It's kind of cool how committing to training for and running a marathon has made me feel like a runner. I'm certainly proud of what I'm striving for right now and love to talk about it whenever I can, but often what I say is one of the following:
"Training really sucks right now. It's so [hot/humid/gross] that it's hard to stay motivated."
"I can run far, but I'm still pretty slow."
"I put myself in the second to last corral."
Most of those comments have at best a tinge of negativity to them, but surely everybody struggles with how their interests define them as people. Maybe it's a twisted kind of humility.
My drawer of running shorts, tank tops, and--second only to shoes--bras could certainly communicate to a stranger that I'm a runner. I have a few running-related books on my shelf and a stack of Runner's World Magazines in my living room. But really, anyone could have those things.
What I am loving the most about training now is not collecting products (although I still love that) but sharing running with other people. I frequently invite people to run with me; that's where the second bullet comes in.
My school offers a really cool Expanded Orientation program, and I am doing two 1-mile runs a week with students during the first quarter of the year.
RWD and I are running a half marathon in November.
Just yesterday, I proposed a Doctor Who Homecoming 5K for my school, and I think it's going to happen.
Certainly, when you love something, you want to share it. I think this is how I finally know I love running.