Is the distance runner lifestyle as portrayed on Youtube by TAS, SJD, etc. kind of self-indulgent?

EdisonCityRunner wrote:

He doesn’t have a normal day job. His job is his vlog

My understanding is that until fairly recently, SJD used to do non-profit work, but now his vlog and attempts to grow his community (website, potential podcast) are his job.

Unpaid Nike Intern wrote:

EdisonCityRunner wrote:

He doesn’t have a normal day job. His job is his vlog

My understanding is that until fairly recently, SJD used to do non-profit work, but now his vlog and attempts to grow his cult (website, potential podcast) are his job.

fixed

umm. yep. wrote:

jamin wrote:

Sleep in, eat breakfast and drink coffee, stretch, warmup, go for a run somewhere good for running, cooldown, stretch, eat a recovery meal ...

I feel like there's a paradox such that it's "hard work" and luxury lifestyle. Because 95% of the time spent is relaxation/indulgence (most consider daily/easy runs relaxing) and the other 5% is the bouts of workout efforts a couple times a week and make you feel really good afterwards (so the net effect is feeling good).

(And yes, I realize myself and those who agree with me here are pyschologically projecting a bit.)

Yes. Runners are selfish by nature. No one NEEDS to run much less race anymore. It's all ego driven. You COULD spend this extra time helping the disadvantaged, poor, and other minorities.

Why would I ever help those kinds of people? Why can they not help themselves?

Anarcho-Bidenist wrote:

You're painting a very rosy picture here.

Brendan Foster described the life of a distance runner as "Wake up tired. Go to bed exhausted."

If in a week you run hard for 2 hours, easy for another 10 hours or so and various other exercises for another chunk of time (another 10 hours? More?), a lot of that time is spent feeling tired, worrying about niggles, or hitting splits etc.

It's not just: "Get up leisurely, run, runner's high, relax"

So you just said that the amount of time for physical activity is 2 + 10 + 10 = 22 hours per week, the large majority of which is relaxed effort.

It's great we're getting more insight into Brooks Beast through TAS. I want to see some similar real pro videos from the very best. It's super motivational.

i want a jamin youtube channel

It's not self indulgent if you can build your YouTube channel to over 100,000 subscribers and therefore make decent money which enables you to quit your day job or work part time, therefore spending more time with your family.

Maybe their lives are self-indulgent but who cares. They are working hard, making sacrifices, and getting paid.

jamin wrote:

Sleep in, eat breakfast and drink coffee, stretch, warmup, go for a run somewhere good for running, cooldown, stretch, eat a recovery meal ...

I 100% agree with you - when I was in high school this was probably my ideal summer day, wasn't it everyone's? In some way it's what a lot of people want to see in media: a realization of their childish fantasies. It wouldn't be popular if they didn't live such an indulgent lifestyle.

By watching The Athlete Special, etc they can re-experience the nice feelings they once had on summer days when their only care in the world was getting ready for cross country season. The same can be said for any type of vlogger/streamer - A video game streamer gives you the feeling of playing games with your friends like you used to in high school, a fashion vlogger makes their viewers feel like their trying on clothes with their friends at the mall, a funny podcaster will make you feel like you're riffing with your friends on a random weeknight.

All of this is the next logical step of one-sided parasocial interaction, a phenomenon created by 20th century news media; People could talk about newscasters and television personalities like they were close personal friends (ie "Did you hear what Bill O'Reilly said last night?"), this gave them a greater reason to watch them and made them more attached to them. The same phenomenon happens today on Twitter, Instagram, etc. At the end of the day it's just another way that The System tries to gain and keep your attention, and attention is the most valuable commodity to most of these companies!

Where does it go from here? I can honestly see that more and more of the human experience will consist of one-sided interactions unless something changes. Eventually maybe everyone will be tweeting/streaming/vlogging/onlyfansing to one audience who will engorge themselves on their content while they consume the content of others in a similarly one-sided way.

The real solution comes when people own their information and their own methods of requesting information from other users. This is a much more human way to do things, In real life I can only know how someone's day went if I ask them, that's how things should be on the internet.

No, what you see on YouTube is fake. Everyone on YouTube shows you a lie that sells their product. That being said, Seth has stated that he only slept four hours a night for the first year. This was due to the amount of work it took to launch his channel and support his family. He seems like a good man with good priorities.

I think the better question is:

Are you selfish if you own vapor flys?

No one else cares about your running so it’s ALL self indulgent.

amchugh89 wrote:

This is why I like that new one wesfly. They really lean into the narcissism thing.

Agreed. Lost it as the title of the most recent video: “Day in the life of a ... CEO/Athlete/Student/Day Trader/Alpha Male”

Not much different from any entertainer...ie pro football, basketball, baseball, singer blah, blah, blah....

jamin wrote:

Sleep in, eat breakfast and drink coffee, stretch, warmup, go for a run somewhere good for running, cooldown, stretch, eat a recovery meal ...

I feel like there's a paradox such that it's "hard work" and luxury lifestyle. Because 95% of the time spent is relaxation/indulgence (most consider daily/easy runs relaxing) and the other 5% is the bouts of workout efforts a couple times a week and make you feel really good afterwards (so the net effect is feeling good).

(And yes, I realize myself and those who agree with me here are pyschologically projecting a bit.)

The most difficult part of being a professional athlete (runner) is the down-time. 99% of your time is training and worrying about racing, the other 1% is actual racing itself. In between runs (twice daily), there is weight training/conditioning, physical therapy (treatment-massage), everyday chores (laundry, shopping, paying bills, etc...) all the while trying to recover before your next workout. That being said, you NEVER stop thinking about how you feel, the next race and sponsor obligations. It's not an easy life unless you're truly passionate about it and even then it's a long never-ending grind. Oh yeah........and the money is crap unless you're REALLY GOOD!!!

"Go Run One"

Doesn't every single college athlete do all of this also while being a full-time student?

Aouita 84 wrote:

jamin wrote:

Sleep in, eat breakfast and drink coffee, stretch, warmup, go for a run somewhere good for running, cooldown, stretch, eat a recovery meal ...

I feel like there's a paradox such that it's "hard work" and luxury lifestyle. Because 95% of the time spent is relaxation/indulgence (most consider daily/easy runs relaxing) and the other 5% is the bouts of workout efforts a couple times a week and make you feel really good afterwards (so the net effect is feeling good).

(And yes, I realize myself and those who agree with me here are pyschologically projecting a bit.)

The most difficult part of being a professional athlete (runner) is the down-time. 99% of your time is training and worrying about racing, the other 1% is actual racing "

Words spoken like someone who has never been a professional runner.. Pro runners spend 10-15 % of their time training and ZERO percent worrying about races. The very essence of being a pro is that you exist to race.

Hmmmm????

"Words spoken like someone who has never been a professional runner". I'd be VERY careful who you accuse of "never been a professional runner".

"The very essence of being a pro is that you exist to race", so insightful and Zen-Like.

Please elaborate Mr. "Pro" runner.

"Go Run One"

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, watch it if you like, don't if you dislike.

Well basically ALL the top YouTubers (who are not runners) all have an extremely self absorbed and self indulgent lifestyle. I guess that is all it really takes to be a top youtuber. I appreciate the ones that work hard but they are few and far between. A lot are just lazy with no real talent, they are esthetically beautiful and charming instead with the right connections.