Race Rave: Summer Safari Series with Moms Run This Town

photo courtesy of Heidi Calma Photography

I joined a new-to-me running club a few months ago. It's called Moms Run This Town (MRTT for those in the know). It is a national FREE women's running club and the one in my area is mother fabulous. I've known the Virginia Beach/Hampton Roads chapter and their leader for years but I just finally started paying attention and participating recently. I have every confidence that this group is as good as it is because of it's leader. You know how you tell kids to be themselves and not follow their friend of a bridge? Well if that friend is positive, organized, inspiring and a great leader - don't follow off a bridge, mind you, but down a running path? Sure,go for it; Be a follower. Other areas may be good too, but like most national organizations, my guess is they vary vastly. My area, luckily has a great leader and about 400 overall members with 50 very active, and 100 active members. (The remaining 300 I'd say vary in active-ness online/virtually).

This summer the national MRTT organized a summer race program called "Summer Safari Race Series". Our local chapter leader took this overall theme and hit it out of the jungle. We started with a 5K Run last month at a local recreation center. The 5k was called "Dash and Splash 5K". About 30 MRTT Moms gathered to "dash" a 5k -previously mapped out by our leader. After the run those moms who brought their children were able to let them run free in the recreation center "splash" playground. Simple yet awesome. And it was awesome because it was organized (which is not easy! A lot of pre-work and planning goes into any race big or small). Oh and because we had raffles. Who doesn't like to win stuff? I love to win.

We even had water stops!

Splash portion of "Dash and Splash" at one of the Virginia Beach Recreation Centers

The second event was the "Urban Jungle 10K" which for our chapter was located at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. The Gardens is a beautiful place to run so that was a great start. Again the local Hampton Roads MRTT chapter leader took it the rest of the way. Organized race route, amazing raffles to give away, and a huge food spread for after the race. Whoa - I almost forgot - plus booze! A nice little lemoncello sorbet cocktail that took the sting out of the legs after a quick 10K. Perfect.

Beautiful area of the Botanical Gardens in Norfolk, VA

Running with the theme... 

Both events had swag bags (and good stuff, too!). If you signed up for a these two ($35) plus a third (separate fee) half marathon you also got a free medal. I am, suprisingly, not a run-for-bling runner - but if you are this medal is pretty great. I will be making mine into a magnet like I've done to my others so it can be seen and useful.

See the medal? Pretty good one! Towel for stroller, yes please! And my daughter LOVES the brush and mirror.

Each swag bag had two signs donated from Athleta - I love this one. Had my daughter grab it right then and there from some mamma motivation. LOVE.

Awesome Raffle that my mother, who I brought to watch the kiddos so I could run solo, won! Woot woot! There were several raffle gifts, but this is the one 'we' won^, courtesy of Beachbody coach, maggiebtrfly. 

In short, these two small race-runs with Moms Run This Town have been great. If you are in my area check out the local chapter here. If you need to find (or start!) one in your area, go here. Either way go follow and have fun! Oh, but hey, don't follow me; Both runs I just so happened to be upfront and I am two-for-two in wrong turns.

Selfie Awareness

Do you take selfies? I was about three years too late to the selfie party. I never used to take them, thinking they were really lame and for "those people" who are obsessed with social media and themselves. Well then I took one. And let me tell you - there is something to this selfie thing! Take one - I dare you. It's liberating and slightly addicting. I don't remember the first selfie I took - but my guess is that it was one with my husband and I out on a date. I can never ask people to take our picture because my husband hates pictures. (I know, how do we get along?). So I thought, well what if I am the one taking the pic, taking out the asking the stranger problem and hopefully (oh fingers crossed!) taking out the Chandler Bingness that is my husbands face in a photo. (Do you know that reference? It's from Friends, obvy. Chandler could not take a good picture to save his life, despite being a really good looking guy. Uhm, my husband, god love him.) 

Anywho - from that first selfie, which I guess was really a couplie (totally, made that up, but hey, it works); I was hooked. I know use the selfie to document my fitness workouts, time with kids and date nights out. Why? I don't know - I like taking pictures and it makes me feel good.

