I, a 45 year old hobby jogging man, feel increasingly silly for being a runner

I once apologized to my Dr. during a checkup for wasting his time and he said it was a relief to see someone as healthy as I at age 67. My body still looks and feels like when I was 30 and I'll be damned if I'll feel silly about it. Just wish I could run a 17 min 5k again.

teenage wasteland the fake one wrote:

I won a race overall this fall. The next 5 finishers were teenagers. I felt like a jerk for being there, even more of one for beating them, and even more of one for staying around to accept the award. I felt extremely weird. I need a new hobby.

It’s not you who’s pathetic, but the teenagers.

Dude I got into softball leagues at age 35 . I was obsessed with playing a girls sport all week long.

After getting fat in too many beer leagues, I got back into running primarily. Running is less weird than “old softball guy”?

an old man wrote:

I've run since junior high track. Ran in college, lots of marathons and other road races in the years since. I'm still competitive in a local hobby jogger kind of way, and this leaves me feeling increasingly foolish. I am often the first master at local races, and it feels outright dumb to be trying to out kick some high school kid to the finish. I know they think I'm a weirdo.

I love running and racing as much as ever, and it brings joy to my life. Yet I feel really weird for doing it. I mean, I'm still playing the same kid's game I played 30 years ago.

45 years young.

Just ran a small 5k (90 participants) and finished 6th and I was the first 16+ finisher.

Doesn’t embarrass me at all.

Of course most runners my age ran the 10k (300 participants).

hank jr wrote:

Thread's like this remind me of this song. Every aging runner should listen, it'll resonate with you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuMKjRf2XOA

"There's a mighty thin line between an heavy weight champ, and a used up old clown"

Thread’s what like this?

Didn't read through all the responses, but are you close to trail races? I feel like a fair amount of people are in that age group and older.

To the OP, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself, old boy. Running is silly at any age. Anyone can run but not everyone thinks.

At 63, I enjoy my 3-4 running days a weekend and a yearly 1/2 marathon.

I'm not that fast, but not horribly slow. That said, when girls pass me doing sub-1:30 it's a bit embarrassing in the half. Same with women who run sub-18.

Glory days. I sometimes feel I'm chasing ghosts though.

I ran poorly in HS, but not horribly so. Broke 19 in HS but was immature and didn't reach my potential. Did break 19 again a decade later in a road race 5k at Kent State. Took more time off but walked daily until 2017.

Was 25 lbs. overweight on 5/20/17 when I decided to run regularly. I've been running for 2 years now and am 35. Did a few half-marathons and am training for my first full. I can't wait to see what the future will bring. I tell myself age is not an excuse!

Glory Days wrote:

Glory days. I sometimes feel I'm chasing ghosts though.

I ran poorly in HS, but not horribly so. Broke 19 in HS but was immature and didn't reach my potential. Did break 19 again a decade later in a road race 5k at Kent State. Took more time off but walked daily until 2017.

Was 25 lbs. overweight on 5/20/17 when I decided to run regularly. I've been running for 2 years now and am 35. Did a few half-marathons and am training for my first full. I can't wait to see what the future will bring. I tell myself age is not an excuse!

That's how I feel about it, too.

I get it. In my 30s I was competitive in my age group and I qualified for Boston. Now in my 40s, I run for fun, 2-3 days a week, just 30 minutes or so. I also added yoga and strength training. My focus now is more on overall health than on competing. My body is in better shape (more flexible, less aches and pains, more muscle) when I’m not running 40 miles a week. I have more time for my kids and just generally feel more balanced.

I do miss it sometimes tho

You're 45???? Really? I would've thought you were 16 by what you wrote.

Armstronglivs wrote:

To the OP, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself, old boy. Running is silly at any age. Anyone can run but not everyone thinks.

LOL

Yes it’s probably always silly, but people’s heads are too far up their aszes to realize it.

To the OP, yes I realized it was silly a few years ago, when I realized I was the really old curiosity in the fast heat. Next meet I volunteered for the geezer race, and it was so weird I haven’t competed since.

Both were weird—mid-pack among HS kids, and blowing away geezers. I was in no-man’s land.

Still haven’t slowed down, still don’t compete. I just do it for myself because I enjoy the feeling, and sense of accomplishment. 54 now, and just ran two consecutive 20:00 5k’s with about 2 mins rest in-between. Slow, but I felt heroic😂

an old man wrote:

I've run since junior high track. Ran in college, lots of marathons and other road races in the years since. I'm still competitive in a local hobby jogger kind of way, and this leaves me feeling increasingly foolish. I am often the first master at local races, and it feels outright dumb to be trying to out kick some high school kid to the finish. I know they think I'm a weirdo.

I love running and racing as much as ever, and it brings joy to my life. Yet I feel really weird for doing it. I mean, I'm still playing the same kid's game I played 30 years ago.

1) 45 isn't old.

2) A race is a race. You are allowed to compete to get your best time.

3) You know when old people sit down and groan or get up and groan. It's not because they are old. It's because their muscles are not exercised. It just so happens they exercise less as they get older. They should still exercise.

4) Also, I see a ton of (well, pre COVID I did) of runners over age 45 at road races.

5) You are silly to feel silly running road races. If you must though, continue to run for fitness. Unless you have an injury that prevents it or severe arthritis, continue to run as long as you enjoy it. It might not let you live longer (though it might if you get really fat if you don't), but it likely will add quality to your life (less pain).

Why do you need to worry about out kicking high schoolers if you are running around 20 minute 5k? Where I am you won’t get age group 1st place.

This is a really nice thread. Lots of good stories and memories. I'm 58 now. In hs I was a 6ft, 137 pound star with dreams of glory. I loved to run and to race. I can still conjure those feelings of lightness and speed (so proud of my Nike Eagles, thank you Herb Lindsay!) if I think hard enough about it and the right song comes on the radio. In college I realized I was nothing more than below average and would have to find glory doing something else. Soon after college I became consumed with my career and I did not run a step for 30+ years, settled into my 180+ pound life. A nice life but one without running. Turns out my daughters can run. They win hs state championships, I watch from the sidelines, but I fall in love with the sport again. They encourage me to try again. My first day back 3 years ago I cannot finish 6 laps on the track, I strain my calf, but I take it slow and build back. Now I can crank out at 10k in around 50 minutes, and I am slowly getting faster! You know what, it feels the same to me as when I used to run that distance in around 30 minutes. Yeah, I'm slow, but it does not feel that way. I feel fast and light (down to 165 pounds!). The pleasure of running a tempo run (for you, not for them) with your daughters on a beautiful day cannot be overstated. They humor me and encourage me. We discuss workouts, and whether or not Shannon Rowbury, our neighbor, can qualify for Tokyo in the 5000 (we all think she can, but we are homers). Now I am proud of my Hoka Gaviota's and I threaten to buy Asics meta racers so that I can break 48 min. My daughter's laugh, "don't do it dad, it's cool that you run, but DON'T wear super shoes, that's a bridge too far...." Thank g-d I started again. Embarrassment never crosses my mind, couldn't care less what others think.

+1

Buy the super shoes, they're fun. Your stride will feel like it did in the old days.

The saddest thing about self obsession related to what other people are thinking of you is that nobody else has given you and what you are doing the slightest bit of thought.