It's a RUN-derful life!

So, the other day, I went to get my hair cut.

I wanted a change, but I had very specific requirements.  You see, I told my hairdresser, it has to still be long enough to wear in a pony tail. And, I want layers but they have to be long enough to be held back in a Sweaty band.  Oh, yeah, and my bangs either have to be so short they are out of my eyes or long enough to tuck back under the headband.

Ah, I remember the days when I didn't have all these considerations.  And, part of me longs to go back to those days, but I also realize my life changed when I became a runner.

Yes, it took a while for me to wear that label, but--because of my many lifestyle changes, I can no longer deny I are one.  I dress like one. And, talk like one. And, arrange my life like one.

I'm fortunate enough to work from home.  So, you know what that means?  I am almost always in running clothing.  Why?  Because chances are I am on my way out for a run or have just come back from one. And, since running clothes are the things I'm now most excited about buying, that's what I'm also most excited to wear.

As a "What Not to Wear" fan (still mourning the loss of the show), I often wonder what Stacie and Clinton would have had to say to me as I duck into Target in running gear.  (And, what area of Target do I always manage to take a peek at?  Yup.  The athletic wear section.)

But, outside changes aren't the only ones I've made.

Once I learned that what I eat affects my stomach on long runs, I now skip stromboli and pizza on Friday nights.  Often, it's "I'd love to have a glass of wine, but I'm doing a long run tomorrow."  

As my husband sometimes laments, most of our vacations are now planned around marathons or half marathons.  My reasoning?  We love to travel and often we end up going to places we wouldn't otherwise see if I hadn't scheduled a run there.

Most of my reading materials center on running.  I have watched movies about running, read books about running (novels and nonfiction.)  I have read and shared all kinds of articles about runners and running with my like-minded friends.

Speaking of friends, I also have made some wonderful friendships through running.  There are awesome people I might not otherwise know (or hang out with at 6 am) if it weren't for running.

And, what am I planning to do to celebrate my upcoming 50th birthday?  Yep, I'm running a marathon.

The non-runners among you might not understand much about this malady called running.  But, I know those of you who run alongside (and, most likely ahead) of me "get it."  What changes have you made to your life to be a runner?

Catch you again at the back of the pack!