Let's explore the second "reason" I  just mentioned; "It makes me feel good". There are many articles and studies (can we call it a "study" if it's on something as silly as a selfie?) out there that discuss whether or not selfies create egotistically minded narcissistic individuals or if they make one simply more confident and raise your selfie-worth, if you will. My unscientific, purely for RunLife blogging fun - says the later. Say cheese and bring on the confidence, baby. 

So why does a picture of myself make me feel good? You know when you first moved into your house and you didn't like the wallpaper in your kitchen the older lady had in there before you? (True story...) But then you took the wallpaper off in the tiny bathroom and realized how much work it was? And after a while living in said kitchen you think, that isn't so bad - I can totally live with this, I may even like it. Well I feel like that with the selfie. I took a few and was like "not bad"... then you take more and get used to it and you think "I am looking good"...followed by "I am seriously doing a-ok"... followed by "I look good, I am posting this one." You have this one face and body to live in and work with, so work it and love it - and take a picture it'll last longer.

It should be mentioned (shouted?) that another reason selfies may build selfie-confidence is that we are not exactly posting naked pictures of ourselves. No, not that kind of naked, jeesh. But the kind of naked where we haven't "filtered" our picture with an app or instagram to make us look just a tad bit better than the naked version. I believe they call this "photoshopping" in the real world. 

I am not for photoshopping the crap out of something; 

From a Target ad earlier this year. Obviously a botched photoshop job but it does illustrate at least all the areas that were attempted/going to be photoshopped. If it weren't for this being so badly done - we and the young girls seeing it might not have even noticed the problem - therefore would have thought this girl was a real person instead of a graphically created person who does not exist off the computer screen.

Conversely, I am totally ok with a little brush of a filter or raise or lower of a color or light here and there. Just remember that when you see your friends pics - maybe they really do look that awesome - or maybe they just have a really awesome app. Point is, don't beat your selfie up about it - say they look good and move on - don't dwell or compare -it's only  about yourselfie not them. Check it:

Pics on left are "#nofilter"... Right is with a pic app. Notice with the use of light I made myselfie a little tanner on the beach and with shadows and cropping to look a little stronger on a run. It makes me feel good - bad or building selfie-esteem?

I go out in the world without make up on a lot of the time - I also go out in the world with make up on a lot of the time. I feel good with out makeup - I feel great with makeup. That's how I feel about photo apps and filters - it's just a little makeup. I am not ashamed of that - most of us like to look good and in turn feel good. I have no judgement or issues with someone doing what they want to feel good. Why would we want to block someone else the feeling of good? That's also exactly why I don't like the above mentioned "photoshopping the crap out of something" because it doesn't make people feel good. It makes people feel not good enough.

Have you seen Colbie Caillat's song and video, Try, floating around the social medias? It's great. Don't over analyze and say that is a judgement on women who do where makeup. (STOP judging in general, while we're at it.) Watch and realize that we can feel good in lots of ways, a little filtered, with makeup and without makeup.

CLICK HERE

Caillat's lyrics ask, "You don't have to try so hard / Cause I like you / Don't you like you?"; I answer; "Yes, I like me / Filter No Filter / All by my selfie".

Go take a selfie or ten - I dare you not to like it at least a little. And if you don't, stare at it like wallpaper 'till you do.

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When You Get the Chance to Run in Black or Sparkle - I Hope You Sparkle.

It recently occurred to me on a run (of all places!) that I may have been too quick to judge our friend, "the runsie". Don't get me wrong; "the runsie" is still not "the one"sie for me - but hey - if it's your thing than, Baby, rock it like a wagon wheel. 

Ever since my first half marathon in March 2012 - I have worn a "sparkle skirt" and "race flair" for each and every race. Though some people make their own skirts or tutus for runs - I buy my 'sparkle skirts' at sparkleathletic because that's just not my kinda craftiness. I get my 'flair' from anywhere I can find it; Walmart, Target, Claires - my favorite flair is fake tattoos and knee socks cut to be used as arm warmers.

