Real Talk About Life Before And After Running

It may be hard to remember, but there was a time when you weren’t a runner. Scary, but true. You know your life changed in a major way when you first caught the running bug, but you may not have noticed how your healthy habit shaped the little things, too. Let’s take a look at your life BR and AR—before-running and after-running, that is.

Brunch

Before running: You wake up at 10 a.m., roll out of bed and spend an hour choosing a cute outfit and blowing out your hair. Meet your girls at your favorite spot and spend a couple leisurely hours gossiping over a few much-needed mimosas.
After running: You wake up at 8 a.m. and go for your long run. Then you roll out your sore muscles, spend a minute throwing your hair up into a bun and head to the diner with your running buddies to talk about your training schedules over some much-needed pancakes.

Beauty

Before running: You’ve mastered the perfect cat eye, the art of the purposefully messy bun, and found the ideal anti-aging moisturizer.
After running: You’ve mastered the perfect waterproof mascara application, the art of the purposefully immoveable French braid, and found the ideal sweat-resistant sunscreen.

Snacking

Before running: You sometimes remember to pack a snack for work in case you get hungry but usually just grab something from the cafeteria or coffee shop when hunger strikes. You’ve been known to visit the vending machine from time to time to get a quick snack.
After running: You always remember to pack multiple snacks for work to combat the pre-workout hunger and fuel up for your post-work run. You’ve been known to visit Costco weekly to get your snacks in bulk.

RELATED: 4 Life Hacks That Can Improve Your Runner Life

Weekends

Before running: The work week is over so it’s time to live it up. Hit the town at night, sleep in all morning, and spend your days catching up on errands and TV. Pure heaven.
After running: The work week is over so you finally have time to get in your long run. Hit the hay early to get up for said long run, sleep during an afternoon nap, and spend your days catching up on cross-training and a massage. Pure heaven.

Grocery shopping

Before running: You shop for different ingredients all the time so you can try out new recipes or maybe just experiment in the kitchen. You take your time browsing the store and often come home with more than a few impulse buys.
After running: You shop for basically the same items every week because you know what meals work best for your workouts. You’re in and out of the store because you know exactly where everything you need is located and rarely come home with an impulse buy (unless you make the mistake of shopping after a tough workout).

RELATED: 50 Life Lessons Learned On The Run

Budget

Before running: You diligently put away a little cash every week so you can have some fun money for the important things—Target runs, new shoes, and drinks with the girls.
After running: You diligently put away a little cash every week so you can have some fun money for the important things—race registrations, new sneakers, and drinks with the girls (come on, you’re still human).