Shamed by an old man while out on a run for being slow

This kind of thing is why I never say anything to people who I pass on runs, unless I know them, and when people pass me and say stuff I never respond. In my case, I'm in my 40s and it's usually younger guys. They sometimes make backhanded compliments, but even encouragement is kind of condescending when coming from someone passing you.

You just could not resist being like that guy.

I have a lot of respect for older people being active, but I did not bring his age to conversation, he was the one trying to show off. And the important point is not what he used to show off, but that he did. And expecting people to act nice is not oversensitivity, especially when we share a common hobby. I would never try to tell somebody how better I'm at something, and I thought this was obvious.

Please, I like running

bfef wrote:

This kind of thing is why I never say anything to people who I pass on runs, unless I know them, and when people pass me and say stuff I never respond. In my case, I'm in my 40s and it's usually younger guys. They sometimes make backhanded compliments, but even encouragement is kind of condescending when coming from someone passing you.

most runners are just trying to be polite when they say their basic canned phrase like "keep it up" "lookin good" "good job" etc.

anybody who let's this bother them has more of the problem than the person trying to be polite.

in any case, when you are passing somebody you don't know, a wave is more than sufficient. not everybody gets this though.

Ca$hclay wrote:

high school xc coach wrote:

A lot of cyclists have bad personalities and very poor social skills. A lot of cyclists race every ride they are on...basically 10 to 30 seconds off race pace--all the time.

Just something we have to deal with from time to time, and if you are a coach, something for you to try to correct.

I corrected your typos above.

I don't know much about cycling and we are on a running forum. I guess I should stay away from that crowd?

Old guy here (age 60). A healthy attitude for an older runner is to have goals based on reasonable times for one's age. My goal is to run 5K under 30 minutes and 10K under 60 minutes. When my times become slower than those thresholds, I will consider the possibility that my running days may be over.

Any comparison to younger runners should not be at the individual level. After a race, I sort the results by age and time to determine what percentage of younger people beat me. Last race (seems like a long time ago), 30% of the younger people beat me. It did a lot for my confidence to know that I beat 70% of them.

Showing off is bad form at any age.

Getting “senior citizened” is 10x worse than getting “chicked”. Dude saw how slow you’re running and pegged you for the easy target that you are. Now you’re on an anonymous message board crying about a rude, old dude while he’s bragging to his buddies how he rolled up on some young whipper snapper and smoked him like Usain Bolt. HE WAS ONLY SOCIAL DISTANCING.

Ha. Just messing around a bit. I am a man of advancing age and declining circumstance who spends more time cycling than running these days. Have always been a runner 1st tho. In my experience, runners are generally kind, supportive and polite. My experience with cyclists has been the opposite. This is a generalization of course with exceptions in both sports. Apologies for hijacking the thread (which IMO is a troll anyway) and good day to you.

Agreed cycling is worse. Can’t count the number of times some older, heavier guy made a comment while passing me down a hill. I have to pass those fut facks up the next hill since they are grinding away in granny gear.

My goal is to get them to drop an F bomb, by annoying them to death on the hills. For a couple of these manchilds I have even waited at the top and congratulated them on what seems like their first ride in decades and told them to stick with it.

While my antics may be childish many learn to shut up and ride for the joy.

fattyatthegym wrote:

Agreed cycling is worse. Can’t count the number of times some older, heavier guy made a comment while passing me down a hill. I have to pass those fut facks up the next hill since they are grinding away in granny gear.

My goal is to get them to drop an F bomb, by annoying them to death on the hills. For a couple of these manchilds I have even waited at the top and congratulated them on what seems like their first ride in decades and told them to stick with it.

While my antics may be childish many learn to shut up and ride for the joy.

