A couple of recent articles/posts that validated how I feel about running @Oatmeal @RatherBeRunnin

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

First, a humorous (and occasionally crude) comic drawn by one of my favorite Internet comic writers:

The Terrible and wonderful reasons I run long distances

Granted he runs farther than I do (ultra marathons and marathons.) But otherwise much of what he writes about in here fit me to a 'T'.

I totally understand his concept of 'the blerch' and want one of the T-shirts when he makes them available. I also, sadly, run to eat. Often using a long run as an excuse to go hog wild in the kitchen. 

That line: 

"Running is not about building strength and wearing it as a fashion statement. It's about Finding Strength and measuring yourself every day."

That really spoke to me.

 Well, a little longer ago another blogger I follow wrote this post:

Not your average runner

Again I may not match up to everything she wrote. But the spirit is the same. The idea that if you run, you are a runner. That not all runners look like Olympic athletes. We may not all run long distances, or crush their PR's every race. 

"So, don’t ever count out those who don’t look like runners.

They get out there every day and run their race.

Because it matters to them.

So, to you, my fellow runners who don’t look like runners…

I salute you.

Don’t ever let society tell you how you should look…

or make you feel bad for who you are.

Run on."

 As I casually ran my 3 miles today, and prepare for a 10K on Saturday it makes me feel good to recognize that I am not alone. And the mere fact that I am out there running, is a big deal, who cares how I look doing it or why I am doing it.