A Running List of Running Rules

To be updated regularly

Even though I was a fairly well-behaved kid who craved structure, I was never much for following rules that seemed arbitrary or inflexible. Give me ambiguity and let my imagination run wild! Just make sure to create a few parameters so I don’t veer too far off course.

Running comes with its own set of rules. Some of them tried and tested, others seem hurled out of a confetti cannon with little rhyme or reason. One can deliberately build their mileage base without conforming to some marketing gimmick.

In that spirit, Running Probably’s Rules about Running are neither capricious nor set in stone. They are more like philosophical signposts rather than hard-and-fast regulations. At the end of the day, how you run is entirely up to you. How many other things in life can you do on your own terms?

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1. If you run, you’re a runner

This is the most important rule so I’m going to repeat it: If you’ve ever run in your life, you’re a runner.

There’s no conclave of marathoners meeting in Eugene to decide such things. Nor is there a medal or trophy. Becoming a capital-R Runner is a state of mind more than an achievement. The only person who can grant you status in this special club is you. Once you decide to be a runner, guess what? You’re a runner! Congrats.

Sometimes you don’t even get to make the decision consciously. One day you’re trying to sneak in a little cardio, and before you know it you own a quiver of shoes and at least three hydration packs. Running is funny like that. After a while, it just kind of takes over.

By the way, your status as a runner is retroactive. If running is something you’ve done in the past, then it’s something you can do in the future. Maybe not exactly like you used to run in the past, but that’s not really the point. Running is running. You can run anytime you like because, after all, you’re a runner.

2. Running is hard

It doesn’t matter if you’re clocking 6-minute miles training for a marathon or jogging around your neighborhood: Running is always tough. Whether it’s finding the time or making an effort, there is very little about running that’s easy. This, as runners know, is part of the appeal.

Where we go wrong as runners (and humans) is when we make running (or life) harder than it needs to be. That goes for running too fast, which most of us do out of habit, and it goes for running when we’re tired and would otherwise benefit from taking a break. It’s not the running itself that’s hard. It’s finding the right balance that often proves difficult.

Because we have built up this notion that running is supposed to be a specific kind of hard – all pain for minimal gain – we have conditioned ourselves to inflict punishment upon our bodies and psyche in the hopes that it will one day benefit us in some intangible way. Running doesn’t work like that and neither does life. Give yourself some grace.

My happy place is a hill in the woods.

3. Running doesn’t get easier

You’re going to get slower. Sorry about that. Happens to all of us, whether we want it to or not. The good news is there are ways to delay this natural deceleration process through speed workouts and resistance training. They require even more effort, an unwavering commitment, and a willingness to suffer every now and again. (Again, all part of the appeal!)

That part is up to you. It doesn’t make you any less of a runner if you don’t do those things. Unfortunately, simply maintaining your old patterns will accelerate your inevitable slowdown. Like getting older, running is as unrelenting as it is unsentimental. You’ve got to keep up in order to keep from being left behind.

You’re also going to get injured. I’m sorry about that one too. There’s no worse feeling for a runner than being injured because A) you can’t run and B) you know that by not running, you’re actively getting worse at running. It doesn't matter how fast or slow you are, managing the emotional and physical fallout from injuries is a universal runner's concern.

Of course, if you’re going to be a runner, you should probably get used to the idea of feeling a little bit banged up most of the time. Having a chronically sore hip with IT band stiffness doesn’t make you injured. It makes you a runner.

4. Start strength training now

You’ve probably heard this one all your life, which doesn’t make it any less true. If you want to stay healthy and active into middle age and beyond, you’ve got to spend some time strengthening your muscles. (As an added bonus, resistance training has all kinds of cognitive benefits.)

What do we mean by strength training? A better question would be: What don’t we mean? There are more ways to strengthen your muscles than there are actual muscles in your body. Yoga, pilates, free weights, body weight, machines, bands, straps, it all counts.

Find a thing (or two) that speaks to you and your body’s needs and make a commitment to do them on a regular basis. It doesn’t take much, by the way. Just 15-20 minutes of core work, 2-3 times a week, will get the job done. Start with the following: Squats, planks, pushups, and calf raises. Do a few sets and call it a day. Track your progress, look for variations, don’t get comfy.

You think running fitness goes fast? It’s got nothing on strength gains, which can disappear in a blink. All the more reason to start, or resume, a program now. Plus, a few minutes of resistance exercises will make you feel better when you’re running and even when you’re not running.

5. Running isn’t life, but it can be a lifestyle

Once you head down the path of becoming a runner, it’s important to maintain perspective. Running is best when it’s something you do, rather than something you are. It’s fine to derive pleasure and satisfaction from a killer run, but your pace and performance don’t define you.

At its best, running conveys a sense of freedom. Once you start running, you can go anywhere and do anything. There’s no gym fees or membership dues. You can run by yourself or join a group. Runners tend to share a communal sense of camaraderie that cuts across age, gender, and cultural differences.

Best of all, we don’t have to explain ourselves to other runners. We just go run.

Care to join me?