A long distance runner has always been a special breed of person. A person who almost relishes in solitude, since running is one of the only truly solo sports out there. A long distance also has an imagination greater than that of a small child's--they have to, in order to survive 3, 4, 5 hour runs with a pace as constant as that of a beating drum. The imagination has to be wild when every tree looks the same, every step is like the last, and there are still hundreds of trees and thousands of steps left to go. A long distance runner has an insane threshold for pain, and a mental toughness that is rivalled by none.
Long distance runners are often--not always--defyingly thin and lanky, but can out-eat a linebacker who was starved for days. They defy logic, they defy pain, and they defy all levels of comfort.
They're the kings of the pack. They sail by the usual joggers with ease, but also appropriate respect for the variation of their beloved sport...only jogging and running is about as much alike as a housecat and a lion. Theoretically, same family. Practically--worlds apart.
The usual joggers are always the same. The slightly hefty woman in a loose t-shirt with a ruddy, sweating face who's huffing and puffing makes you contemplate whether you should keep up a 5.33 pace or throw off your rhythm to administer CPR. The jock, thick with inflated, unnecessary muscle who starts off at a mad sprint, thinking running is the easiest sport in the world. As the long distance runner keeps up a steady pace, they can see the jock gradually slow down. In 50 feet, the mad sprint becomes a fast gait. In another 50 feet, the fast gait becomes a slow jog. By the time the long distance runner passes, the jock is bent at the waist, hands on the knees, sucking air. It's been 150 feet.
The sprinters are a fun specimen to observe, too. One burst of explosive power is over in a maximum of ten seconds, leaving the athlete hunched over and almost sick. Sprinters are usually nervous people, filled with an anxiety that permeates those around them. They skitter about in all directions before one common voice tells them to line up. They busily buster into place where they're forced to remain still for a few seconds, until a gun goes off and they explode in start as if fired from a cannon. It's all over in 10 seconds, and after a short period of repose, they are back to their usual jittery, nervously energetic selves, waiting for the next gunshot.
Medium-distance runners are lazy. They do not have the energy required to be a sprinter, nor do they have the tolerance (almost love) for pain, endurance, or the courage to be a long distance runner. Instead they toil in mediocrity for their entire running lives, never pushing the limits to either get their distance done in record-timing, or double their distance to enjoy the agony of being a long distancer.
Middle-distance runners procrastinate. They often have sagging shoulders less than halfway through their runs, put off workouts for another day, and fall behind in their mileage for the week. They are the reluctant runner, knowing that they'd miss the daily drudgery of running but also wishing there was a way to make it more enjoyable.
The long distance runner is an animal. One that defies all logical research about healthy exercise. If a muscle is sore and partially torn from a gruelling 20km run the day before, then another run will surely loosen it up and get it to come around. The long distance runner knows no boundaries. A marathon the day before is no excuse to take a day off the next day. A long distance runner considers a "day off" a day in which an easy 10km run is acceptable instead of a usually, gruelling uphill +20km battle.
Long distance runners can tune out pain that would kill most people. Muscle fatigue and lactic acid build up are obstacles to overcome, not barriers that will stop your run. Lack of toenails, knee surgeries and muscle tears become a part of the routine, an accepted sacrifice for a sport that they couldn't live without.
The mental toughness and focus of a long distance has no comparison. The first kilometre is always easy, with a light kick and a good feeling. The second kilometre is tough. The third one is tougher. The fourth kilometre, and you hit that dreaded wall. You snap back from your high and realize that your knee hurts. Your pace has started to slack. Your sock is digging into your toe and causing a blister, your back aches, and your shoulder have started to pinch. It's hot. You're sweating, your throat is dry and your mind starts to tell you that you should stop. Running like this is not good for your body.
The long distance runner will keep going. Keep going even though their muscles, their minds, and every fiber of their being is screaming uncle and begging them to stop. Their high will come back near the sixth kilometre, and they will tune out.
Until the tenth kilometre, where they hit the other wall. Their brain is now encouraging them to keep going, but their muscles no longer burn. They are numb. The pace becomes almost impossible to keep up with. Nothing hurts, nothing aches, but everything just....stops. Their legs want to stop. Channelling every ounce of their energy, they fool their body into thinking it's in a state of rest. Despite the steady pace they have kept up for ten kilometres, their heart inexplicably slows down. It starts to beat slowly, as if they were standing completely still. In the middle of a long, arduous run--the long distance runner is in a state of rest. The second wind.
Long distance runners are often withdrawn, self-reflective people. Never saying much, but always observing their entire surroundings. They often look as if they're not in the same realm, standing idle with a dazed, day-dreaming look on their face. Their entire lives are consumed with running. When they are not running, they want to be. When they are running, they never want to stop. Seeing a runner go by while they are completing daily tasks such as going to school or doing groceries is mental torture for the long distance runner. They crave the high, the burn, the muscle pain that their sport brings. The long distance runner cannot take a day off. It does not make sense. Graduation, wedding day, or vacation, the long distance runner will be out there at some point during the day, getting their mileage in. The long distance runner is beyond the point of running to lose weight or to be healthy. The long distance runner knows that people who run for these reasons are disrespectful and traitors to the sport.
The long distance runner balks at health concerns that govern most people. The long distance runner knows no boundaries, feels no pain, and can think of nothing else except their beloved sport.
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