Every runner usually has some stellar story about how they began running. Maybe it was they were born into a pack of runners, and they came out of the womb running. Then there are the stories about how some coach spotted them in a crowd one day and just noticed the natural born talent they had then went on to foster their career as a runner. These are notable stories; stories that you would share at a senior banquet, bringing tears to your parents' eyes while you're reflecting on your years as a runner.
My story about becoming a runner isn't like that, though. It's not the story about how I was born with the stride of an African gazelle or how my coaches picked me out in a Hunger Games-style crowd and decided to foster my growth. No, my story starts in the freshman center of my high school, with my counselor asking me what classes I was going to take the following year. She told me I needed to take a physical education class to complete standards set by the state. I looked at her, blankly. I then said, "I am not doing gym class. I spend too much time in the morning getting ready to mess it up during the day with one class." The counselor then looked at me blankly, then asked me how I thought I was going to complete this standard. Without hesitation, I said I would run cross country.
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Before I started running, I thought of some runner as some kind of "superhuman"; almost a distinct species. Someone that has a six pack etched into their tan core, with a permanent running watch poised on their hand for their everyday runs. A person that eats clean and would grace the cover of Runner's World, where they would tell the tale about their amazing story about how they started running.
Then, I began running. Spoiler alert: I wasn't the "superhuman" I painted in my head. I was a normal person, trying to get out of a gym credit. Okay, most runners are not trying to get out of a gym credit. I didn't have the painted on six pack or any offers to be on the cover of Runner's World. I didn't even have the stellar story about why I started running, but I was being considered a runner. Maybe it was because I was on a team, but simply because I ran. I ran a little some days, but some days I ran more. Somedays were fast, but some days were slower and easy. The important thing was that I was trying and somehow I was getting better.
Being a runner doesn't mean you have to have a certain body type or have an offer from Runner's World in your inbox. You don't even need some amazing tale about how you started running. All you need is your story about how you started running even if it starts with getting out of a gym credit.
