With Coach Alexa, Online Running Coach and in-person coaching in South Oxfordshire
When Do You Become a “Real” Runner?
I was having a chat with an acquaintance of mine – someone I’m doing a course with at the moment. She’s a climbing instructor. So, a rock climbing instructor who also does a lot of outdoors work in the hills, around hiking and things as well.
We were having this conversation about identity around our respective sports.
Why Don’t We Always Claim the Title?
We were talking about what it means to be a real runner – or what it means to be a real climber. She’s had people climbing with her for years, starting off with courses and then going on to book trips and do more. But for some reason, they still don’t class themselves as climbers.
I’ve done videos before about this kind of thing in running too.
The Human Need for Identity
We got into a slightly different aspect of the conversation – why do we feel the need as humans to identify ourselves as these things?
To say, “I am a runner.”
But are you? Or are you just a human who does some – maybe quite a bit of – running?
It might not be what you’ve always done. And it might not be what you’ll always do.
But we seem to have this inner desire to label ourselves, don’t we?
Why We Might Struggle to Claim It
And when we don’t identify ourselves as that thing, maybe it’s because we’ve got a bit of a lack of confidence. Or maybe we’re seeing other people – online or in person – doing what we perceive to be better than us in that activity or sport.
The Many Labels We Wear
It got me thinking about how we say, “I am a runner.” But I’m also somebody’s wife. I’m a dog guardian. I’m a sports massage therapist. I’ve also been an IT project manager.
There are so many things I could label myself with.
A Subtle Shift: From “I Am” to “I Do”
Maybe the shift is in how we think about it – not “I am a…” but instead, “This is something I do. Something I love. Something I spend time on.”
But it’s not who we are, is it, in a deeper sense?
The Mental Impact of a Strong Identity
I bring this up because I wonder about the mental impact of strongly identifying with a sport or pastime – running, climbing, anything – and what happens if, for some reason, we can’t do it.
That might be for a short period, a longer stretch, or even forever. The reasons could be health, finances, or something else.
When You Can’t Run Anymore – Then What?
So what happens to our sense of identity if we’ve really strongly identified ourselves as a runner or a climber – and then we can’t do that?
What effect does that have on our self-worth? On our mental health?
No Answers – Just Questions
I don’t really have answers in this one. I’m just posing questions.
I’d be really interested to hear your thoughts on this in the comments. It’s something I’ll continue to ponder.
Yeah – just interested to know what your thoughts are around this.
Let me know.
Happy running.
