1) Eating 2) Sleeping 3) Working 4) Wasting my life away on the inter-webs.

Obviously, this grouping was, and is not, a very well rounded chain of events for someone each and every day. I came to the conclusion that I needed to add some other sort of activity in the mix. So, I started running.  If nothing else, I started just to get away from the television, computer, and endless Facebook'ing for a little while.  I figured if I needed a habit, why not make it a healthy one, right?  My creative and artistic skills have never been quite up to par, so I figured I’d skip out on the painting, sewing, etcetera that many of my friends were doing. I wanted to be able to do something and do it well, and I had hopes that running would fit the bill.

Running was going to be it; my new past time. It would be something I could do by myself or with others. Plus, who knew - if I was dedicated and worked hard enough at it, maybe it would take me places (figuratively and literally) that I've never seen before. Ever since that hot and muggy July day, when I decided to start calling myself a "runner," I have made it a priority of mine. The first day, I ran a single (very slow) mile, only to agonizingly walk the last half mile home. Running has never been an easy activity for me, and to keep myself motivated, I try to run with friends and race as much as possible. Being a relatively competitive person, these tend to work for me. I've done everything from leisurely group runs, to racing 5K's and Half Marathons, and from road races to cross country trails. I have learned to love this activity that for so long, I deemed as a torturous form of abuse.

Now, don't get me wrong… I'm not the runner who runs everyday just for the sheer love of running. I'm not the runner who will rearrange their entire day or weekly schedule to fit in their runs.  I'm not the runner who regularly places in the top three, ten, or even top twenty at races. 
Yet, I am also not the runner who regularly places in the bottom three, ten, or twenty either.   

I'm the one in the middle.

The average, common, and very ordinary runner.

I'm the runner who some days struggles to get off my rear and lace up the running shoes. On other days, I can't wait to hit the pavement.  I'm the runner who always has other faster and fitter runners speed past them in a race, but still loves that moment of rounding the corner to see the finish line. I'm the runner constantly having to push themselves to the finish line, to the end of the mile, or to the end of the interval, fighting the inner voice often telling them it's totally fine to slow down or even stop. I'm the runner that, at times, doesn't run because it is either too hot or too cold outside. I'm the runner who, sometimes, gives in to the pain of their run, but is also the one who is proud of themselves after any type of run. I'm the runner who loves the feeling after a hard, easy, long, or short run. The one who runs through frustration, joy, and anger.  The one who runs to stay in shape, to meet new people, and to have a sense of self-accomplishment. I'm the runner who works hard to not just run often, but also run well. I'm the runner who would love to finish in the top three, ten, or even twenty of a race. And I'm the runner who would love to make a difference with their running and be an inspiration to others.

But more importantly than all that…

I'm the runner who keeps on running because they have never regretted a run.

Your average, common, and very ordinary runner.

The average, common, and ordinary runner who is dedicated. Dedicated so much that they are no longer "average." So that any given run becomes more than "just a run," in whatever that might mean that day.