How do I explain to my coworkers that I'm not interested in running long distances?

jamin wrote:

Somehow I've been initiated into the running crew at work and this means I'm on the office email thread about local road races and have to do stop-and-chats if I run into one of them at the water cooler in the break room. They're all doing a local 5k/12k this weekend and when I said I'm doing the 5k they looked at me like I had 3 eyes and joked about me being a wimp. I told them I'm not in shape for long distances because I'm focusing on 800/1500 and am not interested in racing longer than 5k. This didn't seem to register.

How can I explain this better next time?

Bruh, just hit up dat 5k with dat sub-15 yous been rappin' 'bout. Them fools will be like "dddddeeeeaaaammmmnnnn dat short white boy gots mad skillz"! No problemo then bruh.

friendly advice wrote:

Stop talking about your coworkers on the net. Even if you don't say anything bad it will bite you some day.

This is good advice. If you can't muster the intestinal fortitude to explain your distance preferences, what will you do when they start to question all the crap you put on this message board?

jamin wrote:

Somehow I've been initiated into the running crew at work and this means I'm on the office email thread about local road races and have to do stop-and-chats if I run into one of them at the water cooler in the break room. They're all doing a local 5k/12k this weekend and when I said I'm doing the 5k they looked at me like I had 3 eyes and joked about me being a wimp. I told them I'm not in shape for long distances because I'm focusing on 800/1500 and am not interested in racing longer than 5k. This didn't seem to register.

How can I explain this better next time?

Reminds me of the 'I hate talking about running with non-runners thread'.

More = better, right? Marathon is superior to track and ultra-marathons are the best.

Jamin, how many friends or family members know the true extent of the effort you put into your online persona? Do you proudly inform them of the hours a day, every day, for years on end spent cultivating a troll rep on an anonymous message board?

better question wrote:

The better question is why would you continue to focus on the 800/1500 if you don't run for a college team (and aren't good enough to run professionally)? It's like you are refusing to grow up and realize those days are over.

How does running long distances avoid this?

Just tell them your more concerned with life long fitness. Studies have shown that pretty much anything over a 5k is detrimental to your life expectancy.

th3bt wrote:

friendly advice wrote:

Stop talking about your coworkers on the net. Even if you don't say anything bad it will bite you some day.

This is good advice. If you can't muster the intestinal fortitude to explain your distance preferences, what will you do when they start to question all the crap you put on this message board?

I'm not saying I disagree, but how can his anonymous comments "come back to bite him?"

Tell them you are a runner and not a jogger

joedirt wrote:

Studies have shown that pretty much anything over a 5k is detrimental to your life expectancy.

Whoa - is this actually true?? If so that's really important information. I tried googling this but couldn't find any good studies, could someone more knowledgeable help out?

Call a meeting and show them a 25 slide powerpoint about the topic.

Jamin is not anonymous.

Spaghettimonster wrote:

th3bt wrote:

This is good advice. If you can't muster the intestinal fortitude to explain your distance preferences, what will you do when they start to question all the crap you put on this message board?

I'm not saying I disagree, but how can his anonymous comments "come back to bite him?"

jamin wrote:

Somehow I've been initiated into the running crew at work and this means I'm on the office email thread about local road races and have to do stop-and-chats if I run into one of them at the water cooler in the break room. They're all doing a local 5k/12k this weekend and when I said I'm doing the 5k they looked at me like I had 3 eyes and joked about me being a wimp. I told them I'm not in shape for long distances because I'm focusing on 800/1500 and am not interested in racing longer than 5k. This didn't seem to register.

How can I explain this better next time?

Why do you need to explain it "better?" You said you wanted to do the 5k and not the 12k. They don't need any more explanation, and if you're secure in your choice of distance, you shouldn't feel the need to justify it beyond that. Do you over-analyze every basic human interaction?

But to be fair to your coworkers, the race is marketed as a 12k:

The 5k looks like an add-on event for spouses and walkers, kind of like the BAA 5k. The 12k looks more competitive, but they do offer prizes for the 5k, so maybe you'll win an obnoxious 12th man jersey or something.

Babies have probably never run an 800 bttw.

You feel the need to run a 5k at a run(not race) that doesn't even post race results anywhere on their web site haha get a grip jamin

So winner of the 5k last year (assuming you are doing this Seahawk run) was 15:56, 2nd was 16:17, 3rd was 17:49, and 4th was 18:12.

Year before was 16:16, 16:28, 17:34, and 17:56

2013 was top 3 in the 16s and next at 17:58.

If I am right, you are competitive enough for the win, right? Assuming yes, it is understandable that people are questioning why you would enter a race to go into the 5k with at most 0-3 other people at your ability where the real competition is elsewhere at the same meet.

You saying you are not in shape to run a 12k is not true because you can - just not in the time that would make you happy (but would make all the others ecstatic).

Not saying you should enter the 12k but it is understandable for people to question when you are going to pay $40-50 to do this essentially fun run for you when for an additional $5, you could enter the real race.

Jamin fan wrote:

You feel the need to run a 5k at a run(not race) that doesn't even post race results anywhere on their web site haha get a grip jamin

I found it. You have to look at the FAQs on the bottom. It did take a while though.

jаmin wrote:

test test wrote:

You have a job?

Would you like an apple pie with that order?

You were supposed to say,

"You want fries with that?"

Possible replies to use:

- "I am afraid I might hurt my knees in a 12k."

- "I can't stay awake for longer than 20 minutes at a time."

- "My fuel belt can only sustain me for 8k, 10k tops. 12k would be inviting disaster."

- "I only have 5k left on my shoes."

Tell them youre not ready for the marathon when they mention the 12k.

When they correct you say, no, its a 12k marathon and I'm not ready for the marathon.

They'll leave you alone.