I have PR'd in every race that I have worn a sparkle skirt in. As a matter of fact, I have only run a race once not in a sparkle skirt and flair. PS - I didn't even come close to a PR in that one. One rational reason for the lack of PR that day could have been the fact that I hit a plateaue coupled with the fact that I ran a hilly course after training solely at the flat oceanfront (also I drank wine the night before, that's neither here nor there.) Although another, maybe irrational reason for the lack of PR was simply the lack of sparkle. That day - I just sweat; usually I sparkle.

The reason I tried to stop wearing sparkle and flair is because I, wrongly, thought that "real runners" should just sweat, you know - sans sparkle. I thought as I got faster I needed to look the part and be serious. Uhm, serious for who exactly? What people was I trying to be serious for? Running, as we know, is an individual sport and one we've heard say time and time again is simply put; you and the road. No competition but your own. So forget the sweat - just sweating is for the people still trying to make it or still trying to understand it. So I will leave the 'just sweating' to those folks - I'm gonna leave big splash of sparkle in my wake when I race. 

Last year I ran the Wicked 10K in Virginia Beach. It is a local race for me put on around Halloween - I would say that more than 2/3rds of the crowd runs in some sort of costume. Because of my projected race time - I was seeded in Corral 1. The MC/announcer at the starting line was having a good time before the gun went off looking down at us in "corral 1" and saying how he knew "the winner would probably come out of this group but man, you are all a boring lot to look at". I looked around to notice that most of the "fast" runners were in black. Not black like a Black Swan costume or Batman - but black. Hello black, meet boring.
This was me:

I might have been embarrassed for a second but I quickly realized I was kind of awesome for being able to run pretty fast and with flair no less. It's my thing and it's pretty fun. If you judge me for that in the starting corral - thats ok - you just haven't found your sparkle yet - and when you do get the chance to run in black or sparkle - I hope you sparkle. 

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The 10 Things... That RUN Through My Head in 10 Miles

Mile 1: Ten miles to go. Easy peasy. I got this.

Mile 2: I mean who's gonna know if I just did 6 or 7. I could always jump to 11 next weekend and still be ok. Is it hot out here? Man, it's hot out here. 

Mile 3: My water feels light already. I hope I have enough in my Camelback. If I don't I'll just stop. There - that's why I can say I could only do 7. How weird would it be if I just asked somebody working in their yard for water. Really weird, right? What if I know them? Still weird? Or does that make it even weirder. 

Mile 4: I don't care what people say I still love Britney. I totally DO want a "piece of her"! There I said it. I don't want to best friends or anything - she's definitely still got her crazy. I would be friends with Taylor Swift though, I think. Unless she's whiny. I can't do whiny. Now winey, I can do. What if you had to share your playlist right now. Totally secure with that? It's like letting someone into your closet. I have to clean my closet. 

Mile 5: There are a lot of runners out here this morning. And yet, they all don't seem to be struggling quite as much as me. I am going to assume they are not going ten miles today. I wish I could shout at them - "yeah I look better when I'm only going three too!". You know those sticker things that parents put on their babies onsies every month for the first year?

I want to make some for long runs. Maybe that would catch on. I'd be rich and famous over mileage stickers. I am afraid they'd chafe though (doesn't it always come down to chafing?!) - so maybe I need to make shirts - sell them in "training packages". Hmm I think I am a genius. 

Mile 6: Gu-hooo! I made it the magic number. Time for my fuel up. Acell Gel is the best... although someone mentioned using salt sticks to me recently - I am going to try those on my next long run. Must remember this. Must remember this. Must remember... oh pretty flowers.

Mile 7: I am NEVER doing a marathon. I know that every time I say this people say "you wait"... no I mean it. I know tons of marathoners, obviously, and they are all amazing and I am in awe. But, for me, that would be like taking this running thing a few steps to far - or about 13.1 miles too far to be exact. I am just not interested in that long of a long run. The only good thing about doing a marathon - if I were to do a marathon - is that I wouldn't be chasing a PR. There is beauty and almost ease or atleast less personal pressure in doing something for the first time. I don't think I'll ever PR the distances I have already run. Wait - am I sad about that? I don't think so. I should blog about that... 

Mile 8: Why do I always speed up after I pass people? It's not on purpose I swear - but I must kind of look like a jack a**. How long do I have to keep this pace up? 100 yrds 200yrds? Yeah I'm good they can't see me, backing off the jets. 

