To Run or to Jog? That Is the Question!

Is it running or jogging? It seems that I have always considered myself a jogger.  You know, the type that throws on a t-shirt, shorts, socks and tennis shoes and makes a few cheery rounds around a track or past a few houses before calling it a day.  The type of person who isn’t really walking but moving at a pace that isn’t really moving that fast either and is able to carry on a conversation about world events or poker strategies at the same time. Nevertheless, it probably would have been accurate to mark me a nothing more than a complete beginner until recently.  Jogging is an activity that often takes little motivation to get me moving, yet I had never been able to cover long distances in short amounts of time. Anyway, I was finally able to overcome this barrier recently by completing my first half marathon at the age of 35. 

 

About a year ago I started training for the half marathon in Warsaw.  I trained as often as I could.  However, I had never gone over 20 kilometers before.  So on race day I felt rather intimidated. In March, on the morning of the race I carefully found the back of the group (of  several thousand) and  sheepishly crossed the starting line.  Frightened as I was, in the end, I finished it quite easily.  The training paid off and I was able to complete the race in just over 2 hours which isn’t really a great time, but for me it was one of those little milestones.  I am more than a jogger now, at least.

Flash forward to a  week ago on a warm Saturday. I competed in a 10k race in my neighborhood, which included  only 264 people, so it felt more relaxed than the half marathon. This was part of the Warsaw Grand Prix series that comprises ten races over Warsaw during the year.   This was my first in the series.  Despite the heat, I ended up pushing myself without a water break, and crossed the finish line in just over 46 minutes, which for me is a great time.  I even placed right in the middle of the group at 132 out of 264 runners.  The next one is in June and I’m going to be there.  I even planning on doing the full marathon in September.

So in some way, I guess I’ve become like Forest Gump.  I’ll just keep running.  No more jogging.  Or whatever the vernacular is these days.   On the other hand maybe the concept of  running is more about one's level of commitment.  For me the biggest difference is that I can run faster, but more importantly, is that I take it more seriously or with more enthusiasm.  It no longer is just throwing on a shirt and shorts and making a few steps around in a park.  It has become more ritualistic. I try to have proper shoes, comfortable socks, and a t-shirt that isn’t too heavy or burns the nipples at long distances.  I also watch what I eat (slightly) more than before.   Most importantly, however,  I just do it because I feel better at the end of the day.  This is what’s important.