Portrait of a typical LETSRUN poster

Star wrote:

Van Goff wrote:

No, actually, that is not mocking.

The whole "Portrait of a typical LETSRUN poster" theme is mocking.

No, actually, that is not mocking. I did not make fun of anyone. But if it makes you feel better, think that way and go post on another thread

Thanks for sharing your story

need pics

thanks for sharing. I am also bitter about the people getting free stuff for being egomaniacs. Being able to walk/jog 100 miles just means you don't really have any responsibilities and a lot of free time.

Little Bear wrote:

Van Goff wrote:

Oh wow, speak up little bear. Tell your story

Meth and weed. It's probably the strongest doping agents out there to be honest. I wouldn't be surprised if the top runners on the fringe are popping pills and eating edibles on the daily.

Is that possible? You ran on meth?

Why would other people's 'success' make me feel bitter about not having more of my own?

Your criteria of PEDs, family money, or the elusive "natural talent" are things that are what they are. Do your best, be proud of yourself, and call it a day.

This overall assessment is problematic in many ways.

I would venture that a lot more people share stories closer to some of us who were also-rans, not only in track or cross-country, but also in life, just trying to live it honestly, the best way we can. Personally, for me, I ran cross-country and track for one year in high school. My fastest mile was only a 5:33 and my fastest 2 mile a 12:09. in x-c, my fastest 5K was 22:02.

I played other sports recreationally throughout my college years and beyond, like basketball and tennis, and came back to distance running in 2006 on a whim. I am 41 years old now and my fastest mile is still no quicker than 5:40 and my fastest 5K just barely is under the 20 level at 19:35. Still and yet, with my endurance building, I still have a goal this year to qualify for Boston. I expect many will tell me I am too fat or slow to do so.

However, many of us also-rans have opinions. We also have spent a lot of time training, except without the PEDs or other supplements. Because we have worked in the real world, we know how to balance a schedule amongst different vistas.

Those of us who do the road races once in a while know the feeling we get doing those races, even as we know we are not going to win. We also love the feeling of getting there honestly. We also honestly love our sport, even as much as some of our own runners make categories such as "hobby jogger" and the like.

What we don't like is having our sport that we do for love stigmatized by those who do engage in PED usage and/or trash talking in a way that kills running as a universal interest. I don't mean bantering between runners about who will win. That is okay because it's constructive and expected. I mean the trash talking that calls a 29 minute 5K runner fat or tells them that they should just walk.

Just stop it. Runners who do not dope will be angry at those who do. It's not because they are bitter--it's because nobody ever has the right to do something illegal. If they do it, they have taken their own liberties, which can be judged.

Stop making excuses because you don't wish to hear about doping. This regard is -also- part of the equation. Deal with it.

Thanks,

Mike

San Marcos, CA

Nice of you to share your frustrations and project them on the "typical" LRC poster. Now it is time for you to seek professional psychological counseling. Most counselors will accept health insurance if your coverage allows it.

Good luck!

P.S. I'm sure all the coaches and elites who visit here haven't been offended by your inane post.

My guess is that the demographic of this message board looks a lot like the top 50 or so at the local road race with a sprinkling from the slower finishers. Mostly they are people who care enough about performance to train and seek training advice and they are fans of the sport. Some are very good, some are age group winners, most are just running for the self satisfaction.

Statistically speaking, it is unlikely that a large percentage of people on this board are D1 top 7 type runners.

Like me, I suspect that most people on this board come here because it is more interesting than a basic news site. Like me, I suspect that many are constantly amazed at the hate, bitterness, mud slinging that is present not only on the boards, but by the founders of the site. But I guess it works doesn't it?

I ran into a young woman I knew from college CC at some dinky little meet a couple weeks ago. Tried chatting with her a little bit. She and her teammates were aggressive and rude to me. Time to back off the Testosterone ladies.

Why are you so bitter tho OP?

ttp://cdn3.benzinga.com/files/imagecache/1024x768xUP/images/story/2012/2122520113_aa9495bc59_o.jpg

I ran against a pretty talented Little Bear growing up...broke 2 in the 800 in 8th grade. Same one?

Little Bear wrote:

Van Goff wrote:

Oh wow, speak up little bear. Tell your story

Meth and weed. It's probably the strongest doping agents out there to be honest. I wouldn't be surprised if the top runners on the fringe are popping pills and eating edibles on the daily.

I doubt there is a typical LETSRUN poster, but this is a portrait of me:

I post here maybe once a month, I'll post 5 comments anonymously and start a thread called "Predict my 5K" which of course I never report back to with a 5K result. I also like to make comments and stories about track marathons.

I'm a former HS track distance runner and high jumper (oxymoron, I know), all-state in the former but nowhere near elite, would have had to walk-on to a D1 school. Didn't run much through my 20s but started reading Letsrun after Usain Bolt/Mo Farah got big at the Olympics. If Letsrun had been around in the early 1990s I would have been all over it... Now I hobby jog, setting Strava CRs in my neighborhood hoping that nobody really fast comes and destroys them. I can probably run a 17:45 5K but that's just a snapshot of where I am now. That time has varied up to about 20:00 as I've gone through lulls in training and motivation over the years. I'm married, 3 young kids, still at my high school size (155, 5'11") but with the ability to grow a real beard but also with weird hairs growing out of my ears. I'm 40.

Van Goff wrote:

[quote]ran D3, still bitter wrote:

...you don't really have any responsibilities and a lot of free time.

Hey, this describes me! Thanks for the shout-out!

This is me too and my nipples are still sore from my long run on Sunday

Ted Underhill wrote:...I think there are just as many, probably more, recreational runners that never ran competitively in college and maybe not even HS. They came to the sport later, whether it be from another sport or just in their 20s or 30s as a means to satisfy their competitive spirit. The last group would be those former athletes (of any sport) that started running to lose weight following years of eating poorly and drinking, found that it satisfied their competitive spirit and are now running to some competitive bench mark, whether it be age group wins, Boston qualifying or just to beat that guy or girl that is always 20 meters ahead of them at the finish.

These people are constantly mocked and denigrated as "hobby joggers" by former high school and college runners on this board.