Yet riding for the joy doesn’t seem at all what you are doing. You, and most of us, need to get over ourselves.

high school xc coach wrote:

bfef wrote:

This kind of thing is why I never say anything to people who I pass on runs, unless I know them, and when people pass me and say stuff I never respond. In my case, I'm in my 40s and it's usually younger guys. They sometimes make backhanded compliments, but even encouragement is kind of condescending when coming from someone passing you.

most runners are just trying to be polite when they say their basic canned phrase like "keep it up" "lookin good" "good job" etc.

anybody who let's this bother them has more of the problem than the person trying to be polite.

in any case, when you are passing somebody you don't know, a wave is more than sufficient. not everybody gets this though.

A wave at the most. Being polite is shutting TFU and minding your GD business. You saying something to me, a complete stranger, about my running is your issue about yourself.

Overtaken by a 67 year old wrote:

Let it Rupp wrote:

Wait, you call 10 min/mile pace running? Maybe the old fart had a point.

You just could not resist being like that guy.

Stay in your lane, penguin. You came on letsrun to whine, you picked the wrong place to fish for sympathy. Guys here over twice your age run your pace only when injured. I'm reminded of Brian Sell's quote about this message board, but that one now has to be updated to when I want to know the views of 24 minute 5K runners, I'll ask my wife.

Fair enough.

Let it Rupp wrote:

Wait, you call 10 min/mile pace running? Maybe the old fart had a point.

Yes, I often (like almost everyday except "speed" day) run 10 minute or slower pace. But on race day, at almost 69, I can do 6:40's on a good cool day. I know, it's not 5 minute pace like the old days but I still have fun and enjoy the competition, Who cares if you make fun of us older than dirt hobby joggers. I could care less if someone passes me on a training run, or if I pass someone. I am always cordial because we are all out there for most of the same reasons.

Think about how many jerkoffs you meet when you're 19. They'll still be that way when they're 67, it's not like getting older changes someone's character. And a lot of people think it's some great feat to run hard on easy days, I remember in college a pack from the girls team passed me on a longish easy run on a trail one Sunday. They weren't working super hard, but I was a school record holder/competed at multiple NCAAs and I could have easily taken their top 5 in a 5xmile relay so I remember thinking it was strange how fast they were going. But maybe they wondered the same about how slow I was going...

As an over 60 yr old, and still running low 20min 5km (probably could still dip under 20 with training), when someone on a run asks how old I am they are usually surprised, then impressed and then I use my example as encouragement to 'keep going', telling them that I did my first marathon at 19 etc. "keep going, keep on running, and your old self will like your your young self one day"

Hopefully it does lead to motivation for them to do so

the media is corrupt wrote:

fattyatthegym wrote:

Agreed cycling is worse. Can’t count the number of times some older, heavier guy made a comment while passing me down a hill. I have to pass those fut facks up the next hill since they are grinding away in granny gear.

My goal is to get them to drop an F bomb, by annoying them to death on the hills. For a couple of these manchilds I have even waited at the top and congratulated them on what seems like their first ride in decades and told them to stick with it.

While my antics may be childish many learn to shut up and ride for the joy.

Yet riding for the joy doesn’t seem at all what you are doing. You, and most of us, need to get over ourselves.

I am riding for joy. Others are try to take that joy. You seem like one of those people who shows up to a nearly empty beach then sets up right next to the other people and can’t understand why they can’t just enjoy themselves. So you assume they need to get over themselves.

snowflake patrol wrote:

Getting “senior citizened” is 10x worse than getting “chicked”.

The correct term is "geezered", "mastered", or "grey haired".

That old man was a bitter jerk, don't sweat it. He gets passed on the regular and, unlike you, can't handle it.

If anyone ever passes me on a run I just do a sudden surge and pass them out again. Keep going until you get to a corner or bushes or something and make a quick turn and hide for a minute. He will think that you are too far away and he has lost you and it will make him feel dumb and slow. You just have to run hard until you find your hiding place so it won't kill your run even if it is meant to be an easy day. I do it all the time and I'm sure I've sent all the fast old guys home devastated. They will probably think you are Bekele when you fly past them