Running bums: Sad or Admirable?

Joseph Campbell

“If you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be.”

― Joseph Campbell

Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them. - Ralph Waldo Emerson -

I have no say whether someone continues to pursue their dream or not, so the gig doesn't have to be up if they don't want it to be. I was just stating that two years should be enough time to bum around, travel and see the world before settling down. Two years of hard training should also be enough time to see if you really have a career in the sport of your choice.

Now, I'm not saying that people shouldn't continue running, pursuing their passions and what not but at some point it would be advisable to settle down and find a career path (or at least start trying out some realistic options). But I do agree that being a running bum is better than drug abuse and alcoholism.

It's sad to an extent but not for the reasons listed here.

The main issue with these running bums is the inability to let go of the running centric lifestyle that has dominated their lives so long; this is what I experienced after college. For runners, and especially the moderately successful ones who usually take up the running bum lifestyle, running has been the center of their lives for close to ten years.Then, after graduating from college, they are faced with the reality that running can no longer be the center of their lives since there is no where to go so to speak unless you make the trials or the olympics (basketball, baseball,football soccer and hockey all have minor league teams where more mediocre college players can go). But if these "running bums" just understand that running can still be a major part of their lives, just not the main part, I believe it would be a lot easier for them to enter more traditional jobs that in the long term will be better for their lives.

Many of the running bums I know simply need to have a heart to heart with themselves and realize they can still participate in the sport; it just can't consume your life like in the past.

Gets a little sad after about 25 if you're a college graduate who still hasn't hit the OT mark and is working at a running store in order to focus on that goal.

The guys I really admire are the ones who are able to make OT's while holding down a full time non running related job. They are a dying breed but I find those guys more impressive than the ones who actually make the olympics while being a full time athlete.

If I had job that I was counting down the minutes until I retired, I'd quit that job immediately and make a change of course. You are in need of life advice and should not be giving it.

If you're older than 26 and forgoing a working career to pursue individual athletic dreams that have yet to materialize- sad. If you're younger than that, go for it.

If you are employed full time in a field requiring a college degree it's not sad to simultaneously pursue athletics.

heyyo wrote:

If I had job that I was counting down the minutes until I retired, I'd quit that job immediately and make a change of course. You are in need of life advice and should not be giving it.

Sometimes it doesn't work that way. You're in a job that pays well, good benefits, and you have a family depending upon you for the income. The economy is such that you can't find something else easily. I have a friend who is in that situation. He doesn't hate his job, he has just worked hard for 32 years and is tired of it. He's got 3 more years to go, and it will be a happy day when he retires simply because he's been slogging away for so long. He started working at age 22, right out of college and made some smart choices financially. I asked him what he will do when he retires and he smiled and said, "Whatever I damn well please." Maybe he'll become a running bum; however he will be a financially secure one. That's what he wanted.

heyyo wrote:

If I had job that I was counting down the minutes until I retired, I'd quit that job immediately and make a change of course.

...and you'd be wrong. I'm in a highly specialized field that pays quite well. If I walk away from this job, I'd probably take a 50% pay cut to do something else, because I'm not particularly qualified to do anything other than what I do right now. Doing that would mean giving up the ability to retire early.

So in your mind, I should take a 50% pay cut and work another 15 years. Yeah, sign me up now. Duh.

[quote]heyyo wrote:

If I had job that I was counting down the minutes until I retired, I'd quit that job immediately and make a change of course. You are in need of life advice and should not be giving it.

[quote]

I think Ole Timer is just living in the real world. I'm in similar position where I have a nice paying job that will allow me to retire around 50. Now, I do not hate my job in any sense of the word but it does wear at me at times. I would obviously rather be pursuing hobbies such as hiking, traveling, running, etc however these things don't pay any money and in order to do many of these things I need a considerable amount of money saved up.

The bottom line is that most of us can't do exactly what we want at all times, it's just the way life is.

Sad or Admirable ? wrote:

I understand this may be a sensitive subject for many people on here because they may in fact be "running bums". By running bums I mean people whose job is working at a running store while training with the goal of making the olympic trials or even the olympics (or just training and racing at a high because they feel like it).

So what do you all think? A running bum's lifestyle- sad or admirable?