Mile 9: I am in love with these shoes. But I am totally getting a blister on my little pinky. Isn't that a song? No - that's blister on your little finger. Ugh, stuck in my head now! Well I can't feel my pinky - so it must have just curled under and died. Didn't I read that we're evolving to have no pinky toes? That'd be good for running I think. 

Mile 10: Yessssss! Now, what am I gonna eat today?? Run to eat; eat to run. Ice cream. It's always ice cream.

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SORE is a FOUR LETTER WORD

I know I should be inspiring and toting all the other 'meme' phrases like "sore today strong tomorrow" and "better sore than sorry" but man, I gotta keep it real for a minute because I am not too sure I'm picking up what those are putting down. Matter of fact thanks to a killer leg day - I'm not picking up much of anything. So yeah, I DO think 'sore' is a four letter word and I ask you, when is sore, too sore to workout?"

Two days ago I went for my first sunrise run. I've done early - like 6 or 7am - to get long runs in before it takes over the whole weekend days. But on a Thursday of this week, I set my alarm for 5am and was laced up by 5:20. I even set my clothes directly next to my bed on the floor so when I opened my eyes I would see them mocking me to get up and suck up.

Anything is better than waiting til the kids and I are all ready and pushing a double through Virginia summer heat and humidity. And once I was out of the car and facing the Atlantic I was psyched and ready to make it a weekly thing.

So psyched, in fact, that by 9am I had almost forgotten I had already run - I had A LOT of extra daylight time. Kids and I had a great and busy day - by 4:30 I was so completely recovered that I thought I'd check into a class at my gym. I have been neglecting my strength training - a lot - and I needed to pull the bandaid off and get one under my shoes again. My favorite spin teacher, Taylor, was sub-teaching 'Cardio BG' -the 'BG' being for 'butt' and 'gut'. Ok great - hit me. I wake up at 5am to run; I am obvioysly a HUGE deal, (for today, anyways). 

Well holy hell if Taylor isn't a four letter word in the cardio room! He must spell it like 'Talr' or something. They really should clarify that in the class description. We didn't do anything earth shattering - weight bar squats, lunges, squats, hops, squats, dead lifts, squats, bridges, squats, side planks, oh and squats. It was a great class; and like all great classes you love and hate it with equal passion. 

Flash forward to yesterday. I normally love to feel sore just like the next junkie. I love that it reminds me that I worked out, worked hard and am creating change. If I'm sore then working out is working. Friday morning I didn't wake up sore. I woke up sooooore. I almost always do a spin and abs class on Friday mornings. Well how the heck am I gonna do that when I can't tie my shoes? Not to mention that I am seriously considering if I really need to pee or if I can hold and it? Skipped the class. I was in for an all day struggle. Normally I feel powerful with soreness - this day I felt like a powderpuff. 

True story. But also; shoe tying, stairs, any mommy task, and generally speaking - anything that makes you move more than say your ...eyelashes. 

The scientific reasons for pain after a workout is that's it's literally the result of microscopic tears in muscle fibers caused by an intense activity you don't regularly do. It's so fancy pants it even has a name and an acronym: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or "DOMS". 

I think I like an appetizer size of DOMS - but the entree is just too much for this mamma. I decided that this day I was too sore. I could have muscled through something but I wouldn't even have been able to give it 50% so is it worth it? A little sore IS awesome - but a LOTTA sore is a different story. 

For total fun and complete non-scientific reasons here are five questions to ask yourself to know if you are wondering if you are too sore to workout:

1. Can you sit on a toilet without wincing and yelling "sweet Jesus why did I need to have coffee this morning?"?

2. Can you perform basic tasks of your life or job?

Examples include but are not limited to: being an unwelcome first floor office roomy just to avoid one flight of stairs and/or keeping your kid in pajamas all day because the shorts drawers is the bottom one and ain't no way your bending down just for shorts - especially ones that aren't even yours. 

3. Can you go five minutes without cursing? Even if you drop something and have to pick it up? 

4. Can you look at this and see it as obviously not real and utterly ridiculous? 

(Don't lie, you think it's GENIUS). 

