I've come to dread conversations with non-runners about my running.

So have they.

They are trying to be nice. Give them a break.

I usually say I ran for an hour, and that I am not sure how far it was, even though I do know.

Also, explain to that person that a marathon is 26.2 miles. Always. Don't get mad at them, educate them.

I don't start these conversations, believe me, I don't. These comments come from people that, for whatever reason, already know I run (how I wish I could take that knowledge away from them). I always assume that other people don't give a rats tail about my running, and most people don't. But those few who ask about it, just beat me down.

As far as explaining the distance of a marathon, I just don't have the patience to do it every time someone gets it wrong.

Well, you could live in a town like Boulder where a 35 minute 10k dude is too good to talk to a 28 minute dude because he's not Paul Tergat. Count your blessings.

maynard wrote:

I don't start these conversations, believe me, I don't. These comments come from people that, for whatever reason, already know I run (how I wish I could take that knowledge away from them). I always assume that other people don't give a rats tail about my running, and most people don't. But those few who ask about it, just beat me down.

As far as explaining the distance of a marathon, I just don't have the patience to do it every time someone gets it wrong.

You just have to remember that they are not runners, therefore they are naturally not going to understand alot of the things we consider basic (ie, the distance of a marathon). I'm pretty lucky that most of the people I know who outright say they do not like running, still show respect for my hobby and ask questions about how I'm doing. It's just like if they had a hobby that you don't know alot about....as long as they are not being rude about it, just use it as a chance to explain the sport and maybe get them into it. I'm also pretty lucky b/c I have to go out of town for work a fair amount, and my coworkers are good about structuring after work activities and what not around my running schedule and don't try to force me to eat bad or drink alot if they know I have a longrun the next morning. The hard part to remember is that just b/c something is so vitally important to us, does not mean it matters one iota to others. I think some of the comments you are seeing are ways people are trying to pay you a compliment (the not driving that far comment)...take it for what it is and realize that these same people see the shape you are in and know that they do not have the will power/passion that you obviously exhibit. We are all pretty lucky to have something in our lives that we can be passionate about and continually strive to be better at...I think others see the way it positively affects our personality and wish they had the same thing.

Space Lord wrote:

The hard part to remember is that just b/c something is so vitally important to us, does not mean it matters one iota to others.

That's not hard at all for me to remember. In fact, I wish my running were so unimportant to others that they'd never ask me about it. That way, I'd never again have to explain that not every race is a marathon. That running in 50 degree weather is actually quite comfortable. That, no, running will not ruin my knees or use up my lifetime supply of heartbeats. That just because I weigh less than 150 pounds, it doesn't mean I'm sick or anorexic.

maynard wrote:

That, no, running will not [...] use up my lifetime supply of heartbeats.

Just as you cannot truly argue against that idea, you cannot argue for it. There is no way to prove it eiter way. It falls into the debate of fate/predetermination.

Wow, someone is showing interest in your passion? You're lucky, most people don't give a flying f*** about my running.

"Well, you could live in a town like Boulder where a 35 minute 10k dude is too good to talk to a 28 minute dude because he's not Paul Tergat. Count your blessings."

Where do you get that? I hear these sentiments about Boulder on this site, and yet I never hear these sentiments from anyone in the Boulder running community. Do you have specific examples to share?

Confused...

BDG

Maynard, I definitely know where you're coming from. I was in the Dominican Republic over the summer, running over 75+ miles per week, and people there just thought I was nuts. Especially the Spanish 30-somethings that I worked with, they would sort of gang up on me to get me to talk about my running, to be able to critize and laugh and agree all together that I was insane.

philosophizer wrote:

maynard wrote:

That, no, running will not [...] use up my lifetime supply of heartbeats.

Just as you cannot truly argue against that idea, you cannot argue for it. There is no way to prove it eiter way. It falls into the debate of fate/predetermination.

You're a dumbass, but I can't prove it right now.

The fact is, if you had a strictly limited number of heartbeats (which is almost certainly not true), running would extend the life of your heart, because it would be beating significantly slower during the part of your day when you're not running -- about 90% of it.

I've run for over 5 years, and I just found out yesterday how long a marathon was....I always thought it was 25 miles.

and im hoping to break 30 minutes for my 5k any one of these months now.

Yeah, you really need to get over yourself. Why the f*** would you waste your time starting this thread?

You sound like a good candidate for some Gallowalking. Go out and purchase one of my books, and you'll be running 28 minute 5k's in no time flat. Just remember, you can do it! I believe in you!

Don't associate yourself with any non-runners other than when you have to (work). It's been working for me.

You forgot "Did You run here?"

I hear that more than I hear the word "Hi".

There are some people that I know that that is the only thing that I can ever remember them saying. And they think it's funny every time the say it.

Yeah, and on top the "Did you run, here", stuff like, "oh, why don't you run to get the groceries?" really ticks me off.

I also get a lot of crap from my non-running roomates, too. My roommates are both thin-a-phobic... although not fat themselves, then somehow feel that runners who are perfectly heathy and in awesome shape are "too thin". Sometimes I just wonder if it's because they know they'll never look like that.

I try not to talk with non-runners about my running. I even had non-running girlfriends I didn't talk to about my running.

Once I came home to 15 relatives at a Thanksgiving dinner. I had just run a roadrace against a field of over 1000 runners in which I figured I might get sixth or seventh.

"How did you do,"? one of them asked me.

"Actually, I won," I answered, still a little shocked myself.

"Oh," came the answer. "Could you pass the drumsticks?"

They're all good people. We managed to find other stuff to talk about.