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

LongDuck wrote:

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?

It was probably one of those deals where they say "YOu get a free personal training session" or something as a way to pipeline you into the arms of the on-site personal training company, then try to strong-arm you into signing up for sessions. Most of these people (at least at the places I've been a member) are total hacks and don't understand that some people are actually looking to improve for a specific sport, not just to look good in their striped shirt and spiked hair at a club on Saturday night. I used to be into bodybuilding before running (and lately have been drifting back to the weights) and to hear the crap that spews out of these morons' mouths is horrendous. Most of them (like the guy said) don't even look like they work out! I do not have anything against personal trainers that are legitimately studied and have a respectable appearance, but these other hacks posturing in the gyms trying to meet girls are an embarrassment to the human race.

Personally I think the whole reason behind PT's at the gyms are to take people who've just committed themselves to a year or more membership and burn them out on going to the gym as quick as possible. It kills me to see the PT's having some out of shape grandmother doing one legged squats.

step up wrote:

Personally I think the whole reason behind PT's at the gyms are to take people who've just committed themselves to a year or more membership and burn them out on going to the gym as quick as possible. It kills me to see the PT's having some out of shape grandmother doing one legged squats.

You might be on to something. Who knows how much money the gyms make from the New Year's Resolution crowd that get a year-long membership in January and quit before March 1st.

I dont remeber the exact number, but it was in Fitness Management that somewhere around 60% of gym sign ups around January 1st, stop coming before the end of April.

As for the PT's, many gyms are saying that it is mandatory to meet with one so that they can show you proper form before setting you loose, it is in hopes of preventing injury lawsuits.

This thread nicely illustrates why running will always be a minority sport.

youallsuxor wrote:

This thread nicely illustrates why running will always be a minority sport.

Yep, and some of us prefer it that way.

monkey boy wrote:

You might be on to something. Who knows how much money the gyms make from the New Year's Resolution crowd that get a year-long membership in January and quit before March 1st.

Yep. We get two waves of new members every year at my gym. The New Year's resolution crowd usually dies out REALLY fast (by the end of February at the most) and the Summer's coming! crowd which starts in May and lasts a little longer than the first group.

I like them because they keep my rates lower while providing me with a relatively empty place to workout.

dav-man wrote:

monkey boy wrote:

You might be on to something. Who knows how much money the gyms make from the New Year's Resolution crowd that get a year-long membership in January and quit before March 1st.

Yep. We get two waves of new members every year at my gym. The New Year's resolution crowd usually dies out REALLY fast (by the end of February at the most) and the Summer's coming! crowd which starts in May and lasts a little longer than the first group.

I like them because they keep my rates lower while providing me with a relatively empty place to workout.

I also see two waves of joggers on the local track...the new years resolutioners that quit in February and the springtime starters that quit with the first heat wave.

Other favorite comments from non-runners:

You ran 10 miles? WITHOUT STOPPING?

You know, running in the cold will freeze your lungs...(usually uttered on a day when the low temp. is 50 degrees).

You don't look like you need to run.

Are you still jogging? (Some people could watch the world record be broken in the 100 meters and refer to it as jogging.)

You shouldn't eat all that fruit...it's full of carbs.

Tim Culpepper is not an American runner.

You are an asshole.

Didn't read the thread, just telling you that you are an asshole.

CTC wrote:

You are an asshole.

Didn't read the thread, just telling you that you are an asshole.

Thanks for the observation based on extensive research and an intimate knowledge of the subject.

By the way, Tim Culpepper is not an American runner.

wuzthere wrote:

It's the judgemental part that is trying. As Runners we are not asking them stupid question about their inactivity and making judgemental comments.

You must not read letsrun very often.

Not sure why this moribund thread was revived, but didn't we agree the solution was to NOT talk to non-runners about your running?

Joseph did you start this thread?

You could always just lie to them.

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.

So...how far did you run today?

An easy 10.

10 miles????!!!! How can THAT be easy?

So...how far is this week's marathon?

It's not a marathon, it's a 10K

How far is that?

6.2 miles.

I don't even like to drive that far! I can't even run a mile.

How do you run when it's so cold? (Usually asked on a day with a low temp. of 50 degrees).

You don't look like you need to run.

You'll ruin your knees.

Plus so many others. The next time a non-runner asks me about my running, I'm going to run...far, far away from the person.

It could be worse. While visiting relatives in Mississippi my brother, a wreslter in HS and with a club in college, was asked, "is it real"?

I've also gotten the "Did you win?" question after big races. I could run a 2:20 marathon at Chicago and place in the 30's and my co-workers would be unimpressed. If I won the local po-dunk marathon in 2:40, they'd be totally impressed by what a "stud" I was.

Just last night I got a friend who was doing the math really fast, which I give him credit for. This is an active sort of guy, outdoorzee but not at all in any shape for endurance sports and is overweight. Loves sports like Football, hockey etc....one of those guys.

So he says, "when did you get your addiction to running"?

Also, "thats over 12 miles per day, HOLY SHIT"!

Then he went on about his own current situation.

I think people like to establish where they are at to make sure it all makes sense to them, like "you do 80 miles a week"?

"Wow, I am 42 pounds over weight, but I hike on Sundays and take trail mix and water with me".

"Excellent, hiking is kewl..."!

I dont have time to mix with non runners as training with club team takes up all my spare time/days, so my conversations are usually about running etc.

Work mates either admire my guts/motivation/dedication or think I am strange. Perhaps they are jealous!

The chunky 50 year old woman at work..."Oh, are you going to exercise today??"