Jogging vs Running

I know I’m not the only one out there who bashfully ducks my head down and politely disagrees when someone says ‘oh, you’re a runner.” In my mind, a runner is tall and lean, somehow a combination of bony and chiseled. A runner has a powerful stride, constantly bringing to life a still picture from an Olympic-speed 50 yard dash. A runner is focused, wears spandex, and thinks of nothing but their next PR and the feeling of their ragged breath jarring their lungs as they pound out the miles.

However, consider the alternative. When I think ‘jogger’, I think of someone wearing 80’s-style gray sweatpants (yes, with elastic ankle bands) and a matching gray hoodie, shuffling down the street and waving to the neighbors. A jogger is a little paunchy in the middle, and is either jogging to make up for a meal they ate the night before or one they’re going to have the night after. The jogger jogs because they want to hold on to their high school glory days, when they barely made the varsity team but proudly wore the jacket anyway.

My mental descriptions are neither here nor there, but I think while I was out running (yes I said running) on Sunday I discovered the physical difference.

When you are jogging (which is what I’ve almost always done), you are merely picking up your feet and putting them back down. You move forward, but only because your stride is somewhat circular. Breathing can be labored, but it’s not really that bad. In essence, I’ve been holding myself back by doing this, playing the safe card.

I’ve started to notice lately that I’ve been doing more running, actually taking the extra step of pushing myself forward. Rather than rolling off my toe, I’m launching myself forward (barely, let’s not get ahead of ourselves). I’ve always been afraid of going too fast (skiing, roller-blading and sledding all make me nervous), but I’m now finding myself confident in my stride. I know that each foot will magically find its hold, and that with each push-off another one can be right behind it, and that’s ok.

I won’t fall. I can run. I am a runner.