I am THAT runner.

It occurred to me on Monday -- and some of your will guffaw and think that it should have occurred to me long, long ago -- that I am, truly, that runner.

That overly-excited-about-all-things-running runner.

That probably-super-annoying-to-all-non-runners runner.

That holy-cow-she's-insane runner.

That runner.

So why did it suddenly occur to me on Monday? Well, I was planning to run with Elisa and Bridget, 4 easy miles from Bridget's house at 9:30. Owen was taking the boys sledding, leaving the house a little after 9, so I asked him to drop me off at Bridget's on the way.

As we drove down our street, Owen turned to me and asked if Bridget knew I was coming over. "Of course," I answered. "We made a plan to run."

"I mean, does she know you're going to be there early."

"Oh," I said. "Well, you're just going to drop me off and I'll run around her neighborhood until it is time to meet."

He gave me a look.

"What?" I asked.

"What. That's normal. You're just going to run around her neighborhood, waiting for her to come out. . . "

And we laughed. And then he dropped me off and I did just that -- I ran around her neighborhood until 9:30 when she came out of her house and Elisa drove up.

To me, it was perfectly normal. I mean, why not take advantage of the extra time and get in a little extra mileage?

But it got me thinking. Thinking of all the ways I am that runner. And there are many. How could I have missed the obvious clues in all of these that runner things that I do, like . . .

• wearing smelly running clothes because my running has outpaced my laundering;
• finding myself with 35 extra minutes before pre-school pickup and filling those minutes with a 4-mile run;

• becoming ridiculously happy when a friend decides to take up running;
• feeling a pang (or several pangs) of envy when I see others out running -- and it is a rest day for me;
• savoring Every. Single. Page of each issue of Runner's World magazine -- even all those pages that don't apply to me at all;
• having Facebook/Twitter/Instagram feeds full of runners, especially Paleo-eating, crossfit-dabbling runner mothers;
• knowing just what to wear for a run, but being sorta clueless about what to wear otherwise;
• feeling almost more joy for fellow runners' running accomplishments than for my own;
• owning multiple pairs of all the key types of running socks, including compression socks, toe socks, no-show socks, extra-lightweight socks, and heavier winter running socks;
• remembering marathon training with a tad of longing;
• packing running gear -- every trip, no matter what;
• getting giddy about new running shoes -- especially running shoes that match, serendipitously, my favorite running capris;

• strapping YakTrax on to my running shoes to head out for a run on snow-covered streets;
• gabbing about running until, I'm sure, the people around me wish to put a cork in me!

I could go on and on. The examples are many. Writing this blog is probably one of them.

But, yeah, I am that runner. Oh, well. I am who I am!

Are you that kind of runner, too? What clues do you have? 

Thanks for stopping by!