When jealousy rears its ugly head

I recently read a study that said you will lose 1 friend for every 7 pounds you lose. I'm not sure how scientific that study is, but I do know from personal experience that when you begin making positive changes in your life, not everyone is going to appreciate it.

I try to shy away from the "you're just jealous" card every time someone disagrees with me or doesn't support me the way I wish they would. It's not fair to accuse someone of being jealous simply because they have a different opinion.

However, there are times that other people, including family and friends, will start treating you different once you start changing for the better whether it's with your health, job, finances, relationships, etc. In many of these situations I do think it stems from insecurity and jealousy.

Things non-runners just don't understand

Ever since I began my fitness journey about two years ago, I have discovered that there are some major differences between runners and non-runners. I had no idea when I started on this journey that I would be facing some rather confusing looks and negative comments. I don't think non-runners or non-fitness people are always trying to be so negative. I think much of this just stems from ignorance and not really understanding "our kind" - after all, we are a wacky, crazy bunch. :)

Here are just some examples of things I have discovered that totally confuse non-runners.

"You pay to run?"

I've been doing mud runs and 5Ks for 2 years. I recently told a friend, who I have known the whole time, that I am being more choosey about what runs I do because it can be expensive. She replied, "You have to pay to do those?" Apparently she thought I've been doing these for free. Don't I wish!

The GPS watch

Mention your GPS watch and non-running friends look at you with confusion. They probably think it's like a GPS for your car, that you use to not get lost.

I Am An Athlete

I have made a decision.

I'm not just a runner.

I'm a freakin ATHLETE.

There, I said it.

5k update!

Well, it's been a couple weeks since I ran my 5K. Lots of stuff going on so I haven't had much time to update about it.

All in all I had a really great time. I was up at 4am and picked up a friend and his mom around 5am. He was doing the half marathon while I ran the 5K. We got there, probably around 6am or so and got a great parking spot. That's one of the perks of arriving to these things early. :)

Running on pavement wasn't as bad as I thought it would be I think my body adjusted to it after a while. This was also my first time running with my iPod and I must say, 5Ks are a lot more fun for me when I have my music on. :)

I didn't run the whole thing but I came close. I finished in about 40 minutes which is actually 5 minutes better than when I am at the trail. My pace even improved! The weather was absolutely perfect and beautiful. It wasn't the 80 degrees it was supposed to be nor was it too humid. The 5K was held at a beautiful park so I had plenty of scenery to enjoy during my run.

Running a 5K is definitely much harder than a mud run. When I do obstacle courses, sometimes I'll run between obstacles but I usually just walk/hike. Then when you get to an obstacle, there's usually a wait line and you have time to take a breather. During a 5k it's all about running. And that is something I stink at right now.

However, I have registered for a Running 101 training group that begins next week. Maybe if I am training with other runners, it will push me more. The group is supposed to be working towards the goal of running the Pittsburgh Great Race 5k in September so I already registered for that because it sells out quickly. I have the Police Officers Down 5k in August, about 5 weeks after I begin training with this group so by then I hope to see how the training is paying off.