Did you ever see the Monster.com commercial (available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJB0CzlzSwY) where little kids talk about what they want to be when they grow up and say things like, “I’m going to claw my way to middle management.”  At the time I thought it was a humorous jab at corporate America; little did I know I was destined for the middle-class lifestyle lampooned in the ad.  Before more is said, I want to clearly state that my family and I are lucky to have the life we’ve earned.  If our daily existence were to stay exactly as it is today, we would be blessed.

However, middle-class blessings do include much mundane drudgery, as I’m sure most classes do.  Commuting sucks; errands are excruciating; and endless rounds of conference calls can cause severe brain impairment.  These are things that cannot be avoided.  There are those who thrive within the corporate machine, excited by new stock market events, and never at a loss for words when business matters are discussed.  Such individuals get to work early and stay late, not because they want to get ahead (maybe a little bit to get ahead), but because they love what they do.  On some level I envy corporate climbers, and I am slowly climbing the ladder myself.  Work is important, and necessary, but I need life to be more than a job.

A few years ago, I started running to compliment other workouts, and after finishing a 4 mile race in the upper end of my age group, I decided to pursue running as my primary activity.  From that small beginning, a running lifestyle has developed into a passion.  I’ve run more than I ever thought possible, and learned a lot about life along the way.  Middleclassrunner opens a window into the lessons learned in pursuit of running, and life, excellence.  I hope to someday marry my running life to my work life, but for now it will have to enhance my life stories, rather than help define them.