If you are a runner, is running exercise?

I started thinking about running as exercise recently and how maybe I don't get enough of it. Or maybe I am not doing it right. Because if running is exercise, I am, sure as shootin', not losing weight from it. This year alone, I have run four half marathons, one full marathon, a smattering of 5Ks, 5 Milers and 10Ks, and even a 15K. Add to that a LOT of training, and you would think I would be stick thin. However, the truth is that I am almost 10 lbs. heavier than I was a year and a half ago. Now, granted, I do tend to nullify the occasional 4-miler with a dark chocolate mocha with whip, but I don't always do that. There are a lot of runs where I don't eat much of anything afterwards. So, what's happening? Am I eating so much throughout the day that I am making up for the running, or has my body somehow gotten used to running and I just don't burn nearly as many calories doing it as I think I am?

Whatever the case may be, I think I need a change of routine. So, I have signed up for a BOSU cardio conditioning class. I wouldn't have even considered this a year ago. However, running is not taking up nearly so much of my life of late. By that, I mean that recovery has improved a lot in the past few months. Whereas before I could expect a long run to sometimes wipe me out for almost a week (if I experienced delayed onset muscle soreness), now I am ready to go again in a couple of days. I can't remember the last time I had a case of DOMS. Even after the marathon, I was back running - such as it was - within four days. Not bad considering the first marathon I ran wiped me out for weeks. In any case, maybe doing something different like the BOSU will get me feeling like I am getting some exercise again. Besides that, since I bought one of these suckers in a fit of madness last year, I am also hoping a class will actually teach me how to use it as well. That would be a bonus.

Getting ready for a relay

Speaking of exercise and nullifying it, my five-person relay team is getting ready for our 50-mile relay this weekend. I'll run two legs of the relay - approximately 10 miles - and then immediately follow that up with half a day's worth of calories in beer at the after-party. (At least it's planned for.) I think our team is very excited to be underway. We had a bit of a scare earlier this week as our five-person team threatened to downgrade itself to a four-person one. One teammate who had been in the relay for four years - since before my time - fractured her arm this past week. Since it's apparently not a good idea to run when your bone is broken in two, she had to withdraw from the event. Luckily, we were able to fill in her spot with another running friend rather quickly. As usual, it should be a lot of fun this year. I am looking forward to getting up there and trying our new experiment of drawing our leg assignments out of a hat before the start of the race. It will add an element of surprise that we've never had before!

First group run in months?

This week's runs have gotten me in the mood for the weekend ahead. After a so-so penance jog on Monday after yoga to make up for my botched eight miler on Sunday, I got out today for a group run for the first time in a long time. Two of the regulars from the Wednesday Morning group weren't there, so it was just me and a couple of other ladies out for a four miler at what turned out to be a 9:44-pace. Despite the relatively slow pace (as compared to my mid-week runs pre-marathon), I felt like I was struggling a bit - perhaps due to my inability to be in a group of people and not talk. I am so used to running alone, where any conversations I might have are with myself and in my head, that the actual act of speaking out loud while running was a bit of a challenge for me. It was worth it, though. The reward for my battle? Yep, you guessed it: a dark chocolate mocha with whipped cream at the coffee shop after. Yum. Although, now that I think of it, maybe I shouldn't really consider that a reward. After all, I have met this group after their run plenty of times for this self-same coffee treat without having run a step myself. Apparently, rewards can come rather cheaply.

Do you consider running exercise? Do you do anything else to get exercise that is not running? I want to know. Please leave a comment!