Dear runners:
It occurs to me, upon reading the forums here that there is a lot of misplaced aggression across so many vistas, leading me to believe that there is a newly formed "running machismo" that is starting to make the running world look bad.
Traditionally, runners were respected in communities because of their manners, respect for people, respect for environment and genteel dispositions.
Now, look at us. Look at what we are doing to ourselves as a community:
--we ostracize our top athletes (Hall, Keflezighi, Rupp, Flanagan, etc etc)
--we trash talk now (this is what separated us before; why have we digressed?)
--we are now viewed as boorish and impolite in many communities where runners do a race and don't respect the area in which they did the race.
It appears to me that we are at a crucial time for running because we can choose to act as Kip Keino, Frank Shorter, and Bruce Jenner before us, and now, like Meb Keflezighi or Ryan Hall. Or, we can act like ourselves and be the best runner and person we can because of that running.
Come on now. Make the sweat a positive thing and not something that washes away others' spirits. We are not here for that.
Sincerely,
Mike