Am I a runner still?

“So, what do you do when you’re not here?” she asked me, not knowing how much of a loaded question that is for me right now.

I was at the office conversing with someone I had just met for the first time. Asking someone what they do when they are not working sounds like an easy question to answer. You respond with your hobbies or outside-of-work activities, or something about spending time with your family.

Run. I run. 

I wanted to say I run but it was difficult to get the words out.

Is someone who has been injured for almost two years considered a runner? Even though I have now been running a little bit for two months, can I still call myself a real runner even though I often still have knee soreness/pain during it?

“I run a little. I’m getting back into running after being injured,” I responded.

“That’s awesome! So, you run like marathons?” she said.

“Yes, I run marathons — just not right now.”