My issue with the lifestyle you describe is that most of these guys are awful running shoe salesmen. They have chosen the one job where they can feel superior to others as they help hobby joggers buy shoes that will never get used and listen to marathon goals which are a joke compared to the life they lead. They probably feel that free shoes and hanging out with other runners, shoe company people etc. is a dream lifestyle.

If you are going to be a running bum, move to the southwest and do it right. If you want sell shoes, be good at it, it is really easy. It is also not impossible to train and work a real job in a city and make some money, just move in with parents or 3 other runners.

Sad and immature. I'm looking at this from the productivity angle. If by the time you graduate you can't land a fair deal that at least covers your coaching, gear, travel and fees, and gives you access to a training facility and reasonable services like trainer/physio - seriously better to call it quits (in terms of giving up a great job or personal endeavor to keep training like a pro). It's a waste of a college degree and of gov't assistance. You know in your heart if you have it in you.. man up and get a real job and start living in the real world.

With that said I find it sad that there is very little respect for the age groupers in running. You don't see that in cycling/triathlons. They do their thing and people are supportive of their efforts. I'll note that all great cyclists and triathletes I know are career people, not bums.

I ran into an old college team mate a couple years ago at a running store. I was shocked to see him working there. He told me was training better than ever and trying to make the OT. This guy was below avg on our team, his times were far from anything good. He also didn't seem too worried about work. My take is running is serving as an excuse for a lot of people to delay facing real world responsibilities.

Some of us do what we damn well please in our 20's and some us wait until we're 57...

After I graduated I had an internship that lead to a job for the first two years after graduation. I was working 40-45 hours a week at an advertising firm, making less than amazing pay ($37,000/year).

While working, I had run 1:06:20-1:06:50 a three times then, I finally went under 1:06:00 a few months ago.

With the dream of making the trials, I quit my job and took a new job in a different industry doing B2B tech sales. I make substantially less than I did ($20,000/year), but only work about 15-20 hours a week. I now have to train more consistently, recover better, enjoy my time, and race more often. Along with this, I do freelance writing for additional income (probably only 1-2 hours a week bringing in an additional $300/month)

Between my internship, my first job, my part time job, and this writing gig that I have. I don't feel like I'm loosing anything to my peers who are still slaving away in their cubicles for a few thousand more per year.

I plan to hang them up at 2016 no matter what and focus on a career.

Is this still considered a running bum?

Sorry for the typos, I typed this on my phone which auto-corrects things weirdly.

Been there, done that. wrote:

I'm in my 40's now, still run. It was a good ride.

No regrets whatsoever about going for it. Great memories, great friends, saw and did things I never would've. I can not quantify those experiences with a price tag.

well done. I admire you and the other running bums.

;-)

I wasn't fast enough to be a running bum, had to go to cubicle purgatory to earn a living. Don't remember any of my cubicle days, but still remember races from 30 years ago, vividly..

the main insight wrote:

I know 2 or three, but one runs 16:50 for 5k in the male 20-24 age group. They've been trying for 16:30 for 5k for 2+ years on 70 miles per week and 'they just know their big race to make the national team is around the corner'. Lives at home, works part time, parents pay for their car and so on. I don't really have the heart to tell him, but he seems to be living in a weird dream land.

that is kind of pathetic.. I ran sub-16 on 80mpw, working full time and paying all my bills..

had no illusions that sub-16 was fast, either.. barely made top 50 in that road race..

What are you doing that's better than them

You can make money when you are older you can't run fast

On the the other hand you could be like Ron Hill and have a career and run well. People are just too soft to do it now

I would say that it's a bit sad if your career revolves around your running & racing schedule if you're simply training to make OTs. If you're training to make the actual olympics, even if it's a little of a long shot, I say go for it since that's a once in a lifetime possibility and one that can make you a good amount of cash. However, I do believe that many of these "running bums" simply take these running store jobs to delay real life as much as possible. I really don't see any reason why one couldn't train at a high level and have a real full time job. It does take a bit of sacrifice but it's possible.

I think the odd thing is that there's no great reason you couldn't train well while working 40 hour weeks. There's so much time in the day, especially since most of these guys are single. I did it for years no problem -get up at 630, run 5 miles, work 8-5, run 8-10, do whatever you want til 10. You have plenty of time to recover and do what you want. It's more a case of not wanting to work a real job than actually needing that extra time, IMO.