Me trying to strike a badass trail pose. I fell flat about 45 seconds later.
Every now and then I forget that I’m a runner and try to behave like a badass – or at the very least, a normal person. Mistake. The results of this brief lapse are usually painful or embarrassing – and sometimes, both, and I’m once again reminded of all my weirdnesses that come with being a runner.
– My T-Rex arms can’t lift more than 10 pounds.
– Getting in or out of a cute little sports car results in my hamstrings seizing up and me falling flat onto the sidewalk.
– CrossFit is guaranteed to lead to a trip to the hospital.
– I haven’t been able to touch my toes for 10 years.
– Wearing high heels requires me to take 2 days off from running to let my calves un-knot.
– Every road trip involves me mentally calculating how long it would take me to run the route – and what would be the best time of year to do it.
– The majority of people I know don’t recognize me when my hair is “done” and I am in street clothes.
– I can’t wear sandals unless my toenails (or the nail beds) are painted because I’m always missing a few.
– I’m constantly looking at the color of my pee.
– I have spent way too much time discussing the color of my pee with other people.
What about you? Anything weird you’d care to admit? 🙂
Happy Running!
Mom, ultrarunner, four-time US 24 Hour National Team member, adventure athlete, food writer. Graduate of the Pro Cooking Program at the New School of Cooking, Los Angeles. Will run for food.
{ 16 comments }
I can relate to several of those for sure.
I ask my boys what color their pee is, too – they don’t appreciate it!!
Kim recently posted…Perspective & Gratitude
Haha! I feel so much better now about my seized up hamstrings getting out of cars.
In-and-out-of-car-related injuries? Yep, that was me! 😛 Day to day tasks used to be my kryptonite but then I started gymnastics and got some awesome treatment?
Have you tried active release (ART) or soft tissue manipulation for those legs that seize up easily? I’ve done both and I don’t get random pains from daily tasks anymore. 😛
I mentioned this in a previous comment, but most everyone (runners included) find my running in circles on a track for 2 or 3 hours rather weird. I quickly remind them of folks like yourself who put me to shame and do it for 24 hours! Yea they say: Now that IS WEIRD!. As far as the pee thing: Guilty! The worse part of that is I’ll probably think of you now everytime I do. That I’m afraid sounds a little beyond weird. So sorry, but I promise to never tell if I do. 🙂
Ha! A bunch of these work for me….but I don’t wear heels (had that experience at a family wedding a few years back, ouch!) and can’t wear sandals at all 🙁 as I overpronate and need orthotics from a tendon problem incurred during marathon buildup some years ago. Pee check for sure. I actually have thought about how long it would take me to run places, mostly when traffic is slow on my commute. I look much the same in running clothes or not (short hair, no makeup, just level of sweat and what’s on the bod). Have to reuse the T-Rex arms quote 🙂 I’ve never had any upper body strength – ectomorph all the way. I’m glad I’m not the only one w/ those hamstring issues. And at once point I was gumby-flexible…..didn’t realize running would change that soo much – but I’m okay with that! (yoga helps but too much flexibility isn’t great for runners, I hear)
Other weirdnesses:
I talk a lot about my quest for running shoes, since yet another mfr (Brooks) has screwed up the one shoe I can run in.
I wear compression socks every day.
The house is strewn with trigger point balls, foam rollers, etc.
My food and activity choices (and thus my DH’s) are built around my training plan. Oh, and vacations around how they fit in to training/racing schedule.
I get up at an hour I would have laughed at – only half an hour later than a friend I used to think was nuts – to get longer runs in before work.
I love being a weird runner!!!
HA! Love your humorous posts, Carilyn!
I HAVE T-Rex arms TOO!! You should come to Bikram yoga with me sometime for a great laugh (and blog material GOLD).
Kirstin C (@ultrarunnergirl) recently posted…Bull Run Run: DNF
I know, Kim! Funny how “normal” people don’t like to discuss the color of their pee! 🙂
It is the worst, Marcia! And it happens to me sometimes too when I’m getting out of bed in the middle of the night – yikes!
Thanks for stopping by, Dave! I have done a lot of ART, but whenever I increase my hill work or speed work the hammies rebel 🙂
You are too funny, Kent! Thanks for making my day! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, Melissa! Yes, I can totally relate to your “confessions” 🙂 Mizuno just changed the shoe I’ve been running in for 10 years, and I am sooooooooooo upset!
Thank you, Kirstin! I’m afraid I’d never survive yoga. The few times I tried it, I ended up weeping openly and scared everyone in the class 🙂
So true! I can especially relate to people not recognizing me in non-running clothes/hair
It is so weird, Sarah! It always takes me a moment to realize what is happening. I used to get offended, but now I realize that I’m rarely in “normal” clothes, so what do I expect? 🙂
When I go on runs I silently acknowledge places that I’ve had to use as makeshift toilets and make sure that I haven’t killed anything.
Char recently posted…Stress and Sanity
You are too funny, Char 🙂
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