I've come to dread conversations with non-runners about my running.

Maynard, you need to stop worrying about your running and put a new album out... seriously, it's been 4 years now..

runnerguy wrote:

Maynard, you need to stop worrying about your running and put a new album out... seriously, it's been 4 years now..

good call here.

Mr D3 Guy,

As is typical, you just shoot out something like "you're a dumbass." To me this says you do not have the capacity to think into such a thing.

Pretend there is a man who ran (and by your logic would have fewer beats/sec on average in his lifetime) and died at 9 billion beats of his heart at the age of 80. [These numbers are just for thought and not representative of reality. ] Can you say that it was not his DESTINY to die at 9 billion beats, whether he met that at 80 or 90 or 70? Can you say that it was not his destiny?

NO!!!!

You cannot argue either for or against this idea. IT IS CALLED A PARADOX! There is no way to determine whether or not an individual has a predetermined number of beats for their life or not. How can you say that the 9 billion number from the example was not the number at which he would have died, had he run or not? You CANNOT!

Now, if you are misunderstanding my orgininal intent and thinking I am saying that running makes a heart beat more times in a life than not running, this too is not a cut and dry case as you claim. Again, you did not think deeply enough.

There is a length of time at which the strength gains in the heart will result in a slow enough resting pace to counteract the increases while excercising (plus post-excercise increases). If there is a boy who takes up running only months before he dies at 15 years and 15 million beats of his heart, can you say that he did not use up the last of his beats early, when he could have made it maybe another 2 days..2 weeks...

If you have an IQ above 100 you should know the answer!

I didn't know philosophy degrees came in cracker jack boxes....

maynard, you are an arrogant arse. People are civil enough to take/feign an interest in your running and all you can do is b**** about what a bore it is to speak to these plebs. Then you come on here and tell everyone, presumably because you thought it would bring whoops of "yeah, I'm with you man" and you'd feel really good about yourself. Grow Up.

I'm with Maynard on this one. I dont want people to take an interest in my running. And I'm not interested in most other peoples hobbies so I dont ask lots of question to pretend to be interested. I dont really give a f*** and they know that just as much i know they dont really give a f*** so why pretend?

Cant stand the watercooler/smoking room conversations..

there you go.

philosophizer wrote:

Can you say that it was not his DESTINY to die at 9 billion beats, whether he met that at 80 or 90 or 70? Can you say that it was not his destiny?

NO!!!!

But quite frankly, you've created a non-argument. It simply doesn't matter. You give a name to a lack of knowledge ("destiny") and pretend as if you've discovered something. That is hardly what I'd call "deep thought".

This much we can say: In our observations of the human animal, there is no empirical data suggesting that people are born with a specific number of total beats beyond which their heart fails. Therefore, there is no reason to believe that such is the case.

If you want to play the "philosopher's game", go ahead, but it's very unproductive. I crack up when I hear PHIL 101 students arguing about whether or not a tree falling in a forest makes a noise if no one's around to hear it. My response is usually one of two things: 1) Are you so important that it shouldn't? 2) Yes, if you redefine "noise" as "something a human hears".

Think about what it's like when you talk to people about their hobby... I work with some guys that golf and a few that hunt. I other than Tiger Woods and Caddyshack I have ZERO reference points on those topics.

I try not to ask too many dumb questions or make comments that are similar to the dumb s*** people ask about running, but you at least have to act like to care. It's part of being civil.

My 'problem' is dealing with undue adulation and praise without coming off smug. Example: I run a cramped up 30 minute 8k on a hilly road race, get 1st in division by default and have to deal with "WOW! THATS GREAT! YOU ARE FAST!" etc...and I'm not really, I know that much. You can tell people the SEC XC champs ran 6 minutes faster for the same distance and it just doesn't compute with them. So now I just don't even tell people when I enter a race because I can't stand undue praise if I win in a field of weekend warriors, it's become wholly self indulgent which is in a way dishonest to the people in my life.

Sucks/is weird.

We runners can be pretty self centered... I can relate to what your saying but keep in mind that what alot of us do is considered quite impressive by your average person. A nice patient conversation with a non runner may serve as an inspiration for them to stap on a pair of shoes and make it around the neighborhood for a 1 mile run. This might seem very insignificant to us but to them a major accomplishment.. It's all relative. Running can have a profoundly positive impact on a persons life and to turn someone on to it is a good thing. For me to go out for an easy 10 is no big deal but for others it can be an inspiration. Sometimes when a non runner quizes me abuot running I just kind of take on a ambassador frame of mind and encourage them to try it out.... Anyway,,, Get the idea ????

high attitude training wrote:

Well, you could live in a town like Boulder where a 35 minute 10k dude is too good to talk to a 28 minute dude because he's not Paul Tergat. Count your blessings.

I'm wondering if this sentence makes any sense...

This guy is a c***.

Yeah, I see what he is saying, but I have no sympathy.

When I won Boston, I got a lot of that crap, but it was a slow year, and I really didn't run that fast, relatively.

Everyone kept saying I was so fast, and giving me mercedes and contract deals for advertisements..

It really sucks.

maynard wrote:

I hate them, really. It's just about to the point that I wish no non-runner even knew I run. I'm just sick of their reactions to my running. Tired of the stupid comments and questions we've all heard a hundred times.

It's all a matter of perspective. I dread talking running with all of you non-running Letsrun posters.

We want more exposure for running, but hate for a mainstream person to talk about it??? Personally, I'm flattered when anyone is respecting what I do, even if they're lacking knowledge on the subject.

I was on a detox run in Vegas and actually had a woman clap for me as I trodded by - she told me that she was so impressed that I was out running...

d... wrote:

I was on a detox run in Vegas and actually had a woman clap for me as I trodded by - she told me that she was so impressed that I was out running...

It's bad carma to "do one better", but I have to this time:

Few years ago in the San Diego area, I ran a track workout by myself where the San Diego Chargers were about to start their training camp workout. So what?? There were at ~1000 fans who cheered me every step.

For a workout, that's more glory than even a pro gets.

ttc wrote:

We want more exposure for running, but hate for a mainstream person to talk about it??? Personally, I'm flattered when anyone is respecting what I do, even if they're lacking knowledge on the subject.

This is exactly right. Running will never get the respect it deserves until it is more mainstream. It will never become more mainstream until people in the mainstream talk about it and enjoy. If you people don't have the time to help promote it, then don't complain when it gets the s*^t end of the stick time and time again in the rest of the sporting nation. Congratulations, you've helped keep the sport in the obscurity closet just a little while longer.

I say "Amen" to that brotha! It is those that come up with the same stupid "jokes" related to running all the time, then use them repeatedly that really wear me down. Everytime, out of politeness I have to give a little chuckle while really I just want to lay the bastard out.

I had a girlfriend who was a waitress when we first started dating, I told her about this pet peeve (probably after my current boss had made the some assinign joke about running further than he drives). Then, on one of our next dates, while at a restaurant, I made some, what I thought was cute and witty comment to the waitress, who of course gave a little giggle as she was walking away.

"Ya know," my girlfriend said. "She has undoubtedly heard that stupid line a 1000 times, hates it with a passion, resents the fact that she 'has' to giggle as if you were actually original, and is in the back right now recounting how stupidly smug and cute you think you are for puking up the same dumb line every other jack ass uses. It's a waitress thing. Kind of like your runner thing."

Touche.