“Runners are a different kind of person” by Ambassador Tara
“Runners are a different kind of person” by Tara Cuslidge-Staiano
Runners are a different kind of person
Embarrassment was setting in as I made my way into a friend’s birthday party more than an hour late.
That morning a five-mile “for fun” run had turned into a 10-mile training run mostly on accident. It was a cool morning. I was running well. When I got to the point to turn off and head back home, I decided to go back out and go longer.
I nearly forgot about the party.
“I’m so sorry,” I told the birthday girl. “My run went long this morning.”
She laughed and asked me how many miles I got in before I realized I had to run home and shower.
“Ten,” I said. “It was a good run.”
As I gathered some appetizers on my plate, which I earned during that run, another guest looked at me with confusion.
“You do that for fun?” he asked. “Run 10 miles?”
In the nearly four years I’ve been running constantly, I’ve learned two very important things about running: Some people get it and embrace it. Other people will never understand.
I’ve also learned that nothing replaces crossing a finish line.
I ran my first 5K in 2008 somewhere around 38 minutes. Two years later I ran my fastest 5K in 26 minutes, shaving 30 pounds off my weight and 10 minutes off my previous time.
I spent seven months working up toward a 10K. It only took me five months after that to run a half marathon. By the end of 2011 I had run my first marathon.
I like to call that first 10K the “gateway run.” I figured if I can run 6.2 miles, then 13.1 shouldn’t be so bad, right? And after the half, the 26.2 didn’t seem too horrible.
Just think: If the Let’s Go 510 - The East Bay's 10K is your first of the distance, it may provide the spark that ignites your passion for longer distances.
I’ll never claim to be fast. I had to work hard to get a 2:16 half marathon finish this year. But the fact is, I love the journey. There’s something inspiring about getting out there with other people who share the interest. The encouragement propels you forward. The camaraderie keeps you going when you feel like you can’t anymore.
It doesn’t matter if you’re running a 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon or an ultra – each step forward is a reason to celebrate.
So yes, I do this for fun. I do it along with hundreds or thousands of other runners, depending on the race, who are there for the same thing. It may mean we’re a little bit crazy, sure.
We set our alarms for 5:30 a.m. to get in 20-milers. We cut out hours in our day to get in a quick five or six mile run. We struggle on the days we can’t lace up and head out for an easy run. We know what taper madness is and how crazy it can make a person.
Runners are just a different type of person.
Meet Ambassador Tara: Tara Cuslidge-Staiano, 29, is a college journalism instructor who lives in the 209 but developed a passion for the East Bay when she attended graduate school at University of California, Berkeley. She lived in Oakland for two years and loves participating in races that take her through her favorite 510 neighborhoods and trails.
