8 Signs You were Born a Runner

I never considered myself a "runner" until I joined the school track team in 7th grade. Up until that point, I was a soccer player. That's what I was born to be and that's what I would be. If you ask any other collegiate runner how they got into running, few would tell you that running was their main sport growing up. My guess is that 85% of us are transfers. We come from all kinds of diverse backgrounds - soccer, basketball, cheerleading, tennis, softball, swimming. One of my training partners is even an ex-ballerina. (Then there are the other 15%...so uncoordinated that running was really their only option to begin with.)

I find it fascinating that so many of us just "fell into running." How does this transition happen? There are several red flags that reveal you might just be a runner:

1. Symptoms develop at a Young Age.  
I surprised a lot of people, including myself, when I started breaking records. Not my neighbors. Supposedly, they had their suspicions since I was in 1st grade. I will start off by saying that I have never been a morning person. I learned to snooze my alarm at a very young age, and as a result, mornings before school were complete chaos. From my window, I could see when the school bus would roll up to the stop, a little under 50m away from my house. Unlike the rest of the kids patiently waiting, I went into a 30-second panic mode in order to get down the stairs, grab my lunch, and flat-out sprint to catch the bus. This happened often enough that my neighbors took notice and would jokingly time me. To this day, they claim that my success in running started from bus stop sprints. Six years old, red flag number 1. 

2. You actually looked forward to the gym class mile.
Secretly, of course.

3. And therefore, you are part of the minority group that "enjoys" running.
Whenever "going on a run" is brought up in casual conversation, the most common responses are along the lines of "Gross.", "Why?" or, "No thank you, but absolutely not." If you respond any differently, you might be a runner.


4. You are known as "fast girl" (or boy) in your sport. 
In my soccer career, opposing coaches never vocally respected my jersey number or footwork or passing abilities. Instead, my identity was "fast girl." Coach after coach would yell to their players to "Mark the fast girl!" When your speed takes emphasis over your skills, red flag that you might be a runner.

5. Freakishly competitive nature, no matter what the competition entitles.
Competitive nature and racing go hand-in-hand. Many successful runners are not just competitive on the track, but also with the ridiculously random tasks in life. I remember my 2nd grade class held a competition that whoever read the most books was dubbed the "Star Reader." I doubt I read a single book that whole year, but all of a sudden I was knocking out three or four entry-level books a night (competitive nerd). When I realized my classmate Matt was still ahead of me, I upped my game and the daily question each morning became, "how many books did you read last night??" It got to the point where the teacher had to set a limit. Whether it is book-reading, eating competitions (I have talked a lot of game about completing the Fudruckers 3-pound burger challenge...success pending), push-up records or keg-stand records, the challenge will almost always be accepted. 


6. You love to prove people wrong. 
Some spectators like to believe they know everything when it comes to sports. Especially when they do not, and especially when they are on the internet. In high school, I acquired my first anonymous internet hater. This person would create very snarky weekly posts on Ohio's high school running forums. The common theme was that I was a mediocre high school runner, choked in big races, would never amount to anything in life, etc. I honestly can't think of  a soul (besides my mother) that would actually read these forums, but I got a kick out of it. The year the posts started was the first year I won a state championship...coincidence?

7. You are driven by setting and breaking goals.
Running is an individually-motivated sport, so being goal-oriented is key. There is no better feeling than setting the bar high and crashing through it. 

8. You can't stop. 
Sometimes during a long season, nothing sounds more appealing than a week free from two-a-day workouts and ability to sleep in. A shared fantasy among the running community is to "quit running forever, eat lots of fast food, get fat and happy." However, whenever I am actually on a break, I don't know what to do with myself. I'm left with too much energy, no outlet, and a 2-day span before I crave going on a run. If you don't consider yourself a runner yet, be careful before starting the habit. Studies have literally proven that running is additive. 


My parents have never logged a mile in their life. There is no genetic requirement, no expensive lessons, no fancy equipment required. All a runner needs is a goal, the drive to reach it, and a pair of running shoes.