You know you've taken your running to another level when...

Smithy . I own more training shoes than going out shoes!

Rochelle M I swapped to minimalist running shoes & was excited to get them in the post lol. I ran in the rain this evening when a Thursday isn't even my "scheduled" day to run :)

Bridget C Tired, sore and don't have enough time/just don't want to fit in planned 13K... so change route, drop off 2km and add some hills to compensate... and feel secretly pleased about my "slacking, easy run" I did instead. Then realised I didn't cheat myself at all, my "slack run" was an awesome run in an awesome time :)

Elisha L I had to buy new running shoes and I'm registered for my first 10k race in April!

James M Used to only run to stay fit for my annual medical and pretty much loathed every step. Now after 3 half marathons and currently training for my first full marathon, I actually enjoy it :-) (even in the foul weather we get here in Scotland). I know my running has reached a new level because I'm a stone lighter than when I started and I ran 17.39 mile on Sunday. My longest to date :-)

Simon O When it's so cold outside, your breath freezes and prickles your face as you run through it... And you look forward to doing it again tomorrow ;)

Ryan B I too have a special pair of shoes just for running in the rain, and I used the crap out of them tonight. Was a really exciting run.

Helen H 2 reasons ..
1) When is snowing and you think great ican run in the snow ???
2) You start to consider what style of shoes you need to progress your running technique

Katie O its icy, you're tired and you think, ok just a 5k will do today.

Giorgio C Just a few minutes before running, it starts to rain. You look out out the window, you shrug, and leave for a good, wet, run :)

Nathan F I just set up a 50 miler training plan! eeeek.

Pronsias (Frank) M You know you've taken your running to another level when the first thing you pack for holidays is your running gear

Amy I You know you've taken your running to another level when you are totally bummed out that you only ran 83 miles in November :-(

Karen F You know you've taken your running to another level when... I wear long johns under my running pants just so that I don't have to stop because it's too cold out. Last week I ran at 21 degrees F, coldest this season (so far).

Gill C I knew I had taken running to another level when I turned to my running partner and proclaimed "The first 5 miles are really nice!"

J.R. B you know you have taken your running to the next level when a "rest day" means you only run 5km that day

Kasia K Well, I started running in early March this year and I could not run 2miles without stopping. By the end of that month I ran my first 5k (32 mins), by the end of May I had my first 10k race behind my belt (1hr 7mins) and the second one in early July (1hr 2mins). And finally, I ran my first HM two weeks ago (2hrs 18mins)!! But what makes me really proud is not only the progress in my endurance, but also I feel I'm a stronger runner. Last week I ran 5k in 27mins and 10k in 58mins. It simply makes me happy and amazed how our bodies respond to the exercise and we can really progress A LOT! :)))

Fiona J When you walk uninjured into a pyhsio therapy clinic and after 30mins of poking prodding & dry needling later you hobble out in pain with a smile on your face after paying 55euro for the privilage! Anything to loosen up those muscles pre Marathon! ;-)

Ramses Amadeus B i used to run 5km in 45 minutes then, a month later i am able to run 5km i22 minutes!

Jim G After not having worn a watch for more than 10 years, I spent more than $150 for a GPS watch to track my running.

Carole C You know you've taken your running to another level when you haven't had much sleep in a few nights, went to work anyways and only dreamed of going back to bed as soon as you arrive home. But instead, you put all your running gear on and go for a run in order to respect the scheduled runs for the month!

Adriana L When you say 'Oh no, sorry I can't meet you at Costa, I have plans already' and then you run up that hill that you've been wanting to do for donkey's ages! ;)

Luis S You crash on you bike on Saturday after about 70 miles of riding. You get knocked out, road rash on your face, knuckles, arm, knee and ankle. Stitches above your eye. But you still wake up at 4:30 AM on Sunday and do a 16 mile long run. Then you tell your coach about the injury....

Nikki R When instead of giving up because you have a mild injury/setback you push through it to complete your goal first (half marathon), and then work at getting back to health the right way rather than just deciding not to bother.

Nocturnal R Guess I have moved several levels since I started running.

June 2008 - started running. Could not complete 3km without walking.

Feb 2009 - 1st 10km race. Time 1:09

Sep 2010 - 1st half marathon race. Time 2:15

Dec 2010 - 1st full marathon race. Time 5:06

Have since gotten better timing in 2011

And is now expecting to finish 2012 with even better timings.

What's more important is that along the way, I'd transitioned from heel-strike to midfoot and has been helping many others improve their running form.

Joanna G i've been pondering how i have taken running to level to another level....i started running seriously in late march 2012. entered a 5k and could barely breath running because i was a smoker...i remember my surroundings going black a few times and feeling like i was going to die....from that day, i decided that i was going to quit smoking, not because i wanted to but i realized i love running more than i love smoking...i struggled with it on and off since especially when super stressed but i quit...then i bought shoes specifically for running....and signed for 2 more races in april and 2 more in may...i found this site on the web that had races all over the state and for every month of the year...then in june i signed up for more races and my first 1/2 for july and full marathon which is coming up...when i did the 1/2 my arches completely dropped...i paid attention to the way i walked, ran, everything and learned a different style of running...i started reading the runners magazine for tidbits and any kind of information to help improve myself...i think it's when i bought my first jar of protein shake...i take that back when i started buying the gels for the long distance runs that i've taken it to another level...i went from running 10k to half within 30 days....i have never done that kind of distance before and when i signed up for the marathon between the day i signed up to the day of the race i will have had 88 days to get my act together...that race is approaching and approaching fast (2 1/2 more weeks) and when i made the jump from 6 miles to 9 miles to 13 miles to 15 miles (where i hit my first wall) and repeated the 15 miles then jumped to 20 when it all hit me of what i'm preparing myself to do.

Jane H When my dog, a border collie, digs her paws in and refuses to come for a run with me