Why do Letsrunners want running to be more popular, but hate hobby joggers?

Thanks Match for fighting the hazard of dangerous cats that roam the streets and threaten society.

What kind of country do we live in when you can't run down the street carrying a ball of yarn without being attacked by vicious cats? Think of the children!

I look forward to the day when I can run without carrying pepper spray as protection against dangerous cats.

Do you know what is laughable here? How hobbyjoggers are trying to pretend that they are like any other non-elite fast runner.

They say: "Non hobby jogger is someone who has run sub 15. You ran 15:05? Well, then you are a hobbyjogger like me with my 23:30 hobby time. So just have fun, enjoy bands at every mile of your race, dont be obcessed with your time, smile, just like me."

It is not like you are either an elite or a hobby jogger, and nothing between, its not black and white. There is a whole continuum of quality. So dear hobbyjoggers, please admit and accept that Im a "different animal", much better than you although not even close to elite runners. And accept that one can be serious about his times and train hard even though he just runs and races for personal pleasure, not for living.

Trying to run a certain race faster than last time should be the only requirement for a non hobby jogger. If we restrict it to trying to win a race and always going for the win, what about the 17 minute 5k guy that has a bunch of 14 minute sub elites in his race? Is he a hobby jogger if he doesn't try to stick with them as long as possible?

stuck with match.com wrote:

Concerned Citizen wrote:

[quote]stuck with match.com wrote:

Enlighten me as to how writing and playing music and owning cats give back to the community.

I own 4 cats, 2 of which were rescued off the streets and were hazardous to society. I also adopted 2 cats from people who could no longer keep them around. My music benefits society by enlightening people to music and giving them something good to listen to.

There's no way you're any good at music, given your posts on here. Chicks dig musicians.

I'll post a link to my band website and let you decide for yourself. My tom sawyer cover was pretty descent.

I hope some of you "FAST" runners appreciate the fact that you can run faster than others. I have always counted myself lucky to have any type of "talent" for any sport. I have tried to, through coaching and my own running, bring a sense of accomplishment to others so they realize anything is possible. I would also hope that they would either continue with the sport either competitively or as a lifestyle. I had some prior success with this sport and due to an injury I suffered while training to go to Afghanistan,(70% disbaled) I'm glad I can put one foot in front of another. This has religated me to the back of the pack in most races, of which according to this, I have been termed hobby jogger. I can't run everyday(mainly 2x/week), I've almost doubled my racing weight from post-college. So I ask, who are we to judge or comment? I'm glad there are enough people out there running and exercising(the more the merrier!!!). Maybe when some of you grow up/mature, you'll figure out how to treat others how you want to be treated.

The worst is when the hobby jogger finishes a marathon (with energy to spare, but in a slow time) shouting loudly and fist pumping like they accomplished the greatest thing in the world.

AND then they wear their stupid finishers medal around all day (and probably to sleep at night) to show off their awesomeness. I think its that attitude that faster runners hate.

The whole hobby jogger era taking over running is representative of the laziness of American society - its okay to still be 50 lbs overweight and eat at McD's because you FINISHED a marathon!

One reason why the new shoes / outfits is bothersome because so many hobby-joggers - consistent with many other things said about them on this thread - are doing it to be seen, not to run. When I see someone all decked out in new shoes, clothes, gear / accessories, I'm asking myself the question I ask all too often: "if there was no one here to see them, would they still be doing it?" That question goes for the outfit / gear, as well as just for running.

The effect is magnified when I see people not just tricked out, but wearing makeup, hair not in a pony-tail but flowing in the wind, and jewelry. And this is not just for girls - I'll see guys running with more product in their hair than I use to go to out or to work! I can't imagine sweat infused with product feels good dripping in your eyes.

DuckSoup wrote:

One reason why the new shoes / outfits is bothersome because so many hobby-joggers - consistent with many other things said about them on this thread - are doing it to be seen, not to run. ...

So your problem is that you have a moral objection to displays of vanity? Are you Amish?

Can't wait.

stuck with match.com wrote:

I'll post a link to my band website and let you decide for yourself. My tom sawyer cover was pretty descent.

Hey Dane here you go

artist website

http://chazzanooga.bandcamp.com/

and my music video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlXBPA1evlQ

enjoy!

I take it back stuck, that's pretty good. Still, you need to cork it with the Galen Rupp hate and the general trolling.

