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Running is Not my Life

Believe it or not, there was a time in my life when the R word was not mentioned at all at home or with friends. The only time we used it was when mommy would RUN errands, or we RAN out of fresh milk, or I wanted to RUN away from nasty clients.

If you gave me P10 for every time I said the R word last month though, I would probably be able to get myself new running shoes. RUNNING rolls out of my tongue every hour of the day. If I am not thinking about it, then I am doing it. It’s taken over my shoe cabinet, closet, pantry, refrigerator, calendar, inbox, social life, marriage, and family life.

I bumped into an old friend yesterday and, even if I had not seen her in years, the first thing she says is: “Hi Marathon Mom!” Blame that on facebook. Even my co-parents at school just ask me about running all the time: “How do I start?” or “Where are the clinics?” And, pretty soon, I’ll forget what my real name is and use “TBR” instead.

Running is definitely a big part of my life. It keeps me fit and healthy. It gives me a goal to work for. It provides me with my daily dose of sanity and peace amid all the to-do lists, meetings, and errands to run.

But, is it my life? I would be happy to report that it’s NOT. I can skip a run in a heartbeat if the kids had homework. I can miss a race for a family event. I have a happy family, work, other passions, non-running friends, and a life outside of running that make me feel complete.

Perhaps the best gift that running has blessed me with is this: It serves as a constant reminder for me to live up to my fullest potential, to become a better person. That if I just commit to do some good in running—whether it’s to run four times this week, lace up even when I’m tired, or help a newbie runner run her first 5km—then that positive move inevitably and naturally flows into other areas of my life. That if I push myself to run that last kilometer no matter how stiff my legs are, I am actually doing myself some good by overcoming my weaknesses and achieving the impossible.

If it happens that I find myself getting cranky because I missed a new PR or angry because of a flawed race, or I note that I may be getting over competitive, then I take a deep breath, go out for a good slow run, and remind myself about the beauty of running.

I run to live. And it’s never the other way around.

Posted on 02.24.10 to 01 Bullish Insights, Favorite Posts. Tags: , . Subscribe to follow comments on this post. 24 comments. Add your thoughts or trackback from your own site.

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24 Responses to “Running is Not my Life”

  1. Classic TBR :-)

    archmage said on Feb 24 10 at 9:57 AM Reply

  2. Hear, hear!

    Pinoy Weekend Warrior said on Feb 24 10 at 11:10 AM Reply

  3. beautifully said, Jaymie! :)

    giddyyap said on Feb 24 10 at 11:43 AM Reply

  4. WOW! :)

    Reylynne said on Feb 24 10 at 12:26 PM Reply

  5. It really shouldn’t be, otherwise you’ll end up looking really dugyot and your kids won’t even want to live with you. :p

    marga said on Feb 24 10 at 12:47 PM Reply

  6. Amen!

    rey jimenez said on Feb 24 10 at 1:02 PM Reply

  7. i agree.well said TBR

    rad said on Feb 24 10 at 1:37 PM Reply

  8. oh…. after reading this, I assessed myself, and came to realize that Running’s becoming my life already. :D

    I think it’s time for me to slowdown too and remember my other life such as my friends, family, the Church, badminton, and Table tennis (yeah.. just realized I miss them already), hahaha!

    Thanks for this post, see you on March 6 for the first TBR Dream Marathon Bull Session :D (oh, that’s about running again).

    RunningAtom said on Feb 24 10 at 3:10 PM Reply

  9. Well said. Keep on running! =)

    Mike J. said on Feb 24 10 at 4:23 PM Reply

  10. R for Rockstar!

    Raymund said on Feb 24 10 at 11:21 PM Reply

  11. well said! That why i love your site .

    alaskarunner said on Feb 25 10 at 1:43 AM Reply

  12. well said jaymie!

    odie said on Feb 25 10 at 7:13 AM Reply

  13. Hi TBR, reading this post reminded me of an email exchange with a runner friend of mine based in Canada. I’d like to share an excerpt from that email if you don’t mind:

    “The competitive spirit in us will always be there, I guess. Was it because of our honors class experience? I really don’t know. I guess upbringing has a lot to do with it. Perhaps it just so happened that we found ourselves in the same class, or barkada for that matter. That’s why with my kids, I constantly challenge them to do better but, at the same time, mindful of the fact that putting too much pressure on them would kill the fun and be counterproductive. I always emphasize that what matters is what they, and not what their parents think about their performance.

    I have an officemate who also runs. We practically join the same races. He’s kinda young and he hates it when he sees that he’s far down in the rankings. I remind him that there will always be someone who will be stronger, faster, better looking and more intelligent than him. What matters is how he maximizes his performance given his limitations.

    I don’t aspire to be an elite runner for the simple reason that I do not have the genes to be one. If I did, I wouldn’t be a lawyer. I run 5 times a week and, save for my Sunday long runs, for less than 1 hour per workout. I could increase my training workload if I wanted to, but that would take away more time for the more important things in life. So OK na ako to be in the top 1% of the races I join. :-) Hehe.”

    Consiglieri said on Feb 25 10 at 1:45 PM Reply

  14. i think once you come to this realization… that running is not your life, but just a part of it… is the point when one can call themselves they are true runners :D

    great post!

    joe said on Feb 26 10 at 10:35 AM Reply

  15. When you asked me last Monday why I didn’t join the Run of the Century, I knew you understood that I should be with my family in the Happy Walk organized by the Down Syndrome Assn. of the Phils.

    I missed a great race (if not the greatest) but I didn’t feel any remorse because my roles as father and mother to my kids come first.

    Nora, the golden girl said on Feb 28 10 at 12:40 AM Reply

  16. nicely put! sometimes when we are too passionate about something we tend to forget what is important in our lives :)

    aleah said on Mar 02 10 at 4:57 AM Reply

  17. Bravo! :-)

    Melanie said on Mar 10 10 at 1:57 PM Reply

  18. great work!

    corredor said on Sep 15 10 at 3:57 PM Reply

  19. Thank you for this post. I just started running and realized that I may have been too passionate for my own good. I must run but not let the other aspects of my life take a back seat. Thank you Jaymie.

    LGDUA said on Oct 28 10 at 12:24 PM Reply

  20. Wow. i’m a fan. i got a chance to pace with the TBR last Run BGC. it was a wonderful experience! RUN TO LIVE!

    Adrian said on Nov 29 10 at 11:47 PM Reply

  21. nice read! :)

    cj lampad said on Apr 30 11 at 1:26 PM Reply

  22. hi ms jaymie, i haven’t read all about this blog but knowing about your passion for running which i’m beginning to love now it inspired me more.

    choy said on Sep 14 11 at 10:44 PM Reply

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