Runners. You see them everywhere. They look so happy, fit, athletic and strong as they grind out the miles on treadmills, roads and trails.
You want to be like that. You want to be a runner.
If you talk to any runner, they will rattle off all of the benefits. For most runners, it's because running has so profoundly changed their lives that they want to shout about it from the rooftops. They want you to join the running community. When you get it, you understand. You realize running is more than just exercise.
But the truth is, running isn't all rainbows and unicorns. There are some very real reasons why you may want to avoid it all together. To save you from the pain and suffering, it may be best that you never even think about running.
Consider this your fair warning.
You will own more running shoes than regular shoes.
You used to have nice things. Now you just have 100 pairs of running shoes. You'll need a pair for road running, trail running, treadmill running and then extras to rotate through. You don't want to get an injury after all. Why squeeze your feet into uncomfortable dress shoes when you can be relaxed and free in your running shoes? It's the same thing with regular clothes. You'll want to wear your running clothes everywhere. You never know when you might need to run somewhere, right?
You will have an earlier bedtime.
There will come a time when you'll have to choose between going out with friends on a Friday night for drinks or staying home to rest because you have a long run in the morning. There's nothing worse than running with a hangover.
Your feet will look like aliens.
Running will tear your feet up. There will be callouses, blisters and you may even lose toenails. Your feet will swell and grow larger. Be prepared to apologize every time you go in for a pedicure; it's best to warn the nail technician for what they are about to see because it won't be pretty.
You will take more pictures of your shoes and GPS watch than ever before.
Ironically, despite having alien feet, you will post more pictures of your sweet running kicks on social media than ever before. In addition, watch selfies will be a regular feature on your Insta feed as well. If you don't post about how far you run, did it really even happen?
You will need to learn a new language.
PR, PDR, GRP, Gu, DNS, DNF, fartlek, tempo... To speak runner, you need to know the language. So many new words!
You will want to talk about it all the time.
Your non-running friends will begin to avoid you just so they don't have to hear about your last race. No worries though. Everyone will see it on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter anyway because you post about every. Single. Run.
You will want to run all the time.
Driving down a street, you may see a runner and instantly wish it were you pounding the pavement. Even though you just ran that morning, you still want to run. If you are injured, you'll want to run. If you are on a bike, you'll wish you were running. You just want to run. Running is your favorite!
If you can endure the horrible side effects of running, lace up your running shoes. Running can and most likely will change your life for the better. It's totally worth all the horrible side effects just to endure the glory of a great run.
READ THIS NEXT: 26 Things Runners Absolutely Hate