When did you not feel like a beginning jogger anymore?

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isitsororo
isitsororo Posts: 116
in Fitness and Exercise
Welp, the title pretty much covers it. When did you feel that you were no longer a beginner? A specific goal (xx minutes at xx speed), a certain amount of knowledge, when you felt that you couldn't wait to go on a run instead of dreading it, or what? I still consider myself a beginner, but am interested in how others felt that they transitioned out of that stage.
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Replies

  • M_lifts
    M_lifts Posts: 2,224 Member
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    About week 9 into my c25k training 2 years ago! I had been running for about 40 mins and decide to push it for another 10 and voila- Runners high! never looked back!
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    I feel like a runner when I'm running a straight 3 miles - anything over that seems like a 'real run' to me. I think I will always feel like a newbie though.
  • ameliaannakin
    ameliaannakin Posts: 344 Member
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    I think it was when I started getting to know people in the running community. Everyone's really friendly but until I started getting to know people and running with a group I always felt like a bit of a beginner!
  • RunnerElizabeth
    RunnerElizabeth Posts: 1,091 Member
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    January 1, 2013. I've been running for a couple years now and have run a half marathon and have two coming up. But I didn't feel like a real runner until this January. After my half in October of 2012 until jan 1st, I hadn't run more than 3 miles at a time. On jan 1st, I went out for a run, planning about 4 miles, at the turn around point I felt great and kept going. I made it home feeling great after 7 miles. It was then that I realized I had built up to a certain running level that, as long ad I'm feeling good I can go out for a longer run even if I haven't done it in awhile.
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
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    I still feel like a beginner. I'm also still struggling to get stronger. Perhaps when the struggling stops or becomes less noticeable I'll feel like a runner? Time will tell. It's an interesting process.
  • ewtx1000
    ewtx1000 Posts: 24 Member
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    bump
  • blackcloud13
    blackcloud13 Posts: 654 Member
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    I think the real tipping point for me came when I started trying to split my runs into one's where I would try push myself for a short distance, and then longer runs.

    After that, I started noticing that I could run pretty comfortably (actually, enjoyably) a slightly shorter distance at a slightly slower pace.

    so from October, when I struggled with a mix of run and walk through two miles, I now run 5 miles enjoyably, and about 12 comfortably (I'm running the marathon in two weeks - that will certainly NOT be comfortable - but at least I'll enjoy the first 5 miles :-))
  • WildcatMom82
    WildcatMom82 Posts: 564 Member
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    I still feel like a beginner lol. I can do 3.5 mi straight now, but it's tough and I'm slow. Maybe when I can maintain a faster speed. I'm doing 5K training with the double stroller, maybe once I can jog 3 miles pushing two kids I'll feel real.
  • pucenavel
    pucenavel Posts: 972 Member
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    The day I ran the Running of the Green (Denver) in about 35 minutes. The whole race felt good, I was still strong of stride coming into the finish. That was my first race that I didn't feel like I was going to die.

    Since then, running has been "easy". Not easy, but comparatively speaking, it's fun now instead of painful.
  • slrose
    slrose Posts: 164 Member
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    when i had reached my goal time for 3 miles and was holding that time steady with slower improvments
  • bonjour24
    bonjour24 Posts: 1,119 Member
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    i felt like i was pretending or faking it until i ran my 1st half without stopping. then i decided i could class myself as a runner.
  • crazybookworm
    crazybookworm Posts: 779 Member
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    I was just thinking about this today when I was running! It's like it's no longer a chore for me, or exercise. I look forward to my runs! They clear my mind, help me sort out or tackle my day's stress, etc.

    I stopped feeling like a beginner when I could finally run a half hour straight without stopping. My mind no longer tells me to quit, it tells me to keep going.

    I never thought I would be a runner, let alone love it so much!!
  • michellelemorgan
    michellelemorgan Posts: 184 Member
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    When I could run 5 miles without feeling like I would die.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    When I started running hills, and looking forward to it because of the way I felt afterward. I'd probably been running for 1-1/2 years by then.
  • Haikugurl
    Haikugurl Posts: 31 Member
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    I don't think I'm quite there yet, but I think yesterday was a big turning point for me. I was running a bunch of laps around a park I often go to and I normally feel like a total slow-poke----but this time there were several groups of runners, much younger than I am and seemingly fairly avid runners---and while they were going faster than I was, I kept up pretty close + I did several more laps. Now I have no idea if this was their "slow" or "short" run day, but for once I didn't feel like a total newbee runner....I felt like I was one of them.
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
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    When I ran my first ever 10 miler, shortly after finishing c25k.

    I knew then it was in my destiny to become a long distance runner.
  • hannah_ryann
    hannah_ryann Posts: 259 Member
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    I've been running (jogging) for.. a couple months? I still feel like a total noob but I was really proud of myself the other day that I ran a 5k distance without stopping. I've signed up for my first 5k race in May and when I tell people about it, they seem really surprised/in awe about the fact that I'm running lol. Hopefully after I finish that first race I'll feel like a real runner!
  • Zekela
    Zekela Posts: 634 Member
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    I just placed 7th out of 502 females with a time of 1hr 32mins and 55secs for the half. Ive won numerous 5ks with a PB of 20 mins 4 seconds. I still feel like a beginner...
  • cowgirlslikeus86
    cowgirlslikeus86 Posts: 597 Member
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    I think a lot of people never feel like they can qualify as a "Runner" I've had many people say "Ask Stacey, she is a runner" and the first thing I want to say is "I'm not really a runner per se" but the truth is I am. It's just hard to put myself in that catagory. I will always have a PR to break, a distance goal to make or an race to run before I think I will be that good.
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
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    Truth?

    Whenever you decide to make the decision to put one foot in front of the other and decide to RUN is when you become a true runner.

    Distance, pace and experience have nothing to do with it.

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