I'm a musician too; you might enjoy this little piece:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

This whole thread is retarded b/c just about everyone who posts on LR, including myself, is retarded. If any of us had any kind of life why would we waste a minute of it going back and forth on such an idiotic issue? WTF cares about this? Only someone w/ a sad, lonely, pathetic existence. U think Albert Pujols cares whether minor league baseball players think they're any good? U think Lance cares whether these fatsos riding their bikes on the weekend think they're "elite" cyclists. U think Dean cares that he's hated by the LR posters? Of course not, they're all counting their millions & living large, unlike the losers, again, myself included, who post on these dumb threads. [quote]A Critical Look wrote:

Ummmm,I don't think a Hobby Jogger could give a rip about having any association with someone that runs a 16 minute 5K.

You seriously have hobby joggers saying this to you?

So you are turning this around from "Why do Letsrunners want running to be more popular, but hate hobby joggers" to Hobby Joggers hating on sub-elite runners. I'm sorry but I have never heard a so called Hobby Jogger bagging on a 16 minute 5K runner. You sound like you have a serious confidence problem and think your entire identity is linked to your running prowess LOL.

DuckSoup wrote:

t94bell nails it! No matter what your time or ability level, if you run a race to (a) run as fast as you can, and / or (b) finish with as many people behind you as possible, then (IMHO) you're taking the first steps to not being a hobby jogger. It's the equating of finishing with achievement (everybody gets a trophy mentality) that gets to me. If the whole point of running these "event" races is just to finish, what's the difference between a 2:15 and a 4:15? Why should anyone bother with the former when the latter will get you the same accolades?

Dude, that last sentence is so stupid I don't even know where to start. If all you are looking for is for someone to sniff your jock and tell you how awesome you are you should just quit running. Personally I could give a rip if someone finds my 5k any more impressive than someone else's 23 minute 5K. I will never be elite or even sub-elite for that matter.

stuck with match.com wrote:

Hey Dane here you go

artist website

http://chazzanooga.bandcamp.com/

and my music video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlXBPA1evlQ

enjoy!

This is either genius or garbage. I guess it depends on how "serious" it is.

Certified hobby jogger here. Have read Let's Run for years and never posted. I know you all generally hate on us (that's OK I love this website anyway). Let me tell you a few things you've helped me figure out:

- don't wear tights under shorts (my wife & kids laugh at me now when I run...er jog...in super cold weather)

- When running I can wear a lot less than I though down to about 5 degrees F (it makes me feel "hardcore" like you all to be out even when it's cold/crappy--even though the "hard core part is only pretend)

- Fartleks are fun and really help me get faster (my kids laugh at me when I tell them what my workout was)

- nobody can tell me quite clearly how fast to go on a tempo run

- You must be American-born or blast a new world record to avert sneering and jeering for winning/performance.

- If I take Letsrunners seriously I've also learned that I am so slow that I should probably not even bother.

Oh well. I'm still gonna do it. I'm still gonna be out there and I will probably piss a few of you off. Yes, you'll laugh when I get passed by the girl's H.S. J.V. cross country team on a Saturday long run, or laugh at my shoes that perhaps don't have 900 miles on them (like all you very fast efficient folks have done), or roll your eyes at my Garmin that I use to track the (comparatively very low) mileage for my 3 to 6 runs per week.

Tough!

I'll also be out there at your local 5K or 10K (or whatever) and I will run as fast as I can in order to better my (pathetic) P.R. You will probably have hit the porta-potty, had a snack, a nap, and a beer by the time I cross the line. Do you really care about that? I will be out there running...er jogging...and frankly feeling great.

Concerned Citizen wrote:

I take it back stuck, that's pretty good. Still, you need to cork it with the Galen Rupp hate and the general trolling.

I'm a musician too; you might enjoy this little piece:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Concerned, thank you and yes you are right I need to scale back by criticism of galen. In actuallity Galen is pretty good and 99% of the stuff I say about him is dead wrong. Nice piece of music you got yourself there, diggin the synths on that one.

What's frustrating is when people takIng up running for the first time move up straight to the marathon and complete one off 25mpw and feel superior to the 17-18min 5k high school kid who works respectably hard running 40-50mpw with interval workouts and tempos, but he isn't as respected because he ONLY races 3.1 miles, NOT 26.2! Same goes for a d3 college runner doing a respectable 70mpw or so to race a 3k to 8k distance.

Another annoying thing:

Hobbyjoggers Finishing a marathon with hands in the air waving hi having not run it all-out and staring at the finishing cam before crossing the finish line ( the clock is still going you dumb mofo!)