The Difference Between a Runner and a Jogger...and Ultrarunning

I think it was the late Dr. George Sheehan, who played so large a part in the running boom of the 70s and 80s, who famously said "The difference between a runner and a jogger is a number."

Specifically a race number:

[image credit Gary]

Younger runners today would be well served by picking up and reading one of his books.  Your life might change, seriously.

Anyway, over the weekend I took Mister Tristan (the 7 year old human being, not the blog) to run his very first race.  It was a kids race, a 1K, but it came complete with all the swag to help get a kid motivated: T-shirt, finisher's ribbon, actual course timing and a finish line chute...and a number bib.

It was the number bib that made him feel as though he was a runner.

So now he is.  He wants to run again as soon as possible.

As for Ultrarunning, on my part, after the kids' race I ran a 5K with the adults, my first race in many months.  I can't tell  you how motivating and exciting it was.  Granted, I was old and slow, but for the first time in awhile I felt like a runner.  A runner.  It's been a very unmotivated 2015 for a variety of reasons.

Looking ahead now to find a suitable Ultra so I can run some trails, with a number bib pinned on me.