Embracing My Life as a Hobby Jogger
COVID-19 may have ended my college running career, but it strengthened my love for the sport
April 18, 2020, was the scheduled date of my final collegiate track and field conference championship. The day had played out in my head countless times. I would line up, run the 10,000-meter race of my life, and retire from competitive running on a high note. The moment I crossed the finish line, I’d celebrate the culmination of my running career with the teammates who mean everything to me.
Of course, none of this actually happened. Like college students across the country, my life was turned upside down by the sudden spread of COVID-19. My final track season was abruptly canceled, and students at my university were dispersed across the country to continue the semester online. I’m fortunate to have stable family circumstances and post-graduation plans. However, the cancellation of my final semester and the opportunity to prove myself as a collegiate runner still stung.
I was also suddenly left with a blank slate in running. Since 7th grade, I’ve run cross country and track in a continuous cycle, always having another season to train for. Now there’s nothing. I’ve continued to run most days, oftentimes deciding on the distance as I lace up my shoes. Running for my own enjoyment has been freeing. However, it has also forced me to confront the basic question of “why do I run?”
Enjoying the process
In the competitive running community, the term “hobby jogger” has a pejorative connotation. One only has to glance at running forums like LetsRun to see complaints about new and slow runners congesting running trails during the pandemic. Most competitive runners see themselves as above the lowly hobby jogger. However, COVID-19 has upended this distinction. With large events likely cancelled until 2021, everyone’s racing plans are up in the air. As hard as it may be to admit, we’re all hobby joggers (or hobby runners) for the moment.
As I’ve realized from my daily runs though, life as a hobby runner isn’t too bad. I’ve had the freedom to explore different routes around my neighborhood and parks without worrying about mapping out the exact distance. When I feel tired, I take the day off instead of pushing through to meet a mileage quota. I no longer worry that I could be suddenly crippled by a devastating injury. My daily runs are motivated only by my love for running, rather than any outside pressure. In this sense, I consider hobby jogging the purest form of running.
This isn’t to say that competitive running has no place. I owe my love for running to cross country and would not have been driven to improve without motivation from my coaches and teammates. Many of my closest friendships come from the sport. And there’s nothing like the feeling of crossing the finish line of a race utterly exhausted but exuberant from a PR.
However, there are also things to enjoy from running without the competitive aspect. Running alone puts you closer to nature, letting you take in things that you wouldn’t otherwise. It’s easy to observe subtleties such as the change in seasons or wildlife scurrying across the path. If a side trail beckons or you want to check out a new route, nothing stands in your way. You’re free to run entirely on your own schedule, and you’re accountable to only one person: yourself. While this newfound freedom can be unnerving at first, it opens a world of possibility.
Competitive running will eventually return, and with it, the training runs and races we’ve all come to appreciate. I’m certainly looking forward to eventually running a marathon and setting new PRs. However, even in a normal training cycle, racing and workouts are only a tiny fraction of the time each of us spends running. The base of any successful training cycle is daily easy runs which require consistent self-motivation. To reach the end-goal, you have to trust the process. Right now is the perfect time for every runner to do some introspection and think about exactly what makes them enjoy that process. Finding your inner love for the running can both motivate you during this pandemic and beyond, building a durable foundation for future success.
Why we run
Running is unique in the sense that it can be so deeply individualistic and communal at the same time. Few other life experiences can offer both intense friendships and the level of self-motivation that running provides. When confronted with the question, “why do you run?” each of us has our own, sometimes deeply personal, answers. I love running because it allows me to see nature, clear my head, and explore new places. Others may enjoy it for very different reasons. And while we may be divided in our motivations, all of us are united in possessing the tenacity to lace up our shoes and make it out the door.
While coronavirus robbed me of my final track season, I’m grateful that it’s allowed me to answer the basic question of why I run. Each run now I complete with the satisfaction of knowing I did it for myself and on my own terms. I encourage all runners during this difficult time to think about what meaning running gives them. We may all be temporary hobby joggers, but we can at least be hobby joggers with a purpose.