5. Can you honestly say that SORE is not a four letter word?

If you answered "no" to 5 or fewer - you win a rest day. 

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Hey psst... How many sneakers do you own?

Ok, I'll go first: I have 6 pairs of sneakers in current rotation and that's after I just donated 3 pairs which is how I got to think about this question. All but one of these pairs is less than a year old. How can someone who is not a professional runner, not sponsored, and is simply an average mamma runner chick - with very little disposable income I may add - get rid of three pairs a year and still not have enough closet floor space? Tell me it's all of us and not just me...

It's hard for me to "get rid of" a pair of sneakers. I form a deeply emotional bond with them - I mean we've been on literally miles of journeys together and the thought of me 'sending them away' makes me, well, sad. So I save them for a while on the rack in the garage and eventually they become my lawn mowing shoes or something else equally demeaning for a once favorited pair. Then, finally, I bring them to Good Will. If they're super lucky and honored I may mail them away to be part of something bigger than me and them - like the Meg Menzies Soles of Love tribute at the start of the 2014 Boston Marathon.

A pair I trained in several times in Ashland, VA, along the same route Meg was hit and killed by an [alleged] drunk driver.

Read more about Megsmiles here. 

But I digress, back  to "my number"; 6. Here's how it happens: 

I've always loved sneakers. Honestly, if I could have my dream job it would be to design sneakers. I just love them. I'd work in a running shoe store right now if a) somebody'd watch my kids for free, and b) I wouldn't be the creeper who sniffs all the new-shoe smell right out of those sneaks and totally makes people feel uncomfortable with my purely innocent but nonetheless disturbing love for the inanimate object that is the sneaker. 

Heaven... on a shelf.

Here's how I justify it: I've read several articles about running shoes and what is best for what etc. and if you combine a lot of theories (more theories = more sneaks, see where I'm going with this?) you need a pair for every action and reaction you are doing, plus you need to watch for overall mileage and not go too far over, check your treads, map your gait, avoid injury, and so many other things. It's not my fault - I need and must have lots of choices for my tootsies to remain running happy. I know that some theories are totally valid and some are put into the sneakerverse to get me to buy more shoes - but - I don't care! The shoe lover in me eats up every single reason to get a new pair - then buys another pair for dessert. 

Here is what I've got in my repertoire right now and just like a mamma says - I love them equally and they all have their strengths. 

My Crosstrain-Spin-Lifters: 

Nike Free Fit TR 4.0

About 6 months ago I started to get more frequent at the gym and doing Focus T25 in addition to running. I was noticing in classes and DVDs at my house that moving side to side was a serious drag (literally) and I was one step from spraining an ankle (literally).  Every move was so HARD! And yet, I was in shape. I all of a sudden remembered that there did seem to be other sneakers in the stores beyond the RUNNING section. 

Crosstrainers! Woot woot. I rushed me to the store and bought Nike Free's pretty much the next day after my revelation. My Free's are light and airy and I can do any gym floor class like a hero. I also double these as my spinning sneaks because believe it or not I don't have clip-ins. (I once got stuck in clips at a red light while attempting road biking in college and got flipped upside down turtle-style while people drove by & laughed & pointed - maybe even took a poloraoid (yeah, before Instagram). It was mortifying and I can't quiet bring myself back to the situation yet.) 

I also triple my use of these bad sisters and use them for the little weight training I do. Love my Free's because they are unlike any of the running sneaks I own and there is seriously nothing like them in my closet.

My Speedsters:

Mizuno Wave Sayonara 

These were a pure late night internet/iPhone impulse buy. I lost some speed in the last year - mostly because I don't work on it. Instead of looking at speed workouts and actually fitness-based ways to improve I thought "it must be the shoes". Enter the Mizuno Wave Sayonara - who promises to be so light and speedy that you will 'wave' goodbye to your competition. And they come in hot pink with purple and yellow accent. Sold. I still haven't actually done any speedwork since these babies came home but I use them for 4 miles and under and try to focus on my mile to mile pacing and kick it up a notch because the shoes told me I could - they actually promised I could. 

