Something that needs to be said

Because every single one of us needs to hear it/read it/type it. Here it is: Running is not the only thing that defines us. We are not just Runners. We're husbands, wives, great friends, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, parents, and coworkers. We have a myraid of different talents, many strengths, and weaknesses (even if we don't admit it).
We're so much more than just ordinary runners...we're people who run.
My life, for the past year or so has been exclusively defined by my training schedule. I stressed over missed runs, I constantly calculated how much faster I needed to go to set a new PR, and I agonized over bad runs. I've forgotten why I loved to run before I "got serious" about it.
This post has been triggered by things that I've seen in various assorted RBF'ers blogs over the past several weeks. I've seen really good runners, who love to run, forget about the joy that they feel when they're pounding the pavement. I've had my own meltdown and read about the results of at least three others. This concerns me.
Running, for me, hasn't always been about winning my age division and getting faster. It used to be a healthy way to manage my weight, blood pressure, and deal with stress. Lately though, it's become something that, although it's still managing my health, it's causing me some undue stress. This is bad, cause we all knows I already gots enough stress in my world.
So, I'm revisiting the issue of running for fun. I'm going to try to make it a lower stress activity. Having said that, I'm not going to be racing at all this spring...not even a 5k here and there. This is going to be tough for me, as my competitive nature tends to rule my life, and I really love race shirts. I'm going to try to reconnect with the fun side of the sport and not get swept up in how fast I can get where I'm going. The joy is in the journey right? I'm going to focus on being grateful that I can run and try to share that with others through volunteer work with groups like GOTR and the local marathons (who always need aid station volunteers).
If I'm lucky and play my cards right, maybe next year at this time I'll be ready to run a big race again...and maybe next time it won't run my entire life.
Oh, and for those of you who've changed your priorities for this race season, there's no shame in that...good for you for having the courage to do what's right for you. You're not letting any of us down, but rather setting a great example of how to do the right thing. You're all runners in my book.