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

Are you a contender for the team? I used to dabble.

[quote]Pre Officer wrote:

Conversation with co-worker at my internship 5 minutes ago:

Her: How was your morning run?

Me: I didn't run this morning, I'm tapering since my season may be over this Saturday and we want to be rested.

Her: Uh Oh, you're getting lazy! (in a playful, but still serious tone)

Me: Oh, not really,(in a very steady, friendly voice) it's a part of the training, we run fewer miles late in the season when we want to peak. We'll take next week off to rest up and get ready for track.

Her: Watch out, your metabolism will slow down and all that food you eat will catch up with you! (I do eat a lot at work)

Me: Oh, I'm not too worried, we'll start training again in a week or two.

Her: Yeah, but it's always hard to get going again once you stop (saying this like she knew what she was talking about), I'd always rather just curl up in my warm house.

At this point I pretty much stopped listening but did catch something about "isn't that hard on your knees?"

Me: I just basically told her in a pretty calm and professional way that for fat people that don't have a history of much exercise, yes, it probably would be.[/quote

Good luck getting laid in the distant future.

Seems to me, while I don't know maynard, that he isn't a total elitist snob. Perhaps a bit introverted and uncomfortable talking about certain things. One thing I try to do about running is explain it as time. 5 miles may seem like a huge amount of running but explained as 40 minutes of jogging it doesn't seem too extreme. They think well I've played basketball at the gym for an hour so I guess running 5(or 10 or more) isn't that insane. Same thing if you say you run about 70 miles a week, tell them well it's only about x minutes a day.

I think it's quite okay to get annoyed or appreciate the humor in how little people know about running, but try to be polite about it and maybe they'll be more educated and interested in the future. In some cases, maybe they won't be lol, but hey it's worth a shot.

Her:

Good luck getting laid in the distant future.

I'm not too worried about getting laid, this woman is a steadily thickening 35 year-old new mother, and I highly doubt she was worth jumping in the sack with at 25.

What's interesting is how universal these little exchanges are.

Another favorite:

Whenever I get the urge to run I lie down until it goes away.

Does anyone ever wonder about the origins of non-runner cliches?

I also explain to people (the non-runners) that I've been training for several years. I include this bit when I tell them that I ran an easy 10 mile afternoon run in 65 minutes.

I find all these responses odd. Though I don't go out of my way to talk about my running some people have become aware of it. There are of course some uneducated questions, but I do my best to respond to them tactfully. I find the vast majority of people who talk to me are very respectful and admiring of my running. Some have even started running. None have been critical in the least bit or discouraging except oddly my doctor. I guess I should consider myself lucky.

Yea I hate it, I said i did an easy 1 hour run on the track and completed around 51-52ish laps and they're, shocked, Im like, you dipshits its easy!

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.

The LAST thing I want for running is for it to become more mainstream. It's too popular already (just ask anyone who tried to register for Chicago this year).

Running is a nich sport. It is best as a nich sport. I don't want it to be popular. In fact, I wish it were less popular so we could get the 6 hour marathon porkers out of the sport and we could get our races back.

You're back there with the six hours marathoners?

This doesn't really bother me all that much, but I worked in an office building a few years ago - not my current job - where I was the only runner out of maybe 85 people.

I had been training for Boston, was in sick shape, and was ready to PR. I didn't talk with anyone about it at work, but occasionally folks would ask if I was ready.

Anyway, I went to Boston, PRed and placed rather high (top 30). I was very excited to say the least, but upon returning to work, I had numerous people come up to me and say they were sorry about the race.

Apparently the whole office was following me online and they literally thought I was going to win the Boston marathon.

That was a tough scenario, becasue I didn't want to start bragging about how well I thought I had done.

I just said I was happy with my effort, and that there were a lot of good runners this year.

I didn't know what else to say.

jogger: I ran a marathon this weekend

runner: oh you did? Which one?

jogger: it was a loop around the park (Central)

runner: well that's a 10 K at the longest. A Marathon is 26.2 miles

jogger: WELL EXCUSE ME, I'm not THAT into running. For ME it was a marathon

I look at it from the opposite side: I have non-running friends who think I'm nuts for wanting to run and train. They do, however, understand it's a passion I have, and even though they give me grief sometimes, I don't get upset over it - I see it as an opportunity to share with them the joys I've found in running. Because I'm out 3-4 times a week running, my wife is out 3-4 times a week walking (her knees hurt when she tries to run, or else she'd probably run too). I try to get others in to running whenever possible b/c I know it's such a great sport. So rather than get bent out of shape over the crap others give you, be proud that you're able to do what you do. One thing I've done at work to help "educate" others is I bought a sticker that says "26.2" and I put it on my computer monitor. I just love it when others walk by and say "What's that stand for"? :)

It depends upon the intentions of the nonrunner. If the person is showing a general and positive interest in what you do, I don't care how dumb the questions are, I'm happy to educate others about mt sport.

If the subcontext is about the sports weirdness or damaging aspects I am much less tolerant. I have heard the judgemental knee damage comments. It depends on my mood whether I bring up the health affects of being a couch potato or of fried foods. Usually I don't get defensive.

It all come down to motive.

maynard,

If someone asks you how far you ran today, don't ever say "an easy 10". If you're talking to a non-runner, the only reason to say "easy" is to brag a little bit. Stop bragging!

Other than that, quit being such a baby. So non-runners don't understand this sport of yours. So what? I'm sure you do things to piss them off too. You just want to feel better than non-runners. You're not. Get over yourself.

Chocolate wrote:

maynard,

If someone asks you how far you ran today, don't ever say "an easy 10". If you're talking to a non-runner, the only reason to say "easy" is to brag a little bit. Stop bragging!

Other than that, quit being such a baby. So non-runners don't understand this sport of yours. So what? I'm sure you do things to piss them off too. You just want to feel better than non-runners. You're not. Get over yourself.

You do realize he posted that over eight months ago, don't you?

It took him that long to craft that wonderful and witty response.

I joined a gym and had a mandatory session with a physical trainer and I told him I was a runner and I run 60 mpw. He advised me to drop to no more than 15 mpw and to increase my strength training. The funny thing is that this trainer is 5'1" and looks like a chubby male version of Mary Lou Retton.

GOTEES wrote:

I joined a gym and had a mandatory session with a physical trainer

What? What kind of gym MAKES you see a trainer?

Strange, are they hurting for business?