate monitor is more expensive than your everyday watch

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5K 10K half marathon marathon ultra mud run

You Know You're a Runner When...

12 of 26

you think it's cute when people ask you, "How long is this marathon?"

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5K 10K half marathon marathon ultra mud run

You Know You're a Runner When...

13 of 26

you'd rather run an extra mile or two than spend that time sprucing yourself up in the morning

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5K 10K half marathon marathon ultra mud run

You Know You're a Runner When...

14 of 26

you think of the past in terms of races ? "I ran the Chicago Marathon in 2006, and my sister also got married that fall"

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5K 10K half marathon marathon ultra mud run

You Know You're a Runner When...

15 of 26

your running clothes outnumber the work and casual clothes in your laundry hamper

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5K 10K half marathon marathon ultra mud run

You Know You're a Runner When...

16 of 26

you're proud of your black—or lost—toenail

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You Know You're a Runner When...

17 of 26

you sort of look forward to popping that blister

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You Know You're a Runner When...

18 of 26

waking up before dawn on a Sunday morning to smear Vaseline all over your thighs seems like a perfectly rational thing to do

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5K 10K half marathon marathon ultra mud run

You Know You're a Runner When...

19 of 26

you know the location of every public drinking fountain in town

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5K 10K half marathon marathon ultra mud run

You Know You're a Runner When...

20 of 26

you don't bat an eye when you have to convert kilometers to miles (or vice versa)?

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5K 10K half marathon marathon ultra mud run

You Know You're a Runner When...

21 of 26

you can't remember your wedding anniversary, but can rattle off the PR you set 17 years ago

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5K 10K half marathon marathon ultra mud run

You Know You're a Runner When...

22 of 26

you don't stretch. But you know you should

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5K 10K half marathon marathon ultra mud run

You Know You're a Runner When...

23 of 26

halfway through a long run, you're actually looking forward to the taste of your energy gel

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5K 10K half marathon marathon ultra mud run

You Know You're a Runner When...

24 of 26

you've mastered the art of the "farmer's blow"

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You Know You're a Runner When...

25 of 26

you're just not yourself when you can't run

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