The strange things we do

"A Jogger is everyone that I can pass. A Runner is everyone who passes me." (unknown)

I was just reminded of a great ad campaign entitled: "Runners, Yeah, We're Different". It was put out by a running shoe company a few years ago, and it really captured the essence of the sport. Other than putting one foot in front of the other, most observers aren't aware of the odd little details that separate runners from joggers.

I know there are a million, "You know you are a runner if..." lists and they are all cheezy, so here is a million plus 1 and it is equally cheezy. In no particular order, here are a few that I can think (feel free to ad to the list):

1) After a wet run and you take you socks off, having a perfectly clean foot and ankle line with mud everywhere else.
2)Parking lot nudity. How many public washrooms, trunks, backseats, frontseats, bushes...have I changed in?
3)Peeing in bushes, or number 2 in an urban public park.
4)choosing to run on any strip of dirt or grass you find, no matter how narrow, rather than pavement.
5)sped up, slowed down, or gone wide and clenched a fist as you run by a dog (the little ones are the most unpredictable).
6)Debated with the owner of a dog, that "Fluffy", "Killer", or "Brutus" (savageness of name inversely proportional to the size of the dog) did in fact chase you and nip your ankle. Inevitable reply: "Fluffy, etc... never does that, this is the first time..."
7)own more than 3 pairs of shoes (or about 20 in my case), one of which is permanently in your car and most likely wet.
8)use a shoe box as a storage container.
9)washed a jersey with a race number on it. Or found a jersey in your cupboard with a race number still pinned to it.
10)random stretching in public, most likely in a line-up.
11)run home from school, work, the bar....
12)found mud on your legs, toes or feet hours after showering. Or, for the super-elite, not still not showered hours after running.
13)run a x-country or track race!!!!
14)"snuck in" a few miles when you had no business, or time to.
15)used a telephone pole, a bush, a tree, a stop sign...as a finish line.
16)called a race "a fun run", when you knew you weren't fit enough to perform.
17)drove or flown somewhere to run.
18)own a shoe rack.
19)know your A,B,Cs apart from the alphabet.
20)been insulted when someone called you a jogger.
21)thought you could beat someone because they are bigger than you.

Additions from the comments section. Thanks for playing:

From UG (my comment, your running links all seem to be associated with possessions :) I bet you look the part. I can appreciate that!)
*Bought an Element specifically because I could change in the back and not be seen.
*Own about 100 different socks for running in different temps, terrain, rain, snow, etc.
*Own more running clothes than work clothes.
*Own 3+ pairs of sunglasses or lenses for the same reasons you own 100 pairs of socks.

From Wendy (aka my mom, she should know):
I think 22 should be: my days are negatively affected if I can't fit in a run (she has seen me grumpy after a few missed runs)

From Dawno:
*While getting errands done or while at work seen someone running and was immediately jealous that you weren't. Even if you had already ran that day!(Truer words were never spoken)
*Looked outside and saw some nasty weather and thought "now is the perfect time to go for a run" (appropriate for the past few weeks)