serious question, in this nation of fatties with a terrible health crisis, why do we discourage people from running?

Hey, genius, how am I supposed to feel superior to everyone else if everyone else is also running?

I do not officially discourage anyone from running. If they choose not to run because I called them a blubber coated walrus packed with lard filling, that is their decision to make.

does OP need a safe space for his 30:00+ 5K thursday morning?

Because for the 'average joe', the last thing most need, is jogging. Get in the gym, implement a total body strength circuit routine, and use a rowing machine.

Metabolic and strength enhancement are easily developed without jogging...and ultimately, better.

Logic rules the day wrote:

Because for the 'average joe', the last thing most need, is jogging. Get in the gym, implement a total body strength circuit routine, and use a rowing machine.

Metabolic and strength enhancement are easily developed without jogging...and ultimately, better.

I don't agree.

1. Living in a physically beautiful area, I don't want to exercise indoors.

2. As an older male I run every other day and do it for heart health.

3. Anything at all anyone does to improve their health is a good thing. Who cares how they do it?

1. Don't do races if your really slow and only running for weight loss. Wait until you are in better shape to race. I have never ever even thought of making fun of a slow person running down the sidewalk. However, if there is an 8 hour marathoner just doing it for attention, I don't like you.

2. Running doesn't lose that much weight. If you want to fix the fat people, close the bad fast food places, don't make people run.

Logic rules the day wrote:

Because for the 'average joe', the last thing most need, is jogging. Get in the gym, implement a total body strength circuit routine, and use a rowing machine.

Metabolic and strength enhancement are easily developed without jogging...and ultimately, better.

Exactly. If someone is seriously overweight, running, in many cases, is a terrible idea.

almost no one honestly discourages people from running. Even on here its mostly just jokes. No one just looks at an out of shape person running and thinks "gee what a loser, go sit on the couch". The ones who actually do just do it because they are insecure about the idea that hobber joggers are part of the same sport they are when they think they should be credited as so much more

Runners are dickbags, by and large. You see this at the start of most races, with dick wagging over PRs and posturing by wearing shirts from running clubs or various other distance races. I love those who show up at 5k fun runs with marathon finisher shirts. It honestly saves me the time in wondering if you are, indeed, a twatwaffle.

Having said that - anyone who wants to run/jog/power walk their way through a 5k or more is a runner and should be encouraged, not discouraged, to run further and/or faster. Anyone who wants my advice will get what I think I know, which is probably wrong.

Don't be a dick. Anyone who finished last in a race still suited up that morning and got the job done. Don't treat them like crap because you finished before they did.

I agree with the OP. Good for anyone who runs, especially fun runners at the back of pack. It's their right to be there

Running a race gives anyone a chance to run on a different route, surrounded by different runners. It gives anyone a chance to make new friends. So what if running is done socially. If someone has found a fun way to get active, good for them

Because running causes health problems (ligaments, bones, muscles, etc), particularly for fat people.

Especially when the back of the packers are paying about 70% of the race events in most cases.

Running is terrible exercise.

I think there is a fair criticism of the "experience"/"participation" runners out there who just jog through their "training" and "racing" so they can get medals and take selfies at races. Yes, they are in better health than they would be sitting on the couch every morning. But, it seems like this movement sucks up lots of runners who would be interested in training harder, running faster, etc. and convinces them that they should just be happy with collecting trinkets at races and taking selfies with friends. So, I do not see it as much as discouraging people from running as encouraging people to do more than just shuffle around every morning at the easiest possible pace just short of walking.

It's the LR mindset:

If you are fat and do a 5k, you are a fatty that should stay away from races and stop clogging up the course.

If you are fat and go to a gym you're a "meat head" stupid xfitter.

If you don't work out you're dumb fat couch potato loser.

Precious Roy wrote:

I think there is a fair criticism of the "experience"/"participation" runners out there who just jog through their "training" and "racing" so they can get medals and take selfies at races. Yes, they are in better health than they would be sitting on the couch every morning. But, it seems like this movement sucks up lots of runners who would be interested in training harder, running faster, etc. and convinces them that they should just be happy with collecting trinkets at races and taking selfies with friends. So, I do not see it as much as discouraging people from running as encouraging people to do more than just shuffle around every morning at the easiest possible pace just short of walking.

2:44 marathon this fall. I shuffle around at the easiest pace just short of walking all the time :)

Growing group of people who encourage running at Parkrun.com. Doesn't matter if you run a 5k at 13:00 or 1h13m.

I wouldn't discourage anyone from running but I see a lot of low-effort runners. Eg overweight women in tutus walking in races and chatting it up. The benefits of this are minimal.