Perks

Wow....can't believe this past month has flown by so fast!  I've been so caught up in changing jobs (from contract worker to permanently employed) that I didn't even realize how long it's been.

One of the perks of my new job is that I now have access to a very nice employee fitness center...all state of the art equipment, and a nice locker room, complete with shower facilities, so I can even workout before work, if I need to. And the nicest thing for me personally is the row of gleaming heavy-duty treadmills just waiting for me to jump on 'em.  As heavy as I am, I need one that can take a pounding...a very important feature if I plan on running on them, and running I plan to do.

Lots of it.

My excuses of too hot, too cold, too wet, too snowy, too windy, too sunny, too___________ just ran out.  This place is indoors and climate controlled, so there is zero reason for me not to partake.

Oh. Did I mention it was free?  Yeah.  Free.  So no excuse about not having membership dues, either.  And it's pretty much open 24/7. So....looks like I'm screwed.  Guess I gotta get busy, now, huh? ;-)

On a related note, I've been struggling lately with the concept of being a runner.  I've heard it said, many times, in fact, that if you run, then you are a runner....doesn't matter how fast or how in shape you are.  But what about backsliders like me?  People who used to know the feel of the runner's high...but no longer do....and desperately want to?  Are we still considered runners?

Guess that was pretty heavily on my mind today when I got my gym key, because the Universe answered in the form of a glorious blog post from Run Junkees...you can read it here if you're interested, I highly recommend it. The part that really stuck out was this:

The best piece of advice I can give you is to always remind yourself of who you’re doing this for. Why do you run? Do you run for that person driving past you? Are you running for the guy running faster than you in a race? Are you running to impress “experienced runners”? I think once you start to be honest with yourself about why you run, you will have a much easier time dealing with all of the other negative thoughts that my seem to discourage you. 

Amen.  I'm taking this piece to heart, and I'm proud to say that no matter what manner of turtle I resemble, I  am a runner, dammit.  And I plan to stay one for a very long time to come.