My Lawn Boys:

Asics GT-2000

These are my second oldest pair in my arsenal right now. 11.5 months old - practically antiques. I bought these while visiting family in Massachusetts and running in my home town's "purple mountains". After one run of hilly terrain I realized my shoes were shot. I couldn't possibly run one more step and like a crazy person I rushed to the local shop in my small town and bought these full price without even researching a thing. They were great for a while but lost their bounce quick. A happy accident to wearing down so quick is that they perfectly molded and almost melted into the shape of my foot. So while not great for running after a while they became fantastic for pretty much anything else. Hence their rebirth as my lawn maintenance sneaks. 

My Short-Term Long-Runners:

Brooks Glycerin 10

This is the only pair in my shoe family that I have to say is a bit like the black sheep. (Ugh, I immediately feel bad and guilty for writing that - but it's true so I must go on). I bought these to be my long run sneakers and they never quite made it. Ironically, they are also my most expensive pair I've ever bought. Figures. They fit like a glove and feel wonderful laced up but are insanely heavy and wide at the toe box - wider than even your average Brooks. Because they were so expensive, I can't give them away just yet despite almost never wearing them and being two years old. I am waiting to find their rebirth purpose. I was a dedicated Brooks long-run-shoe wearer but because of these I switched back to Asics for a spell which brings us to my Gel-Nimbus streak...

My Middle Runners:

Asics Gel Nimbus 16

Just like a middle child these girls can adapt to pretty much anything and truly are sneaks-of-all-trades. I have had 3 consecutive pairs of Gel Nimbus' sneakers. I've loved each pair. They were originally bought to be my solely long run sneakers but after about a month they became my do-everythings. This means, I can wear these for long runs, middle runs, speed work, hills, treadmill - you name it. I sometimes stack workouts and these sisters are amazing for those days because who wants to bring an extra pair along to change into. These have enough cushion for long running, enough toe drop for speed, enough tread for trails and grassy hills, and are narrow enough to be in post run and not feel moon-booty. The only draw back is that they are a little heavy and in the summer their narrowness that I normally love are a little restricting upwards of 8 miles because your toes turn to summer hot sausages. I never would have noticed these tiny flaws if it weren't for a new baby in the nursery a few weeks ago...

My Long Runners:

Brooks Ghost 7

I know I said I didn't have a favorite - but if you don't tell these others - these are the ones. I was off Brooks for a while after the Glycerin Disaster of 2012 but then a month ago Brooks debuted the new Ghost 7. I bought a pair of Ghost 6s last summer and ended up returning them because they were heavy and boxy and I had a bad Glycerin taste in my mouth still. The Ghost 7 were advertised as completely redesigned and weigh nothing. Nothing. Pillows of breathable air attached my feet. Plus they are wider than my Asics which is great for the summer. Not to mention it wasn't all that hard two abandon Brooks two years ago because their colors were dismal (and I am being kind). But this month/version they must have gotten my letter! Hello bright-flashy-borderline-obnoxious colors: Just the way I love it. I justified buying these by rebranding (in my crazy head) the Gel Nimbus' mentioned above to the "middle child" and using these purely for the long run. They are, for now, reserved for those special long weekend runs. Think; your fav skinny jeans you saved for Friday nights in your 20s. 

There you have it. "Proof that [six pairs] of shoes can change your life". Tell me in the comments below...How many pairs do you have? Do you have a favorite? 

**AUTHORS NOTE: I was getting ready for spin after completing this post earlier today and what should appear in the corner of my cluttered closet? Another old pair of Gel Nimbus'. These are retired from the "real running" and are waiting on deck to become the new "lawn boys" when the GT 2000s finally "move on to blacker pavements". So make that seven pairs. I have issues. 

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10 Things...You Didn't Know Before You Started Running

10. You chaife. And I don't mean a little rub here or there. I mean, "I am unavailable in the bedroom until further notice cause I look like a bmx bikers worse road rash in the nether regions" and "I will be au-naturale for the foreseeable future and going sans-deodorant because that shiz stings like a mother on an armpit chaife". Running really does make you sexy, eh? 

