mayno, youre a douche.
mayno, youre a douche.
and I appreciate it and I never get tired of it, even after decades of training. Thanks for asking no matter how stupid it is. I'll have a cordial answer.
That's more than I drive--Ha! as funny as the first time I heard it.....and I mean that.
Thanks agian, those who try and find a way to converse about what I like to do best..or close to best.ha
I like to just tell boldfaced lies...like how fast do you run a mile? umm...right around 3.50....yea im currently ranked 14th in the world...im kind of a big deal...this works especially well at bars when talking to older women....but thats just me
I love hearing that's farther than I drive, or I couldn't run 10 miles if my life depended on it. It makes me feel like I'm a better person than them. Then again, I am.
I sometimes become annoyed when people ask me silly, patronizing questions about running and track. But I have to stop and remember -- If I don't atleast try to sound knowlegable and give them some accurate info, then they will continue to know JACK about running and will continue to ask stupid questions. Furthermore, if running is ever to receive a little public recognition as a worthwhile sport then we shouldn't act like a bunch of elitist snobs the minute a non-runner wants to know a little something about it.
I hate small-talk as much as the next guy, but you have to understand that small-talk is a stepping stone to more meaningful converstaions and connections in the future. Perhaps a little chit chat about how far a marathon is can eventually turn into a meaningful conversation about what running means to you, which might inspire them.
You runners think you have it bad?!?!?! I am a part time runner and a full time swimmer. Imagine the reactions I get when I tell a fat ass co-worker that I swam a 10K race in the ocean this past weekend. That kind of thing simply bounces off their forehead like a ping-pong ball. It does not compute. All I get in response is their blinking eyes. And those who actually are vaguely aware of the time and distance I put into my training just think I'm nuts.
open water wrote:
You runners think you have it bad?!?!?! I am a part time runner and a full time swimmer. Imagine the reactions I get when I tell a fat ass co-worker that I swam a 10K race in the ocean this past weekend. That kind of thing simply bounces off their forehead like a ping-pong ball. It does not compute. All I get in response is their blinking eyes. And those who actually are vaguely aware of the time and distance I put into my training just think I'm nuts.
you are nuts
And just think of what they do when I tell them about the sea life I encounter during those races.
swimmer boy, yes, you are definitely marginalized with few people having a clue what you do....but as mentioned, 10k in the f-ing ocean???? that is crazy. more power to you.
10K swimming? I don't even sail that far!
Or how many times have you heard people yell, "run forrest, run!" Boy has that gotten old.
So what do you tell them when they ask how far your Lakeshore Marathon was? Uh.....27 miles
OR
How far was the Papa John's Pizza Ten Miler you just ran? Uh...9.8 miles, or whatever.
It's probably not as bad as you think, especially if your family is a fan of the Big Ten (11).
I was in Cambridge punting with a tour guide and as we passed one of Trinity College's courtyards he claimed "that was where the first four minute mile was run." I looked around in shock and then realized that he had confused the Chariots of Fire courtyard scene where they run around within 12th strike of the clock with the four minute mile. Despite my attempt to explain that he was wrong... he wouldn't accept it.
Still annoys me
It's the judgemental part that is trying. As Runners we are not asking them stupid question about their inactivity and making judgemental comments. Why should we accept this from them.
Unfortunately most people are too stuck in their own made up reality to imagine things being done differently from the way they do things.
I can't stand anyone who can't break 32 minutes for 10k.
Has anyone noticed that open water swimming is becoming less marginalized - it's now an official olympic event. 10K ocean swim in 2008. It's about time! (I think it is replacing race walking) People will now see what an amazing event long distance swimming is. Endurance, athleticism, strategy, etc. You guys are going to love this s***...... and the world will finally begin to understand and appreciate what I do.
Conversation with co-worker at my internship 5 minutes ago:
Her: How was your morning run?
Me: I didn't run this morning, I'm tapering since my season may be over this Saturday and we want to be rested.
Her: Uh Oh, you're getting lazy! (in a playful, but still serious tone)
Me: Oh, not really,(in a very steady, friendly voice) it's a part of the training, we run fewer miles late in the season when we want to peak. We'll take next week off to rest up and get ready for track.
Her: Watch out, your metabolism will slow down and all that food you eat will catch up with you! (I do eat a lot at work)
Me: Oh, I'm not too worried, we'll start training again in a week or two.
Her: Yeah, but it's always hard to get going again once you stop (saying this like she knew what she was talking about), I'd always rather just curl up in my warm house.
At this point I pretty much stopped listening but did catch something about "isn't that hard on your knees?"
Me: I just basically told her in a pretty calm and professional way that for fat people that don't have a history of much exercise, yes, it probably would be.
Nice - or the Army 10 (11.4) miler.
I smile and tilt my head when I tell people the marathon is a standard distance - it's fun to watch their faces turn red.
The only two kinds of people who really bother me are:
1) The person who is convinced they know more about running than you yet they don't run. ie. I sat next to someone in at lunch the other day who said running is horrible for your knees. I said no running in and of itself is not bad for your knees. She was shocked that I was so clueless and told me so. I said, I've been at it for quite a few years (almost 30) so I do have a little bit of experience and have known a few runners. She was emphatic that I had no idea what I was talking about. I was irritated. Note: She later said that it hurts her knees because she tore her knee up skiing several years ago and now she is 5'2" and 180 lbs. Yes I agree, YOUR knees probably hurt when you run.
2) I don't like getting the comment, "well everyone is not a world class runner like you." First off I'm not and never have been national class much less world class. I get this comment every time I mention how fat America is and how out of shape we are.
Lastly, on the Bolder comment about 35 min. guys approaching 28 min. guys. When I was younger I was intimidated to approach elite runners. As I got older I'd just go up and shake their hand and meet them. It's funny how the older guys who are now not racing competitively are so much more willing to talk to you when you approach them. I have to publically say that Steve Jones, John Tuttle, and Ed Eyestone were very easy to talk to and come across as great people. I won't mention the ones who clearly seemed to be bothered that you wanted to say hello.
I'm not much of a people person and have always struggled with small talk. I've learned a few things over the years.
When people ask about a race, tell them something positive. "I didn't run as fast as I'd hoped, but I placed really well anyway" or even take the attention away from you "I ran really hard, there were some really great runners that showed up for the race" and maybe start talking about how great those runners are so that the person might come to the conclusion on their own that you couldn't have beaten them. If all else fails, just make up something positive. If you say something negative, they don't know what to say and are forced to reach for some encouraging words about something that they know little about.
If someone thinks they know a lot about running, but really don't know the difference between a 10k and a marathon, don't argue with them. Just smile and nod. If you're put on the spot with some conflicting theory of theirs, just tell them that you're trying a new training strategy or something.
And never, NEVER bring up the how disgustingly fat our country has become, especially in the presence of a woman...oh god have mercy on you for that one.
If people are really getting out of hand with the "did you run here?" or "how far did you run today, 20 miles?" comments, just start responding "yes" and "35 miles" or something absurd like that, it won't be funny to them anymore if you don't play along.