Once a runner...

I consider myself a runner more than anything else.

Yes, I bike. I do both road and mountain and have joined quite a number of competitions, finishing decently in my age group and collecting a few medals to show off my accomplishments. But I was a runner way before I ever got fascinated with the two-wheeled contraption and idolized guys named Eddie, Miguel, Marco, and Lance. I was a runner who followed the exploits of guys named Frank, Bill, Alberto, Deek, Joan, Grete, and Haile.

I don't quite remember how the switch occurred. I got into this cross-training thing, had my first road bike assembled, and took to pedaling. Soon, I had my first mountain bike and was joining races.

I still found time to do some short runs. Did a couple of 28k races, some 5 and 10k's, but there were more days on the bike for me than there were days running. For some time, I think I really hung up my running shoes.

But I guess there's truth to the saying "once a runner, always a runner."

The embers were slowly fanned back to life.

Leaving my previous job at a local radio station gave me a lot of idle time. I was out of work for about a year. The early morning opportunities for a run which I rarely had when I was working at the radio station were now plenty for me to take, and take them I did. I still spent a lot of time on the saddle. But now there was also a lot more time spent running.

The twice weekly 6k morning runs became more frequent outings of four to five times a week. Soon there were 10k runs, and lately the 20k weekend long runs. I still get on my bikes, though, trying to put in two 1-2 hour rides in a week.

Why the newfound interest? I don't know, and I try not to delve so much into it.

To run because I love to is enough for me.