9. You ain't gonna become a size 2. Ok - you will loose some weight of course if you are new to exercising and running in general... but you wont become that 5'8" long+lean girl you knew who ran cross country and a strong wind would have blown her over. Nope. Runners really do come in all shapes and sizes and you will tighten yours up but you wont grow three inches and be a waif either. Oh - and you will eat like a race horse. Lose that calorie tracker or put it on run mode, at least, because you be a hungry runner chick - constantly.

8. You really will get addicted. It's ok because it's not like it's crack or anything - but you will have severe withdrawals possible after missing only one scheduled run. Symptoms include but are not limited to: 

• crankiness
• feelings of "being lazy" despite a full workout less that 24 hours previous
• random bouts of anger
• jealousy towards complete strangers getting their fit on
• over-training after 'missed opportunities
• feelings of longing when seeing a path, side walk or hill
• obsession with seeing others "rungrams" and searching social media for what others lucky runners got to do today

7. You will talk about running - a lot. (Maybe even blog about it - guilty!) I'm pretty sure addiction (see #8) is a full-time gig. When you're running you'll think about how you're RUNNING RIGHT NOW. When you're done you'll think about how you JUST RAN. A little bit later you'll eat for fuel so you can RECOVER FROM RUNNING and then you'll go to bed early because you're thinking about GETTING UP FOR A RUN. You'll also join several groups for support and to talk MORE - yup addiction ain't pretty.

6. Running is not free. Not even close! First let's start with your kicks - those puppies cost upwards of $100 now for an average pair of running shoes. And yeah you can score a sale but you'll also pay full price to "shop local" because runners love that happy crap and you'll want to go in an talk (see #7) and be able to test and return them easily. You'll also need something to hold "hydration" - no a regular water bottle just won't do - try a Camelback hydropack; Something to carry your phone/music - Spibelt works; Something to track pace - a Garmin watch maybe. Have any injuries? Try KT Tape (not the cheap version it won't stay on) or compression sleeves. Need a goal or motivation? Race entries are slightly out of control but you'll do it many times a year anyways, 'cause you'readdicted, remember? And if you're racing you probably don't want to just wear any old outfit so you'll have to buy a new one, try sparkleathletic for some notice-me flare.

5. You will start making sure new friends run. It's kind of asshatish - but you run and you talk about it a lot (#7) so it helps if your circle suffers from the same affliction (#8). AND 5a. When you meet another runner you will automatically assume you're friends. Very similar to the above mentioned point but different because you may find yourself talking at length to a complete stranger you meet in the running store or in the fitness section of Target; "I have that, great tank, ran my last half in that. Oh you ran Rock N Roll, too?! What corral? How and where did you train? Did you PR? Great swag! Oh I know so hot that day! We should run sometime..."

4. Running is more than just going for a run. You started thinking it's free, I will lose weight, and it's easy and uncomplicated. No on all counts. We already discussed weight and price -  lets tackle "easy and uncomplicated". Have you ever heard of interval training, hill workouts, fartleks (terrible name, I repeat, terrible), tappering, speedwork and more. It turns out if you want to get better at this stuff, avoid injury, and keep it up - you need more than just the same ole 3-5 mile loop you thought you were getting yourself into. You may even consult a running coach because you eat up all this learning and sweating now with vengeance. 

3. You're other hobbies will merge into running hobbies. Take me for an example: I am crafty. I like to paint pen like a sorority sister getting ready for rush. I used to do things for kids birthday parties, beach scenes and wedding gifts. I love graphic design as a hobby and used to make wedding/birthday invitations, programs and Christmas cards. Now I make things like this:

Wine glasses - for the runner of course. 

Sara Designed Shirts for the whole crew.

2. You will join groups like a college student at orientation. Thanks to Meet-Up, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and so on you can be constantly connected to other runners, known or unknown. You're in constant contact and feed off of learning, reading, finding pics about running. You know running is an individual sport but you will find yourself on the biggest team you have ever been on and it will grow daily. 

1. You will become ridiculously annoying and misunderstood to the average non-runner. Let's face it - an addicted, sometimes injured, often broke, one-hobbied pony is no fun at the fair. Unless, of course, that fair is a grouprun.