Most annoying hobby-jogger accessory

man, i got that confused with the watch that was supposed to help you quit smoking

I think that some of you would be more accurate if you talked about "posers" rather than "hobby joggers".

Just a hobby jogger wrote:

"Jogging" for four years now aged 57. 6'2", I lost weight from 235 to 185. Have completed 15 1/2's and 60 odd 5k's most with music. Went from 32 to 23 minutes, middle of my age group at best. Developed a love for the sport along the way and stand in awe of the "real" runners. Wonder if the pros in other sports like tennis, golf, basketball...think so little of others who just want a healthier lifestyle and often are their most loyal fans.

Seriously, good for you. That is excellent. I hope you continue running and enjoying it.

I don't think speed defines whether one is a hobby jogger or not. I'm an 8:46 3,000 runner which is far from elite. What separates me from hobby joggers is that I embrace the lifestyle as a personal commitment, which I expect no accolades for.

There's nothing wrong with somebody running for the social or health reasons, but that isn't competitive, nor does it require the same sort of commitment. Again, there's nothing wrong with that. There is a problem when our sport is largely marketed to and focussing on these types of "athletes." That is watering down in every sense of the word.

Without exception the friends I have made, from the Gate 15k Run “Streaker” to the guy who ran 62 miles on his 62nd birthday, to the 16 year old who recently ran 5th at State and all in between, have been genuinely interested and openly supportive. Guess I could’ve been irritated by the guy dressed up as a woman carrying a boom box on his shoulder in Saturdays 5k cause he kept passing me running from side to side, high fiving people, running backwards and crap all while I’m gasping for air. I just thought it was funny, (plus there was free beer at the end) Really, the only thing that irritates me is some of the Galloway people who stop dead in front of you. I used to find it amusing to see people ruining in cotton tee shirts until I realized they were still beating me... But oh what fun it is to study the female backside at the bigger runs as I literally spend my time chasing one beautiful tail after another:)

Ain't nothing wrong with shorts over tights. I'm only about average for letsrun readers, but still faster than 99.7% of runners. Shorts over tights let you carry your keys since tights often don't have pockets.I second the comment about MP3 players and running--slow and fast runners wear them.

mehry wrote:

shorts over tights

Is worrying and bitching about how other people live their lives an "accessory?" If so, you win. I have been lucky enough to spens a good deal of time around some of the nation's and world's best runners and not once have I heard one complaining about what slower runners wear. I think the hallmark of a "hobby jogger" is not not being fast enough to care more about your own running than that of those you need to feel superior to.

sendmeagrandtoo wrote:

anything worn by the fatties in corral 30 of any RnR marathon.

How would you know,or care what they're wearing in corral 30 ,Geb ?

All of you who are criticizing the "hobby joggers" need to stop. And I am not what you would refer to as one. Most of the popularity of running is due to them. I would like to see more runners at any level in the sport. More people interested in running means that there will be more innovation and interest in running and the gear involved. The reason that you can go to a running store and select the shoe that fits you best from a hundred pairs is because there are people out there that you label "hobby joggers" that make it profitable for companies to make them. Have you guys ever heard the phrase the more the merrier? Also, many of the products you listed have their place. Compression speeds up recovery. Hydration does too. iPods are great for long track workouts.

More doesn't make merrier if the majority of newcomers don't really grasp the spirit of the sport. For lots it's just a trend. Sure road races are way more popular, but that doesn't make them better. Most people there care more about their gift bags than about the guys going out to win. So the increasing popularity of running in this way actually limits the emphasis placed on competitive distance running.

Not to mention that the sport is most commonly represented by people that aren't athletes. I hate having to argue with people from other sports about whether me running a fast 5,000 is an athletic accomplishment. Of course for me it is, but running is mostly discussed from a human interest perspective and not a competitive one. This is why it's widely seen as a hobby, not a sport.

The same thing happens when anything becomes more popular, but diluted. Take music for example. Bands can go out and do something great, but then when other bands jump on the bandwagon of that musical movement, the movement becomes a joke... and really lame- look at punk for example... or hip hop. So just like with music, those who do running for the right reasons have every right to be pessimistic about those that jump on the bandwagon and claim to be a part of something they don't really understand- and then go out publicly, representing the sport.

I have nothing against hobby joggers. Running for social or health reasons are all valid, and even necessary for some people, but to say their commitment to running somehow deserves equal respect or esteem as elites the way some are demanding is ridonculous.

Agent.Orange13 wrote:

but to say their commitment to running somehow deserves equal respect or esteem as elites the way some are demanding is ridonculous.

Not sure what "ridonculous" means, but nobody said anything about hobby joggers to elites. You did.

Doubt there are any elites talking down to anyone, just the wanna be tools around here. You know, the ones who criticize Ritz, Rupp, Goucher, etc. The dickheads at running store that act like it's beneath them to talk to you.

Sorry I didn't reply with the "esteem" you might have been looking for. Good luck with the spelling sporto.

Are you kidding? If the sport is being watered down, why are standards for the only marathons that have them getting tougher? Boston is now 305, and that is if the 250 and 300 group doesn't fill it first. And now NYC is going to take either 77 or 245, instead of 123 or 255. That is thanks to the army of "hobby joggers" who eventually cause an overall improvement and increase in competitiveness of the sport.

And as for marketing, wake up. Do u honestly think any other sport is different? How many people do you think stroll into a sporting good's store and buy the most top of the line driver to drop their score from a 70 to a 65? And how many kids playing soccer and football buy the most expensive, coolest looking under armour jersey when they don't come close to the caliber of talent needed to even play d3 in college, when they could just as easily play in a cotton shirt or a cheap dry fit from target.

And as for esteem and respect....if you pull a 100 people off the street and you have 2 different marathon runners tell them, "hey...I ran a 230" and have the other guy say "hey....I ran a 315, " they are going to have the same response..."hey...good for you." so if you don't run for yourself, and apply the lessons you gain from running, like dedication/hard work/etc, to the rest of your life, than what are you really running for? It doesn't matter if you display your common finishers medal in your study or if you throw it away as long as you are using your running to find a greater meaning and purpose in your life.

None of these arguments hold any water. Just keep on wasting your ltime analyzing how every little thing in your life will affect your running. If you do that long enough, eventually you will wake up one day when you are 40, and you finally realize that no different than the rest of us

Corral 31 wrote:

sendmeagrandtoo wrote:

anything worn by the fatties in corral 30 of any RnR marathon.

How would you know,or care what they're wearing in corral 30 ,Geb ?

They were so slow getting to the start line, I lapped them on a one loop course.

Any running related tats.

This thread isn't about why everyone hates hobby joggers. It's about how SOME of the things they do annoy other more serious runners. How some people who might not be that into the sport act like what they are doing is a more incredible accomplishment than it is, or think they need to buy all the best accessories to be more like the faster runners and make themselves faster. The vast majority of so-called hobby joggers are not like this, and no one on this thread has implied that. Personally, I have no problem with people who want to get in shape or just try something new through running, but it does irk me when some of them feel they NEED to have certain things. That being said, it doesn't overly bother me or really affect me, and I don't think it's that big of a deal to most of the people posting here either.

Running by Itself: Very Enjoyable Activity

Listening to Music: Very Enjoyable Activity

Running + Music: All the enjoyment of running + the pleasure of listening to great music as you clip along.

There is no legitimate reason why it would be bad to bring music with you while you run. Virtually all problems stem from runners running with music and being idiots about it.

That said, I generally go sans music for workouts and races as I like to be focused completely on running during those efforts.

Your fat mouth.

Any accessory save a watch