Can I say that? Beginner runner? Beginner runner is kind of fun to say. Well let me tell you, this has been a journey for me, and if you have ever begun a running regimen or any exercise regimen before, then you know just what I am talking about.
I have always been an active fellah so when it was suggested by one of my clients (I am a personal trainer) that we should run a 5k as a group I thought it was a great idea. After a little training I found myself well prepared for the run and it was great! My clients all exceeded their expectations and they all finished and were pumped about running. This is when a friend said you look really fit and I think you would do good with the Music City Half Marathon. I thought yeah maybe, then I had some more pressure by my wife and then again from some clients that think I can do anything physically demanding, like I am some kind of super trainer that doesn’t get challenged anymore.
So after I tell myself that it would be easy to train for this because I was coaching others to do it as well, I found myself training for the half marathon. I had know idea how hard it would really be. I mean I can handle it but it is not as easy as a 5k! There is something to be said about those really skinny runners out there who run 5 miles everyday. I on the other hand just went through a very strict eating regimen to reach a muscle mass gain of 45 pounds so I am not light and I sure ain’t skinny! So to get a 200 pound dude up and running is great for 3-4 miles but 7-10 has been a war to say the least.
I haven’t heard a word from anyone else and it seems that all of the people that encouraged me to get in this race have backed out. So here I am running 8 miles soon to be 10 all by myself. Nobody wants to run with me because “it’s too hard to match pace with a new runner”. That’s code for “you probably suck and can’t keep up with me” which is the look I get from fellow runners when they see me on the street.
The ladies are like “look at this dude, he has a rapist beard and is probably going to hurt me” so when I smile as I run by or say “hi”, they immediently look down. The dudes are all suffering from some type of eating disorder given their body weight, they are my height if not taller but with little or no shape whatsoever. I am pretty sure that I crap bigger than them. I mean pound for pound, there’s not a whole lot there.
So I will keep training and hopefully find a running buddy, because trainers need to be pushed too! Well some of us do anyway.
If you are running the Music City Marathon then please tell us your story.