The Year I Became (a Runner)

“We are what we repeatedly do.”  Aristotle

Running has always been a love–hate relationship for me. I loved the way I felt after a run, but hated every step of it.  

Seven years ago I was having a difficult time grappling with turning forty. So to fight that feeling of becoming “old” I made a small bucket list and running a half-marathon was on the top.  I trained seriously, crossed the finish line in just over two hours, and then… I stopped running.

That became my pattern. I’d sign up for races (from 5Ks to even a full marathon) to stay motivated.  I’d  train hard, collect a medal, and then lose momentum once the finish line was behind me. So I had never considered myself a runner. Ever. If anything, I would call myself a long-distance meditator.  

Until 2025.

Actually, it started in 2024 when I had to drop out of the 2024 NYC Marathon (Yup, I had to run it again because I didn’t run as well as I expected myself to when I ran my first in 2022.)  I had injured myself in the beginning months of training so much so that I had four months of physical therapy for a torn labrum in my hip.  

It was during that time that I began to learn more about the body.  My PT was great about explaining things to me and I was also in the middle of obtaining my certificate as a 500 hour yoga instructor so I was able to make many connections. I began to understand the science of running, strength, and recovery. More than that, I began to appreciate the habit of movement, not just the results.

So when 2025 began, I had a fresh set of legs and mindset. Eleven months to train for the marathon felt like forever with plenty of time to get injured again, but this time, I did it differently. I worked with a training app (Runna) that built in strength work. I joined Orange Theory for endurance and accountability. And I ran.

I ran when I wanted to.

I ran when I didn’t want to.

I ran after a long day at work.

I ran in the wee hours of the morning to beat the summer heat.

I ran when it hurt. 

I ran when I felt unstoppable.  

I ran with a purpose (to beat my marathon time).

I ran when that purpose was no longer my purpose (that was my pivotal moment). 

I ran because I could.

I ran because… I am a runner!

James Clear states in Atomic Habits, “The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity.”  

He also says this, “1.  Decide the type of person you want to be.  2.  Prove it to yourself with small wins.”

This post is not even about me.  It’s about habits. It’s about grit and willpower.

It took me 7 years to identify as a runner because it took me 7 years to establish the habits that I believed one needed to possess to be considered a runner.  It has NOTHING to do with the number of races, medals, or even pace time that I had acquired. 

Digging deeper, it’s not even about running.  It’s about becoming a person who possesses the determination, discipline, respect, and care to love themselves unconditionally.  I just happened to find this through running.   

(And because of that, I knocked 55 minutes off of my marathon time.😉)