MrCrowder.Com

Runners on Parade

Yes, I’ve been listening to my Rage Against the Machine station on Pandora this morning.

I think when most non-running people picture runners & races, they get images of thousands of runners crammed on some urban street, hemmed in by the sidewalks & buildings. It’s a parade of runners.

Runners on Parade.

Trotted out for the world to see, living in this perpetual race-day bubble of excitement, pomp, and the pretentious gluttony of taking part in something that feels elite.

Because, honestly, you feel really good about yourself when you’re at a race site. Sure, you may be nervous and a total rookie, but when you’re surrounded by the energy of hundreds or thousands of others, you get hooked. You realize that, though there are tons of others running this race, you’re joining in the growing minority of humans who are working hard to be healthy & athletic. For most of us, being “athletic” post-high school means taking up something like running or cycling. This moves us back into the realm of “athlete.” And it feels darn good. And in a lot of ways, I feel that this is the picture the non-running segment of the population has of the running community. A bunch of pretentious wanna-be athletes glad-handing each other about paces, personal records, and accomplishments. Desperate attempts to be successful and elite in something.

But those of us who run know that nothing could be further from the truth.

When you ask me about running, I don’t picture runners on parade.

I think about staggering along at mile 8 of a tough 10 miler in the humidity.

I think about a quick 3 miler in the morning before work or in the evening after everyone else has gone to bed.

I think about a tempo 6 mile run squeezed in between work and evening plans.

There’s a ton of solo runs, sweat, and hard work that goes into being a runner—whether you’re a seasoned vet or a beginner.

Sure, Race day is a huge payoff. But we run for the journey, for the right to unencumber ourselves, and for the payoff that is getting in better shape.

Today when you run there will be no parade-like circumstances to greet you:

as you cross the starting line,
as you struggle at mile 5,
as you round the corner and head for the finish.

But I know & you know—that’s not why you run.

10 Reasons you should join the Electric Highway & Run the Nike+ Human Race

Being an ambassador for this year’s Nike+ Human Race 10K has helped me to solidify my passion for running. Because come on, let’s be honest—if I quit running in 6 months, I’ll feel much worse now. Right?

But not only that, it’s also solidified by passion for getting others to run.

Thus, I’m writing a post to tell you to do a couple of things. Sign up for the Human Race. Join my team, the Electric Highway. Find some friends to run with. Let me encourage you & give you a chance to win free stuff. Here’s 10 reasons to do the race:

1. There’s nothing like Commitment. Need to get something done? Then commit to it. Put it on your calendar, sign up, invest a little money, time, & energy. Eventually, it becomes a serious part of your life and you have to do it.

2. It means you’ll lose weight. That sounds good, right? You’ve heard my story—I didn’t diet, I got my tail outside and ran. It wasn’t easy at first, I won’t lie. Heck, there are still hard days. Yesterday I tried to make it 5 miles and almost passed out in the heat. But I believe in the results.

3. There’s nothing like Community. The running community is incredible active, engaged, gracious, & helpful. Having people to run with, train with, race with, and get feedback from are just some of the benefits of surrounding yourself with other runners. You’re much more likely to find enjoyment and commitment to running when you participate with others. We find ourselves in the midst of community; I say we find our running selves in the midst of community.

4. It means you’ll achieve something tangible. Thankfully, running is not ethereal. The pavement is tangible, the pain is serious, the sweat is everywhere, and the results are visible.

5. There’s nothing like a little discipline. The discipline that starts to invade your social, economic, and eating life should be a welcome addition to any schedule.

6. It means taking part in something bigger than yourself. This may be my favorite reason. The Human Race will put hundreds of thousands of runners across the world in a 10K. We learn by participation in community that things are always bigger than us, and this (strangely) includes running. If running affects your life, it affects the lives of others. Imagine the worldwide consequences of this!

7. There’s nothing like a little perspective. Running changes the way you see food. The way you see work. The way you see your schedule.

8. It means you’ll set a goal & work hard to get there. Finishing the 10K is the purpose, right?

9. There’s nothing like a little accountability. It’s a lot harder to shirk your running commitments when others are a part of that commitment. Unless you’re really into letting others down…

10. It means you’ll have to buy some configuration of the Nike+ equipment. I’m not a salesman for Nike, but I do think two things can happen: you’ll be excited to have regular and immediate feedback; and, you’ll be able to challenge me and other friends year round—fastest 5k, most miles over a month, first to 100. The accountability & community around it has been fascinating.

So there you go. Get on the Highway. Run your tail off. And then do it again tomorrow.

I run because I was too big for comfort…

My running story is probably similar to that of a lot of runners: I started running because I felt like the person I saw in the mirror was twice the size of the person I was just a few years before.

It’s not about being superficial; honestly, it’s not. It wasn’t that I had to “look better.” It was that I was overweight and physically out of shape. I ate poorly and did something physically active about twice a month at best.

I’ve gone through spurts of athletic activity before. Throughout college I lifted a lot of weights but didn’t do much cardio. Late in college I tried to play a lot of basketball. A few years ago I tried playing racquetball. After that I went through a series of bicycles to try and find one I’d commit to (most notably a fixed-wheel single speed and most laughably a BMX bike). Eventually I landed on playing disc golf a few times a week, which is about the athletic equivalent to entering a Ford Taurus in a Fast & Furious car contest.

I found myself at 235 lbs, desperately wearing a full beard to disguise years of not being as healthy as I should.

Two years ago, my wife had let me pick out my birthday present in the summer. At a running store in downtown Corvallis, I picked up a pair of Nike running shoes and the Nike+ sportkit. They were one of only a couple of shoes available at that time to work with Nike+, and their whole online community was just getting off the ground.

Hmmm….I think I registered 3 runs of less than 2 miles with that kit. Then those shoes became all purpose sportswear for biking, racquetball, and basketball.

Last October, I was in Portland for class and my friend Andy was trying to encourage me to run, especially in light of the fact that we eat ridiculous meals (burgers, seafood, face-sized burritos) for both lunch and dinner every day for a week on those bachelor-type trips. The last two nights we were there, he actually pulled me out into the chilly Portland night to go for a run.

Actually it was more like walking with jogging mixed in. But we probably covered about 2 miles both nights. We kept up with it through his Nike+ program.

When I got home, I decided it felt good to get out and exercise with Andy. From what I knew about Nike+, I knew I could challenge Andy and it might keep me motivated.

I created a challenge that was Most Miles over a month and invited him. It was on.

I named it “Run Fatboy Run.” Here’s the link.

Are you impressed? Andy had been running for about 10 years. Finished marathons, half marathons. Me? Just getting kickin. He beat me by less than a mile.

Since that first challenge, November 1st of 2008, I’ve dropped from 50 pounds. And you can too.

In January, Andy and I renewed the challenge. Check out the results here. Andy, sorry to put you on front street….

I’m not a 2009 Human Race Ambassador because I’m into promoting Nike, but because I believe in the power of running and the power of accountability. Nike+ just happened to help me with both.

To train with my team this fall, join the Electric Highway. To follow what’s going on, connect with my Twitter & Facebook fan page.

the Electric Highway

What can bring the road to life?

Thousands and thousands of feet pounding it. Over, and over, and over.

Runners electrify the pavement.

One runner or many runners, they all contribute.

A two-ton chunk of metal gets the road dirty. The sweat of runners gives it a rinse.

Go and give the road a nice rinse today. Bring out that original shine.

The highway may look busy with bumber-to-bumper traffic during rush hour,

But imagine what it would look like if the wide roads were filled with runners.

We could fit astronomically more runners on the roads than cars.

Let’s electrify the pavement.