Weird Things That Happen In A House Of Runners

Whether it’s college roommates, shacking up with the parents, sharing space with your best or living with that runner bae, staying in close proximity of other runners tends to start some household trends. I first noticed this while staying with my parents for a few months; both are also endurance athletes. At first it seemed to just be our lovely home that suffered from runtastic side effects, but after further research between friends and reflecting on past living situations in the same conditions, there are definitely some common denominators in this living equation. Call them weird, normal or no biggie, but here’s some things that tend to start happening, first slowly, then more, then suddenly it’s all you think about when you’re home.

1. Any thing that can serve as a hanging rack is a hanging rack. I’m talking shower heads, back-of-the-door hooks, computer chairs, patio furniture, pillows, door knobs—anything with an edge that sports bra straps can hang on. Because if you’re really honest with yourself, you probably wear your sweaty apparel two to three times before washing. It’s okay—apparently a ton of other people do it too. (Guilty: I get a good four wears out of a bra before it hits the hamper.)

2. There’s random running crap all over the place. I really don’t think I realized how many foam rollers we actually owned until I found The Stick lodged in a seat cushion once. There’s also, like, a billion pairs of shoes in every room. I could err on the side of us being just total slobs—but who has time to clean up crap when you’re clocking miles? Besides, there are plenty of Instagram accounts that can back up my theory that busy athletes in general, especially those of endurance, just start an area for their stuff, and it grows into this hoarder-like monster that eventually bombards every room in its own special way. A clean house is a sign of a wasted life, right?

3. The kitchen is full of jars of powder. Protein powder, smoothie mix, cinnamon, some unmarked specimen your marathoning BFF told you you just HAD to try—it’s all on the counter next to the blender. It becomes a game to stack in a variety of formats: most used, for tomorrow, almost empty, by type, by how gross it actually is. We actually have an unofficial corner for supplements galore.

4. Hair ties. Need a band? Check the counter, kitchen, couch cushions, floor, your wrist, in your shoes, around water bottles, on the desk, in the pen holder. Just don’t check the bathroom—there aren’t any in there.

5. Home decor looks strangely like a mock locker room. Let’s hang the bibs in the garage, the sports memorabilia in the hallway, medals on the door knobs, race T-shirts…well, let’s hang those up to dry in the bathroom. If you got a PR, forget about it! You’re framing that finisher cert and framing it in the office.