National Running Day!

HAPPY NATIONAL RUNNING DAY!!

This beautiful sunrise did not happen today.  But it happened a
couple days ago.  Close enough.

Every runner who is connected to any sort of social network probably heard at some point today that it is National Running Day.  A day to brag about how awesome runners are and why running is the best thing in the whole wide world.

I celebrated National Running Day with a solo taper run after work.  I could have gone and joined a few other running friends at a group run later in the evening, but I was happy with sticking solo tonight.  I ran at my pace for exactly how long I wanted to.  In fact, I was super proud of myself that as I started feeling a little tummy-icky at the end of the run (too much kale for dinner last night? Or maybe the half a Costco-sized muffin I ate as a pre-lunch snack?), I just went home--instead of pushing miserably through the final mile of the run.  Yay for taper.  The perfect excuse to take it easier than you normally would without feeling any guilt pangs.

In honor of National Running Day, much of the running world is posting, blogging, tweeting, and meme-ing about why running is the best thing ever.  But I'd like to take a little twist on that here--because honestly, I think you're probably sick of reading about all the reasons why I think running is so awesome.  I kind of talk about it a lot.

Instead, I'd like to take a dip into the depths of a world in a parallel universe:

What Tessa's Life Would Look Like WITHOUT Running

*Just a warning: this might not be pretty.

1) Take this already tall and overbearing frame and add 20-30 lbs.  I like food.  I really like food.  I like to eat food.  And I like to drink wine.  It's quite tasty.  Beer too sometimes.  This body is capable of in-taking a surprising amount of calories in a day.  Without running to counteract all those yummy calories, it would get bad.  A visual:

Me +20 lbs circa 2007.  About 6 months before making the
decision to start running.

2)  I'd have a lot less friends.  I've collected quite a large number of running friends in my years with Team in Training.  Without these friends, I'd still have my "nonrunning" friends, but Lucy and I would certainly spend a lot more lonely time on the couch together.

Me and a few of my running friends in San Diego last year.

3)  I'd have no idea what my body is capable of.  Through running, I've learned things like:

• No seitan (a very tasty meat substutite) the night before a long run.
• If it hurts, keep going.  If it stills hurts, stop.
• You can go farther.
• Sleep is the most important thing.
• When you gotta go, you gotta go.  Porta-potties are your friend.
• Don't push it too hard, too fast--it might actually break on you.

...among others.  Without running, I'd be a blumbering, flailing mess of lanky limbs.  I'd treat my body like crap and then wonder why I felt tired and sick all the time.

4)  I'd lack self-confidence and have low self-esteem.  Before running, my self-confidence and self-esteem had pretty much bottomed out.  I didn't like who I was, didn't trust who I was, and worried that no one else did either.  But now, I am who I am and I am happy with that.  When I meet people, I try my best not to put on any false pretenses or play any games.  What you see is what you get.  If you don't like it, you can tell me.  I'll listen to your criticism, take it to heart, and then move on with my life.

5)  I wouldn't wake up to this every morning:

Accomplishments.  It's hard to tell, but each hook has at
least 3 accomplishments hanging proudly.

I rolled over in bed to turn off my alarm a couple of days ago, and opened my eyes to this scene.  The sunrise peering in the window, making these guys shimmer as brightly as the biggest smile you've ever seen.  I couldn't think of any better way to start the day.

6)  I'd be very indecisive.  I used to hate making decisions.  I always worried I'd make the wrong one.  I panicked if I was the one who had to decide where to go for dinner.  What if the food was bad?  What if there was too long of a wait?  What if the menu didn't have something for everyone?  Through running, I've learned how to pay attention to what I want and need, when I want and need it.  I've learned that in order to get what you want and need, you need to make the decision to obtain it.  Need help making a decision?  I'm your gal.  Call me Ms. Decisive.

7)  I'd be an insomniac.  On days that I don't run, I toss and turn all night.  On days I run, especially days when I run long and hard, I can almost sleep straight through the night.

8)  I wouldn't have any shoes.  Lucy would have eaten all of them in her early, energy-crazed years.  Because she wouldn't have been exhausted from the run we'd just been on.  For that matter, I probably wouldn't have any socks, underwear, or fabric on the corners of my couch either.

Sweet destruction.

9)  I'd have a lingering left knee injury and constant lower back pain.  Both of which plagued me until I started running.  Both of which were cured when strengthened through running.

10)  My brain would short-circuit.  I'd have endless, crazed, stressed, and consuming thoughts running on a repetitive loop continuously, consistently, and ceaselessly in my mind.  Without stress-relieving, thought-diminishing, worry-resolving daily runs, my brain would fry out from overuse.

11)  I'd be blog-less.  You wouldn't be reading this.

So as a summary: the parallel universe nonrunning Tessa is larger, friendless, body-abusive, unconfident, lacking in accomplishment, incapable of getting what I want, sleepless, shoe-less, full of pain, braindead, and blog-less.

Wow, that would suck.

Good thing I'm a runner.

Happy National Running Day.